Mexican Quinoa Salad

Recipe adapted from:

dearcrissy.com

Ingredients:

2 cups grilled chicken breast
3 cups cooked quinoa (3/4 cup uncooked)
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (one 16 oz. can) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups (one 15 oz. can) corn, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium fresh tomato, diced, or 10-15 cherry tomatoes quartered

Preparation:

Mix grilled chicken, cooked and cooled quinoa, diced onion, garlic, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Chop cilantro, then stir into quinoa along with seasonings, black beans, and corn. Stir in oil, tomato, and pepper, immediately before serving.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes & Tips:

Mat and I have recently embarked on a clean eating lifestyle. This is going to become my staple recipe for quick lunches or dinners on busy nights. The quinoa can be cooked days in advance and so can the grilled chicken. I keep 5 or 6 grilled chicken breasts in the freezer for quick defrosting and adding into recipes. It would also taste great with avocado, black olives and jalapenos too! But it's absolutely delish the way it is!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Recipe adapted from: 

Heatovento350.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
   
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 bag frozen mixed veggies (I used Kroger brand)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
   
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. Cook chicken however you like. I steamed mine in my steamer from totally frozen with steak seasoning sprinkled on it for 30 mins.
2. Shred chicken. (I used my Kitchenaid mixer to shred mine, just make sure you put a towel over the mixer so you don't have flying chicken).
3. Add butter to a large pot, add celery, onion and carrots along with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add flour and spices. Cook and stir one minute.
4. Stir in broth and milks, cover the pot, and bring soup to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.
5. Stir in chicken and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
6. Divide soup among serving bowls.

Notes & Tips:

The original recipe called for parsnips, which sounds good to me, but as I didn't have any I added the frozen veggies to bulk it up. You can also lower the fat in this by subbing the cream for whole milk and the whole milk for skim. I wouldn't use all skim milk though, I feel it would make the soup kinda watery. I served this with biscuits. The original recipe called for puff pastry adornments, but honestly if I was going to go that far, I'd just make chicken pot pie.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Recipe adapted from: Six Sisters Blog

Ingredients:
1 (6 oz) pkg. chicken flavored low sodium stuffing mix
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 tablespoon prepared, Dijon mustard
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces (I steamed mine)
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 cups cooked, chopped ham
6 slices of extra thin Swiss cheese

Preparation: Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Prepare stuffing as directed on package.  Mix soup and mustard in medium bowl; stir in chicken, broccoli and ham. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with cheese slices and stuffing.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.

Notes & Tips:
The original recipe said to boil the chicken but I seasoned mine with garlic salt and pepper and steamed it. You could certainly use leftover chicken if you have it. Really any way you cook the chicken would be just fine. Also, I did not cover it while cooking so that the stuffing could get crispy. I served this with a chopped salad.
 

Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

Recipe adapted from: E-meals 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced 
• 1/2 tablespoon Creole seasoning 
• 1/2 tablespoon Cilantro Mojo Seasoning (Tupperware)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 10 oz bag rainbow slaw mix
• ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro 
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 
• 1 teaspoon honey 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• 10-count package taco size flour tortillas 
• Pico de gallo
• Sour Cream

Preparation

Sprinkle chicken with Creole & Cilantro Mojo seasonings. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes, or until cooked through. Combine coleslaw mix, cilantro, jalapenos, lime juice, honey, and salt in a bowl. Serve chicken, pico, sour cream and slaw on tortillas.

Notes:

The original recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of Creole seasoning, but I just love the Mojo seasoning so much I had to use it. I was also surprised how much I liked the slaw. I didn't think it was going to have enough liquid but it really was very good and was not too spicy. I made the slaw in advance to let the ingredients marry before serving. I served this with Spanish rice.

Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken

Recipe Adapted From:
How Sweet It Is: Pinterest

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces of beer
32 ounces of barbecue sauce

Preparation:

Season chicken with onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Add to crockpot, then add beer and 24 ounces of barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours, tossing once or twice if desired. After 8 hours, shred and add remaining barbecue sauce. Toss chicken to coat and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving to absorb everything. Serve as desired.

Notes & Tips:
A great recipe for the crockpot. Very yummy and easy. I used Killian's Irish Red for the beer. I also didn't have enough BBQ sauce in the fridge so I had to make 2 cups of my own blend to add to the dredges of random BBQ sauce that I had (Famous Dave's Devils Spit & Kraft Think/Tangy). I made my own blend with ketchup and lots of random spices/vinegar. The original recipe says that using a thinner sauce is easier, but I disagree. I would use a thicker one and let the beer do the thinning.

