Mimi's Fit Foods

This meal was so fast to throw together and it was YUMMY!  It tasted so flavorful and fresh.  You hardly even cook the veggies so they offer a fresh, crisp taste.  Plus, the green onions and the cilantro really add a fantastic punch to help finish everything off.  My cute sister-in-law tried the recipe first and then told me that I MUST try it too because it was so tasty.  She was absolutely right!

I added a few tweaks to make it a smidge healthier than the original version.  I also added some extra veggies to the mix because I like to be healthy like that.  Ha, ha!

There’s a little trick with the red pepper flakes.  This is where the (somewhat) spicy comes in.  You can really make this dish as spicy as you wish.  The original recipe calls for at-least-double what I used (and put in the recipe below).  I’m a spicy gal, so I prefer a little more spice but was VERY leery on giving that spicy factor to my one-year-old.  So, I went very easy on the red pepper flakes and think that the amount of spice I got was perfect for all (kids and adults alike).  There was a little bit of spice, but nothing crazy.  (Me myself, I would prefer more spice.)  So, make this as spicy as you desire . . . or as your guests/family desire.

Whatever you do, you should totally add this to your menu.  It’s a great meal year-round, but I think it fits particularly well in the spring/summer because it’s fast, fresh, and doesn’t require the oven.

(Somewhat) Spicy Thai Noodles With Chicken
Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

6 ounces whole wheat linguine
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup regular sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
16 ounces chicken breast, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
chopped green onions, chopped cilantro,  fresh lime juice for topping

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the linguine according to package directions. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot or to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the sesame oil and red pepper flakes on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Pour the oil through a fine strainer into a liquid measuring cup and discard the pepper flakes. To the warm oil, whisk in the or vinegar, honey and soy sauce. Set aside.

Return skillet to the stove, turn heat up to medium and add chopped chicken.  Sauté and cook until no longer pink (5 to 8 minutes).  Add the bell pepper and carrots to the skillet.  Sauté until vegetables are barely warmed through, about 45 to 60 seconds.

Add oil dressing and chicken mixture to the noodles.  Toss to coat.

Serve the noodles warm, room temperature or cold with the desired toppings sprinkled on top.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/6 the Recipe – About 1 Cup)
Calories:  284
Protein:  19.5g
Carbs:  28.5g
Fat:  10.3g (1.3g = Sat.)
Fiber:  2.9g
Sugars:  7.5g

I saw this recipe floating around Pinterest and I just knew I had to remake it in a healthier way.  So, I went right to work and I gotta say . . . I think the remake is pretty darn goooooood!  Seriously . . . a breaded chicken breast with cream cheese in it?  Yeah, it’s even better than it seems.  That cream cheese filling has onion, fresh parsley, and garlic in it . . . talk about awesome flavor!  The slight crispiness from the bread crumbs just helps to top this little chicken roll right off.

I ended up using 4 large chicken breasts (the size you get in those big bags of chicken from Costco), which allowed me to cut them all in half.  I started with about 2 1/2 pounds of chicken and that yielded me 8 fabulous chicken rolls.  There was plenty of enough filling for each and the serving size was just perfect!

Hurry!  Add these to your “MUST TRY” list.  You won’t regret it!

Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Adapted from the Happy Lil’ Homemaker

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 ounces light cream cheese (1/3 less fat), room temperature
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of onion, minced
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
canola cooking spray

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil (this helps make clean-up a cinch) and then placing an oven-safe cooling rack on the foil.  (You can also cook the chicken in a baking dish if you prefer.  You will just end up with a less crispy bottom on the chicken.)

Place chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet (or a rolling pin works if you don’t have a meat mallet) to flatten around 1/4 inch thick.  Cut each breast in half.  In a bowl, beat cream cheese, parsley, onion, garlic salt and pepper and lemon juice until blended. Dividing the mixture between the 8 pieces of chicken breasts, spoon the cream cheese mixture on each piece of chicken and spread it over the chicken (but no need to go right up to the edges). Roll chicken. Coat rolls with canola cooking spray then roll in bread crumbs. Place chicken rolls on prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray the coated chicken breasts with more canola cooking spray. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear (or, if using a thermometer, when chicken reaches 165 degrees).

Serves 8.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Stuffed Chicken Roll)
Calories:  189
Protein:  30.8g
Carbs:  6.2g
Fat:  4.6g (2g = Sat.)
Fiber:  0.4g
Sugars:  1.1g

First off . . . sorry for my absence over the last week-ish.  We’ve had a lot of changes going on around our household.  We actually moved!  We didn’t move far, just up the road, but moving is still a process none-the-less.  We’ve been swimming in a sea of boxes, had a delay in getting internet set up at the new house (so blogging wasn’t on the agenda), and in the meantime my little precious baby caught a cold.  So, we’ve just been trying to survive around here.  So, I hope you’ll forgive me for the delay in new recipes.  That all being said, I now have a functional kitchen and a little more energy so cooking new meals is back in the works.  Thank goodness!!

So, let’s start by talking about Chicken Marsala today, shall we?  Chicken Marsala is a restaurant favorite.  I mean, it’s delicious!!  It’s one of the top sellers at the Cheesecake Factory, but it comes in at a whopping 1,475 calories.  What in the world!?!?

So, let’s lighten this favorite dish up a little bit, like to around 189-ish calories.  That’s a little better, isn’t it?  I found a version to start from, made some tweaks, and my household was happy with the results.  It has great Italian flair and the sauce is very flavorful with that traditional sweet/acidic flavor that comes from the cooking wine.

The sauce adds some calories (but, how can you have Chicken Marsala without the sauce?!), so it’s not ideal to eat a full serving carbohydrate with your meal if you’re trying to lose weight.  But, if you’re maintaining your weight, then add a healthy portion of brown rice.  That’s what we did and we gobbled it right up!

I guess you can have a delicious and restaurant-worthy meal right in your own kitchen.

Note:  The chicken does need to be marinated, so prepare for that extra time.

Lighter Chicken Marsala
Adapted from Taste of Homes

6 (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup Marsala cooking wine
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Flatten chicken to 1/2-inch thickness.  Place in a large resalable plastic bag; add salad dressing.  Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Drain and discard marinate.  Combine the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; sprinkle over both sides of chicken.  In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook chicken in 1 tablespoon oil and butter for 2 minutes on each side or until browned.  Transfer to a 13”x9” baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Gradually add broth and cooking wine to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Strain sauce; set aside.  In the same skillet, cook mushrooms in remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil for 2 minutes; drain.  Stir sauce into mushrooms; heat through.  Pour over chicken; sprinkle with parsley.  Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until chicken juices run clear (or thermometer reaches 165 degrees).

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 breast and 1/6 of Sauce)
Calories:  189.8
Protein:  24.1g
Carbs:  4g
Fat:  6.8g (1.7g = Sat.)
Fiber:  1.1g
Sugars:  3.4g