Easy Chipotle Chicken Fold Overs -Super Fast Dinner!

I really enjoy easy, healthy food; especially when it fits my Trim Healthy Mama plan and the whole family likes it. This quick, chicken dish was mildly spicy, just add more chipotle peppers to boost the heat if you like. Mix it up, pop it under the broiler to melt the cheese and away we go!

Ingredients:
Flour tortillas or Joseph's Pitas (for THM) or a nice bed of lettuce
1/2 cup diced onions
2-4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons butter
2-5 tablespoons minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/2 chopped bell pepper, red, yellow, or red
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
Toppings:
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Fresh onions
Diced avocado or guacamole
Olives
Sour cream
Saute the onions in the butter.

Add the garlic after the onion is cooked; garlic scorches easily.

Then the chipotle pepper

and bell pepper.

After all the veggies are cooked through, then add the chicken.

Mix and continue to cook until all is hot throughout.

Chop the toppings while cooking and set aside.

Top the chicken with cheese and put under the broiler for 5 minutes or so. Keep checking so the cheese doesn't get too crisp.

Fill your tortilla, pita, or pile it on the lettuce.

Open wide! Enjoy.

Butter Pecan No-Bake Cheesecake with Shortbread Crust- Low Carb and THM !

I ate the last piece, all by myself, hiding in my office, it was that good. There was only one piece left, really. I see it as a sacrifice, I saved the family from an evening of discord.

I used a default almond crust to be low carb, gluten free, and THM compliant. Not as tender as a regular flour shortbread but very tasty and still a gentle crunch. 

Crust Ingredients: 
1 cup almond flour (ground almonds)
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon erythritol plus a dash stevia
4 tablespoons melted butter
Combine with a fork, press into the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish or four of these cute little tart pans. 

 Best grass fed butter I have ever had!

 Bake at 350F for 10 minutes or until the edges just begin to show brown.

Toasted Pecans: 
The number of pecans you use here is up to you, I used 5 on each of the tart pans. So whatever pan or design you desire toast that many, plus a few more for nibbling.
Put pecan on a small pan with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of salt. I lined my pan with parchment paper for easy clean up. Toast at 325F for 12 minutes. Watch them, they burn quickly. 

 Cool completely before topping the cheesecake.

Filling Ingredients: 
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup cream 
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1 1/2 teaspoons butter flavor, begin with 1 then taste before adding more
pinch salt
3 tablespoons erythritol plus dash stevia
1 teaspoon beef gelatin 
In a small sauce pan, warm the cream then wisk in the gelatin. Set aside to cool. When completely cool, beat until fluffy. 

 In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, vanilla, butter flavoring, salt, and sweeteners until fluffy. 

Fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture. 
Spoon into the cooled crust, top with the toasted pecans.

 Chill for a couple hours before serving. 

I get my beef gelatin from Azure Standard Co op, if you don't have one near you then I linked Amazon for you because it is hard to find. The Rumiano butter also came from Azure, you really have to find a co op near you. http://www.azurestandard.com/  Also the best yogurt, vanilla, great prices on so much. And no, I get no compensation for saying that, it is just true and worth sharing! 

My recipe is also featured on Stacy Makes Cents  and Gwen's Nest Trim Healthy Mama Tuesdays. 
Thank you to Pearl and Serene the Trim Healthy Mamas!

Creamy Lemon Mousse --Egg-less, and sugar-free, No Cook, Super Easy

So cool, so creamy, so rich, and so easy, you will find this at the top of your "go to" desserts list.

I can think of a variety of ways to use this yummy concoction in addition to simply enjoying in a chilled dessert dish; spooned into a baked pie or tart crust, or layered in a trifle dish with strawberries or raspberries and shortbread cookie chunks, or dolloped on top of sliced pound cake. Any way you dish it up it is a winner!
 I used a few drops of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil, but a couple drops of lemon extract would do quite nicely if you don't have any.
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1  8oz. package cream cheese,softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar or a few sprinkles of stevia
juice and zest of 1 lemon
a few grains of salt
2 drops vanilla extract
4 drops Young Living Lemon Essential Oil, optional
In a large bowl, whip the cream until light and fluffy. Scrape into a dish and set aside.