Ramen Noodle Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
4 Packages Chicken Ramen Noodles
2 Chicken Seasoning Packets
1 Package "Good Seasonings" Italian Dressing Mix
3 Cups Cooked Chicken Breast
1 Cup Frozen Peas, defrosted
3/4 Cup Shredded Carrots
1/2 Medium Bell Pepper (any color) Diced

Preparation:

Cook Ramen noodles according to package. Drain noodles and rinse in cold water. Sprinkle with 2 of the chicken seasoning packages from Ramen package. In small bowl prepare the Italian dressing according to package directions. Pour over noodles. Dice chicken (or shred, whichever you prefer). Add peas, carrots and bell pepper. Mix everything in large bowl and put in fridge for at least an hour.

Notes & Tips:

This is a great salad to take to picnics or pot lucks. If you leave out the chicken it would make a good side dish. Also, if you don't have the dressing mix you can just use 1/2 cup Italian dressing.

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken

Recipe Adapted From:
Pinterest: My Kitchen Apron

Ingredients:
3 lb. bag of frozen chicken breasts
1 bottle Frank's Wings Buffalo Sauce
1 packet Ranch Dip Mix
2 TBSP butter

Preparation:
Put frozen chicken, wing sauce, and ranch dip mix into crock pot.
Cook on low at least 6 to 7 hours
Using two forks, shred chicken & return to crock pot.
Add butter. Cook on low for an additional hour.

Notes & Tips:
Mat gives this two thumbs up because of how spicy I made it. I gave it two thumbs up because of how easy it was. I forgot to add the butter at the end, which I don't think it made any difference. Also, I bought the wrong type of Frank's Red Hot. I bought the original flavor instead of the buffalo sauce. It was quite a bit spicier, but you know, I think I enjoyed it. I put a little Ranch Dressing on the buns and it toned it down a little.

Honey Sauced Chicken

Recipe Adapted From:
mmmcafe (Pinterest)

Ingredients:
3/4 pound chicken (of your choice)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup chopped onion (or 1/16 cup onion soup mix)
1/8 cup ketchup
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Preparation:
Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles.

To bake chicken as a 30 minute meal:
Dice chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper, place in 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Notes & Tips:
I chose to do this using the oven instead of the crock pot since I have a huge crockpot and I didn't feel like cleaning all that up. The recipe was very good, but I would suggest serving it with rice and not noodles since the noodles got a bit slippery. I did think the sauce was a little thin, so I thickened it up with a little cornstarch.

Serves 2

Lemon Chicken with Cucumber Salsa

Recipe Adapted From:
The Pampered Chef Casual Cooking Cookbook

Ingredients:

Chicken and Marinade
1 broiler-fryer chicken (4 pounds), cut into quarters
2 lemons
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cucumber Salsa
1/2 medium unpeeled cucumber, seeded and coarsley chopped (1 cup)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped red onion
1/3 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

Preparation:
1. For chicken and marinade, rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Trim any excess fat from chicken. Zest lemons to measure 1 tablespoon zest. Juice lemons to measure 1/2 cup juice. Place zest and juice in Mixing Bowl. Press garlic into batter bowl. Add oil, oregano, paprika, salt and black pepper; whisk. Remove 2 tablespoons of the marinade and reserve for the salsa.
2. Add chicken to marinade in mixing bowl; turn to coat. Cover; marinate in refrigerator 2-4 hours, turning chicken occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, for salsa, coarsely chop cucumber and onion. Slice olives; dice bell pepper. Place vegetables in small bowl; add reserved 2 tablespoons marinade and mix gently. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Prepare grill for indirect cooking over medium coals. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken, skin side up, on grid of grill. Grill, covered, 45-50 minutes or until chicken registers 180°F in thickest part of thigh portion and juices run clear. Serve salsa with chicken.

Notes & Tips:
I didn't have any fryer chickens so I just used 3 large chicken breasts. It worked out better because it only took 25-30 to cook through. Also, I didn't any paprika so I subbed in cayenne pepper. Which I loved, the spice was very nice. I served this with couscous.

