Tuscan Chicken

There is just something about the smell of freshly cut garlic that makes the entire house smell wonderful. As soon as I cut into the garlic for this chicken dish, I knew it was bound to be a success.

This recipe suggests pounding out the chicken. If you’ve never done this to chicken…you will be thoroughly surprised and pleased that you did. It makes the entire piece the same thickness ensuring equal cooking time throughout.

Source: Taste of Home

Ingredients: for 2

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
¼ tsp rubbed sage
¼ tsp dried thyme
1 Tbs olive oil

Flatten chicken with flat side of mallet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook and stir the garlic, rosemary, sage and thyme in oil for about 1 minute. Add chicken; cook for 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear.
Voila!

Vegetable and Chicken Skillet

The flavor of this dish was amazing for the little amount of ingredients it required! Definitely a repeat at my house.

Source: adapted from Taste of Home

Serves: 2- 8 points plus

Ingredients:
8 oz chicken breast- cut into cubes
1 med. yellow squash- chopped
1 med. onion- chopped
1 med. carrot- chopped
2 tsp butter
3 cups fresh baby spinach- roughly chopped
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
water for rice

Cook rice according to directions.

In a large skillet, saute the chicken, squash, onion and carrot in butter for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. If there is an abundance of liquid after cooking the chicken, drain off. Add the spinach, garlic, dash of salt, thyme and pepper; cook 2 minutes longer.

Stir in cooked rice and serve warm!

*The picture doesn't do this meal justice...but if you're looking for a way to get in your veggies this is the meal for you!

Orange-Glazed Chicken

This recipe is very easy to put together and so yummy! Enjoy

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Teriyaki Sauce
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 Tbl vegetable oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken, sliced into strips
1 can (8 oz) bamboo shoots, drained
1 med. red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 Tbl corn starch
1 Tbl water
1/2 cup cashews (opt)

1. Stir together teriyaki sauce, marmalade and ginger in small bowl until well blended; set aside.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Cook and stir chicken about 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in bamboo shoots and peppers.

3. Add prepared sauce to skillet. Stir together cornstarch and water until smooth; add to skillet. Cook until heated through and sauce thickens. Top with cashews and some sliced green onions.

If you wanted to stretch this meal you could easily add rice to go along side...but I didn't think it was a necessity.

Chicken and Napa Cabbage Salad

There are a few ingredients that always seem to catch my eye. If you’ve been reading my blog for long, you probably know I prefer anything with blueberries, pumpkin and fresh ginger. But another one I haven’t written too much about is Asian sesame oil. It’s amazing the flavor this oil adds to any dish…especially if you want a more ethnic taste. It just takes a little bit….so only add it by the tsp!

Source: Weight Watchers Momentum Cookbook

Ingredients: entire recipe is 8 points plus
2 Tbl lime juice
2 tsp Asian (dark) sesame oil (2 points plus)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
5 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
6 oz. shredded cooked chicken breast (6 points plus)
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced

To make the dressing, whisk together the lime juice, sesame oil, salt and pepper in a serving bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients to the dressing and toss to coat.

Note: With two teaspoons of oil, I almost thought it overpowered the freshness of the lime. Next time I think I’ll try one tsp and then add more if needed.

This is a fresh salad that can be enjoyed by two or as many as four. Just depends if you want it as your meal or a small side salad.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbl olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 can white hominy
1 can chopped green chilies
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into pieces
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Optional:
Crushed tortilla chips
Cubed avocado
Shredded cheese
Sliced green onion

In a medium soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add cilantro just before serving. Once soup is in bowls, feel free to top with the optional ingredients as you see fit!

I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe and froze the extras!

Lemon Thyme Chicken

WOW! Did this meal turn out delightful! The lemon added just the right amount of specialty and pizzazz to a normal run of the mill chicken breast. Next time you’re in the mood for literally brightening up your chicken dish…give this one a try, you won’t regret it.

Source: Taste of Home Comfort Diet Food Cookbook

Ingredients:
3 Tbl all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
2 tsp olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
1 Tbl butter
½ tsp dried thyme
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbl lemon juice
2 Tbl minced fresh parsley

In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Set aside 4 ½ tsps for sauce. Sprinkle remaining flour mixture over both sides of chicken.

