Southwestern Chopped Salad

I'm so excited Summer is here and one of the best parts of summer is eating of course!! I love summer food- grilled chicken, steaks, salads, fruit, lemonade. It's all so refreshing and so very delicious. For Sunday dinner I decided to try this recipe out I modified from Greens and Chocolate recipe website. The dressing includes greek yogurt and the salad itself is full of fresh vegetables...you really can't go wrong.

Dressing:

1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise

2/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

1 tbsp ranch seasoning

1 tbsp taco seasoning

Mix all the ingredients together and place in a small bowl. Keep in the fridge while you start chopping for your salad.

Salad:

1 Green bell pepper, diced

1 can Black beans, rinsed

1 can Sweet yellow corn, drained

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

4 Green onions, sliced

1 head Ice berg lettuce, washed and chopped

1/4 C Cilantro, chopped

2 ripe Avocados, diced

Optional:

2 C Shredded chicken

1 C Crushed tortilla chips

 Prep all the ingredients and add them to a large bowl. Toss. Add the dressing until everything is coated. You can add as much or as little per your preference.

 I loved how the flavors come together in this salad. It's perfect for a big event or a quiet Sunday dinner. You know the salad is good when people go back for seconds and thirds.:-)

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesian

Hello everyone! Hope all is well in the food blogging world. We've been cooking up a storm here finding new food favorites and some not so great recipes. No worries, we don't post anything but the best so enjoy this new recipe I found on Pinterest (originally posted by Chef In Training). I have fallen deeply in love with our crock pot. It has become my go-to for dinners. With K working late at the hospital his schedule changes day to day which doesn't give me a good timeframe when he will be home for dinner. But not everything we eat can be soups or chili which is why I really loved this recipe. Very simple to put together with a rich Italian taste. If you're a fan of a crispier chicken parmesan then this recipe probably won't be your favorite but if you are a fan of big Italian flavor then give this recipe a try.

Recipe:

4 frozen boneless chicken tenderloins, defrosted

1/2 C Italian breadcrumbs

1/4 C Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp Black pepper

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1 TBSP Olive oil

1 egg, beaten

1 C flour

1-2 C mozzarella cheese

1 Jar of your favorite marana sauce

Ready, set, cook! In a medium bowl mix the Italian breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt. Grab three dishes, as you noticed I just grabbed anything I can dip the chicken in. Dish 1: Flour, Dish 2: egg and Dish 3: Italian bread seasoning mixture.

 Pour olive oil onto the bottom of your crock pot dish. Dust your chicken in the flour, shake off excess flour.  Now dip chicken into the egg and cover. Last step, place chicken in the breadcrumbs mixture and cover well.

 Place in your crockpot dish.

 Cover the chicken with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Cover cheese with the jar of marana sauce. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

 So guess what!! We we were so hungry we failed to take a finished photo! I know, I'm so sorry!! This is how we ate it though. We didn't go traditional with the noodles (which also would be great). Instead, we ate it with slices of freshly made (and still hot) french bread and it was amazing. I hope you all try the recipe out, it's a definite keeper.

Enjoy!

Homemade Teriyaki Marinade for Grilled Chicken

Grilling season is around the corner and I'm getting so excited. Last Father's Day we surprised K with a grill and it's changed out lives. Haha- okay maybe not changed but definitely enhanced out delicious eats. We've made grilled pizza, steaks, chicken, vegetable and are always open to new grilling recipes. Well, even Southern California has rainy winter days and today was no exception. I saw this marinade on Pinterest (where else?) and made it to throw onto the grill today. Unfortunately, the rain started in the afternoon which meant no grilling. No worries there, instead of grilling a whole chicken breast, we cut the chicken into cubes and grilled it on the stovetop instead. Talk about delicious and full of flavor. I love the tangy soy sauce and limes paired with the sweetness of the honey. Thank you GroceryBudget101.com for the recipe.

Recipe (slightly modified):

3 Tbl Soy Sauce

2 Tbl Honey

1 Tbl Vegetable Oil (though I'm sure you can omit this as well)

Juice from 1 Lime

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Place ingredients into a small bowl and stir well.

Pour into a gallon size ziplock bag and add chicken. Cover chicken in the marinade and place the sealed bag into the fridge until you're ready to grill. Let it marinade for at least 30 minutes but I prefer a few hours.

We marinaded our chicken for about 5 hours which made the chicken super tender. We cubed the chicken and placed it on the stovetop to cook. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Though we didn't get to grill today, we both agreed this marinade is a keeper. The chicken was tender and moist, jammed packed with flavor.  Pair with a side of rice and veggies and you have a perfect meal.

Enjoy!

Smart Eats- Skinny Snickerdoodles

Just because you are eating smart doesn't mean you can't enjoy a delicious cookie every once in a while. I was in a super snacking mood but I didn't want to ruin the good eating I've been striving for this month. On Pinterest I found this recipe for Skinny Whole Wheat Snickerdoodles from Skinnytaste.com (my new favorite site!). These cookies are so amazingly delicious and chewy plus they're only 1 point each. Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

1 3/4 C Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 C sugar

1/4 C butter, softened

1 Tbl light agave

1 tsp vanilla

1 Egg

3 Tbl sugar

1 Tbl cinnamon

Preheat over to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar together. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter. Add the agave, vanilla and egg.

Slowly add the flour mixture and mix. The dough will seem kinda dry which is okay. Throw the dough into the refrigerator for ten minutes.

