Black Bean Chili

I've been really struggling with things to eat lately.  I'm bored with all of my normal meals, so I've been eating pretty bad lately.  So I went to some friends to ask for inspiration for something new.  Here is what I came up with...

Here's what you need:

1 small white onion, chopped
1T olive oil
1 can low sodium black beans
1 small can diced green chilis
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
Mexican cheese, optional

Here's what you do:

Heat oil in medium saucepan.  Add onions and sautee until soft

Add in black beans, green chili, corn, and tomatoes.  You can also add in some salt and pepper to taste.  Lower heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes.

Serve over brown rice and top with Mexican blend cheese if desired.

Onion Sherry Pork Chops

So I haven't been feeling very creative as of late, hence the lack of posts.  I've pretty much been sticking with all of my old "go-to's" and not trying new things.  Also, things have been pretty hectic around here, so I haven't had much time to do anything but deal with real life things.  On the plus side, I finished the PINK Method!  I ended up with 30 pounds lost.  I still have 9 more to go, so I restarted the program.  Hoping it will only take me till the end of the 1st phase or shortly into Phase 2.  Anyway, on to today's meal...

Here's What You Need

2 Pork Chops (or as many as you need really, I had 2 and one was HUGE so it was enough)
3T Cooking Sherry
A few shakes of Chopped Onion (the dry kind)
Dash of black pepper

Place Pork Chops into a baking dish and sprinkle both sides with the onion and pepper.  Add Sherry to the bottom of the dish.

Bake at 350* for 30 - 40 minutes turning once about halfway through cooking.

I served it with brown rice and green beans.

Super Simple Salsa Chicken

I am all about quick and easy. I have an almost 14 month old who gets into everything. I don't have time to spend hours prepping dinner. This literally takes 10 seconds to prepare.

Here's what you need:

Chicken (breasts or thighs, your choice really)
1 jar of your favorite salsa (I used El Pinto Roasted Jalapeño)

Here's what you do:

Put chicken in a baking dish that can be covered. Pour entire jar of salsa over chicken. Bake at 350* for about 45 minutes. Place chicken on a bed of brown rice and serve with your favorite veggie (I made ready to steam asparagus). Super quick, and super tasty!

P.S. if you haven't tried El Pinto salsa, do it! You will not be disappointed. Best part is its Gluten free and has no sugar!

Green Chile Chicken

I know, I know....I have not been posting like I should be. But that doesn't mean I haven't been working! I'm hoping to get all of my new creations up here in the next few days. I'm going to start with what I made tonight. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Here's What You Need:

Boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used 3 cause it fits my family)
1 small can fire roasted green chile (I only used half, but you can definitely use the whole can of you want)
Lemon juice
Black pepper

Here's What You Do:

Place chicken in baking dish. Cover each piece with green chile. Drizzle chicken and chile with Lemon juice. Sprinkle with black pepper.

Bake at 350* for 30-45 minutes until chicken is no longer pink and dig in! I served this with Cous Cous and green peas and it was very tasty.

Ground Turkey w/Zucchini & Mushrooms

Yet again, I was faced with a challenge.  What to make for dinner.  We are getting near the end of my husbands pay period, which means we are getting near the end of our food supplies.  My options were limited.  I looked in the freezer and saw I had a package of ground turkey, so I decided to see what I could do with it.

Here's what you need:

1 20oz. package lean ground turkey

1 medium onion, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

Garlic Powder

Sea Salt

Ground Black Pepper

Here's what you do:

Dice your onion and zucchini 

Sautee Onions until clear

Add Turkey and brown.

Once Turkey is browned add in the zucchini and mushrooms.

Keep on high heat and cook until the zucchini begins to soften (I think I cooked it for about 15 minutes)  You may also add in the garlic powder (just a few shakes), salt (a pinch) and pepper (as much as you'd like) to flavor. 

If there is any liquid left in the pan drain it.

I was planning on serving this over brown rice, but after I started cooking I realized I was out, so I put it over plain cous cous.  It ended up being the right choice....so yummy!!

"Tacos"

I live in New Mexico, so I am surrounded by tempting Mexican food all the time. So I decided to try my hand at making my own PINK friendly tacos.


Here's what you need:

1lb extra lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced (I used white)
Non-stick cooking spray
2T ground cumin
1T chili powder
1c water
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Here's what you do:

Lightly spray large frying pan with cooking spray. Sautée onions until they start to look transparent.

Add ground beef. Sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper. Cook until meat is browned.

