Chicken Parmigiana ~Martha 9.28.10

I found this recipe from Oxygen Magazine. It's a healthier version of your typical "Shake N' Bake" Chicken. I thought it was really easy to make and pretty yummy too! Here it is...

Chicken Parmigiana

1 egg
3/4 C Wheat Germ
3/4 - 1/2 C Olive Oil
4 Chicken Breasts (I used Chicken Tenderloins)
6 Tomatoes, Chopped
1 (28oz) Can Tomato Puree
1/2 C shredded part-skim Mozzarella Cheese

1. Preheat oven 350. Beat egg in a wide-mouth bowl and set aside

2. Pour wheat germ onto a plate and heat olive oil in a large skillet over med/high heat. Dip each chicken breast in egg, then coat with weat germ before placing in skillet. Cook until browned on one side (about 5min), then flip and repeat.

3. In the meantime, combine tomatoes and tomato puree and pour a little into a 9"x13" pan.

4. Remove chicken from oil, shaking slightly to drain and place on top of tomato mixture in the pan. Cover with remaining tomato mixture and bake 15 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven, sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese melts.

ENJOY!

Nutrition:
Calories: 340, Fats: 12g, Sat Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 225mg, Carbs: 27g, Fiber: 6g, Sugars: 15g, Protein: 39g, Iron: 4mg

Bok Choy Wraps ~Martha 9.27.10

I found these wraps to be so quick and easy! I threw some together as I was heading out the door in about 5minutes. So if you need a quick lunch, I found one for you!

Bok Choy Wraps:

2 Bok Choy Leaves, washed
1/2 TBS Olive Oil
1/2 C Low-fat Cottage Cheese (I personally skip this, only because I am trying to stay away from dairy)
1/2 C Salsa (I mix my own veggies together....tomato, avocado, green onion, peppers, onion)
3oz Cooked Chicken Breast, shredded
Pinch of sea salt and pepper, to taste

1) Lay out Bok Choy Leaves.

2) Spread Cottage Cheese and Salsa mix (if mixing veggies yourself, add olive oil to it) on leaves

3) Add Cold Cooked Chicken and season with salt, pepper to taste. Wrap up and enjoy!

Nutrition:
Calories: 280, Fats: 10g, Sat. Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 170mg, Carbs: 11g, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 2g, Protein: 37g, Iron: 2mg

3-Bean Chipotle Chili ~Martha 9.27.10

This is a recipe my Mom recently gave me to try out. Totally fits in with my clean eating and if you love chili, you will LOVE this recipe. It will be great for your Halloween Parties coming up!

3-Bean Chipotle Chili

1lb Ground Turkey
1C Onion, Chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
2TBS Chili Powder
1tsp Ground Cumin
1 (15oz) Can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 TBS Canned chipotle peppers or Jalapeno peppers to taste, chopped
1 (15oz) Can Black Beans, drained
1 (15oz) Can Kidney Beans, drained
2 (15oz) Cans White Beans, drained
Cilantro, Avocado (optional)

1) Cook meat, onion and garlic in large saucepan over medium heat until browned. Drain.

2) Add chili powder, cumin, tomatoes and chipotle peppers. Cook 10min or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

3) Add beans. Cook 5 min. Serve with cilantro and avocado (optional)

Hope you like it! I'll get a picture of it the next time I make it.

Chicken Florentine -CALI 9-26-10

Love, Love, Love this! I really wish I would have taken a picture of this yummy dish but I guess you'll just have to take my word for it. It hit the spot for us! If you love Italian food, try this!

Ready in 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings

1 tsp olive oil
4-4oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried basil or 1 Tbsp fresh basil
10 oz fresh spinach
2 tbsp finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and cook chicken until lightly browned on each side, approximately six minutes.

2. Reduce heat to medium and stir in tomatoes, oregano and basil; place spinach on top of the chicken and cover tightly.

3. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, approximately 15 more minutes. Serve topped with a little Parmesan cheese.

Nutrients per serving: Calories 186, Total Fats 4g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 67mg, Sodium 336mg, Carbs, 9g Fiber, 2g Sugars 0g Protein 30g, Iron 3mg

You can add some more carbs to the dish to make it complete. Try quinoa, brown rice, side of veggies, 100% whole wheat baguette - the possibilities are endless. This dish is super easy too! I love anything that has to simmer for a period of time so I don't feel like I'm slaving making dinner. Enjoy and let me know what you think. Happy cooking & eating!

