Creamy Herbed Chicken and Noodles

Last night’s dinner wasn’t too bad, although it seemed to be missing a bit of something. However, I’m going to post the recipe anyway. I might fiddle with it some more in the future and find that magical, missing element. We’ll see. I also doubled the recipe because one serving as it was written would not have filled Zan up by any means. So, even with it doubled, the main meal came to a little less than 600 calories. Not TOO bad for a dinner. If you don’t count the biscuits I made to go with it. LOL OH! And one change I will definitely make in the future – this would be so much better with shredded rotisserie chicken!

Creamy Herbed Chicken and Noodles

The 1500-Calorie-A-Day Cookbook, pg. 120

6 ounces dry no-yolk egg noodles

½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (4 ounces) light cream cheese with herbs and garlic, such as Alouette

2 tablespoons fat-free milk

1 medium garlic clove, minced

3 medium green onions, chopped fine (1/3 cup)

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the noodles according to package directions, omitting any salt or fat.

Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat until hot, and coat the skillet with cooking spray. Cook the chicken 4 minutes or until no longer pink in the center, stirring frequently.

Drain the noodles, return them to the pot, and add the chicken and remaining ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese. Toss until the cream cheese has melted and the mixture is well blended. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Calories 290; total fat 6g (saturated fat 4g); protein 22g; carbohydrates 36g; fiber 2g; cholesterol 55mg; sodium 530 mg; vitamin A 2%; vitamin C 4%; calcium 15%; iron 10%

Time Shaver Tip: To save time, you can use about 1 ¼ cups cooked chicken in place of the raw chicken, using either leftovers from a rotisserie chicken or the frozen chopped variety.

Crazy Lady’s Note: You could easily add all sorts of vegetables to this making it more filling and a one-dish meal.

Garlic Pita Chips

Garlic Pita Chips
Serves: 4
Serving Size: 8 chips
Take pita bread to a crunchy new level.
INGREDIENTS
2 pita breads
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Using a small knife or kitchen scissors, cut along circumference of each pita bread to remove folded edge.
3. Combine oil and garlic in a bowl.
4. Brush each pita round with the oil and garlic mixture.
5. Stack the rounds and then cut into 8 wedges.
6. Arrange wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until chips are golden brown.
NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 126
Fat: 5.3 g
Carbohydrates:17.8 g
Protein: 3.2 g

Skinny Hazelnut Cafe au Lait

Skinny Hazelnut Café au Lait

Makes 1 servings

Variation of recipe courtesy of National Fluid Milk Promotion Board

2 tbsp (1 oz.) sugar-free hazelnut syrup
1 cup fat free milk (245 g)
2/3 cup brewed coffee (158 g)
cinnamon

Pour syrup into 20-ounce chilled stainless steel pitcher. Add cold
milk.

If using a stove-top, heat syrup and milk in saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. If using a microwave, heat milk and syrup in large, shallow bowl for 2 to 3 minutes.

Whisk rapidly until milk is airy and frothed. Blend in coffee, dust with cinnamon and serve in a bowl or mug.

CARAMEL LATTE

Caramel Latte

Source: Splenda Exchange

2 packets SPLENDA® Flavors for Coffee, Caramel
1/4 cup brewed espresso
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup non fat milk

Mix all ingredients together in a microwaveable bowl or mug. Heat in a microwave 30 to 40 seconds or to desired temperature.

Blend in blender 15 to 20 seconds to create a frothy drink, if desired.

Pour into serving cup and serve immediately.

Note: Serving Size: 1 (6 fl oz) drink

Tomato Basil Skewers

Tomato Basil Skewers

Skewering mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes makes them easy to nosh at a party

Makes 16 pieces

16 small fresh mozzarella balls

16 fresh basil leaves

16 cherry tomatoes

Thread mozzarella, basil and tomatoes on small skewers. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Information Per piece:

46 calories

3 g fat (2 g sat, 0 g mono)

8 mg cholesterol

1 g carbohydrate

3 g protein

0 g fiber

217 mg sodium

34 mg potassium

Healthy Fruit and Nut Salad

Healthy Fruit and Nut Salad

2 Granny Smith apples
1 Red Delicious apple
1 bunch Red Seedless Grapes (sliced in half)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1 8 oz. container vanilla yogurt
Granola with raisins

Wash and cut up apples into bite size pieces. Add sliced grapes, chopped walnuts to apples in large mixing bowl. Add vanilla
yogurt and mix to coat all fruit. Sprinkle with granola when
served.

Feta-Topped Chicken

Feta-Topped Chicken

Chicken breasts go uptown with a brush of balsamic, a sprinkle of herbs and a warmed feta finish. Simply sensational!

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 25 min
Makes: 4 servings

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/4 lb)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 large Roma (plum) tomato, cut into 8 slices
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (1 oz)

1. Set oven control to broil. Brush both sides of chicken breasts with dressing. Sprinkle both sides with Italian seasoning and seasoned pepper. Place on rack in broiler pan.

2. Broil with tops 4 inches from heat about 10 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F). Top with tomato and cheese. Broil 2 to 3 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Broil chicken about 15 minutes. Top with tomato and cheese. Broil 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Substitution
You can use 1/2 teaspoon each of dried basil and oregano leaves in place of the Italian seasoning.

Special Touch
Feta cheese crumbles are available in a variety of flavors. Some have sun-dried tomatoes, basil or cracked pepper added. Any of these would be delicious in this recipe.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 200 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 80mg; Sodium 210mg; Total Carbohydrate 2g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 1g); Protein 28g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 6%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 4 Very Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 0
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Christmas Meringues

Christmas Meringues
Serves: 25
Everyone will enjoy these light clouds of cookies in festive Christmas colors.
INGREDIENTS
2 Egg Whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. mint flavoring or almond extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans
food coloring
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat eggs till very stiff.
Gradually add sugar.
Fold in last 3 ingredients.
Add food coloring in red or green.
Cover cookie sheets with aluminum foil.
Drop rounded teaspoons of mixture, spaced slightly apart.
Put in oven and TURN OFF the heat.
Leave in closed oven at least 2 hours or overnight to dry up the cookies.
NUTRITION INFO (per serving)
Calories: 41.2
Fat: 1.9 g
Carbohydrates: 6.3g
Protein: 0.5 g

Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic

Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic

1 lb. angel hair pasta
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
5 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp. basil
3/4 cup chicken broth
5 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet. Add garlic and cook for one minute.

Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Cook for three minutes. Add hot pasta to skillet and toss well.

Add chicken broth and stir. Toss with parmesan cheese. Serves 6-8 This is a great low fat, low calorie dish.

Grab and Go Wraps

Grab and Go Wraps

Hijacked shamelessly from a Weight Watchers news letter...

We've got lots of ideas to spice, fill, and season the wrap so you'll have lunches with variety and taste.

Everyone loves wraps. And why not? They’re excellent grab-and-go lunches.

What’s better is that you can make a filling well in advance, then have lunch (or even dinner) for several days as the filling stays in the fridge.

Filling
Covered, will keep refrigerated for…

Salmon Salad Wrap Filling
3 days

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus
7 days

Turkey Enchilada Wrap Filling
4 days

Concerned that things will get boring? Not a chance—we’ve got plenty of ideas to spice, fill and season wraps so you’ll have lunches rich with variety and taste. Start your chopping…so that you may have a healthy lunch on the run. Just remember, the POINTS® values apply only to the fillings.

Salmon Salad Wrap Filling

Makes 4 servings
POINTS® value | 3 per ½ Cup Serving

Nothing’s easier—or tastier—than this quick salmon salad filling. And it's not just limited to wraps. You can eat it in lettuce leaves or large, hollowed-out tomatoes. Want it spicier? Give the mix several dashes of hot red pepper sauce.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup canned salmon, drained
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 cup dill pickle, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl.

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

Makes 6 servings
POINTS® value | 2 per 1/3 Cup Serving

Hummus is a Middle Eastern spread made from ground chickpeas—but once you beef it up with lots of flavors and textures, it’s great in a wrap for an on-the-go lunch. Or try it on its own as a dip for cut-up vegetables or even as a topping on a baked potato.

Ingredients

1 oz sun-dried tomatoes (do not use those canned in oil)
1 3/4 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (one 15 1/2-ounce can)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a tea kettle of water to a boil over high heat. Place the sundried tomatoes in a medium bowl; cover with boiling water to a depth of 1 inch. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes.
2. Drain tomatoes, reserving 3 tablespoons of the soaking liquid.
3. Place the soaked tomatoes, chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper in a large food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Process until smooth, scraping down the inside of the canister as necessary.

Turkey Enchilada Wrap Filling

Makes 4 servings
POINTS® value | 2 per 1 Cup Serving

There’s not much work here—other than making the wrap for lunch before you’re out the door for work in the morning. This filling also makes a great topper for nachos on game day.

Ingredients

8 ounces cooked deli turkey meat, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 tsp ground cumin

Instructions

Stir all the ingredients in a large bowl.

To make a wrap:

Lay a medium, fat-free, whole wheat tortilla flat (a POINTS value of 1) on your work surface. Place the filling in a line down the center of the tortilla. Roll the wrap closed and keep refrigerated until you’re ready to eat. Want even more flavor? Add any of these extras:

• For a POINTS value of 0:
  1/4 cup alfalfa or other sprouts
  1/4 cup shredded carrots
  2 Tbsp sliced radishes
  2 Tbsp diced cucumber
  2 pitted black or green olives, minced
  1 diced jarred pimiento or roasted red pepper
  1 sliced pickled jalapeño chile, minced
  Several leaves green leaf, red leaf, or Romaine lettuce, chopped
• For a POINTS value of 1:
  2 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
  2 Tbsp low-fat shredded Cheddar or Swiss cheese