Cream cheese salsa chicken

My sister Danielle turned me onto this recipe. She found it in her the Biggest Loser cookbook. I'm a fan of the show, and of healthy eating, so I thought I could do a bit of Kitchen Witchcraft on it and take it from good to great. And get this, this is the best part!

It has 3 ingredients. Three. Ok, 5 if you count kosher salt and pepper. And I'd bet that most of you have these ingredients in your house right now. Just think, a delicious home cooked meal could be yours in 20 minutes, and however long it takes you to read this blog...

Chicken breasts are a staple in most households. You'll need one per person. Cream cheese, low fat or Neufchatel cheese if you've got it is our creamy cheesy portion. Salsa becomes the spicy sauce. 1/2 cup will do fine. Add in the obligitory S&P and that's it.

The original recipe didn't call for the chicken to be browned before putting into the oven. However if you know the Kitchen Witch, I like browned food. It just tastes better!!! The browning of the chicken adds a very deep, slow cooked, slaved over the stove type of flavor, and it takes less than 4 minutes to achieve. That's a serious payoff for my time invested! Remember - your food is only as good as the ingredients you buy and the way you treat it when preparing it. Treat your food well, prepare it carefully and lovingly and you will taste a difference.

Spicy. Creamy. Cheesy. 20 minutes. 226 calories. One pan. 3 ingredients. Have I convinced you to try it yet? Trust the Kitchen Witch, this one is deceptively simple and yet so very complex, you'll be happy you did!

Cream cheese salsa chicken
serves 2, 1 breast per person
2 4 oz chicken breasts pounded slighlty
1/2 c. salsa
2 oz neufchatel cheese, or cream cheese
kosher salt & pepper

Sprinkle chicken with S&P. I allow these to sit for about 2 hrs, the salt acts as a mini brine, ensuring that my chicken is both flavorful as well as moist.

Preheat oven to 400*


Heat a small sautee pan over med hi heat. Add 1 t EVOO. Pat chicken dry. Once pan is hot add chicken. Cook on first side until golden brown.



Flip chicken over. Spread each breast with 1 ounce Neufchatel cheese. Pour salsa around chicken. Put entire pan into the hot oven and cook 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160*.



Plate chicken. Stir the salsa in the pan well being sure to loosen and incorporate any cooked on bits from the bottom. Spoon salsa over top of chicken.




Nutrition Facts
1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 226.3
Total Fat 11.6 g
Saturated Fat 5.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.3 g
Cholesterol 105.0 mg
Sodium 436.7 mg
Potassium 0.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 3.3 g
Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
Sugars 3.3 g
Protein 25.5 g

Creamy broccoli cheese soup

I call this Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup rather than Cream Of Broccoli soup because it contains NO cream! Yes that's right, no cream! You still get all the flavor and creamy texture that you've come to love in a broccoli soup, with out the added fat and calories.

Most people like the broccoli florettes. They're nice & pretty, tender & easy to eat. My preschooler LOVES the florettes, she calls them dinosaur trees & will chow down on them with a quickness. Which is awesome but it leaves me with a LOT of stem ends.

Now if you've learned anything about the Kitchen Witch its that I abhor waste in the kitchen. Ingredients are too expensive to just throw away parts & pieces because they are less pretty or not needed for a recipe. The broccoli stems are a prime example of this. When the little Witch asks for broccoli she expects to see a neatly trimmed florette, leaving behind the stem. I look at this pale green stem and say hmm...you could be made into soup! Its loaded with lots of broccoli flavor, not to mention fiber, perfect! A little cooking and its tender, a little puree and its a soup base loaded with flavor and lends a delightful green hue to the soup.

Kitchen Witch Tip: If you have broccoli stems but aren't ready to make the soup, no fear! Simply put the stems in a freezer zip top bag & freeze until you have enough to make this soup. You can also use frozen broccoli, however please adjust your cooking times as the frozen florettes tend to cook quicker than their fresh counterpart.

This creamy broccoli soup will keep them coming back for more, and at less than 250 calories a bowl, you can feel good about serving it to your family.

