Chicken with Quick Chile Verde

I had high hopes for this meal because I love tomatillos. Don't get me wrong, it was good and filling but it was just so dang spicy that I couldn't enjoy it fully. Maybe if you add a very small dollop of sour cream it would tone down the spice and bring out some good flavor. Husband and I both gave this a 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 8 ounces tomatillos coarsely chopped (about 3)
• 1 large jalapeño pepper seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Grapefruit Walnut, and Feta Salad
• Herbed Corn Muffins
• Rosemary-Garlic Roasted Potatoes
• Snap Pea and Radish Sauté

Directions

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.
2. While chicken cooks, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, onion, and next 5 ingredients (through jalapeño); cook 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Place tomatillo mixture in a blender; add lime juice. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Pulse 10 times or until a chunky salsa forms. Spoon tomatillo mixture over chicken; sprinkle with cilantro.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 258
Fat: 8.4g
Cholesterol: 109mg
Sodium: 494mg
Fiber: 1.7g
Protein: 37g

Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu

I'm curious as to why someone would make the full fat version of this meal. I am not sure I've ever had this before but I loved this version so much that I won't make it any other way! We used crushed rice chex again instead of bread crumbs to make it gluten free. I also bought honey maple ham from the deli which was a nice flavor. Both kids LOVED it and Husband and I gobbled this up! The serving size is 2 pieces but 1 filled me up just fine so I skipped the extra calories of piece number 2. All in all 5 out of 5 stars!

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 12 thin sliced (36 oz total) skinless boneless chicken breasts, 3 oz each
• salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 5 oz (6 slices) thinly sliced lean deli ham, sliced in half
• 6 slices (4.4 oz) Sargento reduced fat Swiss cheese, cut in half

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Wash and dry the chicken cutlets; lightly pound the chicken to make thinner and lightly season with salt and black pepper.
3. Lay the chicken on a working surface and place a slice of ham on top of the chicken, then the cheese and roll, setting them aside seam side down.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and egg whites along with water to make an egg wash.
5. In another medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
6. Dip the chicken into the egg wash, then into the breadcrumbs.
7. Place chicken onto the baking sheet seem side down. Spray the top of the chicken with more cooking spray and bake about 25 minutes, or until until cooked.
8. Makes 12.
9. Gluten Free substitution: Use chex cereal instead of bread crumbs.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 378
Fat: 10g
Sodium: 813mg
Sugar: 1g
Carbohydrate: 8g
Fiber: 0.5g
Protein: 55g

Cheesy Jalapeno Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken

Back when I was in high school my best friend and I would always go to Jack in the Box for what we called "Things" which were actually those jalapeno popper things. We loved them. Needless to say when I found this recipe I went ballistic! Healthy "things"!!! Hooray! This recipe was good but I only put one jalapeno in them not sure if it would be too spicy and it wasn't enough. Next time I will try 2. We also used green onions instead of scallions because they are easier to find and we usually have them on hand. To make this gluten free we used crushed up chex (corn or rice) and put a little italian seasoning in them instead of bread crumbs. See that cheese oozing from the side in the picture? That for me is the best part and makes this recipe a 5 out of 5. Husband on the other hand gave it a 4 because he is not a huge fan of "things". I'll let you make it and decide.

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 slices center cut bacon cooked and crumbled
• 3 jalapeños chopped (remove seeds for milder)
• 3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese softened
• 4 oz reduced fat shredded cheddar jack Sargento
• 2 tbsp chopped scallions
• 8 thin sliced skinless chicken breast cutlets 3 oz each
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 juicy limes juice of
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and fresh pepper
• olive oil non-stick spray

Directions

1. Wash and dry chicken cutlets, season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Combine cream cheese, cheddar, scallions, jalapeño and bacon crumbles in a medium bowl.
3. Lay chicken cutlets on a working surface and spread 2 tbsp of cream cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one, secure the ends with toothpicks to prevent the cheese from oozing out.
4. Place breadcrumbs in a bowl; in a second bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.
5. Dip chicken in lime-oil mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down on a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray.
6. Bake 22-25 minutes, serve immediately.

Gluten Free substitution: Use crushed rice chex cereal mixed with italian seasoning instead of bread crumbs.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 371
Fat: 17.5g
Sodium: 355.8
Sugar: 0.6g
Carbohydrate: 11g
Fiber: 1.5g
Protein: 42.7g

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Yeah! Another crock pot meal that is super yummy! This had a little kick so I didn't give it to the kids but it wasn't too spicy for me and I'm a wimp. It was similar to a lot of the other taco soup type things we've made in the crock pot but it had a lot more flavor. Husband was a genius and used the fire roasted diced tomatoes which always make a meal better. We ate this with a few tortilla chips and it was great. 5 out of 5 stars and no complaints here!

Source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/12/crock-pot-chicken-enchilada-soup.html

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups low sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1-2 tsp chipotle chili in adobo sauce or more to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 8 oz skinless chicken breasts 16 oz total
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions, for topping
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
• fat free sour cream optional

Directions

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Pour into crock pot.
2. To the crockpot, add drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir. Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
3. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add chicken back into the soup, adjust salt and cumin to taste. Serve in bowls and top with fat free sour cream, cheese, scallions and cilantro. You can also top with avocado or crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Amount Per Serving

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups + cheese • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts

Calories: 260.9 • Fat: 6.6 g • Protein: 25.4 g • Carb: 29.9 g • Fiber: 6.7 g • Sugar: 4.1 g
Sodium: 572 mg (without salt)

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken

We are suckers for some good Thai food so we are always looking for new pad thai recipes. I don't care what you call it, this is pretty much pad thai. I really wanted to like this. Unfortunately this was far too spicy to even taste. The chicken had really good flavor which says a lot coming from me since I am not a fan of chicken. I think we will make this again but try to tame down the spice. Suggestions welcome. 3.5 out of 5 stars as is but we may re-rate if we can get it tamed at all.

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 14.5 ozs fat free chicken broth vegetarians use vegetable broth
• 5 tbsps better'n peanut butter
• 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce
• 2 tbsps honey
• 2 tbsps soy sauce use Tamari for gluten free
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 ozs chicken breast, cut into thin strips
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce more or less to taste
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp soy sauce use Tamari for gluten free
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 8 ozs rice noodles
• 3/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups shredded carrots
• 1 1/4 cups cup shredded broccoli slaw
• 1 cup bean bean sprouts
• 2 tbsps chopped peanuts
• 1 lime, sliced
• cilantro for garnish optional

Directions

1. For the peanut sauce: Combine 1 cup chicken broth, peanut butter, sriracha, honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, ginger, and 3 cloves crushed garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
2. Boil water for the noodles cook pasta according to package instructions.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper, sriracha, lime, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.
4. Heat a large skillet or wok until hot. Add oil and sauté chicken on high heat until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.
5. Add 2 cloves crushed garlic, scallions, carrots, broccoli slaw and/or bean sprouts and salt, sauté until tender crisp, about 1-2 minutes.
6. Drain noodles and toss with peanut sauce and additional chicken broth if needed to loosen the sauce. When chicken is cooked, toss with noodles.
7. Divide noodles and chicken between 6 bowls, top with sauteed vegetables, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts (or you can toss everything together to hide the vegetables so your family members don't push them aside!) and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 337.9 • Fat: 4.6 g • Carbs: 51.4 g • Fiber: 3.7 g • Protein: 21.1 g

Chicken Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

I've been craving salads and fruit and light things lately (and no I'm not pregnant) so I went searching for a good salad for dinner tonight. All in all it was pretty good. Nothing super spectacular but we would definitely eat it again. We give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups uncooked orzo rice-shaped pasta
• 3 cups chopped grilled chicken breast strips such as Tyson
• 1½ cups trimmed arugula
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
• ¼ cup chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.
2. Combine pasta, chicken, and the next 6 ingredients (through oregano) in a large bowl; toss well.
3. Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 295