Ginger Chicken -CALI 9-15-10

Makes 4 - Ready in 25 minutes

12oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 large red pepper, cut into strips
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tsp arrowroot powder (it's like cornstarch)
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups brown rice, cooked

1. Slice chicken into strips. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add chicken and saute about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. Add garlic, ginger, onion, pepper, broccoli and 1/4 cup chicken broth. Saute for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, stir arrowroot powder into the remaining chicken broth and add soy sauce.

3. Return chicken to pan, add soy sauce mixture and bring to boil. Stir until sauce thickens slightly. Cook 1 minute longer.

4. Serve with brown rice.

Nutrients per serving: Calories 261 Total fat 4g Saturated fat 1g Cholesterol 49 mg Sodium 408 Total Carbohydrates 32g Dietary fiber 3g Sugars 3g Protein 24g Iron 2mg

I love this ginger chicken! I love to cook with fresh garlic and ginger and this was a great clean dish. The whole family ate it up! My husband did say it would be good with some pineapple chunks to give it a little kick but either way it is a keeper in my recipe collection.
You can also use it as leftovers in a whole wheat wrap. Delicious! Hope you try it and tell me how you liked it. Happy eating! -Cali

French Toast 9.10.10 -Martha

Who says when you're eating clean you have to deprive yourself of all your favorite foods? Well, here is a quick easy recipe that is really similar to the old way we used to eat french toast.

French Toast:

2 slices of 100% whole wheat grain bread
3-4 Egg whites
Cinnamon and Nutmeg to taste

1) Place egg whites in a bowl, sprinkle Cinnamon and Nutmeg to taste and wisk with a fork.

2) Place bread in bowl and cover the bread with your egg mixture on both sides of the bread.

3) Place on a skillet and cook both sides. Drizzle Agave Nector over the toast and enjoy the deliciousness!

Whipped this up this morning and forgot to take a picture!

Whole-grain Zucchini Apple Bread -CALI

Serves 10

Olive oil cooking spray
1 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp cinnamon, ground
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 apple, grated
1 zucchini, grated
1 egg
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
1/4 cup raw honey

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mist an 8x4 inch or 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. (I used a muffin tin for more accurate portion size and lined with wax paper)

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together apple, zucchini, egg, yogurt and honey.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold until just combined. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake until golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes.
If you use the muffin tin cook for 20-23 minutes.
(I'll leave a few out and freeze the rest. They seriously taste just as good once they are unthawed.)

Nutrients per 1/4 inch slice or 1 muffin: Calories 113, Total Fat 1g, Sat Fat 0.25g, Carbs 24g, Fiber 3g, Sugars 9g, Protein 4g, Sodium 124mg, Cholesterol 21mg

These are yummy home-baked goodies that are healthy for you! I love them and hope you do too! Happy baking!-CALI

Progress can happen for anyone!!!

I've been working this Angie for 5 months now! She hasn't met her goal yet but she HAS been able to lose 42 pounds! You can see the improvement and joy in her face. She's worked really hard, been dedicated and has the mindset of "never give up!" So when you think all hope is lost know that if you set your mind to something, anything is possible! Congratulations Angie!!

-Martha

What's for dinner?.....Chicken Marrakesh! -Cali

(Slow cooker recipe)

Ready in 4 hours
Makes 6 servings

1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
15-oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, chopped into 2 inch pieces
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 cinnamon
1/2 tsp black ground pepper
14 1/2 oz can chopped tomatoes

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a slow cooker
2. In a small bowl, mix together spices. Sprinkle over the food in the slow cooker. Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir carefully.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

-When I made this dish it was on a Sunday so I was gone for the whole 4 hours. The chicken was a little dry so I wish I could have add some water or maybe even more tomato juice half way through. Next time I'll definitely add extra liquid. It was delicious and tastes like a foreign dish. I loved it. It has your carbs, protein, fiber, veggies all in one. Enjoy. -CALI

Nutrients per serving: Calories 421g, Total fat 15g, Sat fat 3g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 123mg, Sodium 384, Carbs 36g, Fiber 8g, Sugars 8g, Protein 37g, Iron 4mg