Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes in a Basil and Garlic Sauce - 324 Calories

Well, since I have a black thumb and killed my first basil plant, I bought another one a few weeks ago so I figured I'd make something with basil.

7 Ounces of skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into cubed
4 Asparagus spears cut into 1 inch pieces (I grilled them the other day)
I/4 Onion, julienned
1/2 Red bell pepper, sliced
4 Sundried tomatoes, sliced
1/2 Cup vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Teaspoon black pepper
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon of sage
5 Basil leaves, ripped in half

Spray a nonstick pan with oil from the misto and heat on high. Add the chicken and sauté on for three minutes. Add the vegetables, basil, and spices. Sauté for three to four more minutes. Add the vegetable broth and continue to sauté until the liquid is reduced to about half. Remove from heat and serve. 
Serves 1

Chicken Cacciatore - 251 Calories

Well, I decided to take Amber Nagele's 30 day paleo challenge. While a number of my recipes are paleo, I haven't consciously developed a paleo recipe. So using Amber's rules, I came up with this one.

7 Ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
1 Tomato, diced
I/2 Onion, julienned
1/2 Red bell pepper, diced
1 Jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional - I don't seed it)
1/2 Cup vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 Tablespoon oregano
1 Teaspoon black pepper
1/2 Teaspoon salt
2 Bay leaves, broken in half

Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and preheat on high. Add the chicken and sauté for three minutes. Add the red bell pepper, onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Sauté for two minutes. Add the tomato, oregano, bay leaves, black pepper, and salt. Sauté for one minute. Add the vegetable broth and continue to cook until the tomato has completely broken down and turned into a thin red sauce. Add alittle more broth if you need to. Remove from heat and serve. I served it over quinoa but you can put it over spaghetti squash, cauliflower rice, or whatever you want.
Serves 1

Homemade Peanut Butter - 165 Calories per ounce

I LOVE peanut butter! I hate the calories, which can be upwards of 210 calories per ounce. In addition, the sugar, added fat, and preservatives found in commercial peanut butter. Making homemade peanut butter is really easy and tastes much better than store bought.

2 Cups of dry roasted peanuts
1 Teaspoon peanut oil

Place the peanuts in a food processor with the chopping blade and start grinding the peanuts. Occasionally, stop the food processor and scape down the sides. After 7 or so minutes, add the oil and  continue grinding until smooth.
Serving size is 1 ounce, the amount of servings vary.

Spicy Peanut Butter Chicken - 380 Calories

When I USED to go to Chinese buffets, I always liked the peanut butter chicken that so many of them had. I don't go to the buffets for a number of reasons not the least being that I find myself overeating. In addition, the high sodium levels and the use of MSG can really screw with your system. That being said, I've taken to making my own versions of Chinese, and other Asian dishes.

7 Ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Ounce peanut butter (I use homemade, you can use store bought but it's higher in fat and sugar)
1/4 Cup of coconut milk
1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 Teaspoon black pepper

Spray a nonstick pan with oil from the misto and preheat on high. Add the chicken and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the blach paper, red pepper and soy sauce, sauté until done add the peanut butter and coconut milk and cook until creamy. Remove from heat and serve.
Serves 1

Chicken Caprese - 295 Calories

Caprese salad is tomato, mozzarella (usually fresh), and basil. Sometimes it is sprinkled with balsamic vinegar and is served as as an appetizer or salad course. I decided to team it will a chicken breast and served as a main course.

14 Ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast approximately 1/2 inch thick
2 Ounces mozzarella cheese
1 Plum tomato cut into 1/4 inch slices
A few fresh basil leaves
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a nonstick pan with oil from the misto. Sprinkle each side of each chicken breast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper. Sear each side of the chicken and place in a baking pan. Sprinkle each breast with a 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, place a few pieces of basil, and a few slices of tomato. Bake for 10 minutes then top with mozzarella and some basil. Bake until the cheese is melted. When melted, place on a plate, remove the dried basil from the top of the cheese and replace it with fresh basil and serve.
Serves 2

Chocolate "Ice Cream" Shake- 193 Calories

Sometimes I have a sweet tooth and "need" some ice cream but don't want the sugar, fat, and calories.  After some research, I found a recipe that I modified to fit my needs.

1 Banana, cut up and frozen overnight (I make a few single serve baggies and keep them in the freezer until I'm ready to use them)
1/2 Cup unsweetened coconut milk (I use Silk)
17 Grams of granola, flavor of your choice - this is optional. If you don't use the granola, reduce the calorie count by 70
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
A few drops of organic, liquid stevia

Place coconut milk, cocoa powder, and stevia in a nutri-bullet or similar type blender and blend for about one minute. Add the frozen banana and blend until smooth. Add the granola and stir. You can either serve it as is as a shake or place in the freezer for 30 minutes for more of a nice cream consistency.
Serves 1

Sweet and Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken - 272 Calories

Well, I wasn't sure what to cook tonight. I was in the mood for something spicy (I know, that was a surprise) but I was also in the mood for something sweet. I looked in the cabinet and this is what I came up with.

7 Ounces of boneless - skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 Red bell pepper cut into chunks
1 Jalapeño pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Teaspoon salt

Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil from the misto and heat on high. Add the chicken and salt and sauté for three minutes. Add the red bell pepper and jalapeño. Cook for three more minutes. Add the crushed red pepper, black pepper, and minced garlic. Cook a few more minutes until the chicken is done. Add the honey, mix thoroughly until heated throughout, remove for heat and serve.
Serves 1