Asian Chicken Salad

Source: Me!
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs


• 1/2 c. flour, seasoned with salt and pepper


• 2 tbsp EVOO


• 1/4 c. mango chutney


• 1 head of Boston lettuce, shredded (or greens of your choice)


• 1 carrot, shredded


• 1/2 red onion, sliced thin


• 1 c. sliced mushrooms


• 2 stalks of green onion


• Asian toasted sesame ginger dressing


• Optional topping: chow mein noodles

Directions:

1. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces. In a ziplock bag, toss chicken in seasoned flour until coated.


2. Heat up oil in a non-stick skillet. Brown chicken for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until the chicken is almost cooked, just a tiny bit pink in the center.


3. Add the mango chutney and toss the chicken until coated. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about another minute or two.


4. Meanwhile, make up the salad of shredded lettuce, sliced red onion, sliced mushrooms, chopped green onion and shredded carrots.


5. Let the chicken cool a little. Top the salad with the chicken, asisan toasted sesame dressing and crushed chow mein noodles (optional).

Comments:

This almost felt like a restaurant main course salad that would be really bad for you, it was so good! Next time, for a change, I might try tossing the chicken in sweet chili sauce and adding some mandarin oranges. Definitely a make again!

Eggplant Lasagna

Source: Skinnytaste.com, with modifications

Ingredients:

• 3 c. tomato sauce (see below)


• Olive oil


• 1 large or 2 smaller eggplants


• 1 container of fresh spinach


• 1 package of portobello mushrooms (4-5)


• 12 oz (1 package) of light ricotta cheese


• 1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped


• 1 egg


• salt and pepper


• 1/4 c. parmesean cheese


• 2 c. mozzarella cheese

Tomato sauce:

• 1 large onion, chopped


• 1 tbsp jarred garlic


• 1 carrot, minced


• 1 celery stalk, minced


• 2 c. sliced baby bella mushrooms


• 1/2 c. dry red wine


• 1 c. crushed tomatoes


• 1 c. diced tomatoes


• Basil


• Oregano


• Italian seasoning


• Red pepper flakes

Instructions:

1. Prepare tomato sauce. On medium heat, heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook until softened. Add mushrooms and cook until moisture releases. Deglaze with red wine. Add tomatoes and spices to taste. Simmer for at least 40 minutes.



2. While sauce is simmering, roast the eggplant. Heat oven to 400 F. Slice eggplant into 1/4" pieces. Brush with EVOO and place on a cookie sheet. Roast it on each side for about 10 minutes. Watch it VERY CLOSELY because it burns easily. Do the same with the portobello mushrooms. Slice and roast.



3. In a bowl, mix together ricotta, parsley, egg, salt and pepper.



4. In a lasagna pan, layer sauce, portobellos, eggplant, ricotta, mozza, spinach x 3.



5. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes covered in foil. Bake for an additional 10 minutes with foil off. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Comments:
We don't eat meat on Friday's during Lent, so I have been on the look-out for good vegetarian recipes. This is vegetarian AND gluten free! My batch of sauce was large enough to yield some extra for a baked ziti. You could use a jar of store-bought sauce though. It was really delicious and I barely noticed the lack of noodles or meat. I served it with a caesar salad. The leftovers were almost better then the first serving.

Green Pea and White Bean Soup

Source: Chatelaine Magazine

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, minced

540 mL can of navy beans, rinsed and drained

4 c. frozen peas

900 mL carton of chicken broth

Garnish: crumbled goat cheese, pancetta or bacon crumbles

Instructions:

Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add oil, onion and garlic. Sautee for about 3 minutes, stirring continuously until the onion is soft.

Add beans, peas and broth. Bring to a boil over the medium heat. This will take about 12 minutes.

Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender. Simmer on very low heat for 5-10 minutes.

Serve garnished with crumbled bacon or pancetta and goat cheese.

Comments:

This soup was different, but really nice. It is a great lunch or served as a side or appetizer. It came together really easily and quickly too.

