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I believe this was the second recipe I ever learned how to cook, about 10 years ago when I was in high school.  The recipe has completely changed since then and now it's one of my quick and easy go-to meals that uses only a few ingredients that are standard in our household.  This is a an easy recipe to make your own by adding or changing ingredients.  I basically eyeball everything while I make it, so make sure to taste it as you go along and adjust the seasoning to your liking! 

Oh and I know it kind of looks like some green slop, but it's a very tasty green slop! 

Ingredients: 
  • 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast 
  • Spaghetti or your favorite pasta (I love rigatoni with this dish but my husband hates it!)
  • 1 bag fresh spinach
  • 1/2 yellow onion, halved or quartered (small or medium onion depending on how much you like onion)
  • 4-6 garlic gloves, smashed with skin removed (can you tell we love garlic?)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking chicken
  • 1 TSP lemon zest, or more if needed 
  • Juice of about half a small lemon 
  • Salt and pepper to taste 
Directions: 

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Make sure to salt the pasta and set aside. 

While the pasta is cooking, cut the chicken into cube or bite-size pieces.  Heat a large skillet with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the chicken on medium-heat, stirring occasionally. 

While the chicken is cooking, put the onion chunks, whole garlic cloves, lemon zest, and entire bag of spinach into a food processor.  Pulse until everything is f minced and a pesto consistency.  Then, while the food processor is still on, add 1/4 cup of the olive oil to the pesto.  Turn off the food processor, remove the lid and add some salt and pepper and taste.  

After the chicken has cooked, turn the heat down to a simmer and add the pesto to the skillet.  Also add the juice of about half a lemon, or more according to taste.  Stir well to combine the chicken with the pesto.  Simmer the pesto on low heat for about 5-10 minutes so that the garlic and onion cook a little.  Taste the pesto and see if it needs more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.  

Once the desired flavor has been created, add the pasta to the skillet and stir well to combine. 

Enjoy! 
 
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My husband actually came up with this recipe when he lived alone and was searching for something easy to make.  He loved Newmans Balsamic Vinaigrette, so he decided to try it as a marinade for chicken. The outcome was amazing!  I was even impressed when he made it for the first time.  We use Newman's Light Balsamic Vinaigrette because the flavoring in the regular dressing is a bit too strong as a marinade. Try this, it's easy and delicious!

Ingredients: 
  • Chicken breasts
  • Newman's Light Balsamic Vinaigrette 
  • Re-sealable plastic bag
  • Grill or griddle
Directions: 

Put chicken breasts into the re-sealable plastic bag (large ziploc bag) and pour some of the dressing into the bag, until all of the chicken is completely covered (about 3/4 of the bottle).  Massage the marinade into the chicken while in the bag, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Massage the marinade on the chicken occasionally. 

Heat up the grill and grill the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Serve with your favorite side dishes. 

Enjoy! 
 
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Giada has yet to fail me, and this is one of our absolute favorite Giada recipes. The sauce on this chicken is amazing, and I have made it slightly different ways and its always yummy.  Oh and even though this is a strongly flavored chicken, it's always a crowd pleaser!

I actually had the fun time of using my griddle for the very first time for this recipe!  Usually we grill on an outdoor grill, but since we are living in a condo, the indoor griddle had to do.  That thing is great!  We didn't get awesome grill marks, but they were definitely there and the chicken was moist. The best part was, the griddle was so easy to clean!  I highly recommend purchasing one of these if you don't have one already.  We also use the smooth side for pancakes every Saturday :). 

Ingredients: 
  • 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp plus 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest
Directions: Whisk 1/3 cup of oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, fennel seeds, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a heavy-duty re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day, turning the chicken occasionally. (30 minutes is plenty of time if you are in a rush!)

Meanwhile, blend the basil, garlic, lemon zest, remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth. Gradually blend in the remaining 1/3 cup oil. Season the basil sauce, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Brush the griddle with olive oil and heat it on high.  Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to plates. Drizzle the basil sauce over and serve.

We served our chicken with a baked potato and some salad.  The potato was topped with some plain low fat yogurt, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  The salad was just some chopped up red onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes topped with some low fat balsamic vinegar dressing. Enjoy!

 
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I really love Ellie Krieger from the show on Food Network called "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger".  She has lots of amazing low fat and healthy recipes, many of which I can eat without altering them at all!  I saw her make Oven Fried Chicken on one of her shows and thought it looked delicious.  When I read the reviews online, everyone raves about it, and now I can too! 

The recipe was delicious and easy to make.  I loved the crusty outside and moist inside.  The flavorings are really good and I think this chicken would also be amazing as chicken tenders with a honey mustard dipping sauce.  Next time I may try adding a little bit more Dijon mustard because I love that flavor. 

I made some changes to the original recipe, I used Fat Free Saltines instead of Whole Wheat Saltines and I only used white meat chicken on the bone instead of boneless chicken breast. 

I served it with mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese, but something green would definitely have been awesome too.  The recipes for the macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes can be found in the links above! 

Ingredients: 
  • 1/2 sleeve (about 20) Fat Free Saltines, pulsed in a food processor until fine (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 1/2 cups Corn Flakes cereal, pulsed in a food processor to fine crumbs (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup lowfat plan yogurt
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 4 medium/large sized skinless chicken breasts on the bone  
Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with olive oil.

Combine the crackers and corn cereal crumbs, sesame seeds, cayenne, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Reserve.

