Tortellini Arugula Salad with Balsamic-Tomato Vinaigrette

Tortellini Arugula Salad with Balsamic-Tomato Vinaigrette

Recipe adapted from My Kitchen Café
Makes 4 Servings

9 ounce package refrigerated cheese tortellini
8 cups arugula, divided
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
2 oz. crumbled fat-free feta cheese
¼ cup diced red onion
Dressing:
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic, jarred
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/8 tsp salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Cook tortellini in boiling water until al dente. Drain and let cool in colander. In a small bowl that has a lid, toss all the salad ingredients together. Shake until well blended (process in a blend if you prefer). Prepare 4 bowls; each with 2 cups arugula, 1 tbsp sundried tomatoes, 2 tbsp fat-free feta cheese and 1 tbsp red onion. Top each with 1-2 tbsp of dressing.

Nutritional Information: 377 calories, 36 carbs, 20 fat grams and 15 protein grams.

Review: WOW - this tasted like something I would order at a restaurant! I've never had tortellini in a salad but just love it, and the homemade dressing was AWESOME. I just truly believe that the feta, red onion, the tomatoes - it all just blended and went together perfectly. Note: the original recipe called for spinach as opposed to arugula  and a can of artichoke hearts but I went without that. And I think you could TOTALLY had chicken to this for more protein - yum!

Egg & Veggie Breakfast Pockets

Egg & Veggie Breakfast Pockets
Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
Makes 4 Servings

5 eggs
2 tbsp egg substitute, divided
1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp minced garlic
½ cup chopped onion
1 package reduced fat crescent rolls
1 ½ cups baby spinach leaves
¼ cup fresh basil, diced
4 tsp grated parmesan cheese
2 oz. fat-free feta cheese
½ cup low-calorie spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 400. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, parmesan, 1 tbsp egg substitute, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add spinach and basil, then pour egg mixture into skillet. Cook without stirring until mixture begins to set around edges. With a large spatula, lift and fold partially cooked egg mixture so the uncooked portion flows underneath. Cook until heated through. Unroll crescent rolls on wax paper, and separate into 4 rectangles. Press seams together. Divide egg mixture into four, and place one serving on each crescent rectangle. Top with feta, then pick up one side and fold over to the middle. Pick up the other side and do the same. Press together the new seam, and fold over the ends, using your fingers to press the sides closed. Repeat with the other three. Brush top of each with egg substitute. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Serve each with 2 tbsp spaghetti sauce.

Nutritional Information: 325 calories, 27 carbs, 16 fat grams and 18 protein grams.

Review: Love this flavor! This was my first time having spaghetti sauce for breakfast but wow - it works great with this! The pocket was just crispy and soft enough - the onions added nice crunch and the spinach mixed in well. The garlic helped give it a bit of kick, and the egg filling went well in the crescent. All in all a good breakfast. Yes, a bit high in fat, but it kept me full for hours. It also reheated very well - it wasn't as crispy but it was just as good and didn't lose its flavor.

the outside before cutting!

BLT Flatbread with Maple Vinaigrette

BLT Flatbread with Maple Vinaigrette
Adapted from a Can you Stay for Dinner recipe
Makes 4 Servings

2-3 cups arugula, divided
1 small tomato, diced and divided
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced and divided
8 slices bacon (I used Hormel ready bacon)
1 cup fat-free feta cheese
Maple bacon vinaigrette (below)
4 pieces Naan

Dice bacon. Set aside 1/4 of one strip and mince. Add to vinaigrette. Gently toss greens, tomato, onion, remaining bacon, and feta cheese with the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Broil naan for 2-3 minutes per side, until charred and crispy. Divide salad mixture among the four warm naans, slice each into 4-5 pieces and serve immediately.

Maple Vinaigrette
1 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp minced bacon
1 tbsp fat-free maple syrup
2 tsp spicy brown mustard
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Whisk ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined.

Nutritional Information: 428 calories, 55 carbs, 12 fat grams and 17 protein grams.

Review: We are fans! The vinaigrette was really tangy, and mixed with the bacon, feta and maple it had a lot of flavor. The mustard also added a good punch. The mix was good fresh, and after refrigerating it was just as good, maybe better because the flavors had more time to mingle. The vinaigrette went a long way, and the recipe was very filling. I liked how it could be eaten almost like bruschetta. I could see this being a great appetizer, too, to serve on small, 3" pitas. We will definitely have this again - a great, summer recipe!

Shrimp with Feta Tomato Sauce and Rice

Shrimp with Feta Tomato Sauce and Rice

Adapted from a Dinners for a Year and Beyond Recipe
Makes 4 servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 14.5-oz. can fire roasted tomatoes, diced
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 ounces fat-free feta cheese, plus more for sprinkling on top
1 1/4 cups jasmine rice, cooked to package directions for 'firm' rice and kept warm

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until softened, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Add tomatoes and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and continue simmering until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 4 - 6 minutes. Add the herbs and feta cheese and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately over hot jasmine rice and sprinkle with extra cheese if desired.

Nutritional Information: 360 calories, 44 carbs, 5 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Yum! Because of the 'fire' in those tomatoes it had more of a Cajun thing going on - almost like a jambalaya. Austin actually put some hot sauce on his! It was great and reheated well (make sure to reheat on 50% power so it doesn't overcook the shrimp). Also, cook the rice so it's more firm than watery since the sauce is watery (so it makes a different texture/contrast). I thought this was a great recipe and pretty easy to make for a weeknight. I also like the low calorie and fat counts on this, especially since it made so much food and was so filling. It reminded me a little bit of this Baked Shrimp in Tomatoes And Feta recipe, but heavier with the dense rice and more spicy/Cajun with the seasonings!

Greek Stuffed Chicken with Lemon Orzo

Greek Stuffed Chicken with Lemon Orzo
Recipe adapted from Fitness Magazine
Makes 4 Servings

5 oz. fresh spinach
2 tsp minced garlic, jarred
Pinch nutmeg
4 4-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ cup fat-free feta cheese
1 tsp fresh basil
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz. orzo
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup parmesan cheese (Kraft)
¼ cup fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Warm a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and cook, tossing, 3 minutes until wilted. Add garlic and nutmeg and cook, tossing, 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander. Once cooled off, squeeze liquid from spinach and then add to a bowl with feta and basil. Use a knife to cut feta and spinach into smaller, easier to stuff, pieces. Butterfly chicken and open like a book. Cover with wax paper and pound to an even ¼-inch thickness. Place a quarter of the mixture along the center of the breast; roll and secure with toothpicks. In the skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Add stuffed chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until the bottoms are golden. Turn and cook another 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Bring pot of water to a boil; add orzo and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp of liquid, and toss with lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan, parsley and remaining 2 tsp olive oil. Use liquid if needed.

Nutritional Information: 421 calories, 45 carbs, 8 fat grams and 43 protein grams.

Review: Whoa! It was a great recipe. The chicken was super tender and juicy, and the stuffing was flavorful. The garlic gave the spinach a nice flavor. The pasta paired perfect with it - the parmesan thickened up the orzo, and the parsley, olive oil and lemon zest (more so than the juice) gave it a lot of punch. It was a nice, light meal with lots of color that was very filling!

Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad
Makes 4 Servings

Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
¾ tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp oregano, dried
¼ tsp basil, dried
1 tsp minced garlic, jarred
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ packet splenda
1 oz. fat-free feta cheese
1 oz. fresh tomatoes, diced

Other:
1 oz. fat-free feta cheese
8 oz. pasta, small shape
3 oz. fresh tomatoes, diced
2-3 cups spinach

Optional:
1 cucumber, deseeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
30 Hormel Turkey Pepperonis, quartered

Cook pasta per package instructions. Drain and set aside. Combine all ‘dressing’ items in a blender or food processor. Mix pasta with ‘other’ ingredients – feta cheese and tomatoes. Add ‘optional’ ingredients if desired. Toss with now-blended dressing. Serve on a bed of spinach.

Nutritional information (without pepperonis): 293 calories, 46 carbs, 8 fat grams and 11 protein grams.

Nutritional information (with pepperonis): 324 calories, 46 carbs, 10 fat grams and 11 protein grams.

Review: I think this one tasted best right after we made it. When we reheated it, it was a little bit dry. Probably because I didn’t use more oil. I added tomatoes in to the dressing part, and think it will improve the dryness. Or, I would suggest adding a 1/4 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt (like Fage). Regardless, this was a great, flavorful recipe – I love the dressing and it’s a super colorful and tasty dish. I think it’s going to make a great spring and summer staple around our casa. The pepperonis can be a fun add on, but of course no biggie to keep it meatless, which is what we're moving toward doing 1-2 days per week at our place!!

Greek Style Shrimp with Christmas Quinoa

Greek Style Shrimp with Christmas Quinoa
Inspired by an April 2010 Fitness Magazine recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound shrimp, raw and defrosted
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of one lemon
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup parsley, coarsely chopped
3 oz. fat-free feta
4 servings quinoa, cooked per package instructions with chicken broth
2 cups chicken broth (for quinoa)

Place shrimp, 1 tablespoon of oil, half of lemon juice, 1 tsp garlic, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper in a large ziplock bag. Let it sit. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, parsley, feta and remaining olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Add cooked quinoa and mix well. Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Place shrimp in pan in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Serve with quinoa.

Nutritional Information: 392 calories, 36 carbs, 12 fat grams and 34 protein grams.

Review: Awesome! I really liked the flavors and it blended well (and quickly). I liked how the warm quinoa softened the tomatoes and parsley and almost melted the feta. I'm not sure how well this would reheat (i'm not a huge fan of reheating shrimp), but I think you could easily cook the shrimp for 2 and then reheat the quinoa the next day and cook shrimp for 2 again. It's just heating it up since the shrimp are already cooked. Just a thought - it's a great one though!

Greek Feta Chicken

Picture coming soon!

Greek Feta Chicken
Receipe Adapted from Kitchen Parade
Makes 4 Servings
Requires overnight Marinade

1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (0% Fage)
1 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
2 oz. fat feta cheese
3 cups white rice

Whisk together yogurt, garlic, oregano and black pepper in a bowl. Add chicken to mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the broiler. Add chicken mixture to shallow pan. Broil for 6 minutes, then flip over each piece of chicken. Sprinkle with feta and broil for another 5 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center shows juice that runs clear. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information: 413 calories, 57 carbs, 1 fat grams and 35 protein grams.

Review: This one is a family favorite! I've tweaked it a lot, tried it with curried rice, fresh oregano, etc. but found that this way is just as good and much easier/more convenient. Aside from the overnight marinade, it's a very quick recipe since you broil and is great for weeknights. It heats up well too as the rice really soaks in the soupier chicken mix.

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.

Pasta Salad in Vinaigrette

Pasta Salad in Vinaigrette (on right)

For the Love of Cooking recipe

6 oz. rotini (or pasta of choice), cooked per instructions
Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 large cucumber, seeded & diced
1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
Feta cheese
Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta per instructions, drain and cool. Once the pasta has cooled, add the cherry tomato halves, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, feta cheese and basil then mix thoroughly. Slowly add the vinaigrette, salt and pepper. Taste and add more dressing as needed.

Vinaigrette:
½ cup canola oil
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp spenda
Salt and pepper

Combine ingredients with a whisk. Let it sit overnight so flavors marinate together.

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.

Pasta Salad in Vinaigrette - Side Dish

Pasta Salad in Vinaigrette

Makes 5 Servings

Recipe by For the Love of Cooking

6 oz. cooked rotini
Cherry tomatoes
Small cucumber, seeded & diced
¼ cup Yellow Onion
¼ cup Orange Bell Pepper
1 oz. Fat-free Feta Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Vinaigrette: ¼ cup canola oil, 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar, ½ tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 cloves minced garlic, ½ packet of splenda and salt/pepper

Mix together all ingredients and mix together vinaigrette. One hour before serving add vinaigrette. Put in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve alongside chicken, shrimp or both (like me!).

Nutritional Information: 245 calories, 30 carbs, 12 fat grams and 6 protein grams.

Review: I love this dish of Pam's! I've served it at two parties and it's always gone over well! I have a larger dish of it on the blog as well that I make when I have more people (and it's not as calorie calculated!).

Tomato and Mozzarella Press

Tomato and Mozzarella Press
Makes 1 sandwich

1 Arnold Sandwich Thin
½ tsp fat-free mayonnaise
1 tsp Trader Joe’s pesto
8 grams Fat-Free Feta Cheese
8 grams Fat-Free Mozzarella, shredded
4 grape tomatoes, diced
8 spinach leaves, halved
4 basil leaves, finely diced

Spread mayo and pesto on both sides, and top one side with cheeses, tomatoes, spinach and then basil. Put top on and drop it on the George Foreman for 3-4 minutes. Enjoy.

Nutritional Information: 182 calories, 30 carbs, 4 fat grams and 12 protein grams.

Review: I was a huge fan of this little guy! Austin was jealous so about an hour later I went down and made 2 more (I had another half – Austin had the other one and a half!). He loved it too! They’re just simple, yummy and quick – I’ll def be making these again!

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!

Italian Chicken Wraps

Italian Chicken Wraps
Makes 1 Serving

4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into pieces
1 Mission Carb Balance, soft taco size
½ tsp Olive Oil
3 tbsp low calorie spaghetti sauce, divided
15 grams Fat-Free Feta Cheese
15 grams Fat-Free Mozarella, Grated
Salt, Garlic Salt, Red Pepper Flakes and Italian Seasoning to taste

Defrost chicken, cut into pieces. Set pan to medium and spray PAM and pour olive oil in pan. Drop chicken in and sprinkle with all four seasonings; mostly Italian Seasoning. While it cooks, measure cheeses and turn on George Foreman. Once chicken is cooked, after about 4 minutes, put on plate. Put tortilla in the chicken pan and heat for about 1 minute on each side. Remove from heat and lay flat. Spoon 2 tbsp sauce on tortilla, then chicken, then cheeses. Fold into a wrap and place on the George Foreman for 3 minutes. While it cooks, heat up the other tbsp of sauce. Remove wrap from heat, cut in half and serve with the extra sauce. Serves 1.

Nutritional Information: 326 calories, 26 carbs, 6 fat grams and 40 grams of protein.

Review: Yummy chicken wrap - if you don't feel like making pasta it's a nice carb substitute! I also like the grill marks on the mini grill - makes for a crispy outside with a yummy, cheesy inside. The chicken helped it be more filling, too! If you're still hungry I'd suggest adding a small side salad with Italian dressing!

Pepperoni Pitza

Pepperoni Pitza

Makes 1 Serving

1/4 cup low-calorie spaghetti sauce

1 large Trader Joe's pita (about 8" or 220 calories)

1/2 tsp olive oil

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp minced garlic, jarred

28 grams fresh mozzarella (1/4 cup)

10 grams fat-free feta cheese (1 1/2 tbsp)

6 turkey pepperonis

Set oven to broil. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray and set pita on it. Use rubber brush to spread olive oil on pita top evenly. Add sauce and brush to even, then sprinkle with red pepper flakes and garlic. Top with mozzarella and feta, then add pepperonis. Broil for 7-9 minutes, keeping an eye on it to ensure it doesn't crisp (they cook fast).

Nutritional Information: 371 ccalories, 51 carbs, 10 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: This recipe is truly an old standby. We used to make these on the medium-sized pitas but you had to have 1.5 pitas to be full. We've tried more sauce and less sauce, more olive oil and less olive oil. We used to cut the pepperonis into small pieces. Point being, we've found that the recipe above is the best for us (love the addition of garlic!) and that 6 pepperonis is plenty, and didn't want the extra step of making them smaller. If you like your pitza crispy, air on the side of 8 to 10 minutes - even if it looks a little brown on stop - still amazing. We like ours "medium" so we usually remove at 8 minutes.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Makes 4 servings

6 oz. barilla pasta
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
Olive oil
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup chopped onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 14.5-oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1tbsp low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning, divided
½ tsp salt
30 grams shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
60 grams crumbled fat-free feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package. Drain. Cook chicken in a sprinkle of salt and ½ tsp Italian seasoning. Coat skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and onion; sauté 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp Italian seasoning and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in half 30 grams feta, 30 grams mozzarella, cooked pasta and chicken. Stir for 2 minutes, then spoon into 1.5-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 383 calories, 47 carbs, 3 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: We love this one! One of the first pastas I ever made. It comes out a bit like brucshetta as far as soupy but thick – if that makes sense. The Worcestershire added a little kick too which was nice. Great recipe for a crowd too – the servings are generous!

whole dish

Herbed Greek Chicken Salad

Cooking Light.com
Herbed Greek Chicken Salad
Makes 2 Servings

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. Place mixture on each of 2 plates. Top each serving with chicken mixture and cheese. Drizzle each serving with 3 tablespoons yogurt mixture.

Optional: Serve with toasted pita wedges (like I did above; 1/2 6-inch pita) OR chop down salad with knives, toast 6-inch pita, cut pita in half, and stuff each half with salad making a Greek Chicken Salad Wrap. The salad is super “sticky” if you will (see 3rd picture!), making it easy to stuff in a pita!

Mixed in with a side of pita

Nutritional Information (without pita): 251 calories, 13 carbohydrates, 3 fat grams, 41 protein grams. Nutritional Information (with pita): 371 calories, 37 carbs, 3 fat grams and 44 protein grams.

Review: You guys – it was SUPER good. I ended up eating half the salad with ½ a pita (2 small triangles), then stuffing the other half of the salad in another ½ of pita. YUM. It was so creamy and thick and fabulous – DEFINITELY making again. This would be a good one to bring to work too, could just pack it up and bring a pita, toast the pita in the toaster in the break room and stuff it up! Easy peasy!