Category Archives: Chicken

Instant Pot Taco Rice

Several months ago I was looking for recipes using my Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi. I came across this recipe from My Table of Three.

It is a very simple recipe and quite yummy. :) Also this meal feeds our family of 4 adults dinner, twice. So I make it in full and then freeze the other half. Then on the night we eat the leftovers, I thaw it and steam it.

We serve it with salad and a very small drizzle of oil (about 1/2 a teaspoon) or some canned green beans.

It’s really a simple process, add all the ingredients to the pot and pressure cook on high for 22 minutes with a quick pressure release.

Combine and cook.

Meanwhile, I put about two pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast in the food processor to grind it up and cook up.

Cook quickly in skillet, seasoned slightly.

When it is cooked and the rice is done, add it to the remainder of the dish and stir to combine.We serve with some fat free greek yogurt (and some fat free cheddar cheese, which is our own personal choice item).

Head on over to MyTableofThree for the full recipe and her notes on the recipe.

Taco Mac Salad (THM E- low fat version)

Taco Mac Salad is one of our favorite salads, if not meals. I have remade this as a healthy fats meal before using dreamfields pasta. But since this is a favorite meal, I looked for a way to make this without using that pasta.

The next solution I had was to use brown rice pasta or brown rice & quinoa pasta. You could use any alternative pasta like lentil, black bean, chickpea, or other such pasta. This night we used brown rice pasta from WinCo.

I took about a pounds worth of thawed boneless skinless chicken bread and put it in the food processor. I then ground it up, cooked it in a fry pan, and seasoned it with taco seasoning.

Meanwhile, I boiled the pasta and chopped up some vegetables. It’s important to measure the pasta so as not to overdo the carbs.

It is probably best to only 40g weight instead of 52-68g worth of pasta to give some space for some beans.

Tear the lettuce and chop the green pepper. I serve the diced tomatoes separately because the kids don’t like them. Drain, rinse, and heat up a can of black beans (it can be added to the meat).

Combine the drained, cooked pasta, beans, salad, and a cheese stick or two (sliced) in a salad bowl.

Serve with low fat/low carb dressing, low fat/fat free sour cream or yogurt and any other veggies you desire. I do choose to use some fat free cheddar cheese as well.

If you used a low enough carb pasta, you can probably add a tostada to it. :)

I added some nutritional yeast. :)

I hope you like it as much as we do.

Taco Mac Salad (THM E- low fat version)

Ingredients

  • brown rice pasta (or other alternative pasta, such as brown rice & quinoa, black bean, chickpea, lentil, etc)
  • boneless skinless chicken breast
  • lettuce
  • green pepper
  • tomato
  • low fat mozzarella cheese stick
  • fat free yogurt or fat free/low fat sour cream
  • taco seasoning (chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper)
  • black beans, drained and rinsed
  • tostada (corn, lime treated) optional

Instructions

  1. process chicken breast into ground chicken in a food processor
  2. cook chicken and add taco seasoning
  3. boil pasta
  4. chop veggies
  5. add beans to meat
  6. add meat, beans, and drained pasta to the chopped veggies
  7. serve with toppings desired
https://lifeofjoy.me/taco-mac-salad-thm-e-low-fat-version/

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

Cowboy Grub Taco

I made Cowboy Grub from Trim Health Mama Cookbook page 59, last week. I used the canned tomatoes that have the green chilies in it. Either I’ve never made this correctly before or my tastes have changed because this was delicious!

As you can see I used chicken breast instead of ground meat because I don’t like to rinse my meat and lean ground meat is a bit pricey for frequent use. I also used the par-boiled brown rice from Aldi to make my life simpler. I also used the frozen seasoning blend (albeit the chunkier version) which I broke up a bit with my mix-and-chop hand-held gadget. I served it with canned green beans with a bit of onion powder and liquid smoke in them. I might have served a bagged salad too, for ease.

When I served the leftovers, I followed the suggestion of stuffing it into tortillas with cheese (and sour cream).  I used a sprouted grain tortilla and used a light laughing cow cheese wedge. This really changed the taste, making it seem like a different meal completely.

