Chicken with Bulgur Pilaf October 31, 2009

The following low calorie and time efficient recipe is from Real Simple. I gave it a go this week and it turned out super yummy! Bulgur wheat is an easy and healthful grain; give it a try and you wont be disappointed. The thing I really liked about this dish is that it was FAST! Dinner was on the table in 30 mins. which is perfect after a long day at work.

Serves 4

Hands-On Time: 15m; Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• kosher salt and pepper
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups medium-grain bulgur
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the broth, bulgur, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the skillet and bring to a boil.
3. Nestle the chicken in the bulgur, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the bulgur is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 17 minutes.
4. Transfer the chicken to plates. Add the spinach and basil to the bulgur, stir until slightly wilted, and serve.

 

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-bulgur-pilaf-00000000006984/index.html

Recipe rating: 3.5. out 5 stars

Feta Chicken with Zucchini September 23, 2008

I found a new “staple” recipe at realsimple.com. This baked chicken was so easy to make, easy to clean up after and the simple flavors were just so tasty. I followed the recipe exactly and I served it with Organic Shells & White Cheddar although I think it would be really great served with rice or mashed potatoes. This will be a definite “go to” dish in my menu planning!

 

Recipe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. So EASY and YUMMY! :)

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1192200

Southern Indian Curry September 17, 2008

So last week I decided to make a curry because my boyfriend was out of town and he is not a big fan of curry (actually he can’t stand it). I found the following recipe on Real Simple. I thought this particular curry sounded so tasty plus it called for fresh peaches and I had just picked up some beautiful peaches at the market. Since I was cooking for one, I halved the recipe and planned to eat it for dinner one night and then lunch the next day.

 

I made the following revisions to the recipe;

- After the onions cooked for 5 minutes I added 1 chopped zucchini to the saute pan and cooked them both for 2 minutes more before following the recipe again.

- I added 1 cup of frozen peas to the pan at the same time as the peaches. My boyfriend doesn’t care for peas either so I figured I was killing 2 birds with one stone.

- I used reduced fat coconut milk 

 

When ready I spooned a hearty serving of curry into a bowl then put a scoop of cooked jasmine rice on top. That is a tip I learned from Rachael Ray. If you put the rice on the bottom and then serve the curry on top of it; the rice will absorb all of the liquid and it changes the consistency of the dish.

 

I will definitely make this curry again.

Recipe Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

 

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1072641

Confetti Chicken Rice Salad August 25, 2008

The following rice salad was created out of the necessity to make dinner using the very limited ingredients in my refrigerator and pantry. I usually do my grocery shopping on Sunday nights but just didn’t get to it this Sunday. Necessity is the mother of all inventions, right? Rice salads can be a light yet hearty and satisfying entree. This is a very flexible dish and can easily be turned into a vegetarian option by using sauteed tofu or chick peas instead of chicken and by deleting feta cheese or by using an alternative. It was a bright and colorful dish and makes for great lunch leftovers the next day.

Ingredients: 

2 grilled chicken breasts ( marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and dried basil)

1 zucchini, thinly sliced (dressed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper)

2 cups cooled brown rice

1 cup chopped carrots (I used my very cool, Pampered Chef hand chopper)

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 green onions chopped

1/2 English cucumber chopped  

5 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade 

1 jar of quality marinated artichoke hearts, drained with liquid reserved

White wine vinegar, to taste

Lemon juice, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook brown rice and let cool to room temperature, set aside.

2. Grill marinated chicken breasts. I used my George Foreman Grill at 350 degrees for 12 minutes

3. Put seasoned zucchini on a baking sheet and cook underneath the broiler in your oven until nice and grilled. Remove from the oven and let cool.

3. Meanwhile chop and drop into a large mixing bowl your carrots, onions, tomatoes, green onions and basil.  When zucchini cools, chop and add to the bowl. Add the drained artichoke hearts to the bowl.

4. A trick that I learned a long time ago is to use the liquid from the marinated artichoke hearts as the base for salad vinaigrette. The liquid already has the oil, vinegar and spices. I usually add a little white wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice to the mix (it depends on the brand you use). Whisk together and set aside.

5. When the chicken cools enough to handle, cut into 1 inch chunks and add to the mixing bowl.

6. Add the room temperature brown rice to the mixing bowl.

7. Drizzle the vinaigrette to the salad. Start with a little and add to taste (don’t over dress).

8. Serve and top with a sprinkle of feta cheese…Why? Because Feta makes it Betta!  

 Simple, Easy, Breezy and Flexible!

Turkey Mini Meatloaves w/ Spaghetti Squash & Marinara August 5, 2008

The recipe for the Turkey Mini Meatloaves is very similar in concept to the Turkey Veggie Burgers from a past entry. I found this recipe on FoodNetwork.Com courtesy of EatingWell.Com. There are shredded and chopped vegetables mixed in with the lean ground turkey to increase the nutritional benefit. These little loaves turned out super cute and super tasty. I did not use the optional barbecue sauce but I did add a pinch of fresh thyme because I had some in my refrigerator. 

I served my lowfat and nutritious mini meatloaves with shredded spaghetti squash and a side of tomato basil marinara (store bought). It was a yummy and healthful meal.  

How I cook my spaghetti squash…

Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Put the squash, cut sides down in a dutch oven or a large pot. Fill the pot with water until the squash is covered about 1-2 inches. Sprinkle some salt in the water. Bring the pot to a boil. Cover then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 25 minutes until the squash is tender and can easily be pierced with a fork or knife. Remove the squash and let cool. Once it has cooled enough for you to handle it;take a fork and scrap the inside. You will see that it resembles a spaghetti noodle like texture and is a great and lowfat replacement for pasta.  

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eating-well/turkey-mini-meatloaves-recipe/index.html

E Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps July 23, 2008

So the following recipe is my version of PF Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps. I would be deluding myself to think that mine could even come close to the oh so tasty lettuce wraps made famous by the Changster but the following is an easy meal that I created based on the flavors and ingredients I could decifer from my favorite lettuce wraps (with a few of my own additions).

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – appx. 2 tbsp.

1 Yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cups Shredded carrots

1 can Water chestnuts, drained and minced

1 tbsp. Minced garlic

1- 10 oz. Package sliced mushrooms, minced

1 tbsp. Crushed ginger

Ken’s Lite Asian Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing, to taste http://www.kensfoods.com/kf/products/productView.servlet;jsessionid=aktE9sow_Mx7?consumerProductId=58&productCategoryId=&productFlavorId=20

Sriracha, to taste (Be smart though, this stuff packs a lot of heat. It is easy to add more heat but difficult to take it away)

1 lb. ground turkey (you could also use ground chicken or firm tofu)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. Soy Sauce

2 large handfuls of mung bean sprouts

3 green onions, chopped

Iceberg lettuce

Directions:

1. Coat a large skillet with 1 tbsp. olive oil and saute’ onion until tender, about 5 minutes over medium high heat.

2. Add carrots, water chestnuts and garlic and saute for another 5-7 minutes.

3. Add mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are tender.

4. Add a splash of the Asian dressing and as much Sriracha as desired. Cook for about 2 minutes.

5. Remove skillet from the heat and transfer vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Add the mung bean sprouts and chopped green onions to the bowl and mix gently.

6. Saute’ ground turkey (or tofu) in the large skillet (you may need a little more olive oil).

7. When the turkey (or tofu) is about 1/2 cooked add the crushed ginger, another splash of Asian dressing and 1 tbsp. of soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

8. When the turkey is done cooking add the vegetable mixture and cook for about 2 minutes so that all the flavors can marry.

9. Peel the outer layers of the iceberg lettuce to use for your lettuce cups. 

10. Serve!  

If the lettuce cup idea is too cumbersome; this mixture also goes really well over steamed brown rice.

Let me know what you think. I thought it was easy to make and these lettuce cups were a tasty way to satisfy my PF Chang’s craving. Let me know if you have any suggestions on additional ingredients or changes.

To Print, Click this link to a PDF of the Recipe e-changs-lettuce-wraps

Alisha’s Turkey Veggie Burgers July 23, 2008

My friend Alisha used the following recipe for a Mom’s club event where moms snuck wholesome ingredients into everyday foods for their kids. This is a popular trick for today’s Mommy and there are lots of cookbooks out there on the topic like “Deceptively Delicious” by Jessica Seinfeld.  http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/ One of the big hits from the Mom’s club event was a recipe from this book where spinach is snuck into brownies (I am definitely going to give that one a shot!) This concept doesn’t apply just to moms with picky eaters. We can all benefit from more veggies in our diet, right? I served these turkey veggie patties sans buns huns alongside couscous and steamed broccoli. Yum! I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 Carrot, finely grated

1 Zucchini, finely grated

1 Yellow squash, finely grated

1/2 Yellow onion, finely grated

1 lb. Ground turkey

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp. Seasoning salt (Lawry’s)

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

 

Directions: 

1. After grating all of your vegetables get rid of the liquid by squeezing it out in a couple of paper towels.

2. In a large mixing bowl add vegetables to the turkey meat, egg, bread crumbs and seasonings. Mix together (Hands work best).

3.  Divide into patties and grill just like hamburgers. (I used my George Foreman grill at 300 degrees for 12 minutes and they came out perfect.) The mixture can also be used for meatballs or meatloaf.  

