Paleo Chicken Salad with Grapes & Almonds

one serving on a bed of lettuce

Paleo Chicken Salad with Grapes & Almonds
Adapted from Amee’s Savory Dish
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, raw
1 cup seedless grapes
1/2 cup chopped raw slivered almonds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 stalks celery
¼ of sweet onion
1/2 cup Paleo mayo recipe below

Boil water. Add raw chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. In the meantime, cut grapes in half. Add grapes, almonds, sea salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to a large bowl. Add celery and sweet onion to processor. Pulse until very finely chopped. Add to large bowl with grapes and spices. Rinse processor and add now cooked/drained chicken and pulse until lightly shredded. Add to bowl. Now, if mayonnaise isn’t made already, rinse processor and follow recipe below. Add half of the recipe below (1/2 cup total) mayonnaise to large bowl and mix everything together. Serve over fresh greens or wrapped in lettuce.

Nutritional Information per serving: 480 calories, 9 carbs, 37 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: Amazing! We had this for dinner last night and it is just packed with flavor. I rolled mine up in lettuce leaves, and ate some of it 'straight' with a fork. It is a large serving for sure. I was especially happy with this mayo - it looks like real mayo, not a runny, oily mess I have found some of the Paleo mayos give me. This is more than likely going to be a staple on our weekly menus. If you're freaked by the fat grams, know that the vast majority of fat grams (and calories really) comes from the olive oil and almonds. I don't recommend using less mayo - it seemed like just the right amount - now swimming but not dry.

Paleo Mayo
Found on Amee’s Savory Dish
Makes 1 cup

1 large egg, room temperature not cold (very important!)
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (1/2 lemon yields)
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp white pepper (or black pepper if you don’t mind black flecks)
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup extra light olive oil

Combine egg, lemon juice, mustard powder, pepper and salt in food processor and blend until frothy. Using drip hole in the top, drizzle oil in a few drops at a time. DO NOT rush this; drizzle oil down the tube little by little until all is mixed in and mixture is creamy.

Pecan Pesto Shells with Sausage

Pecan Pesto Shells with Sausage
Recipe inspired by Real Simple
Makes 6 Servings

12 oz. dry pasta, small shape
3 cups fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup pecan halves
16 tsp grated Parmesan
4 tbsp olive oil
1 pound Hot Italian Turkey Sausage

Cook pasta according to package instructions, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot. In the meantime, pulse parsley, pecans, parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in food processor. With machine running, add olive oil to the top and process until smooth. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add pesto, sausage, and 1/4 cup of cooking water to pasta. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan as garnish if desired.

Nutritional Information: 511 calories, 48 carbs, 26 fat grams and 24 protein grams.

Review: Such a rich, creamy dish! Very filling between the sausage, nutty sauce and pasta. The original recipe called for regular sausage, but I thought the turkey sausage was great. It is definitely a higher calorie meal for me, but well worth it for a hearty, homemade pesto with our homegrown basil! I will definitely make this again, especially in the fall for a nice, heavy pasta dinner!

Shitake & Sirloin Stroganoff

Shitake & Sirloin Stroganoff
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

6 oz. wide egg noodles
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound sirloin, diced
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
1 cup thinly sliced leek
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp minced garlic
1 5-oz. package presliced shitake mushrooms
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp paprika
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tbsp fresh parsley, diced

Cook noodles according to package instructions (approx. 9 minutes). Drain. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Swirl to coat. Add beef; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook 4 minutes or until all sides are browned. Remove from pan. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add leek, thyme, garlic and mushrooms. Saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle flour and paprika on top and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in remaining 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and sour cream. Stir in beef. Serve over noodles and sprinkle parsley on top.

Nutritional Information: 489 calories, 44 carbs, 15 fat grams and 42 protein grams.

Review: Excellent, hearty recipe! The mushrooms added a lot to this recipe - definitely don't do the white ones. If you want to, sub 'hot paprika' for the paprika - the recipe called for it but I didn't have it - an extra kick would be fine but it was great as was. This was my first time cooking with a leek and it added a lot of flavor, too. I am very happy with this recipe and will definitely make it again. I also liked that it only took 20 minutes from start to finish - always a plus for us!

