Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

I knew this meal would be a hit because it has two of my favorite ingredients (cheese and pasta) as well as one of Bryan's favorite (Buffalo sauce). Although the picture is not the prettiest, this was absolutely delicious and we loved every bite!

Adapted from how Sweet it is

Ingredients
1 pound pasta (I used orecchiette)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz. grated monterey jack cheese + more for topping
1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese + more for topping
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/3 cup plain crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
chopped green onions

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Prepare water for pasta and cook according to directions.

3. While pasta is cooking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, and once it’s melted and bubbly add the flour. Whisk together to create a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture gets a bit golden in color.

4. Add milk, stir and turn down heat to low. Continue stirring until milk thickens. Add in grated cheeses and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in buffalo wing sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

5. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Add pasta and chicken, then pour cheese sauce over and mix thoroughly until everything is coated. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately top with green onions (or serve on the side). Drizzle with buffalo wing sauce.

Chicken Sate Lettuce Wraps with Pineapple Jicama Slaw

This recipe gave me a chance to work with a brand new (to me) ingredient. – jicama! Prior to this, my only encounter has been on salad bars where it is typically julienned. It was interesting to see the root vegetable, closely related to the potato in its natural state. I googled how to work with the jicama and it was really quite easy.

The slaw took a lot of time to prep due to all the chopping required. I would recommend tackling that task the night before. However, once it was ready to go, the rest of the recipe came together quite quickly. We enjoyed this meal as a nice light dinner prior to Bryan’s volleyball game. It was definitely enough to feel satisfied but not be weighed down. I bet this would make a good lunch served cold as well.

Adapted from Cara’s Cravings

Ingredients
Slaw
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 lime, juiced and zested
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
freshly ground salt & pepper, to taste
about 1 cup diced pineapple (150gm)
about 1 cup julienned jicama (100gm)

Chicken Sate
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1.5 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 lime, juiced and zested
pinch of crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

Peanut Sauce
3 tbsp PB2, mixed with a little water
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp chili paste with garlic
1/2 teaspoon sugar

10 leaves Boston Bibb lettuce, washed and dried

Directions
1 Combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl and chill until ready to serve.

2. For the chicken sate, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, red pepper, and garlic. Slice the chicken into thin strips and toss with the marinade in a bowl or shallow baking dish. Let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature, or up to an hour in the refrigerator.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the peanut sauce ingredients.

4. Preheat large pan over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard marinade. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from heat and chop chicken into bite sized pieces.

5. Serve chicken in lettuce leaves with pineapple-jicama slaw and peanut dipping sauce. Enjoy!

The Facts
Four Servings, Including Sauce

Sangria Chicken

This dish was definitely reminiscent of sangria! The wine and orange marmalade gave the chicken a delicious fruity flavor. This would have been great served with grapes (per the original recipe) how ever my grocery store trip never happened this week so I made do with what we already had on hand. I substituted reduced sugar marmalade and this resulted in a thinner sauce. It never really thickened up, but still tasted great. We used the leftover sauce to dip our chicken for extra flavor.

Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup sweet orange marmalade, reduced sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 lime, cut into wedges
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and spray lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and brown on both sides. Add chicken to a baking dish and roast until cooked through – about 20 minutes.

3. While chicken is cooking, simmer wine and marmalade in a small saucepan until thickened and reduced to about half.

4. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Add to baking dish with chicken, and roast for an additional 10 minutes.

5. Garnish with lime wedges (and grapes if you have them!).

The Facts
4 Servings

Chicken Chipotle Burgers

Bryan requested chili burgers for dinner during his birthday week, however we decided to change it up a bit and try chicken instead of ground turkey. I used less meat (1 lb vs. 1.5 lb) but kept the seasoning and add in amounts the same. I think this added more flavor to the burger which I liked. These were moist and juicy. I definitely enjoyed them, however if you’re looking for more of traditional burger type taste, stick with the original ground turkey (or even beef if you so please).

Adapted from A Previous Recipe I Made

Ingredients
1lb chicken breast
2 tbsp pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp chili powder
1/3 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander
Pinch black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
1.5 tbsp egg substitute
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions
1. Add all ingredients to food processor. Pulse until chicken is ground and everything is well combined.

2. Form mixture into 4 even sized patties. Place patties on a piece of foil sprayed with cooking spray.

3. Carefully transfer foil with chicken patties to a preheated grill. Cook for 6 minutes a side. Flip directly onto grill grate and remove foil. Cook an additional 6 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink.