Fat: 7.7g

Cholesterol: 55mg

Sodium: 788mg

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 24.4g

Chicken Enchiladas

Enchiladas are one of those things we have about 100 recipes for like lasagna or chocolate chip cookies. We are always searching for that "winner" recipe that makes us want to settle down and commit. Tonight I'm surprised that Husband did not get down on his knee and pull out a ring for these babies. He said not only are these the best enchiladas we've ever made but he then went on to say they might be the best enchiladas he has EVER HAD! High praise since we lived in California where the Mexican Food is real and good and real good. Husband cooked dinner as usual (sorry ladies, he's taken) and the smells coming from the kitchen were great. I was concerned because I could smell the spice and I am generally a wuss. They were pretty spicy but totally worth the burn. The only changes were that Husband couldn't find any fresh jalapenos when he was doing the grocery shopping (he's still taken) so he used those pickled ones you would put on delicious gas station nachos which still worked. He also used smaller pieces of chicken which messed up our plans to do the 2 smaller pans and put one in the freezer. We got about 9 enchiladas instead of 12. That's ok. I'm pretty sure Husband would rather the leftovers be immediate then have to know they are in the freezer taunting him. He actually had to put them away immediately so he didn't eat them all. Needless to say these are a 5 out of 5 stars or a 35 out of 5 stars according to Husband.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4 cups cold water
• 2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 jalapeno pepper, halved
• ¹⁄₂ medium onion, cut into wedges
• 1 (7-ounce) can salsa verde
• ¹⁄₄ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup chopped seeded tomato
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground red pepper
• 4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, shredded about 1/4 cup

Directions

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan using a slotted spoon; let stand 10 minutes. Shred the chicken, and set aside. Drain cooking liquid through a sieve over a bowl; reserve cooking liquid. Discard solids.
2. Combine reserved cooking liquid and salsa verde in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups (about 30 minutes). Reduce heat to low; stir in whipping cream. Place pan over low heat.
3. Preheat oven to 400°.
4. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add tomato and next 5 ingredients (through cream cheese) to chicken; toss. Dip each tortilla in sauce mixture for 10 seconds. Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup chicken mixture; roll up. Arrange filled tortillas, seam side down, in an 11 x 7–inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon sauce over tortillas; top evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 262

Fat: 10.8g

Cholesterol: 65mg

Sodium: 715mg

Fiber: 2.5g

Protein: 18.3g

Chicken with Pepperoni-Marinara Sauce

I really wish I could just write yum but I will give more info than that. We've had this on the schedule for a while and have been putting it off for some reason. We were definitely pleasantly surprised. Put frankly, we LOVED it. We call it "pizza chicken" and it seems relatively kid friendly. We don't have a dutch oven so Husband just cooked the chicken and the sauce and then put it in a pyrex to put in the oven. We will DEFINITELY make this again!! 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 16 slices pepperoni, coarsely chopped
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups lower-sodium marinara sauce such as McCutcheon's
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 ¹⁄₂ pounds chicken cutlets
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic and pepperoni; cook 2 minutes or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently. Add oregano; cook 30 seconds. Add marinara sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in basil.
3. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with pepper. Add chicken to skillet; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, turning after 3 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 380

Fat: 14.7g

Cholesterol: 122mg

Sodium: 533mg

Fiber: 0.1g

Protein: 48.5g

Chicken Tostadas

Husband has always been a big fan of tostadas (don't ask me why since they should taste just like a taco...) so when I saw this in one of my new slow cooker magazines I knew it was a must make! We had a family dinner yesterday after church so it was nice to have a meal that was cooking while we were gone. Pardon the plate made by Super Sweet Super Picky Niece but it is always my favorite to use when I am over at their house. This meal was SUPER good. The limes we bought earlier in the week were not looking so usable when we went to start it and since it was Sunday we had a very "make it work" crisis moment. Not to fear. We had a lemon for some other recipe on the schedule so we used that and it still turned out scrumptious. We will definitely be making this again and now I can say I told you so to Husband when he gives me crap about my addiction to cooking magazines. 5 out of 5 stars, although when I was just eating it for lunch I accidentally said 10 stars so I guess it should be a 10 out of 5 stars.

