Chicken Tortilla Soup – a Great Way to use that Shredded Chicken!

I received a great recipe for chicken tortilla soup from my sweet friend, Tonya.  As this is not her exact recipe, she is the one that inspired me to make this delicious soup!  I’m so thankful for this recipe because it is so quick and easy and my kids love it!  My daughter was just begging me the other evening to “please make chicken tortilla soup.”  I know I hadn’t done the preparation that I needed to do for the original recipe so I just used my stove top pot and cooked up a quick batch.  The original recipe calls for chicken breasts to cook all day in the crockpot in chicken broth and rotel tomatoes.  I hadn’t set my crockpot that morning so I just used the shredded chicken that I just posted about here: https://natkolter.wordpress.com/2014/02/27/healthy-shredded-crockpot-chicken/.  This dinner literally took me about 15 minutes to prepare.  I do have to say that my son referred to Tonya’s chicken fajitas meal as the “best fajitas EVER”…and her soup is just as good.  🙂

RECIPE: 

• 1-2 cans of chicken broth (I use one can of low sodium chicken broth or stock and then add water for consistency).
• 1 can of rotel tomatoes
• 2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 TB of Chili powder (or for less spicy…use less)
• 1/2 TB of Red pepper seasoning
• 1/2 bag of frozen corn (or as much as desired)
• 1 can of rinsed and strained black beans (low sodium)
• 1 ziploc bag full of shredded freezer chicken (as instructed in last post)
• water if needed for consistency

TOPPINGS SUGGESTIONS: (this is my kids favorite part-to add toppings)

• Light Sour Cream
• Chives
• Tortilla Chips
• Cheese
• Avacado (my personal favorite as you can see in the photo above)

ENJOY YOUR HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS DINNER!

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Oatmeal Cinnamon Pancakes, loaded with Protein!

I love to try new pancake recipes!  I’ve been trying different recipes without flour.  In this recipe I used Garbanzo bean flour which is a much healthier substitute than using white flour.  Garbanzo Bean Flour is gluten free!  I wouldn’t say that my daily diet is totally gluten free but, I try, for the most part to steer clear of gluten as well as processed foods.  My diet is not perfect by any means, but I work on limiting these things.  I know that there are differing opinions on whether or not oatmeal is gluten free or not.  If you are one to believe that oatmeal is gluten free or have bought the gluten free labeled oatmeal then you could also label this whole recipe as gluten free.  This is one of my favorite recipes thus far that I have tried and I think that it adds that little bit of fluff that you find when using white flour.  Being the pancake lover that I am, I want to find a pancake that satisfies my pancake craving that is healthier for me.  As you can see from the recipe, these are loaded with protein from the greek yogurt and egg whites.  Also this recipe can be considered one serving so it makes for a plate full of goodness that fills my belly!  I may try to add blueberries next time.  This recipe made 5 cakes!  I didn’t add syrup to mine to maintain a lower sugar content but did use some whipped butter on top!  These were delicious and I will make them again soon!  I hope you enjoy your pancake breakfast!

RECIPE:

• 1/4  cup Quick Oats
• 2 TB of Garbanzo Bean Flour
• 1 Packet of Stevia (or sweetener of choice)
• 1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 teas Cinnamon
• 3 Egg Whites

Mix all of the above ingredients together then place on the olive oil sprayed gridle in small amounts (about 3 inches diameter.) ENJOY!

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Protein Cakes…a great substitute for pancakes!

I got this recipe from a couple of my friends, Itza and Cecilia (if my memory serves me right), and have made it many times since, in many different ways.  I have experimented with this protein cakes recipe and this is the way that I’ve found that I like it the best so far.  These protein cakes satisfy my craving for pancakes.  I do still love pancakes, but when I’m trying to eat less carbs this is a great option!

RECIIPE:

3 Egg Whites

2 TB of cooked steel cut oats…you can see how I make these here:

https://natkolter.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/overnight-steel-cut-oats/

2TB greek plain yogurt

This recipe makes 3 “protein cakes”.  Mix and place on your sprayed griddle or pan (on medium heat setting.)  This is what the “batter” looks like on the griddle.

