Almost Margherita Chicken Parmesan - 318 Calories

Margherita pizza has dough, fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil and mozzarella cheese. Chicken Parmesan has breaded chicken, pasta sauce, and mozzarella cheese. This is ALMOST margherita chicken Parmesan because it has chicken, fresh tomatoes, garlic, basic and cream Havarti with jalapeno.

7 Ounce boneless chicken breast pounded to 1/2 inch thick
1 Plum tomato, sliced long ways 1/4 inch thick
2 Thin slices of red onion
2 Slices of cream Havarti with jalapeno
2 Basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Crushed red pepper
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and heat on high. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder then sear each side. Place the chicken on an oven pan and place the sliced onion, tomato and basil on top of the chicken and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, place the cheese on top of the chicken and broil until melted. Once the cheese is melted, remove it from the oven and place the chicken on a plate. Sprinkle some crushed red pepper on top of the cheese and serve.
Serves 1

Bruschetta Chicken Topped with Wilted Baby Arugula - 240 Calories

This weekend I discovered arugula. It's a nice green leafy vegetable with a slightly peppery flavor. Since it's new to me, I'm trying to think of ways to use it and this is one I came up with. Most bruschetta recipes call for olive oil but I don't use any for this recipe.

7 Ounce boneless chicken breast pounded to 1/2 inch thick
2 Plum tomatoes, dices
1 Cup of baby arugula
4 Basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 Teaspoons crushed red pepper
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the diced tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar, and crushed red pepper in a mixing bowl. Salt and pepper to taste and place the bowl aside. Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and heat on high. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder then sear each side. Place the chicken on an oven pan and spoon some of the bruschetta mixture on top of the chicken and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, spread the arugula on top of the bruschetta and put it back in the oven until the arugula is wilted. Once wilted, remove it from the oven and place the chicken on a plate. Spoon some of the bruschetta liquid from the mixing bowl over the top of the chicken.
Serves 1

Five Pepper Shrimp with Kale - 250 Calories

This recipe is no joke, if you like it hot, this one is FIERY! You can tone down the spice by substituting another type of pepper for the habanero and decrease the amount of cayenne, white, and black pepper, that is, if you can't take the heat! This recipe also serves two.

10 Ounces of peeled shrimp

2 1/2 Cups chopped kale

3 Plum tomatoes, cut into chunks

1/4 Red bell pepper, cut into chunks

1/2 Red onion, cut into chunks

1 Habanero pepper, coarsely chopped

1 Teaspoon chopped garlic

1 Teaspoon black pepper

1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 Teaspoon white pepper

1/2 Teaspoon cumin

1/2 Teaspoon paprika

1/4 Cup Riesling wine

Vegetable broth

Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and heat on high. Sauté the red bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, habanero, and garlic. Add some vegetable broth to make it moist and cook for about three minutes. Add shrimp and all of the spices and cook the shrimp through. Then add the wine and mix well. Now add the kale and cook until the kale is tender. You may need to add abit more vegetable broth if the mixture doesn't have enough liquid. Divide the mixture onto two plates and serve. 

Serves 2

Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Sundried Tomato - 365 Calories

Usually when I stuff a chicken breast I cut a pocket in it. I recently bought a meat mallet so I've been experimenting with pounding a chicken breast thin, putting something in it and rolling it. Here is one of those experiments... and it came out great!

7 Ounce chicken breast pounded thin to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick
1 Cup of fresh spinach
1 Ounce sharp provolone, sliced thin from the deli
3 Sundried tomatoes cut into strips
2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt (I use Fage 10% milk fat - anything no fat/low fat = processed crap)
1 Teaspoon of minced garlic
1 Teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
Sage
Oregano
Black Pepper
Salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degree. Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and saute the spinach on high until wilted then place into a mixing bowl. Add yogurt, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper (just a sprinkle). Line the center of the chicken with the provolone. Evenly spread the sundried tomatoes, then spoon the spinach mixture down the center, Fold over both sides of the chicken and use toothpicks to keep it closed. Use toothpicks to seal both ends closed (yes I know there may be alot of toothpicks but that's ok). Sprinkle the top with salt, pepper, sage, and oregano. Re-spray the same pan and heat on high. When the pan is hot, sear the top first (the part that is "stitched" closed). While that cooks for one minute, sprinkle the top with salt, pepper, sage, and oregano. After one minute, using tongs, CAREFULLY turn the chicken over and sear the bottom for one minute.CAREFULLY remove the chicken from the pan, with tongs, and place on an oven pan. Cook for 15 minutes and let sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, place the chicken on a plate and remove the toothpicks.
Serves 1

Sriracha Bok Choy - 30 Calories

Every so often I get in a rut eating the same vegetables day in and day out and I was trying to figure out how to mix things up abit. While I was in the grocery store, I saw bok choy and figured "what the hell" and bought it.