4. Note… Alisha like me doesn’t usually use recipes to a tee, the following is just a jumping off point.

Recipe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

To Print, Click this link to a PDF of the Recipe alishas-turkey-veggie-burgers

Acuna Frittata!! July 22, 2008

This is a NO WORRIES meal! Don’t be misled, although I tagged this recipe as a breakfast item I actually served it for lunch with a simple garden salad. Frittatas can be a low fat and cost effective meal that is both filling and full of nutrition.  I used a recipe from one of my FAVORITE vegetarian cookbooks “The Enchanted Broccoli Forest” by Mollie Katzen. I tagged this as a vegetarian option as there are a variety of egg subsitutes available and the cheese is optional. The beauty of the frittata is also the ability to improvise with whatever vegetables you have in your refrigerator. Just be mindful of quantities and the egg to veggie mix ratio.

Acuna Frittata! – From The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen – “Frittata” page 178

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

1/ 2cup minced onion

3/4 tsp. salt (I used kosher)

A pinch of dried oregano

A pinch of dried thyme

8 to 10 mushrooms sliced

1 cup diced zucchini and/ or summer squash

1/2 cup minced bell pepper (I used red)

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 handfuls chopped spinach and/ or arugula (I used arugula since I had some left over from last week’s menu)

Freshly ground pepper

A few fresh basil leaves (if available)

4 or 5 eggs (ok to delete a yolk or two – I deleted 1 of 5 yolks) or equal amount of Egg subsitute

(Optional)1/4 lb. Fontina Cheese, grated or sliced (fontina cheese was just too darned expensive for my budget of late so I opted for nonfat mozzarella. In hindsight a better flavor substitution would be Gruyere.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Heat the oil on the stovetop in a 9 or 10-inch cast iron (or oven proof) skillet. Add the onion and half the salt, and saute’ over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

3. Add dried herbs, mushrooms, zucchini or squash, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring over medium high heat for another 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

4. Turn the heat up and add the spinach and/ or arugula with the remaining salt and black pepper to taste. Stir and cook for just a minute or two – until some of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the basil.

5. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then pour them into the vegetables. Sprinkle in some cheese if desired (which I did). Place the pan in the preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the frittata is solid when you shake the pan. (If you so desire, you can add some extra cheese to the top midway through the baking… Which I did and I would recommend)  

6. Serve and cut into wedges – hot, warm or at room temp (I served it warm).

Recipe rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Easy, easy and nutritious

To Print, Click this link to a PDF of the Recipe  acuna-fritata

Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon July 20, 2008

The following recipe is an easy weeknight staple. It was so seriously quick easy to make and it tasted great. 

I didn’t add anything that the recipe didn’t already call for but I did increase the amount of rosemary and garlic that I used. The leftover chicken made an appearance in a chicken salad for lunch the next day.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/garlic-roast-chicken-with-rosemary-and-lemon-recipe/index.html

Alisha’s Asian “Summer Roll” Salad July 15, 2008

The following recipe came to me via my good friend Alisha. She had heard of the recipe first from Food Network’s Ellie Krieger. The recipe was for Soft Asian Summer Rolls. The only problem was that when Alisha went grocery shopping she couldn’t find the rice paper rounds so she IMPROVISED and used all of the ingredients for a light and refreshing salad.  I made this last week and it got rave reviews from my dude.

Ingredients:

6 oz. Vietnamese Rice Noodles (mine were called Rice Sticks) cooked according to the package, drained, rinsed and chilled

1 lb. frozen cooked medium shrimp, defrosted and halved (Alisha’s tip was to throw the shrimp in with the noodles about 1 minute before the noodles are finished and it worked well).

1 chicken breast boiled, diced and chilled. Alisha did not use chicken and the original recipe did not use chicken either. What can I say? I felt like a little chicken! ; )

1/4 cup or 12 Thai Basil leaves (or regular basil) rinsed, dried and chiffonade

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup or 12 mint leaves, rinsed, dried  and chiffonade

A few cups of torn or chopped Red Lettuce

Chopped Scallions

Sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing* to taste.

*Dressing: Alisha used 1part Costco Sesame Salad Dressing and 1 part Ken’s brand Asian Ginger Salad Dressing and it tasted great. I didn’t have either but I did find an Asian Sesame Vinaigrette at Fresh n’ Easy that I doctored with fresh ginger, a splash of soy sauce and 1 tsp. of Sriracha.

If you would like to look at the Original Inspiration for the Recipe you can click on the link below for Ellie Krieger’s Soft Asian Summer Rolls

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/soft-asian-summer-rolls-with-sweet-and-savory-dipping-sauce-recipe/index.html

If you would like to print this revised salad recipe; click on this link below

To Print, Click this link to a PDF of the Recipe asian-summer-roll-salad1

Recipe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars