New Recipe: Hungry Girl's Sweet 'n Sticky Sesame Chicken

Two recipe posts in a row???  How excited are you??  And how excited was I to get to eat all of this lovely food??

I wish I could tell you that I ate this last night, but I'm blogging to you from the Marriott in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I had this tasty dish over the weekend, and thought it really hit the spot!  

Today when I go to asian restaurants, I order the steamed chicken and broccoli with no rice, but there was a day where I just LOVED the Orange Chicken... and the Sesame Chicken.  Any fried chicken bites in a sticky sauce, we were BFF.  So, when I caught HG on the TV a few weeks ago making an innocent version of my favorite treat, I had to try it.

Now, there's a LOT more ingredients than my usual recipes in this one.  However, you very likely have them in your cupboard.  I had everything but the onion and the chicken - - seriously! 

Hungry Girl's Sweet 'n Sticky Sesame Chicken

From Hungry Girl 

Weight Watchers Points Plus: 7

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

10 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into nuggets

1/8 tsp. each salt and black pepper

1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth

1 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. sugar-free pancake syrup

2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar

1 tbsp. ketchup

1/2 tbsp. reduced-sodium/lite soy sauce

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1/2 tsp. crushed garlic

1 tsp. sesame seeds

2 tbsp. thinly sliced scallions

Optional: red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2.  Place chicken in a quart sized ziploc bag and season with salt and pepper. Top with egg substitute and toss to coat.  Put flour in wide bowl. One at a time, shake nuggets to remove excess egg and coat with flour.

3.  Evenly lay on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

4.  To make the sauce, combine broth with cornstarch in a nonstick skillet; whisk to dissolve. Set heat to medium low.

Add syrup, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. If you like, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Mix well. Cook and stir until thick enough to coat a spoon, 2 - 3 minutes.

5.  Remove skillet from heat. Add chicken and toss to coat.

6.  Plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. Add a plentiful side of steamed broccoli.

ENJOY!

PER 1 CUP SERVING: CAL: 288; PROTEIN: 37g; FAT: 4g; CARB: 24g; FIB: 2.3g; SOD: 815mg; WW Points Plus 7

New Recipe: KG's Chicken Amore with Roasted Green Beans

I spent Valentine's Day alone, and chose to celebrate with a delicious home-cooked meal.  I think personally-prepared meals can be quite romantic, when you have a plus one. So why not make the same yummy dish when it's just for one?

I hear a lot of people say that they can't cook for just one.  Um, I completely disagree.  Recipes can be cut in half or cut in 4ths fairly easily.  Hungry Girl recipes are some of my favorites, as she often has the recipes prepared for one or two servings, which makes it sooooo easy (less math.)

I actually caught an episode the Hungry Girl cooking show on Food Network this weekend, and HG's fancy Valentine's meal inspired me to create my own version of her HG's Chicken Amore.  I didn't plan ahead, so I just did my best with what I had in my fridge.  It actually was quite delish!

I can imagine there's MANY other combinations that I can come up with to make stuffed chicken... I'll keep you posted!

KG's Chicken Amore with Roasted Green Beans

Inspired by HG's Chicken Amore

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken breast

1 wedge Laughing Cow Cheese

1 piece of roasted red pepper

1 small handful of fresh spinach

2 cloves roasted garlic

salt

pepper

cooking spray

1 small bag green beans

several cloves roasted garlic

cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place one boneless skinless chicken breast in a Ziploc sandwich bag, removing excess air.

2.  Pound chicken with a meat tenderizer to a create a thin piece of meat.

3.  Top chicken with one wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese, spread evenly over the chicken.  I used the Garlic and Herb flavor (of course.)

4.  Load the chicken up with fresh spinach, peppers, and garlic.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

5.  Roll this chicken up, and secure with toothpicks.  Place in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. 

6.  Spray a jelly roll pan with cooking spray.  Spread out green beans and spray with more cooking spray.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add some roasted garlic cloves, if you choose.

7.  Bake both dishes at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Watch the beans to make sure they don't get overly brown.

Yep, I made that!

Roasted green beans have become my favorite... Sometimes, I pretend they're fries. 

Doesn't that look amazing???  There was NONE left.

ENJOY!

New Recipe: Orange Beef with Broccoli

Yesterday was another travel day.  My travels brought me back to good ol' Idaho for the second week in a row.  This time, I'm on the Western side of the state for meetings.  Good times.

When I was at the airport last night, I did the usual thing I do... plan for less time than I should to get to the airport.  If I had a dollar for everytime that I was running late to the airport, I could likely quit my job and live happily for two days a while!

Not to worry, dear readers, I hustled through DIA and made the flight, of course.  I even felt a little like Clark Kent on the people mover with the power walking that was going on.  Impressive!

Now, one thing I didn't plan for was dinner.  Oh, the agony!  I had planned to grab Panda Express at the airport, but there was certainly no time for all of that.  But, Panda was piping their scents through the airport just the same making me ravenous.

What is it about the sheer smell of their Orange Chicken that makes me want to EAT IT NOW??  Given, I haven't eaten it in over a year... but it just smells so delish!  As does their beef and broccoli with mixed veggies, which is my standard low-cal choice.

I got to Boise around 8:30 PM and enjoyed some veggie sushi.  Not quite the same as sticky Orange Chicken, but quite delish and satisfying.

The smell of the OC at the airport also reminded me of the dish I made last week.  It's orangy and delicious and tastes quite indulgent.  I'd honestly take this over the Panda Orange Chicken any day!

Orange Beef with Broccoli

Weight Watchers Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes - Winter 2012

Weight Watchers Points Plus: 6

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 (12-ounce) package refrigerated broccoli florets

(I purchased broccoli crowns for some reason, so I chopped my own)

1/3 cup fat free beef broth

(I had to use bouillon because I was out of beef broth)

1/3 cup low sugar orange marmalade

(I used Smuckers Simply Fruit and it was perfect!)

2 Tbsp. lower sodium soy sauce

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced

Sliced onions (optional)

Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Microwave broccoli according to package instructions... or, chop your broccoli and put it in a gallon-sized ziploc bag topped with several tablespoons of water.  Place in microwave and steam for a minute and a half.

Because I had the whole broccoli crown, I used a little of the stem in the recipe too for some thinly sliced crunchy goodness.

2.  While broccoli cooks, combine broth and the next 3 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with whisk.  Set aside.

Look at all that yummy orangy-ness

Whisk to combine

3.  Thinly slice the flank steak.  Place cornstarch in a plastic ziplock bag.  Add steak and toss to coat.

Slicing took a while.  The cookbook suggested having the butcher do it for you, which I think is brilliant!

You can also dredge the meat in a shallow bowl, but the ziploc bag is soooo easy.

4.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add steak and onion.  Saute 5 minutes or until browned on all sides.  

I couldn't resist adding onions.  I think next time, I'd like green onions even.  So good!

First time cooking Flank Steak btw, and this was only 1/2 a recipe (as usual)

5.  Add broth mixture; cook 1 minute or until thick.  Add broccoli, and serve immediately.

The sauce thickens up pretty quickly.  Keep your eye on it!

ENJOY!

PER 1 CUP SERVING: CAL: 238; PROTEIN: 27.7g; FAT: 7g; CARB: 16.6g; FIB: 2.5g; SOD: 570mg

New Recipe: Meatloaf Muffins

Do you ever forget about recipes you love?  This week with our Jennie-O Turkey Meatloaf talk, I was reminded of one of my favorite recipes from my days of weight loss past.

I picked this recipe up on the Weight Watchers eTools and have made it many times over the years.  It's an easy alternative to meatloaf, and I think that kids would love the muffin-sized meatloafs, too!

This week, I made it with a little flavor variation... and loved all three versions!

Meatloaf Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1 box Stove Top Stuffing

(I think Savory Herbs flavor works best)

2 egg whites

1 cup water

1/2 onion, finely chopped (optional)

ketchup or barbecue sauce (optional)

Cooking Spray

INSTRUCTIONS
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

As usual, I made just 1/2 the recipe

I tried to use a spoon to combine, but ended up having to go in with my hands

2.  Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.  Divide mixture amongst the muffin pan.

I made slightly smaller muffins, as you can see

3.  Optional:  Top the muffins with a drizzle of ketchup or barbecue sauce prior to baking.  I decided to kick it up a notch... with a few sauces I had in the fridge. 

I used ketchup, of course... but I also had two homemade sauces I love on hand: Neely's Barbecue Sauce and a Mustardy Barbecue Sauce.

4.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Look how good they look coming out of the oven

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Of the three flavors, I definitely liked the Neely's version the best - - Yum-O! 
All were REALLY GOOD though!

PER 1 MUFFIN SERVING: CAL: 120; PROTEIN: 10g; FAT: 4g; CARB: 11g

ENJOY!

New Recipe: Lemon-Thyme Spaghetti

It must be in the air.  Maybe it's the fact that it's been in the 50s and 60s in Colorado this week.... but I'm craving summer in a bad, bad way.


Beaches, flip flops, sundresses, tanlines, pool time.... I want it all!


Last night, I made a dish that I didn't expect to taste like summer, but I've since deemed "summer on a plate."  HOLY HANNAH!  This stuff is "over the top" good.


Now, what would make this pasta even better?  Maybe pair it with some chicken cooked on the grill?  Mmmmm... a nice cold glass of pinot grigio.  AND.... eat it all on this patio??  

How about we dine al fresco here... no table?  I'd be willing to hold my plate  if I can spend time in that pool!

Eating outdoors in the summertime is one of my favorite things.  In Colorado, we're fortunate to be able to do it for extended periods and without humidity.  So lovely. 

Have you ever seen the episode of Parenthood where they dine in the backyard?  I'd love to have that backyard and create that dinner party.  Seriously.  That's my dream backyard.

Best show on television.  Hands down.

Ok, without further ado... let me introduce you to my new pasta BFF...

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Lemon-Thyme Spaghetti

From Weight Watchers 101 Best Quick and Easy Recipes - Spring 2010

Serves 6 (as a side dish)

INGREDIENTS

6 oz uncooked thin spaghetti
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp (or more) capers
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. grated fresh parmesan cheese
fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.

I always break my pasta as I put it in the pot.  Just what I do...

2.  While pasta cooks, combine thyme and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl.  Note:  I'm obsessed with capers, so I added extra.

How pretty and fragrant is fresh thyme - - LOVE!!

My VERY first zesting experience.  I think I did good!

Squeezing the fresh lemon juice... I think fresh is best in this case (and most cases)

Reminder:  I used extra capers...

3.  Drain pasta, and mix with lemon mixture in a bowl.  Toss well.  Top with parmesan cheese.  Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Pictured is TWO servings, as I made it my dinner

PER 1/2 CUP SERVING: CAL: 128; PROTEIN: 4.3g; FAT: 2.4g; SODIUM: 153mg; CARB: 21.9g

ENJOY!

New Recipe: Roasted Broccoli with Gremolata

As someone who usually blogs daily, it's so strange when things happen that keep you from your usual tasks.  While I usually try to keep this place pretty upbeat, I always try to keep it real as well. The reality is that MIGRAINES have struck your NTTC blogger. 

I'll spare you the ugly details, but let's just say....  Migraines are pretty much the worst. After not having one for about 4-5 years, I had forgotten how useless (and debilitating) they are!  All that being said, I'm hoping to be on the mend and back in my regular blogging rotation, starting with today's recipe.  I've got lots to say afterall and 15 lbs to lose!

Today's recipe is a super-simple one with one of my favorite ingredients - - broccoli!  I made the recipe with the broccoli I had in the fridge, as opposed to the full 3 cups of broccoli.  I did make the full gremolata recipe for extra flavor because I had that huge head of parsley, and I added an extra garlic clove... well, because that's just who I am! 

Roasted Broccoli with Gremolata

From Weight Watchers Four Ingredient 10 Minute Recipes

Serves 4

Points Plus value: 0

INGREDIENTS

3 cups bagged prewashed broccoli florets

Olive oil flavored cooking spray

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. grated fresh lemon rind

1 tsp. minced garlic

INSTRUCTIONS
1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


2.  Place broccoli florets in a medium bowl.  Coat broccoli generously with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.  Toss to coat.  Place in a single layer on a large baking sheet.

3.  Bake at 425 degrees for 18 minutes or until crisp-tender and beginning to brown.

4.  While broccoli bakes, combine parsley, lemon rind, and garlic in a small bowl.  

5.  Sprinkle gremolata over broccoli before serving.

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ENJOY!

PER 3/4 CUP SERVING: CAL: 20; PROTEIN: 1.6g; FAT: 0.3g; SODIUM: 163mg; CARB: 3.3g; WW POINTS PLUS: 0