Using the same bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, add the stevia or sugar and beat. Add the lemon zest, juice, salt, vanilla and lemon oil (if using). Beat until all is incorporated.

Gently fold in the whipped cream.

 Spoon into serving dishes, or pie shell, or whatever. 

Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with cookies if desired, I took advantage of the fact that it has no leaven products and served at our Passover Seder. Delicious, but don't take my word for it-go make it!

For Trim Healthy Mamas this is an S, use the stevia option of course, and 1/3 fat cream cheese.

This yummy, fluffy goodness is also seen linked in to Butter Believer at : http://butterbeliever.com/sunday-school-blog-carnival-41413/  with loads of other good recipes and articles.

Savory Roasted Potatoes and Onions

This is a follow-up to the roasted cauliflower post, since then I have roasted loads of veggies. I was at a class recently, afterward discussing healthier cooking and getting vegetables into our children (and husbands), I told one of the ladies that I had been roasting them with different seasonings, she replied that she had been doing the same and her favorites were snow peas and parsnips. Okay, so I confess that parsnips are not a favorite vegetable for me, I have "palate imprinting" from my Mom's vegetable soup. Perhaps I'll be brave soon and try them roasted but for now, here are the potatoes and onions which were delicious. And, yes, I know potatoes are not a vegetable.

3 lbs red or gold potatoes, washed and cut into bitesized chunks
4 medium onions, peeled and cut into bitesized chunks
olive oil for drizzling
salt
pepper
smoked paprika
onion powder
garlic powder
First, don't freak out because I didn't put measurements! Some people like more seasoning than others so we are going to use what we like, a little or a lot, you choose.
Preheat the oven to 450F.

In a very large bowl, place the potatoes and onions.

Drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat, maybe 3-5 tablespoons.
Sprinkle all the seasonings on the top.

Toss to coat all.

Place on an ungreased sheet pan. Be sure to leave space between so they roast not steam.

Roast for 18-20 minutes or until they are tender when poked with a fork.

 A "twofer".

 Crisp outside, tender inside, full of flavor!

Hope you enjoy them!
And just in case you have to have measurements, I used 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and a heaping teaspoon everything else.

Another Simple Bowl Meal, Chicken with Fresh Corn and Veggies

 "Uni-meals"(everything in one bowl, pile, or casserole) are so appealing to me because it just seems simple, almost too simple, really, how could you not like them, all the flavors mingled together, lots of veggies on top of a bed of rice...yeah...

Loads of options here, skip the chicken to make it vegetarian, with or without a sprinkling of cheese for lactose free or vegan, white rice or brown, quinoa if you prefer instead of rice. I like choices. 

I rarely plan a "bowl meal", usually it has been a busy day and not enough of any one thing to make a meal, but a variety of little bits, which put together are plenty. I'll give you the ingredients to this one but, as always, make whatever substitutions you care to, that's what makes a recipe your own.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked, chopped chicken

1/4 cup thinly sliced leeks or chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped red pepper

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn

1 teaspoon herbs de provence

a dash black pepper

salt to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

Monterey Jack cheese

1 avocado, chopped or mashed

3-4 cups cooked rice or quinoa

In a large skillet, heat oil and toss the leeks, red pepper and corn for 2 minutes. Add garlic and chicken, stir. Add herbs de provence, pepper, and salt. 

Spoon over hot rice, top with cheese and avocado if you are using. 

 I served this for lunch with fruit and confetti bread http://hearthandhospitality.blogspot.com/2012/07/confetti-batter-bread.html they looked so good together with all the little bursts of color. Thanks, Gail for having lunch with me, you and your family make life as fun and colorful as our meal.