Pork Fried Rice

Pork Fried Rice
Recipe inspired by Nutmeg Notebook
Makes 4 Servings

2 tsp olive oil, divided
16 ounces pork, diced and seasoned with salt and pepper
¼ cup fat free chicken broth
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp dark sesame oil
¼ tsp salt and pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp ginger
2 tbsp garlic
2 cups microwavable white rice, cooked (and chilled in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours)
1 cup small broccoli florets, defrosted

Heat 2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Cook pork for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and set aside on plate. In the meantime, combine broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper in a measuring cup and stir with a whisk. Set aside. Also, add broccoli to a small covered microwavable dish, and steam for 1-2 minutes. In same pan, add remaining tsp of olive oil. Add eggs and stir for a minute; add onions and ginger; stir for 1 minute; add garlic, rice, pork and broccoli. Stir until heated through, about 3-4 minutes. Add broth mixture. Remove from heat, and stir well to combine.

Nutritional Information: 382 calories, 39 carbs, 10 fat grams and 31 protein grams.


Review: There is nothing better than fried rice to me, so this of course was awesome. I loved that it used chicken broth, which really cut down on the amount of soy sauce needed. Great, easy recipe, and the broccoli helped add some green! Could have also used carrots, peas, etc. - but I just used the veggie I had on hand. Great, easy recipe, ready in under 20 minutes (assuming you already had rice in the fridge of course - important to note that! We always have a tub of cold rice in the fridge - you're not surprised, right?:) ))

Stuffed Green Peppers

Stuffed Green Peppers 
Recipe adapted from Blog Chef
Makes 6 Servings

½ tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup onion (chopped)
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup uncooked long-grain rice
½ cup water
6 green bell peppers
salt ( to taste)
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
4 oz. shredded 75% fat-free cabot cheddar cheese, divided

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic. Heat until fragrant, then add ground beef and onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until beef is browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, rice, ½ cup of water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove the seeds, discard the tops, and place the bottoms into the boiling water; boil for 5 minutes. (you may need to do in batches) Drain and sprinkle salt inside each pepper. Once done, remove meat mixture from heat. Stir in half of the cheese. Preheat oven to 350. Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour the soup over the peppers. Cover with foil (spray inside with nonstick cooking spray) and place in the oven for 25 minutes. Uncover, top with remaining cheese and bake for 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 323 calories, 36 carbs, 8 fat grams and 26 protein grams.

Review: Awesome! Loved the tomato soup topper and they reheated wonderfully - even brought them to work in a tub! I will say they take a while, between boiling the pepper to making the mixture to scooping it in, etc. - it can be a bit much. But I think it's worth it and fun for a weekend meal when you have a bit more time. We made it during the week and it took a bit too long for me! Regardless, great, yummy recipe and we'll absolutely have them again.

Mom's Lemon Chicken

Mom’s Lemon Chicken
Makes 4 servings

16 oz. chicken, raw, diced
1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup
½ tsp salt
½ tsp paprika
1/8 tsp tarragon leaves
Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
Zest from 1 lemon (about 2 tsp)
¼ cup water
2 cups white microwavable rice, cooked
4 cups green beans, cooked

Heat a large pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat. Add chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until brown, about 6 minutes. In the meantime, mix soup, salt, paprika, tarragon, lemon juice and water. Pour mixture over chicken and simmer for 1 hour covered. Stir occasionally. Serve over rice with green beans on the side.

Nutritional Information: 368 calories, 50 carbs, 3 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Yum - I grew up eating this gravy-like dish and just love it. I requested it so much as a little girl, and it was great to eat it again, albeit a healthified version of it. I thought it tasted pretty dang close to 'the real thing' - and was so glad that I pulled it out of the recipe archives from my mom! Thanks, mom, Austin liked it a lot, too! :)

Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup

Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup
Makes 4 Servings
Adapted from What’s Cookin’ Chicago

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup carrot, finely diced or matchsticks
1 pound chicken
1 cup long grain rice
5 cups chicken stock or broth
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh - juice from 2 lemons)
2 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup spinach (optional)
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional)
8 oz. mushrooms (optional)

Heat a large pan (with lid) over medium high heat; add oil. When oil is hot, add garlic and onion. Cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add chicken and brown slightly, then add carrots and rice. Stir to toast the rice for a minute. Add chicken broth and lemon juice to the pot. Bring to a boil and stir. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the rice cooks completely. Add cream. Continue cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes, then garnish with parsley and serve.

Nutritional Information: 358 calories, 44 carbs, 5 fat grams and 35 protein grams.

Review: Big fan! I will say that the mushrooms gave it a different taste, but I made it without and you got much more of a lemony taste. I thought it had a great flavor, and loved the parsley with lemon taste, and that little bit of cream went a long way, too. I think it's a great fall dish and of course anything with rice is a win for me. My recommendations would be to make sure the chicken is more shredded then diced, use fresh lemon juice, and make sure you cook the onions and carrots to where they're soft not crunchy (which is why i'm a fan of matchstick carrots - easier to cook!).

A bite - yum!

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli & Rice Bake

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli & Rice Bake
Found on Meet the Dubien’s
Makes 4 Servings

1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 can water
3 oz. shredded cheddar cheese, plus additional for topping if desired
1 cup uncooked regular white long-grain rice
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, raw/defrosted
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup Italian Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together soup and water in a large bowl until there are no lumps. Add shredded cheese, broccoli and rice and mix well. Stir in salt and pepper. Place raw chicken in a square baking dish and add soup/rice mixture. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Cover with foil. Bake for 55 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Nutritional Information: 435 calories, 48 carbs, 6 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: Cheesy is right! The cheese soup with shredded cheese made a great sauce that went well with the rice and broccoli. I loved that this one pot meal cooked the chicken and the rice in the baking dish - awesome! The bread crumbs also added a nice crunchy kick. This was easy to put together, and great for pre-cooking as I could make other meals on the stovetop while this one baked! We'll be having this again for sure - it reheated well, too!

Whole pan of yumminess

Inside Out Egg Roll Stirfry

Inside Out Egg Roll Stirfry
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com
Makes 4 Servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
½ tsp siracha
½ tsp lawry’s seasoning salt
1/2 small head cabbage, shredded
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
4 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 cup beef broth
1 tsp ground black pepper
2.5 cups white microwavable rice, cooked with 2.5 cups beef broth and 1/2 tsp lawry's

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Sauté garlic for 5 seconds, then add ground beef, siracha and lawry’s. Stir-fry until beef is just brown, 5 minutes. Add cabbage and bell pepper, and cook until vegetables are tender, and beef is fully cooked, 7 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and cornstarch mixture. Season with pepper. Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened.

Nutritional Information: 438 calories, 58 carbs, 8 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: This was unexpected! I'd never cooked with beef broth before, so to cook it into the rice and meat dish added a lot of flavor. The lawry's added a lot to both dishes. It tastes just like an inside out egg roll (original recipe name: Beef & Cabbage Stirfry). It had lots of sauce and if you'd replaced the rice with an egg roll wrapper, I swear it would have been an egg roll. The servings were large so it was super hearty. Between the rice, beef and cabbage it was filling - almost like a chili.

Chinese Garlic Chicken

Chinese Garlic Chicken
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from Blog Chef

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup water
¼ cup honey
4 tsp canola oil, divided
1 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbsp green onions, diced
2 ½ cups white rice, divided
Optional: 1 cup broccoli florets, fresh or frozen/defrosted

In a bowl combine garlic, soy sauce, water, honey, 2 tsp vegetable oil, cornstarch, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Mix well. Stir chicken into marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cook rice per microwave instructions. In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tsp of oil over medium heat. With a slotted spoon remove chicken from marinade and add to the skillet (reserve marinade). Stirfry chicken for 3 minutes. Add green onions (and any other veggies) and stirfry for 2 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Add reserved marinade and cook until thickened.

Nutritional Information: 451 calories, 66 carbs, 6 fat grams and 28 protein grams.

Review: Seriously authentic! I'm SO excited. This is what I order at restaurants: "white rice, chicken and brown sauce." I never thought it was made with soy sauce, garlic and honey - go figure! And marinating the chicken overnight in this sauce made it extra tender - I may try this with other Asian-inspired recipes. Me and Austin were both really happy with this dish, didn't change a thing, and are excited about adding more veggies next time - I think broccoli and water chestnuts would be great. Even edamame - it would all taste great!

Indian Chicken and Spinach Curry

Indian Chicken and Spinach Curry
Recipe adapted from Food and Wine Magazine/Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

1 tsp canola oil
½ cup onion, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced
½ cup tomatoes, diced
½ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 cups water
3-5 oz. spinach
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 cup basmati rice

Cook rice per package instructions. In a large pan, heat oil over low heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in cumin, coriander, paprika and salt. Cook 1 minute, then stir in jalapenos, tomatoes, cream, cinnamon and water. Add spinach, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove lid, stir in chicken, cover again and simmer for 10 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.

Nutritional Information: 410 calories, 44 carbs, 12 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: WOW!!! We loved this one - had a lot of fire with the jalapenos and the cream just really made it taste super sinful and "restaurant-like" per Austin. It tasted almost Thai like, but of course without the coconut taste from coconut milk since it used heavy cream instead. We loved it over the basmati rice, and the chicken was super tender from being cooked in the sauce. Use as much spinach as you like - I stuck on the low side because I worry about it's strong flavor's impact. But honestly, it blended so well and just added great, filling protein - yay! This dish is an absolute keeper - there is nothing I would change!

P.S. I apologize in advance for the not-so-fabulous pic - I left my camera at work and had to use a low-pixilated one! :(

Chicken Vindaloo

Chicken Vindaloo
Recipe adapted from a Cooking Light.com recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp chili paste
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
4 tsp canola oil
1 cup diced onion
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup basmati rice (dry)

Combine first 9 ingredients (through garlic) in a zip-top plastic bag. Marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours, turning occasionally. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add chicken mixture and bell peppers; sauté 5 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly browned on all sides. Add broth and salt; simmer, uncovered, 12-15 minutes. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir well. Add cornstarch mixture to chicken mixture; simmer 2 minutes until sauce thickens. Stir in cilantro. Divide rice into 4 servings (each 140 grams). Divide chicken mixture and serve over rice.

Nutritional Information: 375 calories, 48 carbs, 7 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: AMAZING. I mean it -that cardamom work was absolutely worth it and yes, I think it helped make the recipe. This dish has SO much flavor, and even tasted better second day, which we didn't think was possible. It's strong, not spicy, and really had a lot of focus on ginger, which I happen to love. I will absolutely make this again! And next time, i'll toss in some red pepper too (it called for it but I didn't have it so yellow it was!). I seriously can't believe the stats on this dish - it had enough flavor and 'soupiness' to where i'd easily assume it had at least double the calories and fat!

Whole pan

Coconut Curry Soup

Coconut Curry Soup
Recipe adapted by Mel’s Kitchen Café
Makes 4 Servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound chicken breasts, diced
Salt and pepper for seasoning
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 14-oz. can light coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or more to taste
1 tsp light brown sugar
½ tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp lime juice
¼ cup fresh cilantro
1 cup basmati rice (dry), cooked

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let chicken cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onions and red pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onions and peppers are slightly softened. (The chicken and vegetables don’t have to be fully cooked as they will simmer and cook further in the next step.) Add chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and curry powder. Stir to combine. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve a ladle or two of the soup over a scoop of rice and garnish with more cilantro, if desired.

Nutritional Information: 417 calories, 43 carbs, 12 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: This one was a major win for us! I loved the flavor, loved the basmati rice and am a huge fan of anything with coconut milk and curry powder - yum! The cilantro was great too and I liked how much color this dish had with the red pepper. It was a nice consistency - almost like a soupier curry with a pretty this sauce, but the rice helped thicken it up. We will definitely make this again - no changes!

a spoonful from the bottom - yummy basmati rice!

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

Chicken Curry in a Hurry
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light recipe
Makes 4 Servings

2 tsp olive oil
½ cup yellow onion
2 tsp curry powder
½ cup fat-free plain yogurt (fage 0%)
¼ cup heavy cream
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 pound chicken, cooked in salt and pepper and shredded
3 cups white rice, dry
¼ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes. Sprinkle with curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add yogurt and cream and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Divide the rice (and chicken among individual bowls, spoon the sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the cilantro.

Nutritional Information: 464 calories, 60 carbs, 8 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: YUM! This one wasn't as good as the tikka masala I made the same night, but hello - it was 'in a hurry' so obvi a lot less went into it. Also, they're so different, this is a yellow, curry powder-based sauce whereas that was a red/tomato-based sauce. I did think this has a lot of flavor - the onions came out nicely at the end and the sauce, while there wasn't a lot, was thick and easily covered all of the rice and chicken once stirred. I will definitely have this and won't change a thing - i'm also so glad I was able to use heavy cream, but still have the recipe around 450 calories - YUM!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala
Recipe adapted from My Bizzy Kitchen
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
6 oz. Nonfat, Plain Greek Yogurt, divided (Fage 0%)
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 tsp ground cumin, divided
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp table salt
1 tbsp light canola butter
1 tsp minced garlic, jarred
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp curry powder
6 dried red chiles
1 14-oz. can tomato sauce
1 small jalapeno, cut in half, seeded and finely diced
1/4 tsp Sriracha Chili Sauce
3 cups rice

Mix 3 ounces of yogurt with chicken, lemon juice, 2 tsp. cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper. Let sit for an hour. Melt butter and add jalapeno pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, garlic, curry powder, sriracha sauce and stir for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add chicken and cook for five minutes. Add tomato sauce and chiles and simmer for 15 minutes until chicken is fully cooked. While simmering, cook rice per package instructions. Remove chicken from heat, stir in remaining 3 ounces of Greek yogurt. Divide rice into four servings. Top with chicken and garnish with cilantro.

Nutritional Information: 458 calories, 58 carbs, 8 fat grams and 40 protein grams.

Review: So this was the most involved Indian recipe I've ever made in the fact that I felt like I was using real Indian ingredients- I had to go to an Indian grocer for the red chiles! The recipes makes a lot of sauce - easily enough for each serving to have 3/4 cup. I liked how much it made, and it wasn't soup, but it wasn't thick either - perfect really! The yogurt mix in at the end really cooled it down, but it was still very spicy! We have decided that this is my best Indian recipe ("by far" Austin said - I tried to not be offended. hehe). There isn't one thing I would change and can't wait to eat it again - it even reheated VERY well at lunch today! So if you're up for thick red curry with a kick - go for this dish!

Cheesy Broccoli & Chicken

Cheesy Broccoli & Chicken
Recipe adapted from About.com recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 can broccoli & cheese soup (not fat-free)
1 pound chicken, frozen
1 14-oz. bag frozen broccoli
½ cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, use more to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons parsley, dried
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups white rice, cooked per microwave instructions

Place chicken in crockpot. Cover with frozen veggies and soup. Add seasonings to taste. Cook on high 3 hours. Add milk and cook for another 30 minutes. Divide cooked rice into four servings, and spoon ¼ of the recipe onto each serving of rice.

Nutritional Information: 467 calories, 68 carbs, 4 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: This tasted like Thanksgiving - for real! I loved how it tasted like cheesy broccoli, and the chicken just shredded right up and blended in to the mix. It tasted best fresh - super creamy and was great over the rice. Reheat wasn't bad, but I definitely had to add some water and salt to get it back up to par, so I'd suggest making this to eat that day (I would even bring this to a Thanksgiving pot luck - i'd just add cooked white rice at the end, stir, and turn it to warm! All in all, a recipe i'll make again.

Ma Po Chicken

Ma Po Chicken
Recipe adapted from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 green onions, chopped
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1.5 tbsp red chili paste
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 ½ tbsp chicken broth
3 cups white minute rice

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat; add garlic and onions and sauté until tender. Add chili paste, soy sauce and chicken broth. Stir until mixed and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken, cooking 3-4 minutes on each side until no longer pink. Stir in cornstarch mixture to thicken sauce. Microwave rice per instructions. Divide rice into four servings and then top with chicken and sauce.

Nutritional Information: 426 calories, 59 carbs, 6 fat grams and 28 protein grams.

Review: I'm always looking for new Asian-inspired recipes - especially Chinese. I can eat this stuff all day long so it's awesome to find great, flavorful, take-out-tasting recipes like this one. It was so easy, but had a lot of kick from the red chili paste, but then was softened by the chicken broth. The chicken was tender and I loved how infused it was with the sauce. Much like previous recipes, I can't taste the green onions, but feel like I'd notice if it wasn't there. Only tip I have is to make sure you mix the cornstarch well with the broth - it really helped thicken up the sauce a bit (but not too much - perfect!) and I enjoyed this recipe and found it super easy. I love a short ingredient list and a simple, tasty and spicy Chinese recipe!

Skillet Chicken with Mexican Green Rice

Skillet Chicken with Mexican Green Rice
Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café

Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 poblano pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1 tsp ground cumin
1 10-oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Pat chicken dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Brown chicken on each side for 1-2 minutes until golden but not cooked all the way through. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside. In the hot skillet, add onion and poblano pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, until vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and cumin and cook for 30 seconds. Add enchilada sauce, rice and water, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil and set chicken breasts in the simmering rice mixture, nestling them in a bit. Cover the skillet, set the heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes, until rice is tender, most of the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked through, stirring every five minutes or so to ensure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information: 420 calories, 57 carbs, 6 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: This had a lot of flavor and I liked that the rice was green (more green in person - I swears)! I will say that the rice took a long time to me! It kept tasting crunchy so I ended up cooking it for almost 30 minutes. I'm just SO bad at making rice on a stove - it's always either soupy or crunchy. That being said, even though I had to improvise a bit based on my stove, the recipe was great and I wouldn't consider using minute rice or anything as this was SO much flavorful with the rice cooking in the sauce mixture. I will definitely make this again, and can even see using red enchilada sauce to mix it up!

Sweet and Sour Chicken #2

Sweet and Sour Chicken #2
Recipe adapted from a My Kitchen Café Recipe
Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. chicken
Salt and pepper
½ cup cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp canola oil
2 cups white rice, divided
Sauce: ¾ cup splenda, 4 tbsp ketchup, ½ cup vinegar, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp garlic salt.

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken. Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve over rice. (1/2 cup per serving)

Nutritional Information: 450 calories, 61 carbs, 9 fat grams and 28 protein grams.

Review: We loved this - the fact that it was breaded pretty much meant that Austin was 100% about it. I loved that I made my own sauce - always better than jarred! Yes, it took a while which could be seen as a downside, but it would make it easy to make while pre-cooking (i.e. can cook something else while it's in the oven!) and honestly, it's worth it! I'm always looking for new Asian-inspired recipes and this one is DEFINITELY a keeper!

Close up of the chicken - definitely breaded and "legit" as Austin says

Szechuan Chicken and Rice

Szechuan Chicken and Rice
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from a Stephanie Cooks recipe (from Blog Chef)

16 ounces chicken
½ cup water
¼ cup ketchup
2 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp honey
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon minced ginger, jarred
1.5 tbsp canola oil
4 tsp minced garlic, jarred

3 cups white rice, divided

In a small bowl mix together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper flakes and ginger. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and toss to coat with oil. Heat for 3-4 minutes. While it’s still a bit pink, pour in sauce. Heat until sauce is thick and bubbly, 3-4 minutes, then reduce heat to simmer and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Serve over white rice.

Nutritional Information: 457 calories, 66 carbs, 7 fat grams and 27 protein grams.

Review: Amazing. Seriously. Austin had one bite and said it tasted ‘for real restaurant style.’ High praise. It’s spicy, but not too spicy, and I loved how thick it was and how much sauce it made. I felt like if it had been jarred this way it would have had way more calories. The recipe originally called for shrimp, which I’m sure would be great too. It also called for green onions which I would have used had I had some on hand. Great recipe, will make this again for sure. Could reduce oil to 1 tbsp if you want to lower calories a bit. This seriously may be my best Asian-inspired recipe yet!

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.

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!

Spicy Shrimp and Pepper Skillet

Spicy Shrimp and Pepper Skillet
Recipe from Cooking Light
Makes 2 Servings

5 oz. frozen pepper stir-fry thawed
Cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
½ tbsp minced garlic
10 oz. shrimp, thawed
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp creole seasoning
¼ tsp pepper
1.5 cups rice

Thaw shrimp (over night or run hot water over them). Place peppers in a colander, and rinse running water; drain well. Set aside. Heat oil in skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add garlic and pepper stir-fry; sauté 5 minutes or until peppers are tender. Add shrimp and next 3 ingredients to pan; sauté 3-4 minutes or until shrimp are done and mixture is heated. Serve shrimp mixture over rice.

Nutritional Information: 455 calories, 61 carbs, 6 fat grams and 30 grams of protein.

Review: I couldn’t even eat it all – SO filling and yummy! It was SUPER spicy, so the recipe above has been edited a bit to tone it down – wowza! It was really yum – and my first time using frozen pepper stirfry. Cooking Light is a huge advocate of this ‘recipe starter’ and I can see how it can come in handy. It’s good, but just doesn’t have the crunch fresh veggies have which is what makes me love them!So all in all, it's pretty good if you like spicy and don't mind frozen veggies, but I don't know if it's for me. :(