Slowcooker Pork Ragu

Slowcooker Pork Ragu 
Adapted from Real Simple
Makes 6 Servings

1 cup carrots, diced finely
1 medium onion, diced finely
1 tbsp minced garlic
 2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
kosher salt and black pepper
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
24 oz. (1.5 pounds) boneless pork butt, trimmed and cut in half
12 oz. fettuccine
6 tbsp parmesan

 In a slow cooker, combine carrot, onion, garlic, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add tomatoes (and juices); add pork and turn to coat. Cover and cook until the pork is very tender, on on high for 5. Remove pork, shred it with two forks, and add it back to the slowcooker for 20 minutes. During this 20 minutes, cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain and return to the pot. Toss pasta with ragù and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Nutritional Information: 525 calories, 52 carbs, 20 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: Excellent! Has lots of flavor, probably from the pork shoulder vs. a tenderloin or more lean meat. Loved the tomato taste and it made a nice broth for the noodles. We will definitely have this again – very simple. Make sure to buy the boneless pork butt if you can! (if you can’t, throw it bone-in to the slowcooker and let the meat fall off the bone – don’t waste time cutting it).

Paleo Slowcooker Curry Beef Soup

Paleo Slowcooker Curry Beef Soup
Makes 6 Servings
Recipe found on Everyday Paleo

1 tbsp of Thai red curry paste
2 cans coconut milk (not light!)
1 cup chicken broth
2 pounds cubed stew meat
1 cup baby carrots
½ bag shredded cabbage
16 oz. sweet potatoes, sliced or diced
Optional: red pepper flakes to taste

Mix all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low 8 hours or until sweet potatoes and carrots are soft and stew meat falls apart.

Nutritional Information: 521 calories, 22 carbs, 33 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: Thee difference between full vs. light coconut milk  is amazing - this was SO tasty and brothy - lots of good fat, and lots of protein, too, from the meat. And of course, the sweet potatoes helped beef it up, too. If you're worried about calories being too high, sub in 1 can of light coconut milk. I'm realizing with Paleo that calories just don't matter - it's low-carb, higher-fat and higher-protein which is so hard to get used to. However, recipes like this remind me why - it's so much more satisfying and filling to eat this way, and this is a great recipe that supports this Paleo-style eating!

Slowcooker Chicken Parisienne

Slowcooker Chicken Parisienne
Recipe adapted from Erica’s Kitchen Adventures

Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken
¼ tsp salt and pepper
¼ tsp Paprika
½ cup chardonnay or dry white wine
1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
8-10 oz. mushrooms
1 cup fat free sour cream
¼ cup flour
8 oz. pasta, cooked per package instructions

Add chicken to crockpot, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. In a medium bowl, combine wine, mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup. In a small bowl mix together the sour cream and flour. Add the sour cream mixture into the mushroom mixture and mix well.Pour sauce over chicken and add more salt, pepper and paprika if desired. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Serve over pasta.

Nutritional Information: 472 calories, 62 carbs, 4 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: Loved! I figured I would though - I heart a slowcooker dish, mushrooms and cream of mushroom mix! It reminded me a bit of Bacon Ranch Slowcooker chicken, but more 'mushroomy' and it almost had a marsala influence. It also kind of tasted like the Chicken Tortellini Bake, but less cheesy and more 'pastay.' Either way, this one was great and regardless of its subtle similarities to other dishes I've made, this one is a winner and will be made again. It's also a very budget friendly recipe!

Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma
Recipe Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

Chicken: 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp curry powder, 2 tsp olive oil, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp cumin, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 pound chicken, diced.
Sauce: 1 small container 0% Fage yogurt, 1 ½ tbsp tahini, 2 tsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp minced garlic
Also: cooking spray, 4 pitas, 1 cup lettuce, 8 tomato slices
Options: 1 cup couscous OR 1 large pita

Combine first six ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken to bowl. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. To prepare sauce, combine all ingredients stirring with a whisk. Cook chicken over medium heat in medium pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, 4 minutes on each side until no longer pink.
Pita Option: Place pitas in toaster; cook for 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Place 1 pita on each of 4 plates; top each with ¼ cup lettuce and 2 tomato slices. Top each serving with a quarter of the chicken pieces and sauce. (to make it easier to eat – spread sauce on pita with the back of a spoon, then top with lettuce, tomato and chicken so they “stick” to the pita).
Couscous Option: Cook couscous per package instructions. Divide couscous across 4 plates. Then serve lettuce, tomato, chicken and sauce alongside it.

