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Chocolate Molten Cake

So, I made these last night because I had a major chocolate craving, and they turned out pretty well; John even said it was now one of his favorite desserts and gave it a 9.5 out of 10. In addition, they are easy to make, and the portions aren't huge so you don't have to feel super guilty for eating it. So, with no further ado:

Molten Chocolate Cake
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
• ½ cups Butter
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 whole Egg Yolks
• 6 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 cups Real Whipping Cream
  
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Spray 4 custard cups** with cooking spray and place on cookie sheet (**you can find these in the baking section of the store, with all the pyrex baking stuff)
   
3. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted; whisk until chocolate is also melted
4. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.
5. Divide between cups.
6. Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.
7. While cakes bake, combine sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff (i.e., make some homemade whipped cream!)
8. Invert cakes on dishes and top with whipped cream.

So, I am trying to make recipes from my Cooking Light cookbook more often, but tonight I decided to indulge some and make some recipes from "The Pioneer Woman," (see link to her blog on the left). I made Ranch Style Chicken, Twice Baked Potatoes, and Buttered Rosemary Rolls. Boy, was it delicious! Note: as listed, these recipes serve more than one person; I modified them when I made them to serve the two of us, but just copied her recipes as they were for easy viewing. Also, you may just prefer to click the above links, and she gives a step by step guide (with pictures for each step) on how to make the dishes.

Ranch Style Chicken

Ingredients

• ½ cups Dijon Mustard
• ½ cups Honey
• ½ whole (juice Of) Lemon
• ½ teaspoons Paprika
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• Crushed Red Pepper (optional To Taste)
• 6 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 pound Thick Cut Bacon
• Bacon Grease
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese, to taste
• Canola Oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl mix together Dijon with honey, juice of lemon, paprika, and salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like; set aside.
2. Next, rinse the chicken breasts, place between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to around ½ to ¾ inch thick with a mallet. Next, add the chicken to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.
3. While the chicken marinates, fry up some bacon. When finished cooking, reserve ¼ cup of the bacon grease and clean out the skillet.
4. When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade.
   
5. Heat half of the reserved bacon grease with an equal quantity of Canola Oil in the clean skillet over medium-high heat. When the grease is nice and hot add two or three pieces of chicken to it. Cook until brownish/blackish, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side. Remove chicken to a large baking sheet. (If cooking many pieces of chicken, repeat skillet process and remove finished chicken to baking sheet).
   
6. Place chicken in preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
7. Lay a few pieces of bacon over each chicken breast. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the chicken as generously as you like.
   
8. Return pan to oven for an additional five minutes until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling. Serve immediately.

Twice Baked Potatoes









Ingredients

• Baking potatoes (HALF OF however many you want...you will be cutting them in half, doubling the number of potatoes; so if you want to make 4 total in the end, buy 2)
• Butter*
• Bacon bits*
• Sour cream*
• Milk*
• Cheese*
• Desired Seasonings*

*You can click on the link above for specific measurements, but basically, these are ingredients you can eyeball.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Wash potatoes; brush with olive oil (to crisp the shell); put on dish (don't cover in foil)
3. Bake potatoes 1 hour and 15 minutes
4. Once done, take potatoes out of oven, and reduce heat to 350.
   
5. After baking, potatoes will be hot. Holding each with a towel (to prevent your hands from burning), cut each potato in half.
6. Scoop the contents out of each shell into a bowl.
7. Mix the potatoes with other ingredients, and mash together.
8. Fill shells back up; Top with more cheese
   
9. Bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
   

Buttered Rosemary Rolls

Ingredients

• Frozen, Unbaked Dinner Rolls
• Melted Butter, Regular, Salted
• Fresh Rosemary, Coarsely Chopped
• Coarse Sea Salt

Directions

1. Spray a small iron skillet with cooking spray (or coat with olive oil). Place frozen rolls in the skillet, leaving plenty of room for rising. Cover and allow to rise for several hours.
2. After rising, brush rolls with melted butter.
3. Sprinkle on chopped rosemary. Brush with additional butter. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
4. Bake according to roll package directions, until rolls are a deep golden brown on top.
5. Serve skillet on the table.

Slow Cook Lasagna

So, today I made another recipe from the Cooking Light cookbook-- slow cooker lasagna. It wasn't the best we ever had, but it was better than Stouffer's (which isn't bad to begin with):

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground round
  
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp (bottled) minced garlic
  
• 1 (26 to 28-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
  
• 1/3 cup water
• 8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
• 1 (4 1/2-ounce) jar mushrooms
• 1 (15-ounce) carton part skim ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

1. Cook beef, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles; drain.
2. Combine spaghetti sauce and water in a small bowl.
3. Place 4 uncooked noodles in bottom of a lightly greased crockpot. Layer with half each of beef mixture, spaghetti sauce mixture, and mushrooms.
4. Spread ricotta cheese over mushrooms. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining noodles, meat, sauce mixture, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese.
   
5. Cover and cook on HIGH setting 1 hour; reduce heat and cook on LOW setting 5 hours.***

***I definitely didn't need 5 hours; I'd say that after the first hour on high, 2-3 hours on low would probably do it.

Nutrition

• Servings: 8 (serving size: 1 cup)

• Cal: 361; Fat: 12.2 g; Protein: 28.6 g; Carb: 31.1 g; Fiber: 3.2 g; Chol 61 mg; Sodium: 595 mg
  

Italian Lemon Creme Cake

So, my dear friend Abbey's mom, Becky, posted a recipe for Italian Lemon Creme Cake on her own website, and it was amazing! Definitely one of the best cakes I've ever had or made. And John and some sweet friends liked it too, so it's definitely a keeper. But rather than copy and paste like I normally do, I'll just refer you to the post as shared by the master herself:

http://decolady-randommusings.blogspot.com/2010/05/italian-lemon-creme-cake.html

Thank you, Becky, for sharing such a delicious recipe!

Meat & Potatoes

Year one of pharmacy school is done and summer is here!!! And I recently bought a new cookbook (Cooking Light Superfast Suppers: Speedy Solutions for Dinner Dilemmas)...so, with these two things combined, I should hopefully be posting a bit more than I have this semester. School has just kept me soooo busy!
But anyways, tonight's dinner was pretty yummy!! It was "Balsamic pan-seared steaks" along with "Pan fried potatoes with dill" (well actually, I had no dill...so it was really pan-fried potatoes, haha), both from the new cookbook. I also served some salad and rolls (FYI: Kroger frozen dinner rolls are delicious!) But anyways, here are the recipes:

Balsamic Pan Seared Steaks

Ingredients

• 4 (4 oz) lean boneless beef tenderloin steaks (about 1 inch thick)
• 1 tsp garlic pepper seasoning
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup beef broth
  

Directions

1. Sprinkle both sides of each steak with garlic-pepper seasoning and salt.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat
3. Add steaks, cooking 3 minutes on each side, or until done. Remove steaks from pan
4. Combine vinegar and broth in pan, and bring to a boil
5. Reduce heat to medium high, and cook 5 minutes or until sauce is reduced to 1/4 cup, stirring occasionally
6. Spoon sauce over steaks

Nutrition
Calories: 213; Fat: 9.8 g; Protein: 24.5 g; Carb: 5.1 g; Fiber: 0 g; Chol: 71 mg; Sodium: 367 mg


Pan-fried potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 (20 oz) packaged cooked new potato wedges (such as Simply Potatoes; available in refrigerated section; in my Kroger, they were above the eggs)
• 1 tbs grated parmesan
• 1 tbs finely chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 tsp dried dill)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  

Directions

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat
2. Add wedges and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown
3. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with cheese and remaining ingredients; toss gently

Nutrition
(Serving size: 3/4 cup)
Cal: 168; Fat: 3.9 g; Protein: 3.9 g; Carb: 29.5 g; Fiber: 3.3 g; Chol: 1 mg; Sodium: 453 mg


This meal turned out very tasty, and wasn't superbad for you. Will definitely make again!

Glaze of Sunshine Apricot Chicken

This recipe is from Hungry Girl's new cookbook. Both John & I liked it, and it was easy to make:

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon light whipped butter or light buttery spread

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar-free apricot preserves, room temperature

1/2 tablespoon dry onion soup mix

Two 6-ounce raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlets

Optional: salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place butter in a small microwave-safe bowl, and microwave until just melted. Set aside.
3. Combine vinegar and cornstarch in a bowl, and stir until cornstarch dissolves.
4. Add preserves, melted butter, and soup mix. Mix well and set aside.
5. Place chicken in a large sealable plastic bag and, removing as much air as possible, seal the bag. Carefully pound chicken through the bag with a meat mallet or a heavy can, until it is uniformly about 1/2-inch thick.
6. Transfer chicken to the bowl with the preserves mixture, and flip until thoroughly coated.
7. Lay a large piece of heavy-duty foil on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray. Lay chicken flat in the center of the foil, and top with any remaining preserves mixture.
8. Fold together and seal the top and bottom edges of the foil, and then the side edges, to create a well-sealed packet.
9. Place baking sheet in the oven and cook for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
10. Allow packet to cool for a few minutes, and then cut to release steam before opening it entirely.
11. (Careful -- steam will be hot.)
12. Plate chicken and top with any sauce remaining in the foil. If you like, season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Nutrition

(1 cutlet with sauce) : 233 calories, 3.5g fat, 274mg sodium, 13g carbs, 0g fiber, <0.5g>

Crash Hot Potatoes

This is a recipe I got from The Pioneer Woman . Kroger was out of fresh Rosemary, so I used Thyme instead. They were yummy, and it was nice to have an alternative to a normal baked potato.

Ingredients

• 12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Black Pepper To Taste
• Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
3. On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
4. With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
5. Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
6. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Sausage Loaf

That's right, a sausage loaf. This is another recipe from the cookbook John's grandma gave me:

Ingredients

• 1 long loaf french bread
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 lb pork sausage, browned and drained
• 8 oz sliced/shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Split loaf lengthwise, so there is a top and bottom.
3. Hollow out loaf, and put bread pieces in a bowl
4. Beat eggs & milk together; set aside
5. Brown and drain sausage
6. Mix bread with egg/milk mix and sausage
7. Spoon mix evenly into bottom of bread loaf, and bake 15 minutes
8. Remove from oven and top w/cheese
9. Place top of bread over cheese, and bake 5 more minutes
10. Remove and slice (big or little, whatever you wish. This was technically an appetizer recipe, so it said it could make 15-20 slices).
    

Looking ahead...

So, next week I have about 5 new recipes I will be trying...I may not get them all posted next week, but I will do my best! They include recipes from thew new Hungry Girl cookbook, the Pioneer Woman (see link on left), and the cookbook John's grandma gave me mentioned in previous posts. Should be yummy!

Susan Sullins' Pasta Shrimp Casserole

This is a casserole John's mom, Patti, made for us over spring break. It comes from the cookbook John's grandmother gave us that I mentioned in my last post, and is sooo yummy!

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 12 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 8 ounces shredded swiss
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked
• 1 (16 oz) jar salsa
• 1 1/2 pounds medium size shrimp, uncooked, peeled, and deveined
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In large bowl mix eggs, milk, yogurt, feta, swiss, parsely, basil, oregano, and garlic
3. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain
4. Spread half of pasta on bottom of greased 9x13 casserole dish, then cover salsa, then half of the shrimp
5. Put remaining half of pasta on top of shrimp, then cover this with the egg mixture
6. Top with shrimp, and then mozzarella cheese
7. Bake 30 mins, then remove from oven and let stand 10 mins before serving

Soooo good!

Poulet de Normandy

So, I apologize for such a long hiatus. I have been EXTREMELY busy with school, and I haven't tried many new recipes lately. However, this week I have tried out two recipes never-before-seen on this blog, and in this post and the next I will share them with you. Monday, I made "Poulet De Normandy," which is a super yummy dish that I get when I go to one of my favorite Huntsville restaurants, Victoria's cafe. I found a recipe for it in a cookbook given to me by John's grandmother as one of my shower gifts...it is from her church, and it has a ton of fantastic recipes (including Joy's Chicken, which I posted about before, as well as the recipe I will put in my next post). Anyways, here it is:

Poulet De Normandy

















(The fact there are carrots in this picture, which I abhor, indicates that I found this picture online...haha)

Day 1

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) package seasoned stuffing mix
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
  

Directions

1. Combine stuffing mix w/hot water and butter, and then set aside
2. Mix onion, celery, mayo, salt, and chicken, and then set aside
3. In a lightly greased 9x13 dish, spread half of the stuffing mixture
4. Spread all of the chicken mixture over stuffing, then spread the remaining stuffing mix over the chicken
5. Combine beaten eggs and milk, and beat again
6. Pour egg mix over chicken and stuffing
7. Cover and refrigerate over night
   

Day 2

Ingredients

• 1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  

Directions

1. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking, and spread soup on top
2. Preheat oven to 425
3. Bake 30-40 mins or until heated thoroughly
4. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese on top
5. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 mins

I looove Poulet; its a lot of work, and ummm, calories, but every now in then, worth it!

Oriental Chicken Salad & Broccoli Casserole

Sorry I haven't posted since last week...I had a huge DAD (Drugs & Diseases) test this Wednesday, which I spent most of my time studying for (not that that helped). Anyways, tonight I made two recipes from Mary Etta Neiland (often known as "ME"). ME and her family have lived around the corner from my grandmother for years--in fact, my mom grew up playing with her sons. ME and her family also attend the church I grew up at, so suffice it to say she and her family have always been dear to mine. So it was no surprise that she was one of the hostesses of my Bridesmaid's Luncheon, where two of her delicious recipes--Oriental Chicken Salad and Broccoli Casserole--were served (as well as other yummy things). Those two dishes are what I made tonight...thanks ME!:

Oriental Chicken Salad

Ingredients

Dressing

· 4 TBS Sugar

· 1 tsp Salt

· ½ tsp pepper

· 5 TBS Vinegar

· ½ cup oil

Other

· 4 Chicken Breasts, cooked and chopped

· 3 green onions, chopped

· 3 oz package sliced Almonds, toasted

· 1/8 cup poppy seeds

• 1 can Chinese Chow Mein Noodles

Directions

Day 1

Mix together dressing ingredients and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2

1. Mix together other ingredients

2. 4 to 5 hours before serving, mix dressing with chicken mixture and refrigerate

3. Just before serving add 1 can Chinese Chow Mein Noodles

Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients

· 2 (10 oz) package frozen, chopped broccoli

· 2 beaten eggs

· dried minced onion

· 1 can cream of mushroom soup

· ¾ cup mayo

· 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

· Ritz, crushed

· Butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Cook and drain broccoli, and then put into a casserole dish sprayed w/cooking spray.

3. Mix together other ingredients, and then top the broccoli with the mixture

4. Mix Ritz with melted butter, and sprinkle on top of casserole

5. Bake for 30 minutes

Ever since my Bridesmaid's Luncheon I've been wanting to make these, and I am glad I did! Soooo delicious!

Half & Half

This entry is entitled "Half & Half," because of the two recipes I prepared today, one was a low cal Hungry Girl recipe, and the other was a ... not-so-good-for-you recipe. The good recipe was Hungry Girl's take on Green Bean Casserole: "Rockin' Lean Bean Casserole," and the naughty one was a recipe entitled "Joy's Chicken" that was from a cookbook John's sweet grandma June gave me us as a shower gift. I'll go ahead and get the not-so-good-for-you one out of the way:

Joy's Chicken







Day 1

Ingredients

• 12 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp celery salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp pepper
  

Directions

1. Wash chicken & pat dry.
2. Combine all other ingredients, and then coat chicken with mixture.
3. Let chicken marinate in fridge for 24 hours

Day 2

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups ritz cracker crumbs
  
• 1.5 cups saltine crumbs
• 1 cup butter*

*That's right, this recipe called for a whopping 1 cup of butter (that's two full sticks!) I did end up using that much, but both John and I felt like it was a bit too much (especially considering the calories).

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. Combine ritz crumbs and saltines crumbs, and roll chicken in the crumbs.
3. Place chicken in a casserole dish (10 x 15 is good) coated w/cooking spray.
4. Pour melted butter on top and bake for 1.5 hours.

Nutrition
Who would want to know?? I did use FF sour cream and reduced fat Ritz, but with all that butter, I shudder to think of the calorie and fat content.

The Verdict
Yummy!! John gave it an 8/10, and I'd give it about the same. If only it wasn't loaded in fat, I might make it more!


Rockin' Lean Bean Casserole










Ingredients

• Two 16-oz. bags frozen French-style green beans, thawed, drained & thoroughly dried
• Two 10.75-oz. cans Campbell's 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery Soup (98% FF Cream of Mushroom or 98% FF Cream of Chicken would work fine too)
• One 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 bag (about 1 oz.) Crispy Delites Red Onion Chips or 1 oz. (about 25 pieces) onion-flavored soy crisps, crushed**

**I couldn't find either of these, so I subbed Sun Chips French Onion (+ a little onion powder) instead. They do have a bit more fat/cals, but not tons. It probably increased the points value by 1, maybe 2 points.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
   
2. Make sure green beans are thoroughly drained and completely dry -- use a towel if you need to. Then, place half of the green beans in a casserole dish (a 2 - 3 quart rectangular one works best).
   
3. Pour 1 can of soup evenly on top of the layer of green beans. Place half of the sliced water chestnuts over the soup layer.
   
4. Cover with remaining green beans, and then top with the rest of the soup. Evenly top with the remaining water chestnuts. Place dish in the oven, and cook for 45 minutes.
5. Top with crushed soy crisps, and return dish to the oven for another 10 minutes or so, until chips turn golden brown.
   

Nutrition
PER SERVING (1/10th of casserole): 76 calories, 2g fat, 431mg sodium, 13g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 4g sugars, 3g protein -- POINTS® value 1

The Verdict
Pretty good! A much lower fat/calorie version, but still tasty.

Guilt Free Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

So, when I first started this blog, I made a post about my favorite Enchiladas recipe (for that post, go here), which I initially found on All Recipes (entitled "Chicken Enchiladas V"). I have made these enchiladas multiple times since finding the recipe a few years ago, and have always loved how scrumptious they were. So, I just couldn't let the fact that I am reducing my cals/fat stop me from enjoying these, so I made a lower calorie/fat version. The recipe is below:

Ingredients (FF = Fat Free; RF= Reduced Fat)

• 1 (10.75 ounce) can 98% FF condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup FF sour cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (or 2 (10 oz) cans chicken breast chunks in water))
  
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers, drained
• 8 (8 inch) 96% FF Mission flour tortillas
• 1 bag RF Mexican Cheese Bland (Like Sargento)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl mix the soup and sour cream; set aside.
3. Melt margarine in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and chili powder, and saute until tender. Stir in the chicken, chile peppers, and 2 tablespoons of the soup mixture. Cook and stir until heated through.
4. Spread 1/2 cup of the soup mixture in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, and place, seam-side-down, in the baking dish. Spoon remaining soup mixture on top, and sprinkle with cheese.
5. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Nutrition
Per Enchilada: 306 Cals; 10 g Fat; 3 g Fiber... 6 Weight Watcher's Points (I double checked to make sure my calculations are correct, so hopefully they are)

The Verdict
Considering all the swaps I made, I was pretty happy with these. They were still creamy and yummy, and not nearly as bad for you as the original! John liked them, too. =)

Product Rec: Jimmy Dean D-Lights Turkey Sausage Croissant

So, I love Breakfast sandwiches...but the calorie/fat value I do not love! So when I heard about the Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches that are lower in calories/fat, I thought "Well, that'd sounds nice...but I bet they don't taste very good!" Well, I take back that thought now! At Kroger yesterday I bought their "D-lights: Turkey Sausage Reduced Fat Croissant" (ie, turkey bacon, egg whites, and cheese on a croissant). I tried it today, and it was very yummy! I could barely taste a difference in this and a normal sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich.

The nutritional breakdown is :
290 cals, 12 g fat, 6 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 17 g Protein... 6 weight watcher's points

So, are they super healthy?? No. But they ARE better (health wise) than a normal breakfast sandwich, and the taste is still there! So, if you want to indulge, but not over-indulge, then these are for you!

Viva Fibra!

So tonight I made Hungry Girl versions of Chicken Parmesan and Fettuccine Alfredo. For the chicken, I once again used fiber "breadcrumbs" (hence the title of this post; fibra= Italian for fiber). Overall, John and I were pretty pleased with these recipes:


Chicken Parmesan



Ingredients

• 2 (5 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts (raw)
  
• 2/3 cup Fiber One cereal
  
• 1/2 cup Egg Beaters, Original**
• 1.5 tsp. reduced fat grated parmesan cheese
• 2 oz. (approx. 1/2 cup) shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
  
• 2/3 cup canned tomato sauce
  
• Optional: garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt and pepper

**This recipe calls for 1/4 cup Egg Beaters (for easy dunking), but it will only take approx. 1 tbsp. to coat the chicken. 1 tbsp. Egg Beaters was used when calculating nutritionals.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Using a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One cereal to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Add parmesan to crumbs (if desired, season crumbs with optional spices, as well).
   
3. Place crumbs in one small dish and Egg Beaters in another.
   
4. Next, pound your chicken so it's a bit flattened.
   
5. Coat raw chicken on both sides with Egg Beaters, and then coat with crumb mixture. Place chicken on a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Spray a light mist of nonstick spray on top of chicken and place in oven.
   
6. Cook for 10 minutes, and then turn chicken over. Add another light mist of nonstick spray and cook for an additional 10 - 12 minutes (or until chicken is fully cooked and coating looks crispy).
   
7. Meanwhile, if desired, mix tomato sauce with your seasonings of choice.
   
8. Remove chicken from oven, top with sauce and then cheese, and return chicken to oven until cheese is melted.

Nutrition
Per Serving (1 chicken breast): Calories: 295; Fat: 3.5g; Sodium: 890mg; Carbs: 27g; Fiber: 11g; Sugars: 3.5g; Protein: 46.5g; 5 Weight Watchers Points

Fettuccine Alfredo



Ingredients

• 2 packages House Foods Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Noodle Substitute**
• 2 tsp. fat-free sour cream
• 4 tsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
• 2 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
  
  

**They do not sell these ANYWHERE near me, and they are expensive to buy online. You can try and find them where you live--it will be in the Tofu section, not the pasta section. Their website says where they are sold, so you can look their first. Anyways, apparently they have like a 0 points value, but I just had to use pasta. So, if you need to, substitute 2 cups cooked noodles for tofu noodles.

Directions

1. Use a strainer to rinse and drain shirataki noodles well. Pat dry. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave for 1 minute. Drain excess liquid. Dry as thoroughly as possible, using paper towels. Cut noodles up a bit, using kitchen shears if you've got 'em.//Or, if using real pasta noodles: cook noodles, strain, and separate out 2 cups of it.
   
2. To noodles, add sour cream, grated topping, and cheese wedges, breaking cheese wedges into pieces as you add them. Microwave for 2 minute.
3. Stir well and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutrition
PER SERVING (half of recipe): 99 calories, 4g fat, 376mg sodium, 9.5g carbs, 4g fiber, 1g sugars, 5.5g protein -- POINTS® value 2 **

**This is assuming you use the tofu noodles. If you sub whole wheat pasta, points value changes to about 5. If regular pasta, about 6. Those are still better nutrition wise than what you'd get at a restaurant!

Mexican Fiesta

Tonight's menu included two more Hungry Girl recipes: "Just Fondue It" and "Cheesy Beefy Quesadillas." The quesadillas were very yummy, and the cheese dip was good too. I would definitely recommend these, especially the quesadillas!:

Cheesy Beefy Quesadillas



Ingredients:

• 2 large La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low Carb/High Fiber tortillas
• 2/3 cup frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like the ones by Boca and Morningstar Farms)
• 1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
• One wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
• 2 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
• 1 tbsp. chopped scallions
• 1/2 tsp. dry taco seasoning mix
• Optional: additional fat-free sour cream, for dipping

Directions:

1. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine soy crumbles, cheddar cheese, scallions, sour cream, and seasoning mix, stirring thoroughly. Microwave for 1 minute, stir again, and set aside.
2. Lay tortillas flat and spread cheese wedge evenly over one half of each.
3. Bring a medium-large pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat, and lay one of the tortillas in it with the cheesy side up, and cook for about 30 seconds. Top the cheesy tortilla half with half of the soy crumble mixture. Using a spatula, carefully fold the plain tortilla half over the other half, pressing down with the spatula to seal. Cook for about 1 minute, until slightly toasted on the bottom. Flip and continue to cook for about 1 minute, until both sides are toasted. Remove from heat and cut into four triangles.
   
4. Repeat for other quesadilla.
5. Serve with sour cream for dipping, if you like. Enjoy!

Nutrition
Serving Size: entire quesadilla
Per serving: Calories: 196; Fat: 5g; Sodium: 931mg; Carbs: 25g; Fiber: 13.5g; Sugars: 2.5g; Protein: 25.5g; POINTS® value 4*

Notes:
I couldn't find the aforementioned tortillas...so if you can't, maybe try and find another low fat and/or low carb tortilla.


"Just Fondue It"



Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• dash salt
  
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbs plain light soymilk
• 3 ounces fat free cheddar cheese block (cut into smaller blocks)
• 2 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
• 2 slices reduced-fat swiss cheese, torn into pieces
• 2 tbs fat free cream cheese
• 2 tbs dry white wine
• chili powder, if desired

Directions

1. Bring saucepan sprayed w/nonstick spray to medium low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add soymilk, all four cheeses, and salt. Cook for 3-4 mins (or however long it takes), stirring continuously, till cheeses have melted and sauce is thoroughly mixed.
3. Reduce heat to low and add wine (and chili powder if desired). Stir until combined. Transfer mixture to fondue pot and set temperature to low.
   

Nutrition
Makes 4 servings
PER SERVING (about 3 tablespoons): 89 calories, 2.5g fat, 548mg sodium, 3g carbs, 0g fiber, 2g sugars, 10g protein POINTS® value 2*

Fiber-rific Combo

Tonight I made Hungry's girls "Planet Hungrywood Sweet & Cap'n Crunchy Chicken" and "Lord of the Onion Rings." The "secret ingredient" for both? Fiber One cereal. Yes, that's correct. Hungry Girl is a big fan of putting the stuff in a food processor/blender, and grinding till you have "bread crumbs" for coating things. But what kind of food does using this yield? Read on to found out.

...Cap'n Crunchy Chicken

Ingredients

• 8 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast tenders
• 1/2 cup Cap'n Crunch cereal (original)
• 1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original)
• 3 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
• 2 tbsp. Hellmann's Dijonnaise
• 2 tbsp. honey mustard (actual mustard, not dressing)
• 1/8 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• dash salt
• dash black pepper

Directions

1. Place Fiber One in a blender or food processor, and grind to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Set aside.
2. Put Cap'n Crunch in a sealable plastic bag and seal. Using a rolling pin or a can, coarsely crush cereal through the bag. In a wide bowl, combine Fiber One crumbs, crushed Cap'n Crunch, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
3. Place chicken tenders in a separate medium bowl. Pour egg substitute over the chicken, and flip chicken to coat. Shake off any excess egg substitute, and then coat chicken in the cereal mixture.
4. Bring a large pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Place coated chicken pieces gently into the pan, spacing them out as much as possible. Cook for 5 minutes, and then carefully flip pieces over. Cook for about 4 additional minutes, until chicken is cooked through.**
5. Combine the Dijonnaise and honey mustard in a small dish, and mix well for a tasty dipping sauce. Enjoy!

**I used nonstick cooking spray, and they got a little burnt on each side. So I would recommend maybe adding a little bit of oil, just so they don't burn. Also, it took me more like 4 minutes on the first side, and 2-3 on the second (and that was on medium LOW heat)--but that might have just been my stove.

Nutrition
PER SERVING (1/2 of recipe/2-2.5 chicken tenders): 234 calories, 2g fat, 617mg sodium, 23.5g carbs, 4g fiber, 10g sugars, 29g protein -- POINTS® value 4


Note, this should make about 4-5 chicken fingers TOTAL. If you want to make enough for two people, double the amount of chicken...I did, but didn't have to double the other ingredients (though you can if you want).


Lord of the Onion Rings

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 1/2 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original)
• 1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
• Dash of salt
• Optional: additional salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut the ends off of the onion, and remove the outer layer. Cut onion into 1/2-inch-wide slices, and separate into rings.
3. Using a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Pour Fiber One “breadcrumbs” into a small dish and mix in salt, and any optional spices you like.
4. Next, fill a small bowl (just large enough for onion rings to fit in) with egg substitute. One by one, coat each ring first in egg and then in the “breadcrumbs” (give each ring a shake after the egg bath).
5. Evenly place rings on a baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping rings over about halfway through.

Nutrition
Per serving (appx 15 rings, or however many you make): Calories: 153; Fat: 1g; Sodium: 225mg; Carbs: 41g; Fiber: 16g; Sugars: 7g; Protein: 9g; POINTS® value 2



The Verdict
This meal was fairly good-it probably would have been better if it wasn't my first time making it. The chicken was good, but would have been better had it not burnt some. The onion rings, considering they were cereal + onions, were pretty good. As good as normal fried onion rings? Taste wise--no. Though yummy, they simply can't compare in taste to normal onion rings. But as far as calories/fat goes, they make a good substitute. I mean, consider this: 13 normal onion rings contain (approximately) 700+ calories, 40 grams of fat, and a whopping 18 POINTS®!
So, for a meal that had this few calories/fat/points, it was good.

To My Blog Followers AND Facebook Post Followers

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