4. Serve on whole wheat buns with desired fixings. We enjoyed with sliced avocado, gruyere cheese and lettuce.

The Facts
4 Servings – Chicken Patty Only

Moo Shu Chicken

This was a great all in one dish: protein, veggies and whole grains. Yum! It was easy to make as well. Everything came together quite quickly, and with the help of my new rice cooker I didn’t have to wait 45 minutes for the brown rice to be ready. I threw some rice and water in the cooker, set the timer, and had freshly made rice ready at dinner time. The Moo Shu sauce was very good and I think it could easily be used as a stir fry with other veggies like broccoli or snap peas as well. I plan on using this recipe again.

Adapted from Proceed With Caution

Ingredients
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp sesame oil
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1 tsp honey or agave nectar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb sliced chicken breast
1 tbsp cooking oil (I used canola)
3 cups packaged shredded cabbage with carrots (coleslaw mix)

Directions
1. In a small mixing bowl, stir together water, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, honey/agave nectar and garlic. Set mixture aside.

2. Trim fat from chicken breast and cut chicken into thin, bite-size strips. Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Stir-fry chicken for 2 or 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

3. Push meat from center of skillet. Stir in sauce. Push chicken and sauce to center. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.

4. Add shredded cabbage with carrots to skillet. Stir ingredients together to coat with sauce. Serve over brown rice.

The Facts
4 Servings (Rice NOT Included)

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This meal was SUPER tasty! The flavor was great and was very similar to take out. The pineapple added some sweetness to the dish and complemented the chicken well. We enjoyed this over brown rice with a salad on the side. I definitely plan on making this meal again.

Adapted from Kelly’s Kitch

Ingredients
1 can pineapple chunks (8 oz)
1/2 cup sweet and sour sauce
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch pieces)
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium red pepper, sliced
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

Directions
1. Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tbsp juice. In a small bowl, stir together pineapple juice and sweet and sour sauce. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with soy sauce and set aside.

2. In a medium skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add peppers and carrots and cook for 4 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from skillet and set aside.

3. Using a slotted spoon, add chicken to pan. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add sweet and sour mixture, vegetables and pineapple chunks. Heat thoroughly and serve over rice.

The Facts
4 Servings

Chicken Gorgonzola Pasta

This dish had a great Mediterranean flavor to it. I think with some onion and kalamata olives it would be like dining in Italy or Greece. I definitely plan on adding those additional ingredients the next time this recipe appears on my menu. I lighted up the original version by reducing the amount of oil and butter called for; I also substituted fat free milk for heavy cream and used reduced fat cheese. I don’t think any of these alterations affected the taste.

Adapted from The Chef In My Head

Ingredients
2 oz sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 lb chicken breasts, skinless, sliced in 3/4 inch wide strips
8 oz whole wheat fettuccine pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp dried tarragon
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 oz crumbled reduced fat Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup fat free milk
*Parmesan, shredded for garnish if desired

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate, do not clean skillet.

2. Cook pasta until just tender, drain.

3. Meanwhile, reheat skillet to medium-high heat and add butter. Add garlic; sauté until tender.

4. Add sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tarragon and salt & pepper; sauté for about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add lemon juice, white wine and chicken stock. Return chicken to pan together with vegetables, cover and reduce heat to medium, for approximately 10-15 minutes.

6. Uncover, add Gorgonzola and milk, stir to combine and heat through.

7. Serve over pasta and garnish with Parmesan. Enjoy!

The Facts
4 Servings
*Does not include Parmesan

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

To quote my husband “It’s not like anything I’ve ever had before.” Yes, this is quite different; however that’s not a bad thing. Bryan enjoyed the meal (despite the fact it took twice as long to cook as I planned). I’ve never particularly liked meat loaf so although I wasn’t the biggest fan of this dish, I did like the taste of it.

With my awesome food processor, this dish came together quite quickly. I finely chopped all the veggies, then used 4 chicken breasts (~1.25 lbs) and thoroughly processed them into ground chicken. I substituted gorgonzola cheese crumbles for blue cheese crumbles.

As far as cooking time, you’re honestly going to have to keep an eye on it and check the temperature. The original recipe called for a 9” x 5” x 3” loaf pan. Mine was 8.5” x 4.5” x 3”. The slightly smaller loaf pan combine with an extra 1/4 lb of chicken and sweet potatoes sharing the oven resulted in a drastically longer cook time. I honestly have no idea how long I the dish was in the over because I kept consistently adding five minutes to the timer. Learn from my mistake!