Creamy Broccoli Soup
serves 8 generous bowls
2-3 heads broccoli including stems
4 c chicken stock (you do use homemade, right?)
2 c milk
1 small onion
1 rib celery
S&P
3 T butter
1/2 c flour
8 oz Cheddar or colby jack cheese shredded, optional
drizzle of oil


Cut the broccoli florettes from the stems. Set aside. Roughly chop the stems, onion and celery.


Heat a large soup pot over med hi heat. Drizzle oil in pan, once hot add broccoli stems, onions & celery. Cook until the broccoli starts to brown.

Add chicken broth, S&P and simmer about 15 min, until vegetables are very soft. Remove veggie solids into a food processor, add 1-2 c cooking liquid and puree until very smooth. If you don't have a food processor you can use a blender or an immersion (stick) blender. Transfer the puree and the remaining cooking liquid to a large bowl.



In the same pot melt the butter. Once melted add the flour and whisk well to make a roux. Cook roux about 3-5 min or until it smells nutty and takes on a light golden color. Slowly add milk, whisking well. This will be VERY thick. Add the puree/stock mixture to the thickened milk and stir well. Bring to a simmer. Add broccoli florettes and cook 10-15 min or until broccoli florettes are tender.



Remove soup from heat. Add shredded cheese and stir well until it melts. Adjust seasonings and serve.


Nutrition Facts
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 241.3
Total Fat 16.0 g
Saturated Fat 9.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.2 g
Cholesterol 48.8 mg
Sodium 701.7 mg
Potassium 463.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 13.6 g
Dietary Fiber 2.2 g
Sugars 3.6 g
Protein 12.3 g

Salt: Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask

Salt. Its one of the most prized and ancient seasonings in the kitchen. Now a days we all take salt for granted. Not many of us stop to think about the very important role that salt plays. Does it add flavor? Yes. Does it act as a preservative? Sure does! Does it provide essential minerals that our bodies need to survive? Absolutely!

The media has really demonized salt lately, something that it may or may not deserve, depending on how you use it. Processed foods are filled with sodium as it acts as a preservative. When you are cooking with processed foods you will NOT need to add additional salt for the most part, as the ingredients have already been salted for you in the factory. But, if you're a from scratch cooker like the Kitchen Witch, you'll be adding salt throughout the cooking process, building layers of flavor as you go.

Think about it. If you're making soup from scratch, you're starting with water, meat & veggies. They all have flavor on their own, but they need salt to bring out their best. You'll salt the water, salt after adding the veggies, salt again while cooking & a final taste before serving to determine the salt level. I promise you if you salt through out the cooking process you'll never, ever need to salt your food at the table.

As a serious cook I take full offense if someone asks for salt at the table. That means to me that I've not done my job properly. If you've ever seen Julie & Julia, you'll remember that Julie was making Bouef Bourgioune and her husband salted the dish. Her expression was priceless. She said "Is it bland?" He said "Not anymore!" She almost died there, and I can appreciate that 100%. Under salting is just as bad, but lots easier to correct, than over salting.

Speaking of over salting, it happens to the best of us. Here's a secret Kitchen Witch tip: If you over salt a dish add a raw potato cut in half to the dish. Let it cook 15 min or so & discard the potato. Potatoes absorb a LOT of salt, so chances are good you can save the dish.

Salt also changes how food cooks. If you add salt too soon to a sautee, you'll have a hard time getting food to brown as the salt draws the water out of whatever its put on . Don't salt your onions prior to cooking them if you want a nice caramelized color & flavor, save that for the end seasoning.

One final word on salting and that is taste! Taste your dish often, through out the cooking process. If its bland, add some more salt. If you're not sure if it needs more salt let it cook another 15 min & taste again.



Here are a few commonly asked questions regarding salt:

1. What the heck is Kosher salt?
Kosher salt (or Koshering salt as its known in the UK) is large flat flakes of salt that has not been iodized. The large flat flakes stick to the surface of meats better, drawing out liquids, thus 'Koshering' the meat, an ancient method of preservation. Despite the name adding Kosher salt to food does not make your food Kosher.