In a large bowl, combine egg whites, yogurt, Dijon mustard, and salt. Add the chicken pieces and coat thoroughly with the yogurt mixture.

One at a time, dip the chicken pieces in the cracker mixture, packing crumbs onto chicken. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife.
 
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These chicken tenders are easy and delicious!  The fries are guilt free and of course, extremely tasty.  I actually got the chicken recipe from Giada De Laurentis and altered it to make it healthier.  The fry recipe is from Ellie Krieger who has an awesome show on the Food Network called "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger".  She has tons of awesome and healthy recipes on there! 


Chicken Tender Ingredients: 
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • McArthure Cultured Lowfat Buttermilk
  • 2 pounds of chicken breast, cut into tenders
  • 1 1/4 cup of Panko Italian seasoned bread crumbs 
  • 1 1/4 cup of Jaclyn's Italian seasoned bread crumbs (or any other organic brand you like!) 
Garlic Fries Ingredients: 
  • 6 Idaho potatoes
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp of kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp of fresh or dried Italian parsley
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  First, cut the chicken breasts up into chicken tenders. Then, put the chicken tender pieces in a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over them.  Toss the chicken tenders in the buttermilk to make sure they are completely coated.  Cover the bowl and put them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 

While the chicken is marinating, cut the potatoes into French Fries.  To do this, cut the ends off of the potato, then cut the potato in half lengthwise, then cut the halves in half lengthwise.  After that, cut each piece into strips that are the same size.  Then, cut each strip into individual fries.  Try to cut each fry the same size to that they cook evenly.  

*Tip: If you make fries frequently, it may be worth it to buy a fry cutter.  You can get some good ones for very inexpensive (less than $20) at places like Bed Bath and Beyond!  

Once the fries are cut, heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan on medium high heat.  Add the minced garlic and stir constantly to avoid the garlic from burning. Once the garlic is browned and crispy (after about 2 minutes), take the pan off of the heat.  Then, strain the garlic through a strainer so that you separate the garlic pieces from the oil. 

Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to the garlic oil, stir a little to combine, and then coat the fries with the garlic oil.  Coat a baking sheet with olive oil and spread the fried over the pan evenly so that each fry is touching the sheet.  Bake the fries in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until they are brown and crisp.  Make sure to turn the fries over at least once while baking. Sprinkle the garlic pieces and parsley over the fries. 

While the fries begin baking, mix the Panko Italian bread crumbs with the regular Italian bread crumbs.  Then, take each buttermilk coated chicken tender and dip it into the bread crumbs.  Gently pat the bread crumbs so they stick well to the chicken tenders.  Put all the pieces of breaded chicken tenders on a baking sheet coated with olive oil.  Drizzle some more olive oil on top of the chicken tenders and put them in the oven.  Bake the chicken tenders for about 12-15 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. 

Tip:  Put the fries on the bottom rack of the oven and the chicken tenders on the second rack.  The French fries need more time to cook and this will help speed up the process. 

Serve the chicken tenders with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.  Yum!
 
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This is one of my husband and I's absolute favorite recipes!  Thus, it's the first recipe on my blog! I actually found it on the Swank MS Diet Message Board, posted by the user named KerrBear.  I adapted it a bit though and love the results! 


I find it pretty simple to make, and it's great as a main course or as an appetizer for a party.  I once brought it to a Super Bowl party and it was a huge hit! Of course, as everything on this blog, it is very low fat, so don't feel guilty about enjoying these delicious "chicken wings"! 

"Wing" Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast, cut into small/bit size strips 
  • 1/2 cup of Hooters Wing Breading (or regular flour with a little salt and pepper)
  • 1 sleeve of crushed Fat Free Saltines
  • 1 bottle of Footy's Wing Sauce
  • Pam/vegetable oil to moisten the baking sheets
  • Celery sticks for snacking! 
"Blue Cheese" Sauce Ingredients: 
  • 1 container of President Fat Free Feta Cheese Crumbles (or any other brand you can find, crumbled or not)
  • 4 TBLSP of Hidden Valley Low Fat/Fat Free Ranch
Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the chicken breast into bite size strips. 

Crush the whole sleeve of Fat Free Saltines using a food processor or plastic bag and mallet.  Make sure that they aren't too finely crushed, since you want them to have the consistency of chicken wings. 

After the Saltines are crushed, make an assembly line of chicken, Hooters Wing Breading/flour, egg whites mixed with a little bit of water, and the crushed Saltines. 

First, coat the chicken in the flour, then dip it in the egg mixture, and then in the Saltine crumbles.  Make sure that the chicken is coated completely in the crumbles. Place each piece of chicken on the greased baking sheet. 

*Tip: Use only one hand for the coating process, this will actually help you go faster and keep one hand clean.  

Cook the chicken pieces for 20 minutes in the oven, turning them over once to cook evenly. Cut the fattest piece of chicken to make sure that they have all cooked through, then put all of the pieces of chicken in a large mixing bowl. Pour the entire bottle of Footy's Wing Sauce in the bowl and toss the chicken in the sauce until each piece is coated thoroughly.

While the chicken is baking, put 4 TBLSP of Low Fat/Fat Free Ranch dressing and 4 TBLSP of Feta Cheese Crumbles in a container. Mix well and put the sauce in the refrigerator to cool.  Clean and cut the celery up into bite size pieces.  

Display the chicken on a platter with the celery and sauce.  Enjoy! :)