Time to Clean Out the Pantry

I’m getting ready to go on vacation to a warmer clime and wanted to clean out the pantry before leaving.  It minimizes the sting from returning from a relaxing vacation when you find a nice clean kitchen.

I had some boneless chicken in the freezer and red and green bell peppers that would spoil if I didn’t use them soon.  I also pulled out some rice, chicken broth and the remaining Sazón seasoning mix I had left over from another recipe I made during the holidays.   I really like this seasoning mix.  It’s sold several packets to a box and adds a good punch of flavor and color in just one ingredient.  So after studying the result of my pantry clean out for a few minutes I decided on a chicken and rice dish that would come together fairly quickly and use up all these ingredients. Smart Meals clean out the pantry!

Hearty Chicken ‘n’ Rice

Makes 6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed

1 ½ cups long-grain rice

3 cups fat free chicken broth

¼ cup tomato paste

2 packets Sazón Goya® con azafran seasoning

1.     Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken and cook until browned; remove from skillet.

2.     Add onion, red and green peppers and oregano.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.  Stir in the rice.

3.     Add the broth, tomato paste and Sazón seasoning.  Heat to a boil.  Add chicken; reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 20 minutes or until rice absorbs the broth.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Stir rice mixture and serve.

Nutrition Information per serving: 453 calories, 12 g. total fat, 3 g. saturated fat, 101 mg. cholesterol, 745 mg. sodium, 44 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. dietary fiber, 4 g. sugar, 40 g. protein

Fast and Flavorful Meal

We’re turning the corner on winter and it’s time to change up the hearty comfort food repertoire with a colorful flavor packed dish.  This recipe comes together in about 30 minutes.  Most of the work is in the preparation of the ingredients, so if you want to save even more time and spend a bit more money, buy the vegetables and chicken already sliced.  Smart Meals are fast meals!

Chicken Spinach Stir-Fry with Quinoa

Makes 4 servings

2 cups fat free chicken broth

1 cup quinoa

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

½ pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed

1 pound boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1 bag (6 ounces) baby spinach

1.      Heat the broth and quinoa in a medium saucepan over high heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes or until the broth is absorbed.  Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

2.      Meanwhile, heat the oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the red pepper, onion, mushrooms, garlic and oregano.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes or until the vegetables tender-crisp.

3.      If the skillet is large enough, push the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the chicken.  If the pan isn’t large enough, remove the vegetables from the skillet before adding the chicken.  Cook and stir the chicken until done.  

4.      Mix the vegetables with the chicken, and then add the spinach.  Stir until the spinach wilts.  

5.      Fluff the quinoa with a fork and serve with the chicken stir-fry.

Nutrition Information per serving: 487 calories, 19 g. total fat, 4 g. saturated fat, 101 mg. cholesterol, 520 mg. sodium, 35 g. carbohydrate, 6 g. dietary fiber, 4 g. sugar, 45 g. protein

Warm Up Winter with a Hearty Pot Pie

A pot pie recipe contest inspired me to create my own rendition of the hearty savory pie.  Although my recipe didn’t make the cut in the contest, it was a winner on my dinner table.  The ingredients and flavors of Tuscany are among my favorites and are the heart of the recipe.  I chose boneless chicken thighs for their moisture and flavor as well as being cheaper than boneless breasts.  Since I wanted this to be a quick dinner, I went the convenient route and used a prepared pie crust, but added my own homemade touch by flavoring it with some fresh rosemary and Parmesan cheese. 

If you want to save some calories and time, you can serve the chicken filling as a hearty stew.  Versatile dishes are Smart Meals!

Tuscan Chicken Pot Pie

Makes 4 servings

¼ pound pancetta, diced

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup white wine

3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided

1 (15 ounces) white kidney (cannellini) beans, drained

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 9-inch refrigerated prepared pie crust

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1.      Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray 10-inch deep dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2.      Cook pancetta in large skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove pancetta from skillet.

3.      Add chicken to pan drippings and cook until browned.  Remove chicken from skillet.

4.      Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and heat for 1 minute.  Add onion, red bell pepper and garlic.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes.  Add wine and 2 teaspoons rosemary.  Cook and stir until wine evaporates. 

5.      Stir white beans, cooked chicken and pancetta into onion mixture.   Sprinkle flour over chicken mixture and stir until dissolved.  Stir in chicken broth and heat to a boil.  Spoon chicken mixture into prepared pie plate. 

6.      Unroll prepared pie crust onto lightly floured surface.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary.  Using rolling pin, gently roll rosemary into pie crust. 

7.      Place pie crust over pie plate and firmly press edges around rim of pie plate.  Slit crust in several places to allow steam to escape.  Brush crust with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

8.      Bake for 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information per serving: 620 calories, 30 g. total fat, 8 g. saturated fat, 134 mg. cholesterol, 1384 mg. sodium, 28 g. carbohydrate, 5 g. dietary fiber, 3 g. sugar, 52 g. protein

An Easy Weeknight Dinner

A good weekday recipe is one that delivers flavor without a lot of effort.  I decided that a pint of grape tomatoes I had on hand was the simple beginning to a delicious topping for turkey cutlets that I purchased on special at the supermarket.  I halved the tomatoes before tossing with some fresh garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper before roasting, then stirred in some basil from the garden for a pop of fresh flavor.  You can do the same thing using plum tomatoes for an quick side dish.

While the tomatoes were roasting I coated the turkey cutlets with Parmesan cheese and cooked them off in a grill pan.  This is the rare occasion where I break my one pan rule.  Normally I stick to creating recipes that use one pot or pan, but in this case the rich flavor you get from roasting the tomatoes and pan grilling the turkey cutlets is worth a little extra clean up.  To round out the meal, simply serve with a warmed loaf of crusty bread.

Parmesan Turkey Cutlets with Roasted Tomatoes

Makes 4 servings

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ¼ pounds turkey cutlets

¼ cup cholesterol free egg substitute

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1.   Mix tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper on baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, stirring to coat well.  Spread tomato mixture into an even layer.  Bake at 450°F. for 15 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and starting to brown.  Keep warm. 

2.   Dip turkey cutlets into egg substitute and coat evenly with Parmesan cheese, shaking off excess. 

3.   Heat oil in nonstick grill pan or skillet over medium high heat.  Add turkey and brown on both sides for 10 minutes or until turkey is done, turning once.  

4.   Stir the basil into the roasted tomatoes and spoon over turkey cutlets.  Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information per serving: 348 calories, 14 g. total fat, 5 g. saturated fat, 119 mg. cholesterol, 614 mg. sodium, 4 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. dietary fiber, 2 g. sugar, 49 g. protein

 

A New Take on Buffalo Chicken

The popularity of Buffalo Wings ultimately created a whole new flavor category and a food trend that has popped up in dips, sandwiches, salads, pizzas and pretzels to name a few.  I decided to hop on the Buffalo bandwagon with my own rendition using boneless chicken while keeping an eye on the fat and sodium.  The simple marinade for this dish consists of plain Greek yogurt which tenderizes the chicken plus a good dose of hot sauce to add the kick.  The creaminess of the yogurt coating coupled with the tang of the blue cheese and crunch of the celery tastes like you're eating Buffalo chicken dip for dinner!  

Buffalo Chicken with Blue Cheese and Celery

Makes 6 servings

3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons hot sauce (I used Frank's RedHot)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
Paprika

1. Mix the yogurt and hot sauce in a bowl. 




2. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag.  Add yogurt mixture, mixing to coat chicken.  Seal the bag.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

3. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Remove the chicken from the yogurt mixture and place on the baking sheet (most of the yogurt mixture will cling to the chicken).  Discard any remaining yogurt mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until done. 
5. Mix the blue cheese and celery.  Spoon the celery mixture over chicken breasts and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake for 5 minutes more or until cheese slightly melts.  Slice chicken and serve.

Nutrition Information per serving: 299 calories, 14 g. total fat, 6 g. saturated fat, 116 mg. cholesterol, 582 mg. sodium, 3 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. dietary fiber, 2 g. sugar, 38 g. protein

Chicken Portion Size Tip: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can no longer be considered single serving size portions.  They can range anywhere from 5 to 12 ounces each!  The average portion size should be about 4 ounces or the size of a deck of cards.  Before serving a chicken dish, slice each breast into 4 or 5 pieces and arrange on a serving platter.  This will allow you to manage your portion size.

It's All About Flavor

I love experimenting with different flavors to add variety and kick to dishes.  It can make the difference between feeling satisfied at the end of a meal or having a lingering taste for something else that causes me to overeat.  I made a delicious pork roast a few weeks ago and the marinade/baste was a keeper.  During this week's shopping trip I got a good price on boneless chicken breasts so I decided to adapt the marinade and baste for tonight's dinner.  To keep with the 17 Day Diet I cut back on the oil, substituted agave nectar for the brown sugar and eliminated the salt.  I also added some punch by using smoked paprika.  I kept the rest of the meal simple and served some steamed fresh asparagus and tomato-scallion salad on the side.

Smoky Dijon Grilled Chicken
Makes 4 to 6 servings

3/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup smoked paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Blend mustard, Worcestershire, agave nectar, paprika and oil.  Refrigerate 1 cup of the mustard mixture.

2. Place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag and add remaining mustard mixture.  Seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. 
3. Lightly oil the grill rack and heat the grill to medium.  Remove the chicken from marinade; discard the marinade.
4. Grill the chicken for 10 minutes or until cooked through, turning halfway through cooking.  Heat the reserved mustard mixture.  Slice the chicken and serve with the mustard mixture.