Light Cajun Chicken Pasta Dish

Cajun chicken pasta dishes seem to be popping up more and more on menus. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I definitely wanted to try it.  I asked my husband if he wanted to share it with me, but he said he wasn't really interested in that type of dish. Well, next thing I know he is stealing bites from my plate! Needless to say, it was a hit for both of us.

However, my concerns were how much heavy cream they used with it, and how much sodium was in the dish. And, of course, not enough veggies! So to make my healthy version, I omitted the cream and used 2% milk. I also replaced some of the amount of cream with chicken broth and tomato puree. To increase the fiber, I just used more vegetables. I had red onions, mixed mini bell peppers, and some leftover roasted cauliflower. If I had to do it again, I would have added some zucchini, and maybe some spinach.

Be careful about which type of Cajun seasoning you use, especially if you are watching your blood pressure. Many spice blends contain a large amount of salt; some even have salt listed as the first ingredient. There are Cajun mixes that are sodium-free, such as Mrs. Dash or Penzeys Spices.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

makes 4 servings

What you'll need:

8          oz.                   pasta (ie penne, rigatoni)

1          TBSP.              canola oil

½        cup                  sliced red onion

3          cups                chopped mixed vegetables (ie bell peppers, cauliflower, zucchini)

2          ---                   garlic cloves, minced

2          ---                   chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

¾         cup                 crushed or strained tomatoes

½        cup                  low-sodium chicken broth

2/3      cup                  2% milk, cold

½        TBSP.             cornstarch

1-2      tsp.                  Cajun seasoning

1          tsp.                 dried parsley

½        tsp.                  paprika

2          TBSP.            shaved parmesan, for garnish

What to do:

1.                                Cook pasta in boiling water 2 minutes less than package directions.

2.                                Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When oil is hot, add onion and cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Add chopped mixed vegetables and cook 3 more minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside in a bowl.

3.                                Return skillet to medium-high heat.  Add chicken. Let chicken pieces sear and turn golden brown before stirring. Once all sides are browned, add tomatoes and chicken broth.

4.                                In a small bowl, mix together milk and cornstarch until cornstarch has dissolved.  Add mixture to skillet, stir, and let come to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in cooked vegetables, Cajun seasoning, parsley, paprika, and par-cooked pasta. Let mixture simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad

I felt like this was a pretty easy dish to make, but I also felt like I dirtied quite a few dishes.  There are a few things you could do to minimize the dirty dishes, which I have explained below.  Or, the rule in our house is: if you're cooking, someone else should be cleaning up!

The dressing is very simple and could keep for about 2 or 3 days after making.  So you can always make extra chicken, and take a salad to work with you the next day.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad

Recipe Makes 4 Servings

What you'll need:
For the dressing
- zest of 1 lime
- 2/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup cilantro leaves

- 2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup corn (fresh is best now, but frozen is ok too)
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color you like)
- 1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
- 3/4 cup rinsed and drained black beans
- 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
- 8 cups lettuce

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 375*F.  Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add chicken breasts, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.  Sear each side 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.  Add chicken to baking dish and put in the oven for 16 to 18 minutes, until inside temperature of the chicken reaches 165*F. Remove and let rest 5 minutes.

2.  While the chicken is in the oven, make the dressing.  Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender, or use an immersion blender to puree the mixture.

3.  Reheat the skillet used for the chicken over medium heat.  When hot, add corn, bell pepper, and onion.  Cook 5 minutes.  Add beans and cook for 2 minutes.  Set aside.

4.  Evenly distribute lettuce, cooked veggies and beans, and tomatoes into 4 salad bowls.  Chop chicken into large bite-size pieces; add to salad.  Pour dressing over the salad and serve.

Healthy Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

I really wasn't sure what to call this.  It is kind of like beef stroganoff, but with chicken; and no pickles.  It is kind of like Chicken Marsala, but with Sherry instead of Marsala. Either way, it was delicious.

First, and most importantly, cook the mushroom in a hot pain withOUT any oil or butter.  Do not crowd the mushrooms.  You want to make sure the steam escapes from the mushrooms.  Stir frequently 6 - 8 minutes.