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 7-9 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

In the same pan, sauté onion in butter until tender. Add thyme and reserved flour mixture; stir until blended. Gradually stir in the broth and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over chicken and then sprinkle with parsley.

Notes: I didn’t skimp on the butter because it is needed to thicken the sauce once the flour and broth are added. Also, don’t add more salt to your sauce….serve it and let people salt it themselves. It’s very surprising the added taste the lemon gives.

Enjoy!

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

Just a few simple ingredients and this meal comes together in a matter of minutes!

Source: adapted from Taste of Home, Diet Comfort Food Cookbook

Ingredients: for 2 servings
1-8oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces (this cooks down to about 6 oz which is 2 servings)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tbl honey
1 Tbl reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/8 tsp salt, opt
1/8 tsp pepper, opt
¾ pkg of frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable blend (or any frozen stir-fry you prefer)

Hot cooked rice

1. In a large non-stick skillet, stir-fry chicken and garlic in 1 tsp oil. Add honey, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until chicken is lightly browned and juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
2. In same pan (don’t worry about washing it), stir-fry vegetables in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Return chicken to pan and stir to coat.

The chicken and vegetable portion of this is 4 points plus. Remember to adjust if you're serving with rice.

White Bean Chili

When I first found this recipe in a magazine, I thought there would definitely be possibilities with this warm and fiber packed soup. But when I put it to the test I was more than pleased with the results. I altered it from the original one I found and this is what I came up with….enjoy!

Ingredients: makes three large servings

1 can great northern white beans
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
½ cup chicken broth
2 tsp cumin
1 ½ tsp chili powder
2/3 cup frozen or fresh corn (I used frozen)
2 cups cooked chicken, diced (about 9 oz)
Monterey jack cheese- 1/3 cup is 1 serving

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except corn, chicken and cheese in a large pot. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until beans are soft; stir in corn and chicken, and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

From this point, you can either add the cheese to the pot or divide into single servings and let the individuals add their own cheese.

I divided mine into single servings and then added 1/3 cup cheese to each. Total points plus with cheese is 9. Soup alone is 6 points plus.

SUNDAY SLOW COOKER: Crock pot Chicken

Ingredients:

1 frozen chicken- giblets and neck removed

1 packet of onion soup mix

Place frozen chicken in crock pot, sprinkle onion soup mix on top, turn on low and leave for 8-9 hours! Yes, it is that simple and super good.

You'll leave roasting a whole chicken to someone else after you've tried this one. Never any question if the meat is done, no need for a thermometer or a knife to carve the bird. The meat falls off the bone and has wonderful flavor. The leftovers are even better and you can even use the carcass to make your own chicken broth.

Serve with green beans, salad and maybe even some macaroni and cheese. Remember, a serving a chicken is 3 oz....you would be surprised how fast you can eat 3 oz.

*Note: Do not add water....it may seem strange to put the bird in frozen but I promise, it will produce enough juice. I also use one of those handy crock pot liners, it definitely helps with clean up on this one.

Roast Chicken Breast

What a beautiful dish! This white meat has never been so juicy and you'll have enough left over for lunch the next day. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did.

Source: Weight Watchers
Ingredients: Serves 2 with 2 servings of chicken left over

2 Tbl whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 Tbl chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 tsp dried
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 skinless bone-in chicken breast
4 small potatoes, cut into chunks
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1/2 lb fresh asparagus

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Combine the mustard, tarragon, garlic, oil, honey and salt in a med bowl. Add the chicken; toss well to coat.
3. Place the chicken, breast side up, in the center of the baking dish. Add the potatoes and carrots to the mustard mixture and toss to coat. Arrange the potatoes and carrots around the chicken. Roast 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, trim and discard the tough ends of the asparagus; cut into 2 inch lengths. Add to potatoes and carrots in a baking pan; stirring to coat asparagus. Roast until chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes longer.
5. Cut the chicken breast in two. Wrap and refrigerate half for up to 3 days for later use. Thinly slice the remaining half chicken breast from the bone and serve with vegetables.

*I could only find bone-in skin on chicken breast. So I just removed skin before cooking.