3 Stalks of bok choy
1/4 Cup vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce
2 Teaspoons of Sriracha chili sauce
Crushed red pepper flakes

Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and heat the pan on high. Cut the bok choy diagonally in 1/2 or 1 inch strips. Sauté the bok choy for a few minutes then add the vegetable broth, continue to sauté for 2 minutes then add the soy sauce, Sriracha, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until tender then serve.
Serves 1

Spicy Garlic Hummus - 116 Calories (90 gram serving)

I love hummus but I'm cheap so I make my own. Well, it's not just that I'm cheap, it's that anything pre-prepared is processed to some extent. In addition, pre-prepared foods are GENERALLY high in calorie and fat. This recipe is low in fat as I use no tahini paste, sesame oil, or olive oil as most hummus does. I use Scotch Bonnet pepper but you can use any type of pepper you want or totally omit the hot pepper, it's your choice.

2 Cans of chick peas, drained but reserve the liquid
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded
3 Tablespoons of minced garlic
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1 Teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 Teaspoon of salt
Chick pea liquid

Place all ingredients EXCEPT the chick pea liquid in the food processor and start to blend. You'll see that the chick peas will get "pasty". Add alittle of the chick pea liquid to thin out the mixture. Keep adding the liquid alittle at a time until the mixture is smooth and everything is well blended. Taste and add more garlic or spices to taste. Chill then serve with fresh veggies (celery, carrots, etc).
Serves 7 (90 grams per serving)

Roasted Chick Peas - 110 Calories

I never thought of roasting chick peas and eating them like nuts until I saw them posted from a friend (thanks Zach Caswell!) at CrossFit. I can' take credit for this recipe with the exception of the spices. Zach uses blackening seasoning, I like to mix my own spices.

1 Can of chick peas, drained
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
White pepper
Garlic powder
Salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place drained chick peas in a bowl and spray them with olive oil from the misto and mix well. Add spices, to taste, to the chick peas and mix well. Place on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 35 - 40 minutes until crisp, but not hard. A great, nutritious snack!
Serves 3.5

Chicken Meatballs - 65 Calories per Meatball

I love meatballs! What I don't love is how much fat and calories are in them. One typical 2 ounce meatball made from 85/15 ground beef is approximately 120 calories and who eats only one meatball!! My 2 ounce chicken meatballs are only 65 calories per meatball and much lower in fat!!

38 Ounces of boneless skinless chicken breast (approximately 2 1/3 pounds)

1/3 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Egg (works as a binding agent)

1/2 Finely chopped red onion

3 Tablespoons oregano

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

1 Teaspoon black pepper

1/2 Teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven at 450 degrees. Put the chicken breast through the grinder using the coarse grinding attachment. Place chicken and all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Form into 2 ounce balls. Keep in mind that they don't "roll" like typical meatballs and they may seem like they won't hold together but they will. Keeping your hands close together, lightly "toss" the meatball from hand to hand forming a ball. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet that has be sprayed with oil from the misto. Bake for 10 minutes then broil for 3 - 5 more minutes to slightly brown.

The serving size varies but each meatball is 65 calories.

Salsa Chicken - 240 Calories

You have chicken. You have salsa. What do you make? Salsa chicken of course! This recipe uses the salsa that was made in the previous blog entry.

7 Ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 Cup salsa (from the last recipe)
1/4 Ounce grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/8 Teaspoon salt

Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and heat the pan on high. Saute the chicken until brown, lower the heat to medium and add the salsa, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir and cook until done, about 5 - 8 minutes. Place mixture on a plate, sprinkle with the cheese and serve.
Serves 1

Quick and Easy Salsa - 100 Calories for the entire recipe

I'm all about quick and easy and this salsa fits the bill! Nothing beats fresh homemade salsa and better for you than salsa from the jar.

6 Plum tomatoes cut in chunks
1/2 Red onion, cut into chunks
2 Cloves of garlic
A few leaves of cilantro
1/2 Teaspoon of cumin

Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you get the desired consistency. The actual amount of calories vary according to the serving size as the entire recipe is 100 calories.

Rolled Chicken Breast Stuffed with Sundried Tomatoes and Provolone with a Lemon Basil Sauce - 320 Calories

This recipe calls for 1/4 of a scotch bonnet pepper thinly sliced. DO NOT BE AFRAID! It only gives the dish a VERY SMALL amount of heat.

