Mama Eats Clean: Super Easy White Chicken Chili

On Sundays our church meets at 5pm so we don't get home until well after 6. Since the girls need to go to bed pretty early, I try to do a crockpot meal for us so there's no cooking when we get home. I like to throw together hearty soups so we also have lunches for a couple days. This one is super simple and came straight from my brain (and inspired by several white chicken chili recipes I've collected over the years).

Super EasyWhite Chicken Chili:

1 16oz jar of green salsa (pick a clean brand. I really like the Whole Foods one).
2 Chicken Breasts (cooked or raw, your choice. I'm paranoid and always pre cook).
2 Cans Cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 quart Chicken Broth
1/2 medium onion, diced
shredded cheese for topping

Throw everything in the crockpot and cook on high for 5-6 hours (longer if using raw chicken). I throw the chicken breasts in whole and then break them up after cooking. You could pre shred or cube before cooking if you wanted. When you're ready to eat, serve it up with a smidge of shredded cheese on top. Yum.

What's For Dinner? 1-11-12

Here is another variation on my Lasagna recipe. I made a vegetarian Lasagna that we really liked, but I must not have put it up on the blog. That recipe is on Jen Loves Kev's blog. So I guess this recipe below is a combination of lots of different recipes, but it is on the healthier side. What you'll need:

9 Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles
1.5 jars Marnara Sauce
1.5 cups diced and peeled Butternut Squash
.5 lb ground turkey
1 15 oz carton fat free ricotta cheese
1 egg
3 cups (ish. Honestly I just eye balled it) Baby spinach
Fat free shredded Mozzarella cheese
garlic
Oregano
Salt Pepper



This lasagna was for Brad because it contained meat. Normally he happily (or at least with out complaining) eats whatever vegetarian meal I put in front of him. We're not vegetarians, but for our health (and wallet!) I tend to not cook a lot of meat. 

Anyway, start by browning the ground turkey and boiling the noodles.  Cook the noodles until they're just about done, but still a little crunchy. While those are cooking put your squash in the microwave. Cook it until it can be mashed up; mash it up. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Add some marinara sauce to the mashed up squash. I like to call this "squash sauce". Strictly speaking, the squash isn't totally necessary, but it is a great way to ramp up the nutritional value without compromising taste. 

Then mix up your ricotta. Add the egg, some oregano, salt and pepper and mix it all up. By now your ground turkey and noodles should be done; drain your noodles.

Spread some marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 9 baking pan. Add three noodles; I trim them to fit. Spread some of the ricotta on the noodles. 

In a pan, combine some olive oil and one clove of garlic with the baby spinach. Cook until wilted (about three minutes). Add the wilted spinach on top of the ricotta. Spread some Squash sauce on the spinach. Put three more lasagna noodles on top of the spinach. Then some ricotta. Then the rest of the squash sauce. Then your ground Turkey. Then some plain marinara. 

I ran out of Lasagna noodles, so I used some rotini on top of the ground turkey and topped it off with some plain Marinara. Bake in the oven, un covered, for about a half hour. Take it out and sprinkle with desired amount of mozzarella cheese. Continue baking until cheese is melted and sauce is bubble (about 15 more minutes).

What's for Lunch?

This week has been long and tiring. I especially love taking extended weekends for holidays, but it definitely makes coming back tiring. So to be honest, cooking this week has been boring. We have been scrounging for stuff because i'm tired and don't feel like cooking. Or we've had to be somewhere so I didn't take pictures.

In lieu of dinner pics, I thought I would share with you what I packed for lunch and snacks today. :)

Morning snack (around 9:30 or 10 am): plain, nonfat greek yogurt with a smidge of honey stirred in. Clean pumpkin bread.

Lunch (around 12:30 or 1): banana and peanut butter wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla (all natural nut butters are a great source of protein. My favorite is almond butter), broccoli florets, baby carrots, and some crackers (Trader Joe's multigrain cracker minis).

Afternoon snack (around 3:30 or 4): 1 apple and scant handful of almonds.

What sorts of things do you pack for lunch?


Oh, also because it's December first, I am going to share one of my favorite Christmas youtube videos (also posted on Facebook). It's an oldie but a goodie!