I'm alive! Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

  Earth to Houston! I'm alive. I would tell you the whole long story about why I haven't updated it, but it's both personal and a little boring. Either way, I plan to be more dedicated to at least update once a week. The events over the past few months have left me a little off of the healthy train and five pounds heavier, but my doctor insists it is healthy weight either way. I missed writing and sharing my discoveries, but I have definitely not taken a single break from cooking daily! So please, forgive me and prepare for more great recipes.

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya
Adapted from Cooking Light
Serves two
341 calories per 1 1/4 cup serving!


Vegetable oil, for cooking
6 ounces reduced-fat smoked sausage (Which is 3 sausages if you use what I do, which is Butterball's everyday smoked turkey sausage.)
1/2 of a white onion
1 green pepper
4 celery stalks
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons thyme powder
1 can low sodium chicken broth (Or two cups of water and one chicken bouillon cube)
1 can no-salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup boneless, skinless chicken. (I cooked two full chicken breasts, but you can also use rotisserie or leftovers.)

  Set a large skillet to medium heat on a burner. While your skillet is warming up, chop up the onion, bell pepper, garlic and celery. Set aside. Take the sausages and coin them. Once they are all coined, cut each coin in half. Pour a little bit of vegetable oil into the skillet, then add the sliced sausage in. Let them brown for one minute. At this point you are going to add the celery, green pepper, onion and garlic. Allow this to cook for six minutes or until it softens a bit. Make sure to stir often, as you do not want it to burn.

  Once the mixture is ready, now add the water, rice, ground red pepper, salt, thyme and broth to the skillet. Stir, then allow the skillet to come to a boil. When boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. After the rice is cooked, add the chicken and a whole can of diced tomatoes. Let this cook until warmed, or about 3 minutes.

  I love this recipe because although it's lighter than the normal fare, it does not sacrifice flavor. This meal is easy, fast and delicious.  If you're lucky you'll even have a bit of left overs. I hope you enjoy it!

Skinny Cordon Bleu

  My whole weight loss journey really started when I grasped the concept that you can eat well, without eating a lot of calories. There are ways to make things you enjoy healthier for you. There are virtually dozens of ways you can substitute or simply portion control in the case of my awful sweet tooth. Once this dawned upon me, changing my lifestyle really wasn't difficult and the weight followed suit. One of my biggest vices? I love cheese. Cheese and fried things. Cheese and fried things do not like my stomach or thighs. Thankfully, there are ways to turn old favorites into new ones.

Skinny Cordon Bleu
slightly adapted from Hungry Girl
250 calories per breast!


1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 wedge of Laughing Cow Lite Swiss Spreadable Cheese
3 slices of ham (I used black forest ham, but you can use whatever you wish)
Salt & Pepper to taste
toothpicks for assembly

  Pre-heat oven to 350.

   Start by laying out your chicken breasts on the counter on top of a sheet of cling wrap. If you remember my earlier recipe for Bacon Ranch Chicken, I will be using the same method to even out the chicken breast. Doing this is important, especially if you have smaller pieces of chicken. This will give you more surface to work with!

  Spread one wedge of Laughing Cow per chicken breast. I found I actually use a little less than the whole wedge, but it isn't a significant amount.

  Depending on the shape of your chicken, arrange your ham so it fits within the chicken.

  Next you are going to roll your chicken up. I usually start rolling on the smaller end of the breast, that way when I finish rolling it the larger side creates a nicer seam. When you have rolled this, tuck the ends in and seal shut with toothpicks. It's alright if they are open a little bit! Place into a oven safe casserole dish. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper to taste. Place foil over the top of the casserole dish, and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

  This dish is surprisingly easy to make, has a great presentation and is delicious. When you cut into it, it almost looks more like a roulade. Enjoy!

It's time for a fiesta: Salsa Chicken

  Sometimes you have leftovers, or are just in an incredible funk and don't have any clue what you want to make. Sometimes you change your mind or realize last minute for the millionth time you are missing an ingredient for a recipe (my biggest major oopsie) and then have defrosted chicken sitting there, staring you in the face. Yes, I find myself here from time to time, and surprisingly a few of these recipes become keepers.

LC's Salsa Chicken
160 calories per breast!


Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons of either 2% shredded Mexican Blend cheese or 2% shredded Cheddar cheese per breast
2 heaping large spoons of chunky salsa of your choice per breast

Optional:
1 tablespoon Real Bacon Bits

 
  Start by heating a large skillet to medium. My skillets and pans are non-stick so I do not need to use oil. If you choose, you can use a bit so the chicken does not stick to your skillet. Brown the chicken on both sides until it is cooked all the way through.

  Once your chicken has browned, drain all excess fat from the pan. Return the breasts to their position and leave the heat on medium. Evenly distribute the two tablespoons of your 2% cheese of choice. You can add more or less depending on your taste. Place the cover onto the skillet, allowing the steam to melt the cheese.

  Once the cheese has melted, place two spoonfuls of salsa across each breast. Salsa is very low in calories, so don't feel guilty if you want to pile a little bit more on there! Recover the skillet so the steam warms the salsa. This is especially important if you store your salsa in the refrigerator. It will only take a minute to complete this.

  Magic. A great low-calorie alternative to the regular plain chicken breast. This recipe goes very well with my Spanish Rice. If you want a little extra flavor, add a tablespoon of bacon bits when you are placing the cheese. Real Bacon Bits are a great way to get a strong bacon flavor without the calories. Enjoy!

Who doesn't love hot dogs?

  I'm not going to joke around about this. There is certain "junk" food I love. For example, I still love Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Certainly not all the time, but I always have a few boxes in my pantry just waiting to be enjoyed. Another thing I love is hot dogs. I like them wrapped in a blanket, I like them in a bun, I like them with beans and I really love them in this casserole by Hungry Girl. The great thing about hot dogs is that there are varieties that are nearly guilt free with a whopping 40 calories per frank. My all time favorite is Hebrew National, but I have tried Ballpark's turkey franks and they are pretty fantastic too.

Loaded Hot Dog Casserole
Variation from Hungry Girl
Makes six 1 1/2 cup size servings
179 calories per serving!


1 green bellpepper, seeded and diced
1 white onion, diced
7 40 calorie hot dogs, cut into coins
4 hot dog buns, torn into pieces (not too small though!)
1 1/2 cups egg beaters
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder


  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 pyrex.

  Heat a medium size skillet to medium high, and add the green bellpepper and onion. Stir occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the bellpepper is soft. It's okay if it is a bit blackened. This will take between 8 and 10 minutes. Once they are done cooking, transfer them to a bowl. Add the seven sliced hot dogs and garlic powder to the bowl. Tear up your hot dog buns over the bowl. Keep the pieces at least the size of a quarter, as you will want them to form a nice solid base for your casserole and if the pieces are too small this will not happen. Add the egg beaters and mix until everything is evenly distributed. 

 Transfer the contents of the bowl to the pre-greased pyrex. Using a spoon or spatula, make sure it is spread evenly. Place into the oven and bake 35-40 minutes, or until the casserole is firm.

  Now you can go crazy with all of your favorite low calorie hot dog toppings, or if you are feeling naughty even a bit of chili. The possibilities are endless, and this is a fun low calorie way to get your hot dog fix. Enjoy!

Mom's stuffed peppers.

  Eek, sorry I disappeared for a week. As you all know, life happens. Things get busy sometimes. I've had a lot of medical stuff happening over the span of the last few days. It isn't all bad stuff, but it's positive. It's been a draining experience, so pardon my absence. I'm back now!

  One of the first things I remember from my childhood was having dinner every night together at the dining table as a family. We would always have a wonderful, full meal that my mother prepared. I remember my dad sometimes teasing her about her choice of dish, and how she would always get flustered. Mom's meals were always special, and will forever be special to me. I went through the devastating ordeal of losing her way too soon, my mother passed when I was only almost eleven. I will always feel the love and warmth she bestowed upon my sister and I, and always have a happy memory whenever I have the dishes she prepared for us when I was little. When I went back to visit my family in September, my father entrusted me with two special dish towels. Why are they special? They were mom's treasured towels. The ones that sat on the front of the oven for only decor, and if you touched them hell would freeze over. Fourteen years later, they are my treasured towels hanging on the front of my oven in our house. Mommy, this one is for you.

Mom's stuffed peppers
Serves two


2 green bellpeppers
1/2 lb ground turkey, preferably lean
1/4 of a white onion, diced
1/2 cup of pasta sauce, with a few tablespoons extra to top the peppers
1/2 cup of Mexican style rice
1/4 cup egg beaters (or 1 egg, beaten)
1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
A few dashes of ground pepper

Optional: 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese

  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

  Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut the tops off of the peppers, and remove the seeds. Once the water is boiling, submerge both peppers in the water. Let them boil in the water for five minutes.

  In a separate bowl, combine the egg beaters, pasta sauce and onion. Mix well. Add the ground turkey to the mixture. Add all remaining ingredients except for the optional mozzarella and extra sauce. Mix well so everything is distributed evenly.

  After the peppers have boiled for five minutes, carefully remove them from the pot using tongs and rinse them in cold water. Place them into an oven safe dish. Split the filling in half, or distribute it so both of the peppers are filled to the top. I find this recipe always makes just enough to fill two larger sized peppers to the brim. Top with a bit of pasta sauce and a light sprinkle of mozzarella cheese if you wish. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 50 minutes.

  This makes for a fantastic, satisfying meal that is both low in calories but also packs a bit of protein. You can make this with plain white rice as well, but the flavor is not as good without the Mexican rice. Enjoy!

Breakfast ala Ramekin: Eggs, bacon AND an english muffin for under 250 calories!

  I've always been fascinated with the concept of using a ramekin to portion control. I have a terrible sweet tooth, so I begin to imagine all of these smaller portion guilty baked goods I can make. I simply couldn't bring myself to shell out the money for a set. When we were at Target the other day, my husband bought me two ramekins.

 
 His and hers, respectively. I've been plotting over the past few days what to do first, and what I could do with what I had as far as stuff in my fridge. I love breakfast. There is an understatement. It's easy to go overboard with calories though. Thanks to my ramekins, I was able to tweak a recipe to make a fantastic, filling egg bake for under 250 calories per serving!

  Also before I go on, I apologize for my absence. I've been running around to a lot of doctors, and thus have been making a lot of repeats for dinner in my medical fog. I promise these ramekins will definitely fuel an onslaught. Remember that apple pie I showed a few weeks back? Think that.. but in an acceptable size!

240 calorie Oven-baked Egg with Bacon
Adapted from Epicurious.


1 egg
Half an English Muffin. (The type I used is 60 calories for half, but there are even ones that are only 50.)
2 strips of center cut bacon. (If you use turkey bacon, you can shave another 40 calories off, my husband is just serious about his bacon haha.)
1 tablespoon of heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste.

  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

 Feast your eyes upon my ugly skillet. Just because it's ugly doesn't mean it's not functional! Start to cook your bacon on medium low heat. I'm making two servings of this recipe, thus the four pieces. You will want this to be very crispy since you will be crumbling the bacon later. While you are cooking the bacon, go ahead and toast the english muffin half.

  After cooking the bacon, reserve the fat. Using a baking brush, coat your ramekin with the bacon grease. This will help keep your egg from sticking, and also add a little extra flavor.

  Now that your ramekin has been prepped, place your english muffin within the well, split side up. You can see I substituted a piece of 50 calorie bread for my husband's, since it fits better into the well. Take note you can follow his example if you want a bigger serving size. Using a spoon or your fingers, press a little well into the center of your english muffin. This will help make a space to keep your egg from running away.

  Crumble the two strips of bacon over the top of your english muffin. Both serving sizes shown have only two pieces, and it was sufficient.

 Carefully, crack an egg and place it into the well you created without breaking the yolk. As long as it doesn't break completely, the dish will turn out fine.

  Drizzle a tablespoon of heavy cream over the top of the dish. Salt and pepper to taste. Don't overdo it though. Keep in mind you can add more after cooking. Place into the pre-heated oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until the eggwhite is mostly set.

  Breakfast is served! For how easy this dish is to make, it has a fantastic presentation. I also want to note that prior to baking, make sure your ramekins are oven safe to 400 degrees. This will help prevent some chaos. This dish has changed my perception of breakfast, and is easily one of my new favorites. Enjoy!

Skinny Philly

   Today my husband had a date. A date with his friend, to play Nintendo 64. Goldeneye more exactly. If you were wondering, no, they don't ever grow up. I had to come up with something we could eat within a 30 minute window from prep to consumption so we could be done and cleaned up in time for him to play. We opted for one of my new favorite's, a variation of Hungry Girl's Philly Burger.

   Before I get to the recipe, let me give you all a little background. My husband is active duty in the Navy, and when we first met one of the things he obsessed over was the Philly Cheesesteaks they made in the galley at his base in West Virginia. Undeniably, they were incredible. A perfect marriage of flavors! However, the combo of meat, cheese and a giant piece of bread doesn't calculate to a low calorie option. With HG's help, I was able to get what my husband called "as close as possible" to that legendary sandwich he loves so much all while landing well below 400 calories per sandwich.

LC's Skinny Philly
Slight variation of Hungry Girl's Philly burger swap.
Serves 2 adults


1 white onion, diced
1 green pepper
2 slices of fat free American cheese (I use Kraft.)
4 teaspoons light sour cream
2 Boca burgers. (Keep in mind the different varieties have different amounts of calories, the one I use has 70.)
Olive oil, for skillet
A few dashes of pepper
4 slices of 50 calorie bread, or sandwich thins.

This meal is super easy and filling. We'll start by pre-heating our skillet on medium heat with just enough olive oil added to coat the pan. Continue by taking our onion and removing the outer layer. I usually cut the onion in two, then cut the halves into two and slice them thinly. (Not paper thin, but thick enough that they will soften nicely in the skillet) Take your green pepper, slice it in half. Remove the seeds, and then slice the remaining pepper. Cut these in half so they aren't quite so long. (You'll appreciate this when you are actually eating it later! Otherwise it can be difficult to eat!) You should now have something like the picture above! I love the way freshly cut veggies look. Now we are ready to add these into our pre-heated skillet.

Allow your veggies to cook on medium for three minutes. Add a few dashes of pepper just to season lightly. Stir occasionally to make sure they don't burn completely on the bottom, and just soften slightly.

Meanwhile, we can practice multi-tasking.. which doesn't always pan out well for me, but hey, we can try! Start tearing up your sliced cheese into little bits, and add them into the bowl. Please ignore that I have more then I wrote. I was making more because my husband wanted extra! Add 4 teaspoons of light sour cream to the bowl, and stir until the sour cream has coated the cheese. Set aside for right now, I bet your timer is screaming at you.

Using a spatula, shift your veggies over to one side of the skillet. This will be the area where you will cook your burgers. Don't worry if you don't have much space to work with, since you won't really need to stir your veggies anymore after this point.  Cook your burgers for 4 minutes on each side, so eight minutes collectively. If you want to toast your bread, I suggest you do that before your burgers are done cooking so you are ready to build your awesome creation as soon as you can.

Now that your burgers are nearing completion, let's get back to what is really important. Cheese. I love cheese, don't you? Cheese will be the death of me, and my waistline. Not today! Take your bowl and place it into the microwave. Nuke it for 15 seconds. Take your bowl out and stir the mixture so it is well combined. Place it back into the microwave again, and nuke it for another 10 seconds. Stir once more so it is well combined, and your end result will be the above. Perfectly smooth, cheesy deliciousness.

Finally you are ready to assemble! You can make this however you wish. Heck, you can even eat it without bread if you want to cut even more calories. Don't feel bad if you have just a little extra veggies. I use a lot because I like to pile them high! The way I prepared mine, it falls at 270 calories per burger. Enjoy!