2. Why do chef's use Kosher salt?
Most chefs use Kosher salt for a few reasons. First, the flakes are large & you can handle it with your fingers, adding a pinch here & there. Have you ever tried to sprinkle your salt shaker over a pot of hot soup? The steam condenses on the salt shaker holes, clogging the whole works up. Most people then take the lid off, hoping to add just a dash and then it happens. The salt comes pouring out and ruins the dish. When you're handling the salt with your hands you know how much you're adding, not a guessing game of how much is flowing out of the holes in a shaker.

3. What makes Kosher salt so gosh darn special?
Well, in a word, flavor! Chef's use Kosher salt rather than table salt is for flavor. Table salt has been iodized, meaning iodine has been added, which alters the flavor just slightly. Iodine is added to table salt to help prevent thyroid related iodine deficiencies, such as goiters. FYI, the US standard for iodized salt is 46-77 ppm vs the UK's standard of 10-22 ppm. If you want a true salt flavor, with out any additional tag along flavors, reach for the Kosher salt.


Kosher salt on left, Iodized table salt on right, both Morton brand

4. Can I use regular table salt in place of Kosher salt?
You sure can, with modifications. Kosher salt grains are larger they take up more volume than table salt. This means that if a recipe calls for 1 t salt, and its tested using table salt, you'd have to use 2 t of kosher salt to equal the same saltiness. Conversely if the recipe calls for Kosher salt, say 1 t worth, you'd have to use only 1/2 t of table salt.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL KITCHEN WITCH RECIPES USE KOSHER SALT UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

If you have any salt questions please feel free to post them her under COMMENTS. Andrea the Kitchen Witch reads all of your comments & your questions will be answered!

Chicken stir fry and Asian sauce base

Stir fry is one of our go to easy, low calorie & low fat, filling, healthy and QUICK meals. Asian flavors are simply divine with fresh vegetables. The sauce is light, flavorful, tart and slightly sweet.

Kitchen Witch, why should I spend the whopping 5 minutes it takes to make my own sauce when the supermarket has TONS on prebottled ones for me to buy?

My answer is pretty simple. Flavor and health. If high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and preservatives galore is your thing then go for it, buy what the store has to offer. But if you're like the Kitchen Witch and require some REAL food in your food, make your own. It'll have fresh bright flavors, no preservatives or additives, no HFCS or PHO's. And you can customize it to you and your familys specific tastes. Don't like red pepper flakes? Leave it out! Got a nut allergy in the house? Leave it out! Love ginger, add more. You get the idea.

When you make this stir fry you can serve it with lettuce cups to make lettuce wraps or with steamed rice. Or both :-)

Chicken stir fry/Lettuce Wraps
Serves 4
2 chicken breasts
butter lettuce, pull leaves off to make cups (optional)
veggies: some suggestions
bell peppers (1/2), snow peas (handful), carrot (1), celery (1 stalk), onion, (1/4 small), broccoli (1 head), mung bean sprouts (hearty handful), water chestnuts (1 can), bamboo shoots (1 can)
Asian sauce (recipe follows)

Marinate chicken in 1 T Asian sauce base. Let marinate for 2 hours.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken about 5 min on 1st side, flip when its golden browned and the sides start to turn opaque. Cook an additional 4 min on 2nd side OR until internal temperature is 160*. When chicken is cooled off enough to handle (about 5 minutes) slice into thin strips.

Prep all veggies. This is important in a stir fry because things go QUICK. You won't have time to get your veggies ready to go while other things are cooking so do your prep work first!



In the same skillet add onions, celery and carrots. Cook 1 min or until they start to soften. Add the broccoli and 1/4 c water. Stir well, scraping up any bits off the bottom of the pan. Put a lid on the pot & allow it to steam for 2-3 min.

Add the bell peppers, snow peas, bamboo shoots & water chestnuts. Cover again & cook 1-2 minutes.

Add the bean sprouts, stir well and cover. Cook 1 minute additional.


Slice the chicken and add it to the veggies in the pan, cover & cook 1 minute to warm chicken through.

Serve with lettuce leaf cups and drizzle with Asian sauce.

