*Baked Chicken Nuggets*

Tonight I made a healthy version of chicken nuggets, really not bad for you at all!  The recipe makes 4 servings & it is only 164.9 calories, & 4.6 g fat per serving.  It also has 22.1 g protein.  Jay O. & I ate half & there is still plenty for us to eat for another meal, too.  I got this recipe off of Gina's Skinny Recipe Blog.  And, for those of you who are on weight watchers or keep up with the points, 1 serving is only 4 points.

Ingredients:
2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bite sized pieces (16 oz.)
2 tsp olive oil
6 Tbsp whole wheat italian bread crumbs
2 Tbsp panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
Olive Oil spray
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425.  
Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.
Put the olive oil in one bowl AND the breadcrumbs, panko, & Parmesan in another bowl.
Season chicken w/salt & pepper.
Put all of the chicken into the bowl w/the olive oil & evenly/lightly coat all of the chicken.
Put a few pieces of the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture at a time to coat, then place on the baking sheet.
Lightly coat the top of the chicken w/olive oil spray then bake for 8-10 min.
Turn the chicken over & then bake for another 4-5 min. or until cooked through.

I served mine w/baked onion & baked spicy sweet potato fries.  To bake an onion, just peel the outside of a yellow onion, evenly cut it down the middle 4 ways w/out cutting all the way through & place it inside aluminum foil. Season w/your ingredients of choice.  I used Worcestershire Sauce, season all salt & pepper.  Bake at 400-425 for 30-40 min (depending on how large the onion is).

Very yummy & light!

 

For those of you who have not tried these, I HIGHLY recommend them.  You simply bake them for 20-25 minutes & they're delish!

You can find them in the organic section of Kroger or at a health food store. 

*Chicken Chilaquiles*

I made this tonight for dinner and we loved it!  And, it was simple which made me love it even more :)  

Ingredients:
1Tbsp Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes, in puree
2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, finely chopped, + 1 Tbsp adobo sauce (from the same can)
coarse salt
1 cooked rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded 
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped
whole wheat tortilla chips
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup reduced fat feta cheese


Directions:
Combine oil and garlic in a large (3 to 4 quart) saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.  About 1 to 2 min.
Pour tomatoes into the saucepan (breaking tomatoes up), chipotles and adobo sauce, & 1 cup water.  Bring to a boil; season with salt.  
Reduce heat and simmer rapidly until lightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add chicken and cook, stirring, until hot.  About 1 minute.
Remove from heat, stir in chopped cilantro.
Divide chips into the bottom of each shallow bowl; top with chicken mixture and sauce.  Garnish with cilantro sprigs, a dollop of light sour cream & feta. 

I hope you enjoy!!!

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

My favorite thing to pick up for a quick lunch is Boulevard Bread's Mediterranean Tuna salad sandwich w/lettuce & tomato.  I made this recipe attempting to come close to theirs and came pretty close.  I think the main difference was I used light white tuna in water and not regular b/c mine wasn't quite as rich in flavor.  But, I still REALLY liked it!  Here's what I came up with:

Ingredients:
2 12 oz. cans tuna
1/2 red onion, diced
3 celery stocks, diced
4 Tbsp capers (or as many or few as you'd like)
1 6 oz. jar artichokes, sliced
4 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp Olive Oil (I used a lemon flavored olive oil we had at the house to add flavor)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar (would be good w/balsamic, too)
coarse salt & ground pepper to taste
AND, at the end I added about 1 Tbsp of light mayo to bring it all together.  Light mayo is not necessary though!

Okay, I made this recipe for the SECOND time yesterday & liked it much, much more.  The difference was I used 1 can of Light Tuna in Vegetable Oil + 1 can Light Tuna in Water.  Then I used Kraft Light Mayo made with Olive Oil to my desired consistency (prob about 1/3 cup) & drizzled red wine vinegar over the top & stirred to combine + squeezed the lemon.  All of the other ingredients were the same, I just didn't use actual olive oil...instead I substituted the Olive Oil Light Mayo.  Whatever you have on hand will work :))

 

This recipe is great to make ahead of time to eat during the week for lunches!  I made mine w/whole wheat pita bread, lettuce, & tomato.

*THIS WEEK'S FORECAST*

I am making my grocery list for the next couple of days and thought I would share a few recipes I will be trying this week.  I am really hoping they're blog worthy and I will be sharing them with you very soon.  I am only getting enough groceries for a few nights, b/c we plan on trying out a new Korean restaurant that's opening on Wednesday close to our house.  We are hoping it will be a new local favorite!  The 3 recipes below all come from the talented Martha.

