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