Asian style sauce/dressing base
1/2 c white wine or rice vinegar
1 T sugar
2 T soy sauce
juice of 1 orange
1 clove garlic smashed
pinch crushed red pepper
2 T tahini (sesame seed paste, can substitute peanut butter or omit if desired)


Make sauce first. In a saucepan add vinegar, orange juice, garlic, sugar & red pepper. Bring to a boil & cook 3 min. Add soy sauce and tahini, stir very well, simmer 2 min longer. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove solids.



This base can be used as a marinade for shrimp, chicken or pork. It can be diluted with oil to become a salad dressing (2T base to 1/4 c oil and 2 T white wine if you want more acidity (opt), shake well). Its also fantastic as a dip for fresh veggies or can be used as a sauce on stir fry or lettuce wraps.

Nutrition Facts
Chicken lettuce wraps
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 205.8
Total Fat 2.2 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.4 g
Cholesterol 68.4 mg
Sodium 140.4 mg
Potassium 1,020.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 15.4 g
Dietary Fiber 6.6 g
Sugars 2.3 g
Protein 33.4 g

Nutrition Facts
Asian style sauce,
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 53.9
Total Fat 2.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 469.9 mg
Potassium 39.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 8.5 g
Dietary Fiber 0.4 g
Sugars 7.3
Protein 1.0

Beef Stroganoff

When creating my dinner menus I look to the weekly sales at the grocery. Combine a few fresh ingredients with what I've got in the pantry and freezer and voila! Dinner is served. Case in point: Beef Stroganoff. Being a Kitchen Witch I don't own or use cream of soup. Finding a decent recipe with out a can of soup was harder than I thought to find. Sometimes I feel like I'm the last of the 'from scratch' home cooks out there! So I created this one for you all.

In my freezer I had cube steaks. I figured if I sliced them against the grain I'd have a nice tender piece of meat for the Stroganoff. Most recipes call for thin sliced sirloin or tenderloin, however the cube steaks is what I had on hand. They worked out quite well in the end product I'm happy to report.

Mushrooms were on sale this week - I had stroganoff in mind when I saw the sale. I also had an abundance of sour cream in the fridge that desperately needed to be used up. Most recipes call for either red wine or brandy to deglaze the fond (cooked on crud on the bottom of the pan). I had neither so I used my trusty white wine. We liked the flavor it brought to the dish and didn't add a reddish hue to the creamy sauce. The wee bit of lemon juice added at the end brings a nice tang to the dish that really makes the sour cream sauce sing.

Even the littlest Kitchen Witch liked this meal! She said that the gravy was good, thats high praise from a 3 yr old :-)

Beef Stroganoff
serves 2 very hearty servings with a lunch left over
2 cube steaks
8 oz package mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2 T flour
S&P
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 c white wine
1 1/2 c chicken stock
dash lemon juice
1/2 c sour cream
1 T fresh minced parsley
hot buttered egg noodles (3 c dry noodles was enough for 2.5 dinners & a full lunch)
butter and oil or sautee

Clean and quarter mushrooms. Discard any tough stems.


Slice the beef against the grain into 1/4 in wide strips. Season beef with S&P, then toss with the flour.

In a skillet heat a drizzle of oil and cook beef until nicely browned. Remove browned strips from pan. Add 1 T butter and mushrooms. Allow to brown before stirring. Once mushrooms brown, remove from pan & set aside with the beef.

Add a touch more oil if needed and cook onions. Once the onions begin to sweat add the garlic & stir well. You want the onions to just start to brown on the edges. Once they have browned slightly remove from pan & place with beef & mushrooms.


Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Stir well scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Return beef, mushrooms and onions to the pot & simmer about 20 min.

Cook and drain egg noodles.

Turn heat off on the stroganoff. Stir in 1/2 c sour cream and 1 T fresh chopped parsley. Serve over the hot egg noodles.


Nutrition Facts
2 Servings **you could very easily make this feed up to 4 people by adding a veggie side dish, it makes 2 VERY hearty servings!
Amount Per Serving
Calories 475.9
Total Fat 18.3 g
Saturated Fat 9.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 6.5 g
Cholesterol 125.7 mg
Sodium 818.6 mg
Potassium 1,008.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 33.9 g
Dietary Fiber 1.4 g
Sugars 2.3 g
Protein 33.2 g

Blueberry & strawberry compote

What the heck is a compote anyway?? We've all seen it on menus and thought "Oh, it comes with a compote. What is that? Is it like compost? I don't think I want to eat compost" and then ordered the eggs, right?