 

 Recipe #1

Chicken Chilaquiles

Recipe #2

Grilled Vegetable Tostadas

w/fresh tomato salsa

Recipe #3

Southwestern Steak Salad

w/honey lime vinaigrette 

I am also going to make my best attempt at mocking Boulevard Bread's Mediterranean Tuna Salad, my favorite thing in the whole wide world!

 I will let you know how it turns out & hopefully share that, too:) 

*Asian Style Salad w/Rotisserie Chicken*

My mother-in-law is in town for her best friends daughter's wedding we are going to this Friday :))  Last night I prepared this salad and served it with multi-grain bread.  I was surprised to see the salad dressing was the exact same as the salad I made last week, but I loved it so much I didn't mind!  With all of the different ingredients in the salad, it didn't seem the same one bit.  But if you'd like I added a basic garlic vinaigrette recipe, too!
 
Salad Ingredients:
*1 rotisserie chicken w/skin and bones removed, shredded (about 4 cups)
*1/4 medium red cabbage,thinly sliced
*1 red bell pepper (ribs & seeds removed), thinly sliced
*1/2 red onion, diced
*1 large head romaine lettuce, torn
*1/2 cup cashews (I did 1/2 cashews, 1/2 almonds b/c that's what I had on hand)
*1 handful bacon pieces or turkey bacon pieces
*1/2 container feta cheese
you can add, omit, or substitute any of the above ingredients.
Picture by marthastewart.com  My picture didn't turn out nearly as pretty!


Dressing Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil OR vegetable oil               

Coarse salt and ground pepper


OR if you just want a basic vinaigrette dressing:
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
kosher salt and ground white pepper

Make dressing: In a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. (or do the same for the basic vinaigrette)

In a large bowl combine chicken, cabbage, romaine, bell pepper, red onion, & feta; season with salt & pepper.  In another large bowl, toss lettuce with 1/2 cup dressing.  Divide the salad onto 4 plates and top with chicken mixture.  Drizzle salads with remaining dressing and sprinkle the top with your cashews and almonds.

I got this recipe from Martha Stewart but added a few ingredients that I thought would make the salad more complete :)  She called it the Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad, but it didn't seem very asianesque to me w/the cilantro in the dressing, etc.  Maybe the cabbage?  Let me know what you think!

Happy Birthday to me :))

My birthday was last Friday on April 8th.  My parents took Jay O. & I out to celebrate with a nice dinner at Ashley's at the Capitol.  My grandmother Gin-gin hosted my bridal luncheon there, and I've eaten at the Capitol Bar quite a few times but I had never dined at Ashley's...it was quite the treat!  

I took pictures of some of the delicious food that was prepared by Chef Lee Richardson  who recently won the people's choice award for best new chef in the MidWest.  The competition was put on by Food & Wine magazine.  After tasting the delectable first courses & entree's I would say he more than deserved the prize. 

Please keep in mind I took these pictures with my iPhone, so they really don't give the food's presentation justice.  And, considering my iPhone doesn't have a flash it didn't help that it was dark.  I think I should start carrying my actual camera.  Dontcha think?

 They even had my name at the top of each menu :)

 

I had the snails for an appetizer

This picture has a thin cracker on top that is easily broken to eat w/the snails

 

Picture of snails without the cracker

Diver Scallops with grilled onion & hollandaise puree for my entree

 

I said I didn't want dessert b/c the next day was my "actual" birthday & I knew I would have cake then 

(plus I chose to have a glass of champagne instead;))

So, they brought out a plain white plate with "Happy Birthday" written out in cursive with chocolate & a candle glued to the plate.  Pretty clever!  

And, considering I am not a huge sweets person, it was perfect.

 My Dad & Jay O. got “The Egg”: Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème with Caramel Foam and Sea Salt for their dessert.  I had a bite & it was amazzzzing.

Sorry, this one was extra blurry. 

And then, they rolled up my menu & tied it with a bow :)

Thank you Mom & Dad!  I thoroughly enjoyed it!!! 

Love y'all.

Verde Chicken Tortilla Pie (or make them enchiladas)

This is what I served as my entree last night.  I was thinking about it, & I have no idea why I have never posted this b/c it is my all time favorite!  I usually make them into enchiladas, but I told Jay O. after doing it this way...I might never go back to the enchilada way again!  This was SO simple!

Ingredients:
12 corn tortillas
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded w/skin removed
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 16 oz. container LIGHT Sour Cream
1 8 oz. container chopped green chilies
1 Jar Verde Salsa
Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
Add green onion on top, or sprinkle taco seasoning to add color.

