Jalapeno Kettle Chip Chicken w/ Jalapeno Ranch and Lemon Garlic Roasted Brocolli

My husband LOVES spicy food so I'm trying out some Jalapeno recipes for him :)  I love this one because its so easy and simple, and I can modify my portions to not have the spice! I made a great lemon garlic roasted broccoli to compliment the jalapeno taste and round out the meal.

Jalapeno Ranch Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp lowfat buttermilk
1 tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (powder mix)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
dash of cayenne
5-6 hot pickles jalapeno slices (finely chopped) --- I made 1/2 with, 1/2 without so his would be spicy but mine wouldn't be.

Mix all ingredients together (adding additional buttermilk until desired consistency).
Refrigerate until ready to use.

Jalapeno Chicken:
4 chicken breasts
1 bag Jalapeno Kettle Chips crushed
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 tsp salt
dash of cayenne

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a bowl whisk together buttermilk, salt, and cayenne.
Pound down chicken to 1/2" thickness and add to buttermilk mixture- coat well.

Place crushed Kettle chips in a shallow baking dish.
Pull chicken breast out of buttermilk and gently shake to remove excess.
Dip into the chips and coat thoroughly on both sides.

Place on baking sheet.
Repeat until all chicken breast are thoroughly coated.

Place into oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, until cooked through.
Serve with jalapeno ranch dipping sauce.


Lemon Garlic Roasted Broccoli:
Floret Bunch of Broccoli
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Lemon Juice
Grated Parmesan Cheese

If you are cooking these by themselves, pre- heat oven to 425- if you are making with the chicken, just cook at same temp as the chicken (375)

Take a large bunch of broccoli, cut into florets.
Place on cookie sheet- toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Add 4 garlic cloves that are peeled and sliced and toss them in.
Roast in oven for 15-25 minutes, until crisp tender and the tips are starting to brown.

When its done, take out of the oven- squeeze lemon juice over the broccoli and add more olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

This broccoli is AMAZING- it will make you want to eat it more often, trust me!!!

Enjoy :)

Crockpot Tortilla Soup

This was my first ever crockpot cooking adventure- and now I see why crockpot cooking is such a hit! It was so easy and this recipe is soooo good- perfect meal for some winter time weather!

Total calories (without chips, sour cream, or cheese):  192.5 

Makes about 8 servings

Here is what you need:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Cans of Rotel (the lime & cilantro one is really good, but the regular works fine too)
1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Can Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Can Corn
1 Onion, chopped
2 Cans low sodium chicken broth
1-2 cups water
1 tbsp garlic powder*
1 tbsp chile powder*
1 tbsp ground cumin*
1 tbsp dried cilantro*
1 package Ranch Dip Mix

Tortilla chips
Sour Cream
Shredded Mexican blend cheese

*Instead of these individual spices, you can use a packet of Taco seasoning

Directions:
Put chopped onions, black beans, kidney beans, rotel, corn, chicken broth, water, Ranch Dip Mix, and spices (or pkt of taco seasoning) in crockpot and stir to mix.

Put chicken breasts on top, make sure they are submerged in liquid.

Cook on high 6-7 hours or low 8-9 hours

Before serving remove chicken from soup and shred, if needed.  (Sometimes they will fall apart on their own)

Return chicken to crock pot, stir to combine.

To serve, spoon into a bowl.  Top with tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheese.

Enjoy :)

Skinny Quesadillas & Mango Twist Salsa

What is better than Mexican food??  HEALTHY Mexican Food!  Here is a wonderful recipe for Quesadillas with a "Mango Twist" salsa.  My husband has not stopped talking about this salsa- it is definitely worth making!


Mango Twist Salsa
This has a great combination of flavors, sweet and salty, with a tangy hint of lime!

Serving Size: 1/2 cups, Makes 5 servings, 120 calories per serving

1 mango, peeled and diced
1 avacado, peeled and diced
1 plum tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalepeno, seeded and diced (I bought a can of diced jalepenos)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I just used the spice)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice (I used the store bought lime juice)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and let marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes before serving

*This is great for chicken, over grilled fish, or a dip for chips!

(recipe adapted from Skinny Taste- Salsa)


Skinny Quesadillas:

Serving size 2 quesadillas, Calories: 387 per serving

4 oz chicken breast
cumin
oregano
garlic powder
salt and pepper
cooking spray
1/4 bell pepper cut into strips (green or red)
1/8 small onion, cut in strips
1/4 clove garlic, minced
3/4 tsp oil
1/3 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
1/4 cup Mango Twist Salsa
2 whole flour tortilla

Season chicken generously with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder.

Lightly spray a skillet on medium heat with cooking spray and cook chicken on both sides until done.

Remove the Chicken from the skillet and cut into strips, set aside.

In the skillet, add 3/4 tsp oil and cook the peppers and onions- season with salt and pepper.

Cook 2 minutes, add garlic, and keep cooking until vegetables are soft (be careful not to burn garlic).  When cooked, set aside.

In another skillet,  lightly spray with cooking spray, and turn on medium heat.

Add tortilla,  fill half of the tortilla with 1/2 of the quesadilla makings: chicken, cheese, onions, peppers, and mango twist salsa. Fold over the tortilla to make a quesadilla.

When the cheese has melted and the bottom is golden brown, flip the quesadilla over.

Cook a little longer, until bottom is golden brown.

Place quesadilla on a plate, cut into wedges.

Serve with sour cream.

The Mango twist salsa is also wonderful as a dip for chips!

(recipe adapted from Skinny Taste- Quesadilla)