Savory - Hasselback Chicken

As seen on Proper Tasty! But really, it looked amazing, so I had to try it, and guess what? It's very good.

All that red is paprika...don't skimp on it!

Ingredients:
Serves 4

2 chicken breasts (~1.2 lb total)
2 cups fresh spinach
2 tbsp skim or fat-free ricotta cheese
4 cloves garlic
a bit of olive/canola oil, or butter spray
1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice 
Salt, pepper, paprika to taste

Note: the original recipe says it only serves 2. I believe that's a bit generous, since each breast is quite large, so I've reduced the serving size (and nutrition information) to reflect ~4 oz chicken/person (the recommended serving size of protein for women). Of course, this is entirely up to you.


To Make:
5-10 minutes

- Preheat oven to 400F
- Heat a little bit of oil in a pan or skillet (or coat with cooking spray)
- Mince or chop garlic cloves, and add to pan. Cook briefly, then add spinach
- Cook spinach (using a spatula to mix/move around) until the leaves are wilted, around 2 minutes.  
- Add ricotta cheese and mix about 1 minute more, until the cheese is creamy. Take mixture off heat.
- Cut grooves into chicken breast each about 1/2"-1" apart, and going down about 3/4 of the way through the breast. Be careful not to cut all the way through.
- Divide the spinach and ricotta mixture evenly between the breasts, placing a little bit in each groove.
- Use a bit more oil/cooking spray to spread around baking dish so chicken won't burn on bottom, and then place chicken in the dish
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle the grated cheese over both chicken breasts
- Finally, season with paprika (and honestly, now is no time for restraint. Put a healthy heap on there! The flavor will be spectacular)


To Bake:
20-25 minutes

- Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes until the juice from the chicken runs clear. Let cool briefly, then enjoy! (Thought: it would probably be quite delicious with a sprinkle of lemon on top.)

Serves 4.


Approximate Nutritional Information (per serving):
260 cals
10 g fat (5 g saturated)
110 mg cholesterol
360 mg sodium
2.4 g carbs(.6 g fiber, 1 g sugar)
37.5 g protein

Savory - Tofu Chicken Alfredo

I was pretty upset about not having grains in my diet until I discovered that Tofu Shirataki Noodles are a thing, and they're not half bad! They're also very filling while being epicly low on calories, meaning you can splurge on toppings a bit and still feel good about yourself. This recipe is is from 20/20 Recipes page again, though I've modified it (and the nutritional info) a bit to make it....well, tastier (in my opinion, of course).

Egg on top makes things tastier. There's noodles and chicken beneath, I swear.

Ingredients:
Serves 2

1 8-oz Shirataki noodle package
2 wedges light Laughing Cow cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs
8 oz cooked chicken breast, diced
~1 cup broccoli
1 lemon
olive oil, salt to taste
optional: 1 garlic clove, minced

*These are the ingredients for making 2 servings, though if you find yourself alone one night and very hungry, nobody will blame you for taking the whole packet of noodles for yourself and halving the rest of the ingredients. That's only 10 cals added to your dinner, and not much difference anywhere else except in your satiety levels.


To Make:
~ 15 minutes

Noodles:
- Set a small pot of water to boil for the noodles, and pan or skillet over fire to warm up.
- While water is warming up, cut noodle package and drain liquid.
- Once water is boiling, add noodles and cook for ~5 minutes
- After 5 minutes, noodles should be amply heated up. Drain water and mix the cheese wedges and the garlic powder with the noodles until the cheese is melted and well-incorporated.
- Distribute noodles into 2 bowls, and add 4 oz chicken breast to each.


Broccoli:
- Meanwhile, wash and cut broccoli into florets. Roll the lemon a bit to get the juices flowing, then cut in half and generously squeeze juice over broccoli. Add a bit of oil to the pan/skillet and saute broccoli (along with optional garlic) for a few minutes, until broccoli is tender.
- Once done, remove from heat and distribute evenly between noodle bowls.

Eggs:
- In same pan/skillet, crack 2 eggs and cook sunny-side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until whites are hard and yolk is semi-runny, a few minutes.
- Once done, take off heat and distribute one egg to each bowl.



Approximate Nutritional Information (per serving):
325 cals
10.8 g fat (3.4 g saturated)
261 mg cholesterol
449 mg sodium
13.2 g carbs (5.2 g fiber, 4 g sugar)
45.4 g protein

Savory - Cauliflower Biscuits

These are like a souffle of goodness. Soft and spongy, with a light crisp flavor from the Greek yogurt; I'd definitely recommend as a snack since they're well-balanced with carbs to give you energy and protein and a bit of fat to keep you satisfied till the next meal, but they're great as a side to a main dish as well. Original recipe found on Cooking Light.

Ingredients:
Serves 12 

1 head cauliflower
3 garlic cloves
1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper


To Make:
15-20 minutes

- Preheat oven to 400. Set pot with 1" water to warm over fire.
- Clean cauliflower and cut into florets, then steam in pot (with lid on) for 10-12 minutes until tender.
- While cauliflower steams, beat egg whites in a very clean, cool bowl until firm and peaks form.
- Remove cauliflower from heat, and add minced garlic. Use a food processor or mash by hand until cauliflower is broken up into very small pieces and/or is creamy (depending on texture preference).
- Add 2 eggs, cheese, salt and pepper to cauliflower and mix well to incorporate.
- Slowly incorporate egg whites into cauliflower mixture, gently folding in.
- Lightly grease (I use cooking spray) 12 normal sized muffin tins or 24 mini tins, and evenly divide the cauliflower mixture between them.


