Chicken, Artichoke, & Pesto Pizza

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Wow!  Two pizza posts in one week?  Hmmmmm, I wonder what’s been on my brain lately?

This pizza is so yummy!  It combines the taste of pesto sauce, chicken, veggies, and feta cheese.  When I first discovered this pizza combination I thought I had struck gold because it was so tasty!  For one who loves ALL these ingredients individually, I was loving them all together.  Now this pizza makes a fairly common occurance in my home.  Again, I wrote the recipe for just 1 pizza thinking that it would  be easiest for you to see what goes on each one.  (When I make multiple pizzas, I just put all my ingredients in a row and throw them on the pizza like an assembly line.)

If you’re looking for something a little bit different, but full of flavor . . . this is it!

Chicken, Artichoke, & Pesto Pizza

1 whole wheat pita round (about 120 calories)
1 tablespoon pesto sauce
3 oz. cooked chicken breast, shredded
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tomato
2 tablespoons chopped bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2-4 tablespoons chopped artichoke hearts
1 tablespoon reduced fat feta cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread pesto on pita bread.  Top with chicken, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onions, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese looks slightly melted and golden brown in spots.

Serves 1.

Nutritional Information
Calories:  361
Protein:  28g
Carbs:  23g
Fat:  15.3g
Fiber:  5.8g

Basic Pesto

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Once in a while I love to change my sauce option up and have a little pesto.  I grow my own basil, so this is a natural sauce to make with it since Pesto is primarily made with basil.  Pesto sauce is easy because you basically just combine basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil together.  The amounts of each don’t ever have to be EXACT, but I’ve figured out a combination of amounts that I like so I’m passing them on to you.

You’ll see that the calories seem a bit high for a vegetable-based sauce.  This is because most of the calories within the sauce some from the olive oil.  Lucky for us, olive oil is a healthy fat.  With that being said, it is still wise to watch the amount we eat.  The calories add up fast when we’re dealing with fats and healthy fats are no exception to the calorie-counting rules.

I love to put this sauce over pasta, on sandwiches, and even on pizza.  Stay tuned for my next recipe post.  I’ll be using this delicious sauce in it!  YUM!

Basic Pesto

3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2-4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine basil, Parmesan cheese, nuts, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor or blender.  Blend until finely chopped.  While processing, slowly add oil until it is well incorporated and a smooth paste develops.

Serves 16 (Makes approximately 2 cups of sauce).

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Tablespoons)
Calories:  199
Protein:  2.4g
Carbs:  2g
Fat:  21.1g
Fiber:  0.9g

Hawaiian Pizza Quesadilla

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Pizza today?  YES!  I am not going to lie to you and tell you that I don’t love pizza on occasion, because I do!  I love many varieties of traditional pizza, but Hawaiian Pizza is my favorite (can it be because I love the sun and the beach?).  Here is a fabulous way to get the taste of Hawaiian Pizza, without all the fat and calories.  I might dare say that it is one of my favorite lunches . . . partly because I love the taste and partly because I can throw it together on a whim!  I wrote the recipe to serve 1 because I thought it would be easiest to know what to put in each quesadilla.  Obviously, this recipe is a cinch to duplicate so don’t hesitate to make one for each member of your family.

Hawaiian Pizza Quesadilla
Mimi Original

1 whole wheat tortilla (such as 8″ Mission Carb Balance)
2 slices Canadian bacon, chopped
1 oz. cooked chicken breast, shredded
2 tablespoons part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons marinara sauce (like Prego or Simple Tomato Sauce)
2 tablespoons pineapple tidbits
chopped red onion, optional

Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat.  (See tip below for optional cooking directions which I actually prefer.) Place a tortilla in the skillet and over half of the tortilla spread 1 tablespoon cheese, 1 tablespoon marinara sauce, Canadian bacon, chicken, pineapple, red onion (if using), followed by the remaining tablespoon of marinara sauce and cheese.  Fold tortilla over the filling and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.  Turn and brown the other side.  Remove from skillet and set aside for about 1 minute.  Cut quesadilla into wedges and serve.

Serves 1.

