Weekend Meals

Brrrr...It's still cold, even in Florida. Hopefully, you're staying warm, wherever you live. Meanwhile, here's your weekend recipes. (And I'll try to make up for Wednesday's missing blog before Monday.) Enjoy!

CITRUS CHICKEN AND RICE

This is from FamilyTime.com. It starts off, "A simply delicious combination of orange juice, chicken broth and onion simmer together to flavor this delicate chicken and rice skillet dish." Serves: 4; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast half

Swanson® Chicken Stock or 1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth

1/2 cup orange juice

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Cook the chicken in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Stir the broth, orange juice, onion and rice in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked though and the rice is tender. Stir in the parsley.

Serving Suggestion: For a special touch, cook orange slices in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until they're lightly browned. Serve over the chicken.

Ingredient Note: We develop our recipes using a 4-to 5-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast half per serving. However, there are a range of sizes available in-store, from the butcher counter to the meat case and the freezer section. Use whichever you prefer- just follow the recipe as written above for the best result. If you're using larger chicken breasts they may require a little longer cooking time.

TART CHERRY PIE

This comes from Diabetic Connect, and starts off, "Tart cherries in a sweet, creamy filling make this a pie that's sure to please."

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 (16 ounce) cans pitted tart cherries (in water - no syrup)

1 large box cook & serve sugar-free vanilla pudding mix

1 small box sugar-free cherry gelatin

Sugar substitute to equal 4 teaspoon sugar

1 baked 9-inch almond flour pie crust (recipe below)

1 1/4 cups almond flour

3 packets of Splenda

4 tablespoons softened butter

Directions

Drain cherries, reserving juice. Set cherries aside.

In a saucepan, combine cherry juice and dry pudding mix. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin powder and sweetener until dissolved. Stir in the cherries; transfer to pie shell. Cool completely. Store in refrigerator.

Pie Crust: Combine almond flour, splenda, and butter to form a pastry dough. Evenly spread dough in pie tin and bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes until browned.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 8; Calories 176; Sodium 293 mg; Cholesterol 0; Carbohydrate 24 gm; Protein 3 gm; Fat 8 gm; Diabetic Exchange1 starch; 1/2 fruit

WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP

This comes from Fiona Haynes, About.com's Low Fat Cooking expert. She wrote, "As the mercury plunges I'm increasingly in the mood for comfort food, but want to resist the temptation to indulge in high-fat, high-calorie fare. Checking first to see what vegetables I had on hand I decided to make a nourishing winter vegetable soup. My favorite way to enjoy a vegetable-based soup is to puree it, making a velvety blend of goodness, without the need for cream or butter. While I use chicken broth in this soup, feel free to use a vegetable broth instead for a real vegetarian soup." Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Serves 6-8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped leeks, white parts only

3/4 cup chopped celery

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced

1 cup rutabaga or turnips, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium russet potato, peeled, cut into pieces

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

4 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth, divided

Salt and pepper as desired

Preparation

Heat oil on medium heat in a large pot. Sauté garlic, celery, leeks and carrots for 5 minutes.

Add chopped rutabaga, and potatoes, followed by canned tomatoes and 3 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

In two or three batches, puree soup with in a blender, or use an immersion blender. Add extra cup of broth to thin the soup a little.

Per 1 1/2 cup serving: Calories 113, Calories from Fat 16, Total Fat 1.8g (sat0.2g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 168mg, Carbohydrate 20.2g, Fiber 4.1g, Protein 4.1g

BLACK BEAN AND CHORIZO SOUP

This hearty Black bean soup will warm you up on a cold day.

Yield: 10 servings. 1/2 cup per serving.

Photo/Print: http://diabeticgourment.com/recipes/html/1204.shtml

Ingredients

1 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 onion, cubed

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tomato, deseeded and chopped

1 ancho chile, seeded, soaked in hot water

1 pasilla pepper, seeded, soaked in hot water

1 (19 oz) can black beans

1 bouquet garni (1 Tbsp each dried cilantro, oregano, marjoram wrapped in cheesecloth)*

1 lime, halved

4 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp mezcal or tequila

Salt to taste

6 Tbsp chorizo, fried and crumbled

6 Tbsp low-fat buttermilk

* Bouquet garni is a bundle of herbs used to prepare soup, stock and various stews. The bouquet is boiled with other ingredients, but removed prior to consumption. To make the bouquet, use 1 Tbsp each of dried cilantro, oregano and marjoram and place in cheesecloth to form a bundle.

