Crockpot Chicken Spinach Soup

I saw this dish a couple of weeks ago and although I wanted to try it, I was a little apprehensive.  So glad that I went ahead with it!

Crockpot Chicken Spinach Soup adapted from Finding Joy In My Kitchen

1/2 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced (we love garlic)

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes - I used fire roasted

1 can Great Northern White Beans, Drained

4 chicken thighs

1 box of frozen spinach

1 tsp basil

salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in crockpot and let cook on low for about 8 hours.  Before serving I shred the chicken and remove any bones or skin and place it back into the pot.  I served this topped with freshly grated Asiago cheese and some crushed red pepper (I need my spice) along with a big hunk of roasted garlic bread for dipping.  

Modifications:

-I used fresh spinach.

-I used parsley instead of basil.  Sorry, Chris\

-I used 2 cans of northern beans.  I used the juice of one but drained the second one.

-Instead of stewed tomatoes, I used a can of diced tomatoes with garlic, celery and onion.

Here's what you'll need:

Put your chicken breasts in a crockpot.  I used frozen.

Add 2 cans of chicken stock, your beans, and your tomatoes.

Mince up a couple cloves of garlic and add it to the pot.

Add your spinach to the pot.

Mince up your basil or garlic.

Throw the parsley in the pot and cook on low for about 8 hours.

About 30 minutes before you are going to eat, pull the chicken breasts out and shred it up with two forks.  Add it back to the pot.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:

For the second night in a row, Kanin loved this dish!  There are so many outstanding flavors in here.  It is such a great dish for a cold day. 

If I had only one complaint, I would say there was a little too much juice.  I wish that I would have had added one more can of beans.  They wouldn't necessarily have to be white beans but any beans, just without the juice.

I served this with Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Hope you enjoy!

April

I tried to calculate on WW how many points a serving would be and because the northern beans are higher in fat, I would guess that a large bowl of this soup would be about 7 points.  The biscuits . . . well, don't even go there.

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches

Last week I got a Tweet from Dave Zinczenko of Eat This, Not That! and one of the recipes were these Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches.  Our neighbor made these for us last summer and Scott loved them so I had to try them.

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches from Women's Day online
4 bonesless skinless chicken breasts
Teriyaki sauce
4 slices of Swiss cheese
4 pineapple slices (1/2" thick)
4 whole-wheat buns
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Pickled jalapenos (optional)

Directions:  Combine the chicken and enough teriyaki sauce to cover in a resealable plastic bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Heat a grill until hot (you shouldn't be able to hold your hand above the grates for more than 5 seconds). Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill; discard any remaining marinade. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side; flip and immediately add the cheese to each breast. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the chicken is lightly charred and firm to the touch. Remove and set aside.

  While the chicken rests, add the pineapple and the buns to the grill. Cook the buns until they're lightly toasted and the pineapple until it's soft and caramelized, about 2 minutes per side. Top each bun with chicken, red onion, jalapeno slices, and pineapple. If you like, drizzle the chicken with a bit more teriyaki sauce.

Here's what you'll need:

Put the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag along with some teriyaki sauce.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat your grill or griddle until hot and then throw the chicken breasts on.  Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side, flip and add the cheese.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes (or until done).

Once the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted, pull the chicken off and rest.  Next, put the pineapple rings on along with the buns.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:

I knew that Scott and I would love these sandwiches just based on having them this past summer but I was happily surprised when Kanin loved them, too.  He even asked me if he could take one to school sometime.  That is quite the accomplishment!

We didn't add the jalapenos but I really don't think we were missing anything.  The crunchiness of the raw onion was a great touch.  I'm usually not a teriyaki fan but I like these.  The grilled pineapple has the carmelization of the juice but still maintains that sweetness.  I actually can understand why you would put jalapenos on it because of the contrast with the sweet pineapple.

We loved this dish!  I served them with Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes.

Hope you enjoy!
April

With the bun, these sandwiches were 9 points on the Weight Watchers Points Plus program; 7 points without the bun

Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes

Tonight we had Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches.  While trying to come up with sides, I realized we hadn't had sweet potatoes in a while so I went ahead and made some roasted potatoes.  My intention was to make them with a Lipton Onion soup packet, like I did HERE, but I didn't have a packet so I just cut up the potatoes and 2 cloves of garlic with some olive oil and salt and pepper.

Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes
3-4 large sweet potatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Peel and cut up the sweet potatoes into 1 inch squares.  Put the potatoes, garlic and some olive oil to coat in a bowl.  Mix them altogether.  Spread on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 45-50 minutes.

I didn't take an intial picture because I didn't realize what I was going to make.  Peel and cut up the sweet potatoes.  Mince 2 cloves of garlic and add it to the potatoes.  Add olive oil to coat.

Spread out on a baking pan and salt and pepper.

Into a 450 degree oven for 45-50 minutes.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:

Scott and I have really grown to love sweet potatoes this past year.  These are great!  They get crispy on the outside but still softer on the inside and we love garlic. 

Hope you enjoy!

April

1 1/2 cups of these equal 3 points on the Weight Watchers Point Plus scale.

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Joining Our Krazy Kitchen

Just a quick note here to tell you all that I will now be posting on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month over at Our Krazy Kitchen as part of their Delicious Sundays series.  I cannot tell you how excited I am about this. 

This will not effect this site!!  I will still be posting here as usual:)

There are so many fantastic recipes submitted by several people on Our Krazy Kitchen.  If you get a chance, go check it out!

Mom's Southern Cornbread

I love cornbread.  Yes, I know that it isn't good for you but I love it.  In our house, though, there is a battle between sweet cornbread.  Scott doesn't like it unless it is sweet and I say it isn't cornbread unless it is like my mom's.  Her's is just a plain corn meal mix and flour cornbread.  Now, I have heard of some Southerners adding in a can of cream style corn or even some jalapenos or onions but, for me, I just like it plain.

Mom's Southern Corn Bread
2 cups corn meal mix
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 package of sweetern or 1/2 tsp sugar
1 egg
Milk
Crisco

Directions:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix the corn meal, flour and egg.  Add milk until it is pancake consistency.  Take your wrought iron skillet and put it on the stovetop.  Put about 1 1/2 Tbsp of Crisco in the pan and swirl it around.  Let the grease get hot and then add it to the corn meal mix.  (It should crackle when added).  Pour the mixture into your wrought iron skillet.  Bake until the top is lightly brown.

*You really need to make this in a wrought iron skillet.
**As with all home-style recipes, these ingredients are not definite.  If you add a little more or less of one or the other, it is ok. 

Here's what you'll need:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put the Crisco in your skillet and let it melt.

Mix the corn meal, flour, sweetener, and egg together.

Add milk to the bowl until is is pancake consistency.

Swirl the grease all around your skillet to coat and then pour it into the cornmeal.

Pour the cornmeal into the skillet.  It will probably crackle a bit.

Into the oven until the top is light brown, probably about 25-30 minutes.

Flip the cornbread out of the skillet onto a plate and here is what you get:

Our Thoughts:

I really don't know what else to say about this cornbread.  It has been a staple in my life and I think it is the best I've ever tasted.  The wrought iron skillet will make the top (bottom when you pour it in) nice and crispy when you flip it out.  Inside, the bread is moist. 

My dad used to always take the leftovers and crumble them up in a glass with some cold milk.  I still keep the leftovers and heat up and smear butter all over it. 

I will definitely make this for the rest of my life!

Hope you enjoy!

April

I posted this recipe on Say Hi Sunday Blog Party:

Weekly Menu

I am participating in a new Menu Planning Blog Hop.  Check out I'm An Organizing Junkie to get a ton of meal planning ideas.

If you are looking for some ideas on what to cook next week, here's what we are having.

Spicy Shepherd's Pie
Grilled Chicken Pineapple Sandwiches
Crockpot Chicken Spinach Soup
Beef and Potatoes with Rosemary