Parmesan Chicken and Rice

In an effort to be healthy, I have tried as many light recipes as possible. Although this recipe is healthy, it is really delicious. I'm sure I will be making this a lot.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon parsley

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add chicken; sauté 4 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned. Add wine, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.

Stir in rice and broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in cheese and parsley.

4 servings.

Source: cookinglight.com

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 395(18% from fat); FAT 8g (sat 2.8g,mono 3.7g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 29.9g; CHOLESTEROL 57mg; CALCIUM 171mg; SODIUM 656mg; FIBER 2g; IRON 4.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 44.4g

Asian Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
2 Tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon EVOO
1/4 teaspoon wasabi sauce
4 medium chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness

Directions:
-Combine all ingredients but chicken in large bowl and stir to combine.
-Add chicken and toss to coat and submerge.
-Place in fridge and marinate for about 30 minutes to an hour.
-Heat grill or grill pan to medium heat.
-Take chicken out of marinade and place on grill breast side down.
-Cook without moving until grill marks have formed on the breast.
-Flip chicken and brush top with more of the marinade mixture.
-Cook breast side up until grill marks have formed.
-Brush chicken one more time and flip breast side down.
-Turn grill to lower setting and continue cooking until done.
-Remove from grill and cover with foil for 10 minutes before serving.

Or instead of grilling, you can bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

4 servings.

Source: http://www.goodthingscatered.blogspot.com/

Chicken Roll-Ups

I was planning to make chicken quesadillas, but the tortillas I bought were two thin. These turned out great, and sauce really gave them an extra zing.

Ingredients:
4 flour tortillas (I used low carb)
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/3 lb pepper jack cheese, diced into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1/8 cup barbecue sauce

Season chicken with chili powder, salt, and cumin. Heat olive oil in pan over medium high heat. Cook chicken in pan until done. Add onions and cook until done. Dice chicken into 1 inch pieces.
In blender, puree sour cream, lime juice, barbecue sauce, and dash salt and pepper. On each flour tortilla, place 1/4 diced chicken and onions and 1/4 diced pepper jack cheese pieces. Cook in microwave for 30 seconds or until cheese melts. Add 1/4 diced tomatoes and top with 1/4 of sour cream mixture. Roll up tortillas and slice in half. Repeat with remaining 3 tortillas.

Servings: 4

Spicy Orange Chicken over Fried Rice

This is another healthy meal that tastes delicious. I will definitely put this into the regular meal rotation.

Spicy Orange Chicken:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon chili
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 Tablespoon ginger
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch strips
1 onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

Mix chicken, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, and orange rind in medium bowl. Toss to coat chicken. In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook 3 minutes until done. Add ginger and cook an additional minute. Remove from heat. Add onions and bell pepper to pan. Stir fry about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, broth, orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, chili sauce, and garlic powder in small bowl. Mix well. Add broth mixture to pan with onions and bell pepper. Cook until broth starts to boil and thicken, about 1 minute. Add chicken and cook until heated through.

Servings: 4 servings
Nutritional information (per serving): 227 calories, 8 g fat, 16 g carbohydrates, 22 g protein


Fried Rice:
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 egg whites
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
salt
pepper
option: onions, carrots

In large saute pan, saute veggies. Remove from pan. Heat oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add eggs and scramble. Then add rice and veggies and stir fry. Add soy sauce and fry. Season with salt and pepper.

Source: Weight watchers and http://good-eats-n-sweet-treats.blogspot.com

Dijon Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
8 white button mushrooms, finely chopped
1 can (10-ounce) condensed fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup canned chicken broth
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons deli-style brown mustard
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until just brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Add mushrooms to the same skillet and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Whisk in soup, broth, and mustards. Bring sauce to a simmer. Return chicken to skillet and submerge into sauce completely. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until soup bubbles thickly and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to plates and spoon sauce over the top. Sprinkle with tomatoes and corn.

4 servings.

Source: Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade

Alfredo Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

8 oz pasta, cooked and drained

2 cups broccoli florets (optional)

1 cup mushrooms

1.5 cups chicken, cooked and diced (1 large chicken breast)

1 jar Alfredo sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom of the two small or one medium baking dish with a thin layer of Alfredo sauce. In a medium bowl, mix the pasta, broccoli, mushrooms, chicken, garlic and Alfredo sauce until combined. Place mixture into baking dish and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

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2 servings.

