Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

 
Slow cooked shredded chicken with corn, tomatoes and black beans. Prep this the night before and turn your crock pot on in the morning for an easy weeknight meal.

Serve over rice or in a bowl with nachos on the side, and don't forget the toppings. Chopped scallions, fresh cilantro, fat free yogurt or sour cream and reduced fat cheddar are my favorites.

Crock Pot Sante Fe Chicken came in first place (yay!) for Ziplist's most saved recipe in 2012 (they have over 800K recipes). I'm thrilled, and I see why you would choose this one! It's delicious, easy, requires no pre-cooking, and everyone loves an easy slow cooker recipe. It's also kid-friendly, freezer friendly and gluten-free. In it's honor I decided to revive it from the archives and give it some love.








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Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail

Shrimp cocktail is fine, but when I want something special, I like to have my shrimp ceviche style!

Tossed with avocados, cucumbers, tomatoes, cilantro and fresh lime juice... and sometimes I add a serrano pepper for zing. Served in martini glasses, it's the perfect appetizer for any special occasion and perfect for the Holidays.

I do have a few variations of this, zesty lime shrimp can be served as a side dish, but I wanted this to be more of a cocktail appetizer. You can easily make this ahead, but I would add the avocados right before serving so they don't get brown.

If you want to make a larger dish to bring to a party, this Mexican Shrimp Cobb Salad in a trifle dish is quite impressive and delicious.

Note: For food safety reasons, I used cooked shrimp. While the citrus juice “cooks” the fish, it doesn’t kill the bacteria. This isn’t an issue with raw fish, but it is with shellfish like shrimp it is. If you have access to fresh shrimp off the boat, then raw shrimp would be fine.

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Honey Yogurt with Pomegranate and Pistachios

Sometimes, the simplest dessert are the best desserts.

Honey, Greek yogurt, pomegranate arils and pistachios are the perfect  sweet treat. I just love the sweet burst from the pomegranate with each bite.

For the full recipe, please visit Dash recipes where I am a monthly contributor to light and tasty desserts.

Spinach Prosciutto and Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin stuffed with prosciutto, mozzarella, baby spinach and sun dried tomatoes; a wonderful dish for the Holidays. Serve this with potato parsnip mash, skinny garlic mashed potatoes, or creamy cauliflower puree and some roasted vegetables on the side.

Are you ready for the holidays? I'm so behind but I did get around to seeing Santa this weekend. A very excited Madison didn't cry and even gave Santa a list of what she wanted (which included a pony). I just love this innocent age, I wish I could freeze time.

These next few weeks I'm going to focus on Holiday dishes, sides, appetizers and desserts. I'm still running my mile a day until the New Year (lost track of how many days it's been), it's a nice balance to some of the baking that's happening around here.

Pork tenderloin is perfect for the holidays, and it's just as lean as chicken breast. I love how the colors of the spinach and sundried tomatoes look so festive when you cut it open. You can easily double this recipe to serve eight. If you've never butterflied a tenderloin, it's not very hard. I found this video on how to cut a pork tenderloin which you may find helpful, although I cut mine a little different as described below. Either way is fine.

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Dark Chocolate and Mint Chip Clouds

Easy light and airy cookies made with only 5 ingredients!

We've been making chocolate chip clouds for quite a long time in my house, my oldest daughter who is quite the baker, always makes, not because they are light (she's too young to care about calories) but because they are so good. And, since her BFF has Celiac, these are the perfect gluten-free cookies to share.

They are light and airy and melt in your mouth. I think they even get better with time, and they last quite a while if stored in an airtight container.

When I saw these Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels in Target, I knew I had to make these! They are the perfect addition to your Holiday Cookie Swaps.

If you like the combination of mint chocolate chip, then you'll love these little clouds.

Helpful Tip: Always be sure your eggs are room temperature, and you use metal beaters and bowls for perfect meringues every time.

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Autumn Penne Pasta with Sauteed Brussels Sprouts In A Light Ragu

I'm busy working on my cookbook, so I thought since I'm making this tonight, I would revive it from the archives. Trust me it's good, and if you don't believe me read the comments!

A hearty pasta dish for a crisp Autumn day. Pasta is tossed with sauteed brussels sprouts and a quick meat ragu made light by using lean ground turkey and just enough hot Italian pork sausage to enhance the flavor of the sauce.

I know what some of you are thinking, brussels sprouts???

Trust me on this, prepared right, they are delicious!

My husband almost didn't allow me to add them to his portion claiming how much he dislikes them. He put his fork in my bowl of sauteed brussels sprouts and quickly changed his mind. He claimed I cheated by adding all that garlic to them. Well whatever works : )

In fact, all throughout the meal, he raved about what a great dish this turned out to be. Serve this with Pecorino Romano sprinkled on top and spoonful of part-skim ricotta on top, yum!!

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Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham

When I want a hearty bowl of split pea soup in a hurry, my pressure cooker is my best friend! Split pea soup is loaded with fiber, and it's a comforting meal on a chilly night. I usually serve this with a slice of crusty bread, toasted and rubbed with a little garlic.

This soup is also my favorite way to use up leftover ham or a ham bone. It's super easy, but not always super quick... unless you use a pressure cooker! 

Using a pressure cooker cuts the cooking time by less than half and everything always tastes better for some reason. I've been using my pressure cooker for years; in South America it is widely popular to make soups, beans, and stews because it's quick and saves on gas. I own a fancy electric one, but for some reason I still rather use my old stove top Presto.

When making soups and stews in the pressure cooker, very little  liquid evaporates, so I usually cut the liquid down a bit. I found a great Pressure Cooker Cheat Sheet on Pressure Cooker For Dummies, if you own one and are scared of it, you might find this interesting.

I used Better than Bouillon, I love the flavor it adds to soups, but you can use chicken broth in it's place if you prefer.

A few notes: Today is my 3rd day doing the Holiday Runner's Streak (run at least 1 mile everyday until the Holidays, see 2012 Holiday Running Streak from Runner's World). It was really hard to get out of bed this morning, but I am happy I got it out of the way. How are you doing, still with me?

By the way, this soup freezes well, leftovers are perfect for lunch or make a batch for once a month cooking.

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