Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 (15 ounce) cans no-salt-added great northern beans, rinsed, divided
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)
- ¾ cup chopped celery (2 medium stalks)
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped (2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leave
Directions
- Mash 1 cup beans in a small bowl with a whisk or potato masher.
- Heat oil in a large heavy pot over high heat. Add chicken; cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion, celery, garlic, cumin and salt. Cook until the onion is translucent and tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining whole beans, the mashed beans, stock and chiles. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese until melted. Serve topped with cilantro.
Healthy Broccoli and Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccoli
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium red-skinned potato, diced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Kosher salt & pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- One 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Directions
- Separate the stems and the florets from the broccoli. Trim and discard the bottom of the broccoli stems and peel the tough outer layers. Finely chop the stems and coarsely chop the florets and set aside separately.
- Mist a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the broccoli stems, onions and potatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the reserved florets and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and continue to steam until the florets are bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the entire contents of the pot with the florets to the soup along with the nutmeg. Stir to combine and remove from the heat. Stir in the Cheddar, Worcestershire and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the scallions.
Low Country Shrimp Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
- 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 1/4 cups corn kernels
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp dry sherry (optional)
Directions
Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites, celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the flour and Old Bay Seasoning and cook, stirring, until the flour is lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add the milk, 6 cups water and the rice. Bring to a rapid simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the corn to the pot and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook until they curl and turn opaque, about 3 more minutes. Season the chowder with salt and pepper and stir in the sherry. Ladle into bowls and top with the scallion greens.
Health Life Magazine 