Rice

Quick & Easy Cashew Chicken

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This cashew chicken is, dare I say it, better than take-out.  Made with simple, easily-accessible ingredients and ready in minutes, it’s great for a weeknight or a special meal.  If you love cashews, like I do, you will love this easy take-out fake-out.  ~Erin

1 ½ lb. chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Black pepper

3 T. cornstarch

2 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil

¼ c. low-sodium soy sauce

½ cup chicken broth or prepared bullion

4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tablespoons)

2 T. brown sugar, packed

2 T. hoisin sauce

1 tsp. Sesame oil

1 c. roasted, salted cashews

Green onions, sliced

Cooked rice for serving

Combine salt, pepper, and cornstarch in a gallon size baggie. Toss the chicken in the cornstarch mixture until evenly coated.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken broth, garlic, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil; set aside.

Add olive oil or avocado oil to a large, high sided nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until golden brown on all sides.  Do not overcook.  It will continue cooking when the sauce is added.

Add the sauce to the pan with the chicken.  Add the cashews.  Stir until the sauce is thickened.  This just takes a couple minutes.  

Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve over rice.

This recipe makes 6 – ¾ c. servings.  9-11 points per serving, not counting rice.  Click here for the WW points calculator.

https://cmx.weightwatchers.com/details/MEMBERRECIPE:62918d19d8d71c1b1ebc1c56

Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup

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Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup

I almost feel bad for posting another soup recipe because I’m afraid y’all are going to think that’s all we eat, but it’s hard to feel bad with a big bowl of comfort food in front of me.  Can’t stop, won’t stop eating allll the soups. This particular soup is a favorite of my family’s. It’s rich and creamy and perfect with crackers on a cold night. Add it to your soup rotation!  I know I will. ~Erin

Ingredients:

1 c. chopped celery

1 c. chopped onion

1 c. diced carrots

1 T. minced garlic

32 oz. chicken stock

4 c. water

1 lb. raw boneless, skinless chicken breast or 12 oz. cooked, shredded chicken breast

¼ tsp. oregano

1 bay leaf

½ tsp. black pepper

½ c. all-purpose flour

1 pkg. Chicken Rice A Roni, including seasoning packet

1 c. fat-free half & half

Non-stick cooking spray

Saute celery, carrots, and onion in cooking spray until the onions are tender and translucent.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock and 4 cups water.  If using raw chicken, add it at this time and simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked through.  Remove from pot and shred; set aside. If using precooked chicken, simmer the veggies and broth until the carrots are fork-tender.

In a small bowl, make a slurry with the flour and some of the hot liquid from the pot.  Whisk until smooth and then stir the slurry into the pot.

Add oregano, bay leaf, pepper, and Chicken Rice A Roni.  Simmer 15 minutes, covered, or until rice is tender.

Remove the bay leaf.  Sir in fat-free half & half and the shredded chicken.  

WW Info:  Green plan – 4 points per cup; blue plan – 3 points per cup; purple plan – 3 points per cup

Orange Ginger Beef

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As a teacher and busy mom, I don’t have time to cook all evening.  There are papers to grade and kids who need help with homework.  So, now that school has started back, I’m all about meals I can prepare in a short period of time.  This Orange Beef is one of my favorite week-night meals.  It can be on the table in less than 30 minutes… really more like 15, including the time it takes to slice the steak.  Plus, the Asian flavors hit the spot on a night I’m tempted to pick up Chinese take-out on the way home from work.  Fake-out take-out at its best!  ~Erin

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  • 1 lb. New York strip steaks, trimmed and cut into small strips
  • 3 thinly sliced scallions
  • 2 tsp. ginger paste
  • Zest of half a navel orange
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • ½ T. canola or vegetable oil
  • ½ T. sesame oil
  • 2 T. packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. corn starch
  • 2 T. water
  • ¼ c. fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1 T. unfiltered apple cider vinegar
  • 2 T. low-sodium soy sauce
  • Optional: crushed red pepper flakes, additional sliced scallions; for garnish
  • Prepared rice or cauliflower rice*, for serving

In a medium bowl, mix beef strips with thinly sliced scallions, ginger paste, orange zest, and salt and pepper until evenly coated.

