Tasty Tuesday: Slow Cooker Butternut Black Bean Chili

Thank you Hungry Girl for another YUMMY recipe!

Prep: 15 minutes     Cook: 3 – 4 hours on high or 7 – 8 hours on low  Serves: 8 Freestyle™ SmartPoints® value 0*

1/8th of recipe (about 1 heaping cup): 173 calories, 0.5g total fat (0g sat fat), 532mg sodium, 35g carbs, 9g fiber, 8.5g sugars, 8g protein

Ingredients:

One 14.5-oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes (not drained)
2 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. salt
Two 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 3/4 of a medium squash)
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup seeded and chopped jalapeño pepper (about 1 medium pepper)
Optional toppings: fresh cilantro, light sour cream

Directions:

• Pour both types of tomatoes into a slow cooker. Add garlic and seasonings. Mix well.
• Add remaining ingredients, and gently stir.
• Cover and cook on high for 3 – 4 hours or on low for 7 – 8 hours, until veggies have softened.

HG Tips: Look for pre-cut butternut squash in the produce aisle, or click here for squash-cutting tips. And when handling jalapeños, don’t touch your eyes (pepper juice can sting), and wash your hands well immediately afterward.

Tailgating season may be over BUT it won’t be long before the summer barbecues start…Why not grab a Fresh Market Thermal now?  The Fresh Market Thermal is a stylish, portable thermal large enough to hold two 9″x13″ casserole dishes. A must-have for family picnics, tailgating, trips to the beach, days on the boat, potlucks, grocery shopping or weekend camping. Its water-resistant Leak Lock thermal lining means you can add ice to this cooler bag to keep food and drinks cold. Need more room? The sides unsnap and expand to give you more space inside. Long handles allow you to carry it over your shoulder when you need to be hands-free. The Fresh Market Thermal also features a zipper closure for securing contents and an exterior front pocket to hold other important items. Monogramming and personalization options available.  Approx. 10.5″H, 15″H with top extended x 15.5″L x 10″D

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday – AMAZING Slow-Cooker Chicken Dish

Thank you Hungry Girl for another AMAZING recipe….

Serving size: 1/8th of recipe (about 1 cup): 213 calories, 4g total fat (1.5g sat fat), 647mg sodium, 18g carbs, 5.5g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 26g protein — SmartPoints™ value 3*  Makes 8 servings.

Prep: 15 minutes   Cook: 3 – 4 hours on high or 7 – 8 hours on low, plus 55 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. raw boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped onion
One 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
One 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
One 4-oz. can diced green chiles, drained
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
5 cups roughly chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
Optional seasonings: additional salt and black pepper

Directions:

• Place chicken in a slow cooker, and season with pepper and 1/4 tsp. salt. Top with onion, beans, tomatoes, and green chiles.
• Add broth and seasonings, including remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Gently stir.
• Cover and cook on high for 3 – 4 hours or on low for 7 – 8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked.
• Transfer chicken to a large bowl. Shred with two forks — one to hold the chicken in place and the other to scrape across and shred it. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker, and mix well.
• Pulse cauliflower in a blender until reduced to rice-sized pieces, working in batches as needed. Add cauliflower rice to the slow cooker, and stir to mix.
• If cooking on low heat, increase heat to high.
• Cover and cook for 55 minutes, or until cauliflower rice is tender.
• Serve with a slotted spoon, draining the liquid. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tbsp. cheese.

Here are some other ways to enjoy this Recipe:

On a salad: Spoon a serving over a pile of chopped romaine or shredded iceberg (or your lettuce of choice). So much flavor, you won’t even need dressing!

In a whole-wheat tortilla: Wrap it up, burrito style. Look for natural tortillas with low calorie counts, like La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Organic Tortillas.

In lettuce cups: Crisp lettuce leaves are the perfect vehicle for a shredded-chicken dish. Go for medium-large leaves from a round head of lettuce, like iceberg or butter lettuce.