Optional Cooking Tip:  I often cook these on my indoor grill (aka George Foreman).  It makes it SUPER handy so that I don’t have to actually flip the tortilla over in a skillet (which sometimes can be disastrous with the filling falling out all over the place….not that I would know!).  I can also cook at least two at a time (one for me and one for the hubby) in record time.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Filled Tortilla)
Calories:  241.7
Protein:  18.6g
Carbs: 25.6g
Fat:  7.7g (2.8g = Sat.)
Fiber:  12g
Sugars:  5.1g

Fit French Toast

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You want French toast? Well, now you’ve got it!  Here’s a balanced way to make French toast and it seriously tastes fantastic!  You basically just add some vanilla protein powder to eggs, dip the bread, cook, and then eat!  That vanilla protein powder really helps add to the flavor of the French toast.  I also love how it makes the batter a little thicker . . . making the end result fabulous.

You’ll see the calorie count is a little high still.  If you’re not maintaining then you may want to make some minor adjustments.  You can cut some calories by using 1/2 cup egg substitute (or all egg whites) instead of what I have listed in the recipe.  You can also cut calories by omitting the maple syrup.  One more way . . . choose a bread with fewer calories.  I used Jack Spratt’s bread (found in most grocery stores) because I like how that bread is sturdy and I knew it would hold up well for French toast (I just hate soggy French toast).  Jack Spratt bread is 80 calories a slice.  So, you can change your bread or just choose to only eat one slice.

At any rate, we usually eat this about once a week and we love it.  Go ahead and try it for yourself.  Let me know how it goes.  Enjoy!

Fit French Toast
Adapted by Bill Phillips, “Eating For Life”

3 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 slices whole-wheat bread (80 calories/slice)
1/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup

Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and place over medium heat.

Lightly beat eggs and place in food processor.  Add protein powder and beat until smooth (doesn’t take long and the batter will be a little thick . . . like crepe batter).  Pour into pie plate.  Alternately, you can place protein powder in a pie plate and slowly pour in beaten egg while stirring with a fork until smooth.

Dip one piece of bread in the batter and let it soak up the egg mixture for 10 seconds.  Carefully turn the bread over to coat the other side.  Repeat with second piece of bread.

Place batter-soaked bread in the skillet and spoon any remaining batter on top.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Then place on a small plate.

While French toast is cooking, microwave maple syrup until warm, about 20 seconds.

Pour warm maple syrup over French toast, serve and enjoy!

Serves 1 (but can easily be doubled, tripled, etc.).

Nutritional Information
Calories:  368.5
Protein:  26.2g
Carbs:  56g
Fat:  6.5g
Fiber:  2.3g
Sugars:  10.5g

Baked Chicken Parmesan

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Who said Chicken Parmesan had too many calories!?  Well, make it my way & you’ll hardly know the difference AND you’ll walk away with a balanced meal!  This was seriously awesome!  I hate to keep putting the exclamation marks, but I can’t help it because it really was that good.  There is a little more prep time involved in this recipe, but I totally think it was worth every minute.  I thought the chicken was flavorful, the breading was crisp, and the sauce & cheese on top went great with it.  You can use my recipe for the tomato sauce, or a healthy marinara sauce will work too (like Heart Smart Prego).

For those of you taking nutritional notes, you’ll notice that the nutritional information has nearly the amount of carbs you’ll want for dinner.  That’s because the breading on the chicken is primarily all carbs.  So, if you choose to go with a breaded option for your meats, usually you are choosing the breading as your carb for the meal.

That being said . . . this one is totally worth it!  And, don’t think that because it’s just me and my man that live in my house that I didn’t make all 6 servings, because I did!  We enjoyed every last bit of leftovers.  I think I better put this back into my dinner rotation this very week!  Anyone want to join me in that effort?

Baked Chicken Parmesan
Adapted slightly from “The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook”

1 ½ cups panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 oz.)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 large egg whites
1 tablespoon water
*6 (4-oz) boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (about 1/4 inch thick)
salt and pepper
2 cups tomato sauce, warmed
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (about 3 oz.)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees.  Combine the panko and oil in a 12-inch skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish, let cool, then stir in the Parmesan.  Combine the flour and garlic powder in a second shallow dish.  In a third shallow dish, whisk the egg whites and water together.

Spray a wire rack with vegetable oil spray and place over a rimmed baking sheet.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge in the flour (lightly coat the chicken with flour, then shake to remove any excess), then dip into the egg whites, and finally, coat with the toasted crumbs, pressing firmly on the bread crumbs to make sure they adhere to the chicken.  Lay the breaded chicken on the prepared wire rack.

Bake until the chicken registers 150 to 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (this takes about 10 minutes).  Top each cutlet with 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella.  Continue to bake until the cheese has melted and the chicken registers 160 to 165 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with the basil and serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.

Serves 6.

*You can buy packaged chicken cutlets at the grocery store.  However, you can save a little money and ensure evenly sized cutlets by turning chicken breasts into cutlets yourself.  Lay the chicken breast smooth-side up on a cutting board.  With one hand on the top of the chicken, carefully slice the chicken in half horizontally to yield two pieces.  The two pieces should be between 3/8 and 1/2 inch thick. 

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Cutlet)
Calories:  330
Protein:  38g
Carbs:  20g
Fat:  10g (3g = Sat.)
Fiber:  2g

Simple Tomato Sauce

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If you haven’t ever made your own tomato sauce or pasta sauce because you’ve been afraid to do so, now’s the time to try.  It REALLY is super easy and a lot more affordable than buying it already made.  The beauty of making your own is that you know what EXACTLY goes into it and you can control the spiciness and flavor of it.

This sauce here is super simple (thus, the name!), and you can add any kind of Italian herb to it that you want.  I love garlic and basil, so that’s what I tend to stick with.  However, I’m sure Oregano would be awesome in it too!

Whatever you do, you should make this simple sauce ASAP.  It goes great on pasta and anything else you might use a tomato sauce with.  Stay tuned . . . tomorrow I have a PERFECT use for it!

Simple Tomato Sauce
Recipe Source:  The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
salt and pepper (to taste)

Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until mostly smooth, about 10-14 pulses.  Cook the garlic, tomato paste, oil, and red pepper flakes in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the processed tomatoes and cook until the sauce is thickened and measures 2 cups, about 20 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes about 2 cups.  Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/3 Cup)
Calories:  40
Protein:  1g
Carbs:  5g
Fat:  1g (0g = Sat.)
Fiber:  1g

Hoping to Adopt

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Today I am posting a slightly different post.  If you’re wondering
where the recipe is for today, well . . . there will be one tomorrow.  So,
don’t forget to stop by again this week to grab it!  However, I thought
you might be interested to hear a bit of my good news today!

Beau and I have been diligently working on the opportunity to adopt.  Well (drum roll please!). . . . . . we have officially been approved and are hoping to adopt a sweet little baby.  We are excited and anxiously waiting for the next stage of actually being selected as an adoptive family!

As uncomfortable as it is to talk about ourselves, we know that it helps for others to know what we are doing.  As you are located in different places around the world, many of you will have opportunities to be in contact with circles of friends that you might be able to share our information with.  If you know of anyone looking to place a baby, please keep us in mind.  Even if there is no one currently in your mind that is looking for an adoptive family, please continue to keep us in mind for future reference.  We cannot wait to provide a great home and life for children.

The road to get to this point has had its ups and downs, but we cannot be happier that it led us to this juncture!  Adoption is such a wonderful opportunity that we are excited to be a part of.   Thank you for letting me share a piece of it with you!

Friday Feature: Restaurant Spotlight – Cafe Rio

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Who does not LOVE Cafe Rio, or a restaurant similar in nature (Costa Vida, Bajio’s, Chipotle, etc.)?  If you find someone who doesn’t love these places, let me know because they would come from a rare and unique breed!

One of the most common questions that come from my clients is, “where can I eat out and what can I order.”  While I’ve given pretty good (well, maybe GREAT) guidelines in a previous post, most of my clients will specifically ask for instructions on how to order at Cafe Rio (or similar places).  I finally decided that, due to the abundant questions in similar nature, this was blog worthy.

Did you know that a typical, full-size salad will be over 1200 calories at these places?!  Holy moly!  That’s practically an entire day’s worth of calories for a lot of people.   Well, I’ve figured out a way to order a tasty salad, and I’ve cut more than half of those calories out!  Here’s how you do it, folks!

Remember, we’re looking for a balanced meal of a lean protein, one serving of a complex carbohydrate, and veggies.  Here’s how we get it!

