{Taste Test Tuesday} Chicken Parmesan w/ Pasta

My parents gave me a wonderful gift for Christmas!

I have been leaning towards "Healthy Eating" rather than "Clean Eating" because most of the clean recipes I've tried I haven't liked.  They lacked flavor and had little to no spices in them.  I'm sorry people, but you NEED salt and pepper to flavor a dish!  I pretty much gave up trying to find new clean recipes until I got this book.  It's filled with pictures, menu plans, shopping lists, cooking terms, a conversion table, etc... and guess what?  They put salt and pepper in their dishes!  Woo hoo! 

My first taste test meal out of this book is Chicken Parmesan with Pasta.  It has cheese, pasta, and several spices...that's my kind of meal! 

It did not disappoint.  I couldn't believe it was HEALTHY and CLEAN.  It tasted pretty damn similar to my version of Chicken Parmesan with Pasta minus a ton of calories.  If you're on the fence about clean eating like I was, I highly suggest giving this meal a try.  I did make a couple modifications to it:  I used multigrain pasta instead of whole wheat and I used a red bell pepper instead of a green.

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

•  Olive oil cooking spray
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano, divided
• 1 (28 oz.) jar crushed organic tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. sun-dried tomato paste or organic tomato paste
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat panko bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp. grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese (I didn't have reduced-fat on hand so I used regular Parmesan cheese)
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 4 (4 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella or Italian cheese
• 8 oz. cooked multigrain or whole wheat penne
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. 

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic and saute 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft.  Add one teaspoon oregano and stir to coat. Cook 30 seconds, until oregano is fragrant.  Add tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, remaining teaspoon of oregano, thyme, salt, and black pepper.  Mix to combine.  Taste for seasonings and add a bit more salt and pepper if needed.  Brush both sides of each chicken breast with mustard.  Transfer each breast to panko mixture and turn to coat both sides.  Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet.  Coat surface of chicken with cooking spray.  Bake for 20 minutes.

4. Top each chicken breast with 2 to 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of mozzarella or Italian cheese.  Return chicken to oven and bake 10 minutes more, until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.

5. Arrange pasta on a serving plate and top with remaining tomato sauce and a little grated Parmesan cheese.  Serve chicken with pasta on the side, garnishing both with basil.  I also served steamed broccoli on the side.

Tip:  Make your Chicken Parm more golden in color by toasting the panko crumbs in a skillet over medium heat before making the dish.

Adapted from The Best of Clean Eating book

This recipe gets ☆☆☆☆  Share your favorite Clean Eating recipe with me!

 



{Taste Test Tuesday} Fish Tacos w/ Chipotle Cream

It's been challenging to find new, healthy, and more importantly, tasty recipes.  I know they exist because I've found a few, but it seems like for every good one I do find, I've had to choke down four bad ones.  In my experience, they usually lack flavor and are boring.  I realize food is fuel for my body, but I want my "fuel" to taste good.  I tend to fall back on old favorites, so I've decided to try at least one new recipe a week...and it has to be healthy.  I will share these recipes with you and rate them so you'll know if they are keepers or not. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

For Fish:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb. white flaky fish (Tilapia or Halibut)

For Chipotle Cream:

• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons mayo (I use mayo with olive oil because it has less calories and tastes just as good to me)
• 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1-1/2 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• Diced tomato
• Sliced avocado
• Lime wedges
• Cholula hot sauce, to taste

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Pour the mixture over fish and let it marinate for 20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the marinade and cook over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.  Set the fish aside on a plate for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the Greek yogurt, mayo, and chipotle peppers.

Heat the tortillas on the pan for 30 seconds on each side.

Flake the fish with a fork.  Top each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of the chipotle cream.  Top with fish, cabbage, corn, tomato, avocado, cilantro, Cholula, and serve with lime wedges.  I also served refried black beans with these.

Adapted from the Food Network website.

Sometimes when I see a long list of ingredients I automatically think "This will be expensive," but these weren't.  I bought a pound of tilapia for $7.13 and as I'm sure you know, produce costs next to nothing.  These were simple to make, easy on the wallet, and packed a lot of flavor.  When I asked my husband how he'd rate them he immediately said "5 stars!"  ☆☆☆☆☆ 

 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

It's been awhile since I made these and as luck would have it, someone asked for a simple, affordable recipe.  You get protein, carbs, and a veggie all in one sitting...that's what I'm talking about!

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 oz. tomato sauce
• 4 oz. tomato soup
• 4 green bell peppers, tops cut & seeded
• 3/4 cup brown rice, cooked
• 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper 

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized skillet over medium heat, cook the turkey, onion, and garlic until the meat is cooked through. 

Add the tomato soup, tomato sauce, and chili powder. Salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in the brown rice and cool. 

Cook the peppers in boiling, salted water and 1 teaspoon sugar until they are slightly tender. (About 3-5 minutes)  Drain.  Put the peppers in a baking dish.  Salt and pepper the insides. 

Add the Italian cheese to turkey and rice mixture.  Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and stuff the peppers.  Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

 

 

 

Chicken & Spinach Salad w/ Raspberry-Balsamic Dressing

I tend to have a hard time getting in my fruit servings each day.  I've realized the only two ways to get them in are when I drink Shakeology or eat salads.  There's something about sweet and savory together that makes my mouth water.  It's no surprise this recipe caught my attention when I saw it on Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

For dressing:

• 1/2 cup lite balsamic vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar

For salad:

• 8 cups spinach
• 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 4 chicken breasts, cooked & diced
• 4 oz. crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine vinaigrette, raspberries, and sugar in a blender.  Blend until smooth and pour through a strainer to get rid of excess seeds.  Set aside.

In a large bowl toss together the spinach, onions, raspberries, and tomatoes.  Divide mixture among 4 plates.  Add the diced chicken and garnish with goat cheese, pecans, and black pepper.

Adapted from the Food Network website. 

Taco Soup

There's nothing better than a hearty soup on a cold, snowy day.  I decided to make a recipe a former co-worker gave me, but made some minor adjustments to make it healthier.

 












Serves 4-6

Ingredients

•   1/2 lb. ground chicken or turkey
•      1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
•      1/2 onion, chopped
•      1 clove garlic, minced
•      1 – 15 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes
•      1 – 8 oz. can tomato sauce
•      1 – 15 oz. can black beans with juice
•      1/2 package taco seasoning 
•      1 cup frozen corn plus 1 cup low sodium chicken broth

OR

·         1 – 15 oz. can whole kernel corn with juice

Optional Toppings

•   Shredded Mexican cheese
•      Non-fat plain Greek yogurt
•      Diced avocado
•      Chopped cilantro
•      Sliced olives

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the meat, onions, and garlic.  Once the meat is cooked through, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, taco seasoning, and corn.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for at least 15 minutes.

Serve and garnish with optional toppings.

*For large parties:  Double the recipe, put in a crock pot, and simmer on low until done.

Chicken, Mandarin, & Spinach Salad



I made this for my husband recently and he gave it 2 thumbs up.  Hopefully you'll enjoy this light, citrusy salad too.

 

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

• 6 cups fresh spinach, slightly chopped
• ¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 ounces cooked chicken, chopped
• ½ cup mandarin oranges, canned in light syrup (or fresh Clementine oranges)
• ½ teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 tablespoons toasted almonds, sliced or slivered
• 4 tablespoons Newman’s Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger dressing

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy!

Adapted from the TeamBeachbody website.