This creamy sauce is healthier than regular cream sauce because it is a combination of half-and-half, nonfat milk, and beef broth, instead of all cream.   Be careful not to boil the liquid mixture.

Health Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

- 2 chicken breasts, cut into large bite-sized pieces

- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 Shitake mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped portobello mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp buttery spread
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup nonfat milk
- 1/3 cup beef broth
- pinch salt and pepper

What to do:
1.  In a large saute pan, heat olive oil.  When oil is hot, cook chicken pieces over medium-high heat stirring frequently for ~8 minutes, until chicken is lightly browned.  Remove from heat, set aside.

2.  Cook egg noodles according to package directions.

3.  In a large saute pan, cook the mushrooms over medium-high heat stirring frequently 6 -8 minutes, until mushrooms are no longer sweating.  Add onion, garlic, paprika, and parsley and saute 4 more minutes.  Add buttery spread. When buttery spread is melted, add flour and stir 1 1/2 minutes.  Add half-and-half, milk, and broth.  Bring to a simmer.  Decrease heat slightly.  Add chicken pieces.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over egg noodles.  Recipe makes 4 servings.

10 Ways with Apple Butter

This is not a recipe for apple butter, though I would like to try to make my own some time.  This is a post about the many different things you can flavor with apple butter.  Apple butter does not actually contain any butter and is actually 100% fat-free.  It is made by cooking apple puree and sugar on low and slow.  Many apple butter recipes are made in a crock pot because that is the perfect low and slow cooking gadget.  Here are some ways you can use apple butter to help make a healthy dish:

Peanut Butter Apple Butter Sandwich
Substitute half the peanut butter on your whole wheat toast in the morning and add 1 tbsp apple butter

Apple Pecan Oatmeal
Combine 1/2 cup plain quick cooking oatmeal, 1/2 cup nonfat milk, 1 1/2 tbsp apple butter, 2 tbsp chopped pecans.  Cook according to oatmeal directions.

Sweet and Savory Appetizer
Cut a whole grain French baguette into 1/2" slices.  Spread 1 tbsp apple butter over each slice.  Top with 1 tsp crumbled goat cheese.  Set oven to broil and melt cheese for 2 - 2 1/2 minutes.

Apple Walnut Parfait
Combine 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt with 1 tbsp apple butter.  Top with chopped walnuts and diced apple.

Caramel Apple on the Rocks
Combine 1 tbsp apple butter, 1/4 cup apple juice, 1 oz caramel vodka, 1 oz vodka, 2 oz water.  Shake with ice and serve.

Sweet Cheddar and Chicken Grilled Cheese
Spread 1 tbsp apple butter on one slice of whole grain bread.  Top with 1 slice extra sharp cheddar cheese and 2oz deli chicken meat.  Cook on a flat skillet or in a panini maker.

Apple Cider Cupcakes
Using your favorite white or vanilla cupcake recipe, substitute half the fat for an equal amount of apple butter, and use apple cider in place of the recommended liquid.

Chicken Apple Pecan
Instead of coating chicken in egg and breadcrumbs, try this healthier mix.  Coat chicken breast halves in apple butter, then dip in a mixture of finely crushed pecans, dried parsley, ground pepper, salt, and a pinch of nutmeg.  Place on a hot nonstick skillet and cook each side 2 minutes, until golden brown.  Move chicken to a baking dish and cook in a preheated oven at 350*F for 22 - 25 minutes.

Apple Butter Snack Dip
Apple butter can also be a fun dip.  You can use whole grain crackers, cinnamon graham crackers, apple slices, and banana and raspberry skewers to dip into the apple butter.

Sweet and Tangy Apple Salad Dressing
Combine 1 tbsp apple butter, 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup canola oil, 1/4 tsp ground celery seed, 1/4 tsp ground dried onion, 1/4 tsp ground dried mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Baked Lemon Chicken with Green Beans

I usually cook dinner over the stove.  When I put everything in one casserole dish and throw it in the oven, I remember how nice it is to use my oven. Using the oven means I have less hands-on time in the kitchen; I also have fewer dishes to clean!

