Such crisp flavors ! The ginger, orange and teriyaki glaze mix perfectly and this meal comes together in a flash. Asian stir fries are so very good and this one is no exception.
Orange Ginger Chicken
4 servings
395 calories per serving
½ c teriyaki glaze
1/3 c orange juice
1 t finely chopped fresh ginger
1 T oil
1 lb. cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c snow pea pods
1 yellow bell pepper cut into strips
3 ½ c hot cooked brown rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix teriyaki, juice and ginger. Heat oil in skillet and cook chicken 4-5 minutes. Add pea pods, bell pepper and teriyaki mix. Heat to boiling then reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Serve over rice.
When one of the ingredients is the chicken and one is water, how easy can the recipe be? It practically makes itself ! And it comes out so, so tender and tasty – you have to try !!
Three Ingredient Chicken (Crock Pot)
4 servings
160 calories per serving
4 FROZEN boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package dry italian dressing mix
1 c warm water
Place all in a crock pot and cook on low 8-10 hours. If you like it a little browned, just before done, preheat the broiler and remove chicken breasts to a baking sheet sprayed with Pam. Broil 4 minutes or until browned.
Satay is a Thai preparation of skewered meat served with a peanut sauce – here I’ve taken away the skewers to make things a bit easier and it doesn’t change the taste of the dish one bit 😉
Chicken Satay
8 servings
132 calories per serving
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 8 oz. each, sliced lengthwise into 6 strips each.
1 t toasted sesame oil
1 t low sodium soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
2 T rice vinegar
2 t lime juice
1 t brown sugar
Vegetable oil
Toss chicken with sesame oil, soy, garlic and 1/4 t pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Heat grill pan or skillet on high heat. Work in batches brushing pan with vegetable oil and then cooking chicken until done, 3-4 minutes per side. Serve with dipping sauce.
Create dipping sauce by mixing peanut butter, vinegar, lime juice, brown sugar, the rest of the pepper flakes and 2-3 T water.
I always find tostados a bit hard to eat – do you crack the tortilla and scoop? Do you pick it all up and eat it like a pizza? For this one, I folded the shell over like a taco 🙂 The flavors in this dish mix incredibly well and this is a GREAT lunch.
Chicken and Cheese Tostados
6 servings
280 calories per serving
6 6 inch flour tortillas
1 package (1.4 oz) taco seasoning
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts in bite sized pieces
½ c water
2 large tomatoes, chopped
7 oz. shredded non fat cheddar cheese
6 T low fat sour cream
¼ c chopped cilantro
Pam
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place tortillas on a cookie sheet and spray with Pam. Sprinkle with 1 t taco seasoning and bake 8 minutes or until tortillas are crisp and golden. Mix chicken with the rest of the seasoning mix and water and bring to a boil in a skillet then simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Add 1 ½ c tomatoes and cook another 2-3 minutes them remove from heat and stir in 1 ¼ c cheese. Place the mix over the heated tortillas and then top with the rest of the tomatoes and cheese.
The ranch dressing adds a nice kick of flavor to the chicken and then mellows out the creamy sauce in this primavera. I have lots of recipes gathered up for primavera and this is one of my favorites 🙂
Penne Chicken Primavera
4 servings
395 calories per serving
8 oz. uncooked FiberGourmet Penne pasta (without Fiber Gourmet, you have to add 80 calories per serving)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into bite sized pieces
1 oz. package dry ranch dressing mix
1 T buttery spread
1 garlic clove, minced
16 oz. frozen vegetable mix (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots)
1 c skim milk
¼ c low fat cream cheese
½ c shredded parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Place chicken and dressing mix in a zip loc bag and shake to coat it well. Melt spread and cook garlic one minute then add chicken and cook another 4 minutes to brown it some. Add veggies, cover and cook 8 minutes stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and stir in milk mix and cream cheese. Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly then add pasta and parmesan cheese.
This was a perfect meal to serve for guests – tasty, elegant, refined. It was also so perfectly seasoned with the dressing, rosemary and sundried tomatoes. This is one of those recipes that will be made again and again !
