Chili on a boat

This is one of my new favourite ways to eat chili. On a boat- a sweet potato boat that is.... Packed full of vitamins and nutrients, it's a perfect vehicle to promote the goodness of this veggie-filled chili.



There's something about making your chili so fancy and pilled high with 'fixins' that makes this dish look like it wants to compete in the 'taste' Olympics.

It all starts with a giant batch of crockpot chili. Perfect for those cold/mild winter days we've been having.  Here's how I make mine.

Veggie-filled Crockpot Chili

Ingredients:

1lb ground meat (I chose beef, but turkey or chicken would be great)
1 onion, finally chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 can of tomato paste
2 28 oz cans of chopped tomatoes
1 can/jar of tomato sauce
1 can of green chilis
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
2 TBSP of chili powder
1 TBSP of Tex Mex spice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onions in a pan, adding some of the Tex Mex spice, salt and pepper too. Drain and add to crockpot with all other ingredients. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

Note: You could add your favourite veggies, change out the beans, add more spice with some jalapenos, it's all up to you and your taste.

Some people eat the chili in a bowl by itself. But no, not me, I love to mix the flavours and textures up. I take a sweet potato and microwave it for about 15 minutes (don't forget to pierce it with a fork, so that it doesn't explode). Once you can stick a knife through the middle, it's done. Simply cut it in half, Place in your serving dish, add your chili....

..,, and anything else you love. Here's my favourite combination.  Shredded cheddar cheese, light sour cream, green onions, cilantro and a tortilla chip crushed on top for texture. Amazing taste and texture! The amount of vitamin A and potassium this will add to your meal is incredible, not to mention the fibre boost too.

Living a healthy lifestyle is all about tweaking what you do to make it healthier and wholesome.  I used to eat chili with tons of nachos- loaded with salt, fat and empty calories. Now I choose nutrient dense calories that fill me up and fuel me with good energy!

Juicy Crockpot Chicken Thighs

I've shown you this picture because of the pomegranates, but perhaps you were wondering about that luscious looking chicken in the back.... well thanks to my foodie friend Iain, who shared this recipe with me, I will now divulge my secrets.

The best thing about this is that you can use thighs with skin and bones, which are 10 times cheaper then the boneless skinless type. All you do before is remove the skin, and remove the bones after cooking.

So here's the Crockpot recipe... perfect for lazy, cold, winter days!

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

(adapted from http://crockpot365.blogspot.ca/2011/09)

Ingredients:

 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 

 3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

 1 teaspoon dried basil

 1/2 cup  soy sauce

 1/2 cup ketchup

 1/3 cup honey

Directions:

Put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4

Here's the gorgeous chicken for you.

Then, be careful to remove all bones and shred the chicken so it absorbs the juicy liquid. Even better the next day as leftovers.

 

Crockpot Chicken with Asian Flavours

Brent did it again...He made another delicous crockpot dish for us! This was delicious and really easy to make. We used to order out a lot of Chinese food and would spend sooo much money and eat so many unhealthy dishes- fried, battered... you name it, we loved it. But I find that we now make our own Asian meals and we don't really miss the other 'unhealthy' stuff. Here's why....

Crockpot Chicken with Asian flavours (adapted http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotchicken/r/bl94c3.htm)

Ingredients:

•3 lb. chicken thighs or leg quarters (I used a large pack of boneless, skinless thighs)

•1/4 cup Hoisin sauce

•1/4 cup plum sauce

•1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

•1 medium piece fresh ginger root, about 2 inches, peeled and thinly sliced or grated

•juice of 1 whole fresh lime

•3 tbsp. corn starch

Preparation:

Remove skin from chicken, if desired. Combine hoisin sauce, plum sauce, soy sauce, ginger, lime, and cornstarch in a large bowl or food storage bag; blend well. Add the chicken pieces, turning to coat well. Place everything, including marinade, in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 7 hours, until chicken is tender and juices run clear. Serve with hot cooked rice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Serves 6



Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken- an easy and delicious treat

This has got to be the best crockpot chicken breast recipe ever!!!! And Brent made it! It was so delicious and easy to make. It's even better reheated the second day. Serve it over rice and just enjoy!

