Honey Lime Chicken

We love grilling out, but we were both too lazy to pull the grill out from winter so we decided to grill this on the George instead.  The chicken tasted great without being overly limey. This is a great recipe to put together the night before and have an easy meal.  I also made Roasted Parmesan Potatoes (delicious!) I included that recipe as well.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes), plus the zest of both limes

2 Tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 pounds of chicken (I used boneless skinless breasts)

Directions:

In a large zip top plastic bag combine all of the ingredients except the chicken. Seal bag completely and mix well. Add chicken to bag, turn to coat and reseal. Place in refrigerator overnight.

Heat grill (either outdoor grill, or indoor grill pan) to medium high. Grill chicken for approximately 6-7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. If you're using fairly thin chicken breasts, cut time down.

Roasted Parmesan Potatoes

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 Russet potato

butter

seasoning salt

grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Wash and pierce the potato all over with a fork. Cook in the microwave until the potato is soft all the way through – about 6-7 minutes total, flipping halfway through.

Cut the potato in half, then cut each half into squares. Don’t cut all the way through, just down to the skin.

Season with butter, parmesan cheese and seasoning salt, then place on a baking sheet under the broiler for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Coconut Chicken with Apricot Sauce

I’m always looking for ways to make chicken taste great. We love chicken at our house and eat it a couple times a week. I am unsure on the nutritional value of this recipe but I found it on Pinterest and gave it a try today. It turned out great, restaurant worthy. I thought it sounded funny mixing mustard with apricots but it’s a really wonderful sauce. It’s quick, easy, and yummy!

Serving: 4

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl; set aside.  Mix the coconut, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.  Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip the chicken in the bowl with the beaten egg and then coat with the coconut mixture.  Place on the baking sheet.  Once all chicken breasts are coated and on the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with the melted butter.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping once halfway.

To prepare the apricot sauce, mix the apricot preserves and the Dijon mustard in a small bowl.  Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Pretzel Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken Strips & Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower

Chicken strips are one of those foods that everyone seems to love. Add to the ‘mix‘ a sweet and salty marinade and a crispy pretzel crust and your guaranteed to have a crowd pleaser. These chicken strips only take about 10 minutes to prep and about 15 minutes to bake, which makes for a meal that is both quick and delicious! I also included my side dish recipe which I made the night before and reheated for lunch. Great substitute for plain ‘ole mashed potatoes. They are made using primarily cauliflower with a little potato.

Serving: 4 (about 3-4 chicken strips each serving)

Calories: 225 per serving

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 7 per serving

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken, cut into strips

3 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp mustard

1 cup pretzels, finely crushed

1/8 tsp salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Mix together honey and mustard in one small bowl. Mix together crushed pretzels and seasonings, and place in another small bowl. Place chicken in honey mustard mixture…followed by the pretzel mixture. Toss chicken to be sure it’s evenly coated. Lay chicken strips on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, then bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with honey or mustard (or a mix of the two) as a dipping sauce if desired.

Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets, trimmed of as much of the stems as possible

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes

1/4 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon each, salt and pepper

Fill a large pot with about an inch and a half of water. Fit with a steamer basket and place the cauliflower and potatoes inside. Cover and steam until very tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain well and return the cooked vegetables to the empty pot on the stovetop with the heat turned off. Allow them to stand for about 3 minutes to dry. Add sour cream, parmesan, salt, and pepper, and mash until smooth and well combined. Serve with freshly minced chives. Serves 4 l 3 points+ per serving

Petite Lasagnas

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert can all be popped, hot, from the twelve - cup tin. I found a great recipe that helps use up my stack of wonton wrappers.

Servings: 12 l Serving Size: 1 lasagna l Points Plus: 5 l Calories: 181.2l

Total Fat: 7.9g l Cholesterol: 41.9mg l Sodium: 389.5mg l  Total Carbs 13.6g  

Fiber: 1 g l Sugars: 1.6g l Protein 14.1g

Ingredients:

12 oz raw ground turkey

¼ tsp salt, divided

¼ tsp pepper

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped mushrooms

14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tsp dried oregano, divided

½ tsp dried basil

1 ½ cups part skim ricotta cheese

24 small square wonton wrappers

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, onions, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Crumble the meat and saute the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.

Add the crushed tomatoes and 2 tsp of oregano. Bring the pan to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, the remaining teaspoon of oregano, and the basil. Stir to mix well. Set aside.

Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 wonton wrapper into each of the 12 cups, pressing firmly in the bottom of the cup and up the sides.

Using half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups. Next, using half of the turkey tomato sauce, spoon it evenly over each of the ricotta filled cups. Sprinkle with 2 tsp of mozzarella.

Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the mozzarella layer.

Repeat the process by distributing the remaining ricotta, then the remaining tomato sauce, and finally the rest of the shredded mozzarella.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Let the cups cool, remove them from the pan, and serve!

Chicken Foot Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I found this recipe in Paula Deen’s Quick & Easy Meals Magazine. I loved the taste of the pumpernickel bread and the chicken salad together. I made this the night before and had it for a quick lunch today. Would be great for an appetizer as well. I’m not sure on the nutritional value of this recipe.  I also used light sour cream and light mayo.

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

½ cup slivered almonds

½ cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

12 slices homestyle white bread

12 slices pumpernickel rye bread

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine chicken, almonds, sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, honey, salt, and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Spread chicken mixture evenly on slices of white bread. Top each with 1 slice pumpernickel rye bread. Trim crusts, and cut each into 4 fingers. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.