Wikipedia says "Compote is a dessert...made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are immersed in water and with sugar and spices added to the dish, over gentle heat." The Kitchen Witch says its an awesome topper to pancakes, french toast and crepes!

Trying to decide on a dinner that everyone in the house will like and won't take much time or require a store run, is sometimes difficult. Pancakes are something that I know everyone, even the preschooler, will love. But what do you do about the syrup when you're a no high fructose corn syrup type of household?

Sure, there's pure maple syrup, but man, that stuff is expensive! And frankly, the stuff that my local grocery stocks isn't that great, either. Its way too sweet and doesn't have much maple flavor. That's when I remembered that I had berries galore in the fridge. Thank you BOGO sales! A blueberry and strawberry fruit compote with pancakes, just what the Witch ordered!

This pancake topper is super simple to make - I'm not just saying that, it really is! It cooks in the same amount of time that my sausage and pancakes cooked in, which is fantastic. And since I'm standing at the stove already, really there's no additional effort put forth other than dumping some ingredients into a pan & stirring every now & then! Pure Kitchen Witchcraft :-)

Blueberry and Strawberry fruit compote
serves 3-4
1 pint blueberries
1/2 lb strawberries
1/4 c sugar
1 t lemon juice
zest from lemon (optional)
1/4 c water

Dump everything into a heavy bottomed pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium high and boil for 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping down the sides of the pan.

Compote is done when bubbles get large (this means the sugars are concentrating) and the syrup is nice & thick. It will thicken additionally as it cools.

Serve over pancakes, French toast or anything that needs a yummy berry touch. Cheesecake would be incredible!


As you can see she liked the compote, too

Nutrition Facts
3 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 162.3
Total Fat 0.3 g
Saturated Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 8.8 mg
Potassium 245.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 40.9 g
Dietary Fiber 5.4 g
Sugars 30.5 g
Protein 1.4 g

Garlicy sauteed 'shrooms

My husband and sister LOVE mushrooms. Me, not so much. But being a good and kind Kitchen Witch I make them garlicky sauteed mushrooms from time to time. Even a mushroom hater like myself has to admit that these morsels smell heavenly when cooking.

For those of you who are wondering why the Kitchen Witch is a hater to the 'shrooms, well the reason is this: I can't get behind their spongy texture. And while their flavor isn't my favorite on their own, I will include mushrooms in some dishes for a background flavor. I just share my 'shrooms with those around me who dig them.

Sissy and Spouse tell me that the garlic infused oil/butter is the bomb. Its delicate and gives a garlicky perfume to the dish, not as much of an IN YOUR FACE punch that garlic can sometimes give. They also agree that the mild garlic enhances the 'shrooms 'mushroomieness' nicely and lets the mushroom be the star of the dish.

I use a combo of EVOO and butter, the EVOO has a higher smoke point than the butter, so the butter has less chance of burning. I keep the butter in for 2 reasons: flavor and browning assistance. The milk solids in the butter really help the 'shrooms develop a nice brown color. Just make sure your 'shrooms are very dry before putting into the hot fat, as they hold a lot of water and make browning difficult. The browned garlic can be reused on garlic toast, in a bruschetta or even as a topping on your pizza if you like.

Garlic sauteed 'shrooms

1/2 lb cremini mushrooms (baby portabellas)
1.5 T EVOO
1 T butter
1 garlic clove, crushed but still whole
1/4 t Kosher salt




Heat the oil, butter and garlic in a small sautee pan. Allow the garlic to get golden and remove.


Add cleaned mushrooms to the hot oil. Allow to sautee about 8-10 min on 1st side, until the are nice & browned. Flip & continue cooking until 2nd side is browned.

Sprinkle cooked mushrooms with Kosher salt, about 2 pinches (1/8 to 1/4 t).

Notice the way the salt flakes cling to the mushrooms? This assures that you'll get a nice salty flavor in every bite!

