Quick and Yummy Chicken and Rice

Ran across this recipe awhile back and for some reason, it sounded really yummy for dinner. Its super quick, super yummy, and healthy to boot!

 

Ingredients

1  8.8-ounce package  cooked brown or white rice

1/2  cup  frozen peas

1  pound  chicken breast tenders, halved crosswise

1  tablespoon  cooking oil

1/4  cup  bottled stir-fry sauce

Packaged oven-roasted sliced almonds

Stir peas into rice pouch. Heat in microwave according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook and stir chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir rice mixture into skillet. Stir in stir-fry sauce; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with almonds

Cheesy Taco Casserole

2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 pound ground beef cooked and drained
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 15 oz can chili beans
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
lettuce, salsa, crushed Doritos, sour cream

Cook macaroni according to package. Cook and drain beef. To beef add taco seasoning, chili beans and tomato sauce. To cooked macaroni add milk and cheese and stir until mixed. Layer these two in a 9x13 casserole dish. Top the dish with shredded cheese and bake

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Bonnie's Homemade Mac n Cheese

12 T butter

3 cups good white crusty bread cut into 1/4 inch pieces

4 cups whole whipping cream or half and half

1 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

2 t salt

1 t pepper

1 t garlic powder

1/4 ts nutmeg

6 cups of your favorite cheese shredded (Vintage white cheddar, Monterrey Jack, Swiss Cheese, Gouda, Romano Cheese, Muenster)

1 8 pkg cream cheese

2 pounds macaroni

Preheat oven to 325*. Place bread in medium bowl. In the microwave melt 4 T butter and 1/2 t of garlic powder. Pour butter into the bowl with bread and toss. Set aside.

Melt 6 T butter in large sauce pan over medium heat. When butter melts, add flour. Cook, whisking for one minute. While whisking, slowly pour in milk and cream. Add salt and pepper and remaining garlic powder and nutmeg. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens.

Remove from heat and stir in your shredded blended cheeses - while reserving about 1 1/2 cups of it for the top of mac and cheese. Add cream cheese

Stir until blended. and set aside.

Make macaroni according to directions on package. Drain. Add to cheese mixture and stir until well coated. Pour into mini ramekins, 9x13 dish, or whatever you'd like to serve it in. Top with remaining shredded cheese and butter soaked croutons. Bake for 30 minute or until bubbly and croutons have browned.



Grilled Mexican Chicken Salad

Ok, I promised a healthy recipe :)

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, chopped cilantro, minced garlic, sugar,  minced red onion and ground cumin. (Don't want to mess with making a dressing? Use a LF Bbalsamic Vinaigrette or other favorite dressing.

Dressing Ingreds:
6 T olive oil
1/4 c lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 minced garlic cloves
1 small minced red onion
3/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Place 4 T in a large resealable bag; set the remaining dressing aside.

Add thinly sliced chicken cutlets to bag of dressing and seal. Shake to coat chicken and refrigerate 1 hour - over night.

In large bowl, combine romaine lettuce, plum tomatoes, black beans, shredded pepper jack cheese and frozen corn (thawed)

3 hearts of romaine, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (I use lf)
1 cup frozen corn (thawed)

Heat grill to medium heat and grill chicken 3 - 4 minutes per side until done. Discard the marinade. Chop chicken and add to lettuce mixture. Drizzle with reserved dressing and toss well to coat.

makes about 6-8 servings. You can grill up the chicken and make the lettuce portion up separately. And enjoy this salad as your lunches at work, dressing the salad as you go each day.

Mini Lasagna's

Ok, So it's not "really" diet food. But hey.. it's wonderful comfort food! And it is winter time :) What better time for comfort food.

Ok...let's get started!

Pasta: you can use store bought sheets just fine. I prefer to make my own. Recipe for homemade noodles is below. If your using store bought, cook according to package.

Pasta Dough:
2 1/4 cups flour (start with 2 cups and add a bit more of the 1/4 cup as you mix)
3 slightly beaten eggs

Put two cups of flour in mixer. Add all three beaten eggs. Mix and slowly add more flour until it starts to form a ball. You don't want it wet and sticky nor dry and crumbly.