7 Ounce chicken breast pounded flat (between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick)
1 Ounce of thinly sliced sharp provolone
4 Pieces of sundried tomatoes
1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper cut into thin strips
2 Thin slices of red onion
1 Teaspoon of minced garlic
3 Fresh basil leaves
1/2 Cup vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons (approximately) lemon juice
Splash of Riesling wine
Oregano
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Paprika

Place the provolone on the chicken breast, covering the entire breast. Spread the minced garlic evenly over the provolone. Lay the onion on top of the garlic spread. Again, spread over the entire breast. Next, evenly space the scotch bonnet pepper on top of the onion (do not touch the pepper with your bare hands), then the sundried tomatoes, once again, evenly spaced. Sprinkle with alittle kosher salt then the oregano, don't use too much or it will be overpowering. Roll the chicken breast as tightly as possible and secure the "flap" with toothpicks. You also want to seal the ends with toothpicks so the cheese doesn't leak out during cooking. Sprinkle the entire rolled breast with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and heat on high. Sear all sides of the chicken then place the chicken in the oven.
While the chicken is cooking, place the vegetable broth, lemon juice, and wine in the same pan that the chicken was seared in. Tear the basil into small pieces and place in the broth mixture and bring to a boil on high. Reduce the mixture to approximately half, occasionally stirring the mixture.Once the sauce is reduced, remove from the heat.
When the chicken is done (approximately 20 minutes), place it on a plate and pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Serves 1

Fresh Ground Chicken Burger - 251 Calories

Now that you learned about the meat grinder, I'll tell you how to put it in action.

6 Ounces of fresh coarse ground chicken breast
1/4 Yellow bell pepper, diced
2 Slices of red onion, each slice 1/4 inch thick, coarsely chopped
1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 Ounce sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 Teaspoon of chili powder
1/4 Teaspoon of black pepper
1/8 Teaspoon of salt

Light the charcoal grill and keep the grates about 2 inches from the coals.While the coals are getting ready, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Form into a patty about 1 inch thick. Spray both sides with olive oil from the misto. When the coals are totally gray, place the burger on the grill and close the cover. I like abit of a smokey flavor so I'll throw a wood chuck on the edge of the coals. Cook for about 5 - 7 minutes then flip the burger, close the cover, and cook about another 5 - 7 minutes or until done. To test doneness (that's a word in my dictionary), when you press the center of the burger, it should be firm, not hard (overcooked) or mushy (undercooked). DO NOT USE A MEAT THERMOMETER!! Piercing the meat will cause the juices to run out of it and the burger will get dry. That goes for ALL meats. When I see someone do that, I want to snatch the thermometer and smack some sense into them, but I digress. Test by for doneness feel. There will be quite abit of trial and error in this method but once you master it, it's worth it!
Serves 1

The Meat Grinder

I know, the title sounds like a porno, so now that I have your attention, I'll explain. Many people think ground chicken is healthier than ground beef, and it almost always is. The only issue is, what parts of the chicken are ground? When supermarkets make ground chicken, generally it's some white meat, mostly dark meat, possibly skin and some cartilage. The other issue is the cost. Ground chicken can cost upwards of $5.00 per pound or more. Sure you can sometimes find it cheaper but then the quality may not be as good. That being said, I decided I wanted to grind my own chicken. I ordered a manual hand crank grinder (almost exactly the same kind my mom and grandma had) from Gander Mountain for about $35. 

I picked up the grinder today, took it out of the box and put it together. It was very simple to put it together and use. I bought boneless/skinless chicken breast from Sam's Club for $1.88 per pound, took one breasts, cut it in cubes, and ran it through the grinder. I chose the coarse blade as I didn't want it mushy. I made a burger out of it and grilled it (the recipe will be in a different post). Because of the low fat content, I sprayed the burger with a light coating of olive oil from the misto and had to watch the grilling very carefully so it doesn't dry out. 

The long and short of it is, for minimal extra work, you get pure white meat ground chicken for $1.88 per pound. You can't beat that!!

Grilled Chicken and Vegetables in a Yellow Coconut Curry Sauce - 279 Calories

So you didn't take anything out for dinner, but the prepared clean eater that you are, grilled a stack of boneless chicken breasts last night for a week's worth of lunches. This recipe takes no more than 10 minutes from the time you take the ingredients out of the refridgerator to the moment you sit down to enjoy this quick meal.

