Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Easy Chicken Nuggets

We just came back from a quick trip to Florida and we are about to embark on another quick trip to South Carolina, so there was no way I was going to go to the grocery store...nor did I want to go out to eat...so I scoured the freezer in hopes that I would find something easy and HEALTHY to whip up!

Frozen chicken breasts, frozen veggies and rice! PERFECT-O!

This is a take on my mom's chicken nugget recipe...I couldn't tell you how she makes it exactly...but, this is a spinoff.  It's important to flour the chicken, then to coat it in an egg wash and then cover in a bread crumb mixture. Now, I used to dip each piece of chicken in each and this ended up making a HUGE mess. This time, I made a GIGANTIC change that eliminated the mess and honestly, I think the chicken came out the best it ever has!

Easy Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
chicken breast (I only used 1 for 2 of us)
1 c. flour (whole wheat works too)
1 egg white
3/4 c. Italian bread crumbs
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. tomato and garlic seasoning (really add in whatever spices you enjoy to the bread crumbs)
salt and pepper
1 or 2 resealable bags
1/4 c. water


Step By Step
1. Cut the chicken breasts into pieces. Dip into the flour. (Spray a pan with non stick spray and turn the pan on med-low...cover)
2. Put the chicken into the resealable bag. Pour in the egg white. Make sure the egg white covers the chicken. You can either keep this bag and pour the bread crumbs, garlic and seasonings in or use another bag. (depends on how much egg white is left over in the bag). Either way, make sure you shake the bag around so the chicken is covered).
3. Put the chicken in the pan and cover. Cook for a few minutes. Uncover, pour the water into the pan and then turn the chicken. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink. 


All in all, this recipe can come together and cook within 20 minutes. We paired it with steamed veggies and 7 minute rice. One of my favs!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Spicy Hot Kale Chips

I love kale chips, but this recipe may be a bit too much for me! It is literally burning my mouth with the spicy flavor right now! Kale chips are very easy to make, but it isn't a taste that everyone enjoys....Ryan HATES them...and I can't say any of my other friends have truly embraced the kale chip. But, I enjoy them.

The last time I made them, I was very simple...sea salt and Parmesan cheese...pretty simple. This time, I got too creative. I think if you are going to make kale chips, think about what type of potato chips you enjoy and make your kale chips with that in mind.

Spicy Hot Kale Chips
Ingredients
Kale (chopped into small pieces, no stems)
red pepper flakes
1 t. extra virgin olive oil
1/8c. mozzarella cheese
nonstick cooking spray

Step by Step
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Drizzle the olive oil over the kale. Mix the seasoning in and toss with your hands.

3. Spray a baking sheet and then arrange the kale on the sheet. Top with the cheese.

4. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Feel free to change what rack the baking sheet is on halfway thru baking.

*I haven't found a way to keep them crispy unfortunately...so they are a bake and eat, unfortunately

Monday, March 18, 2013

Jack Daniel's Steak Marinade

I have to be honest, I found this recipe and thought...well, TGI Friday's had a really good whiskey marinade, and the reviews were nothing less than great, so I figured to just go for...and then, I whisked it all together and it DID NOT smell very good...in fact, it made my stomach turn..needless to say...I didn't have high expectations...

Boy, was I wrong! It did smell awful, but we broiled the meat for a total of 7 minutes on high (flipping halfway through). The taste was fantastic!!! I will make this again, but I will probably hold my breath while mixing the ingredients :)

If you are interested in the original recipe, you can find it here. The comments provide other ideas as well!
And here is a picture of our dinner...it looked pretty so I had to feature it!


Jack Daniel's Steak Marinade
Ingredients
1/4 c. Jack Daniel's whiskey
1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1/2 diced onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 t. oregano
a few shakes of black pepper
*meat of some sort....you could use beef, chicken, ribs, anything really....

Step by Step Directions
Whisk the ingredients together and marinade the meat for at least 10-12 hours.
Broil on high for 3 minutes...flip...continue for an additional 4 minutes. (or longer, we like medium rare meat)



Ugly pictures, but great taste!!!
Enjoy!


Pinterest Recipe! Roasted Ranch Red Potatoes

Came across a "pin" for simple roasted red potatoes...I HATE making potatoes...I never seem to get it right...plus they take SO LONG...I have done microwaved potatoes as you can see here, but those are not the healthiest..so when I came across this Weight Watchers recipe..I couldn't wait to try it! And, not so spoil the outcome...these are DELICIOUS! They are quick...easy...and did I mention DELICIOUS!!!

Here is the original pin: Ranch Roasted Red Peppers

Ranch Roasted Red Peppers
Ingredients
12 oz. red potatoes (washed and diced)
1 packet Ranch dressing
PAM spray
I added a teaspoon of sundried tomato seasoning...the other recipe used salt

Step by Step Directions
1. Soak the potatoes in water for approximately 30 minutes or more. (makes them a bit more crispy)
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Dry the potatoes and put them into a large resealable bag and dump the dressing mix and other seasoning in. Shake the bag.
4. Spray the baking sheet with PAM...spread the potatoes evenly over the sheet.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.


Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 1/4 of recipe, approx 1/2 cup
Each serving = 2 Points +
PER SERVING: 78 calories; 1g fat; 18g carbohydrates; 1.75g protein; 1.5g fiber




Chicken and Shrimp Tortilla Soup

It is Sunday afternoon....more specifically it is St. Patrick's Day...and where are we? We are home. We have finally found that we are in that "weird stage"...married...no kids...no longer in our 20's....AND all of our friends have kids...therefore...we would just be those weird old people trying to relive their 20's if we were to go out and celebrate the holiday...kinda depressing for us...the past 3 St. Patty Day's were the best days because they were spent at the Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training game...and that, my friends, is a GREAT time. So, sorry to vent, but it was on my mind...guess we are going to have to succumb to peer pressure soon and be like everyone else our age...oh how I don't want to grow up...

Anyway, felt like making another Crock Pot dish and wondered if I could do shrimp in the Crock Pot...so, I threw this stuff together...it is very easy...and it is nice for these cloudy (hopefully) last days of Winter...


Chicken and Shrimp Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts (fresh or frozen), cubed
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn (drained)
1 red pepper, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno (seeded or unseeded)
3 t. chili powder
1 t. coriander powder (or fresh cilantro)
a few splashed of Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot
salt/pepper
1 lb. frozen shrimp
cheddar jack cheese
crushed tortilla chips

Step by Step Directions
1. Turn the crock pot to low and add the chicken, chicken stock, tomatoes, corn, pepper, onion, jalapeno, chili powder, cilantro and the Tabasco sauce. Stir. Cook on low for 3 hours.
2. Add the frozen shrimp. Continue to cook on low for 30-45 minutes.
3. Top with cheese and chips. Serve.

Monday, March 11, 2013

The "Melt in Your Mouth" Pinterest Chicken recipe

I needed a quick recipe the other night and I did a quick Pinterest search to find something quick and simple. I had seen this recipe on many other boards. People repinned this particular recipe...A LOT! The thing that I didn't really like was the cup of mayo it used! Holy cow! That, to me, is a lot of mayo. So, I figured I would swap the mayo for some Greek yogurt.

If you are interested in the original recipe, you can find it here: food.com

But, if you are interested in a slightly more healthy version, you can continue to read on. Now, I will say, I didn't really think this recipe lived up to the name. It was good, but it wasn't earth shaking...however, Ryan thought it was excellent. I might try it again, it was very simple...a little bit messy...but it doesn't top my list. (Side note: the original recipe says to bake for 45 minutes at 375...that is WAY too long...I think that is why my chicken looks burnt...next time baking for a MUCH shorter time)


My take on Melt In Your Mouth Chicken
Ingredients
1/2 c. Parmesan or Italian shredded cheese
1 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. onion salt
1 t. Italian seasoning (I used pasta seasoning)
1 t. pepper
2 chicken breasts (not frozen)

Step by Step
1. Mix the dry ingredients. yogurt and cheese together. Put into a resealable bag.

2. Cover the chicken with the mixture. (I did this ahead of time and let the chicken "marinade" for a few hours in the refrigerator)

3. Spray baking sheet with PAM. Place the chicken on sheet.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Baked for WAY TOO LONG!

A Spin on Penne with Spinach Sauce

I found this recipe the other day on the Food Network website. I was looking for something easy and quick. As I was scrolling through all of the recipes, I came across this one: Penne with Spinach Sauce

This is a Giada recipe and I did love it, but I wanted to add a little bit more of my own individual flair to it. So, I added sundried tomatoes, shrimp, and red pepper flakes. Also, I increased the amount of garlic by 1 clove. And, instead of goat cheese, I used ricotta cheese. All in all, I am very happy with the outcome. It is VERY garlicky, but quite tasty.

Another perk to this recipe, I got to use my brand new food processor. I LOVE IT (Barkley, on the other hand, isn't a fan...he barked the WHOLE time I used it. Oh well.)

A MAJOR DOWNFALL....don't make it and keep it for later..I made that mistake!!!! After I made it, I tried it and it was AMAZING, but then I had to put into the refrigerator because I had to go to spin class...I thought about this dish the ENTIRE TIME I was at the gym...well lo and behold...the sauce was soaked into the pasta when I reheated it and.....it wasn't as good...it was very tasty, but the creaminess wasn't there...and that was what made it so tasty when I tried it...oh well..you live and learn!

Shrimp & Penne with Spicy Spinach Sauce
Ingredients
1 pound penne pasta
3 sauteed garlic cloves
2 oz. ricotta cheese
1 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 package of fresh spinach
2 T. mozzarella cheese
2 t. red pepper flakes
4 sundried tomatoes
2 c. raw shrimp

Step by Step Directions
1. Saute the garlic. Cook for a few minutes (enough to cook it down a bit) half of the spinach in a pan with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
2. Put the following into the food processor, sauteed garlic, ricotta cheese, sun dried tomatoes, cream cheese, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, mozzarella cheese and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside.



3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cook the shrimp until they are no longer pink.
4. Drain the pasta (keep 1 cup of the starchy water aside). Spoon the pasta over the slightly cooked spinach leaves. Then, scrape the cheese mixture over the pasta. Mix together. Pour the starchy water in (you might not need the entire cup of water, but you want to keep the pasta moist) Finally, toss the cooked shrimp in with pasta.






Serve with garlic bread for the true garlic lover!