Nutrition Facts:
Serves 4. Calories 470, Total Fat 27 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 150 mg, Carbohydrate 7 g, Protein 50 g, Sodium 520 mg, Fiber 2 g

Chicken and Tortilla Soup

Recipe Adapted From:
Better Homes & Gardens May 2011

Ingredients:

6 cups water
1 3 1/2-lb. whole roasting chicken, cut in 8 pieces
1 large yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped (1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
8 sprigs cilantro
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground ancho chile pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
Corn oil
8 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 32-oz. box reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch slices
2 cups sugar snap peas, sliced diagonally
2 small zucchini, cut in 1/4-inch slices (2 cups)
1 cup chopped fresh or canned tomato
1/2 a jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
Cilantro leaves

Preparation:
1. In a 6-quart Dutch oven combine water, chicken, onion, 1/2 cup chopped carrot, the celery, 8 cilantro sprigs, the cumin, chili powder, ancho chile pepper, oregano, and bay leaves. Bring to a boiling, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is very tender, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 inch of corn oil in a large heavy saucepan to 375 degrees F. Add tortilla strips, about one-fourth at a time, and cook until crispy and light golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from saucepan with a slotted spoon. Drain strips on paper towels. Season with salt.

3. Using tongs, remove chicken from liquid; cool chicken. Strain remaining liquid, and discard solids. Return to Dutch oven along with chicken broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

4. Remove meat from bones and discard bones. Tear chicken in 1-inch pieces. Add to broth along with the 2 sliced carrots. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas, zucchini, tomato, and jalapeño. Simmer 3 minutes or until tender. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.

5. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cheddar cheese, tortilla strips, and cilantro. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Notes & Tips:
This soup took a pretty long time to make. The recipe said a little over an hour but it's more like 1 1/2 hours. The timing at the end is off... it takes way more than 3 minutes to cook zucchini. Our favorite part of this was the "chips" SO easy and so yummy. I will def. make the tortilla strips more often. I thought the zucchini and peas were a little odd in a "Mexican" soup, but it actually tasted pretty good.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories 375
Total Fat (g)14
Saturated Fat (g)2,
Monounsaturated Fat (g)4,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g)7,
Cholesterol (mg)89,
Sodium (mg)618,
Carbohydrate (g)29,
Total Sugar (g)6,
Fiber (g)6,
Protein (g)34,
Vitamin C (DV%)43,
Calcium (DV%)11,
Iron (DV%)14,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Chicken and Vegetable Spaghetti

Recipe Adapted From:
Better Homes & Gardens Magazine, August 2011

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen, peeled pearl onions
12 oz. dried spaghetti
1 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
8 oz. broccolini, trimmed, or broccoli, cut in pieces
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
Crushed red pepper (optional)
1- 1/4 cups yellow or red cherry tomatoes (8 oz.)
1 cup chicken broth

Preparation:
1. In large pot of water, cook onions for 3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon; set aside. In same water cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup cooking water. Drain pasta; set aside.

2. While pasta cooks, in 12-inch skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broccolini and onions. Sprinkle parsley, salt, and red pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, reserved water, and spaghetti. Cover; simmer about 5 minutes or until broth is slightly reduced and vegetables are tender. Makes 4 servings.

Notes & Tips:
I had to change this recipe a little bit to fit the Porter Household tastes...mainly my pregnancy food aversions, haha. #1, I did not use any of the pearl onions, I substituted mushrooms. And #2, If someone could please tell me where in Kansas I can find "broccolini" I'd LOVE to know...so I just used plain old American broccoli. We did use red cherry tomatoes because again, we don't get that fancy food here, only red tomatoes for us.

Nutrition facts:

Calories 453
Total Fat (g)6
Saturated Fat (g)1,
Sodium (mg)318,
Carbohydrate (g)71,
Total Sugar (g)5,
Fiber (g)5,
Protein (g)27,

Sesame Chicken Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Cookbook 2010

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1-1/3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped fresh snow peas
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
4 lettuce leaves
1 tablespoon chopped cashews

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, soy sauce and ginger. Stir in the chicken, peas, pepper and sesame seeds. Serve over lettuce leaves; sprinkle with cashews. Yield: 2 servings.

Notes & Tips:

Oh man the "dressing" for this salad was amazing! I don't know what else I'd like to put it on, other than everything. Super easy recipe, very fresh and light. I served this lettuce wrap style instead of salad style. This recipe serves 2 so you can always double for more.

Nutrition Facts:

1 cup salad with 1-1/2 teaspoons cashews equals 254 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 76 mg cholesterol, 736 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 31 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 very lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.

Easy Chicken and Veggies

Recipe taken from:
Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Cookbook 2010

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3 teaspoons Crisco® Olive Oil, divided
3 cups fresh baby spinach
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation:
Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese and Italian seasoning. Coat chicken in bread crumb mixture.
In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken in 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.
Saute spinach in remaining oil just until wilted. Stir in tomatoes and garlic; cook 3 minutes longer. Serve with chicken. Yield: 2 servings.

