Chicken Breast with Pancetta Cream and Peas

Another delectable foolproof dish from Cooking Light! It's a little higher in calories and fat than I tend to make but well worth keeping the calories low on the side dishes to indulge in this treat. I served it with a side salad. Enjoy!

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 ounces pancetta, chopped
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 
• 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine 
• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons water 
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• Directions:

1. 1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove garlic from pan using a slotted spoon; reserve garlic. Increase heat to medium-high. Add pancetta; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp. Remove pancetta from pan using a slotted spoon; reserve pancetta.
2. 2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; sauté 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan. Add wine; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until the liquid almost 
3. 
   
4. evaporates (about 3 minutes). Return chicken to pan. Add stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 6 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan.
5. 3. Add mascarpone to pan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Combine water and flour, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes; stir in pancetta, garlic, and peas. Cook 1 minute. Serve sauce over chicken.

Yield: 4 servings (1 chicken breast + 2 TBSP sauce)

Nutrition info per serving:  387 calories, 17.9 g fat, 42 g protein, 7.7 g carbs

Pan Seared Tilapia w/ Black Bean And Corn Salsa

My inspiration behind this dish was simple....WARM WEATHER! We had a little taste of it this past weekend and it was glorious so I thought I'd bring a little of that brightness to the plate tonight. Serve with some steamed green beans and potatoes for a complete meal.

Source: Amy Hart

Ingredients:

• Juice of 2-3 limes
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 cups cooked corn kernels (you can use fresh, frozen, or I used canned)
• 1 cup canned black beans (rinsed, drained)
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup sweet red bell pepper, diced
• 3 TBSP chopped cilantro
• 4 tilapia filets (4-6 oz each)
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 Avocado, cubed

Directions:

1. Whisk together all but 1 tsp of the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt in a large bowl. Add in the corn, beans, onion, bell, pepper, and cilantro. Stir together and refrigerate until later.

2. Sprinkle the fish filets with the remaining lime juice and season each with 1/4 tsp Old Bay. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a skillet over med-high. Add fish and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from heat.

3. Add the avocado to the salsa and stir gently.  Top each fish filet with some of the salsa and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition info per serving:  314 calories, 7 g fat, 28 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber
(Calculated using myfitnesspal.com)

Vegetable and Greens Hash with Poached Egg

Sticking with the "Cooking Light" recipe pool this week. TOTALLY outside the box for me but very simple and chock full of lots of delicious vegetables in one dish. Super nutritious!

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 medium red onion, vertically sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups cubed peeled sweet potato 
• 2 1/2 cups cubed peeled red or Yukon gold potato
• 1/4 cup water 
• 4 ounces Lacinato kale, stemmed and chopped (about 2 packed cups)
• 3 ounces fresh spinach (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 4 large eggs 
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce (optional)
• Directions:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Add thyme and garlic, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add potatoes and 1/4 cup water; cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring every 5 minutes. Stir in kale, spinach, salt, and pepper; cook, covered, 3 minutes or until greens wilt. Remove pan from heat; keep warm.

1. Add water to a large skillet, filling two-thirds full, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer. Add vinegar. Break each egg into a custard cup, and pour each gently into pan; cook for 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Carefully remove eggs from pan using a slotted spoon. Place about 1 1/4 cups hash on each of 4 plates, and top each serving with 1 poached egg. Drizzle each egg with 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings 

Nutrition info per serving:  326 calories,  12 g fat,  12 g protein, 43 g carbs, 5.5 g fiber

Wasabi and Panko-Crusted Pork with Gingered Soy Sauce

Another Cooking Light delight! This magazine/website is one of my favorite resources and I utilize it A LOT! This is one of my go-to recipes when I'm looking for something with an Asian influence.  I served these over brown rice with some spiced whole carrots roasted with some red onion.

