Chicken & Squash with Tomato Basil Pasta

Chicken & Squash with Tomato Basil Pasta

You will need 1/2 lb to 3/4 lb chicken breast or tenders. Cook chicken w/ a little salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, paprika and lemon juice.  Then set aside.

 

Cook the following in skillet over med heat for about 8 to 10 min while the water for the pasta is boiling:

2 c sliced yellow squash and zucchini

1/4 c chopped white onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves

1tsp. light olive oil

2 tsp. lemon juice and a bit of zest

 

 

Cook pasta-I found these amazing tomato basil noodles by "Amish Wedding"-no preservatives, colors or salt in them AND 9 g of protein in each serving!

 

Add 2 c marinara sauce-I like "Mama Rosa" brand to the veggies. Also,  add the chicken back in. Let it simmer on low together while the pasta is cooking for about 12 min.

 

Drain the pasta and then combine in skillet with everything else. Give it a toss and let them all become friends for a few min before serving.

 

Serve with green salad and make sure everyone is a member of the "Clean Plate Club"-that is what we do here at our house and how we encourage our 4 yr old to eat it all up-yes even that mushy squash he ate so he could be in the club!!

 

Enjoy! xoxo-A

 



Chicken, peppers and angel hair tossed with pnb & soy sauce

What you will need:

Seasonings: (1/2 tsp of each)

ginger

garlic powder

cinnamon

dry mustard

blk pepper

Sauce:

2 tsp Light olive oil or reg olive oil

1 tsp natural peanut butter

1/4 c lite sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sriracha or hot sauce

whisk together and add into pan right before you drop the pasta in to toss

Peppers and onions:

1/2 cup sliced red onion, 2 cups chopped sweet peppers-yellow, red, orange

Chicken:

cube 1 and 1/2 lbs chicken breast and boil in water for 8 min. Drain and then add back to pan with 1/4 c water remaining. Add to the skillet 1 tsp unsalted butter, 2 tsp minced garlic, the peppers and onions. Season with the above seasonings evenly and cook for 10 min on med while the pasta cooks.

Angel hair or other pasta:

Whole grain, 4 servings-cook according to package

Toss all together and serve! Serves 3 adult portions and one hungry 4 year old!



Enjoy! A

Mustard chicken, roasted butternut squash and blue cheese salad

Mustard chicken, butternut squash and blue cheese salad!!!

(Inspired by two fellow blogger’s recipes!)

Chicken-cook ½ lb chicken breast or tenders in skillet with:

2 tsp lime juice and pineapple juice, dash salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and 2 tsp honey or spicy mustard

Roast 2 c cubed butternut squash in pan with dash salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and parsley on 350 for 40 to 45 min

Assemble the following for the “salad”: 2 c chopped Iceberg lettuce, 1 c arugula, 1 chopped tomato, ¼ c crumbled blue cheese and ¼ c chopped red onions

Dressing: I used Chef Tim’s sweet balsamic vinaigrette (it is so good!!)

I also did this on a day that I worked from 6 am to 1 pm then again from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm….so during the afternoon I made the chicken and stored it in the fridge. I prepared the squash and then my boyfriend put it in the oven at 7:15 so when I came home at 8 pm all I had to do was put the lettuce and veggies together then add the squash and chicken. The squash had cooled down a little bit but was still warm (not hot). I microwaved the chicken for 45 sec just so it wasn’t cold but again not hot.

Timing and Teamwork made this happen with little effort and it was so good!!! Even if you get home late you can still eat healthy-just takes a little planning!

Makes 2 adult sized dinner salads!

 

ENJOY!!!

XOXO-A

 

Mexican Chicken Bake

Buckle up! This is a good one and  figure friendly too!!! This would also be great with ground turkey instead of chicken!

Step one:

Take 3/4 lb chicken breast and cut into cubes. Cook over med heat for 10 min in skillet adding the following:

1/4c  lime juice

1/4 c lemon juice

1/4 c chicken stock-low sodium

Season with cilantro, pepper, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, garlic powder-all to your liking. (I used about 1 tsp of each)

Step two:

Boil whole grain penne pasta just under the suggested time on the package-I used 3 to 3 1/2 cups dry (this will give you about 5 servings in the dish)

Step three:

Combine in baking dish the following:

8 oz container of lite sour cream

1/2 c chopped onion

1/2 c peach/mango salsa (or whatever salsa you like)

1/2 c chopped pepper (whatever you like)

1/2 c skim milk

5 to 6 oz corn

***If you like it spicy add Sriracha and or hot sauce at this point too!

***You can add other garnishing like diced green onion or fresh parsley or cilantro on top-I just didn't have any on hand!

Step four:

Combine ALL ingredients together and mix well in baking dish. Top with 1/2 c shredded cheese of your liking.

