Grilled Chicken with Pear and Goat Cheese Salad

Sweet pear, tart cherries and goat cheese, and perfectly grilled chicken. What combination could possibly go better for a summer salad?

Ingredients:
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 Red Pear (Anjou), quartered and thinly sliced
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. honey
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
2 Tbs. chopped walnuts
3 oz. spinach (i prefer stems trimmed)
1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
2 Tbs. dried cherries, chopped
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Spread out the sliced onion on the prepared sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the balsamic, 1 Tbs. olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Set aside. Meanwhile, season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Set a grill pan on medium heat. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil (about 1 tsp. each) and place on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes on each side and let rest while gathering the salad ingredients.

In a small skillet, toast the walnuts on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Place the spinach in a bowl and add 1 Tbs. of the balsamic mix; toss together. Divide the spinach onto two serving plates. Top with the sliced pear, chopped walnuts and cherries, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle with more fo the balsamic dressing. Slice the chicken into strips and place next to the salad. (Serve with a small bowl of the dressing instead of drizzling if you are worried about the spinach wilting.)

Chicken Stir-Fry Lettuce Cups

I think I have a thing for stuffed lettuce cups now....it seems to be a trend on my page but they are so versatile and delicious that I can't even help it! I found a recipe for veggie-packed chicken fried rice, and didn't feel like dealing with the rice so I decided to tweak it to fit my lettuce cup needs. They turned out delicious and filling to the point where the rice wasn't even missed.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil (or regular sesame oil)
2 mini red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 mini yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 c. broccoli, chopped
1 c. shredded carrots (pre packaged bag)
1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into thin slices

1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 Tbs. fresh ginger
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1/4 c. green onion, sliced (extra for garnish)
1 head butter lettuce, leaves taken off

Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to medium heat in a large pan. Add in the bell peppers, broccoli and carrots to the pan and toss to coat with the oil. Cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan into a bowl temporarily. Add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan along with the sliced chicken. Cook the chicken for about 2-3 minutes, flipping or stirring half way through until the chicken is no longer pink and fully cooked. Add in the garlic, ginger and soy sauce and cook for another minute. Add the vegetables back in, along with the green onion and cook for two more minutes, stirring frequently. Let the mixture cool slightly. Place a few tablespoons worth into each lettuce cup and top with extra green onion.

Skinny Korean Beef Lettuce Cups

Butter lettuce is slowly starting to replace tortilla shells for me. It is very pliable, and perfect for some lettuce cups stuffed with amazing flavors! Many of my recipes lately have been of the same flavor profile, using the garlic, ginger, and soy. I'm starting to think that Italian food might not be my favorite anymore.....which isn't necessarily a bad thing! I absolutely love ginger and garlic, and this recipe has a great balance of both!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
2 tsp. garlic (minced)
1 tsp. sesame oil
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. hot chili powder
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbs. rice vinegar
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Butterhead lettuce, broken off by each leaf
Fresh cilantro
Shredded carrot (a few tablespoons)
Lime wedges (to squeeze on top of the lettuce cups)

In a medium skillet on medium heat, cook the ground beef, stirring occasionally. When the beef is fully cooked, drain the liquid from the pan. Place the pan with the beef back on medium heat and add in the garlic, sesame oil, brown sugar, chili powder, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar and most of the green onion. Stir together and cook for 2-3 minutes to let the flavors adhere to the meat and so that the green onion can cook. Pour into a serving dish, and assemble the toppings on a large plate. Take a lettuce cup and put about 2 tsp. beef mixture inside. Top with shredded carrot, cilantro, and squeeze a little bit of lime juice on top!

Chicken Bacon Basil Panini

A simple, few ingredient, flavor packed panini sandwich. There is not a whole lot of effort put into this delicious sandwich, which is why you should make it. If you don't have French bread, use normal sandwich bread, or whatever you have laying around your house. And if you don't want to use bread at all and want to make it into a salad, instead of Miracle Whip, mix the basil with ranch dressing and a small amount of sour cream and drizzle on top!