Source: Diabetic Slow Cooker

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 2 jalapeño pepper seeded, finely chopped (See tip below)
• 8 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tablespoons Chili powder
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
• 1 medium onion sliced and separated into rings
• 2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
• 10 tostada shells
• ³⁄₄ cup reduced fat cheddar cheese shredded
• 2 cups lettuce shredded
• ³⁄₄ cup bottled salsa
• ³⁄₄ cup light sour cream
• ¹⁄₂ cup sliced ripe olives

Directions

1. 1. In a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker combine jalapeno peppers, garlic, chili powder, lime juice, and hot pepper sauce. Add onion and chicken to cooker.
2. 2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
3. 3. Remove chicken and onion from cooker, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Using two forks, shred chicken. In a medium bowl combine chicken, onion and the 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
4. 4. Spread refried beans on tostada shells. Top with chicken mixture and shredded cheese. Serve with lettuce, salsa, sour cream and olives. If desired serve with lime wedges.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 285

Fat: 11g

Cholesterol: 86mg

Sodium: 606mg

Sugar: 2g

Carbohydrate: 22g

Fiber: 5g

Protein: 25g

A tip from me to you:

Jalapenos can be nasty little buggers when you cut them and then touch ANYTHING. Usually my fingers burn for hours after cutting those stupid little bandits. Here is my super classy solution:

Ziplocs. Yes. Those are ziplocs.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Ok, ignore the mass amounts of sour cream in the picture. Please use less. Husband loves sour cream and I could do without entirely. That being said Husband fell in love with this meal AND Thing 1 ate almost an entire serving. We love these 8 serving casseroles because we split them in half and put one in the freezer for later. Works great for when you have too much going on to get to the store or you just don't feel like cooking. Husband made this and added a little fresh pico de gallo since we had it and it would have eventually gone bad in our fridge. Less spicy than expected but great flavors. 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese divided
• ¹⁄₃ cup fat-free milk
• ¹⁄₄ cup egg substitute
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
• 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles drained
• Cooking spray
• 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
• ¹⁄₂ cup fat-free sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 354

Fat: 14.1g

Cholesterol: 58mg

Sodium: 620mg

Fiber: 2.5g

Protein: 18.9g

Buffalo Chicken Thighs and Buttermilk-Blue Cheese Smashed Potatoes

Ok, tonight you get a 2 for 1. We'll start with the chicken and work our way down.

Chicken

This is a good recipe but I think the serving size is WAY off. After one I was stuffed and didn't end up eating the other. We've tried various buffalo chicken recipes and out of all the healthy ones this has been the best. Husband was have trouble with the chicken and various nasty things like veins and stuff so he wants to try boneless next time. Works for me. Thing 1 was refusing to try it but once we bribed him into taking 1 bite he ate the rest and liked it. 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4 (but not really...)

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground red pepper
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs skinned
• 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Shake to blend. Add half of chicken to bag; seal. Shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag, shaking to remove excess flour mixture. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add flour-coated chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer browned chicken to a jelly-roll pan. Repeat procedure with the remaining uncooked chicken, flour mixture, and oil. Discard remaining flour mixture. Bake chicken at 375° for 8 minutes or until done.
3. Combine hot sauce and butter in a microwave-safe dish; microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds or until butter melts, stirring to blend. Place chicken in a shallow dish; drizzle with butter sauce. Toss to coat.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 318

Fat: 17.8g

Cholesterol: 106mg

Sodium: 474mg

Fiber: 0.4g

Protein: 28.4g

Potatoes

Confession time... I undercooked the potatoes. I didn't even check them before dumping the water. Oh well, the flavor was still really good and even thought they could have been better they were good. Husband doesn't typically like blue cheese but he says that it's not too overpowering and it actually adds good flavor. 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound small red potatoes
• ¹⁄₃ cup buttermilk
• ¹⁄₄ cup crumbled blue cheese
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with cold water to 2 inches above potatoes. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Return potatoes to pan. Add buttermilk, blue cheese, salt, and pepper to pan; mash with potato masher to desired consistency.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 117

Fat: 2.9g

Sodium: 277mg

*Note: the labels on this recipe are for both so pay close attention. If it says dairy free it could be just one. Let me know if there are any questions on the specific recipe.