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe  (http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/01/slow-cooker-honey-sesame-chicken-recipe.html) 

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)

Salt and pepper

1 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (could also use olive oil or canola oil)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water

Sesame seeds

Directions:

Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Nutritional Information: (since you don't eat all the sauce left in the crockpot- the actual amounts are probably 1/4 less)

390 calories

42 g carbs

9 g fat

37 g protein

40g sugar

Best Spaghetti Sauce Ever- Skinnytaste Bolognese Sauce

So we were beginning to think our new crockpot wasn't working, all our recipes didn't quite turn out... that is... until Brent made the best recipe for spaghetti sauce ever in it. It's from this awesome blog I have talked about before, Skinnytaste.com, I just love the images and the recipes have always turned out great. 

Here's there picture from skinnytaste.com...

...but this is what the the delicious sauce looked like in the crockpot. It was sooooo good, the deep rich flavour of the pancetta and wine made it extrordinary.

Crock Pot Bolognese Sauce

(adapted from skinnytaste.comhttp://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/crock-pot-bolognese-sauce.html)

Ingredients:

4 oz pancetta, chopped (or center cut bacon)

1 tbsp butter (or olive oil)

1 large white onion, minced

2 celery stalks (about 3/4 cup), minced

2 carrots (about 3/4 cup), minced

2 lb 95% lean ground beef

1/4 cup white wine

2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

3 bay leaves

salt and fresh pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup half & half cream ( I used 1% milk)

Directions:

In a large deep saute pan, sauté pancetta on low heat until the fat melts, about 4-5 minutes.  Add butter, onions, celery and carrots and cook on medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Increase flame to medium-high;  add meat, season with salt and pepper and sauté until browned.  Drain the fat then add wine; cook until it reduces down, about 3-4 minutes.   Add to crock pot.  Add tomatoes, bay leaves, salt and pepper;  cover and set slow cooker to  LOW for 6 hours.

After the 6 hours,  adjust salt and pepper to taste,  add milk and parsley; stir and serve over your favorite pasta or spaghetti squash.

Makes about 10 cups. Leftovers can be frozen for future meals. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator then reheat on the stove or crock pot.

Servings: 20 • Serving Size: 1/2 cup sauce

Calories: 146, Fat: 8.7 g , Protein: 6.7 g , Carb: 6.8 g ,  Fiber: 0.4 g ,  Sugar: 4 g

Crockpot Pulled Pork and Coleslaw

Healthy Crockpot Pulled Pork and Coleslaw

This is the easiest and most delicious recipe. It's great when you don't have time to prepare dinner but need to eat in a hurry.

Take a pork tenderloin and place it in your crockpot. Add about half a bottle of BBQ sauce, let it cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Take if out from the crockpot, put it on a plate, take 2 forks and pull the pork apart. Put all the pulled pork back into the crockpot to soak in the BBQ sauce for a few minutes.

 

Get your whole wheat buns, toast them lightly in the toaster.

To make a quick vinegar coleslaw follow these simple steps. In a small bowl mix 1/4 cup of vinegar, 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil, 2 Tbsp of sugar, salt and pepper. In another bigger bowl, take your coleslaw mix and add the dressing, mix it all together. It's better if you refrigerate it for about 20 minutes. But you can eat it right away.

And there you have it, a delicious Healthier BBQ pork dinner. 

Nutrional Information:

317 calories

33g carbs

10g fat

23g protein

6g fibre

Beef and Vegetable Crockpot Soup

Every Sunday is  'Soupy Sunday'!

This weekend was a great new addition, and when the recipe calls for the use of a crockpot, that's even better. That way I can spend less time in the kitchen and more time on some Amazing Adventures. It was so warm and delicious, I served it with some whole wheat baguette and some Spring Mix salad with some fresh chopped pears, almonds, walnuts and sunflower seeds with a raspberry vinaigrette.

Beef and Vegetable Crockpot Soup

Ingredients:

    1 lb lean ground beef

    1 medium onion, chopped

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/4 teaspoon pepper

    3 cups water

    3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

    1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

    1 (11 1/2 ounce) can V8 vegetable juice

    1 cup chopped celery

    1 cup sliced carrot

    2 teaspoons sugar

    1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

    2 teaspoons dried basil

    1 bay leaf

Directions:

In a nonstick skillet cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.    Transfer to a 5-qt slow cooker.  Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook high for 4 hours or low for 7 hours or until vegetables are tender.

Adapted from http://www.food.com/

Nutritional Information:

143 calories

16 g carbs

3 g fat

13g protein

2 g fibre