Cashew Chicken

Ive actually never had cashew chicken before but, it sounded damned good.  Not to mention, this is another crockpot dish & being that fall is in full swing in Baltimore, it seemed ideal for a Sunday dinner.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens
Yields 6 servings
256 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp ground ginger

1.5 lb chicken tenders

16 oz frozen broccoli stir fry blend

4 oz sliced mushrooms

1/2 c cashew halves

DIRECTIONS

Put all ingredients in a crockpot.

Cover & cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high heat for 3 to 4 hours.

Stir in cashews & serve.

Cheesy Whipped Potatoes

Like any other human being cheese, potatoes, & garlic are the best combination on any day but especially on a crisp, Autumn evening.

Recipe from Best Homes Test Kitchen
Yields 8 servings
107 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS

1.5 lb potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/3 c part-skim ricotta

1/3 c crumbled blue cheese

1 tbsp minced garlic

Salt

Pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, cook potatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix ricotta cheese & blue cheese in a large bowl.

Add garlic, salt, & pepper and mix again.

When potatoes are finished cooking add to bowl.

Beat with an electric mixture until smooth.

Mushroom Onion Calzone

Did my usual Saturday night routine with my friends & this is what we made this time.  Mushrooms & onions & garlic, oh my!

INGREDIENTS

Whole wheat pizza dough

8 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 large onion, halved & thinly sliced

3 tbsp olive oil

3 c mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375.

Lay pizza dough out on a baking sheet.

In a large skillet cook onions in 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat until tender.

Place onions in the middle of the pizza dough & sprinkle half of cheese over top.

In the same skillet pour remaining tbsp of olive oil & cook mushrooms & garlic until tender.

Place mushrooms atop of onions & sprinkle remaining cheese over top.

Fold pizza dough into a calzone shape.  

Top with garlic & a little extra cheese & bake for 30 minutes.

Chewy Cupcake Brownies

I havent baked anything in quite a while & I figured that since my roommates were out & I had the kitchen to myself, Id make something sweet.  Plus, my birthday is on Tuesday!

Recipe from Spark People

Yields 12 brownies

72.2 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS

3/4 all-purpose flour

1/2 c brown sugar

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c water

1/4 c unsweetened applesauce

1/2 tsp cider vinegar

1.5 tsp margarine, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350.

In a bowl stir together flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda, & salt.

In another bowl stir together the remaining ingredients.

Pour water mixture over flour mixture & stir until batter is smooth.

Pour into a muffin tin coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Spinach & Feta Casserole

Ive been going on and on about how much I love feta cheese lately & this recipe is no exception.  My ex and I ate the crap out of this last time I made (& forgot to photograph) it.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens
Yields 4 servings
172 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 c fat-free cottage cheese

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed

1/3 c fat-free feta cheese

1/4 c margarine, melted

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tsp dried minced onion

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease small casserole dish & set aside.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, spinach, feta cheese, margarine, flour, & dried onion.

Transfer mixture into casserole dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

Garbanzo Bean Stew

The garbanzo bean obsession continues.  I ended up topping my portion that I ate last night & tonight with feta cheese because chickpeas & feta just go hand in hand in my head.  This, for me, also marks the official start of fall because I pulled out my crockpot.

Recipe from Heart Healthy Living
Yields 4 servings
245 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS

3 15 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed & drained

1 lb red potatoes, cubed

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

28 oz vegetable broth

DIRECTIONS

In a 6 quart slow cooker stir together chickpeas, potatoes, red pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, & cayenne pepper.

Pour vegetable broth over top.

Cover & cook on low heat for 9 - 10 hours or high heat for 4 - 5 hours.

Beef & Black Bean Wraps

Apparently, I cant stay away from beans this week.  They are great because they're full of protein which means they're super filling.

Recipe from Better Homes Test Kitchen
Yields 6 servings
267 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS

8 oz lean ground beef

1 c onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

15 oz black beans, drained & rinsed

1 large tomato, chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

6 whole wheat tortillas

1 c reduced fat monteray jack cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion, & garlic until meat is browned.

Stir in cumin & chili powder & cook for a minute.

Stir in black beans, tomato, salt, & pepper.

Cover & cook for 5 minutes.

Spoon mixture into each tortilla & top with cheese.