Nutrition Facts
2 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 155.4
Total Fat 16.1 g
Saturated Fat 5.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 9.1 g
Cholesterol 15.5 mg
Sodium 3.2 mg
Potassium 164.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 2.6 g
Dietary Fiber 0.6 g
Sugars 0.9 g
Protein 1.7 g

Scalloped corn casserole

A friend and blog follower asked me to come up with a scalloped corn recipe for her. Its a favorite in their household, and something that she hadn't ever made at home. Not one to turn a challenge down, I of course, said yes and set my mind immediately to the dish. If any of you ever have any requests please let me know, leave me a comment, send me an email or make a facebook request - any method is fine & I promise I'll get back to you! The Kitchen Witch aims to please!

Knowing what she was looking to get out of the dish was my first question. Was she looking for something creamy and pudding like, maybe cheesy or crunchy on top? Or was her vision of scalloped corn something totally different?

Turns out we were on the same page, something sweet, creamy, cheesy and corn filled. I had a bag of Fresh Gourmet Crispy Onions in the cabinet and boy, they sure did add a great flavor and nice crispy crunch to the top. A layer of toasted melty cheddar adds the final touch to this dish. The inside is soft, corn flavored and cheesy all at once. Sherry, I hope this is what you had in mind we all enjoyed it throughly here!

Scalloped Corn Casserole
Serves 4 (side dish)
1 T butter
2 T yellow corn meal
1 T AP flour
1 bag frozen yellow corn
1 c milk
1 egg, beaten
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 t Kosher salt
few grinds of pepper
OPTIONAL 4 T crispy onions (Fresh Gourmet or Frenches fried onions are good)

In a sauce pan melt butter. Whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook about 3 min or until it smells nutty and just starts to take on a golden color. Slowly whisk in the milk. Once mixture thickens remove from heat.

Add 2 oz cheese, stir well to melt evenly into the sauce. Add corn meal & salt & pepper and whisk well.

Next add corn and the beaten egg stirring very well to incorporate.

Pour mixture into a small casserole dish sprayed with non stick spray. I used a 2 qt enameled cast iron dutch oven which I cooked the cheese sauce in also, 1 pot makes me happy!


Wipe sides of casserole pan off, any batter on the sides will burn otherwise. Top corn mixture with onions and cheese. Bake uncovered for 45 min or until the casserole puffs up, the cheese is melted & starts to brown. Let sit at least 5 min before serving.



Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 283.5
Total Fat 15.4 g
Saturated Fat 9.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.5 g
Cholesterol 95.5 mg
Sodium 454.1 mg
Potassium 297.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 25.7 g
Dietary Fiber 2.5 g
Sugars 6.3 g
Protein 13.8 g

Cheesy spinach and sundried tomato lasagna

Whats for dinner? That seems to be the question I have daily. Not one to make the same thing over & over again I needed to create something new & different for dinner. Today I decided to focus in on a new side dish and go with a favorite main course, Herbed Chicken in wine sauce.

I had my mind set on spanakopita but didn't have what I needed to make it - out of filo. Who wants spanakopita with out filo? Not me! However when I discovered a box of Barilla no boil lasagna sheets I got a burst of Kitchen Witchcraft. I could make a pasta type version of spanakopita, with delectable sun dried tomatoes showing off their tart goodness. Hmm... this has potential.

Ok. We've got sun dried tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese and pasta sheets. Sauce is the next thing to examine. I thought a lower fat version of Alfredo sauce would help round out the flavors. Garlic is always on hand so that was an easy addition. I used milk rather than cream to save on fat and calories but still provide the milky sweetness that Alfredo is famous for. 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and 1 clove of garlic turn plain milk into an Alfredo that makes both your mouth and scale happy.

Cheesy Spinach and sundried tomato lasagna
serves 4 as a side dish
10 oz spinich, defrosted & squeezed dry
3 T feta cheese
2 T parmesean cheese
2 oz shredded mozzerella cheese
1 c milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt & pepper (1/2 t salt, 1/8t pepper)
2 grates nutmeg
1.5 oz sundried tomatoes diced
3 sheets Barillia no boil lasagna pasta sheets

Preheat oven to 375*
Thaw spinach. Squeeze dry with a towel. Add salt, pepper & nutmeg. Stir to combine. Add the mozzarella cheese and 1 clove of garlic minced. Stir well to incorporate well.



