Sesame Pecan Chicken Strips

Ingredients:
2 large egg whites
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tsp paprika
1 cup vegetable or peanut oil
1 1/4 lb skinless, boneless skinless chicken breasts

Beat egg whites in a large bowl until frothy
Mix breadcrumbs, pecans, sesame seeds, paprika, & 1 tsp salt in a medium bowl
Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
Dip chicken in egg whites & then roll in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to help it adhere
Cook chicken until golden brown, about 3 mins per side
Drain on paper towels
Cut into strips
Serve with honey mustard dressing

Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Recipe courtesy of Sunset Magazine

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp oregano, dried
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp canola oil
1 can (29 oz.) red enchilada sauce
Salt
12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide), cut in half
2 cups shredded jack cheese

In a large pan over high heat, stir turkey, onion, garlic, oregano, and cumin in oil until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes
Stir in 1 cup enchilada sauce
Add salt to taste
Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit
Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level
Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese
Bake at 425° until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes

Spicy Peanut Chicken over Rice

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp peanut oil

1 cup chopped onion

1.5 Tbsps minced garlic

2.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1/3 cup chunky peanut butter

1.5 tsps curry powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

6 oz can tomato paste

15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

2 (14 oz) cans fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

cooked rice

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat

Add onion & garlic to pan; cook 5 mins or until tender, stirring frequently

Add chicken to pan; cook 4 mins or until chicken is done
Stir in peanut butter, curry powder, salt, red pepper, black pepper, & tomato paste; cook 1 min

Add tomatoes & broth to pan; bring to a boil

Reduce heat & simmer 30 mins or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally

Serve over rice

Photo courtesy of: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001823370

Oven Fried Chicken

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients:

2 cups Panko bread crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 Tbsps olive oil, divided

2 Tbsps freshly minced thyme leaves

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 Tbsps water

2.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thickness

Preheat oven to 400°

Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil

Place a cooking rack over pan & spray with nonstick cooking spray

In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, cheese, 2 Tbsps olive oil, thyme, salt, & pepper

In a separate shallow dish, combine mustard, water, 2 Tbsps olive oil, salt & pepper

Coat each chicken breast with mustard mixture; dredge each in bread crumb mixture

Place on prepared rack in pan

Bake for 25-30 mins or until chicken is golden brown

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp canola oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 Tbsp ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World), divided
2 Tbsps water
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper *
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth **
2 Tbsps hoisin sauce **
2 Tbsps rice wine vinegar **
2 Tbps low-sodium soy sauce **
1 tsp cornstarch **
4 garlic cloves, minced **
2 Tbsps coarsely chopped salted peanuts
Cooked rice

Combine broth through garlic cloves in a small bowl & stir with a whisk; set aside
Heat 2 tsps oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat
Add 1 tsp ginger, crushed red pepper, & chicken
Cook 4 mins or until chicken is cooked, stirring frequently
While chicken cooks, heat 1 tsp oil in smaller nonstick pan over medium-high heat
Add broccoli & 2 tsps ginger to pan; sauté 1 min
Add 2 Tbsps water; cover & cook 2 mins or until broccoli is crisp-tender
Remove from heat; keep warm
Add broth mixture to chicken mixture & cook 1 min or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly
Add broccoli to pan; toss to coat
Serve over cooked rice with peanuts sprinkled on top

* My husband & I like spicy food - I increased the amount of red pepper flakes to about 1 1/2 - 2 tsps

** My husband & I also like sauces a lot, I doubled the amount of sauce to ensure we'd get lots of sauce to go with the rice

Coconut-Curry Chicken Fingers with Cashews

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed & patted dry

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 1/4 cups light coconut milk

1 cup skim milk

3 1/2 Tbsps red curry paste

3/4 cup roasted, salted cashews

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

3/4 cup corn flakes

10 oz baby spinach

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Lightly grease a large baking sheet

Cut the chicken into strips

Season with salt & pepper

In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the coconut milk, skim milk, & 1 1/2 Tbsps curry paste

In a food processor pulse together cashews & coconut flakes until finely chopped

Add the cornflakes & pulse until coarse

Transfer the mixture to a wide, shallow bowl

One by one, dip the chicken into the milk mixture, letting excess drip off

Place chicken into cashew mixture & turn to coat evenly

Transfer each chicken finger to the baking sheet

Bake the chicken fingers in the oven, turning once halfway through, until they are golden all over - about 10 mins

While the chicken cooks, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk & 2 Tbsps curry paste

Divide spinach onto places, top with chicken fingers & drizzle with sauce

Adobo Chicken

Since the sauce reduces, I double the sauce to capture all the deliciuos flavors. This is a great quick & easy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp canola oil
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
2 cups chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
6 Tbsps low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsps water
3 Tbsps white vinegar
2 Tbsps honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat

Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until browned

Remove chicken from pan

Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes

Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently
Return chicken to pan

Add soy sauce and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil

Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 12 minutes

Uncover and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is done and sauce thickens

Discard bay leaf

Serve over rice

Picture courtsey of: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1924726

Tex-Mex Calzones

Serve with black bean salad

Ingredients:
8 oz ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fat-free fire-roasted salsa verde
1 (11-oz) can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough*
3/4 cup (3 oz) preshredded Mexican blend cheese
Cooking spray
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Preheat oven to 425°
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat

Add ground turkey to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble

Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring mixture occasionally

Remove turkey mixture from heat; stir in salsa
Unroll dough; divide into 4 equal portions

Roll each portion into a 6 x 4–inch rectangle

Working with one rectangle at a time, spoon about 1/2 cup turkey mixture on one side of dough

Top with 3 Tbsps cheese; fold dough over turkey mixture, and press edges together with a fork to seal

Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray

Repeat procedure with remaining dough and turkey mixture

Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until browned

Serve with sour cream

*Make sure dough is cold enough - I made the mistake of letting the dough sit on the counter while making up the meat mixture. The dough was very sticky & difficult to work with.

Photo courtesy of: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1880021

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

This salad has a little bit of a kick to it. It's great with tortilla chips & is a filling meal that is super quick & easy to make. Courtesy of Cooking Light.

Ingredients
Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 Tbsp minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
4 tsps fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)*
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-oz) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well
To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl
Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat
Serve immediately

*I used Foster Farms Southwest Chicken Breast Strips because I didn't want to buy or roast a chicken.



Photo courtesy of Cooking Light

Peanut Noodles

My sister sent me this recipe & it's very, very good.

Ingredients:
Sauce

4 cloves garlic

Juice 1/2 lime

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsps vegetable oil

4 tsps minced ginger

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Place garlic in blender/food processor, blend until finely chopped

Pour lime juice into blender

Stop the blender & add remaining ingredients along with 1/2 cup water

Pulse on high just until ingredients are combined

Scape down the sides of the blender & pulse 3-4 more times

Noodles

12 oz Asian pasta - refrigerated noodles (I used Yakisoba noodles)

1 lb chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces

2 cups broccoli/snow peas/carrots (I used carrots & snow peas)

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Cook pasta & drain

Cook chicken over medium-high heat until browned, then add vegetables

Cook until chicken is no longer pink

Add peanut sauce to skillet & reduce heat to low

Return drained pasta to skillet & toss until well mixed

Sprinkle chopped peanuts over noodles & serve

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Courtesy of Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese

1/3 cup fat-free milk

1 egg

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1 (14 3/4 oz) can cream-style corn

1 (8.5 oz) box corn muffin mix

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies, drained

Cooking spray

1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I used this recipe for the shredded chicken - it was quick & easy)

1 small can sliced olives

Sour cream

Preheat oven to 400º

Combine 1/4 cup cheese & next 7 ingredients (through chilies) in a large bowl, stirring until just moist

Pour mixture into a 13"x9" baking dish coated with cooking spray

Bake at 400º for 15 mins or until set

Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top

Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining cheese & olives

Bake at 400º for 15 mins or until cheese melts

Remove from oven; let stand 5 mins

Serve with sour cream

Chicken Paprikash

Quick, easy weeknight dinner found in Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 lb chicken breast tenders, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 1/2 tsps bottled minced garlic
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups cooked rice

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat
Add chicken; cook until no longer pink, stirring occasionally
Remove from pan & keep warm
Add onion, bell pepper, & garlic to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender
Return chicken to pan
Stir in cream and remaining ingredients; cover & simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thick
Serve over rice

Rice Noodles with Chicken & Bok Choy

I decided to try another take on the rice noodles with tofu & bok choy that I made a few months ago. This time I used cooked chicken instead of tofu & my husband & I liked the dish much better - the flavor was more intense.

Ingredients:
1 (6 oz) package rice noodles
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsps rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Cooking spray
2 cups (1/4-inch) red bell pepper strips
5 cups sliced bok choy
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 Tbsps chopped fresh cilantro*

Cook chicken breasts; set aside
Cook noodles in boiling water 6 minutes; drain
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, oil, & crushed red pepper, stirring well with a whisk
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat
Add bell pepper strips; sauté 2 minutes
Add bok choy; sauté 1 minute
Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes
Add noodles, chicken & soy sauce mixture; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, tossing well to coat
Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro*

*I don't add cilantro to this dish & it is still delicious

Chicken with Peanut Sauce

This is a very quick & easy weeknight dinner. It isn't spicy but still is delicious (and the leftovers are great - if there is any).

Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp soy sauce (I use low sodium to make it healthier)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil (I use peanut oil)
2 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned & cut into bite-size pieces
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
ground black pepper to season
3 to 4 cups sliced broccoli or spinach (I use spinach)

Serve with rice made with a rice cooker

In a small bowl, blend/mix peanut butter, water, soy sauce and sugar; set aside
In a wok or large skillet, heat oil over high heat
Add garlic and pepper; stir-fry 30 seconds
Add chicken, stir-fry until firm and white, about 5 mins
Add broccoli or spinach, stir-fry until bright green, about 3 mins
Stir in peanut butter mixture
Cook, stirring constantly until sauce is smooth, about 3 mins

Serves 4

Quick & Easy Chicken Vegetable Paella

I found this recipe in a magazine at work. It's a great weeknight dinner & if there's only 2 of you, there are lots of leftovers (perfect for lunch the next day).