With moist hands roll the dough into 1" balls. Toss in the cinnamon/ sugar mixture and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes. The cookies will be soft which is perfect.

Let the cookie cool on the pan after you take them out from the oven.

You know I'm a HUGE snickerdoodle fan and it almost seemed crazy that I was making them healthier but it worked. These are really good! I can't get over how much I love them. I will always be a sucker for the original recipe but when eating healthy, you will always find these in our cookie jar:-)

Enjoy!

Smart Eats- Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

 This morning I was online thinking about what to make for dinner. I didn't want to go to the grocery store yet my cupboards lacked a sufficient amount of food. I jumped onto my new favorite food blog, Skinny Taste, and perused recipes until this one caught my eye. I was so excited when I had everything needed to make this recipe. At 8:23am I loaded up our crock pot wither everything needed, set it on low and walked away knowing that in 10 hours I was going to be eating a feast! This has definitely become my favorite chili recipe and with only 5 points a serving I can be happy that the taste is there as well as the healthy:-)

Here's the recipe (as found on skinnytaste.com:

1 Onion, chopped

1 16-oz can black beans

1 16-oz can kidney beans

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

10 oz package frozen corn kernels

2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies

1 packet taco seasoning, preferably low sodium

2 tsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

24 oz (2-3) boneless skinless chicken breasts

How is this for easy. Load everything into the crockpot and set on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours. I didn't even drain the beans. Just pour everything in, stir and set the chicken breasts on top. We used frozen chicken breasts, placed them in the crockpot still frozen and it worked out perfectly.

After 5 hours, I pulled the chicken out and used a hand mixer to shred the chicken. I then placed the shredded chicken back into the crockpot and stirred.

The hardest part about slow cooked meals is smelling it all day long! The aroma is incredibly mouthwatering. Once you're ready to eat, feel free to top your chili with low-fat cheese and fat-free sour cream.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Ready for an amazingly delicious meal that the entire family will LOVE and it's only 385 calories a serving? Then you will love this recipe! It combines the fresh flavors of Italy with healthy ingredients no one will even know are there. This is another recipe from Rocco Dispirito's Now Eat This! cookbook that I have totally fallen in love with. I've made a few changes and here's the recipe:

Recipe:

8 oz whole wheat pasta (we used rotelle)

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 fat-free sour cream

1 C packed fresh basil leaves

2 Tbl chopped fresh flat- leaf or Italian parsley

1/2 C grated parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 Tbl chopped toasted pine nuts

Salt

Pepper

1 frozen or fresh chicken breast, cooked and sliced

1 roma tomato, chopped

In a skillet, toast the pine nuts until they are golden. Set aside. Cook the chicken seasoning both sides with salt and pepper. Once cooked all the way through, slice and put aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the whole wheat pasta and cook until al dente and drain.

Using a food processor (or magic bullet), add the sour cream and chopped garlic together. Mix. Add the basil, parsley, cheese, and pine nuts and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the pesto mix to the pasta and mix together. Add the chicken and tomatoes. You are now ready to devour the awesomeness we call Smart Eats! :-) The creamy pesto mixed with the seasoned chicken is incredible. You don't even realize you're eating whole wheat noodles. Trust me, I'm a stickler for taste and I give this dish 5 stars.

Enjoy!

Smart Eats- Chicken Tenders with Ranch dressing

Remember these? We shared them on a recipe swap with Cali Kitchen Couple a few days ago. I know, you're probably thinking how on earth are chicken tenders with ranch healthy? You'd be surprised, we sure were. These baked chicken tenders are better than the fried. With wheat flour instead of white and other healthy substitutions this recipe is becoming a new staple in our household! It's seriously SOO good!!

Chicken Tenders with Ranch Dressing (Originated from Rocco Dispirito- Now Eat This!)


Recipe:
1 C Whole wheat Flour

2 1/2 C panko bread crumbs (preferably whole wheat but if you can't find it don't sweat it)

1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning

4 Large egg whites

8 oz (about 8) chicken tenders

Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

Nonstick Cooking Spray (I used Pam- Organic Olive Oil)

3 tsp ranch salad dressing & seasoning mix

6 Tbl reduced-fat sour cream

6 Tbl low-fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Start by pulling out two shallow dishes and a medium bowl. In the first shallow dish, place the flour and in the second mix the panko bread crumbs with the poultry seasoning. Place the egg whites in the medium bowl. Using a whisk, whisk until the egg whites are foamy but not to where they hold stiff peaks.

 Place a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. Season your chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Here's where the fun part begins. K would be very proud of my since I'm not a huge fan of touching raw meat haha. Place the chicken tenders in the flour and shake off any excess. Now place the floured chicken tenders into eggs. Coat them until they are completely covered. Once at a time, place the chicken tenders into the panko bread crumbs and coat each one completely. Place on the wire rack.

Salt and pepper the chicken tenders again as well as spray a little bit of cooking spay on each one (both sides). This will help give them a golden look. Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden & cooked all the way through. 

While the chicken is baking whip together your ranch dressing by mixing the seasoning, sour cream and buttermilk together. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

The chicken tenders were delicious, especially paired with the ranch dressing. The dish is so good and pretty healthy too with only 198 calories a serving. Happy New Year everyone!

Smart Eats!

We have a few great dishes to share with you within the next two weeks that are not only delicious but healthy too. Stay tuned!