Chicken Cordon Bleu



When I first met my husband his cooking skills were let's say...limited.  When it was his night to "cook" he would order pizza or if he was feeling really adventurous he'd make his go-to meal of Tortellini.  Sounds kind of fancy right?Wrong. That meal consists of refrigerated tortellini and a jar of pasta sauce. During our 7 years of marriage he's worked on improving his cooking skills and I must say he's becoming quite the chef. 

Last night he made the most amazing Chicken Cordon Bleu!  Ham and Swiss cheese rolled up in a seasoned chicken breast and then drizzled in a luscious cream sauce.  If heaven had a taste this would be it.  We served it with a light salad which was the perfect accompaniment as the chicken and sauce are quite rich.

My husband said this recipe was quick and simple, the prefect recipe for any man trying to impress his girlfriend or wife.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 6 thinly sliced, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• 6 slices ham
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (He used a Pinot Grigio)
• 1 chicken bullion cube, crushed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• (Optional) Cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper, to taste

Cream Sauce:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions

Place a slice of ham and cheese on each chicken breast within a quarter inch of the edges.  Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling or as my husband did, fold the chicken breast in half. (Beware, if you fold the chicken breast in half some of the cheese will melt out of the sides and fall into the pan which can be incorporated into the sauce later)  Secure the chicken with toothpicks.  Mix the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl and coat each piece of chicken.

Heat the butter and EVOO in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until browned on all sides.  Add the wine and bullion granules.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and remove the toothpicks.  Mix the heaving whipping cream, Dijon mustard, and cornstarch together in a small bowl.  Slowly whisk the mixture into the same skillet you cooked the chicken in.  Cook on low heat stirring until thickened.

Drizzle sauce over chicken.

*Note: If you buy thinly sliced chicken breasts you don't have to worry about cutting thicker ones in half or pounding out the chicken.  Definitely the way to go if they're available at your grocery store.

Adapted from the Allreceipes website.

21 Day Fix - Day 2

Today's Workout: Upper Fix

I'll be honest, I could barely get out of bed today because I was that sore from yesterday's workout.  It was so bad I actually used the elevator at work to go downstairs this morning. I would have taken it back up had there not be a person in the lobby.  

But that's to be expected when starting any new workout program. I've personally found it takes about a week for the soreness to go away, so as much as it sucks you have to push yourself past that uncomfortable feeling.

I woke up 20 minutes late this morning and was worried I wouldn't have enough time to do my workout until I remembered it's only 30 minutes long.  

As I approached the 21 Day Fix DVD set I was happy to see the workout was called "Upper Fix" and not "Lower Fix" because my legs were killing me.  You're supposed to have a set of light weights and heavy weights, but I didn't know that until I started so I just used my 5 pounders.  I had the option to use a resistance band or no weights at all, but felt I wouldn't get as good of a workout.  That's one of things I love most about the workouts, there are plenty of ways to modify the exercises and there's a "modifier" in the workout that shows you HOW to properly modify each one.  Overall, I felt like I got a great workout today and am excited to try the others.

Today's Food

Mango/Pineapple Shakeology

 






1 red and 1 purple container

A Small Fuji Apple

1 purple container

Salad w/ Chicken & Asian Vinaigrette

2 green + 1 red + 1 orange















Also for lunch...

Baked Sweet Potato

1 yellow container

Hard Boiled Eggs

1 red container

Beef w/ Veggies, Black Beans, Cheese, & Hot Sauce

1 red + 1 yellow + 1 green + 1 blue












Day 2 done!  Only 19 more to go!

21 Day Fix - Day 1

I've been so excited to start this program, but have been putting it off for months.  Why you ask?  Because it involves change and dedication. Unfortunately those are not my strongest attributes.  By starting this program I would have to change the way I eat.  I'd have to be dedicated to working out consistently and I haven't been able to commit to that until now. The mind is incredibly powerful and it's taken 2 months of self-talk to work up the courage to do this program.  Hey, there's no time like the present.

