Ground Chicken Chili - 322 Calories

This is a "typical" red chili, the only difference is using ground chicken breast instead of ground beef. Ground chicken is approximately 28 calories per ounce as opposed to ground round (beef - 85/15) at approximately 60 calories per ounce. The consistency is the same as using ground round and after adding the ingredients, the taste is very similar but tastes "cleaner" to me.

7 Ounces of ground chicken breast
1/2 Cup great northern beans (I like the smooth and creamy texture better than kidney beans)
1/4 Red onion cut into chunks
1 Plum tomato, chopped
1 Jalapeño, coarsely chopped including seeds
2 Teaspoons minced garlic
1 Teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 Teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 Teaspoon white pepper
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1/4 Cup vegetable broth
Salt to taste

Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and heat the pan on high. Sauté the onion, garlic, jalapeño for 3 minutes then add the ground chicken. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes and add the tomato. Add spices and vegetable broth and cook for a few more minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add beans. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add more cayenne if you want it hotter.
Serves 1

Homemade Pasta Sauce with Ground Chicken - 195 calories per serving (SERVES 3)

Well, since dinner was a steak, there was no sense posting that since it's easy, although grilling over charcoal is an art. I figured I'd share some of what I made for lunch for the week. The sauce is totally homemade, nothing canned. If you don't eat pasta like me, you can put it over quinoa or kelp noodles. I'll talk more about kelp noodles in a later blog. I don't eat this the same night I cook it because, like most Italian dishes (lasagne, ziti, etc.) it tastes better the second night after the flavors meld. I prefer my sauce spicy like a fra diavlo or arrabiatta sauce so I add more crushed red pepper, black pepper, and cayenne.

8 plum tomatos, diced (use plum tomatos since they are meatier for the sauce)
1/2 Red onion, diced
1/2 Red bell pepper, diced
6 Cloves of fresh garlic, crushed
16 Ounces ground chicken breast
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon black pepper
1 Teaspoon cayenne
1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 Tablespoon oregano
4 Leaves of fresh basil, torn into pieces
Splash of vegetable broth

Spray a saucepan with olive oil from the misto. Heat pan on high and sauté onion, garlic, and red bell pepper until tender (if the bottom of the pan starts to burn, add a splash of vegetable broth). Add the diced tomatos and spices and cook until bubbling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes until "saucy".

While the sauce is cooking, heat a frying pan on high and start browning the ground chicken. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Add the chicken to the sauce and cook for the remainder of the time.
Serves 3

Chicken with Garlic and Fresh Basil over Cauliflower Rice - 315 calories

This recipe is heavy on garlic so feel free to reduce the quantity.

7 ounce boneless, skinless chicken thigh cut into 1 inch cubes
8 large leaves of fresh basil cut into strips
8 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
1 jalapeño sliced - seed the pepper for less heat
5 green onions cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 ounces fresh cauliflower, grated (the consistency of rice)
1/2 red bell pepper cut into strips
1/2 teaspoon sage
Black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 cup of vegetable broth

Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto. Sauté chicken and 1/3 of the garlic and basil on high until the chicken is browned. Add the rest of the garlic and basil as well as the jalapeño, red bell pepper, green onions and spices. After 5 minutes, add the vegetable broth and cook on medium until the liquid reduces by almost half then remove from heat.  

Spray a separate nonstick pan with olive oil, heat on high. Add the cauliflower rice and sauté until light brown. Place cauliflower rice on a plate and pour the chicken mixture over the cauliflower rice. Serves 1.  

Stuffed Chicken Florentine - 323 calories

This one took alittle longer than usual, about 30 minutes start to finish but the extra time is worth it! Keep in mind, cooking a stuffed chicken breast is tricky and it's easy to undercook the chicken. Feel the thickest unstuffed part of the breast, when it's done, it should feel firm and not mushy. The grilled asparagus wasn't including in the title calorie count. The asparagus is 44 calories for 12 spears.

7 Ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 Cups fresh spinach
1/4 Cup Fage 10% fat Greek yogurt
4 Teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
Oregano
Cayenne pepper
Black pepper
Salt

Spray a non stick pan with olive oil from the misto and heat pan on medium high. Add spinach and garlic. Sprinkle with some salt and black pepper to taste. Sauté until wilted then place in a mixing bowl and mix in yogurt and 3 teaspoons of Parmesan.  Set mixture aside and set the oven to broil.