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Source: Amber's Delectable Delights amberskitchen.blogspot.com

Healthy Chicken Creole

2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" strips*
1 can (14 oz.) tomatoes, cut up
3/4 cup low-sodium chili sauce
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

brown rice

Cook rice according to package directions. Spray a deep skillet with nonstick spray coating. Preheat pan over high heat. Cook chicken in hot skillet, stirring, for 3-5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Reduce heat. Add tomatoes and their juice, low-sodium chili sauce, green pepper, onion, garlic, basil, parsley, crushed red pepper, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice.

2-3 servings.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 255, Fat 4.5 g, Carbs 21 g, Protein 33 g.

Source: cookinglight.com

Healthy Baked Pork Chops

2 lean butterfly cut pork chops, 1/2" thick
1/2 egg white
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/3 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt

Trim all fat from chops. Beat egg white with evaporated skim milk. Place chops in milk mixture and let stand for 5 minutes, turning chops once. Meanwhile, mix together bread crumbs, spices, and salt. Spray a 9xl3-inch baking pan with nonstick spray coating. Remove chops from milk mixture. Coat thoroughly with crumb mixture. Place chops in pan and bake in 375º F oven for 20 minutes. Turn chops and bake 15 minutes longer or till no pink remains.

2 servings.

Nutritional info: (per serving) Fat 7.3 g, Carbs 7.3 g, Calories 195, Protein 23.6 g

Source: cookinglight.com

Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken

4 ultra thin boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 package cream cheese with chives

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon tarragon

3 Tablespoons of butter

1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

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Heat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Mix together the filling: goat cheese, cream cheese, chives, oregano, basil, and rosemary. On two chicken breasts place 1/2 of the mixture on each. Top with the other chicken breast. Place into a greased baking dish. Melt remaining 3 Tablespoons butter and mix in tarragon, celery salt, rosemary, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour sauce over the chicken breasts in baking dish and place in oven. Cook until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, about 25-30 minutes.

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2 servings.

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Source: http://www.chompdown.blogspot.com/

Chicken in Parsley Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Herbs de Provence. Cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream, salt, pepper, and Parsley. Stir to combine and simmer for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

2 servings.

Penne with Oven-Roasted Chicken, Asparagus, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I made this when some friends came over. It turned out wonderful. Thanks, Celeste!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, with 1 Tbsp oil reserved
16 asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed, sliced diagonally into 1/2” pieces
2 - 2.5 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp tomato paste
8 oz penne pasta
Olive oil
Shredded mozzarella/Parmesan cheese

Place chicken in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle chicken with a mixture of seasonings - basil, garlic spice, and parsley. Cook in the oven for 35 - 45 minutes at 375 degrees or until chicken is cooked thoroughly through. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.Add 1 Tbsp. of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil and 1 Tbsp. olive oil to a large skillet. Over high heat, stir-fry the asparagus for 3 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, 1/4 cup basil, oregano, chicken broth, wine and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and simmer until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Put cooked pasta on a plate. Place a heaping layer of the shredded mozzarella/Parmesan cheese on top of the pasta. Next, drizzle sun-dried tomato mixture over the pasta and cheese. Place oven-roasted chicken on top.

2 servings.

Source: http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2008/01/blog-post.html

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Feta Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This recipe was wonderful. I am excited about making it again. It really was a great recipe. I served it with corn and the biscuits below.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water


Finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sugar and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Spoon into a bowl; stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar. Combine chopped tomatoes, garlic mixture, cheese, basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm. Add broth, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and thyme; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick, stirring constantly. Serve sauce over chicken. (Approximately 2 tbsp per chicken breast.)

4 servings.

Source:http://good-eats-n-sweet-treats.blogspot.com/

Pesto Cream Sauce over Pasta

This is the most delicious meal I have ever made! Enough said.

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package linguine or spaghetti pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 pinch salt
pinch pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Romano cheese
1 cup prepared basil pesto
20 mushrooms, chopped
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until tender and translucent. Stir in garlic and butter, and saute until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Dissolve flour in milk, then stir in. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in pesto. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook 4 minutes, or until heated through. Toss with pasta until evenly coated.

I added pesto chicken to Brent's plate. http://workingwifedinners.blogspot.com/2008/01/pesto-chicken.html
Yield: 6 Servings

Source: http://good-eats-n-sweet-treats.blogspot.com

Braised Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch

Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and brown the seasoned chicken breasts. Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken, and season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. I usually remove the chicken and tomatoes and then add the brown sugar and cornstarch to the balsamic liquid and simmer until reduced.

4 servings.

Source: http://good-eats-n-sweet-treats.blogspot.com

Hawaiian Chicken Stir-fry

This is so delicious, and once again, I was able to get Brent to eat vegetables. The broccoli in this recipe tastes so sweet. I served the stir fry over brown rice that I had added a touch of low-sodium soy sauce to.


2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 cups fresh or frozen broccoli

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

4 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 teaspoon onion powder

4 teaspoons EVOO

1 cup diced pineapple

Rice

Cook rice according to package directions. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. If the broccoli pieces are too big, you may need to cut them into smaller pieces. Heat EVOO in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned. Add broccoli and 1/2 cup water. Cook 6 minutes. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup water, vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and onion powder. Mix well, and pour over chicken. Cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in pineapple. Cook 1 minute. Serve over rice.

4 servings

Creamy Chicken Primavera

This is a picture of the primavera cooking in the pan. I didn't get a picture of the finished meal, but the primavera is best served over hot linguine. Its very good, and I was even able to convince Brent to eat despite the peas, which he detests.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon EVOO
2 medium green peppers, chopped coarsely
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup peas, frozen or canned
1 jar Parmesan Alfredo Sauce (I used Ragu Cheesy)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 oz linguine (or spaghetti)

In a nonstick skillet, heat EVOO on medium-high heat. Cook the green peppers and onion for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and peas and cook 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to package directions. To the chicken, add the Alfredo sauce and pepper. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve over hot linguine.

4 servings

Source: "25 Years of Favorite Name Brand Recipes" cookbook - Seriously one of the best cookbooks I've ever bought.

Pesto Chicken

This turned out great, and it took me literally 20 minutes to make.

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Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup chicken broth or white wine

3 Tablespoons pesto

2 Tablespoons EVOO

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Rice

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Directions:

Make rice according to package directions. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in oil until lightly browned. Add the broth or wine to pan to deglaze it. Add the cooked rice. Stir in pesto, coating the chicken and rice. Cook for 2 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese over top.

2 servings.

Source: http://sweet-savory-southern.blogspot.com

Creamy Chicken Linguine

I made this when my sister was in town. We all loved it, and even my dietitian sister was impressed.

Ingredients:

8 oz linguine

1/4 cup EVOO

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk

Directions:

Cook the linguine according to the package directions. In a large skillet, cook the chicken, onion, garlic, and mushrooms in EVOO over medium heat. Saute until onions are tender and chicken is lightly browned. Stir in salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add green onions, tomatoes with juice, and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 - 6 minutes. Toss with pasta before serving.

4 servings

Source: "25 Years of Favorite Brand Name Recipes" Cookbook

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

I'm the process of getting my new (Christmas present from DH) camera charged and ready, so I've been slack about the pictures. I will have the camera ready soon. This turned out great, although DH had already eaten all of it before I even got home from work. He really liked it.

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 can (7 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (4 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 can (2 oz) mushroom pieces, drained
1/4 cup water or white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
cooked spaghetti noodles

Directions:

In a crockpot/slow cooker place all ingredients except pasta. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours. Serve the chicken and sauce over pasta.

2 servings

Source: Taste of Home Magazine

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup . . .

. . . for a sick DH. DH was diagnosed with a "severe sinus infection." All he wanted at 11 pm was chicken noodle soup. I didn't have any on hand, but I whipped this together in about 30 minutes. I couldn't find a recipe in one of my cookbooks, so I just made one up. DH enjoyed it and ate several bowl fulls before going to sleep.

Ingredients:

1 - 2 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
1 - 2 cans of cream of chicken soup
spaghetti noodles
salt
pepper
poultry seasoning

Directions:

Cut the chicken up into bite-size pieces. In a large pot, mix the cream of chicken soup with 2 cans of water. For a thicken soup, use 2 cans of soup. Mix the soup well and stir in the uncooked chicken pieces and spices. Bring to a boil. When the soup boils, turn it down to medium-low, cover it, and simmer until the chicken is well done (about 15 - 20 minutes). Return the soup to boiling and stir in the noddles. Boil for about 10 minutes until the noodles are cooked.

Servings: 2