Balsamic Crock Pot Roast and Summer Corn Saute

 

 

I have been taking advantage of my crock pot quite a bit lately, and recently tried out this amazing roast beef recipe found on addapinch.com.  I loved this recipe because all you have to do is throw all the ingredients into the crock pot and turn it on....it literally takes 5 minutes.  I prepared it in the morning before work, and came home to dinner already made....not to mention my house smelled amazing!  We decided to eat the roast by itself, along with a corn saute (recipe below) and pasta salad.  I think next time I might try it out on french dip sandwiches....it seems perfect for that too.

 

Balsamic Crock pot Roast







You will need:
-one 3-4 pound boneless beef roast ( I used a chuck roast-approx 3 lbs.)
-1 cup beef broth (low sodium)
-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
-1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-1 Tbsp soy sauce
-1 Tbsp honey
-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
-4 garlic cloves, chopped
*Place roast into the crock pot.  In a small bowl mix all remaining ingredients and pour over the top of the roast. 
*Cover and cook on the lowest setting for 8-10 hours.  (the original recipe says 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low).  I like to always do the lowest setting for a longer time, it makes for a much more tender roast.
*Once roast is cooked, remove and place it into a serving dish.  Using a fork, gently break apart.  Then ladle about 1/2 cup of remaining juices over the roast. 

Now, for my new favorite side dish.  I found this recipe on recipes.com after searching for quick and easy healthy veggie side dishes.....and that's exactly what this is.  But, I could seriously eat a whole skillet of this stuff.  I made it again last night paired with grilled chicken breasts, and it was easily the best part of dinner.  The recipe below makes just enough for our family of four, but feel free to add more of each ingredients if you need it for a larger crowd.

Summer Corn Saute

You will need:

-1 to 2 Tbsp butter

-1 clove of garlic, minced

-1 small zucchini, very thinly sliced

-1 cup grape tomatoes

-1 (12oz) bag of Steamfresh super sweet corn (found in frozen veggie section), cooked according to package directions

-Note: the original recipe called for sliced fresh basil....I opted to leave this out b/c I didn't have any on hand, but feel free to add it in:)

 

*Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat.  Add garlic, zucchini, and tomatoes.  Cook, stirring occasionally until veggies start to brown, approximately 2-3 minutes.

*Stir in cooked corn and continue cooking until heated through another 2 minutes.

*Season generously with salt and pepper



Skinny Sour Cream Enchiladas

I found this recipe on SkinnyMom, and after reading the good reviews about it, decided to try it out.  They turned out delicious, and very filling....I definitely didn't feel like I was eating something that was supposed to be low-cal!  This was a nice change from our traditional beef enchiladas, and will for sure be making a repeat appearance in our kitchen soon:)

You will need:
-16 oz fat free sour cream
-1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
-1 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
-2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast (I used a rotisserie)
-1 can Mexican style rotel, drained
-1/2 cup chopped onions (I think I left these out b/c I didn't have an onion...still good!)
-8 low carb tortillas
-1 cup shredded Colby-jack cheese
-1 small can diced green chili's, drained

*In a sauce pan mix together sour cream, soup, and cilantro.  Heat through, then set aside.  *Make sure to keep an eye on the pan and keep stirring so it doesn't scorch...it heats up fast.
*Combine chicken, rotel, onion, and green chili's in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray over med-high heat.  Cook until onions are transparent, just a few minutes to blend ingredients and heat everything up.
*Warm tortillas in microwave for 10 seconds between two damp paper towels, so they are flexible.
*Fill each tortilla with about 2 Tbsp of chicken mixture, then top chicken mixture with one Tbsp of cheese
*Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9x13 inch dish. 
*Pour the sour cream sauce all over the enchiladas.  Spread evenly
*Top with remaining cheese
*Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes

Crispy Chicken Wraps

 

Here's a quick recipe that has become one of our favorite easy weeknight dinners.  I found this recipe on pinterest via Mel's Kitchen Cafe a while back and loved how simple, yet tasty they turned out to be.  The original recipe calls for cilantro, but I chose to leave it out....just because I'm not a huge fan of cilantro.  Also, we usually make 2-3 large sized wraps.  But feel free to change up how many or how big you want them....we usually end up saving the other half for leftovers because they are so big.  

 Crispy Chicken Wraps

 

You will need:

-1/3 cup mayonnaise, light or regular

-1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

-3 green onions, sliced very thin

-2 celery ribs, chopped fine

-2 heaping Tbsp sour cream, light or regular

-2 tsp hot sauce, we used Louisiana Original....it doesn't make them too spicy at all

-1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, and shredded into bite sized pieces, approx 3 cups

-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

-4 flour tortillas (burrito/wrap size)

-cooking spray

 

*Whisk the mayo, cilantro, green onions, celery, sour cream, and hot sauce together in a large bowl.  Add chicken and toss to combine. 

*Sprinkle cheese over tortillas leaving a 1/2 inch border around edges.  Then arrange chicken mixture down the center of tortilla.  Roll up stuffed tortilla burrito/wrap style.  Spray tortillas all over lightly with cooking spray

*Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat for one minute or until hot.  Arrange wraps seam side down in skillet and cook until golden brown and crispy 2-3 minutes per side.  Serve immediately.