Chicken and Black Bean-Stuffed Burritos

Talk about a super easy weeknight meal!  This came together so quickly and all we needed was fresh salsa, rotisserie chicken and tortillas!

Burritos are typically made with rice. This version is lightened by removing the rice and using only chicken, beans, salsa and cheese.

I don't have much to say about this--it's that easy.  I might also be stuck on the deliciousness that were the browned banana bars. They were that good.

We didn't make any changes to the recipe.  


You could keep all of the items in this recipe stocked in your house (thawing frozen chicken and cooking it over the weekend) to really make this a pantry-ingredient meal.


As of today's post, seventeen people gave this an average rating of four out of five.


SaBrina Bone, Cooking Light, December 2010

• YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burrito)
• TOTAL: 25 MINUTES
• COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa
• 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Cooking spray

Preparation

• 1. Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in shredded chicken and green onions.
• 2. Combine beans and salsa. Spoon 1/4 cup bean mixture and 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up.
• 3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 burritos. Place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of burritos, and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan, and repeat procedure with the remaining 2 burritos.

Nutritional Information

---

• Amount per serving
• Calories: 353
• Fat: 9.8g
• Saturated fat: 4.1g
• Monounsaturated fat: 3.6g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.3g
• Protein: 30.9g
• Carbohydrate: 33.1g
• Fiber: 2.4g
• Cholesterol: 72mg
• Iron: 1.6mg
• Sodium: 595mg
• Calcium: 137mg

Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I bought a bunch of bananas with the goal of making two different banana recipes this week. I couldn't decide which one I wanted to make and had enough bananas to make both. In Greece, they would say this is my destiny.  


I also came to the realization that homemade cookies are way better than store-bought cookies.  OK with the caveat that Oreos are the exception because let's be honest with ourselves, they are the end-all be-all of cookies.  We had the Keebler rainbow M&M's cookies (the ones with exactly 3 M&M's per cookie) and they tasted like cardboard.  That's when I realized I wanted to make these cookies and put the calories toward something much more delicious (and probably nutritious).  


Enter super ripe bananas. This recipe came together so quickly--mix all together and bake.  I didn't make any  modifications to this recipe except to underbake the second and third batches in the oven. I like my cookies a little underbaked and soft.  


They were delicious. Chewy, soft and flavorful--everything I had hoped for.  The good news is that these also freeze well, so you can pull one out of the freezer as you want it.  It's the self control that is the difficult part. :)


As of today's post, 37 people gave this an average rating of four out of five stars.  


Recipe by Cathy Brixen, Phoenix, Arizona, Cooking Light, July 2009

• YIELD: 2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)
• 
  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 5 3/5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Cooking spray

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
• 2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add egg; beat well.
• 3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture in bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
• 4. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until golden. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Nutritional Information

---

• Amount per serving
• Calories: 115
• Fat: 3.6g
• Saturated fat: 2g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1.1g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g
• Protein: 2g
• Carbohydrate: 19.1g
• Fiber: 1.2g
• Cholesterol: 14mg
• Iron: 0.9mg
• Sodium: 121mg
• Calcium: 10mg

Shepherd's Pie Peppers

And now, an homage to my roots.  Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made in a pie crust with a layer of meat and vegetables, topped with delicious mashed potatoes.  The problem is that if we ate Shepherd's Pie once a month, we would probably have high blood pressure and cholesterol.  We barely even have the real thing once a year--I requested it as my special birthday dish this year. The hubs made the family recipe and it was delicious!  So having that fairly recent memory in my head, how did this light version measure up??


First, if you look at the recipe you'll notice that we have the peas and carrots on the side when they should be in the peppers. Oops. It was a Top Chef improv moment, and it turned out ok.  


I thought this was delicious!  I made sure to cook the peppers to near exhaustion, so that they would be sure to fall apart with the light touch of the fork. :)  It was a great way to have a taste of Shepherd's Pie.  The best part? Only two servings. That way you're not stuck with a weeks' worth of fatty, salty, delicious, unhealthy leftovers.  


As for the alterations, we clearly left out the peas and carrots but cooked them as a side dish.  Additionally, we used ground beef instead of lamb or sirloin.  Based on comments from other reviewer, we also swapped refrigerated mashed potatoes for the frozen ones.


I would make it again but when asking the other half of this duo, he replied 'I like the regular version better'. Duh cause it's laden with a heavy (but delicious) pie crust.  If you're looking for a quick fix, this will get it done.




As of today's post, two people rated this a four out of five. I would agree.


Recipe by Angie Sinclair, Cooking Light, June 2003

• YIELD: 2 servings (serving size: one stuffed pepper)
• COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

• 2 large green bell peppers (about 1 pound)
• Cooking spray
• 6 ounces lean boneless leg of lamb or lean boneless sirloin steak, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup fat-free beef broth
• 2/3 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup frozen mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
• Dash of paprika

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Cut tops off bell peppers; discard tops, seeds, and membranes. Cook peppers in boiling water 5 minutes; drain and set aside.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add lamb; cook 6 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Wipe drippings from skillet with a paper towel.
• Return lamb to pan; add broth and the next 6 ingredients (broth through salt). Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring well with a whisk. Add to lamb mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Divide the lamb mixture evenly between peppers. Place stuffed peppers in an 8-inch square baking dish, and set aside.
• Combine the potatoes and milk in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring well. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. Let stand for 2 minutes. Spoon warm potato mixture evenly over tops of stuffed peppers, and lightly coat the potato mixture with cooking spray. Combine the cheese and paprika; sprinkle over potato mixture.
• Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until potatoes are golden.

Nutritional Information

---

• Amount per serving
• Calories: 386
• Calories from fat: 21%
• Fat: 9g
• Saturated fat: 3.3g
• Monounsaturated fat: 3.4g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.1g
• Protein: 30.1g
• Carbohydrate: 43.3g
• Fiber: 6.2g
• Cholesterol: 66mg
• Iron: 3.7mg
• Sodium: 991mg
• Calcium: 173mg

Italian Beef Sandwiches

I have been to Chicago, land of the deep dish, but never ate their other claim to fame, the Italian Beef Sandwich.  Man vs. Food happened to do a show in Chi town where Adam Richmond spoke of the Italian Beef Sandwich. I was a little wary at first--what the hell is Giardiniera?! looks like cauliflower and carrots, wtf?!  Not to mention the fact that I had NO idea where to find it in the grocery so the first time we made these I skipped it.  In the end it is DELICIOUS.  Not as tasty as another beef sandwich claimed by a different mid-West wintry town (aka Beef on Weck in my hometown of Buffalo), but it is still good.    Plus it utilizes our favorite tool--the SLOW COOKER!

This time I forgot to marinate the meat the night before, so I threw in about 5 extra garlic cloves and added more spices.  This time I also found the Giardiniera--it's near the pickles.  I liked it, the optional topping gave the sandwich texture and tang.  It's so easy to throw together, you could definitely have this as a weeknight meal.

As of today's post, a lowly 4 people gave this a 3 out of 5.

Recipe by Cooking Light, October 2009

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich and about 1/3 cup cooking liquid)

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon  dried Italian seasoning
• 1  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 1  (2 1/2-pound) rump roast, trimmed
• 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1  cup  coarsely chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
• 8  (2-ounce) Italian rolls
• Giardiniera (pickled vegetables), chopped (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top bag, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place beef and marinade in an electric slow cooker; cook on LOW 8 hours or until beef is tender. Place beef on a cutting board (reserve cooking liquid); let stand 10 minutes. Thinly slice beef; place in a shallow dish. Pour cooking liquid over beef.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Slice rolls lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Hollow out top and bottom halves of rolls, leaving a 3/4-inch-thick shell; reserve the torn bread for another use. Arrange about 3 ounces beef and 2 tablespoons bell peppers on each roll. Drizzle 1 tablespoon cooking liquid over beef and peppers; top with giardiniera, if desired. Serve with remaining 2 1/2 cups cooking liquid for dipping.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 386

Fat: 11.3g (sat 3.4g,mono 4.8g,poly 1.2g)

Protein: 39.4g

Carbohydrate: 29.2g

Fiber: 1.8g

Cholesterol: 102mg

Iron: 5.4mg

Sodium: 479mg

Calcium: 52mg

Chicken, Cashew, and Red Pepper Stir Fry

I guess I'll preface this recipe with the fact that 35 people gave this an average of 5 out of 5. It's that delicious.  This is another superfast weeknight meal that comes together quickly, especially with 90 second brown rice.  Most of the ingredients you can keep on hand.  The thinner you cut your chicken, the more quickly it will cook.  The cashews are a MUST. You cannot skip the cashews. They give this a perfect crunch. 