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. light Miracle Whip
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh chopped basil
1 green onion, chopped
8 slices Oscar Mayer thin sliced Rotisserie Chicken
4 slices thick cut bacon
3 Tbs. reduced fat shredded Mozzarella cheese
Mini French loaf, divided in half width and lengthwise

In a small bowl, combine the Miracle Whip, basil and onion together and set aside. Line a microwavable plate with two sheets of paper towel. Line the four slices of bacon evenly spaced on the paper towel and top with two more sheets. Microwave for 3 minutes, let sit for at least one minute, and then remove the bacon from the paper towel (it stays perfectly straight and is super crispy).

Lay the slices of bread out and divide the dressing mix evenly on each slice. Top the bottom halves with four slices of deli chicken. Top with two slices of bacon on each, and follow by 1 1/2 Tbs. Mozzarella. Place the remaining bread on top. Heat a grill pan to medium heat. Place the sandwiches side by side on the grill pan and add a weight on top to press the sandwiches down. Cook on this side for three minutes, flip, and cook for another 2 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is fully melted. Let cool slightly before cutting in half and serving.

Buffalo Chicken Panini

We have now used this chicken taco meat for I believe 5 or 6 different recipes. It can be used in so many things and is the key ingredient in this panini that is to die for!

1 1/2 c. Shredded Chicken Taco Meat
3 Tbs. Kraft Mayonnaise, Light
2 Tbs. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
2 Tbs. green onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. shredded aged white cheddar cheese
1/2 Loaf Ciabatta, Sliced in half width wise (about a 6 inch sub size)

Heat a grill pan to medium heat. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and hot sauce together. Open the ciabatta bread and spread half of the hot sauce mixture on the top of each slice. Top the bottom slice with the shredded cheese, spreading out evenly. Top the cheese with the shredded chicken, and sprinkle with the sliced green onion. Place the other slice of bread on top and move the sandwich to the grill pan. Use a weight or heavy pans stacked on top of each other to press the sandwich down while cooking. In about 2 minutes, flip the sandwich over to get toasted on the other side. Continue to cook for about 2-3 more minutes. Let the sandwich cool slightly and then cut into two equal parts. This small buffalo chicken panini goes great as a side sandwich with soup, or a small lunch! (Just prepare not to share it with anyone else if you take a bite first!)

Taco Chicken Lettuce Cups

I am one of those people that love using leftovers, but can't eat it the same way over and over again. These juicy and delicious lettuce cups actually use two of those recipes. One batch of the shredded chicken taco meat has literally been used for multitudes of recipes (such as Shredded Chicken Taco Quiche and Shredded Chicken Taco Sliders ). I also used this recipe to make leftover mini burrito's for lunch the next day, which I'll add that recipe to the bottom of the page. My advice to people who always throw leftovers away is to be inventive. No one says that you have to eat something the same way twice!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. Shredded Chicken Taco Meat
1- 1 1/2 c. Avocado Cabbage Slaw
1/2-2/3 c. aged White Cheddar (mine was 5 years, or use extra sharp)
Butter lettuce, 8 leaves

Lay your leaves out on your serving dish. Place about 2 Tbs. of the avocado slaw (pictured above) in the bottom of the cups. Heat the chicken in the microwave or saucepan if it is cold. Top the slaw with about 2 Tbs. of the salsa chicken. Finish with a sprinkle of the aged white cheddar.

Still have a large amount of the chicken and cabbage slaw left? Here's a great way to re-purpose the leftovers for the next day!

Replace the lettuce cup with a fat free tortilla. Layer the slaw, chicken, sharp cheddar and lettuce. Roll like a burrito, folding the end closest to you over the ingredients, tucking the sides in, and then rolling upwards. Perfect lunch for the next day!

Doritos Taco Salad

 

Before dating, who is now my husband, I have had this salad maybe once or twice, and as morbid as it sounds I believe it was at a funeral with a potluck lunch afterwords. I had a leftover bag of Doritos from a party sitting in the pantry and he looked at me one day and said " I am craving Doritos Taco Salad, you should really make some". Usually he never gives me hints for dinner so I took this as a victory. It is one of the best (not really healthy for you per say) salads ever. Especially since I LOVE taco salads. You normally see this recipe with a large tomato, chopped into pieces. I found some delicious looking multi size and color tomatoes while at Target and decided to use those. Any kind of tomato will do, or if you are really feeling lazy and have everything but the tomato, and have a jar of salsa sitting around, you could throw that in there instead.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 c. tomatoes, chopped
3/4 lb. lean ground turkey (like Jennie-O)
1 packet taco seasoning (or 3 Tbs. of homemade)
1 c. shredded taco shredded cheese (or any cheddar blend)
2 c. crushed Nacho Doritos
1 c. Western dressing

