Blood Orange Endive Salad

A simple salad made with endive lettuce, blood oranges, Gorgonzola with a blood orange vinaigrette.

Yesterday I had the honor of being the Godmother to my beautiful niece, Mia Rose. After the church, there was a reception dinner where I totally indulged on some not-so-light dishes and of course, cake.

I need to brag about this cake for a minute because my very talented aunt made this, although my iPhone really doesn't do it justice... So pretty you almost don't want to eat it!

This morning I ran 2 miles and after my run I did some grocery shopping (best time to go food shopping BTW, I always make the best choices after working out) and found these beautiful blood oranges. I love the color of blood oranges and I seldom see them, so a salad is today's light lunch.

This is also great with goat cheese in place of gorgonzola, and you can use raspberries or strawberries in place of the oranges.

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Skinny Queso Dip

A zesty chunky cheese dip with chunks of tomatoes, hot peppers, garlic, onions, lime juice, cilantro and spices. Get the chips ready, this stuff is good while it's hot!

Skinny queso, it sounds like an oxymoron, right? This is a perfect appetizer to serve for the Superbowl, I'm adding this one to the list.

I stumbled on this recipe on Slender Kitchen and curiosity got the best of me so I decided to try it out. To be honest, while I was cooking it I had my reservations. It wasn't until I scooped some up with my chips that I found myself going for more. Luckily I had a house full of people to help me dip away, and they all gave it a thumbs up.

I served it with Beanitos black bean chips, love them! You can use any light baked chip you desire. For those of you on Weight Watchers, 1/4 cup of this dip is only 3 points plus which is pretty good considering how much cheese is in here!

A few things to note: I personally thought this was best right after making, it was all cheesy and stringy. Later I microwaved the leftovers to see how it would re-heat and it was no longer stringy like it was when I first made it so this is definitely something you want to make and eat right away.


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Crock Pot Picadillo Stuffed Peppers

 

Leftover picadillo and brown rice makes a super easy second meal, all in the crock pot. Top it with melted cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese and you'll have a delicious dinner without much fuss. Each pepper is a complete meal-in-one.
As I mentioned in my last post, we use leftover picadillo many ways in my home. Stuffed peppers are a great way to use leftovers and nothing goes to waste here –  the tops of the peppers get diced and are added to the filling.

The slow cooker is the perfect appliance for making stuffed peppers, I've also included oven directions below.

When buying bell peppers for the slow cooker, I look for peppers that have flat bottoms that can stand upright on their own.

You can double the recipe to make 6, which would fit perfectly in a 6 qt slow cooker. And since so many are asking, I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker. I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it's done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This crock pot is so great, I actually own two!

BTW, we love stuffed peppers in my home and I've posted other variations:

Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Santa Fe Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers

and there's even a stuffed pepper soup. Enjoy!

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Crock Pot Picadillo

 

Picadillo, a flavorful Cuban dish made with ground beef and a sauce made from simmering tomatoes, green olives, bell peppers, cumin, and spices is one of my family's favorite weeknight meals.

Trust me on this one, if you want a recipe the whole family will love, this is it! I grew up on this dish and my friends used to love eating over when my mom made it for dinner. This was probably one of the first recipes I ever learned how to cook and I make it at least once a month, although usually on the stove. (stove top version here) It's inexpensive, kid-friendly, freezer friendly and gluten-free.

I knew this would adapt nicely for the slow cooker, and I was right! In fact, I think it's even better since the lean beef cooks longer and becomes very tender the longer it simmers.

This makes a lot, so you'll get several meals out of it. We serve it over brown rice, we make tacos with the leftovers, and I am going to post a second recipe using the leftovers. Don't you love a recipe that can serve as two different meals!

Anytime you use ground beef in the crock pot, you'll need to brown it first on the stove. Since the skillet is already out, I threw the onions, peppers and garlic in with the meat to let the flavors bloom.

If you want to prep this the night before, the meat is fully cooked, so you can add all the ingredients into the crock pot, then refrigerate. The next morning plug it in and go to work, or go on with your day. When you come home, you'll just have to make some rice and a salad and dinner is ready!

By the way, lean beef is the meat of choice for this dish in my house, but you can also use lean bison or ground turkey if desired. Raisins are commonly added to this dish, but we prefer this without.

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Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

 
Hot and spicy cauliflower bites, battered and baked and smothered with hot sauce. Serve this with skinny blue cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side for a hot and spicy meatless appetizer.

I stumbled on a vegan version of this recipe on Peta and thought they looked good so I made some slight changes and gave it a try. I tested it out on some of the cauliflower-averse people in my home, and they gave it a thumbs up.

One thing to note, if you are watching your sodium, you'll have to look for a lower sodium hot sauce, or use half of the sauce. Frank's is my favorite for buffalo sauce, but it's not low in sodium. If anyone knows of a lower sodium buffalo sauce, kindly share!


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Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Squash Boats with Grilled Chicken

Roasted spaghetti squashed topped with marinara sauce, grilled chicken, melted mozzarella and some fresh basil. I had a hard time naming this one, but I think you get the point.

I was craving something cheesy for dinner last night, and I had spaghetti squash sitting in my counter without a plan, so I came up with this tasty dish. When my husband heard what I was making, he didn't sound too excited, but after he ate he thought it was pretty good.

If you've never had spaghetti squash before, it's a winter squash that has spaghetti-like strands when you cook it and fluff it with a fork. Does it taste like spaghetti? Well no, it's kind of neutral in flavor, so it takes on the flavor from whatever you season it with. I always have homemade marinara sauce on hand, either in the refrigerator or freezer, which makes quick weeknight meals a snap.

If you want to speed this up, you can microwave the spaghetti squash instead, I provided both instructions below.

For those of you on Weight Watchers, each boat is only 6 points plus and it filled me up. In fact, because it's so light, I may use fresh mozzarella next time I make this so it's even cheesier, this recipe can afford it!

There are so many delicious types of winter squash, including acorn, butternut and spaghetti. Whichever gourd you go for, you can be assured you’re making a healthy choice. Winter squash is loaded with vitamins A and C, potassium and fiber. They also contain some folate and thiamin, a B vitamin that helps the body turn carbs into energy. Look for squash with a think, hard skin that’s free of blemishes. Make sure it feels heavy for its size—that’s a sign of freshness. You can keep squash for up to a month in a cool, dry place.
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Open Faced Tuna Sandwich with Avocado

Tuna with minced vegetables on a toasted slice of multi-grain bread with avocado and sprouts. A quick and easy, satisfying lunch.

I grew up with avocados in my home way before they became popular here in the States, and squeeze them into my diet every chance I can. Avocados are a regular part of a South American diet, and my mom always served them along side a hearty bowl of hot soup or rice and beans.

Avocados are also good for you, loaded with heart-healthy fats and antioxidants. According to Bodybuilding.com, avocados are listed as one of the 15 Best Fat Burning Foods. I'd love to tell you I buy them for all those reasons, but quite frankly we just love them. In fact, I created an entire Pinterest Board in it's honor!

To make the tuna salad quickly, I throw all the vegetables in my chopper and pulse a few times. If I am eating one sandwich, I keep the rest refrigerated for the next day. Easy peasy!

Just under 250 calories and for those of you on Weight Watchers, 6 points plus.

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