I recently made all of these recipes. The Crockpot chili is a recipe from a Weight Watchers cookbook and I really liked the combination of ingredients in it. It makes a lot, but it does freeze very well.
These muffins are delicious. You can make them in a regular sized muffin tin and simply bake for an extra 5 to 10 minutes. They are good if stored at room temperature for 24 hours and will keep in the fridge for up to 6 days. Be sure to let them cool completely before dipping them in the topping so that it retains some texture.
When I made a large batch of this vegetable soup, I shared some with my friends JaneAnne and John Bawden. They said it was really delicious and asked for the recipe. I used frozen broccoli, carrots, beans, stewed tomatoes, and cauliflower. You might need to add more broth or a bit more water as it cooks. If you use raw vegetables add them at the beginning, but because I used ones from my freezer I simply thawed them and added them 2 hours before the end of the cooking time. I used some Italian seasoning instead of the basil, thyme, and bay leaves.
Thanks to Theresa Thompson for her comments about the sweet potato casserole from a few weeks ago. She said it was delicious and definitely one that she would make often.
Low Fat Crockpot Chili
- 1 lb. lean ground chicken
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- ½ red or green sweet pepper, diced
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 or 2 tomatoes (depending on size), chopped
- 1 can mixed beans
- 1 can kidney beans
- ½ tsp. each dried parsley, basil, oregano, and chili powder
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
Brown the ground chicken. Drain any grease off. Put all of the ingredients into a crock pot and mix together well. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.
Vegetable Soup
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 cups cabbage (or more)
- 1 cup carrots
- 1 cup green beans
- 1 sweet pepper
- Generous half cup chopped celery
- 2 cups broccoli
- 2 cups cauliflower
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 6 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 1 small can tomato paste
- ½ tsp. thyme and basil
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dice onion and pepper. Cut cabbage really thin. Mince garlic. Slice carrots and green beans. Chop the broccoli and cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Stir liquids together well in Crockpot and add vegetables and seasonings. Cook on high for 5 hours or low for about 8 hours until veggies are tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Mini Pumpkin Spice Muffins
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¾ tsp. each baking powder & baking soda
- 1 tsp. each pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. allspice
- 3 Tbsp. soft butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ½ cup water
Topping –
- 3 Tbsp. melted butter
- 6 Tbsp. white sugar
- ¾ tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350. Spray mini muffin cups. Stir all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together well. Stir in the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in the dry ingredients and the water until just completely combined.
Spoon the mixture evenly into the 24 mini muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let them cool.
Melt butter in a small bowl and mix the cinnamon and sugar together in another small bowl. Dip the top of each muffin into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
HINT: To keep that extra clove of garlic fresh for months, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then foil and toss it into the freezer. Thaw when needed.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Always remember that the best you is the real you.