Ingredients:
2 Tbsps olive oil
3 (6 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" strips
2 gloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 red bell pepper, large dice
1 (8 oz) package frozen pearl onions
1 1/2 cups converted white rice
1 (10 3/4 oz) can 25% less sodium Campbell's condensed tomato soup
2 cups water
2 Tbsps lemon juice, fresh
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 (5 oz) package frozen green peas, thawed

Heat large skillet over medium heat & add oil, coating bottom of skillet
Add chicken & cook until slightly browned
Add garlic & turmeric; cook 1 min
Add bell pepper & pearl onions; cook & stir for 2 mins
Combine, in a separate bowl, soup, water, lemon juice, & black pepper; mix well
Add rice to skillet, mixing well
Add soup & stir to incorporate
Cover & reduce heat to low; cook 22 mins
Remove from heat & let stand, covered for 10 mins
Stir in green peas & serve

Salsa Chicken

I found this recipe in my Cooking Light cookbook & modified it a little bit. It's a really quick & easy weeknight dinner. Serve with Mexican or Spanish rice.

Ingredients:
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tsps taco seasoning
1/4 cup onion, chopped
Cooking spray
2/3 cup bottled salsa
2/3 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 (4 oz) can whole green chiles, drained and thinly sliced
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 (small can) sliced black olives

Preparation
Preheat oven to 475°
Combine chicken and seasoning in a medium bowl, tossing to coat
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat
Add chicken & chopped onion; cook for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally
Arrange chicken in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with salsa, cheese, chiles, & olives
Bake at 475° for 8 minutes or until chicken is done & cheese is melted
Top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream

Yield: 4 servings

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole

I made this last night for dinner along with steamed carrots. It's a great weeknight dish courtesy of Campbell's Soup.

Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (I use the 98% Fat Free)
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


Heat the oven to 375°
Stir the soup, water, rice, onion powder, & black pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish
Top with the chicken; season the chicken with extra pepper
Cover & bake for 50 mins or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender
Top with the cheese
Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes
Stir the rice before serving

Black Pepper Citrus Chicken

This recipe is courtesy of Cooking Light. It is very quick, easy, & delicious!
I served this dinner with rice & green beans - yum!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1 1/4 tsps freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 tsp salt
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup vertically sliced onion*
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tbsps fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsps chopped fresh parsley*

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt over chicken
Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned
Remove chicken from pan; keep warm
Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan
Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes
Add wine; cook 1 minute
Return chicken to pan
Add remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper and juices
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until chicken is done
Sprinkle with parsley

Yield:
4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 2 tablespoons onion mixture)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 240(22% from fat); FAT 5.9g (sat 0.8g,mono 2.6g,poly 1.5g); IRON 1.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 99mg; CALCIUM 29mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.8g; SODIUM 259mg; PROTEIN 39.6g; FIBER 0.5g

*I used a Walla Walla sweet onion - delicious! And I forgot to buy parsley at the grocery store, but that didn't make this dish any less delectable.

Chicken Breasts & Stuffing Hot Dish

This is one of the quickest and easiest homemade meals to make. It's basically just mixing up a bunch of stuff and putting it in the oven - makes the perfect weeknight dinner!

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 - 5 pieces of sliced Swiss cheese
1 small can cream of chicken soup
1/3 can white wine (use cream of chicken soup can to measure)
1 package Stove Top Stuffing

Preheat oven to 350°
Place chicken in a 8" X 8" greased pan
Cover chicken with cheese
Mix together cream of chicken soup & white wine
Stir Stove Top Stuffing into soup mixture until moist
Spoon mixture over chicken and cheese covering well
Cover pan with foil & bake for 1 hr 15 mins or until chicken is cooked thoroughly

Parmesan Chicken Paillards with Cherry Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tsp all-purpose flour
2 tsps olive oil, divided
Cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 Tsp sherry vinegar
2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet
Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Combine cheese and flour in a shallow dish
Dredge 1 side of each chicken breast half in cheese mixture*
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
Add 2 chicken breast halves, cheese side down; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done
Repeat procedure with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and chicken breast halves
Remove from pan; keep warm
Coat pan with cooking spray
Add onion; sauté 2 minutes
Stir in broth and vinegar; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates
Add tomatoes, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and oregano; cook 2 minutes

*I personally dredge both sides of the chicken through the cheese mixture - extra yumminess

Wine note: These chicken breasts have a piquant Italian flavor. Try the incredible Marchesi di Frescobaldi "Campo ai Sassi" Rosso di Montalcino 2004 (Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy)