Paleo Buffalo Chicken Dip

Paleo Buffalo Chicken Dip
Recipe adapted from Katie Did
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp mustard
½ cup lite olive oil
¼ cup hot sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover chicken breasts in water and bring to boil for 3-4 minutes until white; cook through. Drain and allow to cool. Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend together egg yolk, lemon juice, garlic and mustard. Slowly stream in olive oil until thick mayonnaise is made. Add hot sauce and chicken. Pulse until blended and chicken is shredded. Pour into small casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with celery.

Nutritional Information: 389 calories, 1 carb, 30 fat grams and 27 protein grams.

Review: WOW. This tastes amazing. I’ve eaten it straight, as well as over lettuce as a Buffalo Chicken Salad. The dip is great with celery, and you can just make it 8 servings for 8 snacks. We’ve already made this twice and it’s easy to double for more meals or snacks!

As a salad!

Southwest Chicken Wontons

Southwest Chicken Wontons
Recipe inspired by Picky palate
Makes 4 Servings

1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup white onions, finely diced
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1 12 oz. can chunk chicken, drained
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro, finely diced
¼ cup salsa (green or red)
2 tbsp light ranch dressing
32 wonton wrappers (half of pack)
1 egg white whisked with 2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and bell pepper for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic for 1 minute and remove from heat. In a large bowl (or food processor), add onion mixture, chicken, cilantro, salsa and ranch. Mix (or process) until well combined . Lay out all 32 wonton wrappers on wax paper. Place 1 tablespoon chicken mixture in center of each wrapper. Dig fingers in egg white wash, fold over filling and press edges together firmly, forming a triangle. Repeat with remaining wontons. Lay each on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Brush tops with remaining egg white wash. Bake for 10 minutes, flip each over (brush with egg white wash again), then bake for 5 – 10 minutes or until crispy. Serve with salsa or ranch if desired.

Nutritional information (for 8 wontons not including dips): 311 calories, 37 carbs, 7 fat grams and 24 protein grams. To freeze, prepare as stated above (even cook them). Place wontons in freezer bag and freeze. To prepare after freezing, bake from frozen at 350 for 15 minutes.

Review: Um, YUM. I’m a huge fan of wontons of course, so these didn’t disappoint. I used my processor to mix the whole filling into a spoonable dip, and then spooned it on to each one, dipping into a tbsp of ranch. Fabulous! We each had 8 for the serving, then froze the last 16 to test the freezing. It froze wonderfully and tasted just as good as the first time. I’ll be making these again! Love that all 8 make a little meal, but you could also serve as an appetizer of course!

Before folding!

Italian Wonton Bites

Italian Wonton Bites
Makes 12 Appetizers

12 wonton wrappers
24 turkey pepperonis
12 tbsp reduced fat spaghetti sauce (3/4 cup)
56 grams reduced fat mozzarella cheese (for inside cups)
28 grams reduced fat mozzarella cheese (for on top of cups)
4 tsp fresh, shredded parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, diced, as garnish
Red pepper flakes to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray nonstick spray into muffin tins. Add one wonton wrap to each muffin cup and add 14 grams of cheese for each 3 cups/serving. Bake for 8 minutes – checking frequently to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from oven, add 1 tbsp sauce and 2 pepperonis to each cup. Top with final ounce of cheese across each cup, 1 tsp of parmesan across each set of 3 cups and sprinkle each with basil.

Nutritional Information (per cup): 55 calories, 9 carbs, 2 fat grams and 4 protein grams.

Review: Yummy! These were saucy, so they were a tad messy! I'd suggest using less sauce to make them a little bit easier to manage, or doubling up the wontons so they can hold it better. Other than this, I'd make them exactly the same - great little bites, fun appetizer and flavorful. Good bites - LOVING making recipes with wontons!

BBQ Chicken Pizza Cups

BBQ Chicken Pizza Cups
Makes 4 Servings or 12 appetizers
Recipe Inspired by For the Love of Cooking

Cooking spray
1 tube of refrigerator biscuits
2 oz. 75% reduced fat Cabot cheese, grated
2 oz. reduced fat mozzarella cheese, grated
6 oz. cooked chicken
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
¼ cup red onion, finely diced
¼ cup parsley, finely diced

Preheat the oven to 375. Coat a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray. Cut each biscuit in half then press dough into the bottom and sides of each muffin tin. Repeat with remaining dough. Shred chicken. Add 2 tbsp BBQ sauce to chicken and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Add 2 more tbsp of BBQ sauce and microwave for 15 seconds. Stir. Spoon 2 tbsp BBQ chicken onto each biscuit. Microwave remaining 4 tbsp BBQ sauce for 20 seconds. While it cooks, mix together cheeses, and top each BBQ chicken biscuit with 10 grams cheese and 1 tsp red onion. Spoon a dollop of BB sauce on top of each. Bake for 10 minutes; remove from onion, sprinkle on parsley, then bake for remaining 5 minutes or until the crust is brown. Let sit for 5 minutes to cool down, then use spoon around edges to ensure each biscuit stays in tact.

Nutritional Information (for 3): 448 calories, 49 carbs, 16 fat grams and 25 protein grams. For 1 (appetizer): 149 calories, 16 carbs, 5 fat grams and 8 protein grams.

Review: LOVED THESE LITTLE GUYS! I had 3 for a meal and was filled up and happy - the flavor was great, the fresh parsley gave it a nice twist and I really liked that BBQ chicken flavor, especially with the blend of cheeses. Awesome little bites - think they would make a great appetizer and tested them - they reheat well. I'm loving the biscuit cup idea I got from Pam, and hope to try more mix ins to the biscuit bites! Try these if you're a fan of BBQ pizza.

Buffalo Chicken Wontons

Buffalo Chicken Wontons
Makes 28 appetizers

12 oz. raw chicken
4 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Wings Sauce
60 oz. Cabot 50% reduced fat jalapeno cheese (if you can't find this subbing for regular reduced fat cheese should be fine but this adds an extra kick!!)
4 tbsp Fat-Free Ranch Dressing (Hidden Valley)
2 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
28 Wonton wrappers (Nasoya)

Boil water. Once rolling, add chicken and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. In the meantime, add hot sauce, cheese, ranch and parmesan to a bowl. Stir together. Remove chicken from water; drain any excess water on chicken until mostly dry. Add chicken to bowl and, with two forks, shred chicken finely while blending into sauce. Stir well. Refrigerate for 2 hours until mixture is thick. When ready to prepare, heat oven to 375. Lay out sheets of wax paper, and spread wontons across the surface until all are out. Using your hands, add clumps (about 2 tbsp) of chicken mixture onto each until all have the same amount. Roll each up (to roll, turn into diamond shape with point facing you; fold point over to other point, tucking in mixture; tuck sides in and flip over). Use small bowl of water to seal each with your fingers/water. Lay all on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Once all are on tray, spray tops with cooking spray. Cook for 18- 20 minutes until crispy.

Nutritional Information: Whole recipe – 1,332 calories, 153 carbs, 19 fat grams and 122 protein grams. 7 wontons each (for 4 people to split) – 334 calories, 38 carbs, 5 fat grams and 31 protein grams. Each single wonton – 47 calories, 5 carbs, <1 fat gram and 4 protein grams.

Review: LOVED. These were great, came together pretty quickly and went FAST. The boys loved them, and us girls had a couple, too, and they’re great. I told the boys they were low-fat/fat-free and they laughed. I don’t think they quite believed me. Oh well. These were great baked, still had a ton of flavor with the hot sauce/ranch and didn’t require dipping since the ranch was inside (still could have served with dip/fat-free dressing if you wanted to). I will absolutely be making these again – great bite-size poppers. Just note: they are SUPER hot out of the oven and need about 5 minutes to cool down. And yes, I will get a picture of the inside next time - sorry!

Black Bean Fiesta Burgers

Black Bean Fiesta Burgers
Makes 4 large burgers or 12 mini burgers for sliders

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed and given time to dry
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1 egg
Taco seasoning packet
¼ cup salsa
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
(Sliders: 6 tbsp fat-free sour cream, divided; 12 small potato rolls)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Strain mixture. Then stir into mashed beans. In a small bowl, stir together egg, taco seasoning, salsa and hot sauce. Stir egg mixture into mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide into 8 small patties. Place patties on baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes on each side.