Thai Chicken Pizza

This was Thai peanut goodness. Wouldn't change a thing and especially love the dough. Not much to say but yum. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

 

Source: Eating Well

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 20 ounces prepared whole-wheat pizza dough (see Shopping Tip)
• ¹⁄₄ cup smooth natural peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, trimmed and diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 4 scallions thinly sliced
• ²⁄₃ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Place oven rack in the lowest position; preheat to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Roll out or stretch dough on a lightly floured surface into a rough 16-inch oval. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk peanut butter, water, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and garlic in a small bowl until well combined.
4. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add bell pepper, scallions and 1 tablespoon of the peanut sauce to the chicken; toss to combine.
5. Remove the crust from the oven; spread evenly with the remaining peanut sauce. Top with the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with cheese. Return the pizza to the oven and bake on the bottom rack until the crust is crispy and golden and the cheese is melted, 11 to 13 minutes.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 355

Fat: 9 g

Cholesterol: 29 mg

Sodium: 447 mg

Carbohydrate: 42 g

Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 20 g

Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

This was only my second time trying orzo and I really like it. It's a lighter way to do pasta and doesn't leave you feeling weighed down like some other pasta. We didn't have the fresh marjoram so we just left it out. I didn't notice anything missing. The only other change I would make is either cut the artichoke hearts smaller or use a little less. I love artichoke hearts but they were a little overpowering to the other flavors in this dish. Thing 1 loved the "rice noodles" and gobbled them up so that puts a lovely "kid friendly" stamp on this one.  4.5 out of 5 stars.

 

Source: www.eatingwell.com

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces orzo preferably whole-wheat
• 1 cup water
• ¹⁄₂ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), divided
• 1 plum tomato diced
• 1 clove garlic peeled
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram divided
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil divided
• 4 boneless chicken breasts skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts thawed
• ¹⁄₂ cup finely shredded Romano cheese divided

Directions

1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 457

Fat: 12 g

Cholesterol: 68 m

Carbohydrate: 54 g

Fiber: 10 g

Protein: 36 g

Pineapple Chicken Satay

"On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop..."

Hey give me some credit, it's a chicken lollipop! And it is SO good!!! Pardon the absence of our caterpillar friend in the picture we forgot until after I devoured all the food. We used tiny pieces of meat so I ended up eating more than 2 (not saying how many) but I think it added up to the same amount. Just be careful with this because it is hard to stop eating. The funny thing is that I normally am a wuss when it comes to spice but I enjoyed ever bead of sweat rolling down my face while I ate it. I seriously even licked the sauce bowl. That is the BEST part! My sister in law makes a mean peanut sauce but she adds more ingredients and does it over the stove. I think this is an easy yummy alternative although I might scale back on the chili sauce next time to tone it down. The pineapple mixture is also very spicy because of the cayenne pepper. Thing 1 enjoyed the chicken without any of the side stuff so I do call this kid friendly. I will definitely make this again with much larger pieces of chicken. Yummy. 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₄ cup lower-sodium soy sauce
• ¹⁄₄ cup sweet chili sauce (such as Mae Ploy)
• ¹⁄₄ cup natural-style crunchy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon curry powder
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders cut lengthwise into 8 pieces
• Cooking spray
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups diced pineapple
• ¹⁄₃ cup vertically sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground red pepper

Directions

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. 2. Place peanut oil, curry powder, and chicken in a bowl; toss to coat. Thread chicken onto 8 (6-inch) skewers. 3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. 4. While chicken cooks, combine 1 1/2 cups pineapple, 1/3 cup red onion, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper. Serve chicken with soy sauce mixture and pineapple mixture.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 330

Fat: 11.9g

Cholesterol: 66mg

Sodium: 528mg

Carbohydrate: 22.7g

Fiber: 2.2g

Protein: 31.2g

Chipotle-&-Orange Grilled Chicken

"On Friday he ate through five oranges, but he was still hungry."

