Creamy Healthy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Happy New Year everyone! This year has been a good one for me and hoping that 2024 brings happiness to all. I know a lot of you are getting back on track in the new year. This recipe is my go to for lunches. I make a big pot on Sunday and have it all week. It is filling, has 380 calories a serving and 40 grams of protein. I pair it with a bag of Quest Protein Chips for another 19 grams of protein bringing this meal to about 500 calories total with 59 grams of protein! It all gets dumped in a crockpot, which makes it even better!

Creamy Healthy Chicken Enchilada Soup

• 1 lb. chicken breast
• 1 box chicken bone broth (4 cups)
• 1 can green enchilada sauce
• 1 can diced green chilis
• 1 can white beans not drained
• 1 cup corn
• 1 pkg. McCormick white chicken chili seasoning
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 cup light cottage cheese (I love Good Culture)
• 1/2 cup skim milk

Add all the ingredients except cottage cheese and skim milk to a crockpot. Set on high for 4 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Add back to crockpot. Blend the cottage cheese and skim milk until smooth. Add to the crockpot and cook an additional 45 minutes. Garnish with light shredded cheese and light sour cream. Enjoy!

Sticky Korean Wings

These wings are so good! If you like your wings sweet and salty with an umami flavor, these are for you. I served them with white rice and steamed broccoli and it was a perfect dinner. 

Korean Sticky Wings

• 3 lb. chicken wings

Marinade Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 limes juiced
• 3 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbs. honey
• 2 tbs. finely minced ginger
• 2 tbs. finely minced garlic
•  2 tbs. barbecue sauce
• 2 tbs. oyster sauce

1 onion sliced

1 red or yellow bell pepper sliced

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix all of your marinade ingredients well. Pat your wings dry and put in a roasting pan with the onions and peppers. Pour your marinade over the wings and mix well. Put your wings in the oven and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes flipping the wings every 20 or so minutes. Remove from the oven and set to broil. Move oven rack to the top and broil wings for about 3-5 minutes on each side making sure they don't burn. Remove to a serving platter, drizzle with a little more honey and garnish with green onion and peanuts. If you like them spicy, top with some chili oil.

Blackened swordfish with mango salsa and coconut rice

 I love any kind of seafood, and it has so many health and weight loss benefits. This is a simple preparation that is quick, easy and healthy. I made my own blackening spice, but you can certainly use store bought. The salsa comes together so quick with my new chopper! I also found this Badia brand lime pepper and orange pepper. I ordered it and it is amazing! It does have some salt in it as well, so I omit extra salt. It has such a great flavor and really adds to the salsa and rice. I have used both and love them, the link is below.  I prepare the rest of the salsa in the chopper when I am finished so it also helps with cleanup! I have linked it below again in case you want to get one too. The coconut rice is so delicious paired with the swordfish, but I make it all the time. 

Blackened swordfish with mango salsa and coconut rice

• 2 swordfish steaks
• 1 tbs. olive oil

For the blackening spices:

• 1 tsp. brown sugar (I use monkfruit sweetener to cut out the sugar)
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 11/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried oregano

Mix all ingredients well.

For the mango salsa:

• 2 ripe mangos
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 red onion
• 1 small avocado
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp Badio lime pepper

For the coconut rice:

• 1 cup rinsed jasmine rice
• 1 cup lite coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp monkfruit sweetener or sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Badio lime pepper
• 1 small piece of ginger and 1 inch piece lemongrass (optional but adds great flavor)

Add your rinsed rice and rice ingredients to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Stir and cover with a layer of paper towel and a tight fitting lid. Simmer on low for about 20-25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice before serving.

Chop all of your salsa ingredients, adding the avocado, lime juice and lime pepper last. Mix well and store in refrigerator while the swordfish cooks.

Dry your swordfish off and season both sides with the blackening seasoning. Heat a nonstick pan over medium high heat. When hot, add the olive oil and coat pan. Add your swordfish steaks and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook an addition 3-4 minutes, depending on thickness.  Remove from heat and cover with foil while they continue to cook

Serve the swordfish topped with the salsa, and the rice on the side. I added some chili crisp to the rice for some heat!

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Italian Pork Ribs

 I got this recipe from a Salve Regina football Mom that I met last year. Her name is Dena and she has a TikTok account called miciamammas. She has some amazing recipes and is renovating a beautiful home in Tuscany that she shows. These ribs are easy and so delicious. They only need to marinate for an hour. I made them in the oven, but they can be done on the grill as well.

Italian Ribs with Lemon and Garlic

• 3 lbs. pork ribs, cut into individual ribs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 14 cloves garlic
• 2 tbs. fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 tsp. fresh mint chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 3 lemons plus an addition 1 1/2
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 2 tbs. honey
• 2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
• 2 onions sliced

Season ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. In a small frying pan, heat the garlic in the olive oil over sow heat until the garlic is soft. Mash the garlic with a fork into the oil and set aside to cool.

For the marinade, combine the cooked garlic and oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, mint, thyme, parsley, the zest of two lemons and their juices, oregano, dijon, honey and 1 tbs. balsamic. Wisk all together.

Put the ribs in a large ziplock bag and add the onions, 1 sliced lemon and the marinade.  Marinate for at least one hour, but can be done overnight.

Preheat your grill or oven to 350. Put the ribs and all the fixings in either a cast iron pan or a roasting pan and cover with a lid or foil. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Take the ribs out and grill or broil on each side for 1-2 minutes. Remove the ribs and to a serving platter and spoon the marinade, onions and cooked lemons over the ribs and serve.

Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi, the healthy way!

 I love Korean food, and bulgogi is one off my favorite. It  is way to high in sugar and sodium, so I make a cleaner, healthier version. I love to serve mine with jasmine rice and pickled Asian veggies which I will include the recipe for. They pair so well together. This meal comes together in under 30 minutes. I finally broke down and ordered one of the viral choppers on Tik Tok and it is a life changer! Saves so much time. I got a great deal and love mine, I linked it below with the sweetener. It is 25% off and has a $5.00 coupon at checkout. Don't miss out. One of my most used ingredients is Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener. It comes in white sweetener and dark sweetener, so I use both depending on what the recipe calls for. Both have no after taste and my Husband and kids can't tell the difference. They can be pricy, but I purchase mine on Amazon and have linked them below. Enjoy!

Healthy Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi

• 1.5 lbs. 93% lean ground beef
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Lakanto Golden Monkfruit Sweetener
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbs. grated ginger
• 1 tbs. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbs. toasted sesame oil
• 1 small onion diced
• 3 green onions chopped
• 1 tbs. sesame seeds

• Cook Jasmine rice according to instructions. Add vegetable oil to a pan and heat on medium. Add your beef and cook through. Add the garlic, onion and ginger and saute for about 5 minutes. Mix together the soy sauce, sweetener, garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar, sriracha and sesame oil. Pour over the beef and mix well. Saute for about 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken and the meat turns brown.  Add the green onion and sesame seeds to garnish and serve over the rice with pickled veggies on the side.

Asian Pickled Veggies

• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 lg. sweet onion sliced thin
• 2 cups daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 2 cups red radish
• 6 garlic cloves cut into large pieces
• 3-5 thai red peppers cut in half (depending on the heat you like)
• 1 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup Lokanto white sweetener
• 1 tsp. salt

In a large mason jar combine all of your chopped vegetables. Boil your water. When it is boiling, add your white vinegar, sweetener and salt. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and salt.  Pour over vegetables. Cover and shake well. Place in the refrigerator. (It will keep for at least a week,)

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Crispy Air Fried Tofu with Cauliflower Rice

 I am not vegan or vegetarian, but I do love this combo! It is important to use the high protein extra firm tofu so that it is firm and dry. You can press your tofu with a heavy pan to get the moisture out. It has to be dry so that it gets crispy. If you have never used nutritional yeast, you are missing out! I love Bragg's nutritional yeast with roasted garlic. You can't find it in the store so I get mine on Amazon, the link is below.  It is high in protein, b vitamins, iron and so much more. It has a nutty, cheesy flavor and tastes great. I also love coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. It is less salty and better for you. I use the cauliflower rice stir fry from Trader Joe's and their tofu. If you don't have an air fryer, you can bake them in the oven. 

Crispy Air Fried Tofu with Cauliflower Rice

for the tofu: 

• 1 block extra firm, high protein tofu pressed, dried and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 2 tbs. coconut aminos or soy sauce
• 1 tbs. garlic powder
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast

for the cauliflower:

• 1 bag Trader Joe's riced cauliflower stir fry
• 1 tbs. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. ginger powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tbs. coconut aminos or soy sauce

Toss the cubed tofu in a bowl with the coconut aminos and garlic powder. Coat well. Add the nutritional yeast and toss till well coated.  Spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray and set to 390 degrees. Add your tofu in a single layer and cook for 18-20 minutes, shaking and turning 1/2 way through. While the tofu is cooking, heat a non stick pan over medium heat. Add the sesame oil. Once it is hot, add your cauliflower. Cook over medium-medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add your ginger, garlic and coconut aminos. Stir and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes until it starts to get a little toasted. Remove to a serving dish and top with the tofu. You can drizzle with a little sesame oil and sriracha if you like it spicy.

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Trader Joe's Pizza

 If you know me, you know I love spicy food! This recipe is made from all Trader Joe's ingredients. You could definitely omit the spice by not using the Bomba Italian Hot Pepper Sauce and the hot meat. You could substitute roasted red pepper sauce or sundried tomato pesto and use deli meat that is not spicy. This pizza is so delicious, you will love it!

Trader Joe's Spicy Pizza

All ingredients from Trader Joes

• 1 pkg. herb pizza dough
• garlic dip
• Bomba Italian Hot Pepper Sauce
• 1 burrata broken into pieces
• a few marinated mozzarella balls halved 
• Spicy Charcuterie Mix
• roasted red bell peppers
• arugula
• balsamic glaze
• olive oil

Preheat oven to 450. Oil the bottom of a cookie sheet with olive oil and spread the dough out. Add your garlic dip, then bomba sauce. Add the burrata pieces, mozzarella balls, roasted peppers and charcuterie mix. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until bottom is browned and top is bubbly. Remove from oven top with arugula, a bit of mozzarella marinade and balsamic glaze.