Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado and Feta Cheese

Recipe from here

SALAD:
8 cups chopped spinach (1 bag)
1 cup halved cherry or pear tomatoes
1/2 cup corn (frozen, canned, or cut off the cob)
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large avocado, sliced
1/3 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

DRESSING:
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place spinach in a large salad bowl. add remaining salad ingredients.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss (a little at a time... as much dressing as you desire).

Meatballs a la Pizzaiola

Recipe from Giada DeLaurentis.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup (5 to 6) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
• 1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck (80% lean) and 1 pound ground pork (I used 2 lbs of beef and no pork) 
• Olive oil, for frying
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Marinara sauce, warmed, for serving

• Directions

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Dice the smoked mozzarella into 1/2-inch cubes. Set aside.

  In a food processor, pulse the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until blended. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the beef and, using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until combined. Form into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs. Insert 1 cube smoked mozzarella into the center of each meatball and form the meat around it, enclosing the cheese.

  In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour equal parts olive oil and vegetable oil to fill the pan halfway. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 350 degrees F. In batches, fry the meatballs until dark brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

  Place the fried meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet. Put in the oven and bake until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. 
  Cool slightly, then serve immediately with pasta and marinara sauce; or serve with toothpicks and a bowl of marinara for an appetizer. 

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Recipe from Six Sisters Blog

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion (I omitted)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (could also use olive oil or canola oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional - doesn't really add heat, just adds more flavor)
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds (I didn't have any on hand, but will definitely add next time!)

Directions: 
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.
*You can also sprinkle more red pepper flakes on top if you want more heat.

Lemon Orzo & Chicken

Recipe from here.

Ingredients

• The juice of one lemon
• 1 large chicken breast, butterflied
• 1 ½ cup uncooked orzo
• ½ cup low-fat sour cream
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Zest of one half lemon
• ½ pint grape tomatoes cut in half
• 5 basil leaves

Directions

1. In a small bowl, squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Let it sit for about twenty minutes. Heat a grill to medium high-heat (or a grill pan)
2. Cook chicken until just done (about 3 minutes each side) remove from grill to a plate, cover with foil and set aside.
3. Bring a pan of water to a boil and cook Orzo according to package directions.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, mix together sour cream, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil salt and lemon zest.
5. When the Orzo is cooked, drain and put in a large bowl – add the sour cream mixture, tomatoes and basil.
6. Cut the chicken breasts into strips and place on top of the orzo!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup frozen organic blueberries (do not thaw)

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12 regular size muffin cups with cooking spray, or place paper baking cups in each muffin cup. In small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

In large bowl, beat milk, oil, honey, and egg with spoon. Stir in flours, baking powder, and salt just until flours are moistened (batter will be lumpy). Gently fold in blueberries.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Bake about 18-20 minutes. Immediately remove from pan.

Banana Crumb Muffins

If you enjoy warm homemade banana muffins as much as myself, you need to make these ASAP! Heavenly.

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 
  
• Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Baked Chicken Fajitas

I looooove fajitas, and decided to try baking them after seeing this recipe on pinterest. It was so quick, easy, and delicious!

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (drain the juice out)

1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced

2 T vegetable oil

2 t. chili powder

2 t. cumin

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. dried oregano

salt & pepper

12 flour tortillas, warmed to serve

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13×9 baking dish. Mix together chicken, tomatoes, chilies, and peppers in the dish.

In a small bowl combine the oil and spices. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve with warmed tortillas, sour cream, and shredded cheddar and enjoy!!

Skinny Green Smoothie

I've been trying a few variations of green smoothies. This one from skinnytaste definitely has more of a milkshake taste to it. It was pretty good, however I think I like this one a little bit better.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe Banana, peeled
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 tbsp All Natural Peanut Butter
• 3/4 cup Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

Directions:

Place all the ingredients into the blender, add ice (optional) and blend until smooth.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This was the first time I attempted homemade broccoli cheddar soup....it was delish!

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp butter, divided
• 1 cup carrot, chopped or shredded
• 4 cups small broccoli florets
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ tsp onion salt (I omitted, didn't have this)
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk (any kind, I used Organic 1%)
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (do not use pre-shredded)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the carrots to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, onion salt and garlic powder. Bring the mixture to a boil, add the broccoli, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the remaining butter. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden brown, whisking constantly. Whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes. Once the mixture has thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the cheese until completely melted. Slowly pour the cheese sauce into the soup pot and stir to combine the mixtures. Allow to simmer until warmed through and broccoli is tender. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. If desired, puree the soup with an immersion blender for a smoother texture. I garnished with croutons.

Spicy Cashew Chicken

I am always trying out different stir-fry recipes, but I think I have found my go-to recipe! This looked so pretty, was super delicious, and very healthy!

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 tbs toasted sesame oil
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, sliced into thin strips
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 medium red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 medium yellow pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 cups broccoli florets, cut to about 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick pieces
• 1/2 cup unsalted cashews, crush into small pieces
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Preparation:

Stir fries are all about quick cooking. Make sure all of your ingredients are diced, minced, measured, and on standby for things to go smoothly.

Mix the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a small bowl.

Heat 1 tbs of the oil mix in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and let sit in a bowl.

In same wok or skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining oil, and when hot, add garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add pepper slices and broccoli and continue to cook until vegetables are tender yet maintain some crunch, about 5 minutes. Keep everyone moving around the wok by stirring constantly. Add cashews and cook 1 minute more. Throw chicken back into the party and stir.

While everyone is cooking in the wok, whisk together soy sauce, water, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. When everything is cooked through, add to the wok and mix well. Sauce will thicken quickly.

Serve right away with some whole grain rice.

Green Smoothie

I've been bookmarking a few green smoothies I have been wanting to try lately. Here's the first one I tried and it's pretty delicious! This has been my favorite so far!

Recipe from here.

• 1-2 bananas
• 1/2 cup frozen peaches
• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• a couple handfuls of spinach
• water
• ice (if desired)

Add enough water to blend and enjoy, that’s it!

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana

Recipe from here.

• 6 thin chicken cutlets
• 1/2 cup whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 6 tablespoons egg beaters
• 5 oz frozen spinach, squeezed dry of any liquid
• 6 tbsp part skim ricotta cheese
• 6 oz part skim mozzarella
• olive oil non-stick spray
• 1 cup your favorite marinara sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Wash and dry cutlets, season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Combine breadcrumbs and 2 tbsp grated cheese in one bowl and 1/4 cup egg beaters in another.

Shred or finely chop 1.5 oz of mozzarella cheese and combine with remaining grated cheese, spinach (make sure you squeeze it dry), 2 tbsp egg beaters, and ricotta cheese.

Lay chicken cutlets down on a working surface and spread 2 tbsp of spinach-cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one and keep seam side down.

Dip chicken in egg mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down in a baking dish (no toothpicks needed). Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spray with olive oil.

Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven, top with sauce then cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 3 more minutes. Serve with additional sauce on the side and grated cheese.