Category: DINNER

Thai Peanut and Chicken Salad

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Thai Peanut and Chicken Salad - Mimi's Fit Foods

You guys!  This is such a delicious salad!  Surprisingly enough, I’m not a HUGE salad lover when it comes to the main dish (I do however, love them on on the side . . . weird, I know).  The salad has to be unique enough, filling enough, and tasty enough to ever count for the main attraction.  Well, this one fits the bill!

It has fresh greens that include romaine and nappa cabbage, a fabulous array of fresh vegetables, and noodles.  Yeah, noodles!  Man, they are so good in this salad.  All of the textures mixed together are magical.  And, don’t even get me started on the salad dressing.  It is sooooooo awesome!  I love peanut flavored stuff, and this was NO exception.  The dressing is made primarily with peanut butter and then a bunch of Thai flavors get mixed in which gives the dressing a nice zing and powers up the flavors.  I’m not going to lie; when I’m on maintenance I totally add more than 1 tablespoon of the dressing to my salad because I could probably drink the stuff.  The cashews on top really help to finish the salad off.  (Unfortunately the cashews didn’t make it in the photo.  Oops!)

I am seriously in love with this salad!  When I made it I doubled everything (salad ingredients and dressing) so I could eat leftovers for my lunch for days.  I mean, cutting up the veggies takes the most time so I just dedicated one lunch time to cut everything up.  This meant that the following days included NO preparation and all I had to do was put my salad on a plate and drizzle on the dressing.  The veggies and greens stay good for days so in my humble opinion it was SO WORTH THE TIME!

Make this TODAY for your lunch!  You won’t regret it.  Well, unless you’re allergic to nuts.  But, that’s the only reason I can ever imagine why someone wouldn’t fall in love with this salad.

Thai Peanut and Chicken Salad - Mimi's Fit Foods

Thai Peanut Salad
Adapted from Studio 5 and the Unconventional Kitchen

Salad Ingredients:
4 ounce whole wheat pasta
(spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, or brown rice noodles all work great)
3 cups romaine, chopped
3 cups nappa cabbage, chopped
2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, cut in little matchsticks
1 medium cucumber, halved and sliced
3 green onions
12 ounces cooked chicken breast, chopped
1/4 cup cashews, chopped (or cashew pieces)

Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup peanut butter, natural no hydrogenated oils and sugar added
1/2 lime, juiced and zested
1 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoons soy sauce, reduced sodium (or Lite)
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro (stems and all)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1-2 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce (depends on your spice tolerance)
1 tablespoons water

For the Salad:
Cook noodles according to package directions (be sure to add salt to your boiling water, which should be included in package directions). 

While you are waiting for your noodles to cook, chop all of your veggies. 

When the noodles are done run cold water over them. When the noodles are cool, drain. Toss all of the salad ingredients together and serve with Thai Peanut Salad Dressing.

For the Dressing:
Put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 

If you want the dressing spicier add more Sriracha, if you aren’t into spice, start out with 1 teaspoon and add to taste from there.  The dressing makes approximately 3/4 cup (or 12 tablespoons).

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/4 the Salad Recipe – No Dressing)
Calories:  245.7
Protein:  23.5g
Carbs:  33.1g
Fat:  5.3g (0.5g = Sat.)
Fiber:  7.2g
Sugars:  4.2g

Nutritional Information – Dressing Only (Per Serving = 1 Tablespoon)
Calories:  47.7
Protein:  1.4g
Carbs:  3.4g
Fat:  3g (0.5g = Sat)
Fiber:  0.3g
Sugars:  2.4g

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/4 the Salad Recipe plus 1 Tablespoon Dressing)
Calories:  293.4
Protein:  24.9g
Carbs:  36.5g
Fat:  8.3g (1g = Sat.)
Fiber:  7.6g
Sugars:  6.6g

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

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Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls - Mimi's Fit Foods

What a fabulous idea, right?  I saw these on Annie’s website quite a while ago and have had them on my list to try.  I’m kind of mad I waited so long to make them because they are goooooood!  Oh, and super duper easy!

