Chicken Spinach Parmesan

Nick was reading his latest issue of Men's Health when he came across this recipe and asked me to make it one night. It seemed like an easy enough recipe with ingredients we always have on hand, so when we were trying to decide what to have tonight I figured this would easy to whip up. This was a very easy meal to make and incredibly tasty. I used sauce that I had in the freezer and served the meal over whole wheat penne pasta. A great healthy alternative to traditional chicken parmesan!

The adaptation below includes changes I made to amounts because the Men's Health recipe was only for a serving of one. (Usually I will eat one chicken breast and Nick eats two.)


Chicken Spinach Parmesan
(Adapted from: Men's Health, September 2007 Issue)

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup marinara sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
1 6-oz. bag baby spinach

1) Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

2) Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, pressing lightly so the crumbs stick.

3) Saute garlic in the olive oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes per side, until browned.

4) Top chicken with warmed marinara sauce. Add spinach to the pan a little at a time, turning with tongs, until wilted (about 6 minutes).

Stuff It!

Tonight I grilled chicken breasts that had been stuffed with smoked gouda and bacon. When Nick came home I told him I had tried something different and he said, "You said it's cheese and bacon - it has to be good!" Such a wise man :)

To stuff the chicken I cut a slit almost as long as the breast and almost as deep. I then stuffed an equal amount of smoked gouda and bacon as far in as I could. I then grilled them on my grill pan and served with a Parmesan Risotto (recipe follows) and a simple tossed salad.

The chicken had a great grilled exterior while remaining moist and juicy inside, and the risotto was nice and creamy. Great meal!

Gouda and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breasts
(source: Sugar & Spice)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 oz. smoked gouda
3 pieces bacon, cooked
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

1) Cut a slit into the side of the chicken breast, to within a 1/2 inch of the sides and back. Stuff an equal amount of cheese and a piece of bacon into each breast, making sure to push it as far in as possible.

2) Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

3) Cook on grill pan over medium-high heat, turning once, until completely cooked through.

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Parmesan Risotto
(source: Sugar & Spice)

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)
2.5 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1) Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes.

2) Add the rice and stir to coat the rice.

3) Add the wine, stir and simmer until almost all of the wine is evaporated.

4) Begin adding the chicken broth a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly after each addition and waiting until the liquid has been completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.

5) Once the last batch of broth has been just about absorbed, turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Moroccan-Inspired Stuffed Peppers

These Moroccan-inspired stuffed peppers were an idea born from a recipe that fellow Nestie Cara had posted on her blog a week or two ago. I modified the recipe to suit our tastes (added a meat - chicken - and altered some of the remaining ingredients based on our preferences). The meal turned out to be very good, however there was something that seemed to be lacking. Unlike conventional stuffed pepper recipes that I have made before, this one did not include a sauce or binding component. That is one thing that I would add to this dish to make it a little heartier and juicier (any ideas??). Other than that, this was a great dish!


Moroccan-Inspired Stuffed Peppers
(adapted from Cara's Cravings)

4 large yellow bell peppers
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
Salt
Pepper
Parsley (I used dried flakes)
1 cup garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup dry couscous (I used whole wheat)
4 oz. feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds and membranes. Place in a glass baking dish and cover with plastic wrap; microwave for 5 minutes. Drain any moisture and return to the baking dish.

2. In nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute chicken, onion and garlic until chicken pieces are cooked through. While cooking, season liberally with salt, pepper, and dried parsley flakes. Once cooked, add the garbanzo beans and toss to coat. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, then stir in couscous. Cover pan, turn off heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in feta.

3. Divide couscous mixture evenly among peppers. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.

Parmesan Chicken & Rice

This is a nice light version of the typical Italian dish, risotto. Nick and I are both big fans of the creamy rice concoction, but we treat ourselves to it only on special occasions because it can be pretty heavy. I came across this lighter adaptation on Cooking Light and only made a couple of slight modifications on the original recipe.

There are no leftovers to speak of, so you know it was a hit! This was also a great clean-up meal since you only need to use one pot! I served this with a side salad - it was a very filling meal!

Parmesan Chicken and Rice (adapted from Cooking Light)

1 T. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
3/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup uncooked instant rice (in my pantry was Uncle Ben's Fast & Healthy Brown Rice)
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup (2 oz.) grated fresh parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme and mushrooms; saute 5 minutes or until onion is tender.

2. Add chicken; saute 4 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned.

3. Add wine, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.

4. Stir in rice and broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Stir in cheese and parsley.

**Note: The original recipe only called for 1 cup of chicken broth but I had to add an additional 1/2 cup because the rice was not yet cooked after cooking through the first cup of broth.

