Healthy Yet Delicious!

I made this last night and it turned out wonderfully! My hubby thought the
chicken was a bit bland but that's because I cut back on the salt by only
putting salt on one side of the chicken and he's used to a lot of salt on
food. But he did give the dish a 9 and said that the leeks made the chicken
taste really good.
This dish makes 3 servings for under 300 calories a serving. (See the
nutrition info below the recipe.) I also made a salad full of veggies with a
light homemade vinaigrette for a side dish.


Pan Seared Chicken and Sauted Leeks

2 leeks
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise (like cutting a hamburger bun)
salt, pepper, and dried herbs (basil, oregano, whatever you like)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp butter (you can omit this if you want)
1/2 cup dry vermouth or other dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock (if you don't want to use wine just increase this to 1 cup.)

Cut both leeks in half lengthwise and then slice width wise in small chunks. Put the leeks in a medium
bowl and fill with water. Using your hands, separate the pieces of leek then let it sit in the water while you
season the chicken so the sand settles to the bottom of the bowl. After the sand has settled to the bottom
use your hands to scoop out the leeks and put them on a paper towel to dry a bit.
Heat a large skillet to medium high heat and add the oil. Season the chicken on both sides with whatever
seasonings you like. Place the chicken in the pan and brown on both sides. Then remove the chicken to a
plate and add the leeks to the pan. Add the butter and saute the leeks for 5 minutes until tender. Now add
the wine and chicken broth (or a cup of chicken broth if you're not using the wine) and nestle the chicken
back in among the leeks. Turn down the heat and simmer for 7-8 minutes until the wine and broth have
reduced. That's it! Enjoy!

Note: I strongly suggest using the dry vermouth. It adds a great depth of flavor and it might be a bit bland
with out it. You could try adding a 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 3/4 cup of chicken stock so you have some
acidity in your dish. (If you omit the wine it will lower your calories by about 40-50 calories.)

Calories 268.6
Total Fat 4.3g
saturated fat 1.9g
monounsaturated fat 1.3g
Cholesterol 104.6g
Sodium 368.6mg
Potassium 643.5g
Total Carbs 8.9g
fiber 1.1g
sugars 2.5
Protein 40.4

Lightly Cooking

It seems that everyone sets a New Years resolution to eat healthier, lose weight, or get in shape. I have never made any of those things my resolution in previous years. In the past I always seemed to start eating healthier or exercising in the late spring early summer. Don't ask me why but that's just how it always end up.

Well, on Friday, while standing the kitchen with my hubby, I decided that I was going to lose weight. I'm not unhappy with my weight necessarily but I have about 25 pounds that I wouldn't mind if they decided to pack up and leave.

So here are my goals.

1. I want to be down a size by my birthday in July.

2. I will eat no more than 1400 calories a day.

3. I am going to be cooking a lot healthier.

I tell you all of this because you will start to notice a change on my blog. I am going to start listing the calorie, fat, sodium, carb, fiber, and protein content of every recipe I post on here. And you will notice that the portion sizes will be smaller and a lot healthier!

I hope you enjoy these lighter recipes even if you're not trying to lose weight. Hopefully these recipes will encourage you to at least eat a few more fruits and veggies and to cook a bit healthier.

Here goes nothing!

Bringing Summer Back

I had found a really simple and classic coleslaw recipe in the June/July 2009 issue of Food Network Magazine this past summer that was very creamy and delicious. I just came across it again today and thought I'd share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy it!

Coleslaw

Ingredients:

3/4 c. mayonnaise

1/2 white onion, grated

2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp celery seeds

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt & pepper

1 small head of cabbage, shredded

1 carrot, shredded

Whisk the first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Add the shredded cabbage and carrot and stir to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes and serve.

Sorry, there is no Husband Rating for this one. I know he liked it, but I don't remember what number he gave it.

Craving Chinese

I don't know about you, but I LOVE Chinese food. My husband likes it but most Chinese places, at least around us, leave us hungry 30 minutes later and our stomachs feel funny. So I went on a search for some recipes that were similar to something you might find in a Chinese restaurant with out all the salt and the after effects.

I found a really great recipe that has become a staple in our house when ever I'm craving Chinese food. I got this recipe from the cook book Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. It's a cook book from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living...or so it says on the cover.

This is a really easy recipe that comes together very quickly and it hits the spot when you're craving Chinese food. And it's a lot healthier than the dishes you'll find at most Chinese restaurants. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Cashew Chicken:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 Tbsp cornstarch

salt

fresh ground pepper

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

8 scallions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 Tbsp hoisin sauce

3/4 C. raw cashews, toasted *see note below* (I have also used already toasted cashews to save time)

white rice for serving (optional)

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the cornstarch until the chicken is coated; season with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining oil and chicken to the skillet along with the garlic and the white parts of the scallions. Cook, tossing often, until the chicken is browned, about 3 minutes. Return the first batch of chicken to the pan. Add the vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.

Add the hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water; cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallion greens and cashews. Serve or white rice if desired.

*Toasting the cashews:

Spread the cashews on a baking sheet, and toast in a 350 degree oven until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes.

HR = 9. I'm starting to notice a trend. He's never given my food less than an 8 and even those are rare. Either I'm a really good cook or he'll just eat anything. :-)

Enjoy!

Take the Challenge!

In honor of the new year and making resolutions that can be challenging I have decided to post a monthly challenge. Each month I will post a food challenge. It might be a secret ingredient that you need to creatively use in an original recipe or a common food dish that you need to put your own spin on. It's a way for you to think creatively in the kitchen in this new year.

You can post your original recipe in the comment section or you can email it straight to me. I will participate in the challenge as well. I will make every recipe that is posted and my husband will give them all a try and will pick the winner.

