Asparagus Stuffed Chicken

I was very nervous cooking these chicken rollups. I feared undercooking the chicken and/or the chicken being bland. However, it was anything but either of those things. The chicken turned out moist and the asparagus was crisp! I prepped my chicken rollups about 5 hours before cooking them. I do not think it is a necessity to do this but if you have the time, it definitely gives the chicken more flavor. Also, I doubled the ingredients for the apricot mixture. This will give you some extra dressing to baste the chicken with when you starting cooking it on the grill! Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Adapted from Rachael Ray
Ingredients
1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons apricot preserves (I used sugar-free)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Toothpicks (to secure rollups)

Directions

Fill a medium-sized skillet halfway with salted water. Bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes (no longer). Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water. Toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, mix together jam, lemon juice and 2 teaspoons olive oil.

Preheat your grill to medium.

Pound each piece of chicken to about 1/4 inch thick and season with salt and pepper.

Place skinned side down on a baking sheet.

Divide the asparagus evenly among the chicken breasts and roll each cutlet. Secure with toothpicks. 

Using a spatula, cover each chicken rollup with the jam mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

*Do not throw away the extra jam mixture. You will use it when you are cooking the chicken.

Transfer the chicken rollups to the grill. When you put the chickens on the grill, brush all of the chickens with the extra jam mixture. You will see that a lot of the jam gets left on the plate when you transfer the chicken to the grill. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally until browned, about 15 minutes.

I served my chicken with couscous and a big salad. YUM!

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Spaghetti Squash Casserole

It's been forever since I've made spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash is something everyone would love if they just tried it. You also have to get past the fact that you are substituting pasta for this. I even think kids will love this recipe as long as you do not tell them it is squash.

Semi-Adapted from Yummy Mummy Kitchen
Yield-2 people
Ingredients (pictured below minus your meatballs!)
1 extra large spaghetti squash
Your favorite meatballs (my recipe is the best!)
2 cups of pasta sauce
1/2 cup of fat-free shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slowly, key word slowly, slice the squash in half. I got very close to cutting off a finger because the knife kept getting stuck in the squash. Then, remove the seeds.

Drizzle each half of the squash with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Generously season both halves with salt and pepper.
Turn cut side down and bake the spaghetti squash for 40 minutes. It may need a few extra minutes if your spaghetti squash is the size of a football. Your spaghetti squash is done when you can easily scrape the inside of the squash into strings of spaghetti.

Now, increase your oven to 400 degrees.
After you fluff the spaghetti strands, place 1 serving of meatballs and a little less than 1 cup of tomato sauce over the meatballs and squash in each half. Don't worry about mixing it all together. You will do that when you are ready to eat it.
Top with 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese to each half.
Return your spaghetti squash to the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly and everything is cooked through.
Top with fresh basil and serve!

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My Favorite Healthy Meatballs

I am back from my hiatus or at least for this week I am.

Surprisingly, this was my FIRST time to make meatballs! I was shocked at how easy it was to make these. I incorporated these meatballs into a spaghetti squash dish but these would also make great appetizers too. Of course, I made these healthy but you would never know because they were filled with flavor.

Adapted from Wishful Chef
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely diced white onion or shallot
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a sheet pan with nonstick spray.

In a bowl, mix all ingredients together.

 It is easiest to just mix the ingredients with your hands! 

Roll into  about 20 meatballs and place on a pan. 

Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes or until cooked through and not pink in the middle.

I promise if I can make these, you can too! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the best spaghetti squash casserole!

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Arugula Pesto Pizza

Right now I am obsessed with Buitoni's Reduced-Fat Pesto. It actually tastes as good if not better than my homemade pesto. Not to mention, it saves me time because I don't actually have to make it. Pesto was the perfect substitution for pizza sauce in this recipe. This recipe also called for goat cheese so feel free to put as little or as much as you want. I only used half of what the recipe called for because goat cheese is so strong!
Ingredients
Your favorite pizza crust
6 Tablespoons of reduced-fat pesto
2-3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 (8 ounce) package of honey goat cheese (regular is fine too)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Arugula

 Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees or whatever your pizza dough calls for.

Using a spatula, place the pesto in the center of the pizza and spread to the outer edges.

Cut the goat cheese into thin slices and spread or crumble around the pizza.

Place the tomato slices over the goat cheese. Sprinkle the tomatoes with garlic.

Place pizza in the oven for 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly. 

After removing the pizza from the oven, allow it to cool for 2-3 minutes to let the cheese set. Cover the pizza with a few handfuls of arugula.

This is the first time my husband and I have eaten the entire pizza in one sitting! Usually we have a slice or two for leftovers but not this time!

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Healthy Sausage-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

These poblano peppers make a very hearty and fulfilling dinner. This recipe makes enough for 2 people with a few leftovers. I usually am not a big fan of sausage but it is a great substitute to your usual ground beef or turkey. To make this meal complete, serve with an ear of corn and a large salad!

Ingredients:
3 large Poblano peppers
16 ounce package of Jimmy Dean Light (reduced fat) Sausage (You can also use ground beef or turkey)                  
3/4 cup long grain wild rice (buy the 90 second Uncle Ben's long grain & wild rice)   It may have mushrooms etc in it.  You can also use leftover rice if you have it from another dinner.
1 small white onion, chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce (no salt added) or mild picante sauce
1/3 pkg. McCormick Taco Seasoning Mix (refrigerate rest of pkg for something else)
1/4 cup shredded monterrey jack or mild cheddar cheese + more for garnish (I use reduced fat

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the core out of each poblano with a skinny sharp knife. Save or keep intact as much of the pepper flesh top as possible. Lay the poblano flat (the way it naturally sits without falling over) and then cut in half lengthwise. Using your fingers, pull the seeds out, tossing into a trash can. If you want your peppers spicy, leave a few of the seeds in!

Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add your sliced poblanos to the baking dish.

  In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 7-10 minutes until the onions are tender.  

Microwave sausage until done (about 4 minutes total) and keep it crumbly by stirring.  Tip: I usually heat the sausage up for 1.5 minutes and then stir/chop with a fork to make it crumbly. I repeat this 1 or 2 more times until the sausage is cooked through. Drain the fat when finished. 

Add the onion and rest of the ingredients to the sausage (rice, tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and cheese).  Stir.  

Stuff the sausage mixture into the poblano pepper halves.  There will be just enough for all 6 halves.  It will look a bit shallow, but it’s plenty.                                                

Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 35 minutes until the poblanos are tender yet still a bit crisp. After 35 minutes, remove the poblanos from the oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven, covered, for 10 more minutes until the cheese melts!

Delish!

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Basil Chicken Marinade

Chicken is a great source of protein! I love this recipe because the marinade allows the chicken to hold its moisture when cooking! For those of you that have been reading my blog for over a year now, I posted this recipe last August but I am updating the pictures! The recipe hasn't changed and it is still just as good! This is one of my all time favorite marinades.
Ingredients
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil (canola)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil (double the amount if using fresh basil, the more the merrier)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (at least 4)

Combine all of the above ingredients in a small dish and mix together.

Place your chicken breasts in a ziplock bag and pour the mixture over it. Marinate overnight.

*I like to put the bag of marinated chicken in a glass bowl just in case the ziplock leaks.

You can marinate for two days if the chicken breasts are thick. Grill chicken until the juices run clear but be sure to not overcook!

My husband heated the grill to 300-350 degrees. He cooked the chicken for 10 minutes on one side then flipped it over and cooked it for another 5 minutes. Remember, all grills are different and depending on the size of your chicken, your time may vary. This is just a guideline.

Other Hints:

You can actually cut your chicken breasts in half if they are too thick. You can also use a meat tenderizer and pound your chicken to about 1/4" thick. Either way, it will cut down your cooking time and ensure you cook the chicken all the way through.
Do not use a metal container to marinate the chicken in.
Grilled chicken breasts are great for eating plain, cut into strips for a grilled chicken salad, or for a grilled chicken breast sandwich!! Pin It

Creamy yet Healthy Chicken Enchiladas

This was the first post I ever wrote! I decided to update it with some new pictures and a few changes that I made to this recipe. This is one of the easiest recipes to make and tastes better than most enchiladas at a Tex-Mex restaurant. This recipe originated from the side of the "Old El Paso" Green Chile Sauce can but I have tweaked this recipe to make it a lot healthier!

Ingredients: 

1 lb. of cooked chicken breasts (NOTE-you can buy an already cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store but only use 4 cups of chicken)

1 pack (8 oz) light or fat-free cream cheese (you can't tell a difference between the light and fat-free cream cheese in this recipe)

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

1 package (8) white corn, whole wheat or flour tortillas (get the larger tortillas otherwise the tortilla will break)

2 cans (10 oz each) of OLD EL PASO green chile enchilada sauce

1 yellow onion, diced

3/4 cup of cheddar cheese (low fat)

Cilantro (for garnish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly grease rectangular pyrex dish.
If using a rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and peel the chicken. Then, chop your onions.