Nutritional Information (couscous option): 475 calories, 61 carbs, 7 fat grams and 39 protein grams.
Nutritional Information (pita option): 434 calories, 53 carbs, 7 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: I really liked this light recipe. I tried it hot and cold (with the pita) and both were good. I preferred it cold and made it like an Indian Pita Pizza with the sauce as the base so the ingredients would stick – very good! My sauce mix was 200 grams total, so if you weigh it’s 50 grams of sauce on each one. This is a keeper. It was good with couscous as well – but not as filling to me.

A pic of it with the sauce on bottom and "toppings" above it!

Cheesy Chicken Lasagna

Cheesy Chicken Lasagna (next time Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake)
Adapted from a Real Mom Kitchen recipe
Makes 6 servings

2 12-oz. cans evaporated milk
1 (1 oz) package dry ranch dressing mix
24 oz. cubed, cooked, chicken
1/8 tsp pepper
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (next time 7.5 oz. barilla macaroni)
3.5 oz. 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated
75 grams fresh mozzarella cheese, grated

Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing in a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Stir in chicken and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Layer: 4 lasagna noodles, chicken sauce, ½ cup cheese, 4 lasagna noodles, chicken sauce, 4 lasagna noodles, remaining cheese in 9×13 pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Next time, cook pasta per box instructions then mix together all ingredients except for cheese. Wait and add cheese after 30 minutes. Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 488 calories, 38 carbs, 14 fat grams and 47 protein grams.

Review: I really like the filling - the evaporated milk added a lot to this dish - it almost tenderized the chicken and mixed with the ranch it had a great flavor. I will say that I was NOT happy with how the top layer of the lasagna came out - too tough. I made notes above about what i'm going to do next time (make it more of a pasta bake instead of a lasagna so it cooks more evenly. I think this will make a huge difference.

Mediterranean Calzone

outside

inside

Recipe from Food Network Magazine
Mediterranean Calzone
Makes 2 Calzones (2 servings)

4 oz. chicken
1 garlic clove
8 oz. pizza dough
¼ cup low-fat ricotta cheese
¼ cup red onion, chopped
2 artichoke hearts, chopped
1/8 cup roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped
½ small Roma tomato, seeded, cored and diced
1 oz. fat-free feta cheese
2 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. In the meantime, sauté garlic and chicken until no longer pink. Cover a flat surface and divide pizza dough into two sections. Roll each into a circle and place on baking sheet. Mix ricotta cheese and onion together chicken-garlic mixture. To assemble each calzone, layer ricotta mixture, artichoke heart, red pepper and 2 oz. chicken breast on one half of each dough section. Next sprinkle tomato and feta. Leave ¼-inch around perimeter of dough. Fold in half to make a half-moon shape. Pinch sides together with a bit of water to seal. Brush exterior of dough with oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Nutritional Information for EACH calzone (1/2 recipe): 474 calories, 62 carbs, 13 fat grams and 26 protein grams.

Review: We REALLY liked it, but next time I’m going to sprinkle some salt and red pepper flakes in the inside for more flavor, add some onion, and reduce the olive oil (really only needed a ¼ tsp TOTAL). Very good though!

Wasabi Salmon

Wasabi Salmon
Cooking Light recipe

Makes 1 Serving

½ tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
½ tsp wasabi powder
½ tsp bottled minced ginger
½ tsp sesame oil
1 4-oz. skinless salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray

Combine soy sauce, wasabi, ginger and sesame oil in a zip-top plastic bag; add fish. Seal and marinate at room temperature 5 minutes, turning bag occasionally to coat. While fish marinates, heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add fish and marinade; cook 3 minutes. Turn fish over. Reduce heat to medium; cook 8 minutes or until fish is done, turning 1-2 more times. Serve with rice and edamame.