Adapted from Lobster and Fishsticks

Ingredients
Olive oil spray
2/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
1 -1.25 lb extra-lean ground chicken breast
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup crumbled reduced fat gorgonzola cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly mist a 9” x 5” x 3” nonstick loaf pan with olive oil spray.

2. Combine oats and milk in a medium size mixing bowl. Mix well. Let stand for 3 minutes or until oats are softened.

3. Stir in wing sauce until well mixed. Add chicken, celery, carrots, onion, egg whites, and salt. With fork, mix ingredients well. Add gorgonzola cheese and gently mix.

4. Transfer mixture to pan and spread so that top is flat. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. ***(Depending on how much chicken you use as well as your pan size, cooking time coucld vary greatly. Ensure meat reaches proper temperature before serving.)

5. Cut into 8 slices. *2 slices per serving.*

The Facts
4 Servings

Salsa Verde Sour Cream Enchiladas

Mmmm, enchiladas. When I typically think of enchiladas, I think of ooey gooey cheesy goodness. This is probably why I have not had them in a while. The copious amount of cheese in a traditional enchilada just doesn’t really fit in my eating plan. Not to mention it would probably make my stomach hurt for a full day after.

My enchilada outlook changed with I saw this recipe. I took a look at the ingredients and saw a huge opportunity for some lightened up enchiladas. I used fat free sour cream, whole grain tortillas, and omitted the cheese on my portion. I found the sauce to be creamy enough to not need the cheese. At my husband’s request, I added a little bit of reduced fat cheese to his portion.

I also halved the sauce recipe from the original and make 6 enchiladas versus 12. I couldn’t find Serrano peppers so I used additional jalapeño and a bit of a poblano pepper. We topped the enchiladas with lettuce, black olives and sour cream accompanied with some homemade baked tortilla chips and my new favorite homemade salsa. Delicious!

Adapted from The Novice Chef

Ingredients
3 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (mine were approx 1.25 lbs)
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/6 poblano pepper, seeded, minced
2 jalapeños, seeded, minced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup fat free sour cream
8 oz salsa verde **
3/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
6 eight grain tortillas, small fajita size
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack (optional)
1/4 medium onion, diced (optional)
**The original recipe calls for Ortega Medium Salsa Verde, however I had a cup of leftover salsa verde I made for this recipe that I used instead.

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. In medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Sauté jalapeños until soft and then add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and let cook 1-2 minutes.

3. Whisk in the chicken broth until smooth and let cook until bubbly.

4. Stir in the sour cream, tomatillo sauce, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cilantro until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.

5. Spray/grease an 8x8 baking dish. Add 1/2 cup of sauce to the bottom of the pan.

6. Add chicken, cheese (if desired), and chopped onion (If desired) to the center of each tortilla. Add 2 tablespoons sauce and roll, placing seam-side down in the
dish.

7. Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas, top with leftover cheese (if desired), and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until top is brown and bubbling.

The Facts
6 Servings
**Without cheese

Chicken Tequila Burgers

I just bought this food processor from Costco. (Cuisinart Custom Pro 11-cup Stainless Steel Food Processor). In one word: AMAZING. I seriously love this thing. I’m not sure how I lived without a food processor before this (my baby 2 cup one doesn’t count!). I really can’t wait to use it again. I bet that slicing blade does wonders on some potatoes.

As soon as I saw this recipe, I bookmarked it. The burgers just looked so delicious, I had to try them. However, I didn’t have the wondrous food processor yet. Sure, I could have substituted ground turkey, or bought ground chicken at the store (SOO over priced!) but making my own looked way more fun. So that was the final push for my latest purchase. 100% worth it!

These burgers were incredibly flavorful (and easy!). I served them with some sautéed onions and lettuce on whole wheat buns with baked sweet potato fries on the side. Delicious and healthy, what more could you want? I recommend you try these ASAP. I made the mix the night before so at dinner time, all I had to do was form the patties and broil.

Adapted from Annie’s Eats

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
3 chicken breasts (mine were 1 lb. 5 oz.)
4 tbsp. cilantro
Zest of 1/2 a lime
1 oz. tequila
Dash of soy sauce
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs

Directions
1. Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush lightly with olive oil.