Here's how it works: 

1. You figure out your calorie level.

2. Find the calorie chart that corresponds with your calorie level.

3. Look at the container food groups that correspond with each color. 

4. Spread your containers throughout the day.

5. Do your daily workout.

Oh, and did I mention it's only for 21 days?  As my dad says "You can do anything for X (<--insert # here) amount of days."  And funny enough, Autumn Calabrese (the trainer of this program) said something similar in my workout today "You can do anything for 60 seconds."  Nice to know my dad and personal trainer are on the same page.

Week 1 Meal Plan

Another reason I was avoiding this program like the plague is because you have to plan your meals.  Sounds easy right?  WRONG!  Meal planning and I have a love-hate relationship.  I love knowing what I'm going to cook for the week and going to the grocery store once, but I hate the amount of time it takes to figure out what I'm going to eat for the entire week, go shopping, and prep my food.  Today's a prime example: I spent 6-1/2 hours of my wonderful holiday, shopping, washing, cutting, chopping, cooking, and portioning out my food.  BUT, I don't have to do much the rest of the week except throw it all together.  

Here's my meal plan for the week:

I'm heading out of town on Thursday which makes things challenging, but I'm going to prep most of my food in advance and will try to make healthy choices when we go out.

Workout Today: Total Body Cardio Fix

I don't mean to brag (okay, maybe I do), but I've done Insanity.  Not once, but twice, and that workout program definitely lives up to its name!  Shaun T (the trainer) is a MACHINE and the workouts are intense.  Knowing this, I went into today's workout thinking I may break a sweat.  First of all, who's this Autumn chick and secondly, this workout is only 30 min.  How hard can it be?  Sweet baby Jesus, It kicked my ass!  I didn't realize I'd have to use weights for almost the entire workout and was breaking a sweat after the first set of moves.  I could barely walk afterward; you know, the feeling when your legs feel like noodles?  That was me.  Glad it was only 30 minutes because I'm not sure I would have made it much longer.

Post workout hair

Breakfast

Strawberry Shakeology with water and mixed fruit.  I was a little concerned using water with my Shakeo instead of juice or almond milk like I normally do, but it tasted great!  Score!

Filled the purple container with fruit

1 scoop of Shakeology equals one of my red container servings.  The purple container is a fruit serving and I love adding it to my Shakeo because I am terrible at eating fruit.  Quick, easy, and filling.

Having a simple breakfast worked out well since I needed to get to the store ASAP to buy my lunch and other groceries for the week.

Snack 1

It was supposed to be an apple, but I didn't get around to eating it because I was out shopping.  The good news, I can eat it later if I get hungry.

Lunch

I was pretty skeptical about how filling lunch would be when looking at the three containers side by side...

1 yellow, 1 red, & 1 green

but to my surprise it damn near filled my entire plate!

I was also worried about my choice in the yellow container; sweet potato. I've never been a fan of sweet potatoes unless they're in "fry" form, but that wasn't the case.  I've also never baked a sweet potato (pathetic, I know), but figured it had to be similar to cooking a regular potato which it was.  I washed and dried it, stabbed it to death with a fork, wrapped it in foil, and baked it for an hour at 375 degrees.  Once it was out of the oven and cooled off, I peeled the skin off and mashed it up.  Pretty easy.

3 containers & a pretty full plate

As for the green container, I filled it up a quarter of the way with chopped onion and filled the rest with bell peppers.  Then I sauteed them in 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil.  Once the veggies were cooked, I set them to the side and cooked two very small pieces pork which ultimately filled up my red container.  Lastly, I sprinkled everything with the All-Purpose Seasoning recipe from the 21 Day Fix eating plan. Wait, I lied...I added some hot sauce to the pork/veggie mix for a little extra kick!

Snack 2

I ate lunch pretty late, so I ended up eating one hard boiled egg instead of two.  I know how to make the perfect hard boiled egg, but haven't mastered how to peel it without tearing half the egg white off.  I got better by egg 6, but there's room for improvement.

The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

Here's how to make the perfect hard boiled egg:

• Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan.  Add enough cold water to cover the eggs by at least 1 inch.  
• Bring the water to a rapid boil over high heat.
• Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 15 min.
• Drain the hot water then fill with cold water and ice cubes.
• Once  the eggs have cooled, gently tap one on the countertop, then softly roll it.
• Carefully peel off the eggshell then rinse any small pieces off.