1 7 Ounce pre-grilled chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
15ish Snow pea pods
I jalapeño pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1/2 Red onion, sliced thin
1 Cup unsweetened coconut milk (I use Silk)
1 Tablespoon sweet curry powder
1 Teaspoon black pepper

Spray a nonstick pan with habanero oil with a misto (see yesterday's post - you can use any flavored or non flavored olive oil) and preheat the pan on medium high. Once hot, add the chicken and vegetables and sauté for three minutes. Add coconut milk, curry powder, and black pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are tender and the coconut milk has been reduced to about half. Remove from heat and serve.
Serves 1

Scotch Bonnet Pepper Olive Oil

When I cook, I like to use different flavored olive oils. Garlic olive oil is easy, fill a glass bottle 1/2 way with garlic cloves and completely fill the bottle with olive oil. Pepper oil is alittle different to make.

1 Scotch bonnet pepper, cut in 8 - 10 pieces, LEAVE THE SEEDS and do not handle with bare hands (see above picture)
2 Cups of olive oil

Heat 1 cup of olive oil on high. Add the pepper to the oil. Sauté for 3 minutes and remove the pan from the burner. Let cool. Once cool, remove the cooked peppers and discard. Pour into a glass bottle. Add the second cup of oil and mix well. Following the directions on the misto, add oil to the misto sprayer. The misto sprayer is fantastic for cooking with oil and adding little to no calories but still giving food the olive oil flavor. More on the misto at www.mistooliveoilsprayer.com. I got my misto at The Kitchen Collection store at the Palm Beach Outlets for $9.99. I have two so far. One for garlic oil and the other for the pepper oil.

Ground Chicken Stuffed Pepper with Sautéed Tomato and Kale - 312 Calories

It's been a rough week and I've only been cooking very simple food or eating leftovers. Hopefully I'll be back in the saddle! This recipe calls for kale. Kale can be kind of bitter so eating it isn't for everyone. You can use spinach in place of kale and it won't effect the calorie count by much.

6 Ounces of ground chicken breast
2 Cups of kale, chopped
1/2 Red onion, half of it diced, half of it sliced
1 Jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 Yellow pepper, seeded (you can really use any color you want) with the top cut off and diced
2 Plum tomatos, diced
1 Teaspoon of chopped garlic
1 Teaspoon of black pepper
1 Teaspoon of oregano
1/2 Teaspoon of salt
1/2 Teaspoon of sage
Splash of vegetable broth
Splash of Riesling wine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine chicken, the dicedonion, jalapeño, garlic, and spices. Mix well and stuff the pepper. Place pepper on cookie sheet (you may need to fold up a piece of foil and place under the pepper so it will stand up straight) and bake until done. Approximately 25-35 minutes. The top should get brown.

While the pepper is cooking, spray a nonstick pan with the misto and heat the pan on high. Add onion and sauté for two minutes. Add tomatos and sauté for two more minutes. Add kale and the splashes or wine and vegetable broth. Cook until tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 1

Ground Chicken Pasta Sauce over Kelp Noodles - 201 calories

The sauce was cooked a few days ago and placed in the refrigerator. Kelp noodles can be found at Whole Foods in the ethnic aisle. I use them in a lot of recipes when pasta is needed or if there is a saucy dish. Alone they don't have much flavor. They assume the flavor of whatever they are mixed with. One of the best things about kelp noodles is the low calorie count, they are only 6 calories for 4 ounces!

1/3 of the previously cooked pasta sauce
4 ounces of kelp noodles
A splash or two of vegetable broth

Bring a pot of water to boil and add the kelp noodles. In another pot, add the pasta sauce and heat on medium. After the noodles have boiled for 5 minutes, drain and add to the pasta sauce. If you would like the sauce "saucier", add a splash or two of vegetable. Heat thoroughly and serve.
Serves 1

Seafood Stew - 322 Calories per serving (Serves 2)

This is a quick and easy seafood stew that serves 2.

5 Ounces of haddock (or any white meat fish) cut into chunks
8 Ounces of sea scallops (each scallop cut in half)
4 Ounces of shrimp
1/2 Cup imitation crab
4 Cups organic vegetable broth (I use Swanson organic broth)
1 Jalapeño (I leave the seeds to make it hotter)
1 Seeded Anaheim pepper
1/2 Red onion cut into 1/2 inch chunks
4 Cup baby spinach
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1 Tablespoon basil
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
1 Teaspoon sage

Bring vegetable broth to a boil. Add vegetables (except spinach) and spices and boil for for 5 minutes. Add seafood and reduce heat. Cover and simmer until the scallops are done and the vegetables are tender. Add spinach and cook until wilted then serve.
Serves 2