Use a skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil and cook chopped yellow onion for 5-10 minutes until onions are translucent. Don't let them turn brown!

Add cooked chicken, chilis and cream cheese. 

Reduce heat to medium, cook and stir until blended and melted.

Spoon mixture into tortillas, roll and place seam down on baking dish.

Pour Old El Paso enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheddar cheese (NOTE-i only used 1.5 cans of the enchilada sauce but the recipes calls for 2, it just depends how many enchiladas you are able to get out of the mixture).

Put casserole into the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Garnish with cilantro.

Makes about 8 enchiladas depending on the size of tortillas you buy.

Serve with black beans (drained) with corn and mexican rice (box kind). Keep in mind though that a lot of the boxed rices are loaded in sodium so make sure to look at the sodium content before you buy the rice if you do not want to have high blood pressure!

***If you buy uncooked chicken, season it will olive oil, kosher salt, ground pepper, smoked paprika and bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes. However, I really think it is easier to buy a rotisserie chicken that is already cooked.

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My Favorite Tuna Salad

I am a tuna salad snob. My mom made this for me ever since I was little. She always insisted that I liked her tuna salad because it was made with "solid white albacore tuna in water." Yes, it is the more expensive kind of tuna but I promise you will notice the difference. You will be grossed out at the site of "brown" tuna. I never order tuna salad at restaurants unless I confirm they use solid white albacore tuna. Picky, I know, but I do make an exception for Dean & Deluca's tuna salad because it is amazing!

Tips:

• I use Bumble Bee solid white albacore tuna packed in water. Light tuna is not good!
• You may need to add more salt, pepper and mayonnaise.
• Adding hard cook egg whites extend your tuna salad and make it healthier

Ingredients
2 cans (5 ounces) or 1 (12 ounce) can of Bumble Bee solid white albacore tuna
5 Tbsp of celery, finely chopped
2 scallions, chopped (including green tops)
1/2 cup of your favorite mayonnaise (I use Hellman's light)
***2 hard boiled eggs (peeled and chopped) and 3 more eggs without the yolk, chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon of dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne red pepper
2 teaspoon of dried parsley or 1 heaping tablespoon of fresh parsley (optional but fabulous)

Directions 
Place raw eggs in a saucepan covered with an inch of water. Cook on high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to a moderate boil. Boil for 10-15 minutes (no more). Remove your eggs from the stove. Pour out boiling water. Hit each egg with a spoon to crack them (this allows for the egg to cool quicker). Quickly run cold water over cracked eggs for a few minutes. Now, you can peel the egg!

More tips to cooking the perfect hardboiled egg:

Overcooking the egg will cause the (harmless) grey/green film of sulphur to form around the yolk. 

Fresh eggs are very hard to peel. Use 2 week old eggs (eggs are usually 1 week old by the time they arrive to the store). 

Egg shells can clog your disposal. Make sure to throw them in your garden!

Either chop your eggs up with a knife or use this handy egg slicer.

Finely chop your celery, scallions and fresh parsley.

Mix all your ingredients together.

Serve on your favorite kind of bread. You will love it and so will everyone else.

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Pesto Chicken

This recipe is definitely going to be added to my weekly rotation. It took seconds to prepare and my husband and I savored every bite. If you do not know what to cook tonight, this should be it. I recommend this recipe for anyone short on time which I bet is everybody!!!
Adapted form Kalyn's Kitchen
Ingredients
1 lb of chicken tenders
Salt and fresh ground pepper for seasoning chicken
1 container (7 ounces) of reduced-fat Buitoni pesto (you can make your own pesto if you are so inclined)
1/2 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with non-stick spray.

Spread 1/2 the pesto over the bottom of the dish. 

Lay the chicken strips over the pesto. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. 

Spread the rest of the pesto over the chicken.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes, just until the chicken is barely firm and cooked through. 

When the chicken is barely cooked through, remove foil and sprinkle chicken with 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 3-5 minutes more, just until the cheese is melted. If your broiler is separate from the oven, start preheating it when you take the chicken out. 

After I melted the cheese, I switched my oven to broil and broiled for 3 minutes longer, until the cheese lightly browned.

Serve hot. The juice at the bottom of this dish is DELICIOUS so you may want to serve this with crusty bread, couscous or quinoa to soak up the juice. 

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