Omelette style: Cook up an egg-white “pancake” in a skillet, and wrap it around your chicken goodies. Or just scramble your whites, and stir in the chicken. Now that’s how you get a burrito fix at breakfast…

Why not cook a batch up and portion it out for meals, then freeze it for lunches. OR make a batch and take it to your next “potluck dinner”.  Headed out to a tailgate or a potluck dinner, why not keep it hot in Thirty One’s Fresh Market Tote.  

This roomy thermal can fit up to two 9×13 pans inside or a crock pot, so it’s perfect for potlucks and family picnics! It also has expandable sides just the right size to fit 2-liter bottles inside. Plus, it comes with long handles so it’s super easy to carry! Approx. 10.5″H x 15.5″L x 10″D (snapped down); 15″H (when top is expanded)  Make sure you personalize it so you be sure to get it back.

Share your favorite recipe with us.  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Tasty Tuesday: Slow-Cooker Fajita Recipe

If you always order the mixed-grill fajitas, it’s time to get your surf ‘n turf on at home!  Thank you Hungry Girl for another awesome recipe…
1/6th of recipe (about 1 cup): 169 calories, 4g total fat (1g sat fat), 617mg sodium, 7g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 3g sugars, 25g protein.  SmartPoints® value 2*

Prep: 20 minutes       Cook: 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low, plus 15 minutes

Ingredients:
8 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
8 oz. raw flank steak, cut into strips
1/2 tsp. each salt and black pepper
2 cups sliced red and green bell peppers
2 cups sliced onions
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups chicken broth
8 oz. (about 16) raw large shrimp peeled, tails removed, deveined

Directions:

• Place chicken and beef in a slow cooker, and season with salt and black pepper.
• Add peppers, onions, and remaining seasonings. Top with broth, and stir to mix.
• Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours, or until chicken and beef are fully cooked.
• If cooking on low heat, increase heat to high.
• Add shrimp to the slow cooker, and stir to mix.
• Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked through.
• Serve with a slotted spoon, draining the broth.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS so if you have left overs, freeze them for lunch or dinner another day.

Thirty One’s Chill-icious Thermal is perfect for adults and kids.   It’s super easy to carry or clip on a backpack or tote. 10″H x 8″L x 3 3/4″ D.  The best part is it is only $20 plus $7 for personalization.  Keeps food hot or cold.

Hope you have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday – Slow-Cooker Veggie Soup

I LOVE this healthy recipe from Hungry Girl.  It is worth the 10 minutes event the night before to get everything ready in the crock pot BEFORE you leave for a busy day.  When you come home, you have dinner just add some rolls or garlic bread…I know that kills the “low cal” and “no points” but it is yummy!

Prep: 10 minutes           Cook: 3 – 4 hours on high or 7 – 8 hours on low

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. each salt and black pepper
2 bay leaves
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
14 oz. (about 2 medium) zucchini
4 cups roughly chopped spinach leaves
Optional seasonings: additional salt and black pepper

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a slow cooker except zucchini and spinach. Mix well.

Cover and cook on high for 3 – 4 hours or on low for 7 – 8 hours, until veggies have softened.

Once soup is almost done cooking, use a spiral vegetable slicer to cut zucchini into spaghetti-like noodles.  If you don’t have a spiral veggie slicer, peel zucchini into super-thin strips, rotating the zucchini after each strip. (This can be done when you are prepping and placed in the refrigerator)  Roughly chop for shorter noodles.

If cooking at high heat, decrease heat to low. Remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in zucchini noodles and spinach. Re-cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until zucchini noodles have slightly softened and spinach has wilted.  Just enough time to cook some of that garlic bread maybe even melt some cheese on it!  🙂

MAKES 6 SERVINGS: 1/6th of recipe (about 1 1/3 cups): 56 calories, 0.5g total fat (0g sat fat), 701mg sodium, 10g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 3g protein — SmartPoints™ value 0*