Sweet Chili Fish Tacos

Sweet Chili Fish Tacos
Inspired by a taco I had at Cheeky Taqueria; help with the tilapia from a Food Network recipe
Makes 2 Servings

2 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp spike seasoning (or a seafood seasoning)
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
½ pound tilapia fillets
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp garlic
4 small flour tortillas (about 80 calories each)
Toppings:
2 tbsp fat-free sour cream, divided
1 cup romaine, shredded, divided
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce, divided (we use Frank's brand)
2 tsp sesame seeds, divided

 In a shallow dish, combine flour, seasoning, salt and pepper. Add tilapia and coat on each side, flipping six times. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan and stir 10 seconds until fragrant. Place tilapia in skillet. Brown for 3 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, heat tortillas and get toppings ready (I heat tortillas by flipping them one at a time directly on the stove eye grate, then stack them up and microwave for 10 – 15 seconds just before prepping.) For each tortilla, spread ½ tbsp sour cream, then top with one quarter of the fish and lettuce, ½ tbsp sauce and ½ tsp seeds.

Nutritional Information: 412 calories, 48 carbs, 12 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: Loved! The sweet chili sauce definitely made them - a great, jelly-like Asian-inspired topping. The tacos were very tasty and had a lot of flavor, and best of all - they were QUICK! From start to finish, I'd say maybe 15 minutes. I'll definitely be making these again, especially since I picked up the tilapia today for only $2.50 - woo! To make this 4 servings, simply double it. And note, I included all of the flour in the nutritional information, but at least 1 tbsp was left in the pan/not eaten. To make the recipe more filling, I'd just add more fish! We will absolutely be having these again!

Bacon Ranch Wrap

It's not the prettiest thing I've ever made, but it was awesome!

Bacon Ranch Wrap
Makes 4 Serving
Recipe adapted from Hungry Girl

4 tbsp light ranch dressing
4 tsp taco sauce
1 bag Boca crumbles
4 tbsp salsa
4 slices butterball turkey bacon
4 large La Banderita tortillas
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat shredded fat-free cheddar cheese, divided
1 avocado
1/4 cup shredded lettuce

To make the sauce, combine ranch dressing with taco sauce in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. Heat boca crumbles and salsa over medium heat in a large skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray for about 9 minutes, stirring frequently. In the meantime, cook bacon in the microwave per package instructions. Lay tortillas on a flat, dry surface and spread with sauce. Top with cheese, bacon, avocado, lettuce, and boca crumbles. Roll up and serve.

Nutritional Information: 438 calories, 49 carbs, 15 fat grams and 33 protein grams.

Review: YUM –loved the ranch/taco seasoning sauce, as well as the crunchy lettuce with avocado and bacon. Could have easily done without the cheese – couldn’t taste it! But the boca went well. If anything, you could do less boca to make sure the wrap stays together easier! Super easy, ready in under 15 minutes, and very filling. If you’re looking to take down the calories, reduce/remove the cheese or take down the boca a bit – I wouldn’t mess with the sauce – it was the best part!

Sesame Ginger Salad (Paleo)

Sesame Ginger Salad 
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from crossfitcda.com

½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound 80/20 ground beef
4-6 cups romaine lettuce
1 cucumber, deseeded and diced
1 tomato, diced
Dressing
1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp tamari
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp each: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Sauté red onion and garlic in olive oil. Stir constantly for 3 minutes. Add beef. Once beef is cooked all the way through, 4-5 minutes, place it in a bowl to cool. While the beef cooks, prepare a salad with romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and avocado. Once beef has cooled, add to salad and add dressing on top.

Nutritional information (per serving): 420 calories, 8 carbs, 34 fat grams and 21 protein grams.

Review: LOVED - I had tried a few recipes like this and wasn't a fan - I felt this needed a bold dressing and i'm not a fan of the ones with fish sauce. This one was perfect, had a lot of flavor and the cucumbers added a nice little crunch. I will say that it was SPICY - so i'd suggest taking the red pepper flakes down a bit - maybe to just a dash or to 1/4 tsp. It's like the dressing activates the spiciness!

Southwest Salad and Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Southwest Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Makes 40+ side servings

Adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Dressing:
2 cups of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup canola oil
½ cup fresh lime juice (juice from 2 limes squeezed to death)
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
2 tsp jarred minced garlic
2 tsp oregano

Add to blender. Blend. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (pulse one more time before adding to salads)

Salad:

4 bags romaine lettuce, divided
2 cans corn, drained, divided
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
2 cups Kraft 2% Mexican cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (depending on size), divided
1 cup of red onion, diced and divided in half
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (recipe above), divided in half

Take out two large bowls. Add 2 bags of lettuce to each bowl. Drain corn and black beans. Add a can of corn and a can of black beans to each. Add 1 cup of cheese to each. Add ¾ cup diced tomatoes to each. Add 1/2 cup of diced red onion to each. Pulse salad dressing to ensure it’s mixed. If you plan to serve both at the same time: Drizzle each with half of the salad dressing. If you plan to serve one first and the other when it runs out: Drizzle half with salad dressing. Put the other salad and ½ dressing in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Nutritional Information (for each huge bowl of salad including dressing):2,023 calories, 158 carbs, 136 fat grams and 65 protein grams.

Review: We LOVED it and it seemed to go over really well! I made it the night before, left it in the mini processor and put it in the fridge. Right before I served the salad (both at the same time), I dropped it on top of the mini processor, pulsed it again, then poured half over each salad.

Just so you know, for less salad dressing, simply divide the recipe above by 4. This is what I did (I multiplied Pam's recipe by 4!) - Pam's Recipe:

1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
1/4 cup canola oil
1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano

Chipotle Chicken and Rice

Chipotle Chicken and Rice
Adapted from a Dinners for a Year and Beyond Recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 cup jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
¼ tsp chili powder
2 tsp olive oil
20 oz. chicken, diced
½ cup onion, diced
1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
½ cup tomato sauce
1/8 tsp salt
hot sauce to taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely diced
1 tsp lime juice
4 large Romaine lettuce leaves

In a medium pot over high heat, add rice, chicken stock and chili powder. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat, cover pot, and simmer for 15 minutes. While rice cooks, heat a large pan to medium high heat. Add oil and then add chicken. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and cumin and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and cook for a minute, then season to taste with salt and hot sauce. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Place lettuce leaf on plate. Divide chipotle rice and chicken into servings and add to each lettuce leaf.

Nutritional Information: 374 calories, 42 carbs, 4 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: We really liked it! The rice had a nice flavor with a hint of spanish rice, without the grease and calories. The chicken was flavorful, the onions added a lot and I liked the hot sauce blended in to give the tomato sauce a kick. The lime juice and cilantro also added a great flavor and after taste. I will DEFINITELY make this again - super easy and I have no doubt it would freeze well too since it's a soupier dish. Also, I wouldn't be scared to add even more hot sauce for more heat!

Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls

Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls
Adapted from a Dinners for a Year and Beyond Recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 tbsp canola oil
1 large red pepper, diced small
1 10-ounce package baby portebello mushrooms, diced small
2 tsp minced garlic
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced small
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained, diced small
2 tsp teriyaki sauce
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
4 servings (190 grams) Jasmine rice, cooked per package instructions
4 large romaine lettuce leaves
sesame seeds to taste
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add red pepper and mushrooms and sauté for 5 - 6 minutes until tender. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute. Add chicken and cook for 6 - 8 minutes or until cooked through. Stir chicken and red pepper mixture occasionally while it cooks. Add water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and hoisin sauce and stir to coat the chicken and vegetables. Continue cooking until heated through. To serve, line each plate with a large romaine leaf. Top each with a quarter of the rice, a quarter of the chicken mixture, and a sprinkle of the sesame seeds and scallions.

Nutritional Information: 433 calories, 62 carbs, 6 fat grams and 33 protein grams.

Review: OMG. This tastes so light but it's very filling. I loved the sauce, the mixture of the rice with the mushrooms and peppers, and while I normally dislike water chestnuts, I LOVED this them in this. I liked the crunch they offered, along with the scallions and peppers. The hoisin and teriyaki also blended well, and I liked the jasmine rice over my usual microwavable rice. It helped make this dish and I will definitely be making it again!

Burrito Casserole

Burrito Casserole
Makes 6 Servings
Recipe adapted from Blog Chef

1 pound 96/4 ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
9 small Mission flour tortillas
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
½ cup fat-free sour cream
hot sauce (optional)
80 grams Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar (a little less than 3/4 cup)
Optional Toppings: 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce and 6 cherry tomatoes, divided

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet brown ground beef. Once it’s almost done, add taco seasoning and stir in refried beans. Mix until evenly blended. In a bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Spread ½ of the sour cream mixture onto the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Tear up 3 tortillas and spread them over the sour cream mixture (I typically lay 2 tortillas down side by side without tearing - then tear up the third to fill in blanks to make a solid layer!). Put ½ of the meat mixture on top of it. Sprinkle on hot sauce. Add remaining layers as follows: 3 tortillas; sour cream mixture; 3 tortillas; meat mixture; hot sauce. Sprinkle cheese over the top and place in oven uncovered for 25 minutes. Serve with lettuce and tomatoes as toppings.

Nutritional Information: 403 calories, 47 carbs, 7 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: Two words: OH MY. This recipe seriously may trump my top Mexican recipe. No joke! I LOVE the layers, the use of flour tortillas, how that sauce mixture clings to the tortillas and makes it all taste just meshed together and creamy. I also love the hot sauce kick on those layers- perfect! Yes, time to update my top 10 - this one takes the cake. And the calories are great - love that it makes six too. Winner, winner. Austin loved it too! For less heat, simply leave out the hot sauce. You could even top with salsa if you want to leave the heat level up to each person!

Here's a pic of the full dish - how it looks coming out of the oven!

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!

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).

Taco Salad

Taco Salad

Makes 4 Servings

Recipe idea from my co-worker & friend Stacy

1 can fat-free refried beans (400 grams)
16 oz. 96/4 ground beef
2 tbsp onion, diced
1 serano pepper, deseeded and finely diced
1 packet taco seasoning, divided
8 tbsp fat-free sour cream
4 cups lettuce
16 wedges of sliced tomato
¼ cup fat-free cheddar cheese (for garnish)
4 mission low-carb tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Ball up foil loosely and mold “shells” with the tortillas around the ball (picture bowl topside down). Place tortillas on a cookie sheet in oven for 6 - 10 minutes until desired crispiness. While tortillas bake, set pot over medium and spray with cooking spray. Add beans and 1-2 tsp of taco seasoning. Stir until warm. While beans are heating up, set a large pan on medium and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add onions and peppers and stir for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add meat, remaining taco seasoning, and a little bit of water (1-2 tbsp). Stir until meat is no longer red. While stirring, remove tortillas from the oven and set on a plate. Add lettuce layer, 100 grams of beans to each tortilla, 121 grams of meat mixture, lettuce layer, sour cream, tomato and cheese and serve.

Nutritional Information: 415 calories, 45 carbs, 8 fat grams and 38 protein grams.

Review: Yummilicious! So glad that I can make this at home - very exciting. I thought it tasted restaurant quality and loved all of the flavors - especially the sour cream topping with the beans - yum!

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Buffalo Chicken Salad
Recipe from Hungry Girl
Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. chicken, diced
2 tsp olive oil
½ tsp cumin
6 tbsp Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce
3 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
8 turkey bacon strips, divided
1 large tomato, diced
8 cups romaine lettuce, divided
8 tbsp fat-free ranch, divided

Spray large pan with nonstick spray and add olive oil. Cook chicken with cumin, stirring until no longer pink. While it cooks, combine Frank’s and parmesan, cook bacon in microwave and dice tomatoes. Once the chicken is cooked, add to sauce/parm mixture and stir until the chicken is coated, then cook in microwave for 1 minute. Then put ¼ lettuce in each bowl, and top each with ¼ chicken mix, ¼ bacon, and ¼ tomato mix, then 2 tbsp of fat-free ranch.

Nutritional Information: 275 calories, 18 carbs, 5 fat grams and 33 protein grams.

Review: To beef this up, I added a slice of nature’s own bread with a ½ tsp of light butter – your call! We LOVED it! I also thought it looked so pretty with the toppings organized in thirds. The little things, people.

BLT pasta salad

BLT pasta salad
Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine
Makes 4 Servings

8 oz. pasta
¼ cup milk
½ tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese.
12 slices low-fat turkey bacon
2 medium ripe tomatoes cut into chunks
1 tsp garlic, minced
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ cup fat-free mayonnaise
¼ cup fat-free sour cream
3 tbsp scallions
3 cups chopped romaine hearts
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water. Drain and toss with milk and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Set aside. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan, and add tomatoes, thyme and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through; season with salt and pepper. Cut bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside ¼ cup for garnish. Toss remaining bacon and tomato mixture with pasta. Mix mayo, sour cream and 2 tbsp chives with pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with reserved bacon and remaining tbsp chives. Serve at room temperature.

Nutritional Information: 325 calories, 50 carbs, 7 fat grams and 15 protein grams.

Review: We REALLY liked it! I personally would have liked it better if it had cooled and like congealed together more, so I think the two servings we cooled for later this week will be better. But that’s okay – STILL very good.

Cranberry & Blue Cheese Salad

Cranberry & Blue Cheese Salad

Makes 1 Serving

½ cup romaine lettuce
1 cup arugula
14 grams TJ’s Blue Cheese Crumbles
2 tbsp TJ’s Raspberry Vinaigrette
15 grams TJ’s Dried Fruit Cranberries
24 grams avocado, diced

Optional: almond slivers

Nutritional Information (without almond slivers): 184 calories, 26 carbs, 11 fat grams and 4 protein grams.

Review: It was great and filling – I love the mix of these flavors! To make it lower calorie, I would just omit avocado – it was a nice-to-have but not a must-have. I was REALLY happy with the crumbles, dressing and cranberries though – I’m going to eat this salad A LOT.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Swanson website (Stacy sent it)

Makes 2 Servings

1 can (9.75 oz.) Swanson Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
2 tbsp chopped celery (didn’t include; didn't have any!)
½ tbsp finely chopped onion
1 tbsp nonfat mayonnaise
1 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 slices Whole Wheat Bread
2 tomato slices
2 lettuce leaves

Mix chicken, celery, onion, mayonnaise, yogurt and pepper. Divide chicken mixture among 2 bread slices. Top with tomato, lettuce and remaining bread slices.

Nutritional Information (with bread, tomato & lettuce leaves): 223 calories, 30 carbs, 6 fat grams, 24 protein grams.

Review: This was GREAT for packing for lunch – just made a baggy for bread, a baggy for tomato/lettuce and a container for the salad. I REALLY liked the salad, yummy and filling – but I definitely want to put the celery in next time –I like a bit more crunch ya know? And to add calories I would just serve with kettle chips or hummus + pita crisps.

Hummus Chicken Salad Wraps

Hummus Chicken Salad Wraps
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen
Makes 2 Servings

4 tbsp sabra hummus (classic flavor)
2 tablespoons finely diced celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt + some for cooking
dash of pepper
10 oz. chicken, diced
1 tbsp lemon juice, divided
2 handfuls of romaine lettuce
2 Mission Balance Sundried Tomato Tortillas for wrapping

Set a pan over medium heat. Add chicken, a sprinkle of salt and a ½ tbsp of lemon juice. Cook until no longer pink, then shred with two forks. While the chicken cooks, use a small bowl to combine and stir hummus, celery, green onions, bell pepper, 1/8 tsp of salt and a sprinkling of pepper. Add chicken and the rest of the lemon juice. Divide into two servings (each serving 143 grams). Put each serving on a tortilla with a handful of lettuce. Wrap up and enjoy!

Nutritional Information: 442 calories, 40 carbs, 13 fat grams and 40 protein grams. For you low-carbers (i.e. nutritional information without wrap): 232 calories, 5 carbs, 9 fat grams and 34 protein grams.