At lunch the next day I used up the rest of the leftovers and added a bit of fat free cheddar–my personal choice item. I only used half of a tortilla because we have the huge ones and they are 28g of carbs for one and I knew that would put it a bit too many carbs but a half of one worked nicely. I’ll pick up some of the smaller ones next time. I’m trying to only use the Mission low carb tortillas once a week or less, so that wasn’t an option for me this time around.

I heated it up on the flame of the burner. :) I love my gas range.

Yes, I used an entire wedge and it made it nice and cheesy. :)

It was yummo! I ate the bit that didn’t fit on the tortilla with a spoon. :)

Do you have meals that you’ve found a way to make the leftovers seem like a completely different meal? Please share in the comments, if you do. I love easy meals.

Until next time,

Michele ºÜº

Another Pasta Skillet

We love Aldi’s brown rice & quinoa pasta. This pasta is a THM E meal, which means it is a healthy carbs and low fat meal. We like to weigh the pasta to ensure that we get the right amounts cooked for each of us. :) Measuring by cup doesn’t usually yield the correct amount of food.

So, bring the measured amount of pasta to boil. Be sure to check the serving size because it can vary per type of pasta.

Meanwhile saute your chosen vegetables. Seriously, pick whatever veggies you like. It is best to stick with non-starchy veggies since you’re having the carby pasta. Only spray your pan with a light coating of oil of your choosing (we either us olive or coconut spray). Then if your veggies need a bit more moisture, add a bit of water to the pan to help keep them from sticking.

This time we chose onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Tiffany has discovered that although she does not like raw tomatoes, she does like them cooked. :)

We added some minced garlic and stirred it in.

I just used the jarred variety this time. You don’t have to add garlic if you don’t prefer it.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and then add it to the cooked veggies.

We had some chicken breast that we’d cooked up a few days prior in the crock pot. This is what we used but you could use any low fat meat. Canned chicken breast or canned tuna ( or fish from a pouch) would work well too.

This night Tiffany decided to add one wedge of Light Laughing Cow Cheese to add a bit more creaminess, but we’ve done it without it and it is just fine too. :)

Stir it in and serve. Of course add whatever seasonings you like.

This had me saying “Mmmm” with the first several bites and declaring how much I was enjoying it throughout the meal. The serving size of pasta is quite filling, so we didn’t serve it with anything else but a side salad would be good. Just keep it low fat to stay in E mode. :)

I hope you like this “recipe”. I’ll include what we used below but know that you can use whatever non-starchy veggies you like (and even a bit of the starchy ones, since it is an E).

Another Pasta Skillet

Ingredients

  • Brown Rice & Quinoa Pasta
  • Veggies of your choice: onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini were our picks this time
  • You could add some carrot or peas or a bit of corn if you like
  • Seasonings of choice: garlic, salt, and pepper were ours
  • Optional light laughing cow cheese wedge (1)
  • Protein: cooked chicken breast was ours

Instructions

  1. Boil measured pasta until done, and drain.
  2. Spray pan with cooking oil, lightly.
  3. Saute diced/sliced veggies.
  4. Add seasonings, drained pasta, and protein.
  5. Serve
https://lifeofjoy.me/another-pasta-skillet/

I hope you enjoy this “recipe;” we sure have.

Michele ºÜº

Super Easy Make Ahead Meal

Yeah, I know, any meal you make ahead is easy when you finally eat it but this one is even easy to make. I put boneless skinless chicken in the crock pot with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and cook on low for about six hours.

Meanwhile, bake sweet potatoes that I pierce with a knife at 325º for an hour to an hour and a half. Then cool them and refrigerate until needed.

I like to cut them in half (long ways), place them in a skillet-cut side down, put a little water in the pan, cover and heat until desired warmth. Tiffany likes to cut them in half and put them in the air fryer/toaster oven to heat them up. Reheat chicken on the stove with a little of the broth in the skillet or pot.

So, pair it with the chicken and a salad for a good quick meal. Easy peasy!

The night pictured, I air-fried the chicken with a bit of chili-lime seasoning. When I use the crock pot chicken, I frequently just put it in a salad with the sweet potato on the side. No heating up of the kitchen on these HOT Oklahoma days.

Until next time,

Michele ºÜº

 

Pasta Salad Healthy Carb, Low Fat

I made this pasta salad last week and we devoured it. I like to make salads when it is blooming hot outside so that it doesn’t get quite so hot inside.

