Crockpot Ranch Chicken Tacos

Sure, you could fry some hamburger or ground turkey in a skillet. Or... you could pop these few ingredients into the crockpot and have something a little tastier that you might get at your local Mexican restaurant...

It's good, you won't be disappointed. So try it. Enjoy!

CROCKPOT RANCH CHICKEN TACOS

Servings: 1

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 1+/oz of chicken, 1+ for 1/4 serving of sauce, 2+ for tortilla(s), 2+ for cheese, 2+ for avocado = about 5-9+ (depending on what you put in your taco)

Note: Nutritional information below is for the sauce only (1/4 serving)

Ingredients:

• Boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 packet Ranch mix
• 1/2 packet (I only used 1 TBSP since I don't like "spicy") low-sodium taco seasoning
• Your favorite taco/taco salad toppings!

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and pour into a crock pot with a few chicken breasts.
2. Let cook on low for about 3 1/2 hours.
3. In the last 15 minutes or so of cooking, use a spoon or fork to pull apart the chicken. 
4. Allow it to cook a little longer and enjoy!

Parmesan Baked Tilapia

I'm not usually a fish person, but I'm trying to become one... so I'm starting with cod/tilapia and will hopefully some day be able to work my way up to the ever-so-healthy salmon/tuna (but with my nose and taste buds, we'll see). This meal was actually surprisingly good... I may be making another fish meal in the near future (that's really saying something about how delicious this was)!

So easy and simple to make, and not very many calories/points at all (which is why I paired them with veggies and multiple helpings of my Rainbow Cupcakes). 

Enjoy!

PARMESAN BAKED TILAPIA

Servings: 2-4

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 3+ per fillet

Ingredients:

• Tilapia filets (about 1/person)
• 2 TBSP melted butter/margarine
• 3 TBSP Parmesan cheese (or 1 TBSP/person)
• Optional: garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. 
2. Heat butter in the microwave until melted.
3. In a nonstick pan, cover tilapia with a few spoonfuls of melted margarine.
4. Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese (and garlic powder).
5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until fish flakes apart.
6. Top with a bit more Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Rainbow Cupcakes

Only want 2 cupcakes and not 24? Check out my recipe Almond Cupcakes for Two. But if you want a real treat to feed a party (or if you're just really in the mood for some dessert), read on!

I was going to make these for my mom's birthday until she said she wanted Strawberries & Cream Pie. Since I still wanted to try the recipe, I paired them the other night with my Parmesan Baked Tilapia (since I knew it would be really low in points). 

Believe it or not, these cupcakes come in at only 67 calories (still less than 80 even with cheesecake cream frosting) and are only 2 POINTS+ on Weight Watchers.

But wait... there's more! These things are rainbow inside! And are topped with cheesecake cream frosting and fresh fruit! And they're wonderfully DELICIOUS!

Need I say more? I think I've made my point.

RAINBOW CUPCAKES

Servings: About 24 cupcakes

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: Only 2+ per cupcake!

Ingredients:

• Cupcake Mixture:
• Box of Cake Mix
• Can/Bottle of Sprite Zero
• Gel Food Coloring
• Icing/Toppings:
• Cool Whip
• Sugar Free/Fat Free Cheesecake Jello
• Fresh Fruit

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Pour cake mix into a large bowl and gradually add Sprite Zero (I actually only used about 3/4 bottle), mixing throughly (yes, there will be lots of carbonation at first... this does subside). Preheat oven to 350° F.
3. When there are no more lumps, spoon mixture into 3-6 different small bowls/cups.
4. Add gel food coloring and stir (I chose red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple... you know, ROYGBIV without the indigo).
5. Place baking cups into a muffin tin and spoon small amounts of each color into each cup.
6. Bake in oven for about 20-23 minutes or until center of cupcake is fully cooked.
7. While cooking, combine 1/2 tub of cool whip (I happened to have fat free) and 1/2 box of sugar-free, fat-free cheesecake jello and stir. Add water until the mixture has a frosting-like consistency.
8. Allow the cupcakes to cool and top with icing (and whatever other toppings you would like... maybe even sprinkles to go with the rainbow theme).
9. Enjoy!

Simple Thai Peanut Sauce

Alright, you have a vegan coming to stay with you for a few days. You've run out of  Lentil Loaf. You make...

THAI PEANUT SAUCE with noodles of course!

Yes, you can buy the pre-packaged envelopes at the grocery store. And while those may taste delicious, I have never really been one to handle super spicy foods (I'm pretty sure I would die if I actually had to eat in Thailand). So this sauce recipe is kid-friendly (read: Cooking Cadenza Chef friendly) not at all hot to the taste (that being said, if you would like to add some zest, feel free).

I was tempted to add some chicken to this dish as well, but ended up discovering that the frozen strips in our fridge may have been a bit too frost-bitten... ugh. So low-and-behold, this dish stayed as a truly vegan experience. While the chicken may have beefed-up (er, chickened-up) the recipe a bit nutrition-wise, whatever it lacked in protein was made up for by its fabulous taste.

Seriously, the picture doesn't even do this meal justice. Go make it and see for yourself.