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

Dinner

By the time I got around to cooking dinner I wasn't even hungry.  Mostly due to the fact that I'd spent the last five hours cooking and prepping meals for the rest of the week.  Luckily, I had some leftover sweet potato from lunch so at least I didn't have to cook that.  I baked a large chicken breast and only needed about half of it to fill my red container.  Then I filled two green containers with yellow squash, mushrooms, and onion.  I sauteed the veggies in 1 teaspoon of EVOO.  Once the veggies were done I tossed them with the chicken.  Then I filled my orange container with green olives, sliced them, and threw them on top.  At that point, I was so ready to be done cooking I forgot my mozzarella cheese!  How is that even possible?  It crossed my mind to fill up my blue container with cheese and eat it straight up, but I resisted the urge.

Siracha on the side

And there you have it!  Day 1 of the 21 Day Fix.  My biggest regret is that I didn't do my grocery shopping and food prepping over the weekend.  Other than that, I'd say today was a success!

For those of you who've done the 21 Day Fix please feel free to share your favorite recipes!  

{Taste Test Tuesday} Spicy Korean Noodles

We recently went on a cruise to Mexico and were on a tight budget the weeks leading up to it.  This meant no elaborate and/or expensive meals.  While scrolling through recipes on Pinterest, "Ramen Noodles with Spicy Korean Dressing" caught my eye.  It doesn't get much cheaper than Ramen, right? Although the recipe was cheap and simple I felt it needed a Nicky makeover so I added a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The end result was BETTER than I imagined; loaded with veggies, chicken, and perhaps a little too much spice.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 packets Ramen noodles
• 2 tablespoons canola or EVOO
• 2-3 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded OR 4 thinly sliced, boneless pork chops
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced 
• 2 portabello mushroom caps, sliced

Dressing:

• 2 to 2-1/2 tablespoons Siracha (3 tablespoons is really spicy, BEWARE)
• 2 to 2-1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2 to 2-1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1-1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 packet of Ramen seasoning...or less, it's full of sodium

Directions

If using pork, heat half a tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan.  (It will cook fast if thinly sliced) If using a rotisserie chicken, shred it and set to the side. When pork is done cooking, take it out of the pan and set to the side.  Add the remainder of oil and cook veggies (except scallions) until slightly tender.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a pot, cook the noodles according to package instructions. (Boil for about 3 minutes)  Throw them in a colander and rinse under cold water.

Toss together the noodles and dressing until fully coated.  Garnish with scallions and serve.

Adapted from Season with Spice.

I'll be the first to admit this isn't the healthiest recipe I've made, but hey, money was tight and there was NO WAY I was eating plain old Top Ramen. It's loaded with veggies, lean meat, and the sodium was significantly reduced! Not only did my hubby love it (he just asked me to make it AGAIN while proof reading my post), but my 11 year old friend did too, veggies and all.  I'd say that's a success!

My little friend 

Feeling a little camera shy

This recipe definitely deserves ☆☆☆☆

Asian Chicken Salad

I can be a pretty indecisive person.  Ask me what my favorite movie is or what my favorite song is and you won't get a solid answer from me.  There are tons of songs and movies I like, so it's too hard to pick my favorite.  The same goes for food.  There are so many tasty recipes it's hard to pick a favorite.  This salad is so dang good it deserves to be a favorite, but my favorite dish of all time???  I can't make that kind of commitment, so I'm putting it under the "Salad" category instead of the "Best Dish Ever" category.

Without further ado...this is my favorite salad recipe!  Yep, you heard me right.  FAV-OR-ITE.  It's light, healthy, colorful, and simple to make. Not to mention it's perfect on a hot summer day. It can be a main dish or a side dish, a red fish or a blue fish.  Um wait...I got carried away.  Moving on...I haven't met a single person who didn't like it, and if I did, I'm not sure we could friends anymore.  That's how good it is - hand over heart.  