In a medium skillet on medium heat, cook the ground turkey, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until the meat isn't pink anymore. Do not drain! Add in the taco seasoning and stir until combined well. Let the meat cool slightly while you put the salad together. In a large bowl, combine the romaine, tomatoes, shredded cheese and meat together. Add the Doritos and Western dressing before serving so the lettuce doesn't wilt and the Doritos don't get soggy and stay nice and crunchy!

To spice this salad up if you eat it frequently, you can change the mixing or toppings by adding jalapeno, black olives, black beans, sour cream, etc. Any of your favorite taco toppings will do!

Gouda Chicken Salad

This salad, as weird as it is going to sound, was an awesome combination of random ingredients. I love Gouda cheese, especially smoked Gouda, and pairing it with the balsamic vinaigrette tasted amazing. The salty cheese, sweet tomato, and tangy vinaigrette made for a great salad!

Ingredients:

2-3 Tbs. shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 rotisserie chicken breast, sliced or chopped
3 c. mixed lettuce
Balsamic vinaigrette

This recipe, being a salad, is very easy to put together. Top the lettuce with the tomato, cheese and chicken and drizzle the vinaigrette on top!

Make sure that you save the bones, skin and any chicken fat instead of throwing it out. It can be made into a homemade chicken broth! You can always freeze it until you are ready to use.

Cranberry Chicken Salad

I never usually have a craving for a big salad. Even though lately that is usually what I choose but not at all for the fact that I want one, but am trying to lose weight. On this particular occasion, I just wanted a big chicken salad with Craisins in it.That is how this salad got created. I eat mine without pecans, I am still warming up to eating them not in baked goods. But with out without the nuts, this salad was delicious and will be my go-to any time I am craving a plate of leafy greens.

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce (about 1 1/2 - 2 heads for two salads), chopped
2 Rotisserie chicken breasts, chopped
1/2 c. Craisins (mine were blueberry)
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. toasted (or raw) Pecans
Balsamic Vinaigrette (I use Wish-Bone)

To assemble this is pretty easy, and self explanatory (since it is a salad and all..). Place the chopped lettuce on each plate. Top with the sliced chicken breast, Craisins, shredded Parm, roasted pecans and then finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. Super easy, and you didn't even have to cook the chicken! (Although, you could use grilled, baked or boiled chicken breast also.)

Ham and Swiss with a Twist

I like to call this a gourmet twisted version of a ham and cheese. Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and a hint of apples and jam? Sounds weird I know....but you HAVE to try this!

Ingredients:

4 slices of bread (I used Country Potato Bread)
4 tsp. light margarine spread (I can't believe it's not butter!)
2 Tbs. light Jam (I used blueberry)
4 slices Swiss cheese
10 slices of deli Ham
1 large apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (you only use about half)

Heat a flat skillet to medium heat. Butter two slices of bread on one side, and place butter side down in the skillet. Add a slice of Swiss to each, and then top with a layer of thin sliced apple. Lay the 5 slices of deli ham on top of the apple slices. Butter one side of each of the remaining two slices of bread. Hold gently in your hand, butter side towards your hand, and spread 1 Tbs. of jam on the inside in an even layer. Place a slice of Swiss on top of the ham, and place the bread jam side down on top. By now it is probably time to flip the sandwiches, so check to make sure the bottom is golden brown, and flip them. Cook for another minute and a half to two minutes until the opposite side is a nice golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing so that the cheese doesn't slide out of the sandwich.

Turkey Bacon BLT

Everyone loves BLT's. Even me, a person who hates mayonnaise with a passion. This is a lighter version that still has all of the authentic flavors, unless you are like my husband and only eat a BLT if it is minus the lettuce and tomato. So pretty much bacon on bread. Also a great go-to recipe for when you are at camp, have the most random ingredients left in your fridge and need to make a quick dinner....