Source: Cooking Light

• Ingredients:
• 2/3 cup panko (I use Ian's whole wheat)
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• Cooking spray
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
• 1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon wasabi paste
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:

1. Place panko in a shallow dish. Place egg white in another shallow dish. Dip pork in egg white; dredge in panko.
2. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add pork. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan; sprinkle with salt.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add ginger to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Combine broth and the next 4 ingredients (through wasabi) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in green onions. Spoon sauce over pork.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutritional info:  215 calories,  7 g fat, 11 g carbs, 25 g protein

Jalapeño Turkey Burger

The key to a good turkey burger (especially if you are using 99% lean turkey) is moisture. Enter the whole egg.  I like to also add some form of heat when I'm cooking with such a lean protein. Don't let the title scare you though, you can always seed the jalapeño. No seeds = no heat!  I served the burgers with some delicious baked polenta fries in order to make this my Hart Healthy dish!

Source: Amy Hart

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces 99% lean ground turkey
• 1 Large Egg (beaten)
• 2 TBSP breadcrumbs (I used Ian's whole wheat panko)
• 1/4 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• A few dashes of hot sauce 
• Olive Oil Spray
• 2 slices fat free cheese ( I used Swiss)
• 2 Whole Wheat Buns
• 1 Jalapeño sliced thin 
• 2 TBSP low-fat mayonnaise

Optional Burger toppings: Lettuce, Onion, Tomatoes


Directions:

1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to med-high heat.

2. In a medium bowl mix the egg and the breadcrumbs.

3. Add in the turkey, salt, and hot sauce and mix until combined.

4. Shape evenly into 2 patties and spray the patties with olive oil spray.

5. Place the patties in the grill pan and cook 2-3 minutes per side. Add the cheese to the patties with about 1 minute left.

6. Place the bottom of the bun on a plate (toasted if desired) and top with burger toppings of your choice and jalapeño slices. Follow with the patty. Spread the mayo on the top bun and serve.

Yield: 2 servings

Nutritional info:  325 calories,  11 g fat, 21 g carbs, 36 g protein, 3 g sugar
(Calculated from myfitnesspal.com)

Chicken with Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, and Basil

Another super simple one! Serve this dish with some steamed asparagus drizzled with Balsamic vinegar and you're done. Quick weeknight dinner with easy clean-up!

Source: Amy Hart

Ingredients:

• 4 4-ounce)  boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil spray (I prefer to use my Misto)
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp italian seasoning
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) goat cheese crumbles
• 2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together the tomatoes, garlic, and italian seasoning in a small bowl.

3. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place a skillet over med-high heat. Once the pan is heated, spray with olive oil spray.  Add the chicken to the pan and cook 1-2 mins on each side.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and add 2 TBSP of the tomatoes and 1/2 oz of the cheese to each chicken breast. Transfer the pan and finish cooking the chicken in the oven for about 8-10 minutes until chicken is no longer pink and cheese is melted. Top each chicken breast evenly with the basil.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition info per serving:  175 calories,  4 g fat,  2 g carbohydrates,  29 g protein
(Calculated from myfitnesspal.com)

Polish Pierogies with Peppers

Quick. Easy. Delicious. For those nights when you really don't feel like cooking. Possibly because you went out the night before. Late. On a work night.

Source: Adapted from Devin Alexander

Ingredients:

• 6 Potato and Cheddar Pierogies (I used Mrs. T's)

• Olive oil spray ( I use my Misto*)

• 4 ounces of fully cooked  kielbasa ( I used Hillshire Farms turkey sausage)

• 1/2 cup sauerkraut ( from a bag or jar....not canned)

• 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper sliced in strips

• 1/4 tsp oregano 

• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the Pierogies according to directions.

2. Place a nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Mist the pan with the spray and add sausage, sauerkraut, peppers, and seasonings. Cook 4-5 mins until warmed through.

3. Drain Pierogies and place in serving bowl. Top with sausage and sauerkraut mixture.

Yield: 2 servings
Nutrition info per serving: 350 calories, 12 g fat, 39 g carbs, 15 g protein. This dish is a bit high in sodium....in case you are watching that intake.

*Misto Oil Sprayer....much healthier than the cooking sprays you buy in the store. Who wants to eat propellant?