I love the nutritional benefit from these egg rolls.  They are packed with all sorts of nutrients and fiber (thank you spinach and black beans).  And, I must admit that I wondered if two egg rolls would be enough for my tummy and I found that two was just right.  They are filling.

You’ll notice that the recipe calls for pre-cooked chicken.  So, plan ahead for that.  (I usually just throw chicken in my slow cooker earlier in the day and then it’s ready to go at dinner time.  I also pop the cooked chicken into my food processor to shred it if I am short on time, pulsing until it’s just right.)

I’m telling you, these come together in a breeze, the spices offer just enough flavor, and the texture of the egg roll is perfect.  I’m pretty sure these are going to make a regular appearance in my home from now on!

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls - Mimi's Fit Foods2

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls
Adapted from Annie’s Eats

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked & shredded
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 (4-oz.) can diced green chiles
4 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
20 egg roll wrappers (1 package)

In a large bowl, combine everything but the egg roll wrappers.  Mix well to blend.  Lay an egg roll wrapper out on a work surface so that one of the corners is pointing toward you and place 1/3 cup of the filling in the center.  Fold the top closest to you up over the filling, roll a bit, then take the points pointing outward and fold them in toward the center.  Continue rolling into an egg roll shape until a small part of the remaining point is still free.  Dip a finger in water and lightly brush on the edges of the free corner.  Finish rolling and press to seal closed.  Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly oil a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place the sealed egg rolls on the baking sheet seam side down and spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly brown, turning the egg rolls over halfway through baking.  Serve warm with salsa.

Serves 10.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Egg Rolls)
Calories:   230
Protein:  20.2g
Carbs:  32.8g
Fat:  3.4g (1.2g = Sat.)
Fiber:  3.7g
Sugars:  1g

Ham & Noodle Casserole

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Ham and Noodle Casserole-Mimi's Fit Foods

Here’s a quick, easy-to-throw-together kind of meal for a weeknight.  It’s an all-in-one meal that includes your protein, carbohydrate, and veggies all in one dish.  We liked the change-up in using ham for dinner.  I just bought the cubed, lean ham found in the meat section at the grocery store, but this would make SUCH a great use of leftover ham (like maybe after Easter).  The sauce is made primarily from cottage cheese which is genius because it takes on the flavors of everything else AND contributes to some great creaminess.  And, nobody would EVER guess that you even used cottage cheese for the sauce.  Fabulous if you ask me!  I also love the use of dill here because it really makes the casserole taste light and fresh.

I used yolk-free, wheat noodles.  For those of you wondering exactly what I used, I used the brand Ronzini Healthy Harvest which I found on the pasta isle at my local grocery store.  Also, you can use whatever variety of mixed veggies that you prefer.

We enjoyed this casserole and it will definitely make another appearance soon (I’m sure it’ll be right after Easter as we use up our holiday ham leftovers).

Ham and Noodle Casserole
Adapted from Taste of Homes “Everyday Light Meals”

4 ounces uncooked wheat yolk-free noodles
1 1/2 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 package (10-oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained
8 ounces full cooked lean ham, cubed
3/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup milk (1%)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried dill weed (or 1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine the remaining ingredients.  Process until fairly smooth.  (If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender.  Or, you can skip this step altogether.  The casserole will still turn out well, the sauce just won’t be quite as creamy.)  Add cottage cheese sauce to noodles and toss to coat.  Transfer to a 2-qaurt baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.  Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/4 the Recipe)
Calories:  284.8
Protein:  19.3g
Carbs:  39.5g
Fat:  7.6g (4.9g = Sat.)
Fiber:  5.9g
Sugars:  6.8g

Lighter Chicken Marsala

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Lighter Chicken Marsala - Mimi's Fit Foods

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

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

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Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken-Mimi's Fit Foods

Here’s a nice and fresh slow cooker recipe that I certainly appreciate.  While I love slow cooker dishes that resemble comfort, I also love this dish because it tastes light and fresh.  Of course, this is mostly because of the lemon flavor.  I mean, what is ever made with lemon that doesn’t taste fresh?

I first tried this dish on one of my slow cooker nights (I typically have one slow cooker night a week) and I knew I had to make some adjustments to ramp up the flavor.  So, I tried again and I am much happier with the results.  It seems that adding a little lemon zest and fresh parsley right before serving is definitely the trick!  This helped the lemon flavor to shine and took the freshness to an entirely new level.  I also added a little extra lemon juice mixed with cornstarch to thicken the sauce slightly so I could fully appreciate the sauce with every bite.

If you’re looking for something easy, delicious, and fresh . . . try this!

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken
Adapted from SparkRecipes

1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
1-2 teaspoons lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried parsley

For Finishing:
1-2 teaspoons lemon zest (zest of  1 lemon)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Mix oregano and lemon pepper and sprinkle evenly over chicken pieces.

In a large non-stick skillet, using medium heat, brown chicken evenly on both sides in olive oil.  Place chicken in slow cooker.

In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients (except for the finishing ingredients) and pour over chicken.  Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours (or on high for 3 hours).

For Finishing:
Remove chicken from the slow cooker and pour juice/sauce into a medium microwave-safe bowl (I used a large liquid measuring cup).  In a separate bowl combine the lemon zest, lemon juice and cornstarch and whisk to combine.  Add to the slow cooker juice/sauce along with the chopped parsley.  Microwave on high for approximately 1 minute to allow sauce to thicken slightly.

Divide chicken amongst 6 plates and evenly distribute the sauce over each plate.  (I love to serve this over Baked Brown Rice.  It’s only 110 extra calories for 1/2 cup and it makes for a perfect, light meal.)

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving of Chicken & Sauce)
Calories:  132.7
Protein:  23.3g
Carbs:  3.1g
Fat:  3.4g (0.3g = Sat.)
Fiber:  0.3g
Sugars:  0.3g

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

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Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili-Mimi's Fit Foods

Here is a unique and spectacular spin on chili.  One of my sisters was quick to tell me that I had to try it, and she was RIGHT (thanks Becca for the tip-off)!  As soon as I looked up the recipe it was bookmarked for the future for various reasons.  1 – It’s a slow cooker meal and I love using my slow cooker on days when I know I’m not going to have time to make dinner.  2 – It’s got black beans and sweet potatoes in it.  A beautiful pair.  3 – It has interesting ingredients in it that caught my curiosity, but I could also visualize how they would all come together and work.  Pumpkin puree, cocoa powder, and cinnamon . . . in chili?  Yep!  And, it works!

Now, I’m not going to lead you astray here!  It took me a little extra time than planned to get this in my slow cooker.  I usually look at my slow cooker as a time saver, but it didn’t really play that role here.  In this case, the slow cooker played the fantastic role of taking extra time to really help all these flavors meld together.  I still had to cut up all the veggies, sauté the veggies, and then brown the meat . . . all before throwing it in the slow cooker.  Here’s the thing.  All those steps TOTALLY help to elevate the flavor, so don’t skip them.  And, the extra steps made this chili SUPER awesome.  All I’m saying is don’t get in the mind set that this is a meal that takes you all of five minutes to throw in the slow cooker and then dinner is ready in 6 hours.  It’s going to take you a little bit to get it in the slow cooker (it took me about 35-40ish minutes), but then the slow cooker works its magic and you’ll be SO glad you made it.

It makes A LOT.  It freezes great, so I make the entire recipe and freeze half of it for later.  You can also half the recipe and cook it in a smaller slow cooker.  Or, you can invite friends/family over for dinner.  You choose!

That all being said, it’s really hard to EXACTLY describe the flavors.  You just HAVE to make it.  I will tell you this.  I’m totally making it for the next chili cook-off and I’m pretty sure it’s a shoe-in for the blue ribbon.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili
Slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced (any color)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 bell pepper, diced (I used red)
1-2 jalapenos, minced (I used 2)
20 ounces ground turkey breast
8 ounces mushrooms, minced (about 2 heaping cups)
2 teaspoons cumin
2  teaspoons kosher salt
1/2  teaspoons pepper
1  teaspoon oregano
1  teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2  teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (orange), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes (not drained)
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
32 ounces beef broth (one box/carton)
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie puree)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

optional:  light sour cream, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro or green onion, and fresh lime juice for serving

Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat.  Add  1 teaspoon olive oil and add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapenos.  Saute for about 5 minutes, until veggies are tender and fragrant.  Add to slow cooker.

In same skillet, heat remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Add turkey and mushrooms and stir to combine.  Sprinkle in cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder and smoked paprika.  (note: the meat will taste very seasoned when done.  Keep in mind these seasonings are not to flavor just the meat, they will season the entire pot of chili, so they are intentionally strong!)  Add turkey mixture to slow cooker.

Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans, broth, pumpkin, cinnamon, and cocoa powder to slow cooker and stir til combine.  Place lid on pot and cook for  4-6 hours on high, or 8-10 on low.   Slow-cookers vary greatly in temperature and cooking times, but you’ll know it’s ready when the sweet potatoes are tender.

When done, turn off heat and let chili sit with lid off for 10-15 minutes to thicken.  Season with additional salt to taste before serving.  If desired, serve with sour cream, sliced avocados, and a small squirt of fresh lime juice, and any other toppings desired.

Serves 10.

Nutritional Information (per serving = 1 1/2 cup plain chili)
Calories: 256
Protein: 22.4g
Carbs: 40g
Fat 2.4 g

Turkey Spaghetti Pie

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Turkey Spaghetti Pie-Mimi's Fit Foods

 

So, I grew up eating spaghetti quite regularly.  Spaghetti was in my mom’s weekly rotation and I actually loved it.  I still love spaghetti to this day.  When I married my handsome man, I quickly found out that he is not really a fan of spaghetti.  Huh?  Who doesn’t like spaghetti?  I quickly found ways to win over his heart with pasta and marinara and learned that meatballs and penne pasta are the ticket to his spaghetti-loving-heart.

Well, good news is that I recently found this Spaghetti Pie to fit the bill too!  I, of course, loved it and was slightly hesitant to ask for Beau’s honest opinion after dinner.  I took the plunge and asked him what he thought and was delighted to hear that he really liked it!  You don’t know how badly I want to start putting this spaghetti pie into my weekly rotation, but I’ll try not to totally push my luck (so, maybe every-other-week will work. . . haha!).

This dish led to a nice traditional mixture of flavors between spaghetti and lasagna.  The cottage cheese helps to enrich the flavors and the noodle crust (which is filled with pasta, eggs, and cheese) was fabulous when paired with the cottage cheese and marinara meat mixture.  I’m not gonna lie . . . I was kind of sad when Beau took the leftovers to work because I REALLY wanted them.  But, on the other side of things, I was pleased that he wanted to eat them too.  I guess that means I can make this again sooner than later.  Whooohooo!

Turkey Spaghetti Pie
Slightly Adapted from Taste of Homes “Everyday Light Meals”

6 ounces uncooked whole wheat thin spaghetti
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
12 ounces lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper (any color), chopped
1 1/2 cups meatless spaghetti sauce (like Prego HeartSmart)
1 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain well and cool to room temperature.  In a bowl, combine the spaghetti, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, egg, and egg whites.  Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate coated with nonstick cooking spray and form into a crust; set aside.

In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook turkey, onion and bell pepper until turkey is no longer pink; drain.  Add spaghetti sauce; heat through.  Spread cottage cheese over crust; top with turkey mixture.

Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting; cut into 6 slices.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Slice)
Calories:  302
Protein:  25.7g
Carbs:  29.4g
Fat: 9.7g (4g = Sat. Fat)
Fiber:  4g
Sugars:  4.4g

Mexican Lettuce Wraps

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Mimi's Fit Foods

Do you ever have days when you just don’t feel like eating anything in particular for dinner?  Well, this was one of those days and so I asked my husband what he wanted because I REALLY was at a loss and figured if he had a dinner option on his wish list, I would make it for him.  Well, he was no help and was in my same boat.  Thus, we were SOOOO close to just having eggs/omelets.  But, then I made one last effort to peruse the refrigerator to see if anything would jump out at me.  That’s when I came up with these babies.

I was too lazy to follow a recipe, so I just made up my own.  I threw in some ground turkey with onions and peppers and a few Mexican spices, added some fire-roasted tomatoes for additional flavor, some kidney beans for fiber/antioxidants/vitamins (and gobs of other good purposes), and some green chilies for a little heat.  With a little tomato paste added to the skillet, the mixture thickened right up and it fit beautifully in my little lettuce shells.

Lettuce is also a smart way to “wrap” up your food.  It has very, very little calories (like 7-10 for 1 cup).  I loved adding the carbohydrates to the mixture (rather than eating my carbs in a wrap) and, since the lettuce is so low in calories, I could eat as many “wraps” as my serving of mixture would allow.  You can do the same by adding as much mixture from your serving to each individual lettuce wrap.  You could walk away eating as low as 2 wraps, or as many as 6.  Of course, the amount of mixture you eat is the same but sometimes it does my mind good to think I was able to eat 6 lettuce wraps from dinner.  Ha, ha!

I included a list of optional toppings below.  Depending on your end goal, you’ll want to be careful with the toppings as they do add a smidge of extra calories.  I decided to top mine with a light sprinkling of reduced fat cheese, salsa and  Fit Ranch Dip (which I made using Hidden Valley’s Spicy Ranch flavor).

Not only did this come together fast, looks pretty and fun, but they tastes yum, yum, yummy!  I was so pleased with the outcome that I’m adding these to my quick, weeknight dinner meals rotation.  Heaven knows we all need more of these meals in our collection!

Mexican Lettuce Wraps
Mimi’s Original

1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (I used a red and yellow combination.)
1 pound ground turkey
1 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (or powder)
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14.5 ounce) can dark red kidney beans
Lettuce for serving (I used baby Romaine.  Butter lettuce or iceberg would work well too.)

Optional Toppings:
reduced fat cheese
salsa
light sour cream
diced avocado (or guacamole)
Fit Ranch Dip

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, peppers, ground turkey, taco seasoning, cumin, and garlic salt.  Cook until onions and peppers break down and ground turkey is no longer pink, stirring often to break up ground turkey.  Add tomatoes, green chilies, and tomato paste.  Stir to combine.  Simmer until mixture thickens and a lot of the juice from the tomatoes evaporates, about 10 minutes.  Stir kidney beans into mixture and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile prepare lettuce leaves by washing, separating leaves, and patting them dry.  Fill leaves with turkey mixture and, if desired (and you can spare a few extra calories), top with optional toppings.

Serves 5.

Nutritional Information
(Per Serving = 1/5 of the Recipe, about 1 C. of Mixture, W/O Toppings)
Calories:  213
Protein:  23.2g
Carbs:  17.6g
Fat:  6.9g (2g = Sat.)
Fiber:  6.4g
Sugars:  5.4g

Grilled Chicken Over Lemon & Garlic Pasta

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Grilled Chicken Over Lemon & Garlic Pasta-Mimi's Fit Foods

I bought a bag of lemons at Costco.  I’m not entirely sure what I was thinking when I bought them, but I certainly wasn’t using them fast enough!  So, I started searching for recipe ideas to use them up and this version of chicken and pasta jumped to the top of my list.  I love lemony and savory food.  It always tastes so fresh and clean to me.  This was also a DELIGHT to have right now because it reminded me of spring and while it certainly doesn’t feel like spring right now, it was fun to pretend.

This came together is a snap!  That pasta took all of 10 minutes and that was the perfect amount of time to throw some chicken on the indoor grill.  Both were practically ready at the same time.  A delicious dinner in 10-15ish minutes?  Oh, yeah!

Grilled Chicken Over Lemon & Garlic Pasta
Heavily Adapted From food.com

For the Pasta:
4 ounces whole wheat thin spaghetti
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
freshly grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon (about 2-3 tablespoons)
salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup sugar snap peas
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

For the Grilled Chicken:
4 (4-ounce) chicken breasts, fat removed
seasoning of choice (lemon pepper, Santa Maria seasoning, Johnny’s Garlic Spread, etc.)

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.

While pasta is cooking, preheat grill (indoor or outdoor).  Wash chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel.  Season both sides of chicken breasts with your choice of seasoning (just about any herb goes well with lemon, so you’re pretty safe here).  Lightly oil the grill.  Grill chicken for approximately 6-8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear (or until meat reached 165 degrees).  Remove from heat, cool slightly, and slice.

Meanwhile (while pasta and chicken are cooking), heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Sauté parsley, lemon zest and garlic in oil until garlic is tender (be careful not to burn the garlic).

Add the drained pasta to the skillet.  Add the sugar snap peas and sprinkle with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Divide pasta among four plates.  Top each plate with 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese and sliced chicken breast.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories:  224
Protein:  28.5g
Carbs:  24.1g
Fat:  2.9g
Fiber:  3.5g
Sugars:  1.6g

Italian Spaghetti Squash Boats with Marinara & Ground Turkey

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Mimi's Fit Foods

Being the first of January and all, there are a lot of healthy recipes circulating the web.  This seems to be one that I’ve been seeing lately.  With good reason, folks!  It’s good!  I’m a pasta lover and guess what!?  I didn’t even miss the pasta in this dish.  I thought the spaghetti squash was so flavorful and the flavor of it married fantastically with the marinara, Italian spices, and cheese!  No wonder they call it “spaghetti” squash!

The textures in this dish are fabulous, the gooey cheese is beyond fabulous, and the Italian spices offer a huge punch of flavor.  My husband who doesn’t really care for spaghetti squash gobbled this up AND asked to take the leftovers to work the next day.  Yep, that’s right.  It’s good.  Oh, and it’s a cinch to throw together!  I’m not even tricking you!

Italian Spaghetti Squash Boats with Marinara & Ground Turkey

2 small/medium rip spaghetti squash
12 ounces ground turkey (93% lean)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup part skim mozzarella, shredded

First, roast your spaghetti squash.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  Place on a baking sheet, cut side up and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast until the skin gives easily under pressure and the inside is tender, about one hour.

Towards the end of the roasting time, prepare marinara and ground turkey (if making your own marinara, then you’ll want to start this process about 30 minutes before squash is done) .  Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Place ground turkey in skillet and season with Italian seasoning, garlic salt, salt, and pepper.  Stir turkey while cooking to break into small, crumbly pieces and cook until no longer pink.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  Prepare and warm marinara. (I like to use my own because it tastes fresher and is healthier, but for ease, you can also use prepared stuff too such as Prego Heart Smart.  You’ll just find that the calories are more when buying the store bought stuff.)

Remove spaghetti squash from the oven and carefully scrape squash with a fork to loosen the flesh into long strands.  Top each boat with 1/2 cup marinara sauce, 3 ounces of ground turkey, and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.  Place back into the hot oven to cook until the cheese melts.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Boat)
Calories:  282
Protein:  25.5g
Carbs:  16g
Fat:  13.4g (5.5g = Sat.)
Fiber:  1.2g