 You have to make sure food does not stick to the bottom of the dish.  You also want to make sure the food does not dry out.  To do this, make sure food is coated in some oil, and you can also put a liquid such as lemon juice or broth on the bottom.  A good way to keep foods moist is to cover the dish with foil for the first half of the baking time, and finish uncovered.  This meal is super healthy, low calorie, and filling.

Baked Lemon Chicken with Green Beans

What you'll need:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 1/2 cups green beans
- 1/2 cup sliced onion
- 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  In a bowl mix together oil, lemon juice, wine, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.  Marinate chicken, green beans, and onion in a bag or container with lemon juice mixture for ~20 minutes.

2.  Pour all ingredients into a casserole dish.  Top chicken with mushroom slices.  Cover dish with aluminum foil.  Bake 12 minutes, remove foil, bake 12 more minutes.  If chicken is not browned, turn oven to 'Broil' for 2 - 3 minutes.

5 Ways with Rotisserie Chicken

Buying a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store can make meal preparation really easy.  You buy a whole cooked chicken, then take apart the pieces you want.  It is important to remember that some parts of the chicken are healthier than others.  The skin is going to be the least healthy part.  The skin itself contains a lot of saturated fat.  It is also where the butter and salt get laid on before the chicken is cooked.  So I always peel off the skin.  The dark meat is higher in fat than the white meat.  So when you are deciding which meat to use for which recipe, use the higher fat meat with a lower fat recipes.  

So here are some ideas on how to use the chicken meat:

Use  thigh meat for a Chicken Taco Salad

Make a salad of greens, strips of red and green bell peppers, onion.  Top with salsa, a small sprinkle of Mexican cheese, a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt, and plash of hot sauce.  Throw on the pulled chicken meat and you've got a super fast dinner.  If you don't like uncooked peppers and onions, saute them for about 5 minutes in a little canola oil and sprinkle with pepper and paprika.

Use breast meat for a Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwich

In a bowl, mix together 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, 1 1/2 cups chopped romaine, 3 tbsp plain non-fat Greek yogurt, 3 tbsp Caesar dressing, 1 tbsp grated parmesan, pulled meat of one chicken breast, 1/4 tsp pepper.  Stir so that the dressing coats everything.  Toast a bun or roll, or use pita bread.  Recipe makes 2 sandwiches

Use thigh meat for a Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad

Make a salad of romaine and spinach.  Top with chopped green bell pepper, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced onion, a few walnuts, and chicken meat.  Make a dressing of 1 part Dijon mustard, 2 parts olive oil, 2 parts balsamic vinegar, plus a pinch of salt and pepper.

Use breast meat for a Greek Chicken Salad Sandwich

In a food processor, chop 1 smal cucumber and 2 peeled garlic cloves.  Then in a bowl, mix together shredded chicken, the chopped cucumber, 1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp crumbled feta, 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp dried dill.  Toast a bun or roll, or use pita bread.  Recipe makes 2 sandwiches.

Use breast or tenderloin meat for a quick BBQ Chicken Pizza

Use a small spoonful of BBQ sauce to mix with the shredded chicken meat.  Spread a small amount of BBQ sauce over the inside of each half of a sandwich thin ( such as Arnold Breads), then top with thinly sliced red onion, a few thin slices of green bell pepper, and the chicken.  Sprinkle 1 tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese on each sandwich half.  Set a toaster oven to 'Broil' on low, or a 'Pizza' setting and cook for 8 - 10 minutes.

Chipotle Chicken Meatballs

I got the idea for this recipe from a Rachel Ray recipe.  But the recipe was actually really poorly written and possibly missing some steps.   It is unfortunate that some recipes are poorly written and therefore either confusing or creates an awful meal.  The more you read recipes, the more you cook, the more likely you will be able to identify errors in the recipe.


So I took matters into my own hands and came up with this recipe, which is full of good mexican flavors.  You can make it as spicy as you want it.  The main spice is from the canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (usually found in the cultural/Mexican/Spanish food isle at the store).  You can cut the peppers and use that, you can also use the sauce it is in.  The peppers have lots of seeds, which is where most of the heat is.  If you want more heat- keep the seeds.  If you want less heat, cut the pepper, and discard the seeds.  You can always test the spiciness of the meatball by pinching off a small amount of the mixture and quickly cooking it on the stove stop.  Let it cool, and taste it.  Remember, you can always add in more spice, but you can't take it out.



I roasted corn in the oven to give it an extra sweet taste.  All you have to do is lightly coat the peeled ears of corn, sprinkle with salt and pepper; then wrap with foil and roast at 400*.

Chipotle Chicken Meatballs

What you'll need:
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp adobo sauce, plus more for the yogurt sauce
- 1 finely chopped chipotle pepper
- 3 tsp cilantro paste, or 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/8 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp pepper, plus more for the corn
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for the corn
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 ear corn
- 1/2 tsp canola oil
- 1 cups shredded cabbage
- 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 4 or 5  small (4 1/2" diameter) tortillas

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 400*F.  Lightly coat corn with canola oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Wrap in foil and roast in over for 15 - 17 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool about 5 minutes.  When cooled, stand the corn vertically and cut the kernels off with a knife cutting downwards.

2.  Mix together yogurt, and 2 tsp adobo sauce.

3.  Saute onion and garlic in olive oil.  In a large bowl mix together the adobo sauce and the next 8 ingredients (through lime juice).  Add in cooked onion mixture.  Form into meatballs.  Makes 12 - 15 meatballs.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Cook meatballs 400* for 8 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350* and flip over the meatballs.

Top  three meatballs on 1 tortilla, with roasted corn, cabbage, and chipotle yogurt dressing.

Nutrition Information (per "taco" with 3 meatballs)
323 calories, 31g carbs, 3g fiber, 34g protein, 8g total fat, 2g saturated fat

Dates

Dates are a very popular fruit in Dubai and many other areas of the Middle East.  Dates are very sweet and have a high sugar content, but also contain many essential vitamins and minerals.  Plus they are a good source of antioxidants and phytonutrients.

When picking out dates at the grocery store, look for those that are fresh, unwrinkled, single-colored (caramel hue).   Older dates may be drier, have wrinkled skin, and may have some paler areas on the skin. These are still ok to eat, but will not be as juicy, and will have a chewier texture.  You may need to chop off the very dry, pale areas for better overall taste and texture.

To eat, be sure to remove the elongated oval-shaped pit on the inside.  The rest is edible.  Dates can be used in baked goods: cookies, muffins, breads; salads; covered in chocolate; added to fruit salad; and used in many savory dishes.

I decided to make a chicken and date salad.  This had a good combination of sweet and savory.  Many chicken salads get their sweetness from added sugars.  In this recipe,  I only used dates and yogurt to add sweetness.  Many recipes also often use full fat mayonnaise and/or sour cream to add creaminess.  However, plain fat-free Greek yogurt is a good, nutritious substitute.  See recipe below.

What you'll need:
- 1 chicken breast
- 6 dates, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

What to do:
1.  Fill a medium sauce pan with water about 3 inches deep.  Heat water over high heat on the stove and let come to a boil.  Add the chicken breast and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover pot.  Cook about 8-10 minutes until done.  Check for doneness by cutting the chicken in half crosswise.  If there is any pink- it is NOT done and will need to cook for longer.  If the chicken is cooked, place on a plate or drying rack to cool.

2.  While the chicken is cooking and cooling, combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.

3.  When the chicken has cooled, pull the chicken apart with your hands and/or a fork. Pull apart to create small strings of chicken.  When done, add chicken to the yogurt mixture.  Serve cold.  You can wrap in a leaf of lettuce or top on some delicious bread.   Recipe makes 3 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
63 calories, 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 16g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 6g protein

Some variations:
- use fewer dates to make it less sweet
- add celery to add some crunch and some bitter flavor
- add slivered almonds for crunch and a bit of nutty flavor
- use less vinegar and lemon juice to decrease acidity and tartness