Caesar Salad Dressing

CAESAR SALAD DRESSING
Ingredients:

• 1 c. low-fat mayo (I used Hellman's low-fat olive oil)


• 1 tbsp lemon juice


• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce


• 1 heaping tsp of jarred garlic


• 1 shake of garlic powder


• 1/4 c. grated parmesean cheese


• 1/2 tsp dry mustard


• 1/4 c. milk


• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Combine ingredients and whisk together. For optimum flavour, let sit for 1-2 hours before serving.

Comments: This was simple, made from ingredients I already had in the house. The original recipe only called for 1 tbsp of milk, but it needs at least 1/4 c. to be used as dressing, maybe even more if you want it fairly thin. I used this to make a caesar salad with romaine, sliced red onions and mushrooms. I will make this again!

Banana Carrot Muffins

Source: Combined several internet recipes and added my own spice!
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

• 2 over-ripe bananas, mashed
• 3 small carrots, grated
• 1/4 c. butter, room temperature
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. almond milk (or regular milk)
• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 12 muffin tin.
2. Mash bananas and grate carrots. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
4. Cream butter and brown sugar, until fluffy.
5. Beat in an egg.
6. Just mix in milk and banana.
7. In thirds, add flour mixture until just mixed in.
8. Hand stir in in the carrots.
9. Divide equally in the muffin tin to make 12 muffins. Bake at 350 F for about 25 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.

**Do not over mix! That's the key to nice muffins :)

Comments:

These were very good and quite healthy for baked goods! They are about 160 cals, 3.5 grams of fat and 4 grams of fiber per muffin. You could add nuts, coconut or raisins too.

I think these will make a great pre-gym snack or a quick breakfast with a piece of fruit.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Source: Skinnytaste.com, with a few modifications
Serves: 6 large servings, 8 smaller servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1.5 c. chicken broth
• 1.5 c. skim milk
• 1.5 c. frozen peas
• 1 pkg baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 2 can of tuna, packed in water, drained
• 1 tbsp dry mustard
• salt & lots of black pepper
• 1.5 c. shredded old cheddar (the older and sharper the better!)
• 4 c. whole wheat yolkless egg noodles
• Toppings: 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese, paprika, bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Boil the egg noodles until around 2 mins from done.
2. In a dutch oven or large sauce pan, melt butter and cook onion until softened.
3. Add the flour and coat onions, stiring continuously for about 1 min.
4. Add the chicken broth and whisk in. Add the milk. Boil for 3 mins.
5. Add the peas and mushrooms. Simmer for 7 mins until sauce starts to thicken slightly.
6. Add the tuna, salt and pepper and dry mustard. Cook for 1 min, to heat tuna.
7. Sprinkle in the shredded cheese 1/4 c. at a time, stirring continuously to melt cheese into the sauce.
8. Stir in the egg noodles.
9. Pour into a greased rectangular baking dish, like a lasagna pan. Top with parmesan cheese, paprika and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 20-30 mins.

Comments:

I served this with a side of asparagus, sauteed in evoo, s&p and garlic. We really enjoyed it as a nice, comfortable meal. It didn't have crazy ground-breaking flavors or anything, but it was a light version of an old favorite. Definitely beat boxed tuna helper!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Source: skinnytaste.com (a new favorite!)
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 1 1/2 c. skim milk
• 1/2 c. fat free or low-fat sour cream
• 1/4 c. green onion or chives (+ a little extra for garnish)
• Fresh ground black pepper and salt
• Shredded cheddar
• Bacon bits

Instructions:

1. Bake potatoes in either the microwave or the oven. Peel.
2. Break the cauliflower into flourets. In a large pot, steam the cauliflower.
3. Once the cauliflower is steamed, discard the water and add the peeled potato, chicken broth and milk. Boil for 3-5 mins.
4. With an immersion blender, blend until smoth.
5. Stir in sour cream, chives/green onion and salt and pepper.
6. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes.
7. Serve topped with shredded cheddar, bacon bits and additional chives or green onions.

Comments:

This was sooooo easy and made for a really tasty lunch! You can taste the cauliflower a little bit, but I love mashed cauliflower, so it didn't bother me at all. Without the cheese and bacon garnish, this would be a little bland, so make sure you have those on hand to spice this soup up.