In the past, we've added water chestnuts and broccoli to add vegetables and texture to this dish.  But this time, we made it strictly by the recipe.  The recipe gives you enough sauce for the rice. 

We've made this a few times and honestly I had forgotten just how tasty it is. I can say we'll be making this more in the future. 

Add it to your rotation, you won't regret it.

Recipe by Barbara Lauterbach, Cooking Light, April 2009

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 3 3/4  teaspoons  cornstarch, divided
• 2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 2  teaspoons  dry sherry
• 1  teaspoon  rice wine vinegar
• 3/4  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1  pound  chicken breast tenders, cut lengthwise into thin strips
• 1/2  cup  coarsely chopped unsalted cashews
• 2  tablespoons  canola oil
• 2  cups  julienne-cut red bell pepper (about 1 large)
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1/2  teaspoon  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3  tablespoons  thinly sliced green onions

Preparation

1. Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and next 4 ingredients (through hot pepper sauce) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
2. Combine remaining 2 3/4 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and chicken in a medium bowl; toss well to coat.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cashews to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Remove from pan.
4. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; place in a bowl. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and ginger; cook 30 seconds. Add chicken and cornstarch mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Sprinkle with cashews and green onions.
Quick rice pilaf: Cook 1 (10-ounce) package frozen white rice (such as Birds Eye SteamFresh) according to package directions. Combine cooked rice, 2 tablespoons drained chopped water chestnuts, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 324

Fat: 16.6g (sat 2.5g,mono 9.2g,poly 3.8g)

Protein: 30g

Carbohydrate: 13.5g

Fiber: 2g

Cholesterol: 66mg

Iron: 2.4mg

Sodium: 350mg

Calcium: 33mg

Salmon with Spicy Cucumber and Peanuts

I try to incorporate fish in our diet at least once every two weeks.  Winter can be tough because all you want to do is sleep and eat white, starchy carbs.  But now spring is coming and when you want a light weeknight meal, this is a great option. 

Once again we had green beans with this meal (recipe found here).   I forgot to seed the cucumber, so it doesn't look perfect. I didn't notice a difference in taste either way.  But I love the combination of rice wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and sugar.  It gives you a totally unique taste of the spicy/sweet combination.

This is another great easy weeknight meal. Once you mix together the sauce and toss the cucumbers, all you have to do is cook the fish. I steamed the green beans while I made the sauce and finished the green beans while the fish cooked.

As of today's post only 3 people have rated this recipe from 2008.  They gave it an average rating of 3 out of 5. 


Recipe by Alyson Haynes, Cooking Light, August 2008

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4  cups  sliced seeded peeled cucumber (about 2 large)
• 1/4  cup  seasoned rice vinegar
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• 2  teaspoons  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 4  (6-ounce) salmon fillets
• 4  teaspoons  chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper over fish. Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place 1 fillet in each of 4 shallow bowls, and top each serving with 1/2 cup cucumber salad and 1 teaspoon peanuts.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 262 (38% from fat)

Fat: 11g (sat 1.7g,mono 3.8g,poly 4.2g)

Protein: 30.5g

Carbohydrate: 8.9g

Fiber: 1.3g

Cholesterol: 81mg

Iron: 1.7mg

Sodium: 666mg

Calcium: 41mg

Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce

So I must apologize.  I quoted this on the 'upcoming menu items' as  a 'cream' sauce. This is not a cream sauce.  It  is another great solid recipe like the last post about five-spice pork lo mein, but from a different culture.  It calls for egg noodles, which I also really like.  You don't feel as heavy with egg noodles compared to regular noodles. Plus this recipe gives us an excuse (as if we needed one) to open a bottle of wine.  The difficult part is choosing which of our beloved wines to 'throw' into a recipe.

