Have 3 great recipes to share, from my Pampered Chef healthy cooking class last night. The Lemon “Maringue” cake she substituted a raspberry pie filling and it was delicious. She cut the butter out of the loaded baked potato chowder, and substituted a lighter version of the cream cheese to cut calories/fat. The tortillas in the chicken quesadilla soup is what thickens it some. Everything was very easy to make. I am probably making both soups this weekend.
Loaded Baked Potato Chowder
3 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 lb/1.1 kg)
3 1/2 cups (875 mL) milk, divided
4 oz (125 g) cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
2-3 green onions with tops (1/4 cup/50 mL sliced)
4 oz (125 g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) coarsely ground black pepper
Optional toppings such as chopped cooked bacon, sour cream or steamed broccoli florets
- Slice potatoes in half lengthwise with Santoku Knife; place in Deep Covered Baker. Pour 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the milk over potatoes. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 11 minutes. Remove baker from microwave. Move center potatoes to ends of baker and outer potatoes to center. Cover; microwave on HIGH 8-11 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Remove baker from microwave. Coarsely mash potatoes with Mix 'N Chop.
- Meanwhile, whisk cream cheese until smooth in Classic Batter Bowl. Slowly add remaining 3 cups (750 mL) milk, whisking until smooth. Add cream cheese mixture and butter to baker. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 3-5 minutes or until mixture is hot. Slice green onions with Chef's Knife.
- Carefully remove baker from microwave. Grate cheddar cheese over chowder using Rotary Grater; add green onions, salt and black pepper and mix using Small Mix 'N Scraper(R) until cheese is melted. Serve with toppings, if desired. Yield: 6 servings (8 cups/2 L)
Nutrients per serving: (about 1 1/3 cups/325 mL): Calories 390, Total Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Carbohydrate 43 g, Protein 14 g, Sodium 880 mg, Fiber 3 g
Cook’s Tip: For a lighter version, omit butter. Substitute fat-free (skim) milk, reduced-fat (Neufchâtel) cheese and light cheddar for the 2% milk and full-fat cheeses.
U.S. Nutrients per serving: Calories 300, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 30 mg, Carbohydrate 43 g, Protein 16 g, Sodium 890 mg, Fiber 3 g
Hearty Chicken Quesadilla Soup
5 (6-in./15 cm) corn tortillas
1 jalapeño pepper
2 cans (14.5 oz each)or 796 mL) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups (750 mL) unsalted chicken stock
3 cups (750 mL) diced cooked chicken
1 bag (12 oz or 340 g) frozen Southwestern corn blend, thawed
2 tbsp (30 mL) ground cumin
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper
1 cup (250 mL) fresh cilantro leaves
3 oz (90g) Monterey Jack cheese (3/4 cup/175 mL grated)
1 Stack tortillas and cut into quarters with Santoku Knife; set 12 quarters aside. Tear remaining 8 quarters into pieces. Remove stem from jalapeño and cut in half lengthwise. Using Core & More, carefully remove seeds and veins. Cut into chunks. Finely chop jalapeño and torn tortillas with Food Chopper.
2 Place chopped tortillas and jalapeño, tomatoes, chicken stock, chicken, corn blend, cumin, garlic pressed with Garlic Press and black pepper in Rockcrok® (4-qt./3.8-L) Dutch Oven. Stir with Small Mix 'N Scraper®. Cover; bring to a boil over HIGH heat. Reduce heat and simmer 15-17 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, preheat broiler. In (2-cup/500-mL) Prep Bowl, snip cilantro with Professional Shears. Using Microplane® Adjustable Coarse Grater, grate cheese.
4 Using Silicone Oven Mitts, remove soup from heat. Stir in cilantro. Carefully arrange remaining tortilla quarters in a circular pattern over hot soup, slightly overlapping, with points toward the center. (You may see some small gaps.) Sprinkle evenly with cheese.
5 Place Dutch Oven 2-4 in. (5-10 cm) from heating element. Broil 2-3 minutes or until cheese is light golden brown.
Nutrients per serving: U.S. Nutrients per serving (1¼ cups/300 mL): Calories 220, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 2.5g, Cholesterol 40 mg, Sodium 500 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 19 g
Lemon “Meringue” Cake
1 can (15.75 oz) lemon flavored pie filling
1 lemon
1 small pkg (9 oz) yellow cake mix or 1⅔ cups from a regular-size package
1 egg
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, divided (optional)
1 bag (10 oz) mini marshmallows (4 cups)
Place oven rack in middle of oven; preheat broiler.
Spread pie filling evenly over bottom of Rockcrok® (2.5-qt.) Everyday Pan with Small Mix ‘N Scraper®.
Using Microplane® Zester, zest lemon over Classic Batter Bowl. Add cake mix, egg, sour cream and half of the coconut, if desired, to batter bowl; mix with Small Mix ‘N Scraper® until blended. Pour batter over pie filling.
Microwave, covered, on HIGH 10-12 minutes or until cake is firm in the center and springs back when pressed.
Remove Pan from microwave to Stackable Cooling Rack; arrange marshmallows in an even layer over cake. If desired, sprinkle remaining coconut evenly over marshmallows (let the coconut fall between the gaps of the marshmallows).
Broil 30-60 seconds or until marshmallows are golden brown and coconut begins to toast (watch carefully to avoid over-toasting).
Remove from broiler to cooling rack. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm with Chef’s Spoon.
Yield: 12 servings
Nutrients per serving: U.S. Nutrients per serving: Calories 210, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 30 mg, Sodium 180 mg, Carbohydrate 38 g, Fiber 0 g, Protein 2 g
Cook’s Tips: Try peach, raspberry or strawberry-flavored pie filling for a fruity twist (omit the lemon zest).
But the fridge really has a lot of fruits and vegetables, and they just opened a Sprouts by my house, which is super helpful!
This kind of thread, IMO, has as smaller # of participants who use it when they choose. And thats great.