Notes & Tips:
I liked that this recipe was for 2, a nice change from the usual larger meals. I thought the spinach mixture was really bland. I would make sure to put some seasoning in with them next time, the little bit of garlic was not enough, it needs seasoning. Overall a good meal. Super quick, since you pound the chicken flat it cooks in less than 15 mins. I served this with a baked potato.

Nutrition Facts:
1 chicken breast half with 1 cup vegetables equals 302 calories, 12 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 95 mg cholesterol, 484 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 38 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 5 lean meat, 2 fat, 1 vegetable.

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

Recipe Taken From:
Virgina Fare Cookbook

Ingredients:
8 chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
1 stick of butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in a large shallow baking dish. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour; mix well.
Whisk in milk. Season with salt and pepper. Heat mixture until thickened.
Add parmesan cheese and wine to cream sauce. Stir in enough chicken stock to make the sauce thick and creamy.
Gently fold in artichokes. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover and bake for 1 hour.

Notes & Tips:
Makes 8 servings. You can add chopped bell peppers and one jar sliced pimientos for a more colorful presentation. I used part whipping cream and part skim milk. Also, I made the mistake of putting raw chicken in, instead of cooked. It looked mine WAY longer to cook than it calls for I was at 1.5-2 hours instead...duh Danielle. Geez. You can also crumble Ritz cracker over the top and uncover for the last 5-10 minutes.

Country Dijon Chicken and Pasta

Recipe Taken From:
Virgina Fare Cookbook

2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. skinned & boned chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tbsp. butter
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 c. whipping cream
1/3 c. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. fettuccine, cooked & drained
2 tbsp. parsley, chopped

Preparation:
In plastic bag, combine flour, pepper, and chicken; shake to coat. In large skillet, brown chicken in 2 tablespoons butter. Remove chicken to platter and keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet. Saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in cream, mustard, and cheese. Add chicken, keep warm. Toss hot pasta with 2 tablespoons parsley. Place on serving platter; top with chicken. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon parsley over chicken. 4 to 6 servings.

Notes & Tips:
This took about 40 mins. total to make. Pretty easy and def. yummy. Make sure to use real Parmesan cheese, not the Kraft kind in the canister. Sorry there are no nutrition facts in this cookbook, and honestly you wouldn't want to know with all the cream and butter in this one anyway.

King Ranch Chicken

Recipe Adapted From:
Good Housekeeping January 2011

Ingredients:

2 cup(s) low-fat (1 percent) milk
2 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
1 small (4- to 6- ounce) onion, finely chopped
1 large (8- to 10-ounce) red pepper, finely chopped
1 large (4- to 6-ounce) poblano chile, seeds discarded, finely chopped
1 jalapeño chile, seeds discarded, finely chopped
2 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
3 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
1 cup(s) lower-sodium chicken broth
1 can(s) (14.5-ounce) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
Salt
Pepper
3 1/2 ounce(s) baked tortilla chips, crushed (1 1/2 cups)
2 cup(s) cooked shredded chicken breast meat
4 ounce(s) pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 green onion, thinly sliced, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease shallow 3-quart baking dish. Microwave milk on High 2 minutes or until warm.
Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion, red pepper, and poblano and jalapeño chiles. Cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are just tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring.
Add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring. Continue stirring and add broth, then milk, in steady stream. Heat to boiling while stirring, then cook 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Spread thin, even layer of sauce on bottom of prepared dish. Top with half of chips, sauce, chicken, and cheese. Repeat layering once.
Bake 30 minutes or until bubbling. Garnish with green onions.

Notes & Tips:
Ok so when I went to make this (a week after I had planned), I didn't have some of the ingredients anymore, so I had to improvise. I subbed fresh snow peas for the pepper, I subbed spinach for the peppers (which seemed a little spicy for my taste anyways). Also, I used the Lime flavored tortilla chips. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this turned out. It might be a good idea to use the 1% milk the call for, skim has a hard time thickening up.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 365
Total Fat 18g
Saturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 60mg
Sodium 535mg
Total Carbohydrate 30g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Protein 22g

Honey-Ginger Chicken with Orange Rice

Recipe Taken From:
Weight Watchers Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups Water
2/3 cup Fresh Orange Juice
1 cup Natural Long Grain
1 tbsp Parsley
1 tsp Orange Zest
1/2 cup Pecan Halves
1/4 cup Cornmeal, Whole-grain, White
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Honey
1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce Light
1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger Root
4 (4 oz) Chicken Breasts (boneless,skinless)

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, combine the water and orange juice; bring to a boil. Stir in the rice; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then stir in the parsley and orange zest.