The last couple of recipes have been light on the ratings. This one is not.  As of today's post, 73 (YES SEVENTY-THREE) people gave this an average rating of 4 out of 5.  We've made it several times in our house, which should tell you that it's at least worth trying.

Recipe by David Bonom, Cooking Light, November 2006

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4  ounces  uncooked medium egg noodles
• 1  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper, divided
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
• 1  tablespoon  bottled minced garlic
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried tarragon
• 1  (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 1/2  cup  dry white wine
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4  cup  grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.
Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken breast halves in a shallow dish. Combine 1 tablespoon flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Sprinkle flour mixture over chicken; toss to coat.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add garlic, tarragon, and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms darken. Add white wine to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.
Return chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Uncover; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done. Stir in noodles; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Place about 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 350 (29% from fat)

Fat: 11.1g (sat 2.6g,mono 6.2g,poly 1.4g)

Protein: 34.3g

Carbohydrate: 26.5g

Fiber: 1.2g

Cholesterol: 99mg

Iron: 2.5mg

Sodium: 502mg

Calcium: 91mg

 

Five-Spice Pork Lo Mein

If you read the ricotta broccoli Alfredo post here, you're probably remembering that awful looking stuff.  Look how appetizing this is in comparison!  This was a super easy and quick meal that we made using soba.  Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, and while I don't know a lot about the differences in pasta, I know that they are tasty. You can find them in the International/Asian section of your grocery store.

We didn't make any changes to the recipe.  We thought the recipe was a good, solid recipe.  It's not among the best we've ever made, but it was really tasty, easy and a great way to get a sampling of that Asian cuisine without all of the bad stuff.  We will make it again, but will add water chestnuts and possibly snap peas for color and crunch.  It was great to have this warm comforting meal on a cold winter's night.

As of today's post, 17 people gave this an average rating of 3 out of 5. Some of the reviewers threw in some additional ingredients, so check them out depending on which add-ins you like.

Recipe by Lorrie Covin, Cooking Light, July 2005

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  uncooked Chinese-style noodles
• 1  tablespoon  grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2  teaspoons  five-spice powder
• 1  (3/4-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 2  tablespoons  toasted peanut oil
• 1/4  cup  water
• 1/4  cup  hoisin sauce
• 1/2  cup  chopped green onions

Preparation

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Place in a large bowl. Snip noodles several times with kitchen scissors.
Combine ginger, five-spice powder, and pork in a medium bowl; add 1/4 teaspoon salt, tossing to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork mixture; sauté 2 minutes or until browned. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, water, and hoisin sauce; cook 2 minutes or until pork is done. Add pork mixture and green onions to noodles; toss well to combine.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 273 (29% from fat)

Fat: 8.9g (sat 1.9g,mono 3.6g,poly 2g)

Protein: 16.3g

Carbohydrate: 34.8g

Fiber: 5.7g

Cholesterol: 38mg

Iron:2.8mg

Sodium: 399mg

Calcium: 31mg

Sauteed Chicken with Sage Brown Butter AND GARLIC KNOTS

So I know the sauce looks kind of gross in this but it is DELICIOUSDELICIOUSDELICIOUSDELICIOUS.

This is a recipe out of the latest issue of CL and it is soooooooooooooo worth making.  Chicken pounded out into thin cutlets cook so easy, and the sauce was a piece of cake.  CL also provided instructions for how to make browned butter without ruining it, so check out this month's issue if you're interested.  Ahh butter.  I'm a little sad just thinking about this because it was so good.

We didn't make any changes to the recipe.  We served it with garlic knots, another CL recipe and a carrot puree from southern living. 

Now for a little on the garlic knots.  This was our first attempt at knots, so we struggled a little with the shape of them. We made several different 'designs' to see which we liked the best.  Pictured above is the knot, but we found them to be the tastiest when rolled into a pinwheel.  The recipe has you saute garlic, brush the bread with the garlic and sprinkle with chives and Parmesan. However, using the pinwheel shape allows you to tuck in all of the chive and Parmesan goodness.  If you use the knot design, sometimes these pieces can fall out.  They were definitely worth making, but next time we'll be sure to make all of them in a pinwheel design.