Rosemary Chicken with White Beans
4 servings
380 calories per serving
1/3 c low fat Italian dressing
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 oz. each)
¼ c water
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
¼ c chopped drained sun dried tomatoes in oil
1 t rosemary leave flakes
19 oz. cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Heat dressing in skillet and cook chicken 5 minutes per side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium low and add water, carrots, celery, tomatoes and rosemary then cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in beans and cover and cook 5 minutes or until beans are warm.
1 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
7 oz. salsa verde (found in the Mexican section of your food market)
2 c shredded cooked chicken breast
1/3 c low fat cream cheese, softened
8 6 inch corn tortillas
Pam
1/4 c crumbled queso fresco (Mexican cheese) or 1/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 t chili powder
salt
4 lime wedges
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
You can either start with precooked chicken (Perdue Shortcuts work great), use leftover chicken, or boil 2 boneless skinless breasts and let cool a bit. Then shred using 2 forks. Alternately, you can just make very thin slices. Combine chicken with cream cheese. Combine onion, cilantro, garlic and salsa verde in a blender or food processor and mix well. Stir 1/2 c of the salsa mixture into the chicken mix. Keep the rest of the salsa mix to use as a topping.
Heat the tortillas for 15-30 seconds on the microwave – just enough so that they will roll easily and will not fold and break. Spoon 1/4 c worth of chicken mix down the center of each tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9×13 pan that has been sprayed with Pam.
Top the enchiladas with the remaining salsa and sprinkle with cheese and chili powder. Bake 18-22 minutes or until hot throughout. Serve with lime wedges.
And here is my first retread of the week….this salad is so spicy and so enjoyable. I have been looking forward to making it since the last time I made it back in January. But I am usually too busy testing NEW recipes and I had not gotten back to it. That is, until today. My mouth is pretty happy right now !
Hot, Hot, Hot !! But just the right amount of hot – – – almost like eating hot wings together with the celery and carrots – all in one mouthful.
Spicy Chicken Salad
2 servings
120 calories per serving
6 oz. cooked cubed chicken (Perdue Shortcuts works great here !)
3 T fat free mayonnaise
3 T chopped celery
3 T chopped carrots
1 1/2 t Frank’s Red Hot sauce
1/2 t dry ranch dressing mix
Combine the mayo, hot sauce and ranch dressing mix. Place chicken in a hot skillet and saute 3 minutes to heat up. Add chicken, celery, and carrots to sauce. Mix well and serve.
The grapes did not really ‘make’ the dish and the chicken could certainly be served on its own since the sauce was really tasty. But the grapes certainly made a more standard chicken dish into something special and definitely company worthy !
Chicken with Grapes
4 servings
229 calories per serving
2 t oil
4 5 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T flour
½ c dry white wine
¾ c chicken broth
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
¼ t rosemary flakes
2 c seedless red and green grapes, halved
3 T low fat sour cream
¼ c parsley, chopped
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off any excess, but reserve it for later. Cook the chicken 3 minutes per side or until browned. Add the wine to the pan, increase heat to high and cook 2-3 minutes. Add the broth, salt, rosemary and pepper and bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Add the grapes and cover and cook another 5 -7 minutes or until grapes are tender.
Whisk sour cream and any leftover flour. Stir into the pan and cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes or until the broth is thickened. Plate chicken and add parsley to the sauce and then spoon it over the chicken.
Cobb Salads are one of my favorites – there are always lots of good substantial ingredients so you get filled up and the bacon flavor always permeates all the other ingredients. The goat cheese is a nice addition that you usually don’t find in a cobb salad.
Chicken Cobb Salad
3 servings
325 calories per serving
4 1/2 c shredded romaine lettuce
1 ¼ c cooked, shredded boneless skinless chicken (Perdue Shortcuts work great here)
2 hard boiled egg (yolks removed and whites chopped up)
1 tomato, chopped
2 T low fat crumbed goat cheese
2 slices turkey bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled
½ avocado, diced
3 T chopped green onions
½ c fat free ranch dressing
Divide the lettuce on plates, arrange an even amount of each of the ingredients onto each plate and drizzle with dressing.