Mix milk, Parmesan cheese and remaining garlic (minced) in a bowl.


In a small rectangular pan (I modified a bread pan, details follow) line with a strip of aluminium foil to make a sling, will cover bottom and up sides partially. Spray with non stick spray. Place 1 sheet of pasta on bottom, layer with 1/3 of the spinach/cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the diced sundried tomatoes. Top with 1 T feta cheese.

Repeat layers 2 more times


Make a small ball of foil. With the side of the foil sling press lasagna against side of pan, compacting as you go. Place foil ball between side of bread pan and side of lasagna, this will help keep it place while baking. Press down firmly with palms of hands to set layers. Pour milk mixture over top, tip pan around so milk enters every layer.

Cover with foil and bake at 375* for 20 min. Remove foil, bake an additional 10 minutes.

Let cool 5 min in pan before removing. Remove sling from pan, lasagna will come with it. Slide the foil sling off the lasagna and slice into 4 servings.



Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 173.9
Total Fat 6.7 g
Saturated Fat 3.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.4 g
Cholesterol 23.9 mg
Sodium 566.6 mg
Potassium 187.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 17.4 g
Dietary Fiber 2.2 g
Sugars 3.6 g
Protein 11.6 g

Chili

Everyone's got their own version of chili. Some like a tomato based chili with beans. Others shudder to even consider a bean in their chili, keeping it traditional "Texas Red" with beef cubes and dried chili peppers. And there are those out there like to put it on spaghetti and top it with cheese and onions. The Kitchen Witch's version is a tomato/beef/bean chili that is only 250 calories a serving, what's not to love there?

I like chili as an easy go to meal when I'm not feeling very inspired to cook. It involves opening a lot of cans, something that even a tired Kitchen Witch can pull off. The tomatoes with jalapenos are available at most grocery stores, look for RoTel brand tomatoes, they help give a nice spicy kick to the chili with minimal effort. The grocery store was kind enough to have fire roasted tomatoes available - and at the same price as the plain ones! When coupled with the spicy smoky chipolte in adobo, the fire roasted tomatoes really sing.

Around here we like to top our chili with sour cream and shredded cheddar. A nice crunchy tortilla chip is the only other thing you need, other than a spoon of course!

Chili serves 8
1 lb lean ground beef
1 green pepper 1/2 in dice
1 medium yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic, minced fine
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes
1 can tomato with jalapeños
2 cans kidney beans, drained & rinsed (I used 1 dark & 1 light)
1 chipolte in adobo sauce, fine mince
1 1/2 T chili powder
1/2 t paperkia
1 t oregano
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t pepper
1/8 t cayenne pepper

Brown beef. Drain fat. Put beef back into the pot, add onions, garlic & bell peppers. Cook about 5 min or until onions start to soften.
Add spices, stir well to coat meat and veggies in spices. Add tomatoes (all of them) and the beans. Stir to mix. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adjust salt if needed.

Top with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese if desired.

Nutrition Facts
8 Servings (10 oz each)

Amount Per Serving
Calories 249.3
Total Fat 12.4 g
Saturated Fat 4.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.2 g
Cholesterol 42.5 mg
Sodium 841.1 mg
Potassium 531.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19.3 g
Dietary Fiber 6.9 g
Sugars 3.0 g
Protein 15.2 g

Chocolate pudding

Chocolate pudding. Its a comfort dessert classic that I predict will be having a major resurgence in popularity very very soon. So if you want to be in with the in crowd check out this chocolate pudding recipe. Your foodie friends will be envious of your uber cool retro 'slow food' dessert.

The recipe I've listed is pretty basic. Don't let its simplicity deceive you, it has a very complex deep flavor, something that you won't be getting out of a box. You also won't be getting any artificial color, flavors, no preservatives, additives, HFCS or PHO's.

What you WILL get is this; 10 generous half cup servings that are only 128 calories a serving!! When you compare that to the '100 calorie packs' that are all the rage now a days you'll be happy with what you see, and taste. Not only are you DOUBLING the serving size (100 cal packs are 1/4 c each) but they taste about a million times better!

Chocolate Pudding
makes 10 half (1/2) cup servings

4 c 2% milk
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder
1/4 c corn starch
pinch salt
1 t vanilla
1 T butter

Sift sugar, cocoa powder and corn starch together. This will break up any lumps ensuring a smooth pudding.

Add milk and whisk well. The cocoa powder will cause the mixture to be very foamy at first. Cook over medium high heat. As the mixture heats the bubbles will dissipate.

Whisk well, this will help the pudding stay smooth and lump free. Pay attention to the bottom of the pan, using your whisk on the bottom will help avoid scorch spots. Bring to a boil, boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Pour hot pudding into mugs and allow to cool. If you want to avoid the 'skin' on the top of the pudding cover with plastic wrap directly on top of hot liquid immediatly after pouring. If you're like the Kitchen Witch and dig the pudding skin then leave the plastic wrap on the roll and enjoy.


Nutrition Facts - 10 Servings (1/2 cup ea)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 128.1
Total Fat 3.7 g
Saturated Fat 2.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.1 g
Cholesterol 10.9 mg
Sodium 56.6 mg
Potassium 66.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 22.0 g
Dietary Fiber 1.4 g
Sugars 20.1 g
Protein 4.1 g

Shrimp scampi with broccoli and tortellini

Garlic, white wine and butter, classic scampi ingredients. What makes this so different is the calories, or lack there of! Imagine eating a nice full bowl of pasta, tender veggies and big plump shrimp in a decadent sauce for LESS than 350 calories! The prep on this is quick - almost as fast a microwaveable meal - you'll be eating in 20 minutes or less!!

Other flavorful, low calorie additions could include sun dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, wilted spinich, olives, really anything you like! And if shrimp isn't your thing feel free to use chicken or pork.

I used pre-cooked shrimp because that's what was on sale at the store this week. I had reservations about heating the cooked shrimp in the wine garlic sauce because I didn't want them to get too tough, a very common problem with shrimp. I am happy to say that the quick boil was enough to thaw & reheat the shrimp, while adding a nice seafood flavor to the sauce, and the shrimp were still nice & tender. If you have raw shrimp cook in the wine sauce about 1 min longer than directed or until shrimp turn pink & curl.

The amounts shown below are for 1 lunch size portion. If I were making this for dinner I'd double it for myself & the husband and pair it with a salad to round out the meal.

Shrimp scampi with broccoli and tortellini
makes 1 serving
7 large (21-30) shrimp, precooked is fine
1/4 c Barilla 3 cheese tortellini
1/2 head broccoli, cut into very small florettes
1 clove garlic minced
1 dash salt
1 t butter
1/4 c white wine
1 t crispy onion toppers, optional (I found these in the crouton area of my local store. You could use french fried onions if you can't find the Fresh Gourmet Crispy Onions)

To a pot of boiling water add the tortellini. Set timer for 10-11 minutes. 5 min after adding pasta add broccoli. At 10 minutes test pasta for tenderness. Drain pasta & broccoli. Put into a bowl & cover to keep warm.

In the same pot add the butter, frozen shrimp, garlic, salt & wine. Bring to a boil, simmer until shrimp are heated thru, about 1-2 minutes max. Remove shrimp, arrange on top of pasta.

Crank the heat up to HI and reduce the wine by half. Pour reduced sauce over top of shrimp and serve.



Andrea the Kitchen Witch will now be posting nutritional information for recipes. I hope this is a feature that will help you plan healthy nutritious meals for your family! Its one thing to look good, its another to taste good & its the best of all when it does both of those AND is good for you! Healthy can be tasty, with a little Kitchen Witchcraft!
Nutrition Facts
1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 329.2
Total Fat 11.2 g
~~Saturated Fat 6.7 g
~~Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
~~Monounsaturated Fat 1.8 g
Cholesterol 114.5 mg
Sodium 828.3 mg
Potassium 221.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 26.1 g
~~Dietary Fiber 3.4 g
~~Sugars 1.7 g
Protein 14.2 g