Review: We LOVED it. Like WOW. If anything we may add a bit more red pepper and celery for more crunch. Love, love, love. We think it looks super professional. Like something I would order at a deli!! YUMMY, thanks, Aggie!!

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!

Guacamole Chicken Wraps

Guacamole Chicken Wraps
Recipe from Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

4 green leaf lettuce leaves
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
16 oz. Chicken, defrosted
½ tsp dried Parsley
½ tsp thyme
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice

Cut chicken into 1” pieces. Cook in pan sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat, sprinkled with parsley, thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each tortilla; spread about 1/4 cup avocado mixture (below!) on each lettuce leaf. Top each serving chicken. Wrap and serve.

Guacamole:
7 oz. avocados, peeled and pitted (2 medium)
1 ½ tbsp lime juice
½ tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup tomato, diced
1 tsp jarred minced garlic

In medium bowl, mash avocados. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the garlic, the lime juice, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir in onion and tomatoes. Serve with baked tortilla chips or vegetables for dipping.

Nutritional Information: 329 calories, 25 carbs, 11 fat grams and 33 protein grams.

Review: I'm a HUGE fan of this guacamole recipe, and love adding it to chicken and tortillas to make it a filling meal. It really tasted like something you would order at a sandwich shop or something!

Inside

Fresh mozzarella BLT with pesto

Recipe from Food Network Magazine
Fresh mozzarella BLT with pesto
Makes 1 Serving

1 3- to 4-inch baguette (77 grams)
3 Slices turkey bacon
1 ½ tsp pesto
1 ½ tsp fat-free mayonnaise
1 spear romaine lettuce
2 slices tomato
1 slice fresh mozzarella (20 grams)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Slice baguette open, leaving one side attached to form a hinge. Cook bacon in skillet until crispy. Combine pesto with mayo and smear on bottom of bread. Layer romaine, then tomato, bacon and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper. Close sandwich and serve.

Nutritional Information: 325 calories, 33 carbs, 13 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: We loved it! So yummy – a definite new fave that I plan to start bringing to work – woo!

Chicken Souvlaki

Chicken Souvlaki
cookinglight.com
Makes 2 Servings

2 6” pitas (I used Trader Joe’s)
1 oz. crumbled fat-free feta cheese
¼ cup plain fat-free yogurt (2 oz.)
½ tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp minced garlic, divided
¼ tsp oregano
8 oz. chicken
½ cup lettuce
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp onion, diced

Combine feta, yogurt, ½ teaspoon oil, and ½ teaspoon garlic in a small bowl, stirring well. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining ½ tsp garlic and oregano to pan, and sauté for 20 seconds. Add chicken, and cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toast pitas, cut them in half and open each half. Place 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each pita half, and top with 2 tablespoons yogurt mixture, 2 tablespoons shredded lettuce, and 1 tablespoon tomato. Divide onion evenly among pitas. Serve with couscous.

Nutritional Information (without couscous): 330 calories, 34 carbs, 5 fat grams and 35 protein grams.

Review: We really liked it you guys! Super creamy and flavorful – I went a little heavy on the garlic especially since I omitted the dill. We’ll definitely have it again but next time I won’t even bother with the couscous – if anything I’ll just do a side of hummus/carrots! There will definitely be a ‘next time’ though – yay! I think I’m going to try many more Mediterranean recipes.

Chicken Pesto Salad Sandwich

Chicken Pesto Salad Sandwich
Food Network magazine
Makes 1 Serving

4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
19 grams sun-dried tomatoes (in oil)
1 tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
½ tbsp pesto
Salt and pepper to taste
1 six-inch pita pocket cut at top
Red lettuce leaves

Place chicken and tomatoes in a large saucepan and pour enough water to cover by 2”. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook 8 minutes until chicken is tender. Drain and cut chicken into 1” cubes and tomato into ½” strips. Transfer to bowl, add mayo and pesto and season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pita pocket lined with lettuce leaves.

Nutritional Information: 360 calories, 33 carbs, 10 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: Great, filling sandwich! Has a different flavor with the pesto mixed in, but we both really liked it and will make it again! Nice summertime sammy.