Chicken Penne Alfredo

Ingredients:
6 ounces whole wheat Penne pasta
2 cups packaged peeled baby carrots
3 cups broccoli florets
1 9 ounce package frozen grilled chicken breast strips, thawed
1/2 to 1 cup fat free milk
1/2 of an 8 ounce tub light cream cheese spread
1/2 tsp cracked pepper

1. In a 4 qt. dutch oven cook pasta and carrots according to pasta package directions; add broccoli for the last 6 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta and vegetables; return to dutch oven.

2. Stir chicken strips, cream cheese spread, 1/2 cup milk, and pepper into pasta mixture. Cook and stir over low heat until cream cheese is melted. If necessary, stir in enough of the remaining 1/2 cup milk to make sauce desired consistency. If desired, sprinkle individual servings with additional pepper. Makes 4 (2 cup) servings.

Nutrition info:
Calories - 354
Fat - 8g (4g sat fat)
Cholesterol - 59
Protein - 30g
Carb - 43g
Fiber - 7g
Sodium - 627 mg

Note - I made this for dinner tonight, and it was a smashing success, even with the girls! (all but the cooked carrots, but they did eat one!) I didn't need the extra milk. I will definitely be making again! The cream cheese added a great saucy flavor, where has this idea been hiding? Fabulous!

Chicken-Almond Hoisin Wraps

Another wonderful meal from Nancy S. Hughes and her great 1,500 Calories-a-Day-Menu Cookbook!

I invited friends over and made this for lunch, and it was super fun. It was also fast and easy to make and I think everyone liked it, even the munchkins. The book suggest serving it with Scallioned Soup, Sesame Seed Rice Crackers (wha??) and Dried Apricots. I served it with Mandarin Oranges. I put everything on the table and let everyone assemble their own. I omitted the pepper flakes because of the kids and after my first flake free wrap decided to put them on my own wraps, which really made the wraps a lot more complete and ever so tasty. My first impression was that they were bland, but the flakes added a great deal. I also omitted the red peppers, and I'm sure that would have added a ton of additional flavor. I also forgot to toast the almonds, so I'm sure that would have been even better!! The more I ate the more I really enjoyed and later found myself smacking my lips and thinking it was a quite wonderful little meal! Fun too! And food should be fun!! Especially when you're trying to eat healthy! Ugh!


*Hoisin Sauce is a sweet dark thick sauce that comes in a small jelly like jar in the Asian food section, by the Soy Sauce.

** Slivered Almonds should be used as opposed to any other cut.


Chicken-Almond Hoisin Wraps

3 tbs Hoisin Sauce
1/2 tsp Grated Orange Rind
1/3 c Orange Juice
1/8 tsp Dried Pepper Flakes
3 c Shredded Coleslaw Mix w/ Carrots (by the lettuce)
1 med Red Bell Pepper, Chopped (1c)
1 c Cooked Diced Chicken Breast (5oz, I used Rotisserie)
3/4 c Slivered Almonds, toasted (3oz)
12 Boston or Bibb green-leaf Lettuce Leaves (1 head)

Mix together Hoisin, orange rind, juice and pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine everything else and drizzle sauce over the top and stir to combine.
Divide chicken mixture onto the 12 lettuce leaves.

Cals 240
Fat 12g
Protein 17g
Carbs 18g

***Scallioned Soup: 3c red-sodium Chicken Broth heated and mixed with 4 med green onions, chopped (1/2c) and 1tsp light soy sauce.

Baked Chicken Fingers

** Since my girls would normally whine about "weird foods" as a breading on thier nugs, I first crushed the almonds and the oats. That made them blend in well with the bread crumbs.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil Spray (or your choice)
1 1/2 pds chicken breast (I used 2 breasts for my girls)
1/2 C Skim milk
1tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4C Sliced Almonds
1/4 C Rolled Oats
1/2 C bread crumbs
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil.Trim any fat from chicken and cut into strips (approx. 6-8 per breast).

Stir milk and mustard together in a bowl. In a separate container mix together almonds, oats, bread crumbs, parsley, and black pepper. One at a time, dip chicken into milk mixture then dredge them in oatmeal mixture, making sure each piece is evenly coated.

Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, turning once, or until chicken is cooked through and coating is golden brown. Nutritional Information: Calories: 250, Fat: 8 g., Carbs: 7 g., Protein: 37 g.

Chicken with Lime Creole Sauce in Tortillas

Serves 4

5 tbsp plus 1 tsp FF Miracle Whip
6 tbsp NF Sour Cream
1 tsp Grated Lime Zest
1/4 C Fresh Lime Juice
2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
12 Drops Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 4-0z Bnls, Sknls Chicken Breast
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
8 6" Flower Tortilla's, warmed
2 C Shredded Lettuce
1 Large Tomato, Chopped
1/2 C Chopped Red Onion
1/2 C Chopped Green Bell Pepper
16 Med, Pitted Black Olives, Quartered
Lime Wedges, for Garnish

In a small, nonaluminum bowl, combine Miracle Whip, sour cream, zest, lime juice, chili powder, 1/4 tsp pepper, cayenne, salt and hot sauce. Blend well and chill for 1 hour.
Flatten Chicken breast to 1/4" thickness. Sprinkle with garlic, 1/4 tsp pepper and cook in a heated skillet (sprayed) for 2 minutes. Turn, cooke 2 minutes longer or until done. Remove from heat, cut into strips.
Spread each tortilla with 2 tbsp of chilled sauce (I thought this was personaly a bit much). Top with chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, bell pepper and olives. Roll and serve.

349 Cals for 2 Tortillas
7.8g Fat

This recipe comes from the book The 1,200-Calorie-a-Day Menu Cookbook by Nancy Hughes.

Mexican Orzo Salad

MAN!! This is to die for (if you like Mexican)! I found this in Fit Pregnancy April/May 2009. It's a recipe from Robin Miller (Food Network). It's full of Fiber, Folate and Protein. I used left over Rotisserie Chicken, but I think left over roast would do awesome too! It has a lot of calories for a cup and a half, but I ate only a cup and was full. I don't know why there are so many calories, maybe the orzo? I think brown rice would be awesome too. Omit the meat and it would be a great side too!

Serves 4

Prep 20 min

Cook 10 min

1 1/2 cups Orzo (rice shaped pasta)

2 cups cooked shredded Chicken

1 15oz can Black Beans, drained, rinsed

1 15oz can Petite Diced Tomatoes, drained

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 4oz can diced Mild Green Chilies

3 tblsp chopped fresh Cilantro

2 tblsp fresh Lime Juice

1 tsp ground Cumin

Salt & Pepper to taste

Dash Cayenne Pepper

Cook orzo according to package. Drain. Add everything else (it'll heat up from the orzo).

Serve warm or cold.

1 Serving is 1 1/2 cups

685 Calories

46g Protein

87g Carb

7.5g Fat

270mg Calcium

6mg Iron

11mg Vitamin C

345mcg Folate

10g Fiber

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas

I really enjoyed this recipe. Ok, I loved it. I think it would work better as a quesadilla. I topped it with tomatoes, avocado and sour cream. It was stellar! Actually, it was like eating at a restaurant. I used frozen corn and left over chicken. I peeled the zucchini, and diced it really small since I was a little freaked out about having it in a Mexican dish. I didn't taste it a bit. The Cilantro, which I have realized only recently that I absolutely love, is the star of this dish, so don't skip it. This is also a huge portion! MAN! It was incredible!! Let me know if you try it, and let me know what you made for a side. I just ate two for a dinner and didn't worry about making a side.

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
12 ounces chicken breast tenders
1 cup chopped red onion (about 1)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 cup chopped zucchini (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup green salsa
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation:

Preheat broiler.
Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over chicken. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Add onion, corn, and zucchini to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in salsa and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Working with 2 tortillas at a time, arrange tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon about 3/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla; sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup cheese. Broil an additional 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese. Sprinkle each serving with about 3/4 teaspoon of remaining cilantro. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 398 (30% from fat)
Fat: 13.1g (sat 5.9g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.2g)
Protein: 32.5g
Carbohydrate: 36.7g
Fiber: 3.1g
Cholesterol: 75mg
Iron: 1.4mg
Sodium: 799mg
Calcium: 236mg


Melanie Barnard, Cooking Light, AUGUST 2006