Heat canola and sesame oil together in a large skillet over medium high heat.

When the skillet is very hot, add the beef and cook for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar with the corn starch.  Once combined, whisk in the water, fresh-squeezed orange juice, apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce.

Add the mixture to the skillet with the beef; simmer on medium high until thickened, 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice or cauliflower rice; garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and sliced scallions, if desired.

*I find cauliflower rice to have the best flavor when sautéed in a nonstick skillet, using a few sprays of nonstick cooking spray.  Keep the lid on until it thaws, if using frozen.

WW Freestyle Info.:  This recipe makes 4 servings.  Each serving is 10 SmartPoints, not including rice.

This fake-out take-out Orange Ginger Beef is ready in minutes.  10 SmartPoints on WW Freestyle.

Hoppin’ John with Ham

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Easter is just around the corner an I’m already planning the menu.  I love holiday food and Easter dinner is just as significant as Thanksgiving dinner, in my opinion.  The dishes are different but just as delicious and often more colorful.  Green salads, fruity desserts, Mom’s Cheese Potatoes with ham.  Sidenote: we plan to share Mom’s cheese potatoes recipe with you as soon as we can get her to be more precise with the ingredients than “enough flour to make a roux.”  Ha!  Her cheese potatoes are amazing but I digress. 

I love the leftovers as much as the actual meal.  One food item we always have leftover (aside from oodles of boiled eggs) is ham.  That’s fine by me because it provides me the opportunity to make delicious dishes with this leftover ham.  Hoppin’ John is one of my favorite “leftover meals.”  Not that you have to wait until you have leftovers… this Hoppin’ John is on permanent dinner rotation at my house.  With a little veggie chopping and a quick simmer, this fast version of the Southern classic uses canned black-eyed peas, so no need to soak and slow-cook for hours.  I love a meal that tastes like it took all day when it really only took mere minutes.  ~Erin

Ingredients

  • 1 c. finely chopped celery
  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 T. minced garlic
  • 1 lb. smoked ham, chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 1 (10 oz.) can mild Ro-Tel
  • 4 cans (15.5 oz. each) black eyed peas, undrained
  • 1 T. Creole seasoning (I used Tony Chachere’s)
  • Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

In large stock pot, sauté first four ingredients over medium heat until onions and peppers begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté for another minute or two, until fragrant.

Add all other ingredients except rice and simmer on low to medium heat for approximately 15 minutes.

WW Freestyle Info.:  This recipe makes 10, 1 cup servings.  Each 1 cup serving is only 1 WW  Freestyle point (for both blue and purple plans; for green, it’s 7 points per cup).

Cuban Style Red Beans and Rice

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Most of the time when people talk about red beans and rice, the Cajun version is what comes to mind, at least for me. The flavors of this Cuban version are unique and amazing.  Not your standard red beans and rice!  You can adjust the heat by choosing mild, regular or hot Ro-Tel tomatoes and adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper.  The addition of cilantro and the hint of lime are perfect.  I’m thankful that I have a family that enjoys the adventurous recipes that roll across our table.  This one is a keeper.    ~Kathy

1 c. bell pepper (any color), chopped

½ c. onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 (16 oz.) cans light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Ro-tel), undrained

1 c. broth (vegetable or fat free chicken broth, water will also work)

1 tsp. salt

1 ¼ tsp. cumin

¾ tsp. oregano

¼ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1/3 c. cilantro, chopped

2 T. fresh lime juice

3 c. hot, cooked rice; for serving

Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, beans, tomatoes, broth and seasonings to the pot of a slow-cooker; stir well.

Cover and cook on low 4 hours.  Add cilantro and squeeze in lime juice.  Serve over rice.

 

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry

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My daughter turns 11 this week. She’s just like I was as a kid in that she starts planning her next birthday celebration the minute her previous birthday ends. I have to put the kibosh on some of her wild hair ideas but I try to always allow one or two. This year we are taking her and a few of her friends to the zoo and she wants to go dressed as unicorns. Yes, unicorns. I ordered unicorn horns as party favors and she’s created unicorn shirts, complete with rainbow colored tails attached. Good thing she’s crafty.

She also wants a 3 layer cookie cake. Not a plain cookie cake. A sugar cookie cake with 3 layers, frosting between, and sprinkles. It’s a little unexpected (as usual) but honestly it sounds divine so, challenge accepted. (I’m sure you’ll be seeing that soft sugar cookie recipe here on the blog soon. I got it from Kathy and it’s THE BEST. Keep your eyes open for it.)

She also requested this Sweet & Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry for her birthday. Just kidding, that’s a lie. Hahaha, she’s 11, she wants pizza. Surprisingly though, as my more picky child, she actually will eat this stir fry. I know that doesn’t sound like a glowing recommendation but I promise it is. She usually turns up her nose at vegetables mixed in with meat. Not this one. She mostly eats the broccoli and chicken out, but I ain’t complaining if she eats it at all! My son likes it but he eats like a grown up. Anybody else out there have a picky eater? (All the moms raise their hands.) There’s one in every family.

This stir fry is one of our mom’s creations. Mom has always liked to create new recipes, and this is one she came up with not long ago and shared with us at one of our visits to her house. I immediately asked for the recipe. Thanks, Momma! It’s made with basic ingredients but is packed with flavor… spicy without being hot, and has a hint of salty sweetness as well. What can I say, our mom knows how to cook! ~Erin

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Ingredients:

  • 8 T. red pepper jelly (found in the jelly isle)
  • 4 T. Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
  • ½ tsp. ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
  • Seasoning of your choice for chicken (I used a prepackaged Asian seasoning but salt, pepper, and garlic powder would be fine too.)
  • 1 large white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 T. garlic, minced or pressed (I use pre-minced jarred garlic)
  • 1 yellow, 1 orange, 1 red, and 1 green bell pepper, deseeded sliced into strips
  • 2 small heads of broccoli (about 3 cups), cut into small florets; discard stems
  • 2 ½ T. sesame oil or olive oil, divided
  • Prepared rice, red pepper flakes, chopped green onions, and/or more soy sauce for serving (optional)

Instructions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together red pepper jelly, soy sauce, and ginger; set aside.
  2. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 T. oil over medium high heat. Cook the seasoned chicken a few minutes on each side, until lightly browned and cooked through; remove from pan and set aside.
  3. In the same skillet, heat 1 T. oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until onions are tender and becoming translucent (about 5-6 minutes, stirring often).
  4. Increase heat to medium and add ½ T. more oil. Add all the bell peppers and cook until they start to get tender.
  5. Add the broccoli and cook for 3-4 minutes, until tender but not overly soft.
  6. Add the cooked chicken & sauce to the pan with the veggies; cook & stir until evenly coated & heated throughout.
  7. Serve over rice with more soy sauce if desired.

WW Freestyle Info.:  This recipe makes 8 servings. Each 1 ½ cups serving is 4 points, not including rice.

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Taco Slaw Bowls

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Posted by Erin

Did you try our most popular recipe, Egg Roll in a Bowl? This Mexican version was inspired by that dish, and you will love it!

I’m one busy woman, as pretty much all moms (and dads!) are. We are always rushing to get kids to their extra-curricular activities, get homework done, etc. so I try to come up with recipes that don’t require a lot of time-consuming chopping and prep-work. This one fits the bill. 

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Another bonus to this recipe, for those of us with picky kids, is that it somewhat disguises the veggies. I don’t know about your kids, but mine won’t eat raw shredded lettuce and chopped tomato on a taco. They will, however, eat the tomatoes & shredded cabbage cooked with this taco meat. The flavors blend so well, they don’t even detect the veggies. I serve theirs in a taco shell, topped with cheese, but I like mine over rice. Either way, it’s delicious!  

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 (1 oz.) packet low sodium taco seasoning
  • 1 (1 oz.) packet ranch dip mix, dry
  • 1 (14 oz.) bag classic slaw/chopped cabbage with carrots
  • 1 (10 oz.) can mild Ro-tel, undrained
  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lime, plus more for serving
  • 1 tsp. each:  chili powder, cumin, paprika
  • ½ a bunch of cilantro, chopped
  • Chopped green onion for garnish
  • Other optional garnishes & serving ideas:  rice, taco shells, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, salsa

Instructions:

Brown the beef in a large skillet with the diced onions, garlic, taco seasoning, and ranch seasoning; set aside onto a paper towel-covered plate to remove any residual oil from beef.  