As of today's post 11 people gave the chicken an average rating of 4 out of 5.  I would give it a 5, it's so easy and tasty.

Sauteed Chicken with Sage Brown Butter

Recipe by Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light, January 2011

Total: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half and 1 tablespoon sauce)

Ingredients

• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  cup  all-purpose flour
• 3  tablespoons  butter
• 2  sage sprigs
• 1  tablespoon  minced shallots
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
• 2  tablespoons  lemon juice
• Fresh sage leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. Place each breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan.
2. Add butter and sage sprigs to pan; cook over medium heat until butter browns. Discard sage. Add shallots and thyme; cook for 30 seconds. Add lemon juice; cook for 30 seconds. Serve with chicken. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 326

Fat: 11.1g (sat 6.1g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.9g)

Protein: 41.1g

Carbohydrate: 13.1g

Fiber: 0.5g

Cholesterol: 122mg

Iron: 2mg

Sodium: 320mg

Calcium: 26mg

 

CHIVE AND GARLIC KNOTS

As of today's post, 5 people gave this an average rating of 4 out of 5.

Recipe by Marge Perry, Cooking Light, May 2000

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 roll)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  tablespoons  butter or stick margarine
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1  (11-ounce) can refrigerated French bread dough
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives or green onions
• 2  tablespoons  grated Parmesan cheese
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic; sauté 30 seconds or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; stir in garlic powder.
Unroll the French bread dough onto a lightly floured surface; brush dough with garlic mixture. Sprinkle the dough with chives and cheese. Cut the dough crosswise into 12 strips. Shape each strip into a knot. Place the knots onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 17 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 81 (29% from fat)

Fat: 2.6g (sat 1.3g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.4g)

Protein: 2.5g

Carbohydrate: 11.6g

Fiber: 0.0g

Cholesterol: 5mg

Iron: 0.6mg

Sodium: 185mg

Calcium: 13mg

Caramelized Leeks with Roasted Salmon Fillets

    

As a way to get our fish in (and using our Wegman's club pack of salmon), we made caramelized leeks with roasted salmon fillets.  It seemed like an easy weeknight meal and I was right.  All you have to do is caramelize the leeks and then cook the salmon and it's a snap!

Washing the leeks thoroughly are a MUST MUST MUST. Leeks are dirty, especially in between the layers, so look at the video here to see how to clean and prepare leeks.  This recipe also uses very few ingredients, so if you're the type of person who won't look at a recipe with more than 10 ingredients, then this is for you.  

You probably can't tell but we served this with cabbage and noodles. Which is either a Polish thing or just a thing my husbands' family makes.  We had leftover cabbage from another non-CL recipe (gasp! I know), so we made this on the side to use it up.  

We cooked the salmon in the toaster oven, so this recipe is friendly for those living in a small space.

As of today's post 7 people rated this a 5 out of 5. 

Recipe by Laura Zapalowski, Cooking Light, March 2008

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2  leeks
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  butter
• 1  teaspoon  light brown sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  fresh lemon juice
• 4  (6-ounce) salmon fillets
• Cooking spray
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Remove roots, outer leaves, and tops from leeks. Cut leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse thoroughly with cold water, and cut each half into 3-inch julienne strips.
3. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leeks to pan; cook 4 minutes or until slightly wilted, stirring occasionally. Stir in brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 20 minutes or until edges are browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in juice. Keep warm.
4. Place salmon on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle salmon with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon red pepper. Bake salmon at 400° for 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place 1 fillet on each of 4 plates; top with 2 tablespoons leek mixture.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 320 (39% from fat)

Fat: 13.9g (sat 2.8g,mono 4.5g,poly 5.1g)

Protein: 39.2g

Carbohydrate: 7.6g

Fiber: 0.9g

Cholesterol: 111mg

Iron: 2.5mg

Sodium: 339mg

Calcium: 51mg

Walnut and Rosemary Oven-fried Chicken

A third recipe I've been dying to make.  Another disappointment? Thankfully, NO! 

