Balsamic Chicken - 288 Calories

For me, balsamic vinegar, wine, and chicken go great together as all the flavors compliment each other very well. It's takes about 10 minutes to cook from start to finish. I served it with the gazpacho from last night's recipe.

7 Ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced thin
1/2 Red bell pepper, sliced thin
1/4 Red onion, julienned thin
1 Teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 Cup Riesling wine
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon black pepper

Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and heat on high. Add the chicken and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the red bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté unto the vegetables are tender. Move the food to one side of the pan and heat the empty side (half the pan is on the burner and half off). When the pan is very hot, add the wine and mix the food with the bubbling wine. Add the vinegar, mix and cook for a few more minutes then serve.
Serves 1

Gazpacho - 48 Calories (Not including sour cream)

I've never had gazpacho until I went to CR Chicks one day and ever since then, I've been hooked! It's simple, refreshing, and good for you!

1 Cucumber, seeded but not peeled
4 Medium sized tomatoes
1 Red onion
1 Jalapeño, NOT seeded
2 Red bell peppers, cored and seeded
3 Cups of tomato juice (I use Publix organic)
3 Cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 Cup white vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Teaspoon black pepper

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapeño pepper, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor. Pulse chop until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess or it will get mushy! 

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop. If you want, put a tablespoon of sour cream on top before serving.
Makes approximately 6 - 8 servings. 

Chicken Masala - 266 Calories

I love Indian food but anytime you go to a restaurant, it's really high in calories so I make it at home. This is my take on an Indian classic. I use leek instead of onion because leek has a nice, fragrant flavor and it's not harsh like onion. Usually, Indian food is served with naan (Indian bread) and/or jasmine rice. Tonight I used quinoa (the calories for the quinoa are NOT included in this recipe). You can also use cauliflower rice, that's for another post.

7 Ounce chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 Plum tomato, diced
1 Leek, thinly sliced
1/4 Cup Fage Greek yogurt (full fat)
1/2 Cup vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon garam masala
1 Teaspoon black pepper
1/2 Teaspoon salt

Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and heat on high. Brown the chicken for a few minutes then add the leeks and garlic. Cook for five minutes then add the tomatoes. Cook for a few more minutes then add the vegetable broth and the spices. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Carefully add the yogurt, alittle bit at a time so it doesn't "break" (separate). Continue to heat the mixture and stir until combined. Serve over quinoa, rice, cauliflower rice, or eat by itself.
Serves 1

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