This salad is a THM E(nergetic) salad because I used pasta made from quinoa and brown rice that I get at Aldi. A serving is only 1/4 cup of the dry pasta so I added some lettuce to it as well. I had intended to make a different salad but this one turned out good.

So, here’s what I did:

Bring water to a boil and then add the pasta and cook as directed, drain, and rinse with cold water.

I steamed one bunch of broccoli, just so it wasn’t raw and rinsed it in cool water too.

I added 5 cups of chopped red leaf lettuce, 1 carrot shredded, about 1/4 cup diced green pepper, and a garnish amount of shredded parmesan cheese.

Then I took a piece of chicken breast, cut it thinly, seasoned it with salt and pepper and cooked it in a skillet sprayed with coconut oil.

I also added about 1/3-1/2 cup of the fuel pull 1000 Island dressing because it is very low fat (because I used even less that the recipe calls for so I don’t have to think about how much I’m using) and it needs some kind of flavoring. You could use any low fat healthy dressing but even my daughter liked it and she doesn’t care for dressings. :D

I added some grape tomatoes and some fat free cheddar cheese to my serving. :) (I view the fat free cheese as a personal choice item and try not to eat too much of it but I love cheese so this is helpful to me.)

Pasta Salad Low Carb

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dry penne quinoa and brown rice pasta, cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water
  • 1 bunch of broccoli, steamed, and rinsed in cold water
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 5 cups of chopped red leaf lettuce or leafy greens of choice
  • about 1/4 cup diced green pepper
  • garnish amount of shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1# chicken breast
  • 1/3-1/2 cup low fat dressing (fuel pull creamy 1000 island)

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta as directed on package
  2. Steam broccoli
  3. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper, cook, and slice (I slice the meat first, season and then cook when I'm in a hurry and don't have some already cooked.)
  4. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and serve.
  5. Serves 4
https://lifeofjoy.me/pasta-salad-healthy-carb-low-fat/

I hope you enjoy this pasta salad.

Until next time,

Michele ºÜº

bbq flavor seasoning ~ Lifeofjoy.me

BBQ Seasoning

I shared some ways we use chicken thighs last month. One of those ways is BBQ seasoning. I decided I should go ahead and share how we do BBQ seasoning on chicken. I prefer a sweet barbecue flavor and not vinegary. Now don’t get the wrong idea, this is not a barbecue sauce; it’s just to give you some flavor of barbecue.

We just sprinkle the seasonings on each thigh but you could mix the dry ingredients up in a bowl and then add the worcestershire sauce onto each thigh individually. You could mix all the ingredients up together and smear the paste on each thigh but that is too much work for us. ;)

Place the thighs on a rimmed baking sheet. You can use a silpat or parchment paper for ease of cleaning later but we didn’t. Then sprinkle on the onion powder and garlic powder.

Chicken thighs ~ Lifeofjoy.meNext sprinkle on a bit of paprika, ground black pepper, and salt.

Chicken thighs seasoned 2 ~ Lifeofjoy.meNow, we use Sukrin Gold but I believe there is a Swerve brown sugar substitute. You could also make your own. I found these three version you could try: 1. suggests including an extract rather just the molasses, 2. also suggests an extract but uses stevia glycerite instead of the molasses, 3. uses less molasses per cup. (I’m also noting them for myself, in case I need them in the future. :) )

So this next step is to add 1/2 teaspoon – 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar substitute to each piece. Tiffany used 1/2 tablespoon this night and it was too sweet for Sean’s liking, so you may want to err on the side of less sweetener.

Adding sweetener ~ Lifeofjoy.meThen add Worcestershire sauce and bake at 350º until done. Length of time depends on the size of your thighs, about 45 minutes, give or take.

Thighs with Worcestershire ~ Lifeofjoy.me BBQ seasoned thighs ~ Lifeofjoy.mebbq seasoned thighs ~ Lifeofjoy.meWe use the same seasonings on chicken breasts and cook them in the crock pot too. Yumm!