Cut a pocket in the side of the chicken. Season both sides with oregano, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Place the flat side down and stuff the chicken with the spinach mixture. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on the chicken, paying particular attention to the exposed spinach so the broiling gives it a nice crust. Place under the broiler for 5 - 7 minutes or until there is a nice, brown crust. Always remember that when you broil, you need to leave the oven door partially open. When browned, reduce the heat to 425 degrees, close the oven door and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until done.
Serves 1 (as always!)

Non Traditional White Chicken Chili - 371 calories

This is a non traditional white chicken chili for two reasons. The first is that there is not a lot of liquid  and second, I added kale to increase the nutritional value of the chili and make it more filling, not to mention I have really grown to like kale!

6 Ounces boneless/skinless chicken breast cut into small cubes

1/2 Red onion, julienned

1/2 Red bell pepper, cut in half, julienned

1 Habanero pepper, seeded and minced

1 Serrano pepper, sliced but NOT seeded  

1/2 Cup great northern beans

2 Cups of kale 

1 Tablespoon chopped garlic

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 Teaspoon white pepper

1 Teaspoon black pepper

Splash of vegetable broth

Salt to taste

Spray a non stick pan with olive oil from the misto. Sauté the chicken over high heat until brown. Add all vegetables EXCEPT kale. Sauté vegetables for two minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add beans and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add kale and a splash of vegetable broth, cook until wilted. Add more vegetable broth if you want more liquid. 

Serves 1

Layered Grilled Veggies and Chicken - 258 calories

This one takes alittle longer than usual but it's worth it! The grilling gives everything a nice clean flavor. The asparagus was a side dish not included in the calorie count.

5 Ounces boneless chicken breast
1 Large red bell pepper
1 Plum tomato
2 Serrano peppers
1/4 Red onion cut into 2 thick pieces
1/2 Ounce sharp cheddar cheese sliced thin
Cayenne pepper
Black pepper
White pepper
Chili powder
Garlic powder

Heat barbecue grill (for me, charcoal is the only way to go) and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rub spices into the chicken breast to taste (I like mine fiery hot!). Spray the chicken with a very light coat of olive oil from the misto. Cook chicken until done, approximately 10 minutes depending on thickness. When done, the meat should feel firm and not spongy. DO NOT use a meat thermometer. Piercing the meat will let the juices seep out and result in a dry piece of meat. Remove when done and let rest.

Place vegetables on the grill and cook until tender. The skin of the peppers will turn black, that's normal so don't worry that you're burning them. In fact once that generally means they are done. Remove peppers from grill and wrap in paper towels. When the onion is tender, remove it from the grill too. The same thing goes for the tomato. Use the paper towels to remove the skin from the peppers. Slice the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Place one half of the red pepper on a cooking sheet. Slice the chicken into 1/2 inch strips and place on the red pepper. Skin and slice the tomato into 1/4 inch slices and place on the chicken. Add the onion, then place the jalapeño on top of the tomato. Cover with the second half of the red pepper, place cheddar on top, and cook until the cheese is melted.
Serves 1

Chicken and Kale in a Coconut Milk Curry Sauce - 277 calories

7 oz of boneless chicken cut into chunks  

1/4 red onion - diced 

2 cups of chopped kale 

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon of curry powder (I use hot curry)

Salt and pepper to taste

Using a misto (www.mistooliveoilsprayer.com), spray a non-stick pan with a light coating of olive oil. Sauté chicken until browned. Add onion and sauté until almost tender. Add kale, coconut milk, and curry and cook until the kale wilted or any stems are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Serves 1

The First Post

Welcome to my blog. I'll be posting low calorie, good tasting recipes (well, at least they are good tasting to me!) to this page. I have been posting pictures and recipes on my Facebook page for awhile and a lot of my friends suggested I write a book or start a blog, so here it is! Feel free to share the blog, comment, and give me feedback to make this a great blog! Sit back, get comfortable, and enjoy the ride!