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This statement is exactly what I said to my husband the other night at our boys baseball game.  I knew wanted grilled chicken, but I did not know what to make with it.  So, I decided it would come to me in the store while I was getting chicken.  What I came up with even surprised me at how good it turned out :)


Ingredients:

Boneless skinless chicken breast
Spinach
Red peppers-I used Delallo Roasted Red Peppers in Olive Oil with Garlic
Mozzarella-I use Fresh Mozzarella
Guacamole-I used Wholly Guacamole because I have not perfected my own guac recipe yet :)
Seasoning for the chicken-I used McCormick Grill Mates 25% Less Sodium Montreal Chicken Seasoning
Tin Foil


Directions:

-Preheat your grill (or the oven on broil, if you prefer)
-Pound the chicken breast to a uniform thickness
-Season the chicken to your liking on one side
-Place spinach on a piece of tin foil (make sure the tin foil is large enough to become a packet as it will go on the grill)
-Cut up the red peppers and the garlic and place on the spinach
-Add a small bit of the olive oil from the pepper jar on to the peppers and spinach, then seal up the foil
-Place chicken on the grill seasoning side down, if you like you can sprinkle a little more seasoning on the side that is up.  Grill for about 4-5 minutes before flipping, cook the other side for about 4-5 minutes also.
-A couple minutes after placing the chicken on the grill, place a piece of tin foil on the grill and then place the spinach pepper packet on that piece of foil. The packet will be on the grill for about 6-8 minutes total, I flip my packet about half way through (this is why I put another piece of foil underneath because I don't want the oil to catch fire).
-After removing the chicken and the spinach and pepper packet.  Let them both sit for 1-2 minutes.
-Slice your Mozzarella and get your guacamole ready.
-Place chicken on your plate, top with the spinach and pepper mixture
-Place Mozzarella on top of the spinach and peppers
-Finally place a dollop of guac on top of the Mozzarella




Healthy Eatings,

Rachel

So I wanted to try to make veggie burgers, but with my own spin of course.  So here is my turkey veggie burger that even my husband will eat :)


Ingredients:
2 pounds ground turkey
1-15 oz can black beans, drained
1-15 oz can lima beans, drained
2 portabella mushroom caps
your favorite add-ons/toppings-I like avocado and Havarti cheese
whole wheat buns


Directions:

-Scrape the gills of the mushroom caps with a spoon, then put into the food processor
-Add both types of beans into the food processor, then pour the mushroom and bean mixture into a medium sized bowl
-Add the ground turkey to the mixture and mix together well.
-Heat your pan on medium with a bit of oil (I use soybean oil), just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
-Make patties and place in the heated pan.
-After thoroughly heated, place on your bun add your topping and enjoy!



You could always cook these in the oven on broil or the grill.

*One side note.  I did not have the same amount of shrinkage with these burgers that I normally have when making straight Turkey Burgers, so don't make them too large, expecting them to shrink up.

**I planned on freezing these for later, but ended up sharing them with a friend and her family.  I will have to post the freezing instructions the next time I make them.  I plan on freezing them the same way I do traditional hamburgers...in a freezer bag, separating each patty by wax paper and trying to eliminate as much air as possible when sealing the bag.


Happy Eatings,

Rachel

I should make a special note before we get in to this too far :) You will notice that my recipes tend to make food for more than one meal.  This is because I make things to either freeze for another meal or for leftovers. I travel for work and want my family to eat healthy  while I am gone, so you will notice that my portions make more than some families will eat (depending on size and appetite) in one meal.

If I freeze any portion of a recipe I will make note of it and any special instructions.

Happy Eatings,


Rachel

I love to make homemade pizzas with my boys.  I love it because we can all have what we want for pizza, the boys can make their own, it does not take long at all and the Chicken Spinach Pizza is a great alternative if you are like me and don't really care for pizza sauce.

Kids pizza/traditional type pizza Ingredients:
"crust"-I like to use Naan bread, Flatout Bread, or whole wheat tortillas
cheese-for my boys I let them use string cheese, I use fresh mozzarella
Sauce-I use Ragu Pizza Sauce for my boys pizzas.
Toppings-whatever you like

Directions for the kids pizza:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-spread sauce on your crust
-Have the kids tear up the string cheese and place it on their crusts
-Add toppings of choice
-Place in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly





Chicken Pizza Ingredients:
fresh uncooked spinach
chicken, grilled/cooked and cut up-you can use chicken breast that you grilled previously, or just for the pizza.  I sometimes use a rotisserie chicken if I am really hungry or in a hurry.
fresh mozzarella cheese
reduced fat feta cheese
olive oil
spices-I prefer Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb or Mrs Dash Italian Medley

Chicken Pizza Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-In a small bowl place a small bit of olive oil and the seasonings you prefer and mix together (you may not use it all)
-On a baking sheet or pizza pan place your crust
-Use a marinade brush, small spatula or spoon to cover the crust with a layer of the olive oil mixture.  *Be careful not to add too much or your crust will be soggy*
-Cover the crust with spinach (how much is up to you)
-Add you chicken pieces
-Add your cheeses

Place in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the outside of the "crust" is crispy.




Healthy Eatings, 

Rachel

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Ingredients:
10 ounces of cooked spinach (I use a whole bag of fresh spinach chopped and cooked down)
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped up
2 portabella mushroom caps, chopped up
4 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
8 ounces feta cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded cheese-whatever kind you have or like (depending on how much cheese you like)
1 pastry shell (store bought or homemade whatever you prefer)


Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Toss spinach into pot of boil water to cook down.
-After the spinach is cooked down, use a strainer to drain the water.  While the spinach is in the strainer use a spatula to squeeze the excess water out of the spinach. If the spinach has too much water, it will make the quiche runny.
-Sautee asparagus and mushrooms in olive oil until just tender
-Put the pastry shell in your pie pan and throw it in the oven for about 3-5 minutes.  I have found that cooking that shell for a few minutes prevents the crust from being soggy in the middle.
-Combine cheeses and eggs in a bowl then fold in the asparagus, mushrooms and spinach.
-Place all the ingredients in the the pie plate and cook for about 40 minutes or until the middle is firm.


I take a little extra of the shredded cheese and sprinkle it on the top for the last 5-10 minutes, just for a little extra :)



Add your own flair!   I like to play with my recipes so they don't become boring or expected...
-If you like things spicy try adding some jalapeños or Cajun spices
-add artichokes
-add chicken or pork sausage
-if you don't like mushrooms or asparagus, substitute the vegetables that your family enjoys!

Other varieties to try:
-green peppers, onions and sausage
-corn, red peppers and black beans
-eggplant, zucchini and summer squash

As always if you have a variety of this recipe that you love...please share it!!




Healthy Eatings, 




Rachel

While in Disney over Spring Break I had one of the best grilled veggie sandwiches...so I decided that I needed to make my own version, a little better, a little healthier and simple enough even a husband could make it :)

So, here is my "Better than Disney Grilled Veggie Wrap"!




Ingredients:
Whole wheat tortilla wraps
Eggplant
Zucchini
Summer squash
Asparagus
Red pepper
Portabello mushrooms
Tofu
Low fat cheese (I use a provolone or havarti)
Spinach (do not sautee)




Directions:
1-slice your veggies, I slice the summer squash, zucchini, and eggplant length wise)
2-spray the pan with non stick spray or a light coating of oil (I use soybean oil)
3-heat sautee pan on medium
4-sautee the veggies until they are tender
5-add tofu in for the last minute
6-warm tortilla (I use the microwave fro about 10-15 seconds)
7-place veggies, tofu, spinach and cheese to the tortilla
8-wrap it and enjoy!!!



I hope you enjoy this great wrap as much as we do in our house!!!

Feel free to substitute your own favorite veggies...let me know if you come up with other great combinations!!

Healthy Eatings, 

Rachel