Meanwhile, spray a broiler rack with nonstick spray; preheat the broiler.

In a food processor, combine the pecans, cornmeal, and pepper until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a plate. In a shallow bowl, combine the honey, soy sauce, and ginger. Dip the chicken in the honey mixture, then roll it in the cornmeal mixture.

Broil the chicken 5 inches from the heat until crusty brown and cook through, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve with the rice.

Notes & Tips:

For a more even coating, after you've rolled the chicken breasts in the cornmeal mixture, spread the mixture with a knife. White cornmeal is a better choice than yellow when broiling; yellow is quicker to burn under direct heat, while white browns better. A small amount of nuts adds wonderful flavor and richness with only a little fat. If you prefer to avoid nuts, however, use wheat-and-barley cereal nuggets instead.

This was not my favorite recipe that I've ever made. Maybe it's just me but there wasn't enough salt (haha, which I'm sure weight watchers wouldn't appreciate) also, I added some spray butter to the rice, to me rice needs a fat when cooking (which again I'm sure weight watchers wouldn't appreciate). Meh, maybe if you try it it'll come out better.

Nutrition Facts:
Amount per Serving
Calories 363
Calories from Fat 111.0
Total Fat 12.33g
Saturated Fat 1.29g
Cholesterol 65mg
Sodium 183.41mg
Total Carbohydrate 38.75g
Dietary Fiber 2.1g
Sugars 8.14g
Protein 26.69g
7 points (if you're counting)

Crab-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Magazine April/May 2008

Ingredients:
* 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1/2 cup canned crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
* 1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
* 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
* 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 6 teaspoons marinade for chicken,divided
* 2 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
* 3 slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese, divided

Preparation:
* Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the crab, water chestnuts, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, 2 teaspoons marinade for chicken and half of the onions.
* Chop one cheese slice; stir into crab mixture. Spread over chicken; roll up and secure with toothpicks.
* In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown chicken on all sides. Place seam side down in a shallow 3-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Brush with remaining marinade for chicken.
* Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25 minutes. Cut each remaining cheese slice into six strips; place two cheese strips over each chicken breast. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Discard toothpicks. Sprinkle remaining onions over chicken. Yield: 6 servings.

Notes & Tips:
I always have trouble rolling up chicken. It never looks pretty, but this meal tasted great. I used Phillips Canned Crab Claw Meat. Be prepared to use up the rest of the can of crab meat, this recipe calls for only a 1/2 cup and the can has 2 cups...so yeah, be prepared for another meal, either crab cakes or some kind of seafood bisque.

Nutrition Facts:
1 stuffed chicken breast half equals 225 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 95 mg cholesterol, 469 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 35 g protein.

Santa Fe Chicken Bake

Recipe Taken From:
Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
* 1 (19 ounce) can black beans, rinsed
* 1 yellow pepper, chopped
* 1 (10 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
* 1 (10 ounce) can water
* 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
* 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 1/2 cup salsa
* 1 cup Shredded Cheese

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine rice, beans and peppers in 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix soup, water and cilantro; pour over rice mixture.
3. Top with chicken and salsa.
4. Bake 35 minutes or until chicken is done (170 degree F). Top with cheese; bake 10 minutes or until melted.

Notes & Tips:
If you don't have fresh cilantro, use 1 teaspoon ground coriander instead. I really enjoyed this recipe. I think next time I will add a can of corn to make it a little more "Santa Fe"ish.

Nutrition Facts:
Amount Per Serving Calories: 559 | Total Fat: 16.3g | Cholesterol: 92mg

Mexican Chicken Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Weight Watchers Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, poached and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tomato, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 2 scallions, minced (white and light-green parts only)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
  

Preparation:
1. To make the dressing, put the lime juice in a small bowl. Drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly. Press in the garlic with a garlic press and add the chili powder; whisk thoroughly.
2. In a large bowl combine the chicken, tomato, avocado, scallions, and cilantro. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, at least 2 hours.
3. Divide the lettuce among 4 plates and mound the chicken salad on top.

Notes & Tips:
I made this WAY too spicy. It's def. clear your sinus cavities spicy. I used chipotle chili seasoning. Also, I served this with soft taco shells.

Nutrition Facts:
(1/2 cup lettuce and about 3/4 cup chicken salad), 243 Calories, 14 g Fat, 2 g Saturated Fat, 49 mg Cholesterol, 77 mg Sodium, 9 g Carbohydrates, 5 g Fiber, 22 g Protein, 60 mg Calcium.