Instead of ordering a full salad, you’re going to order a Grilled Chicken Tostada Salad with a soft shell tortilla (order wheat if they have wheat ones…most locations do) and no cheese.  You will need to choose rice or black beans as we don’t need multiple complex carbohydrates in one meal, so you get to choose one.  If interested, black beans will be a more nutritious choice.  Now, veggies are “free” (so-to-speak) so load up on the lettuce and the pico (I often times ask for an extra scoop of pico de gallo).  As you wrap up your salad order you’ll want to ensure you don’t get the sour cream or the tortilla strips.  Order the vinaigrette dressing (cilantro-lime dressing = YUM) and NOT the creamy tomatillo dressing.  They usually put the dressing on the side for you, so you shouldn’t have to ask them to do that.  And, when you actually go to eat your salad, you should only need about half of it (the dressing, that is!).

This will put you in the 400-500 calorie range.  Now, that’s some serious calorie cutting right there!

If you want to further cut calories, you can also cut out the tortilla altogether and eat none of the dressing.  I actually find that if I order extra pico, the flavor is enhanced enough that I enjoy the salad perfectly without the dressing!

So, in summary . . . We are going to go from a 1200+ calorie entree to a 400-500 calorie entree by ordering:

A Grilled Chicken Tostada Salad,
On a soft-wheat tortilla,
No Cheese,
Black Beans,
No Rice,
Lots of lettuce,
Lots of Pico de Gallo
Cilantro,
Guacamole,
and Cilantro-Lime Dressing on the Side

Deeeeeeeelish, if you ask me!  And, you don’t have to feel like you’re ever deprived from eating at one of your most favorite places!  Anyone want to meet me for lunch?  Let’s go!

Southwestern Chicken & Barley Chili

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It is finally starting to feel like Autumn around my parts.  And, with the change in weather, comes a change in cravings . . . well, at least for me!  I love to have something warm and comforting when the weather cools down and this recipe soothes the Autumn soul.  It is loaded with flavor and the texture, thanks to the Barley, is very hearty.  Thanks to its heartiness, it’s a very filling soup too!  I’ve known children and adults alike to gobble down this chili.  So, add it to your Autumn line-up.  I’m pretty sure you’ll love it too!

Southwestern Chicken & Barley Chili
Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup medium barley (not quick cooking)
4 cups water
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
dash cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cups frozen corn kernels

Garnishes: sliced green onions, chopped bell pepper, chopped tomatoes, light sour cream, cilantro

In a large pot (about 6-quarts), combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, barley, water, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano and cayenne (if using). Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and add the chicken. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer the chili for 40 minutes, until the barley is tender and chewy and the chicken is no longer pink. Stir occasionally, while it simmers to prevent sticking and to make sure it stays at a steady simmer. After 40 minutes, add the beans and corn. Stir to combine and simmer for five more minutes. Serve the chili with optional garnishes, if desired.

The chili will thicken considerably upon cooling. Add chicken broth or water as needed to achieve a desirable consistency (especially if reheating the leftovers).

Serves 8.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Heaping Cup)
Calories:  265
Protein:  29.7
Carb:  35.5
Fat:  1.7 (0.1 g = Sat)

Mixed Berry & Protein Smoothie

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Nutritional shakes/drinks/smoothies are such a great way to get good nutrition in a fast and convenient way.  Additionally, I find them to be so tasty that I almost feel like I’m eating something I shouldn’t be.  These are great for snacks in between meals, for pre-workout meals, or for recovery after a hard and long workout (with some minor adjustments).  This first smoothie/shake that I’m throwing up on the blog is one of the very most basic ones (we’ll start easy and then throw in some twists later).  You just take frozen fruit, a scoop of protein powder (preferably whey), add a little water, and blend until smooth.  You can really use any kind of frozen fruit that suits your fancy.  I’m preparing to share more combinations with you throughout time.  So, get ready for some protein shakes that will dance all over those taste buds of yours.

Mixed Berry & Protein Smoothie

1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (about 22g of Protein)
1 cup frozen berries
1/2 cup cold water
ice cubes, optional

Place frozen berries in a blender or food processor.  Blend until berries are finely chopped.  Add cold water, protein powder, and ice (*if desired).  Blend until well mixed (doesn’t take long).  Pour unto a tall glass and enjoy!

*Note:  Depending on how “slushy” you like your smoothies, you may want to add ice to the blender when adding the water and protein powder.  The frozen berries will offer some amount of slush, but you can achieve more by adding additional ice.

Serves 1.

Nutritional Information
Calories:  167
Protein:  23.5g
Carbs:  16.3g
Fat:  1.6g