Directions:
Heat oven to 375
Combine cream of chicken soup, light sour cream, and green chilies into a medium size bowl, stir well.
In a baking dish, spread the mixture on the bottom of the dish.
Heat a DRY, small skillet over high heat.
Individually heat each tortilla in the skillet on each side before placing it into the dish.
Here's the process (not forgetting to heat each tortilla, of course!)...  
Spread mixture on bottom-->place 4 tortillas on top into a square-->spread more mixture on top-->sprinkle shredded chicken on top-->pour verde salsa on top of chicken-->sprinkle cheese on top of salsa-->4 more tortillas-->mixture-->chicken-->salsa-->cheese-->REPEAT THIS PROCESS ONE MORE TIME.  Bake at 375 for 30-35 min.

 

I usually set the extra salsa out as an option to put over the top of each serving.
If you would like to make enchiladas, simply spread the mixture on the bottom of the dish, heat each tortilla & spread a spoonful of the mixture (just mix verde salsa into the mixture if making enchiladas) inside of the tortilla, sprinkle chicken & cheese & roll up.  After you've finished all of the tortillas & they're evenly lined up in the dish, spread the mixture & sprinkle cheese on top!  If you're making enchiladas, you will need more than 12 tortillas. 

Mexican Chopped Salad w/Honey-Lime Vinaigrette!

This is the salad I served.  The dressing is definitely a keeper!!  If the cilantro smells stronger than usual, don't use quite as much in the dressing.

Ingredients:                                                 

1 head Romaine, shredded

1 can mexicorn
1 avocado, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 small pkg slivered almonds, toasted

1 container Feta cheese

1/2 can black beans

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 container cherry tomatoes

Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro

1 garlic clove, pressed/minced

1 Serrano pepper, diced

Directions:
Toast the slivered almonds on a baking sheet @ 350 for about 8 min, or until slightly browned.

Prepare all salad ingredients & put on top of the shredded romaine in a large, and of course cute, bowl :-)  Cover with fresh cracked pepper.

Place all dressing ingredients into a blender or food processor & pulse until blended.  I like to put the dressing in a food processor to evenly disperse the cilantro, garlic & Serrano.  

Pour dressing over salad & toss to serve!

I got this salad recipe from Epicurious, & made a few minor changes.  Love this site. 

This would be great as a meal w/crushed chips underneath the salad & grilled chicken on top!

*Corn & Avocado Salsa*

Last night Jay O. & I had Aunt Abigail, Rebekah, & Chris over for dinner.  Yesterday, I was in the mood to cook so I decided to have a mini dinner party, we were glad they were able to make it!  This is what I served as an app. 

 

Ingredients:

1/2 can golden sweet kernel corn                                                
1 can mexicorn
2 avocados seeded & diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced

1 Serrano pepper, diced

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
you could use the full can of corn & full red onion if serving a larger group.
And, it would be great with a can of black beans added, too!

Directions:

Drain corn & dice ingredients.  

Combine corn, avocado, onion, red bell pepper, Serrano pepper, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, cilantro, salt & pepper.

In a small container combine & stir red wine vinegar, olive oil, & fresh lime juice; stir to combine.

Pour the mixture over the veggies, & stir.  
If you're waiting awhile to serve the dip, wait to add the avocado in right before serving so the avocado doesn't brown & stays fresh!

Chill until ready to serve.  Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.  Whole wheat scoops are my favorite choice!

Very Refreshing!!!

*Brocolli Salad*

For the entree when my parents came over for dinner, I prepared this light & healthy broccoli salad & a previous post, turkey cacciatore  burgers on portobello "buns." We enjoyed dinner out on the back porch, it was perfect weather for it!

Ingredients:                                               

1 1/2 lbs broccoli

3 Tbsp chopped red bell pepper

3 Tbsp chopped red onion

3 Tbsp distilled white vinegar, or rice-wine vinegar

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil or Olive Oil

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Salt to taste

I think next time, I will stir in some toasted slivered almonds, if you want to add that :)

Directions:

Cut off broccoli florets. Trim and peel stems; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place broccoli florets and stems in a steamer basket over boiling water; cover and steam until cooked but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Refresh under cold water. Drain well.

Stir together bell pepper, onion, vinegar, oil, brown sugar and crushed red pepper in a serving bowl. Just before serving, add the broccoli and toss to combine. Season with salt.

Only 109 Calories per serving, if you're just using this as a side item it would be even less. I got this recipe from Eating Well.