I had it with a 1/2 cup of rice (sauteed in 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/4 tsp minced garlic, 1/4 tsp minced ginger) and 1/2 cup of edamame. Yummy and filling -

Nutritional Information: 517 calories, 45 carbs, 16 fat grams and 39 protein grams

Review: I loved it! Next time I want to just toss it on a bed of romaine with some homemade yogurt sauce or something - FABULOUS. And have more edamame - those little guys are the bomb. So yes, the calories are a bit high but it's a great meal and I love all of the color!

Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Scampi
Adapted from a Cookinglight recipe
Makes 2 Servings

12 oz. shrimp (tail-less, deveined, peeled)
1 lemon
½ tbsp Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese
2 garlic cloves
Basil
Salt, Pepper, Spray Butter
6 oz. Barilla angel hair pasta

Peel garlic cloves and chop into small pieces. Boil water and cook angel hair in a salted pot for 4 minutes. Once the noodles hit the water, drop the chopped garlic into a sprayed pan at medium heat. Cook for 1 minute, then add more spray, squeeze the entire lemon into the pan, sprinkle in basil, spray in butter spray (about 7 sprays) and drop in shrimp. Turn down the heat to 3 and cover it for for two minutes (it’s already cooked, you’re just heating it. Don’t overcook – it tastes rubbery!). Remove cover, flip over each shrimp and cover again for two minutes. Drain noodles and put in two bowls. Spoon shrimp/sauce over noodles and eat! (here's where we add salt, pepper and parmesan per preference).

Nutritional Information: 486 calories, 4 fat grams, 65 carbohydrates and 47 grams of protein per serving. Serves 2.

Review: This is a family favorite - we're pretty much obsessed with it. You can EASILY cut the calories by dropping the total ounces of pasta to 5 rather than 6 - great flavor, great recipe. Add red pepper flakes if you want a bit more spice!

Ultimate Sausage Cheese Pizza

Ultimate Sausage Cheese Pizza
Adapted from Lifetime’s Cook Yourself Thin
Makes 1 personal pizza

4 ounces Trader Joe’s pizza dough
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ cup low-calorie spaghettis sauce
1 link precooked Italian style chicken sausage, diced
2 pieces jarred roasted red pepper, diced
1 tsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
½ cup mushrooms, diced
30 g fat-free mozzarella cheese
15 g fat-free feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set two medium sized saucepans over medium heat, spray with olive oil cooking spray. For one pan, heat oil, add garlic and cook for one minute. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. For the other pan, place sausage and bell pepper in pan. Cook 7 to 8 minutes until sausage is browned. Spray a pan with olive oil cooking spray, set dough in the center, and use your hands to stretch the dough into an 8” circle. Spread dough with sauce, layer on cheese, sausage/pepper mix, mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until edges are crisp and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let pizza sit 2 to 3 minutes before eating.

Nutritional Information: 507 calories, 62 carbs, 14 fat grams and 31 protein grams. This is a little high for me, so I may only do ½ of a sausage link to take off 50 calories next time!

Review: We LOVED it – very filling and yummy. The crust was crispy, the mushrooms and sausage mixed well. I also liked how the olive oil blended in. Yum!

Tomato Pesto Pizza

Recipe found on Favorite Family Recipes
Tomato Pesto Pizza
Makes 1 personal pizza

4 oz. Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough
½ tsp dried basil
½ tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
25 grams Trader Joe’s pesto
30 grams Trader Joe’s Fresh Mozzarella
6 Cherry tomatoes, sliced
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Spread out dough. Spread pesto on dough, and top with mozzarella. Add tomatoes, parmesan and basil. Sprinkle with salt if you would like. Bake for 12-14 minutes until cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information: 488 calories, 55 carbs, 22 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: It was SO good – almost tasted like flat bread since I made them super thin! Love, love loved it – will be making again. Next time I hope to have a large tomato so I can do big slices!!

Pesto Pasta with Chicken & Mushrooms

Pesto Pasta with Chicken & Mushrooms

Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. chicken
10 oz mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
8 oz. barilla spaghetti
100 grams (1/2 cup) Trader Joe’s Pesto Sauce
4 tsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
8 basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Set a pot of water to boil and set two pans over medium heat. For the smaller pan, spray with fat-free olive oil cooking spray and add chicken to pan. Sprinkle salt on chicken and cook until brown. For the larger pan, spray with cooking spray and add olive oil. Once hot, add mushrooms and saute for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. While mushrooms are cooking, cook noodles per instructions (9 minutes for spaghetti). Once noodles are cooked, drain and add to larger pan. Add pesto, mushrooms, and chicken to larger pan then mix thoroughly. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Top with Parmesan cheese and basil. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information: 487 calories, 45 carbs, 18 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: An easy staple! Very flavorful with the pesto + fresh basil, and filling with the chicken + mushrooms. This is easy too and cooks quick. And it has a bit of oil to it so it tastes much more sinful then it is!

Garlic Ranch Chicken Pizza

Recipe by Favorite Family Recipes
Garlic Ranch Chicken Pizza
Makes 1 Personal Pizza

4 oz. Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough
2 tbsp fat-free ranch dressing
1 tsp minced garlic
28 grams Trader Joe’s Mozzarella cheese
2 slices butterball turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
1.5 oz. chicken, cut into bite size pieces (rub with ¼ tsp olive oil and sprinkle with Montreal Chicken Seasoning on both sides; pan fry until chicken is cooked through)
3 slices tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely diced

Mix ranch dressing and garlic together. Spread evenly on pizza dough. Add chicken and bacon. Sprinkle cheese over that, then add tomatoes. Put in the oven at 425 degrees for about 12-15 minutes or until crust is a nice golden-brown. Top with parsley.

Nutritional Information: 492 calories, 62 carbs, 12 fat grams and 26 protein grams.

Review: It was so good you guys! So FILLING! I could only eat ¾ of it, so Austin ate the other quarter. Good stuff, added to my fave recipes for sure! I liked the "white" sauce and found that I didn't miss the red sauce as much as I thought. Great, solid non-traditional pizza recipe!

Chicken Sausage Farfalle

Chicken Sausage Farfalle

For the Love of Cooking Recipe
Makes 2 Servings

2 tsp olive oil
4 tbsp yellow onions, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 garlic and herb chicken sausages, chopped into ½” pieces
2 tbsp yellow baby bell peppers, diced
2 tbsp red bell peppers, diced
10 grape tomatoes, cut in half
Handful of baby spinach leaves (about 20)
5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1.5 oz. fat-free feta cheese
4 oz. farfalle, cooked per instructions

Salt and pepper to taste

Spray large, deep pan with olive oil flavored cooking spray, and set a pot of water to boil. Drop in ½ teaspoon of olive oil in pan over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Season with salt and set aside on a plate. Add ½ teaspoon of olive oil to the same skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add mushrooms. Stir for 3-4 minutes, then season with salt and add minced garlic, stirring constantly for 60 seconds. Set aside on same plate as onions. Add dry pasta to boiling water for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. While pasta cooks, add sausage to skillet over medium heat and cook until brown, about 6-7 minutes then add mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, bell peppers and spinach to pan. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over mixture. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes are soft and spinach is slightly wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Drain pasta and add to skillet along with basil and feta cheese. Stir, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well for 1-2 minutes then serve.

Nutritional Information: 495 calories, 54 carbs and 17 fat grams.

Review: We LOVED it – so light! We even think it would taste good cold as a pasta salad. This will definitely be one we take for lunch and we think it will become a family favorite!

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala
Makes 2 Servings

.1.5 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
½ tsp Lemon Pepper
2 boneless thinly sliced chicken breasts (8 oz.)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup sliced Baby Bella mushrooms
½ tsp Oregano Leaves
4 tbsp marsala or slightly sweet white wine
½ tbsp lemon juice
½ tbsp Parsley Flakes
5 oz. barilla angel hair
Spray butter

Set a pot of water to boil and measure out noodles. Mix flour, salt and lemon pepper in a small bowl. Spread on to a large plate. Lightly coat both sides of chicken with mixture. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and add noodles to pot. Cook noodles for 6 minutes and drain. Cook chicken about 5 minutes, turning once, or until lightly colored. Remove chicken from skillet to a warm plate (I mircowaved a plate for two minutes, put chicken on it and covered it with foil). Add mushrooms and oregano to skillet; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in wine and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Add Parsley Flakes and remove from heat. Put noodles on plate, lay chicken over it, and spoon sauce over it.

Nutritional Information: 488 calories, 63 carbs and 9 fat grams, but like most of my meals you can easily take down the pasta and add mushrooms to bring those calories and carbs down!

Review: Great, solid recipe! Easy to do and I love the addition of flour - it really made it seemed deep fried rather than stir fried!

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Cheesy Stuffed Shells
Adapted from an Eat Well America recipe
Makes 4 Servings

20 jumbo pasta shells
8 ounces lean beef
½ box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
4 oz. shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp minced garlic
Kosher salt and pepper; cooking spray
2 cups spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Prepare shells. Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 8 minutes; drain. Brown meat. Mix meat, spinach, ricotta, parmesan, 1/3 of mozzarella, egg and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mist a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of sauce in dish. Stuff cheese mixture into shells and place in baking dish, open side up. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes.

Nutritional information for 5 shells (1/4 of recipe): 477 calories, 55 carbs, 11 fat grams and 34 protein grams.

Review: It was REALLY good, we’re definite fans!! Even though it had similar ingredients to the Manicotti, we liked this one better! And I thought it was easier to prepare (spooning into a shell vs. stuffing in a tube.) Anywho – fabulous stuff!

Black Bean Chicken Tacos

Black Bean Chicken Tacos

Makes 2 servings

6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Mission large tortilla shells
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/8 cup water
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 oz. Cabot 75% reduced cheddar cheese, grated and divided
2 tsp taco sauce
4 tbsp salsa
Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set mediums-sized pan on medium; spray with PAM. Defrost chicken. While defrosting, drain and rinse beans, divide into two 1/2 cup portions of beans, two 30-gram portions of cheese, and get out enchilada sauce and salsa. Place tortillas on pan and put in oven for 4 minutes. Cut chicken into strips and add to pan. Sprinkle on cumin and chili powder (it’s a lot!) and stir. Add water and salt to pan. Stir and cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Once chicken is done, spoon into small chopper/food processer. Grind to make shredded chicken. Remove tortillas from oven. Spoon chicken onto tortillas, add enchilada sauce, then beans, then salsa, then cheese. Serve! Notes: We put salsa on the side, but decided next time we’d put salsa on between beans and cheese. We also added a bit of salt to each taco after the bean layer – I’m glad we did!

Nutritional Information: 474 calories, 61 carbs, 9 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: Filling, yummy and flavorful! Note that it's not super hot - it's more of a cold taco (yes, you could heat it up but it tastes good almost like a taco salad!)

Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Makes 4 Servings

1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 Anaheim chile, diced
1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
16 oz. 96/4 ground beef
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the diced onion, chile and jalapeno. Sauté for 3 minutes; add the ground beef and all the seasonings. Cook until beef is done making sure to break it up into crumbles. I added a little water during cooking.

Other ingredients:

12 small corn tortillas

1 can of spicy chili beans

1 cup enchilada sauce

60 grams fat-free cheese

4 tbsp Sour cream

Green onions, diced

Place tortillas in wet paper towels and microwave for 60 seconds or until soft and pliable. Coat a square baking dish with cooking spray then pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan coating evenly. Place a spoonful of undrained beans on the tortilla followed by a large spoonful of the beef mixture. Roll and place seam side down on the baking dish Continue until baking dish is full. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over each enchilada then top with shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the tin foil and continue to bake for 2 additional minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving. Top the enchiladas with sour cream and green onions. Enjoy.

Nutritional Information for 3 enchiladas/1 serving: 477 calories, 21 carbs, 8 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: Fabulous! Even with the fat free cheese and stuff it tasted restaurant style which is AMAZING. So flavorful and fabulous!! And…. This is my first time cooking with ground beef! It was so easy and Austin was so excited to have “red meat” back in the hizzy.