Bake at 385 degrees for 30 min. Serving size should be 1 1/2 cups. Great to make for dinner and have for leftovers the day or even two!

Enjoy!

A

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Pineapple & Coconut Almond Chicken Tenders

Baked Sweet Potatoes

2 large yams or sweet potatoes-peeled and sliced or cubed

8 oz chopped pineapple

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tbsp butter

1/3 c orange juice

Toss together in baking dish and bake covered in 385 degree oven for 45 to 55 min (yes, it's that easy!)

Coconut Almond Chicken

Take 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut almond milk and whisk together with 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt in a shallow dish and set aside. In another shallow dish take 1/4 c millet flour, flaxseed meal or almond meal and mix together with 1/2 c panko or whole grain bread crumbs, 1/2 c unsweetened coconut flakes and 1/4 c finely chopped almonds.

Take 1.5 lbs chicken or turkey breast and cut into tenders. Dip each tender in the milk/yogurt and then in the flour/coconut/breadcrumb mix.

Place on baking sheet and bake at 385 for 35 to 40 min flipping over halfway through.

***FIT Tip***chose your ingredients wisely- Millet flour vs white flour, unsweetened coconut vs. sweetened, Greek yogurt vs. regular yogurt. Better ingredients=a better you!!!

[caption id="attachment_699" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Choose better ingredients!!!![/caption]

Spinach & feta stuffed chicken breast with lemon & parm baby potatoes

SPINACH AND FETA STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST

WITH

LEMON AND PARMESAN BABY POTATOES

Chicken:

Pre-heat oven to 385 degrees

Suntee' 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/4 tbsp butter, 2 c frozen spinach leaves, 2 tsp lemon juice and 1/2 c crumbled feta in pan until spinach is warm throughout.

Butterfly chicken breast and stuff half of the spinach mixture into the chicken breast. Bake for approx 40 min (your oven may vary by 5 min or so)

Potatoes:

Rough chop baby potatoes to equal 2 c worth, place in baking dish and add 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp pepper, dash of salt, sprinkle red pepper flakes to your liking, chop 1/4 tbsp butter and place in 4 corners of dish. Add 2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 c chopped red onion and 1/4 c shredded parmesan cheese-give it a stir and bake for 45 min at  385 degrees.

Enjoy! A

Healthy Enchilada Lasagna

Enchilada lasagna!

So clean and healthy and the whole family will love this one!

What you will need:

12 small white corn tortillas

1/2 or 3/4 lb diced chicken breast or ground turkey (or omit meat for a vegetarian dish or add black beans)

Yellow, orange, red or green pepper-pick at least 2 of those 4

1/2 c chopped onion-which ever kind you like

1 c chopped tomatoes

1/2 c corn-frozen or fresh off the cob

2 cups salsa- I used a pineapple mango flavored for extra flavor

1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 c lime juice

1/4 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 c hot sauce

Fresh cilantro, pepper, Badia seasoning, red pepper flakes

8 oz Creamy citrus avocado dressing that I got from Whole Foods-which was the inspiration for this entire meal

DIRECTIONS:

1.Layer 5 tortillas on the bottom of the 9 by 13 baking dish then add 1/2 of the meat and veggie mixture that you cooked in a skillet already (add the hot sauce, lime juice, butter and seasonings as  it cooked down in the skillet)

2.Next, add the tomatoes and half of the salsa, half the cheese and then half of the avocado dressing.

3.Layer 4 more tortillas and add the rest of the meat and veggie mix, then repeat step 2.

4.Layer 3 more tortillas and sprinkle remaining cheese on top

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 min.

Enjoy!! A

Wraps

What an awesome way to sneak in veggies to your meals, wraps! When you get tired of salads and want just a little more try these Flat out multi grain wraps, the nutritional facts on these are amazing! Check it out:

1 wrap offers 8 g of FIBER, 9 g of PROTEIN and only 17g of total carbs at 100 calories. Load these up with veggies mostly then protein and cheese! I add hot sauce to mine and in these pictured above I used pesto paste, olive oil and greek yogurt to flavor the chicken as I cooked it.  So this combo was super fabulous and spicy with red onion, red pepper, cucumbers, banana peppers and a slice of mozzarella cheese.

One way, I find,  to keep eating healthy and not get bored is to think of the wrap, quinoa, rice,  whatever the grainy source as your blank canvas and keep creating from there! Have a healthy foundation to your meal always available or on hand! Also, trying different ethnic ways of cooking will add variety your meals so mix it up and get the whole family involved in finding new recipes. I am thinking next week I will keep my family fed while I try a different taste from around the world Monday through Friday, from Greek to Cuban to German-anything can be made healthier (even my YiaYia's Pastitsio)!