Asian Style a la Rachael Ray

I have been attempting to try new dishes here for the last few weeks because Nick and I both agreed that our meals had been getting pretty boring. Nick is a big fan of most Asian style food and when a What's Cooking Nestie had mentioned Rachael Ray's Teriyaki Chicken with Warm Ginger-Carrot Slaw, I saved the recipe knowing it might be a winner.

I didn't make any modifications to the recipe this first time. I cooked the chicken on my grill pan (because it's 90+ degrees outside), which produced fabulously moist chicken. I served the whole meal over brown rice and Nick splashed some soy sauce on everything (he likes his salt!). The chicken was definitely a huge hit - great flavor!

The only change Nick suggested for next time would be to eliminate the ginger in the slaw because it was overpowering. Also, this was a TON of slaw for two people - I would cut the recipe in half.

Oh, and for the record -- this "30 minute meal" took me 45 minutes from start to finish.

Nick at the Helm!

Last night I wasn't very hungry so Nick decided to whip up some dinner when he got home from the gym. It smelled and tasted fabulous! I watched him cook everything, but he doesn't measure when he cooks so I am going to try approximate the amounts that he used.


Nick's Spinach & Feta Chicken

1 cup chicken broth, divided
1 T. butter
4 thin chicken cutlets
~2 T. olive oil
1-2 handfuls of fresh spinach
1/4 cup of feta cheese
Pine nuts


Heat about 3/4 cup chicken broth and melt the butter in the broth in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken to the pan and let simmer in the broth/butter mixture, turning occasionally.

Once the chicken is cooked through (this won't take long with cutlets), turn the heat up and boil off most of the remaining liquid in the pan. Drizzle a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the pan and over the chicken. Continue to cook and brown chicken, turning occasionally, until nicely browned on both sides.

Add the remaining chicken broth to the pan, as well as the spinach and cover with a lid. Let steam for a minute or two, take the lid off and the pan will be deglazed and the spinach wilted. Remove from pan and top chicken with the spinach and crumbled feta. Nick ate his over rotini (Barilla Plus) pasta and topped with a sprinkling of pine nuts.

Calzone Wanna-Be

On the nights that Nick goes to the gym he usually just wants a protein shake and some type of carb (couscous, pasta, etc.) when he gets home, so I never plan on making meals on those evenings. Well, tonight I decided that these nights are perfect for trying things that I like that I know Nick won't eat. And so tonight...

The poser calzone ;-)

I have never made a calzone before and I figured before I went experimenting with precious pizza dough I would try my hand at it with some crescent rolls first. These were really good and I can't wait to try them out with even more fillings and I think I just might progress to pizza dough ;-) This filling was inspired by a sandwich I always used to get at Quaker Steak & Lube that has grilled chicken, mushrooms, onions and mozzarella cheese. Yum! Oh Pittsburgh, how I miss thee!!


Chicken, Mushroom & Onion Calzone

2 chicken breast halves, boiled and shredded
Mushrooms, sliced - about a handful
Onion, sliced - about 4 or 5 half-onion slices
Mozzarella cheese - a couple handfuls
Crescent roll dough - 1 tube (I used reduced fat)

Saute mushrooms and onions in about 1 Tbsp. of butter. Remove from heat and combine with chicken and cheese. Break the crescent roll dough into 4 rectangles, press seams together and press out to about 5x6 rectangles. Add an equal amount of the filling to each rectangle and then fold over and seal shut.

For two of mine I brushed with egg and rolled in Italian-style bread crumbs. I thought this added to the flavor because I pretty much suck at seasoning and always forget to do so ;-)

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

I ate two of these for dinner... at 90 calories each for a crescent roll and using boiled chicken and veggies and just a little cheese, this is a pretty low fat meal as well!

Bump, Bump, Bump

That was an R&B song awhile back, wasn't it? Oiy, I feel old!

Anywho... I was put on a mission this morning by my travel-weary husband, Nick. He has been traveling a lot lately and as a result eating a lot of crappy airport and hotel food. He got in late last night and this morning when I asked him what he would like for dinner tonight he said, "Something chicken-y that's healthy and tastes good". Easy enough, right? Well, we have been bored with the same old stuff so I set out to make something a little different.

I came across this Cooking Light recipe and it sounded good, but I was admittedly a little nervous about baking chicken without any liquid except for the mushroom juices. I was pleasantly surprised when I cut into a piece and found it to be completely juicy!

Below is the recipe, as well as Nick's "grade" and our comments. I am stealing this format from someone else (I'm sorry, I can't remember who!) because since Nick and I have been married I have asked him to grade my meals (A to F) and offer suggestions. I think that would probably be useful for anyone else reading my blog!