This recipe was so easy; I love those dishes where you just set up a dipping station and dunk it in the liquid, dunk it in the coating and you're done.  The crunchiness of the toasted panko and walnut was really tasty.  We didn't have a metal rack to put on our baking sheet, so the coating got a little mushy on the bottom (the air can't circulate underneath this way). We were totally cool with it, but if you aren't, you can always just coat one side, or buy a metal rack for your baking sheet.

We followed the recipe exactly to plan. I would say next time this needs a little bit more rosemary--1 to 1 1/2 tsp depending on how much you like rosemary.

As you can see, we served ours with baked potatoes and steamed green beans that I tossed with garlic, onion flakes and chili powder.

As of today's post, 44 people gave this an average rating of 5 out of 5!!

Recipe by Laraine Perri, Cooking Light, June 2010

Total: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cutlet)

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  low-fat buttermilk
• 2  tablespoons  Dijon mustard
• 4  (6-ounce) chicken cutlets
• 1/3  cup  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/3  cup  finely chopped walnuts
• 2  tablespoons  grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3/4  teaspoon  minced fresh rosemary
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• Rosemary leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.
3. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Combine panko, nuts, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture; discard buttermilk mixture. Dredge chicken in panko mixture.
4. Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on rack; coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Garnish with rosemary leaves, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 287

Fat: 9.4g (sat 1.6g,mono 1.6g,poly 5.1g)

Protein: 42.7g

Carbohydrate: 6g

Fiber: 0.9g

Cholesterol: 101mg

Iron: 1.6mg

Sodium: 379mg

Calcium: 66mg

Thyme-Scented White Bean Cassoulet

Ever since I bought my cooking light cookbook, this is one recipe I've wanted to make. I love white beans and thyme, so I thought the flavors in this would be good. I was right! I served this one night while we were watching hockey and had another friend over (note: a GUY) and the two of them ate this right up! The hubs even said, 'what is this white thing in here?' (they were the parsnips).  He loved them! Oh an neither of them really cared that it was vegetarian sausage!  I would say if you are a carnivore, this would be even better with real sausage. I could definitely tell that it was veggie sausage.  But in our efforts to strive for good health, eating meatless dishes every other week are good for ya.

All of the chunky vegetables and beans make this a hearty, heart-warming dish.  And since it makes use of your slow cooker, comes together so easily!  I sauteed the veggies in the morning, threw it all in the slow cooker and set it on high. 

I am disappointed that mine looks like sludge and not at all like the picture on myrecipes.com. However I will say that the recipe posted on myrecipes is different from the one in my cookbook.

Make it easy on yourself and just do it.

As of today's post, 9 people gave this an average rating of four out of five.

Recipe by Robin Robertson, Cooking Light, October 2004

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped onion
• 1 1/2  cups  (1/2-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut carrot
• 1  cup  (1/2-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut parsnip
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  cups  cooked Great Northern beans
• 3/4  cup  vegetable broth
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1  bay leaf
• 1/4  cup  dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 2  tablespoons  butter, melted
• 2  links meatless Italian sausage (such as Boca), thawed and chopped
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, parsnip, and garlic; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender.
Place in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Add beans and next 6 ingredients (through bay leaf). Cover and cook on low 8 hours or until vegetables are tender.
Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, and butter in a small bowl; toss with a fork until moist. Stir breadcrumb mixture and sausage into bean mixture; sprinkle with parsley.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 314 (29% from fat)

Fat: 10.2g (sat 3.7g,mono 3.7g,poly 1.7g)

Protein: 16.4g

Carbohydrate: 41.9g

Fiber: 11.6g

Cholesterol: 13mg

Iron: 3.6mg

Sodium: 777mg

Calcium: 177mg

Scallop Piccata with sauteed spinach

Sorry folks, no spinach on these plates.  The hubs hates wilted greens so we did not make that part of the dish.  But he does love piccata!  We've made several CL variations on the theme before, but have only used chicken. So this was our first experiment with scallop piccata and it was totally worth it!  Think fresh scallops are expensive? We used Trader Joe's frozen scallops (the whole bag), which I believe cost us maybe 5-7 dollars.  I'm sure fresh scallops would have been divine, but these were good enough for us to love it.

We tossed our scallops with some angel hair pasta, as recommended.

There's a reason why 17 reviewers gave this a 5 out of 5, um it's because this is delicious!

