Sauteed Cabbage with Canadian Bacon & Onions

I haven't had cabbage in a long time and decided I would have it with some teriyaki chicken. I figured I would just saute it on the stove as I love the way it caramelizes and then I could add some onions to it as well. Earlier in the week I had made some Canadian Bacon Shrimp & Grits and had extra bacon left over so I decided it would be a good addition to the dish. This is very easy to make, just takes some time for the cabbage to break down!



Sauteed Cabbage with Canadian Bacon & Onions: serves 4

1 small head of cabbage (about 6" diameter)
1TB Olive Oil
3 Slices Candian Bacon - Chopped
1 Small Onion - Diced
Salt & Pepper

Remove and discolored leaves from your cabbage, then slice into quarters, remove the hard core and discard. Slice the cabbage into ribbons (I tend to do 1" strips). In a large pot add the olive oil over medium heat and after it has warmed up add the onions and bacon and let them cook for about 2 minutes then add the cabbage with a generous dose of salt and pepper. Stir to coat the cabbage in oil, toss a lid on the pot and come back in about 5 minutes, give it a stir and repeat until your cabbage has started to wilt. At this point you can keep the lid off and just continue to stir every few minutes until the cabbage turns a nice golden brown and is soft. Remove from the heat, serve and enjoy!

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WW: 1 Points Plus / serving

Chicken Lomein

For weeks I have been jonesing for some lomein, like seriously considered ordering from the really sketchy place that makes it so well and tasty but I know I don't want to see the state of their kitchen. Yesterday I made some quick teriyaki chicken breasts and had some left over as well as the sauce it was cooked in, I decided it would make a good sauce to a stir fry and then the light bulbs went off - it would make a good sauce to a lomein! I know technically lomein sauce is just soy sauce...but let me tell you, whenever I try just soy sauce it tastes just like it sounds....like soy sauce, not like delicious lomein. I was very happy with the way this recipe turned out, it had a nice zing to it and was close enough to take out that my craving is gone and I am pretty positive I had a much healthier meal then if I had ordered in.



Chicken Lomein: serves 4

8oz Chicken Breast
3TB Teriyaki Sauce
1tsp Soy Sauce
1tsp Lime Juice
1tsp Sriracha
8oz Spaghetti
1TB Olive Oil
1TB Fresh Ginger - Grated
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
2-3C Fresh Broccoli
2 Large Carrots - Chopped into Rounds
1 Large Onion - Sliced
1 Zucchini - Thick Sliced (1/4")
1/4C Chicken Stock - Fat Free
Salt & Pepper

Combine the teriyaki, soy sauce, lime juice and sriracha, cover the chicken in the sauce in a small baking dish and let it marinade for at least 20-30 minutes. Heat your oven to 375° and place the chicken dish into the oven. Cook for approximately 20-30 minutes (depends on the thickness of your chicken) until the chicken is cooked through completely. When it is finished cooking just set to the side to rest while you finish the rest of the meal. (I made this the night before - had doubled the recipe and just used leftovers for this dish)

Once the chicken has been in the oven for 10-15 minutes we can get started on the rest of the dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente. Once it is finished cooking drain and return to the pot. While the pasta is cooking place 1tsp of oil in a large saute pan with the garlic and ginger over medium heat, after 30-40 seconds the garlic and ginger should be turning fragrant, add the carrots and broccoli with some salt and pepper, stir to coat with the oil and garlic/ginger mix and cover with a lid. Every 2-3 minutes give it a stir and after 6-8 minutes add another teaspoon of oil to the pan and add the onions with some more salt and pepper. Stir the onions in and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes until the onions start to look translucent. Finally add the remaining teaspoon of oil with the zucchini and a pinch more salt and pepper. Continue to cook the veggies until the zucchini soften.

Now all parts should be complete, cut the chicken into bite size strips / pieces and add to the vegetable mix with about 1/4 of the sauce left in the pan from cooking the chicken. Add the remaining sauce to the pasta and give it a toss to incorporate. Turn the heat off of the veggies, cover both the veggies and pasta with a lid and let it all sit in the sauce for a few minutes. Toss everything together then serve and enjoy!

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WW: 8 Points Plus / serving

Jillian's Kitchen Featured on Avelist

Hello Jillian's Kitchen Readers! I hope you are all doing well, your summer is ending nicely and you are looking forward to Fall. I love the season change and this morning there was a decided chill in the air which reminded me Fall is right around the corner. I wanted to share a new online tool that I am using - Avelist - it is a great way to make lists of things you need to do at home, grocery list, favorite recipes, restaurants to try, anything you can think of where a list would come in handy as well as to see what other people are making lists of (don't worry there is a private or public option to each list so if you don't want to share you don't have to!). I feel that I am semi OCD and love to have lists, I like the sense of accomplishment when I finish something or just the ordering of my thoughts in one place.

I started using Avelist a month or so ago and have found it useful to keep my grocery list as well as recipes I want to try as I can add to it from anywhere (including my smart phone!) Avelist asked me to contribute to their site and this week they featured one of my shared lists which shows my Top 10 Favorite Recipes from Jillian's Kitchen. If you have a minute go check it out and maybe you will find a new way to List as well as some of my favorite recipes which may now become some of your favorites!

Here is a screen shot of my homepage so you get an idea of what it looks like:

Shrimp & Broccoli One Pot Wonder

At the end of July I shared my take on Budget Bytes, Italian One Pot Wonder. I loved the concept of this dish, everything goes in one pot, a little stirring and I got a tasty filling dinner with plenty of veggies, taste and my favorite ingredient...pasta! I got to thinking that I would like to do another version with some shrimp and broccoli so I stood in front of my pot and made my own One Pot Wonder and was quite thrilled with the results.



Shrimp & Broccoli One Pot Wonder: serves 4

2C Chicken Stock - Fat Free
1C Tomato Sauce
15oz Canned Tomatoes - Diced
8oz Pasta
1 Large Onion - Thinly Sliced
2 Cloves Garlic - Minced
1TB Basil
1TB Oregano
Salt & Pepper
1lbs Shrimp - Peeled & De-veined
1lbs Frozen Broccoli - Thawed
4oz Feta Cheese - Crumbled

In a big sauce pot add the chicken stock, tomato sauce, tomatoes, pasta (I suggest using a shape or thick pasta over angel hair or spaghetti), onion, garlic, basil, oregano and salt & pepper. Turn the heat on high, bring up to a boil (no lid while heating up!) and continue cooking the dish without a lid, stirring occasionally (more often as more liquid absorbs into the pasta). Keep the pot boiling at a steady pace, it is okay to turn it down slightly if it is trying to bubble out of the pot. Once about 95% of the sauce has absorbed into the pasta add the broccoli - I thawed mine in a bowl of warm water, then drained and squeezed out the excess water. Stir in the broccoli and let the dish continue to bubble away, once it is just about 99% finished absorbing the juices add the shrimp to the pot and mix them in. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp are completely cooked through. Remove from the heat, stir in the feta (or keep to the side and add individually to each bowl), stir, serve and enjoy!

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving

Cheesy Roasted Potatoes & Beef Casserole

When I got home from vacation I was chilling out on the couch (you have to relax after a vacation right??) and I caught an episode of Trisha Yearwood's new Food Network Show - Trisha's Southern Kitchen where she made an old family favorite "Gwen's Old-Fashioned Potato-Beef Casserole" I didn't really pay attention to the recipe other than to hear "potatoes with ground beef and cheese layered on top". I thought it was fate that I happened to have a huge 1lbs Russet Potato in the fridge, a pound of beef and I had just gotten a bag of cheddar cheese at the grocery store, from there this wonderful tasty, healthy and filling meal was born.



Cheesy Roasted Potatoes & Beef Casserole: Serves 4-6

1lbs Potatoes - Chopped into 1/2" Cubes
2tsp Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
1/2tsp Paprika
1/4tsp Garlic Powder
1/4tsp Onion Powder
1lbs Ground Beef - I use 93/7 Lean
1 Large Onion - Diced
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1lbs Frozen Broccoli - Thawed
1TB Butter
1TB Flour
1/2C Chicken Stock - I use Fat Free
4oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese

First you need to chop the potatoes, I like to then rinse them in cold water to remove excess starch then pat dry with a dish towel. Toss your cut and rinsed potatoes into a bowl and toss with 1tsp of the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Place into a greased casserole dish (I used a 10x8" pan) and put in a 400° oven for approximately 45 minutes - tossing every 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

While the potatoes are cooking you can make the beef mixture. Place the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the garlic and let it cook for 30-40 seconds then add the onions with some salt and pepper. Cook the onions for about 2 minutes then add the ground beef to the skillet with generous salt and pepper. Break up the beef and continue to brown it. While the beef is browning take the thawed broccoli and squeeze out as much liquid as you can (Hint: I just ripped a hole in the top of the bag then turned it upside down and squeezed) This will make sure you don't have a runny casserole. Toss the broccoli in with the beef - it doesn't need to cook long as it comes partially cooked in the bag. Once the beef is completely browned dump the whole mixture into a large colander and stir it around to drain the grease from the mixture.

Once the potatoes are fork tender pour the beef & broccoli mixture over them and place back in the oven while you make the cheese sauce. In a small sauce pot melt the butter over medium heat, once melted add the flour and whisk together for a minute or two. Add the chicken stock and continue to whisk, bring up to a boil which will thicken the sauce quickly. Once the sauce is the consistency of gravy add the cheese and remove from the heat, continue to stir until melted through. Pull the casserole out of the oven and pour the sauce over the top. Place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove, serve & enjoy!

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving @ 4 servings
7 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings