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.

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>

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. =)

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!

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.

Fettuccine With Chicken and Broccoli Rabe

So, the Veal and Twice baked potatoes I was going to make last night I decided to wait and make this Saturday instead, so those recipes are coming later. Tonight I made "Fettuccine With Chicken and Broccoli Rabe," from a Weight Watcher's cookbook (the picture above is said book cover, and the dish on the cover is this one). I was not able to find Broccoli Rabe, but did find Broccolini (neither is a form of broccoli, and they aren't that similar to each other...but the broccolini worked fine in the dish). John and I both thought it was good; I definitely will make it again. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, cleaned and chopped
• 6 ounces spinach fettuccine
• 4 tsp olive oil, divided
• 4 (4 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp tried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings (I just used onion powder)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 head radicchio, shredded
  
• 2 tbs grated Parmesan
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the broccoli rabe 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. In the boiling water, cook the fettuccine according to package directions; drain.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsps of the oil. Add the chicken, salt, oregano, and red pepper and saute until cooked through, 4-5 mins on each side. Transfer to plates
3. In the skillet, heat the remaining 2 tsps oil; saute onions and garlic till tender, 3-4 mins. Stir in the broccoli rabe and radicchio; cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the fettuccine, then sprinkle with the cheese and black pepper. Serve topped with the chicken and sprinkled with the basil.

Nutrition
Servings: 4 (1 serving = 1/4 pasta w/1 chicken breast)
Per serving:

• 339 cal (Weight Watchers Points = 7)
  
• 8 g fat
• 2 g sat fat
• 0 g trans fat
• 92 mg Chol
• 746 mg Sod
• 37 g Carb
• 5 g fiber
• 29g protein

Chicken Saltimbocca

So, I need to improve my health/get in shape. Obviously, one way to do this is to improve my diet. I have several Weight Watchers' cookbooks, a Hungry Girl cookbook, and a low-carb Rachael Ray cookbook, not to mention the internet, at my disposal...and so I am going to try and start making more dishes that are lower in calorie/fat/etc. When nutrition and/or Weight Watcher's Points are available for a dish, I will try and include them.



Anyways, what I made tonight was Chicken Saltimbocca, i.e., chicken "rolls." It is from a Weight Watcher's cookbook called "Shortcuts." The recipe is below:

Ingredients

• 4 (1/4 lb) chicken cutlets (I buy thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
• 2 (1/2 ounce) slices fully cooked lean ham, cut in half
• 2 (1/2 ounce) slices fat-free swiss cheese, cut in half
• 8 large fresh basil leaves (I actually used dried herbs instead, and it turned out fine)
  
• 1 large lemon
• 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. Arrange chicken breasts on work surface w/short sides near you. Top each one w/1 slice of the ham, 1 slice of cheese, and 2 basil leaves. Roll up, jelly-role style, and secure w/toothpick(s).
2. Grate 1 tbs of zest from lemon; squeeze 1 tbs of lemon juice.
3. Spray large nonstick skillet w/cooking spray, and set to medium-high heat.
4. Add chicken rolls, seam side down, and cook till lightly browned--about 2 minutes on each side.
5. Add broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, just until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Nutrition
Per serving (1 chicken roll with 1/4 cup sauce):

• 167 cals
• 4g fat (1 g Sat fat ; 0 g trans fat)
• 72 mg Chol
• 371 mg Sod
• 2 g Carb
• 0 g fiber
• 29 g protein
• Weight Watchers points value: 4

Both John and I thought it was good. I served it with some white rice (cooked in reduced sodium chicken broth for more flavor, and zero calories) and some Sister Schubert Wheat Dinner Rolls, which are pretty good for wheat.

Later on in the week I will be trying Veal Scallopine w/twice baked potatoes (from Weight Watchers and Hungry Girl), a Chicken Pasta Dish (Weight Watchers), and a potato soup w/blue cheese salad (Weight Watchers)...hopefully they will turn out well. I might also try some Hungry Girl' red velvet cupcakes... =)

Chicken Divan

Wow, it has been awhile since I updated this...I guess it's because we've been in Huntsville the past 3 weeks for Christmas break, and our wonderful mothers have been feeding us (and we ate out some). Anyways, I am pretty excited about the meals I will making this week--tonight's dish (recipe below) is Chicken Divan, and later on in the week I will be having a "French" night, and another night I will be making a seafood dish. But, those recipes will come later. For now, I will share what we had tonight:

Chicken Divan
(you can find this recipe on various cooking/recipe sites, cookbooks, etc...the one I am using is from Paula Deen):

Ingredients
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli, chopped
6 cup shredded chicken, cooked
2 (10 3/4 -ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup cheddar or gruyere cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Remove the outer wrappers from the boxes of broccoli. Open one end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the broccoli and put into bowl. Add the shredded chicken.
3. To the chicken and broccoli, add the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, cheddar cheese, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper to taste, and wine. Whisk together to make a sauce.
   
4. Place the mixture into a casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top. Finally, top the whole dish with cheddar or gruyere cheese.
5. Bake for about 30-45 minutes (depending on your oven)
   

BTW, I halved this recipe, since it was just John & I....and still had plenty of leftovers! I think in the future I'll omit the wine--even though it cooks out, it still gave the dish a flavor that wasn't my favorite. But, I i will probably make it again...

Chicken Spaghetti

This recipe is courtesy of the Pioneer woman (see link to her page on the left). I omitted the green pepper, onion, and pimentos (John & aren't fans), but others may enjoy them. Anyways, it turned out pretty good:

Ingredients

· 2 cups cooked chicken

· 2 cans cream of mushroom soup

· 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

· ¼ cup finely diced green pepper

· ½ cup finely diced onion

· 1 4oz jar diced pimentos, drained

· 2 cups chicken broth

· spaghetti

· 2 additional cups chicken broth

· 1 tsp Lawry’s seasoned salt

· 1/8 to ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper

· salt & pepper to taste

· 1 additional cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350^o

2. Break spaghetti up into two inch pieces (ends up being around 3 cups dried)

3. Cook spaghetti in 2 cups chicken broth till al dente

4. Once spaghetti is cooked and drained, mix it with all other ingredients (except additional 1 cup cheddar)

5. Place in casserole pan and top with remaining cheddar

6. Cover and

i. Freeze up to six months

ii. Refrigerate up to 2 days

iii. Bake immediately -->

7. Bake at 350^o for 45 minutes till bubbly

Easy Barbeque Chicken

One of the ladies I grew up knowing through Church (Mrs. Deborah Brown) sent me a recipe for a super easy dinner to make! And not only was it easy, but it was very tasty!:

Ingredients:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (however many you need)
• Barbeque sauce (we used Kraft Spicy Honey, and it was yummy...but you can use whichever you want)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line baking dish with foil, and put chicken in dish.
3. Pour BBQ sauce over to cover, and bake app. one hour, or until chicken is done.
   
4. Eat chicken, toss the foil, and enjoy!

Potatoes may be baked in the same oven, but will need to be put in 30 minutes before the chicken. We baked some potatoes with it, and it made for a delicious meal!