Healthy Cobb Salad (or wrap!)

Healthy Cobb Salad
Recipe adapted from The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook
Makes 4 Servings

1 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
¼ cup nonfat Greek Yogurt (like Fage)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp water
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
4 slices turkey bacon, diced
1 pound chicken, diced or thinly sliced; cooked in salt and pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced

Romaine or spinach leaves

Blend cheese, yogurt, vinegar, water and pepper until smooth; reserve. Cook turkey bacon until crisp; reserve. Arrange lettuce in 4 bowls. Scatter bacon on top of lettuce followed by chicken, tomatoes, eggs and avocado. Drizzle with dressing.

Nutritional Information: 336 calories, 14 carbs, 16 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: I really liked it. Lots of different flavors. I will say I preferred it with romaine lettuce, and when I ate it the second time, I was STARVING so I put it in a taco-size Mission tortilla. I just spread the sauce on first, then topped with the ingredients and a bit of romaine - it was wonderful this way and, for me, more satisfying. The salad was filling as is, but just not satisfying for me - I guess it was just too healthy rather than being healthified! :) I would definitely make this again, but would probably plan on having it in a flat out wrap or tortilla.

Notes: when dividing, each salad gets 78 grams chicken, 38 grams eggs, 38 grams avocado, 7 grams bacon and 26 grams dressing.

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!

Curried Chicken with Quinoa

Curried Chicken with Quinoa
Adapted from a Fitness magazine recipe
Makes 4 Servings

4 servings quinoa (1 cup)
2 cups chicken broth
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp lime juice, divided
¼ cup cilantro, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp red curry paste
2 tsp canola oil
1 tbsp plus ½ tsp minced garlic, divided
1 pound chicken, raw and diced
1 6-oz. container 0% Greek yogurt (Fage)
1 tsp minced ginger

Cook quinoa according to package with chicken broth. Combine with jalapeno, 1 tsp of lime juice and half of cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, whisk together paste, oil, 1 tbsp garlic and 1 tbsp lime juice. Add chicken; toss to coat. Mix together yogurt, ginger, remaining cilantro and 1 tsp garlic in a small bowl. Heat a pan to medium. Cook chicken until no longer pink, about 5 minutes per side. Separate quinoa mixture into four bowls. Divide chicken and sauce and pour over quinoa. Divide yogurt mixture into four servings and spoon over chicken.

Nutritional Information: 420 calories, 52 carbs, 8 fat grams and 35 protein grams.

Review: We really like this. It tastes good hot and cold, which is fun. And the yogurt sauce definitely added a nice, tangy topping. The chicken had a great flavor too it, and don't be scared of the jalapeno - it didn't add too much heat. The red curry paste added the most heat but it was very bearable. I'm all for a quinoa and really liked this easy-to-make recipe. It did take a bit of prep with the cilantro and jalpeno, but mostly it was just opening jars and measuring out yumminess. We will DEFINITELY have this one again!

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!

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).

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.

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!

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.

Crabcakes with Tzaziki sauce

Recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking
Crabcakes with Tzaziki sauce
Makes 2 Servings

1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp mayonnaise
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp dried mustard
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tspBay seasoning
Juice of 1/4 a lemon
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
10 oz crab meat
½ cup plain panko crumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
Tzaziki sauce (her recipe below for 1 cup!)

Combine all ingredients except crab and panko crumbs. Carefully add crab to mixture then gently fold in panko crumbs. Form into desired size crab cake by hand (we made 4!). Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the crab cakes in skillet and cook on each side until golden brown. Serve with tzaziki sauce on the side.

Tzatziki Sauce: 1/3 cucumber (peeled, seeded and diced), ½ tsp salt, 3 oz. non-fat fage Greek yogurt, ¼ lemon (juice and est), ½ garlic clove. Peel cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and, using a spoon, remove all seeds from both halves. Dice into small pieces and place in strainer, Sprinkle salt over cucumber and let it sit in strainer for 30 minutes. Pat cucumber dry with a papertowel. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended. Refrigerate overnight.

Nutritional Information: 301 calories, 24 carbs, 12 fat grams and 23 protein grams.

Review: I ate 2 crab cakes and about 2 tbsp of the sauce – she was right, the crab is so good the sauce is not really needed! Ours got a little burnt (but still tasted AMAZING!), so I recommend cooking for 1 to 2 minutes on each side and flipping often to avoid them getting too brown.

Pasta in Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Sauce

Burp & Slurp Recipe

Pasta in Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Sauce

Makes 4 Servings

8 oz dried rotini
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion
6 sundried tomatoes, sliced (4o grams)
1 cup fat-free milk
2 tbsp reduced fat Parmesan cheese ; also 2 tsp
6 tbsp Trader Joe’s roasted red pepper-artichoke tapenade
4 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt (4 oz.)
salt and fresh-ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, leave aside. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, drop in olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the garlic and onion, sauté until soft and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the sundried-tomato, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the milk, and cook on low 7-10 minutes, letting sundried tomatoes cook into milk and allow all the flavors to combine. Stir in the tbsp of Parmesan cheese and the tapenade. Cook for a minute or so. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the Greek yogurt. Season with salt and pepper according to taste. Put pasta into two bowl and pour the sauce over it and mix. Sprinkle ½ tsp parmesan on each serving.
Yummy, creamy goodness in a bowl!

Nutritional Information: 330 calories, 53 carbs, 6 fat grams and 17 protein grams.

Review: We’ll DEFINITELY have this again, maybe even over romaine as a pasta salad or maybe with chicken on the side (worried I’d still be hungry after). But I wasn’t so who knows! This is the product that MADE it!

Chicken Bharta

Adapted from the Fitnessista

Chicken Bharta

Makes 4 Servings

2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fage 0% yogurt
1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

3 cups white rice, divided

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in cumin seeds and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender. Mix ginger, garlic, curry powder and tomato into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in yogurt. Mix in raw chicken and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and cook 10 minutes over high heat. Begin cooking white rice per instructions. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve. Serve over white rice.

Nutritional Information: 456 calories, 58 carbs, 9 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

4 little servings - yay!

Review: Wow. I really loved the heavy curry flavor in this sauce mixed with the creamy yogurt and fresh tomatoes and onions. It was very flavorful. I will say that it wasn't super saucy (if you like your rice drowning in curry you won't find that in this recipe). To me though, it was plenty of sauce and definitely carried through.

Cashew Chicken Curry

Adapted from Kitchen Parade

Cashew Chicken Curry

Makes 2 Servings

1 small onion, diced
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp curry powder
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ pound chicken breasts
10 ounces canned diced tomato
4 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 tbsp dried cilantro
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup light coconut milk

1 1/2 cups white rice

Heat a pan on medium high. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook until soft. Stir in the curry powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and kosher salt. Add chicken and cook it through. Add tomato, mushroom and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in yogurt and coconut milk and heat through for 5 minutes (do not boil). Serve over white rice. It makes 2 servings, and then I put it over two servings of ¾ cup white rice.

Nutritional Information (including rice): 492 calories, 4 fat grams and 75 carbs.

Review: This is a great curry - super hearty and filling. It's very thick, like a chili. You could easily take down the counts by dividing it over 6 servings or using less rice. This one's a keeper. Only downside is the simmer time - have another recipe to make on the side!

Spiced Yogurt Chicken

Adapted from Kitchen Parade

Spiced Yogurt Chicken

Makes 2 Servings

1/8 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 tablespoon chili powder
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/16 tsp cinnamon
8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts

5 oz. angel hair
Sauce: 1/8 cup fat-free yogurt, lemon juice, and cilantro.

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except chicken. Stir in the chicken, coating well. Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Stir together sauce ingredients in small bowl. Cook chicken in sauce on a pan set to medium until just cooked through, about 10 - 12 minutes (6 minutes per side). While the chicken is cooking, boil noodles per package instructions. Divide pasta on two plates, spray it with butter and salt, then topped with chicken and sauce.

Nutritional Information: 431 calories, 52 carbs, 6 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: YUMMMM. You could easily make it low carb by putting in on salad – good, good stuff.

Chicken and Pasta Salad

Chicken and Pasta Salad

Makes 2 Servings

½ cup chopped, peeled cucumber
¼ cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tbsp chopped onion
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
1/8 tsp celery seeds
1/16 tsp salt
1/16 tsp pepper
8 oz. chicken (chopped and cooked)
4 oz. farfalle.

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the cooked chicken and the cooked pasta, and toss well. Cover salad and chill for 1 hour.

Nutritional Information: 358 calories, 3 fat grams, 47 carbohydrates and 35 protein grams.

Review: We really liked it – great for lunches since it’s a cold salad!