The only change we made to this recipe was to use sweet vermouth rather than dry. The recipe doesn't say  but I think dry vermouth is typically used in cooking dishes.  We only had sweet vermouth leftover from our wedding and decided to give it a shot. Otherwise we will just have vermouth lying around until it is covered in 5 layers of dust.  And you know what? It didn't matter, it was still delicious!

This dish really took me back to the honeymoon in Greece.  The combination of capers and lemon with the chewiness of the scallop reminded me of a dish they have called saganaki.  Saganaki is basically a fried cheese served with lemon and capers. Yum.

Recipe by Ivy Manning, Cooking Light, November 2009

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/3 cup spinach, 3 scallops, and 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  pounds  sea scallops (about 12)
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 5  teaspoons  canola oil, divided
• 1  garlic clove, chopped
• 1/2  cup  vermouth
• 3  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 4  teaspoons  capers
• 1  (10-ounce) package fresh baby spinach

Preparation

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper over scallops. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add scallops; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Remove from pan; keep warm.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped garlic to pan; cook 10 seconds. Add vermouth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat. Add parsley, fresh lemon juice, butter, and capers, stirring until butter melts. Pour sauce in a bowl.
3. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add spinach; sauté 30 seconds or until spinach almost wilts. Drizzle sauce over scallops; serve with spinach.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 275

Fat: 13.1g (sat 4.2g,mono 5g,poly 2.5g)

Protein: 30.9g

Carbohydrate: 8.3g

Fiber: 1.8g

Cholesterol: 71mg

Iron: 2.8mg

Sodium: 607mg

Calcium: 122mg

Fresh Salmon-Cilantro Burgers

Wegman's has these great salmon club packs, which are a bunch of individually-wrapped 5 oz salmon fillets.  It makes life so much easier to thaw out the exact amount you need.  For a really quick weeknight meal and a great way to get in that serving of fish without it tasting too 'fishy', Fresh Salmon-Cilantro burgers are the ticket.  The picture is a little deceiving--I mis-measured the amount of fish we needed because we cut this in half. So these portions are about 2 oz larger than what they should be.  I haven't made the salad that they pair with these burgers but it sounds tasty.  

Do you have one of those Cuisinart mini-prep food processors? If not, and you like to cook, this is an incredible tool to have in your kitchen.  It's much smaller than the regular size food processor and it makes creating patties like the ones in this recipe soooo simple.  Definitely the type of kitchen appliance that would fit in a downtown studio apartment.

We don't make any changes to this recipe but usually half it and it works out fine (unless your math is wrong :] ).  

I have to acknowledge my guest blogger Mimi (Pepper) who co-authored this post.  She sat on the keyboard while I was typing because of the thunderstorm.  This is her good side.

 As of today's post 15 people gave this an average rating of 4 out of 5!

Enjoy, and take a walk afterward to de-stress and get some exercise!

Recipe by Jackie Mills, Cooking Light, May 2009

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  (1-pound) salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4  cup  dry breadcrumbs
• 2  tablespoons  cilantro leaves
• 2  tablespoons  chopped green onions
• 1  tablespoon  chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 4  (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns with sesame seeds, toasted
• 12  (1/4-inch-thick) slices English cucumber
• 4  leaf lettuce leaves

Preparation

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; cover and chill.
2. Place salmon in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add breadcrumbs and next 6 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon black pepper); pulse 4 times or until well blended. Divide salmon mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty.
3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 2 minutes. Carefully turn patties over; cook 2 minutes or until done.
4. Spread about 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture over bottom half of each hamburger bun. Top each serving with 1 salmon patty, 3 cucumber slices, 1 lettuce leaf, and top half of bun.
Spinach salad: Combine 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons canola oil, 2 teaspoons water, and 1/4 teaspoon chile paste in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add half of 1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach, 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper strips, and 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion to bowl; toss to coat.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 341

Fat: 11.5g (sat 2g,mono 2.9g,poly 4.9g)

Protein: 31.6g

Carbohydrate: 30.9g

Fiber: 1.8g

Cholesterol: 66mg

Iron: 2.2mg

Sodium: 816mg

Calcium: 67mg