Ingredients:

8 slices of turkey bacon
Miracle Whip, light
Tomato, sliced thin
Romaine lettuce, chopped into large pieces
4 slices of bread (white, rye, wheat, whichever you prefer. I used potato)

Heat a large grill pan to medium high heat and lay out the turkey bacon in an even layer. Let cook 3-4 minutes and when you can see the color change and grill marks, flip over and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Lay each slice of bread out and spread with a thin layer of light Miracle Whip. Place four slices of bacon on top of each piece of bread. Break in half if you have smaller slices of bread so that they fit. Layer with tomato slices, romaine lettuce and place the top slice of bread Miracle Whip side down (obviously). This really is an easy recipe. The hardest part is cooking the turkey bacon, which isn't hard at all.

Loaded Chili Dogs

 

I originally posted this recipe, or one similar, back in 2012. I decided the pictures and the way the recipe was written was kind of Jonkey (messed up and or funky, I tend to make up my own words in life which makes it more interesting....). Here is the updated and "re-freshed" version! The only thing that will be missing for some of you, are the raw onions diced and thrown on top! (Feel free to do so from the comfort of your OWN home...I am not a raw onion kind of gal.)

Ingredients:

4 Hot Dogs (Oscar Mayer beef is what is used in the pictures above)
1/2 c. reduced fat shredded cheddar
1 can Hormel Chili, Turkey, 98% fat free (no beans)
Frank's Hot Sauce
Yellow Mustard
4 Hotdog Buns

Heat the Hormel chili on the stove-top in a medium size saucepan on medium-low heat. While that is heating, grill your hot dogs on a grill pan, or microwave your hot dogs until you hear them pop (I think they taste better after they explode). Sprinkle a small amount of cheese in the bottom of each of the hot dog buns. Place the hot dogs inside the buns, and top with a few tablespoons of the heated chili. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top, and then if you are making them "loaded", add hot sauce (I always use Frank's Red Hot Sauce) and yellow mustard.

 (The picture from the original recipe post in 2012 is above. This recipe uses marble jack string cheese. The hot dog was sliced in half, with half of a string cheese in the middle, and the rest cubed and put on top. It also has normal Hormel Chili with no beans on top, instead of the turkey like I use now.)

Mexican Tuna Sandwich

Ingredients:

1/4 c. Miracle Whip, Light
1 pouch StarKist Gourmet Selects, Mexican Style Tuna
1/4 c. shredded reduced fat shredded cheese
2 pieces of bread (honey wheat is pictured above)

Combine the tuna, Miracle Whip, and shredded cheese together in a small bowl. I like to spread a small amount of miracle whip on each piece of bread, then evenly spread out the tuna mixture. Place the other piece of bread on top, Miracle Whip side down.

Spinach Fontina Quesadilla with Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

2 c. spinach chopped
1 c. Fontina cheese, shredded
2 flour tortillas (I used La Banderita, Fat Free)
2 Tbs. Cucina & Amore Pesto, Alla Genovese, Basil ( from William Sonoma)

Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Lay both tortilla's out on a flat surface. Spread 1 Tbs. of pesto on each tortilla. In a microwavable container with the shopped spinach, flick a few drops of water onto the inside of the lid. Microwave for 35-45 seconds until the spinach is wilted. Sprinkle the spinach on top of the pesto, and then top each with the shredded Fontina. Fold over to make 2 half circles. Place in the preheated pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until each side is golden brown and the cheese is fully melted in the center. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing so that the cheese doesn't ooze out.

(This makes 2 servings, 11 WW points per serving.)

Turkey Bacon - LT

Ingredients:

2 Kaiser rolls, or some form of bread
4 Laughing Cow Wedges, Light Swiss
4 large slices of tomato, I used heirloom
10 (1/2) slices Jennie-O Turkey Slices, cooked until crispy
Romaine lettuce

To assemble the sandwich, cut the Kaiser rolls in half. Spread a laughing cow wedge on the inside of each of the rolls. Place lettuce on the bottom bun. Layer with two large slices of tomato. Top with 5 (1/2) slices of turkey bacon. Then place the top bun on top of the bacon. Delish!