 Serves 6

Ingredients

Salad: 

• 1 large carrot
• 3 cups shredded Napa cabbage, from 1 small cabbage
• 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce, from 1 small head of lettuce
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and deveined, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh Thai basil leaves or fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1-2 scallions, chopped
• 2 cups thinly sliced or shredded rotisserie chicken (about 2 small chicken breasts)
• 1/2 cup silvered or sliced almonds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon toasted white or black sesame seeds

Dressing: 

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional

Directions

For the salad: Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot and add to a large salad bowl.  Stir in the cabbage, lettuce, pepper, Thai basil, chicken, scallions, almonds, and sesame seeds.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.  

Adapted from the Food Network website.

Seriously, what are you waiting for?  Make this tonight!  I promise you won't be disappointed.

I'd love to know what your favorite salad recipe is! 

Low Fat Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Yes, you read the header right.  LOW FAT Buffalo Chicken Wraps.  The tanginess of the vinegar and hot sauce with the creaminess of the Greek yogurt and blue cheese take these wraps to another level.

  

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons Frank’s hot sauce
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar, divided
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 1 lb. thinly sliced chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons reduced fat mayo
• 2 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
• 4 (8 inch) tortillas
• 4 romaine lettuce leaves, chopped
• ½ a large tomato, diced
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 celery rip, finely diced
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Whisk together hot sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and cayenne pepper in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add chicken.  Cook until no longer pink in the middle.  (3-4 minutes per side)  Let chicken rest for 5 minutes and then chop into bite sized pieces.  Add it to the hot sauce bowl.  Toss and coat well.

Whisk mayo, Greek yogurt, black pepper, celery, and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl.  Stir in blue cheese.

To assemble wraps: Lay tortilla on a work surface or plate.  Spread with ¼ of the blue cheese sauce and top with ¼ of the chicken, lettuce, scallions, and tomato.  Roll into a wrap.

Add some sweet potato fries and dipping sauce to the side and dinner is done. 

You're welcome.

{Taste Test Tuesday} Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks

I remember my mouth watering when I saw this recipe on Everyday Italian over a year ago. 

Looks delicious, right?  When I took my first bite I was surprised by how incredibly plain it was.  How could something marinated in balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, etc... be plain?  The recipe said to marinate the chicken for 2 hours (which I did), but that obviously wasn't long enough.  I wonder if they would have been better sitting in the marinade overnight.  I also expected the marinade to turn into a glaze after cooking it.  Again, the recipe said it would be thick to brush on the drumsticks, but it was quite thin.  I think it's safe to say I was pretty disappointed with the end result. 

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 5 sprigs of rosemary
• 5 garlic cloves, halved
• 10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

 

Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves in a large, re-sealable bag.  Shake and squeeze the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar.  Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible.  Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.

 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

 

Place the drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan.  Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria).  Reduce heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes.  Reserve.

 

Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken.  Place the chicken on a serving platter.  Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and chopped parsley.

 

From the Food Network website.

 

I'm giving this recipe ☆☆

 

 

{Taste Test Tuesday} Chicken Parmesan w/ Pasta

My parents gave me a wonderful gift for Christmas!

I have been leaning towards "Healthy Eating" rather than "Clean Eating" because most of the clean recipes I've tried I haven't liked.  They lacked flavor and had little to no spices in them.  I'm sorry people, but you NEED salt and pepper to flavor a dish!  I pretty much gave up trying to find new clean recipes until I got this book.  It's filled with pictures, menu plans, shopping lists, cooking terms, a conversion table, etc... and guess what?  They put salt and pepper in their dishes!  Woo hoo! 

My first taste test meal out of this book is Chicken Parmesan with Pasta.  It has cheese, pasta, and several spices...that's my kind of meal! 

It did not disappoint.  I couldn't believe it was HEALTHY and CLEAN.  It tasted pretty damn similar to my version of Chicken Parmesan with Pasta minus a ton of calories.  If you're on the fence about clean eating like I was, I highly suggest giving this meal a try.  I did make a couple modifications to it:  I used multigrain pasta instead of whole wheat and I used a red bell pepper instead of a green.

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

•  Olive oil cooking spray
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano, divided
• 1 (28 oz.) jar crushed organic tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. sun-dried tomato paste or organic tomato paste
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat panko bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp. grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese (I didn't have reduced-fat on hand so I used regular Parmesan cheese)
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 4 (4 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella or Italian cheese
• 8 oz. cooked multigrain or whole wheat penne
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. 

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic and saute 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft.  Add one teaspoon oregano and stir to coat. Cook 30 seconds, until oregano is fragrant.  Add tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, remaining teaspoon of oregano, thyme, salt, and black pepper.  Mix to combine.  Taste for seasonings and add a bit more salt and pepper if needed.  Brush both sides of each chicken breast with mustard.  Transfer each breast to panko mixture and turn to coat both sides.  Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet.  Coat surface of chicken with cooking spray.  Bake for 20 minutes.

4. Top each chicken breast with 2 to 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of mozzarella or Italian cheese.  Return chicken to oven and bake 10 minutes more, until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.

5. Arrange pasta on a serving plate and top with remaining tomato sauce and a little grated Parmesan cheese.  Serve chicken with pasta on the side, garnishing both with basil.  I also served steamed broccoli on the side.

Tip:  Make your Chicken Parm more golden in color by toasting the panko crumbs in a skillet over medium heat before making the dish.

Adapted from The Best of Clean Eating book

This recipe gets ☆☆☆☆  Share your favorite Clean Eating recipe with me!

 



Smothered Chicken

I was digging through old recipes and found this hidden gem.  It's simple to make and the lemon marinade gives the chicken a nice tang.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
• ½ medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Cooking spray

Directions

 

1.  In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper.  Place chicken and marinade in a gallon size Ziploc bag.  Refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours.

 

2. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat.  Sprinkle both sides of chicken with oregano, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.  Cook chicken 8-10 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink in the middle.

 

3. In a separate skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Cook bell pepper and onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender.  Stir in mushrooms and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

4. Sprinkle cheese and vegetables over chicken; remove from heat.  Cover and let stand until cheese is melted.

 

Serve with brown and wild rice.

Chicken & Spinach Salad w/ Raspberry-Balsamic Dressing

I tend to have a hard time getting in my fruit servings each day.  I've realized the only two ways to get them in are when I drink Shakeology or eat salads.  There's something about sweet and savory together that makes my mouth water.  It's no surprise this recipe caught my attention when I saw it on Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

For dressing:

• 1/2 cup lite balsamic vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar

For salad:

• 8 cups spinach
• 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 4 chicken breasts, cooked & diced
• 4 oz. crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine vinaigrette, raspberries, and sugar in a blender.  Blend until smooth and pour through a strainer to get rid of excess seeds.  Set aside.

In a large bowl toss together the spinach, onions, raspberries, and tomatoes.  Divide mixture among 4 plates.  Add the diced chicken and garnish with goat cheese, pecans, and black pepper.

Adapted from the Food Network website. 

Taco Soup

There's nothing better than a hearty soup on a cold, snowy day.  I decided to make a recipe a former co-worker gave me, but made some minor adjustments to make it healthier.

 












Serves 4-6

Ingredients

•   1/2 lb. ground chicken or turkey
•      1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
•      1/2 onion, chopped
•      1 clove garlic, minced
•      1 – 15 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes
•      1 – 8 oz. can tomato sauce
•      1 – 15 oz. can black beans with juice
•      1/2 package taco seasoning 
•      1 cup frozen corn plus 1 cup low sodium chicken broth

OR

·         1 – 15 oz. can whole kernel corn with juice

Optional Toppings

•   Shredded Mexican cheese
•      Non-fat plain Greek yogurt
•      Diced avocado
•      Chopped cilantro
•      Sliced olives

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the meat, onions, and garlic.  Once the meat is cooked through, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, taco seasoning, and corn.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for at least 15 minutes.

Serve and garnish with optional toppings.

*For large parties:  Double the recipe, put in a crock pot, and simmer on low until done.