I hope these wraps make their way into your life! I know a package of 6 wraps is more expensive than a loaf of bread but to me it is totally worth it!!! I don't want just bread or even anything with the word "loaf' in it-ha! I want more for myself  and I want to make the most out of each bite that goes into fueling my body!

Enjoy! xo! A

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps! Love this idea and there are endless combinations you can prepare! Make it fun, think outside of the box...make them your own!

I used :

1 lb cubed chicken breast

1 c corn

1/4 c each onions, celery, carrots, silvered raw unsalted almonds

Seasoning for the mixture:

lime juice, cumin, Badia complete seasoning, cilantro,  parsley, ginger, crushed red pepper, pepper, garlic, 1/4 c lite sodium soy sauce (I would have made it spicier for sure with wasabi, Sriracha  and Red Hot if my son wasn't eating it too-he handled the above flavors great though!)

I sautéed the chicken first with all the seasonings/juice/sauce and slowly added in the veggies and then spot checked for taste and added more of whatever I thought it needed. Total cook time 20 min. Wrap in iceberg lettuce and serve-I need a little help on my wrapping skills but that will come! Enjoy!!! xoxoxo-A

Savory Citrus Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast-bone in, skin on (3 pcs)

3/4 to 1 can black beans

1 med yellow pepper chopped

1/2 c chopped spanish onion

1 med orange-skin on cut into quarters

1 lime-skin on cut into quarters

Juice of one lime or 1/4 lime juice

1 cup chicken stock

1 c water

1 c jasmine rice

1/2 to 1 c mango or pineapple salsa

Season with 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp honey, salt, pepper red pepper flakes and  "Badia Complete  Seasoning" -they sell this at Giant Eagle in the "Mexican" aisle (its fabulous) if you don't have this use garlic, oregano, basil and cilantro seasonings.

Cook on low for 6 hours or so adding the rice during the last 2 hours. It will turn into a soup almost but you can serve it strained in a tortilla or with the broth as a rice and chicken soup.  The citrus is the key here-the flavor comes out with the honey and cinnamon-delicious!!

When you feel the crock mixture is complete and you are ready to eat remove the chicken breast and remove the skin and bones chopping the chicken up and adding it back to the crock pot. Also remove the lime and orange wedges as you won't want to bite into them. Add hot sauce and cheese if you wish. I like this one so much because it is healthy and fit for me as is, my boyfriend can add as much hot sauce as he wants after it is out of the pot and the flavor and ingredients are perfect for my 3 yr old son. Makes for great leftovers too!

Try it and let me know what you think!
Enjoy!

xoxo-A

Greek Goddess Pasta

Directions:

Cook 1 lb chicken breast(that you cubed and marinated in a light Greek dressing for about 40 min) then set aside

Cook 3 c whole grain penne pasta noodles and set aside (make sure you save 1 c of the pasta water to add to your sauce)

***SAUCE***

In pan sautee' the following on med for 15 min:

Kalamata olive paste-2 tbsp (I got mine at the local Greek store)

Olive oil-2 tbsp

Garlic-1 tbsp

Red onion-chopped or sliced-1/4 c

Kalamata olives-1/2 c

Feta cheese-1/4 c

Water from pasta-1 c

*1/4 c pine nuts (optional)

*1 tbsp chopped banana peppers (optional)

Season with red pepper flakes, oregano, salt and pepper

Add the pasta and chicken to the kalamata sauce then add 2 c spinach leaves and 1/4 c feta.  Mix everything together and let them blend together for 10 min or so until the spinach is wilted down and everything is well coated in the sauce.

Enjoy!!!

xoxoxo-A

Black Bean Spaghetti

BLACK BEAN SPAGHETTI!

Found this little gem at my local "health food store"-Today's Markey in Oakmont, PA

20 g's of protein per serving!!! Low carbs too!!! This spaghetti was sent from HEAVEN! Love it!

I made mine with about 5 oz of salsa marinated chicken, mangos, red onions, red and orange pepper.

This is so easy!

Marinade your chicken in salsa for at least 30 min or longer if you have time. Cube it, cook it in oven or skillet then set aside. Cook your pasta while you cook up your cut up mango and veggies..... sautee' for 10 min on low heat. Last, add in cooked chicken and cooked spaghetti to the mango and veggies and let them play around in there for another 5 min together adding whatever seasonings you want. Give them all a good stir and toss with some EVOO-Extra Virgin Olive Oil!

This is a very light but very filling dish!

I like to try new things all of the time-that is how I keep my healthy eating habits in check. I will not allow myself to get bored! If you put effort into your planning and cooking you will be completely satisfied eating healthy!

Oh ya-I had a small glass of white wine that I soaked some of the mangos in along with some apples and peaches-delicious!!! Also added some guacamole and a few chips!

Enjoy!!!
xoxoxo-A