SLOW COOKER SUNDAY: BBQ Chicken

Source: Hungry-Girl

Ingredients: serves 7

1 cup canned tomato sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

2 T plus 2 t brown sugar

2 T plus 2 t cider vinegar

2 t garlic powder

1 1/2 lbs raw boneless skinless lean chicken breasts- about 3 breasts

1. Place all ingredients except chicken in the crock pot. Stir until mixed. Add chicken and coat well with sauce.

2. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked.

3. Once cooked, shred the chicken and mix well with the sauce.

Serve over a salad, stuffed inside a tortilla or as a bbq sandwich.

Chicken Salad

After I found out the creamy chicken salad from the store had 8 points in a mere 1/3 cup serving (not including the bread!) I decided I could do way better and set out to make a wonderful healthy rendition myself.

Ingredients:

1 can chicken breast

10 grapes- quartered

1/4 apple- chunked

1 T plus 1 t dijon mustard

1/4 cup mayo- add another 1/8 cup if needed

1/2 stalk celery- diced

Mix all together and serve on wheat or orrowheat bread!! So yummy and much better than the store bought stuff......

Oven-Fried Paprika Chicken

Source: Weight Watchers
Serves 4: 4 pts per serving

Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 T sweet paprika, divided
15 saltine crackers, crushed into crumbs
1 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (4- 4oz thin pieces)
1 T chopped fresh parsley

*Preheat broiler and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
*Place yogurt and 1 t of paprika in a small bowl; mix to combine. Combine cracker crumbs, salt, pepper and remaining 2 t paprika on a pie plate; stir to combine.
*Place each chicken cutlet in yogurt mixture and turn to coat. Next, place chicken in crumb mixture, turning to coat both sides and pressing lightly to make crumbs stick.
*Place coated chicken on prepared baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat source until golden brown and cooked through, flipping once about 4-5 minutes per side. To serve, sprinkle with parsley

Notes: I pounded out the chicken breasts before coating in yogurt mixture. I also used Greek yogurt. This was a first for us but won't be the last!! Very yummy and satisfying.

Grilled Chicken with salad

This may be pretty basic but it's basic that we forget about. Grill chicken with your favorite marinade and slice it up and throw a salad together. Easy, healthy and a pretty week night meal.



Here's how I did mine....


2 chicken breasts with Teriyaki marinade
lettuce
carrots
bell pepper
feta cheese
cucumber


Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes. Grill breasts for about 10 min per each side. It's important to NOT overcook chicken. It can be a wonderful juicy meat if people give it a chance.


Prepare what salad items you like and put together. Top with the warm meat. if you decide to have cheese, the meat will melt it nicely. Since I had feta on this, I didn't even add a dressing. Wonderful light salad that was very satisfying! If you skimp on other ingredients that add calories, feel free to double the meat for 2 servings.

My favorite kitchen utensil is a cheap scale that I bought at Wal-Mart. It's so easy for us to overeat when storebought meats are not portioned for one. **One serving of cooked chicken breast with no skin or bones is 3oz. So..do yourself a favor and get a little kitchen scale.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Source: adapted from Weight Watchers

Ingredients:
2- chicken breasts
4 slices of thinly sliced ham
two slices of Comte cheese
3 T egg substitute
1/8 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 t canola oil
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 T dry white wine

1. Pound chicken. I would suggest covering the chicken with syran wrap and then pound the chicken with the flat part of the meat mallet.

2. On the inside of each breast, place 2 slices of ham and a slice of Comte cheese. Roll the chicken and secure with a few toothpicks.

3. Lightly beat the egg substitute and mustard on a plate. Spread the bread crumbs on another plate. Dip the chicken rolls in the egg substitute mixture turning to coat all sides and then dip into the bread crumbs. Lightly pressing the crumbs so they adhere to the chicken.

4. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over med. heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, 8-10 more minutes.

Serve with a side salad and maybe some green beans or asparagus.

Notes: If you cannot find Comte cheese, Gruyere is a wonderful substitute. I also left out the wine and just used the chicken broth. The key is to not overcook the chicken! This may seem like a daunting recipe at first, but you and your family will be impressed with the wonderful taste! And you'll know this revamped chicken cordon bleu is MUCH healthier than the traditional ones with grease pouring out as soon as you put your knife into it.

Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients: 2 servings
1 chicken breast
1/2 bag frozen mixed vegetables....whatever mixture you like.
Teriyaki marinade
1/2 brown rice

*marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes. I would suggest to go ahead and cut the chicken before putting it in the marinade.

1. Cook rice according to directions.
2. Cook chicken until almost done in skillet. Pour in veggies and cover with lid until veggies are cooked through. You can add more marinade or a little teriyaki sauce to give some more liquid and flavor to the veggies.

Serve with rice and possibly an egg roll!

*I've also added water chestnuts, mushrooms, onions, yellow squash and zucchini to bulk up on the veggies.

Chicken Fiesta Pack

This was a first time recipe for us and it won't be the last! Party in your mouth with lots of flavors and goodness....

Chicken-with-a-kick pack
Source: Hungry Girl 1-2-3

Ingredients: for one pack
4 oz raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped
1/3 cup canned tomato sauce
1/4 cup seasoned black beans, drained
1/4 cup canned sweet corn, drained
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 t Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)

1. Preheat oven to 375 (or grill)
2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
3. Scoop mixture into the center of a foil piece that was sprayed with cooking spray. Fold in sides and top and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Normally I change something in recipes but there was no need with this one! I served it in a bowl because of the juices. And for those of you that know me know that I DON'T like hot food....even I added some "Franks" hot sauce (just a few shakes) and it was so yummy. Can't wait to cook this easy no mess no fuss meal again.

Note: Try to buy the no salt added tomato sauce and corn. If at all possible, weigh your chicken. The chicken breasts we buy in the store are NOT one portion breasts....whole pack 4-5 points!

For more delicious Hungry Girl recipes, you can find her at http://www.hungry-girl.com/

Chicken Marsala

Source: adapted from All Recipes Cookbook

Ingredients for two:
2- chicken breasts (one will do if it's a larger breast) pounded out
1/4 cup flour
dash of salt
dash of pepper
1/2 t dried oregano
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup Marsala wine- found by the vinegar
1/4 cup cooking sherry- found by the vinegar

1. In a shallow dish (I normally use a pie pan) mix flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.

2. In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan and lightly brown them. Turn chicken pieces and add mushrooms. Pour in wine and sherry and cover. Simmer chicken 10 minutes, turning once or until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Suggestions: I have also used turkey breast in place of the chicken and it turned out great. When you are pounding the chicken, place plastic wrap over them to help with clean up and to not make an e coli mess in your kitchen. The pounding will help with cooking time. Feel free to double or even triple the amount of mushrooms you use and add more sherry and Marsala for a more intense flavor. Serve with green beans, side salad, mashed potatoes (the gravy from the Marsala is wonderful) or even some summer fresh tomatoes.

Some facts about button mushrooms:
*a 5 oz serving has more than 50% of the daily value for the cancer fighting trace mineral selenium, 40% of the daily value for riboflavin and 35% of copper.
*Mushrooms also contain an antioxidant called L-ergothioneine. In studies, this antioxidant seems to act as a metabolic energy enhancer, stimulating the breakdown of sugar in red blood cells and mimicking caritine in its ability to transport fat into the mitochondria of the cells where the fat can be burned for energy. (What over-the-counter weight loss supplements promise)

Source: Jonny Bowden, Ph.D.

Fajitas

Ingredients: for 2-3 people

1 chicken breast

2 bell peppers (sliced)- green, orange, red...whatever you have

2 onions- sliced

1/2 cup soy sauce- if you have reduced sodium..use that

1/2 red wine vinegar

2 Tbls Karo Syrup (light in color)

Cut everything up and put in a ziploc bag. Pour in the soy sauce, red wine vinegar and syrup. Mix it up in the bag and let sit for 15-30 min.

Put all into a large skillet and cook until done! Yes, it's that easy and super good and good for you.

Additions:

*We normally use "La Bandarita" tortillas either the white fat free or the wheat low carbs. Those are the best that I have found so far.

*Top with fat free or low fat sour cream, tomatoes, salsa, lettuce and a little bit of guacamole if you like.

*If you're cooking for more people...just add more veggies and another chicken breast! When I've cooked this for more or just made extras for the week, I've put chicken in one bag and veggies in another. I also cook it in two separate skillets.

*You can cut up all your veggies the night before and have those ready to add the chicken and marinade to.

Happy Eating!