Heat olive oil in the skillet over medium heat; add the slaw, Ro-tel, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and paprika.  

Stir and cook until cabbage is wilted and tender.  

Add the beef mixture back to the skillet; stir and heat through.  

Serve over rice with lime wedges, chopped green onions, etc.

WW Freestyle Info.:  This makes 5 servings of about 1 cup each; 6 points per serving (not including rice or optional garnishes).

Asian Beef & Broccoli

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Posted by Erin

The only “vegetables” (even if you can call them that) I at as a child were potatoes and hominy.  Hominy… not sure that even qualifies as a vegetable, it’s so over-processed.  My mom tried everything to get me to eat my vegetables.  She tried making me sit at the table until I ate them… I was apparently a very strong willed child.  She tried seasoning them differently or “hiding” them in casseroles… I didn’t fall for that.   She even tried paying me.  That one actually worked… until she quit paying me, then I quit eating them.  My poor mom.  Fortunately, my taste buds have changed and now I’m a lover of all foods, meat and vegetables alike.  Luckily for me, my kids are a lot better eaters than I was as a child.  One of their favorite veggies is broccoli so we have it a lot.  We like it roasted, steamed & seasoned, covered in cheese, or incorporated into a dish such as this one.  This Asian Beef & Broccoli is a one-pan meal, which you know I love!  (Okay, two pans if you count the one you cook the rice in.)  It’s fast & easy to prepare and tastes like Chinese take-out!

Ingredients:

  • ½ c. beef broth (I use water & beef bouillion)
  • 3 T. cornstarch, divided
  • 2 T. sweet chili sauce (found in the Asian section of the grocery store)
  • 4 T. low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 T. garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp. fresh ginger or ginger paste
  • ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 T. sesame oil, divided
  • 1 (12 ounce) bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained on paper towels (I chop them smaller so they spread more evenly throughout the dish & cook faster.)
  • ½ a medium onion, chopped
  • 1 lb. tenderized round steak (a.k.a. cube steak), trimmed and cut into small strips
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • Salt & pepper
  • Cooked rice, for serving (We also like to have more soy sauce on hand to season our rice.)

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine beef broth, sweet chili sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, minced garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes (if desired); set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, heat ½ tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat.  Sautee the broccoli, stirring frequently, until it gets some brown coloration on it.  Turn off heat, remove broccoli from the pan, and set aside.

In a bowl or plastic baggie, sprinkle steak strips with corn starch, garlic powder, onion powder, and a dash of salt & pepper; toss to coat.

Heat remaining ½ tablespoon sesame oil in the skillet again over medium high heat.

Add beef; cook and stir until brown and juice runs clear.

Add broth mixture & broccoli to pan with beef.

Reduce heat to low.

Simmer & stir about 5 minutes, until broccoli is tender and sauce is thickened.

Serve over rice; add more soy sauce, if desired.

WW Freestyle Info:  Each 8 ounce (weight) serving is 6 points; makes 4 servings.

Skillet Fiesta

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This is probably one of the more versatile recipes in our family recipe box.  We usually eat this dish with chips, but friends have put it in a taco shell or rolled it up in a tortilla.  Any way you eat it, it’s delicious!  Another great thing about this dish is that it’s only 6 SmartPoints per serving (minus the chips, of course)!

Ingredients: 

  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • ½ c. diced onion
  • ½ t. salt
  • ½ t. black pepper
  • 1 t. garlic salt
  • 2 t. chili powder
  • 1, 16 oz. can petit diced tomatoes
  • 1 c. frozen corn (or one small can, drained)
  • ½ c. c. chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 ½ c. prepared beef bullion
  • 1 ½ c. minute rice

Instructions: 

Cook meat and onion together until meat is browned.  Stir in salt, pepper, garlic salt, and chili powder.  Stir in tomatoes, corn, and green pepper.  Bring to a boil.

Stir in rice and bullion.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until rice is cooked through and liquid is mostly absorbed.

Serve with tortilla chips.

WW Freestyle Info.:  6 points per serving; makes approximately 6 servings.