BBQ Seasoning

Ingredients

  • about 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • about 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • about heaping 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • about 1/8 teaspoon black ground pepper
  • about 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons - 3 Tablespoons brown sugar substitute (Sukrin Gold)
  • about 6 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. Either sprinkle each individual on the meat
  2. OR
  3. Combine dry ingredients together, sprinkle over meat.
  4. Add Worcestershire sauce to each thigh individually.
  5. OR
  6. Combine all ingredients into a paste and smear over each thigh.
https://lifeofjoy.me/bbq-seasoning/

Until next time,

Michele ºÜº

crock pot chicken and sprouted spelt no fat noodles ~ Lifeofjoy.me

Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles (Soup)

I got this simple and cost effective recipe from something I got from the Money Saving Mom years and years ago. I shared it with my homeschool support group and I’m sharing it here today. This recipe has stood the test of time in our house and is an easy one to throw together. :)

Start by putting enough chicken breast in the crockpot for your family. We are a family of four so one large chicken breast (one pound) works for us. Then add some carrot. We like our carrot with zero crunch in the end, so I slice them up on my mandolin.

Crockpot Chicken and noodles ~ Lifeofjoy.meI forgot to add a dice onion this night, so I added onion powder later but generally, you’d add the onion now too. :)

Next add about 3-6 cups of water or broth. I started with 3 cups this day. It’d been a while since I’d made this and forgot how much water/broth I usually use.

Add Liquid ~ Lifeofjoy.meFinally add seasonings: salt, pepper, and basil.

Add seasonings ~ Lifeofjoy.meAdd the lid and you’re ready to go. Cook on high for about 3 hours or so, until you can shred your chicken. I used a frozen breast and cooked it about 4 hours I think.

Shredding chicken ~ Lifeofjoy.meWhen the chicken is done and shredded.

I used my sprouted spelt drop biscuit dough and cut it thinner for the noodles. :)

spelt noodles ~ Lifeofjoy.meadd noodles ~ Lifeofjoy.meAdd your noodles and cook for another 30-60 minutes, until the noodles are as done as you like them. :) You can use Reemes frozen noodles, as that is what the original recipe called for. When we went to serve the dish, I realized that we wanted it more of a soup and quickly heated up a can of chicken broth (about 2 cups) and added it to the pot.

Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles ~ Lifeofjoy.meI made half a batch of my sprouted spelt drop biscuit dough and ended up only using about 2/3 of it in the soup. I sprinkled some garlic salt on the rest and baked in the oven  for a few minutes. :)

Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

Ingredients

  • 1# chicken breast (I used frozen)
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/3 batch of sprouted spelt drop biscuit dough or a bag of frozen Reemes noodles

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in the crock pot except the noodles.
  2. Cook on high for about 3-4 hours, until the chicken can be shredded easily.
  3. Add the noodles and cook for another 30-60 minutes on high, until noodles are done.
https://lifeofjoy.me/crock-pot-chicken-and-noodles-soup/

I hope you enjoy this one as much as we do.

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

IP Creamy Chicken Broccoli Rice

Although this dish is not pretty by any means, it is very good. I cooked the broccoli in the instant pot with the raw rice and frozen chicken breast and all the other ingredients because we like our vegetables really well done. Well, the broccoli totally disintegrated. I mean, no lumps at all, which was good for Sean ;) but not good if you actually want to chew broccoli. In which case, I recommend steaming the broccoli separately and mixing it into the finished dish. :)

One other ‘mistake’ I made was with the amount of chicken for the amount of rice, so I’m adjusting it here. This is basically a dump and go recipe that could be done in the crock pot, I would think.

So here goes: Place two pounds of frozen chicken breast in the instant pot. Then add rice, broth or water, broccoli, mushrooms, almond milk, and spices. Place the lid on the pot, close the vent, and press pressure cooker, high, for 25 minutes with keep it warm for an additional 10 minutes.

IP Chicken Broccoli Rice ~ Lifeofjoy.meI used water and some homemade (THM) bouillon.

water ~ Lifeofjoy.meReady to go ~ Lifeofjoy.meWe had one bunch of broccoli and knew it wouldn’t be enough, so added a bag of broccoli florets. Did you know that some Dollar Tree stores carry a pound of frozen broccoli florets for only a dollar? That’s awesome because it is more for less at most other stores; I think it is because the bags I can find are “steamable”.

When it is done, break up the chicken breasts. I use a potato masher or a meat “chopper” similar to the Mix and Chop by Pampered Chef.

IP Creamy Chicken Rice and Broccoli ~ Lifeofjoy.me

IP Creamy Chicken Broccoli Rice

Ingredients

  • about 2 pounds chicken breast
  • 2 cups brown rice
  • 3 cups water or broth (I used 3 tablespoons of homemade THM Bouillon)
  • about 1 1/2 - 2 pounds broccoli florets
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/8 teaspoon each onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and parsley
  • dash of each black pepper and paprika
  • 3/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon glucomannan powder

Instructions

  1. Put all ingredients (except broccoli if you so desire) in the instant pot, vent closed. High manual pressure for 25 minutes then keep warm for 10 minutes.
  2. Release pressure, removed lid, and break up the meat.
  3. Enjoy!
  4. I believe you could do the same thing in the crock pot 6-8 hours on low.
https://lifeofjoy.me/ip-creamy-chicken-broccoli-rice/

IP Creamy Chicken Rice and Broccoli ~ Lifeofjoy.meFYI: It really does look a bit more green in person. I modified this THM Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe.

I hope you like this. We’ll make it again and even put the broccoli in it (but will probably steam some on the side too).

Oh, by the way, we eat this as an E meal on the THM program. (Watch the amount of rice.) Best to add a salad to eat with it, keeping the fats on the salad in E limits, as there are added fats in the dish itself. :)

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

Thighs, Thighs, and More Thighs

Thighs were on sale for 79¢ a pound here and I bought around ten pounds of them. I bagged them in freezer bags in about six per bag, which is usually more than enough for this family of four adults. These are rather large thighs and, believe it or not, one is enough for me at dinner, with a couple sides.

Today I thought I’d share some menu ideas for thighs. I have a freezer full of other meats that I’ve bought on sale, so I’m not stuck with just the thighs but thought I’d go ahead and share some different ideas, in case you find yourself needing to focus on one meat.

  1. The first one is super easy. Soup. Chicken soup is inexpensive and the bone and skin add a great flavor to it.Chicken added ~ Granny's Chicken Soup ~ Lifeofjoy.me
  2. Baked. I place the thawed thighs on rimmed baking sheet, preferably on a silpat for easier cleaning, season, and cook. Serve with a couple side dishes: our go-to side dishes are green beans and salad.Baked Chicken Thighs ~ Lifeofjoy.me
  3. Baked but with a barbeque flavor instead of the one in the previous link. We just sprinkle some onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, a dash (cap full) of liquid smoke, a couple dashes worcestershire sauce, and some brown sugar substitute. (We use Sukrin Gold but I believe Swerve makes one too.)
  4. San Francisco Chicken. Normally this is made with chicken breast or pork chops but browning the thighs and then adding the sauce, covering and letting it cook about 20 minutes or until the thighs are done, should work nicely. (The original recipe used this procedure with the thicker cut pork chops.) Serve with noodles (we use either Dreamfields or konjac root noodles) or thinly sliced cabbage and broccoli.San Fran Chicken on Noodles ~ Lifeofjoy.me
  5. Breaded and either fried on the stove top or in the oven. We just coat with a mixture of baking blend and Parmesan cheese after dipping in a beaten egg.
  6. Alfredo. For this one I’d bake extra thighs earlier in the week and get the meat off the bone saving it for this day. When I make plannedovers, I have to hide the extra or my gang will eat it. :D  At any rate, this sauce can be a bit pricey and caloric, so you can just use a cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup for the sauce. It’s good with cauliflower and or broccoli. You could just thicken some almond milk up with some xanthan gum and add some onion powder and garlic powder to it for flavor or you could use the water from a can of mushrooms for part of the liquid and add the mushrooms if your family will eat them. I’ve chopped them up finely to hide them from my kids when they were young. As they got older, I just tell them to pick them out and give them to me. :)
  7. For the last one, I’d make some like for number six but put it as a topping on pizza. If that isn’t an option, make Chicken Parmesan baking breaded chicken and when nearly done, add some tomato sauce (or spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce) and a little cheese to the top.Chicken Alfredo Pizza ~ lifeofjoy.me

Well, that’s my week long menu for using chicken thighs. These links are all mine but have been taken from my many different ways of cooking throughout the years. If you have a particular one you would like me to make suggestions on how to conform it to a particular fuel source (fats or carbs or light on both counts), let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº