Boneless Buffalo Wings with Spicy Blue Cheese Dip

I love Buffalo Wings and Chicken Tenders, but most have a ton of fat. Here is a healthier version of them. The kids love them for dinner or a snack and with the playoff games coming up, this recipe will keep things a bit healthier without giving up on the taste. When our family watches football, my kids, ages three and five, are not very interested in the game......they do, however, enjoy tackling each other at any chance they can, but that's another story. Anyway, I try to find something fun for the kids to do in these situations. Well, I found a fun, educational, virtual farm game for the kids to try out. It teaches about farming in the U.S. in a fun way, all while learning math, social studies, language arts and science. It is set up by American Farm Bureau ~ check it out www.MyAmericanFarm.org and you do not need to 'log in', just play! Boneless Buffalo Wings 8 servings (2 wings, 1/2 cup vegetables & 2 tablespoons dip each) Ingredients Spicy Blue Cheese Dip• 2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream • 2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Wings & Vegetables • 3 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip) • 3 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot, divided • 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided • 2 pounds chicken tenders, (see Ingredient Note) • 6 tablespoons whole-wheat flour • 6 tablespoons cornmeal • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper • 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided • 2 cups carrot sticks • 2 cups celery sticks Preparation 1. To prepare dip: Whisk sour cream, blue cheese, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 2. To prepare wings: Whisk buttermilk, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and 2 tablespoons vinegar in a large bowl until combined. Add chicken; toss to coat. Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 3. Meanwhile, whisk flour and cornmeal in a shallow dish. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl; set aside. 4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and roll in the flour mixture until evenly coated. (Discard remaining marinade and flour mixture.) Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. 5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, placing each piece in a little oil. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Transfer to the platter. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved hot sauce mixture. Serve with carrots, celery and Spicy Blue Cheese Dip. Tips & Notes• Make Ahead Tip: The chicken can marinate (Step 1) for up to 1 hour. • Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk. • Ingredient note: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken fingers.” NutritionPer serving: 256 calories; 10 g fat (4 g sat, 4 g mono); 83 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrates; 31 g protein; 2 g fiber; 353 mg sodium; 248 mg potassium. Pin It

Playoff Pleasers ~ Food To Feed A Crowd

With the playoffs coming up again this weekend, I wanted to share some party food, great for serving to a crowd and easy too. Beef and Bean Chili Verde and a vegetarian chile~ Zesty Wheat Berry - Black Bean Chili.

Make up a Chili Bar for your guests. Set out bowls of grated cheese, chopped onion, avocado & sour cream as toppings & serve with some warm corn bread and you will have a delicious meal that goes great with football and beer.

Tip: keep warm all day in a slow cooker/crock pot

Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili

6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each (Double the ingredients for a party)

Ingredients• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large yellow bell pepper,chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (see Tip)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
•
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

2. Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.

Tips & Notes
Tip: Canned chipotle peppers (smoked jalapeños) in adobo sauce add heat and a smoky flavor. Look for the small cans with other Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer. Cooked wheat berries will keep for up to 1 month in your freezer and there's no need to thaw them; just stir them directly into the chili.

Nutrition
Per serving: 386 calories; 11 g fat (1 g sat, 7 g mono); 61 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 15 g fiber; 703 mg sodium; 311 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (130% daily value), Fiber (72% dv), Folate (48% dv), Iron & Vitamin A (25% dv).
3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 very-lean meat, 2 fat






















Beef & Bean Chili Verde

6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each (double the ingredients for a party)

Ingredients• 1 pound 93%-lean ground beef
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 16-ounce jar green salsa, green enchilada sauce or taco sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 15-ounce can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 15 oz can of corn
• 1 15 oz can of black beans
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes

Preparation
1. Cook beef, bell pepper and onion in a large saucepan over medium heat, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and cayenne; cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in salsa (or sauce) and water; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in beans and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Tips & Notes
• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat just before serving.

Nutrition
Per serving: 307 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 64 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 27 g protein; 6 g fiber; 516 mg sodium; 641 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (100% daily value), Vitamin A & Zinc (40% dv), Folate (20% dv), Potassium (18% dv).
1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat Pin It