Nutritional Information: one large pattie - 205 calories, 38 carbs, 2 fat grams and 9 protein grams; one mini pattie – 66 calories, 12 carbs, <1 fat gram and 3 protein grams. For sliders, adding potato buns and sour cream, each: 161 calories, 30 carbs, 2 fat grams and 7 protein grams. I had two mini patties on two potato rolls which each had ½ tbsp fat-free sour cream. This comes out to: 322 calories, 60 carbs, 4 fat grams and 14 protein grams.

Review: Loved them! They tasted kind of like Amy’s breakfast burritos – so much so that Austin suggested we take the big pattie and use it to fill a medium-size tortilla for breakfast burritos! Great flavor, love the fiesta flavor, and truly think that you could take the breadcrumbs down if you want to reduce the calories a bit – up to you. I’m a huge fan and love that it was so filling, but yet had no meat. New favorite for us – so glad we tried it! We even reheated them for breakfast and I found two to be a great, filling breakfast - fabulous!

Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls

Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls
Makes 4 Servings
Adapted from Sweet & Savory

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
6 tbsp Frank's Cayenne pepper sauce
3 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
12 pasta wraps (egg roll wrappers)
8 tbsp fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 packet ranch seasoning

Preheat oven to 400. Combine shredded chicken, Frank's and parmesan cheese. Stir well. Combine softened cream cheese with ranch seasoning. Stir well. Lay out wax paper and place 12 pasta wrappers on top. Top each with about a 1/4 cup chicken mixture and a little less than 1 tbsp of cream cheese mixture. Roll up, sealing with water. Cook for 10 minutes, flip, then cook for 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information (per serving/3 wraps): 436 calories, 2 fat grams 56 carbs and 36 protein grams.

Review: Awesome. I loved that you got three wraps for one serving - lots of bang for your calorie count. The cream cheese/ranch mix added a great kick, and the buffalo chicken really was awesome - that parm/frank's paste gives it a  lot of flavor, which helped balance the plain, crunchy shell. These are winners - Austin is a HUGE fan. I haven't tried reheating yet, but plan to microwave for 30 second on medium, then "toast" on the George Foreman, so these will be best for dinner meals, rather than lunch (unless you're home for lunch - lucky!). OR just have the chicken mixture and cream cheese mixture ready/mixed, but don't wrap in roll/bake until you're ready to eat.

Pepperoni Pizza Cups

Pepperoni Pizza Cups
Recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Makes 12 appetizers or snacks

Cooking spray
1 tube of refrigerator biscuits
1 ½ cups low-calorie spaghetti sauce
4 oz. 50% reduced fat Cabot cheese, shredded
24 turkey pepperoni slices
30 grams Parmesan Cheese, shredded
dried oregano
dried red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 375. Coat a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray. Cut each biscuit in half then press dough into the bottom and sides of each muffin tin. Repeat with remaining dough. Spoon 2 tbsp sauce into each cup. Top each with 2 slices of pepperoni, 10 grams cheddar cheese, 3 grams Parmesan cheese, and oregano and red pepper flakes. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is brown.

Nutritional Information (per cup): 140 calories, 15 carbs, 7 fat grams and 5 protein grams.

Review: Perfection in a cup! I love the biscuit bites and know these will become a standard, fabulous little snack, much like the big pigs in a blanket. You could toss anything in here, but I loved the simple pepperoni, cheese and sauce mix. They were also SO easy - it took me about 5 minutes to assemble - the same time it took the oven to preheat. They tasted well reheated, too. Can't wait to make these again!

pan of yumminess

Bacon-Balsamic Deviled Eggs

Bacon-Balsamic Deviled Eggs
Recipe adapted from My Bizzy Kitchen and Recipe Girl
Makes 24 appetizers

12 large eggs
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped finely
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tbsp red onion, finely grated
1 tsp granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, freshly ground

Carefully put eggs in a pot and cover with tap water until eggs are submerged with an inch of water over them. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, set a timer for 10 minutes. While boiling, prepare a bowl of ice water. When the timer goes off, remove pot from heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer one egg at a time to the cold water. Leave them alone for 7 - 8 minutes as they come back to room temperature. Once cooled, dry them and put them in a bowl in the fridge, or peel under cold water and eat. Halve length-wise. Place the cooked yolk in a medium bowl and place the white halves on a serving platter (cut-side up). Mash yolks with a fork. Add bacon, mayonnaise, onion, sugar, vinegar, celery salt and pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined. Use a piping bag with a star-shaped tip to fill egg white halves. Refrigerate, lightly covered, until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information (each appetizer): 43 calories, 1 carb, 3 fat grams and 3 protein grams. (could have 2 for a under-100 calorie snack!).

Review: Okay, so my first time making deviled eggs and my first time eating them. WOW. Where have I been? Loved the addition of bacon and the balsamic and grated onion really added a fun kick! Austin, a seasoned deviled egg eater really liked them, too. I also got to use my new cake decorator pump/piping tool - fun. I can't wait to make these again and can't get over how yummy it was. I even used the leftover on some crackers - WOW. If you like deviled eggs or want to try a new recipe - i'd suggest this one!

Simple Hummus

Simple Hummus

Makes 8 100-calorie servings OR

16 50-calorie servings

1 can garbanzo beans, do not drain
3 tbsp tahini
Juice from 1 Lemon
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1/8 tsp paprika
1 tsp fresh parsley, diced

Add garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt, garlic and ½ tbsp olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

Nutritional Information: 98 calories, 5 fat grams, 10 carbs and 3 protein grams.

Review: I was really happy with it! A lot of the recipes I found said to drain the beans - so I drained most of the liquid and rinsed. However, this hummus wasn't as smooth as I wanted it so I edited above and suggested to not drain/rinse at ALL. I think this will make a significant difference. Again, still loved, still ate it because of the flavor, but I heart a creamy texture. I tried this with pita crisps, as well as spread on a flat out wrap with feta cheese and lettuce - wonderful snack.

Fiesta Sliders

Fiesta Sliders
Makes 12 mini burgers
Recipe adapted from Lauren’s Kitchen

1 pound 96/4 ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
½ cup salsa
¼ cup breadcrumbs, plain
¼ cup onion
12 tbsp fat-free sour cream
12 slider rolls I like Martin's potato rolls (90 calories each)
Optional topping: 24 tsp salsa I don't think you need it!

inside

Preheat oven to 375. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Combine meat, taco seasoning, salsa and onions. Mix with a fork. Add breadcrumbs. Form into 12 mini burger patties and cook for 8 minutes on each side, or until done. Meanwhile, smear 1/2 tbsp sour cream on the inside of each bun. Add the patty and top with bun. Option: serve with toppings like diced tomatoes and lettuce.

Nutritional Information (per slider): 173 calories, 23 carbs, 2 fat grams and 12 protein grams.
Nutritional Information (for 2 sliders as a meal): 345 calories, 46 carbs, 5 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

Review: I thought these were excellent! The boys (Austin & his bros) gobbled them up! They definitely weren't traditional sliders as they had the mexican flavors, but they were yummy - loved sour cream as the spread instead of mayo on a traditional burger - I thought it was neat! Austin did note that they were more like sloppy joes than burgers, I don't think there was enough bread crumbs to hold them together so I upped it above. Great appetizer, and I think it would be a great meal if you had two and maybe a side of some chips!

Black and White Bean Dip

Black and White Bean Dip
My Kitchen Café recipe
Makes 20 Servings

1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of white beans, drained
1 can of shoepeg corn, drained
½ cup Herdez salsa verde
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, divided
15 grape tomatoes, quartered (squeeze liquid out of tomatoes after chopping)
garlic salt to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)

Preheat oven to 400. Rinse and drain both cans of beans. Also drain the can of shoepeg corn. Make sure to squeeze liquid out of tomatoes before chopping so the dip doesn’t turn runny. Put 1.5 cups of cheese and everything else in a bowl and mix together. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and pop into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and it is all warm and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with diced avocado and serve with tortilla chips.

Nutritional Information (without chips): 80 calories, 10 carbs, 3 fat grams and 5 protein grams.

Review: I thought this was excellent! Very different with all of the beans but super flavorful in the green salsa. The garlic salt definitely added a little something extra, and it bubbled up quick. This tasted good after it got cold, too, and it was good the next day. It makes LOTS of food –next time I may use a more shallow pan or pie dish so it’s not as deep.

Herbed Greek Chicken Salad Pitas

Herbed Greek Chicken Salad Pitas

Cookinglight.com recipe

½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper, divided
¼ tsp salt, divided
Cooking spray
8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2.5 tsp fresh lemon juice, divided
½ cup plain fat-free yogurt (Fage 0%)
1 tsp tahini
½ tsp minced garlic
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
8 grape tomatoes, halved
44 grams fat-free feta cheese

Combine oregano, garlic powder, ¼ tsp pepper and 1/8 tsp salt in a bowl. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken and spice mixture; sauté until chicken is done. Drizzle with 1.5 tsp lemon juice; stir. Remove from pan. Combine remaining tsp of lemon juice, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, yogurt, tahini and garlic in a small bowl; stir well. Combine lettuce and tomatoes. Top with chicken mixture and cheese. Add yogurt mixture and stir. Stuff ¼ to ½ a cup in 8” pitas (cut in half).

Tomato and Fresh Basil Crostini with Feta and Roasted Garlic Cheese Spread

Tomato and Fresh Basil Crostini with Feta and Roasted Garlic Cheese Spread

For the Love of Cooking recipe

1/2 cup fat free feta cheese
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 head of roasted garlic, chopped (recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 vine ripened tomato, sliced thinly
5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped finely into ribbons
Fresh cracked pepper and sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine feta cheese, sour cream, 1/2 head of roasted garlic, salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and spray tops with cooking spray. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside. Lay the basil leaves on top of each other and roll into a tube, cut into thin slices. Spread the feta mixture evenly onto the crostini then top with a slice of tomato, sprinkle with sea salt & fresh cracked pepper and top with basil ribbons.

Roasted Garlic
1 head of garlic
1 tsp olive oil
Dash of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the top of the head off so every clove of garlic is exposed. Place on a small square of tinfoil.Drizzle with olive oil and salt to taste. Fold edges of tinfoil together and twist to make a sealed bundle. Place in oven and bake for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of the garlic. Let cool before serving. Squeeze to remove the roasted cloves.

Marinated Mushrooms

Marinated mushrooms

Recipe Girl recipe

2 lbs fresh white button mushrooms
½ cup olive oil
½ cup white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp crushed oregano
½ tsp chili pepper flakes, crushed

Trim mushrooms by cutting off a thin slice of the stem of each mushroom. Drop the mushrooms into boiling water and reduce the heat. Simmer for 5 minutes; do not boil. Drain the mushrooms and cover with cold water. Let stand until cool. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.Whisk olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, oregano and chili pepper flakes in a bowl. Add mushrooms to the olive oil mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until well coated. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or longer, stirring occasionally.

Tips: These mushrooms are best when they have marinated for a long time. Take them out of the refrigerator in time for them to return to room temperature before serving. Serve sliced baguette when you display your mushrooms. Baguette slices dipped in the drippings can be considered another appetizer.

Greek Salad Bites

Greek Salad Bites

Recipe Girl recipe

1 oz. fat-free feta cheese crumbles
½ cup fat-free sour cream
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp cracked black pepper
¼ cup finely shredded fresh basil
¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives, finely diced
1½ medium English cucumbers

In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. Slice cucumbers on a slight diagonal into ¼-inch slices. Spoon ½ tbsp of the cheese mixture onto each cucumber slice. Arrange on serving platter. Serve immediately.

Yield: 20 to 30 appetizers

Greek Appetizer Skewers

Greek Appetizer Skewers

Recipe Girl recipe

1 block feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch squares
30 pear or small cherry tomatoes
1/2 cucumber, sliced & then slice slices in half (need 30)
1/4 red onion, cut into small strips (about 1 inch x 1/2-inch)
toothpicks

Thread red onion onto toothpick with purple showing on top, then tomato, then cucumber. Use feta cube as a base for the appetizer- skewer the feta on the bottom; place on your platter.

Optional: Just before serving, whisk together about 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. Drizzle over skewers (try not to get too much dressing on the tops of the toothpicks, where people will pick them up to eat them).

Tips: Don’t attach feta until the end as it may break. And don’t use colored toothpicks – it dyes the cheese!

Yield: 20 to 30 appetizers.