This book is my new best friend!!! This is what I have been cooking out of. Most of the recipes I can eat, but there are some that I have to tweak so I can eat them. But I have nothing but success with all of the recipes in here. This is volume #2. Volume #1 is fantastic also!!!!After being bed bound with some type of bug, I am finally up and on my feet again. Since I've been sick, we haven't been eating really good. So today I am making it a day of cooking, freezing, and cleaning. I have two recipes right off the bat that I want to make. One is "Cajun Style Chicken Leg Quarters" and the other is "Broccoli Rice Casserole".
By 10:30am I had the chicken all done and starting to freeze in the freezer! Wahoo!!!
Here's the recipe for that. Not to mention....it's low calorie and good for you too!!! Such a bonus deal!!!
Cajun Stule Chicken Leg Quarters
4 chicken leg quarters
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped (I left this out since the hubby doesn't like it)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I used a full teaspoon...I like things with a bite)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking day
Combine all ingredients except chicken. Place chicken quarters in a freezer bag and pour marinade over chicken. Freeze
Serving day
Thaw completely. Brush chicken with marinade and grill over medium heat, until chicken is tender and cooked through.
(per serving): 184 calories, 15g total fat, 31mg cholesterol, 143mg sodium, 4g total carbs, 1g dietary fiber. 8g protein.
This is the finished product ready to go into the freezer. The way I freeze mine is to line a dish with non-stick foil. Put everything in it and stick it in the freezer. When it is frozen (depends on what it is weather it's hours or a day) then I take it out of the dish and vacuum seal it in my FoodSaver machine. That way there is no air to make ice crystals or freezer burn.
Now it's time to make the Broccoli Casserole. Here is the recipe for that one:
Broccoli Rice Casserole
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup onion, chopped
10 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 cup cooked rice
Cooking day
In a large, covered saucepan, cook broccoli in a small amount of boiling water for 6-8 minutes, until crisp tender. Drain well. In a large skillet, saute onion in melted butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add soup, then cheese, stirring until cheese is melted and well blended. Add broccoli and rice to soup mixture. Place in a lined 9 x 13 baking dish and freeze.
Serving day
Unwrap, return to original baking dish, and thaw completely. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
Ok so this one is not so figure friendly but the hubby will like it and I can get some veggies in just a little scoop. I used minute rice instead of regular rice because it tends no to get as sticky and clumpy. Since this dish is fairly high in calories, I froze it in smaller batches. The picture above is for tonight's dinner. The rest I froze in a bread loaf size pan.Well now that I have a couple of dishes under my belt, it's time to wash the dishes so I can fix dinner. Some days I wish for a dishwasher. I've heard if you have kids it's cheaper, lol. But for now, it's me and the sink. *sigh*
I hope you enjoyed today's dishes. Off to another day.....
