Broccoli Salad ... Lighter Version!

I love broccoli salad, it was one of my favorites growing up.  BUT as I watch what I eat and working out my usual broccoli salad just doesn't work, I found a great version on Eating Well's Website and I must say it was pretty tasty.  I never have add water chestnuts to my previous versions and it gave it a nice crunch!  I recommend this as a great alternative for your summer snack.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups finely chopped broccoli crowns
• 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
• 3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
• Freshly ground pepper , to taste

PREPARATION

1. Whisk garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and sugar in a large bowl. Add broccoli, water chestnuts, bacon, cranberries and pepper; stir to coat with the dressing.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 89 calories; 4 g fat ( 1 g sat , 1 g mono ); 8 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 200 mg sodium; 193 mg potassium.

Sorry I didn't get a pretty plated picture of it.  Enjoy!!

Something Sweet but a Surprise Ingredient!

I wanted to bring something sweet with not all the calories to a party a few weeks back.  I went onto the Eating Well Site and found this Double Corn-Blueberry Cobbler.  I was surprised how yummy this was, yes I must admit at first I was a little worried when I saw corn in this recipe.  I did grind up the corn in my ninja so my guest didn't see chunks of corn.  This was a great summer time dish that was loved by all even the men liked it!  My parents have several blueberry bushes in their yard, so I thankfully have a ton in my freezer!

INGREDIENTS

FILLING

• 4 cups blueberries or blackberries (about 1 1/4 pounds), fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon white whole-wheat flour (see Note)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

TOPPING

• 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal, preferably medium- or coarse-ground
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh, frozen (thawed) or canned (well-drained) - This is what I ground up.

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. To prepare filling: Combine berries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large bowl. (If using frozen fruit, let stand for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thaw the fruit before transferring to the baking dish.) Transfer to a 9-inch shallow glass or ceramic baking dish.
3. To prepare topping: Whisk 1 cup whole wheat flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until well blended. Whisk egg yolk, buttermilk, oil and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to blend. Fold in corn.
4. Evenly spoon the batter on top of the berry mixture; the fruit will be almost completely covered with batter. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake until the berries are bubbly, the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the topping comes out clean, 35 to 50 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes before serving.

Enjoy it was a real crowd pleasure!

Have a wonderful week!

Tuesday’s Friends–Chicken Parm Subs with handmade bun

The other week I made a really good sandwich for our friends.  Of course I came across our meal idea on Pinterest.  This Chicken Parmesan Sub was found on one of my favorite sites Eating Well.  I search Pinterest for their recipes all the time since they are low fat and family pleasing.

The recipe called for whole wheat sandwich rolls, but you know me I rather make my own when I can.  So I found this bread machine roll recipe on all recipes which is another good source.

Ingredients

• 3 cups bread flour (I used whole wheat)
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dry milk powder
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Place the bread flour, sugar, salt, milk powder, water, butter, and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Set on Dough cycle; press Start.
2. Remove risen dough from the machine, deflate, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces, and form into rounds. Place the rounds on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. In a small bowl, mix together the egg white and 2 tablespoons water; brush lightly onto the rolls. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown.

Then on to the chicken and making of the subs.  This was pretty easy and man they sure would yummy!

Chicken Parmesan Sub

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts cut into 4 portions or 4 small breasts), (2 large breasts cut into 4 portions or 4 small breasts)
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 6-ounce bags baby spinach
• 1 cup marinara sauce, preferably low-sodium (see Tip)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
• 4 soft whole-wheat sandwich rolls, toasted

PREPARATION

1. Position oven rack in top position; preheat broiler.
2. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Place chicken between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with the smooth side of a meat mallet or a heavy saucepan until the chicken is an even 1/4-inch thickness. Dip the chicken in the flour mixture and turn to coat.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach and cook, stirring often, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
4. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add half the chicken and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and chicken; transfer to the baking sheet.
5. Top each piece of chicken with the wilted spinach, marinara sauce and Parmesan. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Broil until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Serve on rolls.

(I just baked my chicken then added the spinach and cheese in the oven, I’m about the easy version.  So I skipped the putting the chicken in the pan on the stove top).

So there you have it an easy meal and something new then just the regular chicken dinner!  Happy Monday have a great day!

White Bean Chili Thrown into the crockpot!

It went from being a sunny day yesterday where I thought I would need the fans put into the house. Then today back came the rain and the cool weather.  Out came my crockpot and my crockpot liner because I refuse to soak another crockpot and dinner was made!

I found this amazing recipe on Eating Well for a White Bean Chili.  I threw mine in the crockpot because I’m lazy like that .. lol.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 15-ounce cans great northern beans, rinsed
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups diced cooked skinless turkey, or chicken
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

PREPARATION

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chiles, oregano, cumin and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in beans and broth; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add turkey (or chicken) and vinegar; cook for 5 minutes more. Serve. My changes is throw it all into the crockpot and let it cook it , raw chicken and all.  I put the chicken in the kitchen aid with the paddle and shredded chicken came out (Thank you Pinterest for that tip). I also added an extra can of beans.

This was super easy to throw into the crockpot and 5 hours later, shred the chicken and it’s dinner time! 

Turkey & Black Bean Enchilada’s are on our Wednesday night dinner.  How about you what is your dinner plan?