Let cook until edges are more firm and then flip to other side

These protein cakes are a little more “egg like” in texture, but taste great!  I sweetened mine up with a little fresh diced mango. I also added some turkey sausage links to our breakfast.  I chose not to use syrup and substituted mango as my “natural” sweetener.  I also like to mash up strawberries, which resembles a more “syrup-like” topping.  YUM!

Enjoy your delicious breakfast!

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Gluten Free Quinoa Shrimp Bowl! Word’s cannot describe…

I don’t think that I’ve had a tastier dinner lately!  My husband said to me, “this is one of my favorite meals that you’ve EVER made.”  My 8 and 10 year old asked for seconds!  It’s so super healthy, high in protein, and as my family would say, “best meal ever!”  I made it with shrimp, but you can also substitute chicken (I used chicken in the kids bowls).  First, I made the Quinoa.  I rinsed it, and then sautéed it in 1/2 TB of coconut oil.  I used one cup of quinoa and then after sautéing it, added 2 cups of water, brought it to a boil, and covered it on medium-low for 15 min until cooked.

My husband grilled the shrimp for us, sprinkling it with sea salt, ground pepper, and fresh squeezed lemon.  Next, I warmed the frozen corn in the microwave for about 4 minutes.  Then, I rinsed and drained 1 can of reduced-sodium black beans.  I also chopped some fresh cilantro and topped off the bowls with pomegranate seeds.  Finally, I mixed in about 1 tsp. of “all natural” pesto into the bowls (shown in picture below).  The pesto really adds a lot of delicious flavor!  Here is how we stacked our bowls: 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1/4 cup of black beans, 1/3 cup corn, cilantro, shredded chicken or shrimp, and pomegranate seeds.  This is such a low cost and quick meal that your family will love!  Needless to say, it is all gone!  ENJOY!

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Bite Size Gluten Free Chocolate PB Protein Snack!

Yesterday I made my own recipe of delicious, nutritious protein balls!  They are so good and almost gone!  I used to eat Cliff Builder Bars every day.  About 2 years ago, when I started to realize how much sugar was in these protein bars, and that it wasn’t far off from the sugar in candy bars, I stopped eating them!  I used to grab a protein bar and would think that they were so good for me because they had a high protein count listed.  I didn’t think about all of the other additives and sugars that I was consuming at the same time.  While the Builder Bars are “all natural,” they are filled with tons of sugar at the same time.  If you look at the nutrition facts of a candy bar and a protein bar (depending on the brand) the sugar content can be close to the same.  Snickers Bars, for example, have 24 grams of sugar compared to  Builder Bars that contain 20 grams of sugar per bar.  Although the protein is higher in Cliff Builder Bars, the sugar content is almost the same as a Snickers Bar.  Also, the “low or no sugar” protein bars have sugar alcohols in them.  While sugar alcohols are the better option over sugar, especially for those with diabetes, Stevia would be an even better option (WebMD Stevia opinion).  I know that these protein balls are not “fresh foods” from the fridge, but the ingredients that I added are healthier than the protein bars that you will find on the grocery store shelf.  While the protein powder that I used has more ingredients than just whey protein, it is a healthier option and is sweetened with Stevia.  Although, the best option would be to grab something from the fridge for a snack, these protein balls help to satisfy your sugar craving and are low in sugar/packed with protein!  Give them a try!  My family loved them!

RECIPE:

• 1/2 cup of All Natural Peanut Butter (or other nut butters that you enjoy with no additives other than nuts and salt)
• 1 1/2 scoops of Chocolate Protein Powder (made with Stevia for the sweetener-I get mine at Sprouts)
• 1 TB of Flax Meal (which is high in Fiber and Omega 3s…1TB contains 8 grams of Fiber)
• 1/2 TB of Chia Seeds (which are also high in fiber…5 grams in 1TB)

Mix above ingredients with a spatula; roll into 12 balls and place on sprayed cookie sheet; put in the freezer for an hour or more and ENJOY!  These then can be stored in the freezer.  If you like PB cookies you will love these

HEALTH FACTS per ball (makes 12 balls):

• Calories: 70.25
• Fat:           5.5 grams
• Protein:  4.5 grams
• Sugar:     .75 grams
• Carbs:     1 gram

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