2. Combine the garlic, jalapeno, chicken breasts, cilantro and lime zest in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until the chicken is uniformly ground.

3. Mix in the tequila, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and panko. Pulses a few more times until the ingredients are well blended.

4. Form the mixture into 6 patties and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

5. Broil the burgers for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking to brown both sides. Check for doneness before serving.

The Facts
6 Servings

Chicken with Mango and Ginger

This was a quick, easy and super delicious dinner! I prepped all the ingredients the night before, so after our workout, I only needed to assemble and bake. The mango and jalapeño offered a delightful combination of sweet and spicy. The parchment packets kept all the juices inside making the chicken very moist and tender. I definitely plan on making this meal again.

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

Ingredients
1 large mango, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4 inch wedges
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to 1/2 inch thickness (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced and seeds removed
salt and pepper
4 tsp olive oil
lime wedges, for serving

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Place mango wedges in center of four 18 inch long pieces of parchment. Top with chicken, ginger, cilantro and jalapeño.

3. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle each with 1 tsp olive oil.

4. Fold parchment into a twist shape. (See picture below.)

5. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until packets are puffed up and chicken is cooked through, 25-30 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.

The Facts
4 Servings

Chicken Chili Verde

Although this was quite good, it definitely was not a QUICK meal to prepare. The cooking time alone is one hour, plus prep time. But I knew this going in, so it wasn’t a big deal. It took me a little longer to prep the vegetables than I thought. I am a little over organized and like to have ALL my ingredients ready to go before I even turn on the stove. I hate to be rushed during the cooking process.

Back to the chicken chili verde. I seeded the jalapenos, so the dish was VERY mild. I enjoyed the flavor a lot, however I think some spice would have really added to the sauce. Next time I’ll leave the seeds in one of the jalapenos and see how much heat that adds. After boxing up leftovers, I had about a cup and a half of chili verde sauce leftover. I froze it and hope it’s good for some chicken tacos in the future.

Adapted from Proceed With Caution

Ingredients
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 jalapenos, stems removed (and seeded if necessary to reduce the heat)
10 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed (approx 1 pound)
1/2 of a large white onion, quartered
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp vegetable oil
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes

Directions 1. Place garlic, jalapenos, tomatillos, and onion in a large stock pot with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook, uncovered, for about 25 minutes.

2. Add contents of the pot to a blender along with an additional 1/2 cup water and cilantro. Puree until smooth, being careful to allow steam to escape while blending.

3. When tomatillo mixture reaches a boil, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken until no longer pink, then drain skillet.

4. Add pureed tomatillo mixture to skillet, then add salt, to taste.

5. With the lid cracked, simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes. Serve, garnished with a lime wedge if desired.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 220.0
Total Fat 4.1 g
Fiber 3.2 g
WW Points 4

Chicken Cutlets with Rosemary and Shallots

This was simple, and good for a cooler night when you don’t want to use the grill. I’m beginning to like shallots and onions more and more (as long as they’re cooked!) which is surprising because six months ago, I probably would have omitted them completely. I’m sure this would taste great with other fresh herbs as well. The original recipe used turkey breast, but I used chicken instead.

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

Ingredients
3 chicken breasts (mine totaled 1 lb 5 oz)
2 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
3-4 shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 sprigs rosemary (1 1/2 inches each)
3/4 cup chicken broth

Directions
1. Pound chicken cutlets to 1/4 inch thickness with a meat mallet.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium high. Season turkey with salt and pepper and cook through, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer turkey to a plate.

3. Add additional teaspoon of oil and shallots to skillet; season with salt and pepper.

4. Cook, stirring occasionally until shallots begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

5. Add wine and rosemary and cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes.

6. Add broth and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

7. Return turkey to skillet and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and serve.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 201.2
Total Fat 3.9 g
Fiber 0.1 g
WW Points 4

Pho Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

This was the main course for our Vietnamese inspired dinner. The final dish was ok, but not exactly as I expected. This is definitely a dish I plan on making again, but will be applying a few lessons I learned in the process. Check out the link below for the recipe. Once I perfect it to our liking, I’ll be sure to blog my changes.

The main problem with my version was there was not a lot of broth. The dish turned into more of noodle dish versus a soup dish. I think the noodles I chose and how I cooked them are to blame for this. They were bigger than what we've had before in traditional Pho at the local restaurahts. I’ve already bought some thinner ones that I’m looking forward to trying. I also read somewhere that you could just put the dried noodles straight into the broth. BAD IDEA. Don’t do it! The noodles absorbed almost all of the delicious broth. I will definitely cook the noodles SEPARATELY in the future. The flavor of the broth was amazing before I added the noodles so I don’t think I need to alter anything there; however I plan on doubling the amount I make next time.

Overall, I think it was a good first attempt, but there’s A LOT of room for improvement. I’ll keep you posted when I attempt Pho Ga, Take 2!

Adapted from Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen

I served ours with scallions, fresh Thai basil, fresh mint, bean sprouts, jalapenos, sriracha sauce and hoisin sauce.

Inside Out Chicken Cordon Bleu

On Saturday after a morning of errands (Costco!) and then lunch, I was about to head over to my mother in laws house to make pierogi for her Polish Christmas Eve party. Before I go, I ask Bryan what our plans are for dinner. He says he’s in the mood for ‘deconstructed chicken cordon bleu’ similar to a seasonal favorite at a local restaurant. I semi-laugh, tell him to find a recipe and head out the door (with my KA stand mixer under my arm.)

Pierogi making was quite an adventure, let me tell you. Four hours, four batches of dough, two different fillings and 120+ pierogi later, we were exhausted! Next time I think we’re going to add some wine to the mix ;). At this point, Bryan (at home) has found a recipe and texted me the grocery list. I hit up Publix on the way home. Lucky for me, Bryan took the reins on this dish. He started off a little rocky, but the finished product was quite delicious! You can check out the full recipe on Food Network.

This was definitely a great dish that I’m sure we’ll make again, however of worthy note was the dressing from this recipe. On Bryan’s original list was fig jam OR raspberry jam. I went straight for the raspberry, because honestly, fig didn’t sound so great to me. When I went to write this blog entry, I pulled up the original recipe and noticed it had no mention of the raspberry jam. I asked Bryan about it and he said he knew I would immediately question the fig jam and came up with an alternative that sounded good. I think the raspberry jam really made this dish and the excellent dressing. This would be delicious on pretty much any kind of grilled meat. Check it out below.


Raspberry Jam Dressing
1.5 T raspberry jam
Kosher salt
Pepper
Italian seasoning
Rosemary, dried
Shallot, minced
2 T white wine vinegar
1/2 t Dijon mustard
1 T olive oil

Directions
In a small bowl whisk together jam, shallot, vinegar and mustard. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and rosemary to taste. Enjoy over any meat.

Oven Fried Paprika Chicken

This was a healthy twist on a well known (and liked) classic! I had an open box of Special K cereal so I used that for the coating instead of the saltines called out in the original recipe. It worked out well. We ate this with some baked macaroni and cheese. Check out the next post for that recipe!

Adapted from Weight Watchers

Ingredients
Cooking Spray
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
1 T paprika
1 cup Special K, crushed
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz think pieces
1 T fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat broiler and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Place yogurt and 1 teaspoon of paprika in a small shallow bowl, mix to combine.

3. Combine cereal crumbs, salt, pepper and remaining 2 teaspoons of paprika on a large shallow pie plate, stir to combine.

4. Place each chicken in yogurt mixture and turn to coat. Then, place in crumb mixture, turning to coat both sides and pressing lightly to make crumbs stick..

5. Place coated chicken on prepared baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Broil 3 – 4 inches from heat source until golden brown and cooked through. Flip once, approx. 4 – 5 minutes per side.

6. Sprinkle chicken with fresh parsley and serve.

The Facts
4 servings
Calories 155.2
Total Fat 1.4 g
Fiber 1.3 g
WW Points 3

Artichoke Chicken Pasta

I planted an herb garden this weekend so I was quite excited that this recipe called for some FRESH basil. I planted a combo of pre potted plants and seeds. I am looking forward to having easy access to fresh cilantro, basil, parsley, rosemary and chives. Hopefully the seeds will grow quickly!

This recipe was good, although I think the use of marinated artichokes messed with the flavor some. The entire dish tasted like the artichoke marinade, which wasn’t necessarily bad, it just took away from the fresh basil and wine sauce. Next time I think I’ll try the canned artichokes. I made a half recipe and it was plenty for the two of us and a leftover lunch.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
6 oz. wheat pasta
2 large skinless chicken breasts (mine were 14 oz.)
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup white wine
Salt & pepper
15 oz can artichoke hearts (I used 9.5 oz of marinated artichokes from Costco)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

2. Heat oil (I used drained oil from the oil based artichoke marinade) over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and sauté 2 minutes or until browned.

3. Add garlic and sauté additional minute.

4. Add wine, artichokes and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened and chicken is done.

5. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and fresh basil. Add pasta, stir to combine. Serve with additional basil garnish if desired.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 332.8
Total Fat 8.8 g
Fiber 4.5 g
WW Points 7

Crockpot Chicken Lime Tacos

I haven’t used my CrockPot in a while. Well honestly, I haven’t touched it since the orange chicken failure, but we won’t talk about that. I heard about the whole put a smaller dish inside your large CrockPot to cook smaller portions rule, but failed to follow through with actually putting the lid on the dish inside, thus making it rather pointless. Oops. When I found this recipe, it seemed easy enough so I figured I could give the CrockPot (with a smaller dish inside) another try. I’m happy to say, it came out perfectly! The nice think about using a slow cooker is dinner is virtually ready when you get home with little work on your part, and, a bonus of using a small dish inside is that it’s MUCH easier to clean than that bulky CrockPot stoneware. I left the corn out since I’m not a big of it. I think I overcooked these a little, so next time I’ll set it for 5 hours instead of 6. My husband and I enjoyed these with some lettuce, cilantro, black olives, onion, cucumber, fat free sour cream and reduced fat shredded cheese on top. Makes for some yummy leftovers to take to work.

Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 T lime juice
4 T water
1 T chili powder
1 cup salsa
Whole wheat tortillas
Toppings of your preference

Directions
1. Place chicken in a 3 qt slow cooker.

2. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender.

3. Shred meat with two forks and stir in salsa.

4. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve in tortillas with toppings of your choice.

The Facts
6 Servings (Chicken Only)
Calories 120.2
Total Fat 1.3 g
Fiber 0.5 g
WW Points 2

Chicken Gyros

Check out that gyro, picture courtesy of my husband. He’s been very supportive with my new expanded interest in cooking and creating this blog. He reminds me to take pictures and even takes some for me (because, you know, he’s better with the whole fancy camera thing than I am!). Anyhow, just wanted to thank him for supporting and encouraging me.

Back to the gyro. Delicious. It brought us back to our honeymoon where we spent a relaxing day on the beach in Corfu and enjoyed an authentic Greek gyro for lunch. This would be fantastic with the addition of some baked fries in it. Maybe next time. :)

Afterthought: Although this did not TASTE too garlic-y at the time, we definitely had a strong aftertaste of garlic for the evening. I'm not sure if it's from the chicken marinade or tzaztiki though. Take that into account and adjust to your liking.

Adapted from elly says opa!

Ingredients
1 lb chicken (I used 99% fat free breasts, but think it would marinate better with thighs)
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 T lemon juice
2 t red wine vinegar
2 t extra virgin olive oil
3 T plain yogurt, fat free
1 T dried oregano
salt and pepper
Tzatziki
Tomatoes, cucumbers and/or onions for toppings
Whole Wheat Pitas

Directions
1. Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

2. Preheat the grill (or kindly ask your husband to!). Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then grill until cooked through. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.

3. Meanwhile, heat your pitas. I sprayed them with Pam and stuck them in the oven at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes. Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki, tomatoes and onions. Roll up and eat!

The Facts
4 Servings (Chicken Only)
Calories 137.0
Total Fat 3.5 g
Fiber 0.8 g
WW Points 3
*Nutrition Data includes complete marinade

Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce

This was a quick and easy week night meal. I added some chopped onion at Bryan’s request. I also reduced the olive oil, omitted the parmesan cheese and increased the pasta from 4 oz to 6 oz. The additional pasta made for a nice lunch for work the next day. A quite tasty meal that I look forward to making again!

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
6 oz uncooked medium whole wheat egg noodles
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 T all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 t salt, divided
1/4 t black pepper, divided
2 t olive oil, divided
3-4 garlic cloves, mince
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 - 1 cup chopped onion
1 (8 oz) package presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Directions
1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.

2. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken breast halves in a shallow dish. Combine 1 tablespoon flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Sprinkle flour mixture over chicken; toss to coat.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan.

4. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add garlic, tarragon, and onions to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté for an additional 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms darken.

5. Add white wine to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.

6. Return chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Uncover; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done. Stir in noodles; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve!

The Facts
4 servings
Calories 328.2
Total Fat 4.2 g
Fiber 6.7 g
WW Points 6