All recipes must be posted by the 20th of every month and I will announce the winner at the end of every month.

I hope you participate in at least one challenge this year. And if you think this idea is silly, please let me know! :-)

January Challenge:

The secret ingredient is...... Peanut Butter!

I hope you have fun with this and I can't wait to try your creations!

Family Food

At work yesterday a Williams-Sonoma catalogue came in the mail. And I just can't resist a kitchen/cooking catalogue or magazine. So as I was flipping through it I saw a really yummy picture of baked ziti. And the great thing about Williams-Sonoma catalogues is that they have the recipes in them! So I wrote down the recipe on my phone and headed to the grocery store after work so that I could make it for supper. I changed the Williams-Sonoma recipe a bit to fit our tastes so I will include the variations in the recipe below. The original recipe calls for sausage and I used ground beef instead.

Now let me take a moment to tell you how good this turned out! First of all, for those of you who know me, I only eat chicken when it comes to meat. And last night I had TWO helpings of this! That's how good it was! I didn't eat all of the meat on my plate, but the sauce and cheese covered up the taste of the meat enough to where I gobbled it all up! Second, my husband gave it a rating of "awesome!" And this makes a LOT so if you have a big family to feed you must try this! Or if its just two of you then you can freeze some for later. Put some of the mixture in a dish and into the oven for now and put the rest in the freezer before you bake it and then when you are ready just take it out and bake as directed. You might need to keep it in a bit longer since it was frozen first.

Try this! You'll be glad you did!

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

• 4tsp. plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used 1.2 lb of ground beef, 85/15)
• eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I omitted this all together)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (I used merlot)
• 1 can (28 oz.) crushed plum tomatoes with juices (I used Hunt's crushed tomatoes with basil)
• 5 oz. ziti, cooked until al dente (I used a whole box of ziti)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup rinsed chopped Kalamata olives (This is what puts this over the top! Don't leave 'em out)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I used shredded Parmesan cheese)

Directions:

Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.

In a 10 or 12-inch fry pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tsp. of the olive oil. Add the sausage (or beef) and cook, stirring and crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Discard all but 1 Tbs. of the fat in the pan. Set the pan over medium-high heat and warm 2 tsp. of the olive oil. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, under tender and browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. (I skipped this step all-together because I didn't add eggplant.)

Set the pan over medium heat and warm the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add the sausage, pasta, basil, olives, 2 cups of the mozzarella and the tomato sauce to the bowl with the eggplant and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta mixture to a big oven proof casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and the Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Cover the dish (use tin foil if your dish doesn't have a lid), transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover the dish and broil at 500°F for 5 minutes. (Keep an eye on it while it's broiling. I broiled it on high and the cheese was bubbly and brown after 3 minutes.) Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6 -8.

HR = Awesome!

On Pizza?!

I happened to be watching 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray one day when she was making a Thai Chicken Pizza. The things she was putting on the pizza intrigued me because I'm used to cheese and pepperoni on my pizza, not plum sauce and bean sprouts. So I just had to try it. And believe me, the ingredients don't seem to go together but when you take your first bite you'll be so glad you gave this pizza a try!

• 
  

Thai Chicken Pizza:

• 1 refrigerated pizza dough,any brand
  • 1/2 cup duck sauce or plum sauce (I used plum sauce)
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 package (2 cups) shredded Montery Jack cheese
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce
  • 2 teaspoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning) eyeball it
  • 4 chicken breast cutlets, 1/2 pound (I use 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half, like you're cutting a bagel to make 2 thin pieces from each breast.)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
  • 1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 1 cup bean spouts, a couple of handfuls
  • Palm full cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then cook chicken cutlets in a medium-high skillet 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts, cut into 8 wedges and serve.

HR = 9.5 We both absolutely loved this pizza and my husband told me I needed to make it for family that we had coming to visit. I made it for them and they loved it too!

New Years Traditions

My husband and I just celebrated our first New Years together! We had some friends over for New Years Eve, played some games, and of course ate some food. The only thing I made from scratch on New Year's Eve was guacamole. But on New Years day I made some amazing chicken nachos! My hubby and I both agree that I must make these every year on either New Year's Ever or New Year's Day. So below I have the recipe for the guacamole and the chicken nachos. I promise you'll love these! They are SO easy to make!

Guacamole:

2 ripe avocados (take the skins off and the pit out and cut the avocado into chunks)

1 tsp minced garlic

juice from half a lime (or about 1/2 Tbsp of the bottled stuff)

2-3 spoonfuls of your favorite salsa

salt & pepper

I put all of the ingredients in my processor and turn it on until it's as smooth as I like. You can make it chunky or smooth, your choice. I've also done this with out a food processor. Just put everything in a bowl and smash it really well with a fork. And that's it! Really easy!

Chicken Nachos:

2 chicken breasts (you can use raw or cooked)

1 jar of your favorite salsa

water as needed

tortilla chips (we like the ones with a hint of lime)

1 jar of queso (the jarred stuff next to the salsa in the chip isle)

guacamole

sour cream

If using cooked chicken:

Shred the chicken and put it in a skillet with the jar of salsa over medium heat. Simmer until hot adding water if it starts looking a little dry.

If using raw chicken:

Heat 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Add the salsa once both sides are browned along with 1/2 cup of water and turn the heat down to medium low. Simmer for about 5 minutes then take the chicken out and shred it. Once it's shredded at it back to the salsa for another 2-3 minutes.

When the chicken is done put some chips in your bowl and top with the shredded chicken. Heat up the queso according to the directions on the jar and spoon some over your chicken. Top with guacamole and sour cream if you like. You can also add lettuce if you'd like. I didn't have any on hand but it would be a great addition.

HR= 9

Do you and your family have any New Year's food traditions? I'd love to hear what they are!