SIDES/SPLURGE: Easy, Chicken-filled, Puff Pastries

I had a ton of leftover chicken from dinner a few nights back; I didn't want to reheat it in its existing form, so I figured I would fill some pastry shells with a chicken and cheese blend.

Serving Size: 8-16

Ingredients:

• Cooked and seasoned chicken, tofu, or ground beef
• Shredded cheese blend
• Salt and pepper to taste if your stuffing isn't already heavily seasoned
• Puff pastry shells
• Egg, beaten and in a bowl
• Optional: steamed broccoli or spinach

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven at 400 degrees
• Thaw puff pastry sheet for 7-10 minutes (not longer as the shell will start to get sticky)

• Mix chicken, cheese, and any vegetables you would like to use
• Cut the pastry shell into 4 squares (or more if you'd like smaller pastries)

• Glaze each side of the shell with the egg wash 
• Stuff half of each shell, and seal each pastry with the empty half
• Bake for 15-20 minutes (flip each pastry mid-way)
• Enjoy! 

SIDES: Fiery, baked buffalo wings

I love, love, love buffalo chicken wings, but I don't often indulge in this fried beauties because, well, they're just plain bad for you.  I made these wings for a family Super Bowl party, and not only did they taste amazing, the wings itself were perfect in terms of texture.

Servings: 5-6

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs chicken wings (ready-to-cook - tips removed)
• 2 bottles Louisiana Wing Sauce
• 2 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp salt

Instructions:

• Fill a large pot (or two) half way with water
• Boil water, wings, and all spices (except sauce) for 15 minutes
• Set oven on "roast" on 450 or on bake at 450 (preferably roast)
• Strain boiled wings
• Cover a large cookie sheet in foil
• Pour one bottle of Lousiana Hot Sauce in a small to medium size bowl
• Dunk wings in Lousiana Hot Sauce and place on the cookie sheet
• Place wings in the oven - bake/roast for 10-12 minutes on one side
• Take wings out and brush sauce on the top of the wings
• Flip wings over and brush sauce on the other side of the wings
• Return the wings to the oven for another 10-12 minutes
• Remove from oven and enjoy with celery, carrot sticks, and some low-fat ranch dressing!

SIDES: Chicken Kabobs

I came up with these a few weeks ago as I was preparing for a dinner party; I was expecting to make grilled chicken, until I realized I thawed ground chicken instead of chicken filets.  These make a great side dish to accompany a light Mediterranean or Indian meal.

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chicken breast
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or put through garlic press
• 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 egg 

Instructions:

• Beat egg and mix in ground chicken
• Thorough blend egg and chicken together
• Mix in spices, garlic, and onions
• Once spices are well distributed, form flat oval disks out of ground chicken mixture
• Continue to form disks and place on plate
• Heat canola oil in a skillet (ensure skillet is well coated with oil)
• Pan fry several ovals at a time, ensure you turn over every few minutes - for every new batch, flip over 2-3 times every 2 minutes, and then reduce heat to low; cover pan for an additional 5 minutes
• Continue the last step until all ovals are cooked
• Enjoy!

DINNER: Easy, Low-fat, Spicy Chicken Curry

Paprika is absent -the curry is usually more red

I find Indian food incredibly hard to make successfully - the number of spices and advanced techniques involved can often create an over-flavored disaster.  This recipe is easy to make, the ingredients are accessible at your local grocery store, and it's healthy.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup water - use as needed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 red onion, diced thinly
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (toss the stems)
• 2 tbsp ginger (diced very finely)
• 2 tbsp garlic (don't forget to use a garlic press)
• 2 pds skinless, boneless, chicken thigh filets chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced

Instructions:

• Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a large skillet, add onions and bay leaf - let cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes (or until the onions are golden)
• Add turmeric, chili powder, paprika, ginger, and garlic - add enough water so that the mixture and the onions are moist - reduce heat and stir as needed for 2-3 minutes
• When water has evaporate, add in chicken, tomato,  cloves, and at least 1 tbsp of water
• Cover and simmer for at least 30-35 minutes - if the curry is too moist, feel free to add in bread crumbs or cornstarch as that will help to thicken the curry sauce
• Add in cilantro prior to serving

DINNER: Easy, Fire Roasted Stuffed Bell Peppers

I love stuffed bell peppers, but am not the biggest fan of the pan/oven work involved - this recipe skips the oven, is very easy to make, low in fat, and tastes amazing.

Serving Size: 2

Total Prep/Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 large red bell peppers, cut each bell pepper lengthwise and remove stem and seeds
• 1/3-1/2 pound lean ground beef (ground chicken or turkey work as well, as does tofu)
• 1.5-2 cups mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 2 tomatoes (Roma tomatoes work fine in terms of size), chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4-5 cloves, garlic, crushed
• Spices
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground basil
• 1/4 cup favorite melting cheese - blue cheese is ideal

Instructions:

• Saute onions and garlic in 1-2 tsp of olive oil until lightly browned

• Add in spices, ground beef, mushrooms, tomatoes, and an additional tbsp of olive oil

• Once beef is thoroughly browned, move mixture to one side of the pan and place bell peppers in pan with hollows face up (or place peppers in a freshly oiled pan if this is too complicated)

• Lower heat to a simmer and fill bell peppers with beef mixture - cover pan and let sit over heat for 3-5 minutes
• Remove bell peppers from the pan, sprinkle blue cheese over peppers and serve (I also like to serve the peppers topped with my fresh guacamole)
• Enjoy!

DINNER: Easy, Low Fat Fettucine Alfredo

Fettucine Alfredo is my all-time favorite Italian dish, but it has traditionally been on my list of foods to avoid - not so with this super easy, nutritious recipe.

Serving Size: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 package mushrooms (crimini or standard white mushrooms work)
• 10-12 ounces whole wheat fettucine 
• 1 pound sliced thigh filets, fat removed, and sliced into thin pieces (you'll find that this tastes far better than breast meat)
• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped basil (dried or packaged works)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (white flour works as well)
• 2-3 cloves crushed garlic (or 1 tbsp garlic powder if you don't have fresh garlic)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (Trader Joe's has a good bottled version, although fresh grated is always preferable)

Instructions:

• Boil pasta while preparing chicken - try to time it so that upon straining you can put it straight into the parmesan sauce
• Pour 1-2 tbsp of olive oil into a pan and quickly pan fry chicken, all spices, garlic, and mushrooms
• In a large saucepan - create a roux with the milk (this gives you the thickness of a cream, but without the fat): heat 2-3 tbsp of olive oil and dust the oiled surface of the pan with whole wheat flour until it browns - pour in the milk and mix well until you have a relatively thick sauce.  Add additional flour as needed (sparingly).
• Add chicken and mushrooms to the heated sauce
• Add in drained pasta and ensure that pasta and sauce are mixed well (make sure all pasta is coated with the sauce)
• Add in parmesan cheese
• Serve and enjoy.

DINNER: Chicken Parm 2

Servings: 4-5

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1.5-1.8 pounds chicken breast, cut into filets
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bottle marinara sauce (or for a spicy kick try Trader Joe's Arrabiata Sauce)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Beat eggs mix in black pepper and set aside in bowl
• Mix parmesan and breadcrumbs and set aside on a plate or bowl
• Spread oil across the base of two baking sheets or bakeware
• Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then proceed to dip into paremesan/breadcrumb mix and finally onto the baking sheet
• Spoon marinara sauce over breaded chicken
• Bake and enjoy!

DINNER: Pasta-Free Eggplant-Chicken Lasagna

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of lean chicken breast filets, sliced
•  keep the chicken filet width and length as is, just thinly slice the chicken breasts as these will serve as layers for your dish
• 1 large eggplant, sliced
• the goal here is to get long and wide slices of eggplant that you will eventually use to serve as the layers of your lasagna - so you want to cut from the top of the eggplant to the bottom 
• slice pieces that are no more than 1/8" inch thick - your pieces should be about 6-8" long x 3-4" wide x 1/8" thick - remember the bigger the eggplant, the larger your layers
• 1/2 cup - 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheese blend (try the Trader Joe's bagged shredded, skim mozzarella or the mexican cheese blend)
• Spinach, leaves (try the Trader Joe's bagged spinach)
• Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Oregano
• Optional: Arrabiata Sauce (Trader Joe's has a great one)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Sprinkle chicken with oregano, pepper, cayenne pepper, and a dash of salt (remember, the cheese has salt - don't over do it) - set aside
• Lightly oil a casserole dish (you may need two depending on the size of your eggplant slices)
• Lay your first level of eggplant slices across the entire bottom of your dish (keep your direction consistent)
• Layer your chicken immediately above the eggplant
• Layer on spinach immediately over the chicken
• Add another layer of eggplant slices
• Layer on spinach
• OPTIONAL: you may add a light layer of arrabiata sauce - don't be afraid to let it spill over the sides
• Layer on cheese
• Dash black pepper across the cheese (optional if using arrabiata sauce)
• Repeat in second dish if you have eggplant and chicken left over
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes

DINNER: Baked Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup of light mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cups of breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  
• 1 tsp of dried basil (optional)
  

Instructions:

• Lightly coat chicken with light mayo
• Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried basil, salt and pepper together.
  
• Coat chicken with breadcrumbs.
  
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until chicken is done.
• Serve with pasta or salad or brown rice and steamed veggies.
• Enjoy!
  

DINNER: "Fried" Chicken

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken cut into pieces (skinless)
• Whole wheat flour (or white if you prefer)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 2-4 eggs 
• 1/2 cup milk

Instructions:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
• Grease and flour a shallow baking dish (should be wide and long enough to accommodate your chicken without layering the pieces - alternatively use two dishes)
• Spread salt and pepper accordingly over chicken pieces
• Crack and beat eggs - mix the egg mixture with milk (ensure that the mixture is a bowl that will allow the chicken to easily be dipped)
• Pour bread crumbs into a bowl (the chicken will later be dipped in this bowl)
• Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture and immediately place each side into the bread crumb bowl - the chicken should be coated with crumbs
• Lay each coated piece of chicken into your pan
• Bake @375 for 45-55 minutes