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