Once your dough is finished, your ready to roll! You can use a pasta roller or do it by hand. (by hand takes much longer) Starting on the pasta roller, start on setting #1 and run thru once, fold dough over and run thru again once. Then run dough thru (without folding) settings TWICE EACH 2 - 5 with 5 being the last setting. this will create a long pasta sheet that is thin. Cut into strips, or rounds to fit your dish. Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil pasta sheets 3 minutes each. DONE!

Now for the other part :)

Brown 1 1/2 pounds hamburger and drain well.
You can use whatever sauce you like (I prefer Newman's Own Marinara)
Mix this with the drained hamburger

Cheese Mixture:
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

Now for the construction :)

Spray each ramekin with Pam cooking spray.
One tablespoon of meat sauce in bottom
Layers go like this:
Noodle round
1/4 cup (approx) meat sauce
Shredded Cheese mixture
Continue to make three layers pressing down as needed, and making sure cheese mixture is on the top. Sprinkle with oregano :)

Bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

if your doing this in a cake pan/loaf pan/square pan. Assemble the same way :)

Chicken Pot Pie

This is super easy. The pot pie inside can be made ahead of time, and topped last minute with homemade crust and baked.

2 whole chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

Freshly ground black pepper and Salt

5 cups chicken stock 

2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 stick butter

1 small onion diced. 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 large potatoes pealed and diced

Pastry:

Add these three in a food processor and pulse ten times.

3cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Add these two below that have been diced:

1/2 cup shortening

1/4 pound cold  butter, diced

Drizzle slowly while pulsing the water.

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

The egg is to brush dough before baking.

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Sea Salt and cracked black

Chill this in the fridge for 20 minutes before topping pot pies.

Preheat oven to 375*

Cook in oven seasoning with salt and pepper chicken and debone, cut into cubes. Want to speed it up? buy a roasted chicken from the store deli or used precooked chicken and dice.

In a stock pot, add your butter (melt) add your diced onion and cook five minutes on low. Add  3/4 cup of flour and stir until thick. Cook one minute. Add five cups of chicken stock and bouillon. Add 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Add diced carrots, peas, chicken, and potatoes. Add cream. Simmer on low until nice and thickened.

Spoon mixture into individual ramekins, or a baking dish of your choice.

Using your dough, cut the dough into four sections. Roll out about two inches bigger than the dish you are using. Fold over the filled ramekins and pinch edges. Using one egg, beat well and brush the tops of the dough, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and make three slits in the top of dough. Bake for 1 hour.

Using Beef? Change beef stock, beef bouillon, diced roast, steak or your favorite meat!

Fish Tacos

I know... some of you are cringing. Please 'reel' back your first impression of this word 'fish' and have an open mind. It really is something that at first I was thinking. "Nasty" and I am even a fish lover. But for some reason .. "fish taco's" just didnt chime with me. Then I tried it. Now... I crave these babies! They are healthy, easy to make in less than 15 minutes and FILLING!

This is my very own recipe. And its versatile. So you can mix it anyway you like it to your tastes.

Mahi Mahi Fish Fillets
Cajun Seasoning or Northwoods Seasoning
Shredded Cabbage
Salsa or Pico de gaio
LF (low fat) Shredded cheese (optional)
LF sour cream
1 pkg guacamole seasoning
Sm flour or corn tortilla shells (you can also use a slice of lettuce as a wrapper)


Mahi Mahi fish fillets. ( I buy the unbreaded fillets at Sams/Costco in individual frozen packages which are easy to use, thaw and are great. Fresh fish at the market is great too)
I used one fillet for one person. Will get 2 fish tacos out of it.
Thaw if frozen. Quick tip? Set frozen fish package in a bowl and run cool water over for a few minutes. It will thaw beautifully. Once thawed, cut against the grain into 1 1/2 inch slices. (about the width of your finger) and sprinkle liberally with your favorite seasonings (something with some kick) . I use Cajun seasoning or Northwoods Seasoning.
In a hot skillet, grill pan, or on outdoor grill, cook fish on both sides until done (since they are slices, they take no time at all. Usually 1-2 minutes each side if that)

Mix 1/4 cup sour cream with 1-2 tsp of guacamole seasoning

I put two slices of grilled fish, a small amount of seasoned sour cream, a hand full of cabbage, ground pepper to taste, a dab of shredded cheese (for looks really so my inner chubby doesn't feel cheated), and some salsa.
Wa La!!! They are so yummo!!!