Chicken "Fried" Rice

CHICKEN FRIED RICE
Servings: 4
Source: Me, melding together a variety of recipes from the internet

Ingredients:

• 2 c. cooked brown rice
• 4 oz cooked chicken, diced
• 4 oz cooked pork, diced (you can use all chicken, if you like)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. egg whites
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small/medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 c. mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste)
• Garnish: Chopped green onion, sweet chili sauce or plain :)

Instructions:

1. I used leftover chicken and pork that I had at home already. If you don't have leftover's, grab a rotisserie chicken and use 8 oz off of that. You can use any combination of chicken or pork.
2. Cook the brown rice. You can complete most of the steps with the vegetables while the rice is cooking.
3. In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil. Add the veggies (except the peas) and sautée until they are soft.
4. Beat the egg and egg whites together. Move the veggies to the side of the skillet and scramble the egg and egg white.
5. Add the peas and meat. Mix everything together, cook until the peas and meat are heated.
6. Add the brown rice and soy sauce. Mix everything together and sautée until all of the rice is covered in soy sauce and heated through.
7. Serve, garnished with green onion. I topped mine with some Taste of Thai sweet chili sauce too!

Comments:

This was so simple and a great way to use up some leftovers! It tasted just as good, if not better, then the restaurant version. I really think the key to getting the right flavour is the sesame oil! The portion size for a meal is very large, or you can have a smaller portion and enjoy it as a side.

Caramelized Onion, Pear and Bleu Cheese Pizza

CARAMELIZED ONION, PEAR AND BLEU CHEESE PIZZA
Source: Me, inspired by a local restaurant
Makes: 4 individual pizzas

Ingredients:

• 4 Mother Nature's whole wheat pita's (or other crust)
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and diced
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
• 2 c. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pear, sliced
• 4 tsp olive oil, divided in 4
• 4 tsp minced garlic, divided in 4
• Bleu cheese, to taste
• 1/2 c. shredded mozza cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Brush each pita with olive oil. Sprinkle with minced garlic.
3. In a sautee pan, heat 1 tsp of olive oil. Add onion and sautee, stiring continuously until it starts to brown and is soft and translucent. Add balsamic vinegar and continue cooking and stiring until the vinegar any extra liquid is cooked off. Divide equally between the pizzas.
4. In the same sautee pan, cook the mushrooms in 1 tsp of oil until the release their liquid and brown a little. Divine equally between the pizzas.
5. In the same sautee pan, cook the pear slices in 1 tsp of olive oil until they soften and brown slightly. Divide equally between the pizzas.
6. Crumbled the bleu cheese onto the pizzas. Top with the mozza.
7. Bake at 450 F for 5-7 minutes (if your crust is pre-cooked).
8. Optional: drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar.

Comments:

This is my favorite pizza at a local restaurant and I have been dying to recreate it. This was delicious! The combination of flavours is amazing and you don't even miss traditional pizza sauce. I paired this with a spinach salad.

Another favorite pizza is carmelized onion in balsamic, turkey sausage, sliced apple and mushrooms, topped with cheddar.

Amazing Grilled Chicken Wraps

Amazing Grilled Chicken Wraps

Source: Modified substantially from a Kraft recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts, grilled or baked and diced
• 1.5 c. shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
• 1/2 c. red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 c. green onion, chopped
• 1/2-1 c. shredded low fat cheddar
• 1/3 c. fat free ranch salad dressing
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion salt
• 8 tortillas (I used weight watchers whole wheat tortillas)
• Salsa

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.* Grease a large rectangular baking dish (like a lasagna pan).
2. Combine all of the ingredients up to the tortillas.
3. Put 1/8th of the chicken mixture down the centre of each tortilla. Roll up and place in baking dish. When tortillas are all rolled, spray the top with a little cooking spray or brush with EVOO.
4. Bake* for 15 minutes. Serve with salsa.

*You can grill these, but need to tuck the ends in to make a pouch.

Comments:

These sounded SO strange to me, like some sort of demented enchilada. I had a hard time grasping the concept of the cabbage and the combination of ranch with the seasoning. I was wrong to question, because these things are DELICIOUS! They are also a dieters dream at about 200 cals and 4 grams of fat per stuffed tortilla! (nutrional info varies, depending on brand of tortilla and cheese) They are definitely going into the regular rotation.