There are some meals that we sort of haggle over the ratings and this was one of them. We came to the conclusion that this is a very quick, easy and low calorie meal that tastes good. Not great but good enough to eat again especially when you think about how easy and low cal it is. We cooked this on the grill pan and served it with some quinoa and an asian salad. We had a great picture of the whole meal but we forgot to include our little insect friend so we had to take another and the salad was gone. Oh well. We also added extra glaze as a sauce once it was on our plate and cut up which added a lot of extra flavor and I highly recommend doing. 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Eating Well

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons orange-juice concentrate thawed
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (see Note)
• 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts,trimmed
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat grill or broiler.
2. Whisk together orange-juice concentrate, chipotle pepper, vinegar, molasses and mustard in a small bowl.
3. Lightly oil the grill or broiler rack (see Tip). Season chicken with salt and grill or broil for 2 minutes. Turn, brush with the glaze and cook for 4 minutes, brushing occasionally with glaze. Turn again, brush with the glaze, and cook until the center is no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 149

Fat: 3 g

Cholesterol: 63 m

Carbohydrate: 7 g

Fiber: 0 g

Protein: 23 g

Gouda-Stuffed Chicken with Apples

"On Monday he ate through one apple. But he was still hungry."      

       The first recipe in our Very Hungry Caterpillar challenge was something containing apples. We had made this chicken before and I thought I really loved it last time. I was wrong. Husband was right. This was only ok at best. I think the method of cooking the chicken made it taste burnt and dry. The sauce never thickened the way we wanted and the flavors all seemed very separate. They didn't really gel. We'll chalk this one up as a "you can't win 'em all" scenario and the caterpillar can try again tomorrow. 2 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 (4 ounce) skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 3 ounces smoked Gouda cut into thin slices
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cups apple cider
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tablespoons honey
• 2 medium Granny Smith or Red delicious apples (about 1/4 lb.) each peeled and cut into 12 wedges
• fresh rosemary

Directions

1. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each breast half to form a pocket; divide cheese evenly among pockets. Dredge chicken in flour.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside; and keep warm in a 250 oven. Add broth, apple cider, and garlic to skillet; bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes or until thick and syrupy, stirring occasionally; Add honey and apple wedges, and cook an additional 5 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring to coat apple wedges with sauce.
3. Spoon apple sauce over the chicken, and garnish with fresh rosemary, if desired.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 339

Fat: 9.9 g

Cholesterol: 90 mg

Sodium: 410 mg

Carbohydrate: 29.5 g

Fiber: 2 g

Protein: 32.2 g

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Last night we had a family picnic in the park and we, of course, decided to try something new. I sent husband a bunch of links to different wrap recipes and this is the one he picked. I could have guessed that really... you put "buffalo chicken" in the title of any recipe and he's game. I suggested to him that he could swap out the blue cheese for feta (even though I LOVE blue cheese but he does not) and leave out the celery. It tasted pretty good but I would've preferred the blue cheese. It was a nice picnic recipe and I could see us making it again. 3.5 or 4 out of 5 stars.

Recipe from Eating Well

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce such as Frank's RedHot
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar divided
• ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pounds chicken tenders
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• ¼ cups crumbled blue cheese
• 4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
• 1 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 cups sliced celery
• 1 large tomato diced

Directions

1. Whisk hot pepper sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders; cook until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add to the bowl with the hot sauce; toss to coat well.
3. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese.
4. To assemble wraps: Lay a tortilla on a work surface or plate. Spread with 1 tablespoon blue cheese sauce and top with one-fourth of the chicken, lettuce, celery and tomato. Drizzle with some of the hot sauce remaining in the bowl and roll into a wrap sandwich. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 275

Fat: 8 g

Cholesterol: 55 m

Carbohydrate: 29 g

Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 24 g

Chicken Taco Soup

Tonight was another yummy contest recipe. My favorite thing about this one was that it was made in the crock pot which is always nice. We had a chicken taco soup recipe that was ok but we like this one better. I ate mine with a teeny bit of non-fat sour cream and a few hint of lime chips (not the dorito kind but a really yummy kind I found at sunflower market) and I thought those were the perfect toppings. After I finished I thought I should have used some avocado but it was still great. This is one you can make over and over. Yummy. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Emily Mann, Sacramento, CA

Course: Soup

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
• 3 cups water
• ¼ cups taco seasoning (I use the kind from Costco)
• 1 15 oz can stew-cut tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can kidney or black beans
• 1 cups frozen corn
• 1 4 oz can diced green chilies
• 2 chicken breasts cut into large chunks

Directions

1. 1. Add tomato sauce, water, and taco seasoning to a large Crockpot and stir until seasoning is blended well.
2. 2. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on high fro 4-5 hours, or low 7-8 hours.
3. 3. Take out the chicken chunks with tongs and shred with forks, returning chicken to the Crockpot.
4. 4. Serve with your desired toppings.

Topping Suggestions:
 Tortilla Chips, crushed
 Shredded cheese
 Sour Cream (Fat Free of course)
 Avocado or guacamole
 Chopped tomatoes or Pico de Gallo
 Anything else you like on your tacos (except I don’t recommend lettuce)

Amount Per Serving (without toppings)

Calories: 250

Fat: 2g

Carbohydrate: 30.7g

Protein: 27.4g

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Tonight's dinner was our 3rd stuffed chicken breast recipe we've tried and husband is officially not a fan of stuffed chicken. This is my favorite out of the 3 but I love the mediterranean flavors and husband does not. Since these were fairly thin I just put the stuff in the middle and folded them over that way. We also decided to cook them on the foreman just for convenience. They take about 6 to 8 minutes when done on the foreman grill. We couldn't agree on a rating husband says 2 and I say 3.5 to 4 stars. If you like these ingredients please try this recipe and let me know if you agree with me. Help a sister out!

Recipe from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
• 8 (6-ounce) skinless boneless chicken breasts

Directions

1. Directions: Preheat broiler. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and finely chop. Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Combine bell pepper, cheese, olives, and basil. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 2 tablespoons bell pepper mixture into each pocket; close opening with a wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from grill; cover loosely with foil, and let stand 10 minutes.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 210

Fat: 5.9g

Cholesterol: 98mg

Sodium: 266mg

Carbohydrate: 1.8g

Fiber: 0.5g

Protein: 35.2g

Chicken Tacos with Charred Tomatoes

Tonight's dinner is a lot like a street taco with lots of flavor but not too much spice (unless you like spice in which case you can add a jalapeno or 2.) It's one of those rare recipes that is naturally dairy and gluten free and still tastes good! Since plum tomatoes are harder to find in Utah we use grape tomatoes and we use green onions instead of scallions. 5 out of 5 stars.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 2 plum tomatoes cored
• 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons canola oil divided
• 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
• 2 teaspoons lime juice plus lime wedges for garnish
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 scallions chopped
• 6 small corn tortillas heated

Directions

1. Heat a medium skillet over high heat until very hot. Add tomatoes and cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until charred on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise; squeeze to discard seeds. Remove cores and chop the remaining pulp and skin.
2. Cut chicken into 1-inch chunks; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan and heat over high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lime juice, the chicken and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and scallions. Divide the chicken mixture among tortillas. Serve with lime wedges. Makes 2 servings.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 297

Fat: 9 g

Cholesterol: 63 mg

Sodium: 415 mg

Carbohydrate: 27 g

Fiber: 2 g

Protein: 27 g