Bumpy Chicken (adapted from Cooking Light)

2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt

1. Preaheat oven to 375.

2. In a non-stick frying pan, stir mushrooms, onions and garlic over medium-high heat until mushrooms begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, place chicken breasts in a 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray and bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

4. When the mushroom mixture is done, remove it from the heat. Stir in the mustard, vinegar and mayonnaise.

5. Spread the mushroom mixture over the chicken and continue baking the chicken until chicken is no longer pink in the center of the thickest part. Add salt to taste.

I served this with brown rice cooked in chicken broth, and asparagus that were steamed and then sauteed in a small amount of olive oil and minced garlic.

Nick's Grade: B+
Nick's Comments: "The quality of the cooking and the flavor are both 'A' but the texture is a bit weird. I would maybe slice the vegetables instead of chopping them and maybe instead of mushrooms use a leafy green sauteed vegetable, like spinach."

Chicken Salad

This is a delayed Mother's Day weekend post :) When I had my mom and sister over on Saturday for lunch, I made my mom's favorite lunch - chicken salad. I didn't follow a recipe but just threw together what I thought sounded good. My mom loved it, and Nick actually asked for another big batch so he could eat it throughout the week! I served these on croissants - you could do any type of roll, or even lettuce cups.

**Note - I didn't put any nuts in this salad because I'm allergic, but I think cashews or walnuts would be great!


Chelley's Chicken Salad

2.5 - 3 lbs chicken, boiled and shredded
1 Gala apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 handfuls of raisins
Mayonnaise
Yellow mustard (very small amount)

Combine the chicken, apple, celery and raisins in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise to desired consistency (some people like it drier or creamier than others) and a very small amount of yellow mustard, for flavor.

Grilling -- Done Light!

We've been using our grill a lot lately since the weather has been so amazing. I was in the mood to try something different since we've been eating a lot of the same-old stuff. I came across a couple of recipes from Cooking Light that sounded good - variations on foods we like that had a light twist to them, which is perfect for this weather!

(sorry the picture is a little blurry)

The Citrus-Glazed Chicken Thighs were modified from the original recipe in that I used boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs and we grilled them instead of broiling them in the oven. They had a great flavor, and it was definitely a tasty meal. I don't know that we loved it enough to put it into the regular rotation, but it was something good and different.

Citrus-Glazed Chicken Thighs

1 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 teaspoons bottled ground fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (I ommitted this ingredient)
12 (2-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used 3 boneless, skinless breasts)
Cooking spray
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Place first 7 ingredients in zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag, and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally. Remove chicken, reserving marinade.

(We grilled them at this point)

2. Preheat broiler.

3. Place chicken on a foil-lined jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray; broil 8 minutes on each side or until done.

4. While chicken cooks, place reserved marinade, flour and salt in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and cook for 1 minute or until thickened. Serve sauce with chicken.

The Mediterranean Couscous was great - it tasted like a light summer salad. This would be delicious cold as a lunch! I think I WILL be hanging on to this recipe, especially for the summer!

Mediterranean Couscous

1 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup whole wheat couscous
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring broth to a boil in medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Combine couscous, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients in large bowl.

Source: Cooking Light (for both recipes)

Snowed In... with a version of Chicken Marsala

Today is our first big snow of the season and the first one in our new house. It feels pretty cozy all hunkered down here! I decided to make a modified version of one of the most popular Italian dishes around - Chicken Marsala. Since Nick doesn't care much for the wine taste I modified it with a little butter and chicken broth.

***In order to make the actual Marsala dish, simply replace the first 1/2 cup of chicken broth with Marsala wine and you'll have the traditional recipe!***

I served it with brown rice and steamed veggies. Enjoy! :)


Chicken Marsala - without the Marsala!

1 lb chicken cutlets (I buy the Purdue Thin cuts)
Flour
Salt & pepper
3 T. butter, divided
1 T. olive oil
1 large shallot or 1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/4 c. chicken broth, divided

Season cutlets with salt & pepper. In a large, heavy skillet or saute pan, melt 1 T. butter and 1 T. of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Dredge the cutlet in the flour, shaking off the excess, and add the cutlets to the pan. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, melt 1 more T. of butter, then add the shallot and garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, season with salt & papper, and saute until the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth and sprinkle ~1 T. of flour and mix into sauce to thicken. Simmer for approximately 2 minutes. Add another 3/4 cup of chicken broth and simmer for 4 minutes.

Add an additional 1 T. of butter to the sauce, as well as ~1 tsp. of flour, mixing quickly to incorporate the flour. Return the chicken cutlets to the sauce and turn to coat them. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.