In a small container mix cumin and chili powder together

**note - you can decrease the chili powder to lessen the spiciness.  I like it spicy**

Add chili powder and cumin mixture to the meat

Add water and cook on medium heat about 10 minutes.

Since I am on reset, I served this in fresh romaine leaves and topped with some fresh diced grape tomatoes. I served it with a side of mushrooms and a spinach salad. You can top with whatever toppings you like and can even *gasp* use taco shells!!!

Enjoy!!!

Cayenne Lime Chicken Over Wilted Spinach

I actually made this a few weeks ago when I was on PINK Reset.  Since I am on Reset again for the next few days, I decided to make this again.

Here's what you need:
Medium sized frying pan with lid
Non-Stick Cooking spray
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (or breasts) as many as you need to feed your family
Red Cayenne Pepper
Lime Juice
Fresh Spinach
Water

Here's what you do:

Lightly spray frying pan with cooking spray.  Place chicken in pan and sprinkle with Cayenne Pepper (as much or as little as you like) and Lime Juice. 

Cook over high heat until chicken is done.  When you turn the chicken sprinkle that side with Cayenne and Lime Juice too.

Once chicken is cooked add some water and some more lime juice to the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove Chicken from pan and set aside

Leaving the leftover juices in the pan add the spinach.

Cover and lower heat to low and cook for 5-10 minutes until the spinach is wilted.

Spoon spinach onto your plate and place chicken on top.

You can serve this with brown rice or cous cous as a side.  My husband had Rice-A-Roni Garlic & Olive Oil Vermicelli with his.

Bon  Apetit!!

I Don't Know What I'm Doing Chili

So, as you know I am currently doing the P.I.N.K. Method.  So, I have been trying to come up with creative ideas for recipes that I can use that follow all of the rules of the plan.  This was my attempt at chili.  I have no idea how to make chili so I just went by the seat of my pants on this one.

Here's what you need:

1 small red onion diced
1 red bell, pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
fresh mushrooms, diced (about a 1/2 cup I'd say)
1 pound extra lean ground meat (I like 93/7)
1 can kidney beans
1 4oz can diced green chiles
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
Cayenne Pepper sauce*
Ground Cumin*
Chili Powder*
*I didn't measure these, just put in several shakes of each.  Adjust to your preference.
3/4-1 cup water

Here's what you do:

Dice the onion, peppers, and mushrooms and set aside:

Brown the ground beef:

Add in the peppers onions and mushrooms and cook until soft:

Cook the Kidney Beans according to the package.  Once cooked drain and set aside

Add the green chile, diced tomatoes, Cayenne Pepper sauce, Cumin, Chili Powder, and water to the meat:

Simmer over medium high heat until mixture thickens (about 30 minutes or so)

Add in the kidney beans and continue cooking about 5-10 minutes

Prepare your brown rice:

Serve chili over 1/2 c of brown rice and a nice spinach salad.

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!!  Happy cooking!

Kielbasa, Eggplant, Quinoa Stir-Fry

So, as usual, I was looking through my cupboards for something, anything, to make for dinner.  I spotted the quinoa on my shelf and said "what can I do with this?".  Rummaged around some more and found some eggplant and kielbasa and the dish was made!

Here's what you need:
1 serving quinoa (1 cup dry, a LOT of cups prepared!)
1 onion sliced
1 package kielbasa - sliced in 1/2" pieces
1 eggplant, diced
1 cup frozen spinach (or more or less if you like, I didn't actually measure it)
A splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to saute the onion in
1/2 - 3/4 cup of water
*You can add in salt/pepper to taste if you like.  I try to avoid it as much as possible.

Here's what you need to do:

Prepare the quinoa according to the directions on the package.  The kind I got was pre-rinsed and it is SO much easier than the kind you have to rinse first.  If you can find it, get it!!  They don't have it here in Roswell which makes me sad.

Heat oil in large frying pan.  Add onion and saute till soft.  Add in the kielbasa and cook for 5-10 minutes (until slightly browned)

Add in the eggplant and spinach and about a 1/2c to 3/4 cup of water.  Let that simmer for about 20 minutes (until the water cooks down)  Stir occasionally.

Add in the cooked quinoa

Mix it all together and cook for about 5 minutes more:

Voila!  Dinner is served!!!

Now my husband gave this one rave reviews, but feedback is always appreciated.  If you try this, please let me know what you think!

**This could be P.I.N.K. friendly with some modifications (i.e take out the kielbasa)