SIMPLE THAI PEANUT SAUCE

Servings: 4

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 8+ per bowl (with 2 oz pasta, 1/4 serving sauce, veggies)
Note: Nutritional values below are for 1/4 serving of the Thai Peanut Sauce only (pasta not included)

Ingredients:

• Actual Dish:
• Barilla Plus spaghetti (8 oz for 4 people)
• Frozen peas
• Carrot chips
• 1 TBSP sesame oil
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• Peanut Sauce:
• 1 TBSP peanut butter
• 1 TBSP sesame oil
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 2 tsp sesame seeds (1 tsp in mixture, 1 tsp to sprinkle on top)

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package instructions.
2. While water is boiling, combine all ingredients (PB, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame seeds) to make the peanut sauce in a small bowl.
3. Next, heat oils/sauces in a pan and add veggies. Fry for a few minutes until veggies have been coated (do not cook them too long).
4. Combine spaghetti and veggies/oil into serving bowls and top with a few spoonfuls of peanut sauce (stirring throughly) and sesame seeds.
5. เริงร่า (or enjoy)!

Crockpot Lemon Chicken

Let me preface this by saying two things: 

1. No, this is not like the Chinese take-out type of lemon chicken, but more of an "herb" chicken.
2. I did not actually follow the recipe I found for this dish... (that can be found here at Chef-In-Training). I was running behind on dinner that night, and didn't take the time to make the entire dish the "proper way" (if there is a "right way" in cooking). The original recipe actually has you taking the liquid mixture from the crock pot and heating it over the stove with some corn starch to create a thicker sauce. It may then be topped with slivered almonds. I didn't have time for all that, so what you see above was what we got.

Alright, now that I've said those two things... I will add one more thing: I don't know if I cooked this chicken too long again or what, but it was very tender. I wasn't a huge fan of the texture, and ended up dipping the chicken in the applesauce on my plate (which surprisingly was a good idea). So I would suggest maybe serving with some on the side (just a thought). Enjoy!

CROCKPOT LEMON CHICKEN

Servings: Enough for 3 people to have some leftovers... so let's say 4-6?

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 1+/oz of chicken, 1+ for sauce = about 5+
Note: Nutritional values below reflect only the sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 1 c chicken broth
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 TBSP honey dijon mustard
• 2 TBSP margarine, melted
• 1/4 tsp rosemary
• Optional: sprinkle of garlic powder/salt

Directions:

1. Heat margarine/butter in a medium-sized bowl in the microwave for a few seconds, until softened/melted.
2. Add 1 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup lemon juice to the bowl and stir.
3. Stir in 3 TBSP honey dijon mustard and rosemary (and optional garlic powder).
4. Combine all ingredients in the crock pot (coating the chicken) and cook on low for about 3 1/2 hours.
5. Enjoy!

Elvis Oatmeal

Okay, I'm preparing you now... this bowl is CARBO-LOADED (so should probably be paired with something like cheesy eggs/Greek yogurt/etc), but was made because I wanted something a little different. Variety is the spice of life, right? Since Elvis was known for his peanut butter and banana sandwiches, I decided to call this particular combo "Elvis Oatmeal." While I wouldn't have this every morning, it is a good breakfast for every once and a while... especially when you have a sweet tooth or craving for some peanut butter going on.

ELVIS OATMEAL

Servings: 1

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 7+

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Oatmeal
• 1/4 cup Almond Milk (can also use regular or omit)
• 1 TBSP Peanut Butter (I used omega 3... hence the high monounsaturated fat content)
• 1 small banana, chopped
• Optional: dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Cook oatmeal according to package instructions (using water).
2. Add milk if desired to create a creamier consistency.
3. Stir in 1 TBSP of peanut butter.
4. Top with banana slices and if you would like, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top.
5. That's it... you're ready to ROCK 'N ROLL!

Alfredo Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups

I wanted to try something a little different than the Cheesy Lasagna Roll-Ups I made the last time, and ended up creating this confection.

Since I used more butter/cheese to make the sauce rather than simple tomato sauce, the points value got a little bigger. That being said, I enjoyed this version a bit more (probably because of the sauce, but especially because I used pulled chicken instead of ground turkey). Let me put it this way: it's worth it to just have one noodle this time around and pair it with some fresh zucchini or green beans. The creamier sauce will help fill you up a bit more than the tomato sauce, too.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is a really good meal for those days when your family eats at different times. So if one person eats at 6 pm and the others eat at 9 pm, this meal can easily be set aside to be put in the oven when each family member is ready.

Also, this may sound strange, but to any of you out there who like the outer shells of crab rangoon... the bottom part of the noodles somehow really reminded me of them (minus the crab).

Enjoy!

ALFREDO CHICKEN LASAGNA ROLL-UPS

Servings: 1-2 noodle(s)/person

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 6+/noodle

Ingredients:

• For the Noodles/Filling:
• Lasagna noodles
• 1 large egg white, gently beaten
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1-1.5 cups Low-fat ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup Weight Watchers Italian Blend cheese
• About 6-8 oz pulled chicken
• For the Cream Sauce:
• 3 TBSP skim milk
• 2 TBSP butter
• 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese
• 2 TBSP corn starch

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. In a small bowl, combine egg white, spices, and cheeses.
3. Chop/pull chicken into small pieces (if necessary).
4. In a small stovetop pan, heat butter and milk, gradually adding in Parmesan cheese and corn starch to help create a thicker consistency (you may need more or less).
5. When noodles have finished cooking, run under cool water and set aside.
6. Fill pasta with the cheese mixture and chicken, rolling each noodle.
7. After placing all of the rolls in a nonstick pan, pour a few spoonfuls of cream sauce on top of each noodle.
8. Bake for about 15-20 minutes (until cheese is melted) at 350° F.
9. Enjoy!