Directions

In deep pan or pot, heat canola oil at high heat and add onion. Saute until brown and add garlic. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in tomatoes and peppers. Cook 15 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.

Combine black beans, bouquet garni, limes and broth with mixture. Cook 5 minutes. Add mezcal or tequila, salt and discard lime halves and herbs. Cook 10 minutes. Blend and season to taste.

Garnish with buttermilk and chorizo.

Tip: If too thick, add more broth

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 180; Protein: 10 g; Fat: 7 g ; Sodium: 310 mg; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 18 g

CHICKEN DINNER IN FOIL

Left to my own devices, I'm a vegetarian. However, I know many people love meat, which is why I've included this, as well as other meat recipes on occasion. This one comes from Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, About.com's Home Cooking expert. She writes, "Cooking meals in foil packets is nothing new to campers. The method also works quite well in your home oven. This particular version is one of the most flavorful you'll ever taste, although there is nothing exotic about it. Measurements, ingredients, and serving sizes are all easily adaptable, and it's easy enough for even the most basic cook." Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Non-stick aluminum foil

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

Freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 medium red potatoes, scrubbed clean or peeled

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups frozen broccoli florets, unthawed

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1-1/2 to 2 cups fine-shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sliced green onions (scallions)

1/4 cup bacon bits

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 F. Tear off 6 sheets of non-stick foil, approximately 15- x 12-inches.

Slice the chicken breasts lengthwise so they are about 1/2-inch thick. Season on both sides with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, sage, paprika, and black pepper. Set aside.

Slice potatoes into rounds about 1/4-inch thick (see Notes). A mandoline slicer works perfectly for this chore, and it goes fast. Have the remaining ingredients opened and ready to go.

Set up a production line by spreading out each square of foil next to each other. Spray the centers of the squares with butter-flavored oil. Place potato slices in the center, with each slice overlapping halfway, to the length of the chicken breasts. This will be your base to build upon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned chicken breast halves on top of the potatoes and follow with the broccoli. Spoon the cream of mushroom soup evenly over the broccoli. Top broccoli with Cheddar cheese, green onions, and bacon bits.

Fold up the foil sides and fold the edges down to make individual sealed packets, leaving about 1 inch of air-space at the top. Place the packets on a heavy rimmed baking tray (jelly roll pan).

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the chicken breasts. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve the packets on a plate and let guests open them at the table. Alternatively, you can remove the foil and slide the stacks onto a plate to serve.

A side salad and artisan bread make perfect accompaniments.

Notes:

• It is important that the potatoes be sliced evenly and thin. Otherwise, they will not cook through.

• Cream of celery, chicken, or cheese soups may be substituted for the cream of mushroom soup, as well as low-fat and low-sodium varieties. Spoon the soup on straight from the can.

• You may substitute skinless, boneless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts. Increase the baking time to 45 to 50 minutes.

• Frozen mixed vegetables of your choice may be substituted for the broccoli.

• Prepared stuffing may be substituted for the potatoes.

• I do not recommend using bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces for this recipe. Although I normally prefer skin-on, bone-in chicken for flavor and moisture retention, this method and cooking time will not be long enough to render the fat and cook the chicken completely. If you increase the cooking time, the vegetables will lose texture integrity and become mushy.

• As you can tell from reading the method, this recipe is easily multiplied. The ingredient amounts are easily adjustable to suit your own tastes.

• The foil packets work just as well in a covered grill.

• Be careful of steam when you open the packets. If you use commercial chicken, you will notice it releases a lot of water. This is because commercial chicken is enhanced. You may wish to open one end of the packet and drain any excess liquid before serving.

CREAMY IRISH POTATO SOUP

This recipe comes from Campbell's Kitchen; to view this recipe online, click here. The recipe starts off, "This rich and creamy potato soup is subtly flavored with celery and green onions. It's the kind of soup you'll want to savor slowly...even though it's ready in just 35 minutes."

Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes; Serves: 5 servings (1 1/4 cups each)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

4 medium green onion, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth, (Regular, Natural Goodness® or Certified Organic)

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 medium potato, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 3 cups)

1 1/2 cups milk

Directions

Heat the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until they're tender.

Stir the broth, black pepper and potatoes in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Place half of the broth mixture and half of the milk in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Repeat with the remaining broth mixture and remaining milk. Return to the saucepan and heat through.