Once again this week I found myself searching for a new recipe, something I could make with chicken. Chicken is always so versatile, it’s like a blank slate, but figuring out what to do can be tricky sometimes.  Today’s chicken recipe is Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables and it comes from Fitness Magazine. It’s simple, easy, and has lots of flavor. Enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables Recipe

All you need:

• 1/4 cup bottled Italian salad dressing

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 12 ounces chicken breast tenderloins

• 10 ounces asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces, or 10-ounce package frozen cut asparagus, thawed and well drained

• 1 cup shredded carrot

• 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped

All you do:

Nutrition information (makes 4 servings):

Per serving: 271 calories, 22g protein, 12g carbohydrate, 15g fat (2g saturated), 2g fiber

As part of my effort to share different ways to cook, today’s Figure Friendly Recipe is Baked Chicken and Artichokes. It’ll serve four people and each serving has 284 calories, 6 grams of fat, 42 grams of protein, and 488mg of Sodium. Enjoy!

All You’ll Need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 9-ounce bag frozen artichoke hearts, quartered
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 4 to 6 ounces each
1 teaspoon chopped, fresh rosemary
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

All you’ll do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, artichokes, mushrooms and peppers, season with salt and pepper, cook for 2 more minutes and set aside.

3. Slice the chicken breasts into 1/2-inch wide strips. Season the chicken pieces with rosemary, salt and pepper and place them in a large baking dish in a single layer. Spoon the artichoke mixture evenly over the chicken and add the wine and broth. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Source: FoodFit.com

As I’ve mentioned before, sometimes it’s so hard to come up with different ways to cook chicken. I’m always keeping my eye out for a recipe that’s not only healthy, but delicious. Just today I found a great recipe that’s figure friendly and perfect for this beautiful Fall weather!

Healthy Ways to Cook Chicken – Chicken with Apples and Cider Sauce Recipe

All you’ll need:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4 to 6 oz. each
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
flour for dredging
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/3 cup apple cider
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup non-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

All you’ll do:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet. While the oil is heating, season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge it in flour (optional).

2. Sauté the chicken over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a platter and keep warm.

3. Add the apples and apple cider, stir with a wooden spoon to release any caramelized bits that may be stuck to the pan and cook until the cider has reduced by half.

4. Add the chicken broth, chicken and any juices that have accumulated on the platter. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

5. Remove the chicken to a clean serving platter and keep warm. Simmer the broth mixture until it has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the sour cream and stir until it is thoroughly combined. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Nutritional info:

Serve this with a green salad, and it’s a perfect Fall meal!

Source: Foodfit.com

Yesterday we talked about how broth soups are generally good for us while cream soups are usually a no-no. Today I thought I’d post a recipe for “The ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup” from the October 2007 issue of O – Oprah’s Magazine.  This soup is made from scratch meaning you make your own stock! I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds delicious and much better than what you can get out of a can.  The instructions say that the stock recipe makes more than what the soup recipe actually calls for, but you can freeze the leftovers for up to three months. With cold weather right around the corner, this healthy soup loaded with vegetables will be perfect for an arctic Winter day!

Oprah’s Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup – Serves 6 to 8

Stock:

• 1 whole chicken, halved and cleaned, plus 6 chicken wings
• 3 carrots, trimmed
• 1 onion, peeled
• 2 leeks, thoroughly rinsed
• 4 celery stalks
• 3 parsnips, trimmed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 1 whole lemon

Soup:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch coins
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 Tbsp. chopped dill
• 1 pound egg noodles
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the stock: In a large pot, combine all ingredients and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to the barest simmer and cook 4 hours, occasionally skimming the scum off the surface. Strain stock into a large bowl and discard solids except for chicken halves; set those aside.

To make soup: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery. Cook about 10 minutes. Add 6 cups stock. Cook 25 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender.

Meanwhile, pull chicken into shreds from reserved chicken halves; discard skin and bones. Add chicken to stock, along with dill and noodles and cook until noodles are al dente, 8 to 10 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (the stock is unsalted; it may need more than you think). Serve hot.

A few days ago we talked about the foods that are thought to be good for us, but only if we are mindful of how it’s prepared.  For example, a lettuce salad is great for you (assuming it’s made with dark greens), but not if it’s loaded with cheese, croutons, bacon, and creamy dressings.  Today I thought we’d take a look at some other foods that are food for us, but only if it’s prepared with health in mind. Here’s Figure Friendly Club’s list of “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.”

So where’s the ugly? Well, we could take each of the foods listed above a little further to make them ugly. Like fried fish slathered with tarter sauce, now that’s ugly! Or white refined grains like white bread slathered with butter, another ugly situation! Or how about a “fruit” drink from Jamba Juice like the Power Size Razzmatazz drink with a whopping 620 calories! Now that’s ugly!

In my quest to find different ways to cook chicken, I decided to look for a healthy way to cook chicken parmigiana. Both my husband and I love chicken parmigiana, but the problem is that it’s traditionally fried. Luckily there are other ways to cook it, and in this recipe from The Food Network, it’s grilled. If you’re looking for a different way to work with chicken, give this recipe a try. It’s simple, won’t take you much time, and it’s a much better alternative to the traditional fried Chicken Parmigiana.

–Healthy Grilled Chicken Parmigiana Recipe–

All you’ll need:

• 2 pounds thin chicken breast cutlets
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling, plus 5 tablespoons
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 20 fresh  basil leaves (1 cup), shredded or torn
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 pound smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced

All you’ll do:

Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and drizzle with EVOO to keep it from sticking to the grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side and transfer to a foil-covered platter to hold. If you are using a grill pan, cook the chicken in 2 batches if necessary. While the chicken cooks, make the sauce.

Place a medium pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO (twice around the pan). Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and onion. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and heat through, 2 minutes. Wilt in the basil and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler to high.

Layer the chicken with the tomato sauce in a casserole dish. Top the casserole with Parmigiano and mozzarella. Brown the chicken parm casserole under the broiler for 3 minutes.

We know that chicken is one of the best lean meats for us, yet sometimes it’s hard to know what to do with it.  I’m always looking for different ways to cook chicken so that it’s tasty, yet healthy at the same time. Today I’ll fill you in on one of my favorite ways to cook chicken that may be different from something you’ve already tried. It’s simple, and delicious!

Looking for a different way to cook chicken? Stir-Fry it!

Here’s my recipe for Stir-Fried Chicken and Vegetables:

All you’ll need:

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• Chicken cut into small thin pieces (use a sharp knife or buy chicken pre-sliced)
• Your favorite vegetables cut into bite sized pieces (I use red pepper, peas, carrots, broccoli, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and any other veggie that sounds good that day like asparagus, squash, zucchini, etc.)
• Soy sauce
• Black pepper
• Whole grain rice (brown rice) if desired. I usually cook 1/2 cup per person

All you’ll do:

1. Get the rice started – just follow the directions on the box for whichever rice you’re using. Using whole grain rice will give you more nutrients than white rice. You could also eliminate the rice all together.
2. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a large skillet or wok on high heat.
3. Add the chicken and stir-fry until cooked through (only takes a few minutes if the chicken is in small thin pieces).
4. Remove chicken from pan and heat an additional drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add your sliced veggies.
5. Season the veggies with black pepper, and any other season you desire.
6. Add 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce to the veggies to give in an Asian flavor. Continue to stir-fry the veggies until they’re cooked through. Don’t cook them too long because you don’t want them to get mushy.
7. Add the cooked chicken to your veggies and mix together.
8. Serve over whole grain rice.

Note: There are stir-fry sauces that you can buy, however I stay away from them. I find that just soy sauce is enough to flavor it just right!

Enjoy!

I’m always looking for different ways to cook chicken. It’s healthy, affordable, and versatile. The versatile part is what gets me though, I know there’s so much I can do with it, I just don’t know what. I came across a figure friendly recipe for Chicken Piccata which sounded good, and has pretty common ingredients that are easy to find.

Chicken Piccata

–Ingredients–

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4 to 6 ounces each
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Flour for dredging
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

–Cooking Instructions–

1. Lay the chicken between two pieces of waxed paper and flatten each cutlet with the flat end of a mallet until thin.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet until hot. While the oil is heating, season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge it in flour.
3. Sauté the chicken over high heat, about 3 minute on each side. Remove to a warm platter and keep warm.
4. Quickly add the chicken broth to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon to release any caramelized bits that may be stuck to the pan. Cook until the broth has reduced by half. Add the lemon juice and capers. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

–Nutritional Information–

Source: FoodFit.com