To Bake:
25 minutes

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Let cool briefly, then enjoy! Makes 12 servings.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
50 cals
2.5 g fat (1.3 g saturated)
15 mg cholesterol
332 mg sodium
7.3 g carbs (2.7 g fiber, 2.6 g sugar)
10.7 g protein

Savory - Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Don't diss it till you try it. My eyes have been opened, and cauliflower is officially my most-stocked kitchen item. (Funnily, I used to hate it as a kid. Oh, how times change.) Cauliflower is a surprisingly robust food; since it has a very mild taste, it can be used as a base or substitute for a number of recipes, and Pizza crust is one of them. (Mashed Potatoes is another, but more on that later!)

This crust does definitely not a traditional pizza make, but it's honestly quite delicious in its own less-chewy, more-decadent way. So here you have it, in case you're staying away from wheat, flour, gluten, grains....or anything else that's not cauliflower, give this recipe a try (crust recipe taken from the 20/20 Lifestyles Recipe Page)!

Ingredients:

Serves 4

Crust:

1 head cauliflower

1/3 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 tsp salt

4-5 big cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp onion powder

2 tsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

1/2 cup egg whites

Toppings:

Tomato paste or Pesto sauce

1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

1 oz turkey pepperoni 

4 oz chicken breast

6-8 cherry tomatoes

To Make:

~ 30 minutes

- Preheat oven to 425 with a baking tray inside.

Bonus: purple cauliflower!

- Wash cauliflower and cut into florets. Dry as best you can, and either use a food processor or your amazing knife skills to dice the florets very finely. It should consist of very tiny flakes by the end.

- Place the cauliflower grains on a dish with a paper towel lining, and microwave for about 4 minutes. 

- Try and drain as much water as possible (the drier, the better the crust, otherwise will be more mushy)

- Cut a piece of parchment paper and spray a thin layer of cooking spray on top. Remove baking tray from oven.

- Mix the cauliflower well with all other crust ingredients, and pat down on the parchment paper in a pizza-crust shape. Try and get it as thin as possible (about 1/8-1/4") without holes appearing. Make sure the edges are not jagged, and then carefully transfer parchment and crust to the warmed baking tray.

To Bake:

25 minutes

- Bake the crust at 425 for 15 minutes, then remove.

 Look at that glorious crust. Look at it!

- Add toppings of choice, including a sauce (tomato, pesto, etc) and cheese. My faves include turkey pepperoni, chicken and a few tomatoes :)

- Bake pizza for a further 12-15 minutes.

And that's it! Serves 4.

Nutritional information will vary with pizza toppings

Approximate Nutritional Information for the crust (per portion):

120 cals
5.3 g fat (2.4 g saturated)
15 mg cholesterol
332 mg sodium
7.3 g carbs (2.7 g fiber, 2.6 g sugar)
10.7 g protein

With toppings in this post, nutrition will be roughly:
300 cals
14 g fat (5 g sat)
18 g carbs (6 fiber, 10 sugar)
30 g protein

Savory - Turkey Bacon and Egg White Muffins

Great for a quick breakfast on the go! The recipe comes from the Recipe page of the 20/20 Lifestyle website. These "muffins" may use healthier foods in the mix, but they definitely don't lack in flavor. My little sister's response when tasting these was "Are you sure you're allowed to have these on your diet?" (The answer is yes. Yes I am.)

Ingredients:
Serves 6

8oz (1 packet) Trader Joe's Reduced Fat Turkey Bacon
1 medium onion
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 cups egg whites
(optional) fresh basil, to garnish


To Make:
15 minutes

- Place a pan over fire to heat. Preheat oven to 350.
- Dice onion and turkey bacon. Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes, depending on your preference.
- Mix all ingredients in the pan, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks. Can optionally spray or use a bit of olive oil, though I've found it's not necessary.
- Meanwhile, divide 3 cups of egg whites evenly between 12 normal muffin tins or 6 jumbo ones. Tins should be about half full.
- Once onions are see-through and juice from tomato is mostly evaporated, take pan off heat. Let cool briefly, then evenly divide the mixture between the muffin tins (about one tbsp per muffin for normal sized tins).
- Optionally, cut up some fresh basil (or herb of choice) and garnish the top of each muffin.


To Bake:
25 minutes

- Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, broiling on high for the last 2. Let cool briefly, then enjoy.

Makes 12 normal muffins or 6 jumbo sized.
In total, 6 servings.


Nutrition Information (per serving):
100 Cals
1 g fat
15 mg cholesterol
370 mg sodium
5 g carb
17 g protein

Savory - Chicken Cauliflower Casserole

I've recently begun investing more energy into learning how to cook and eat well. Baking is my first love, but let's not kid around - all those cups of sugar and butter aren't helping me achieve my ideal beach body. A few good looks in the mirror and a membership to a gym (complete with nutritionist visits and tips!) later, and thus began my foray into making real food. Funnily enough, all of them still involve baking! Go figure :P

This recipe has become one of my favorites; I cobbled it together from a few different casserole dishes online to suit my particular diet. It's loaded with chicken, turkey bacon, cauliflower and cheese, and has a very creamy texture.Yet, it has ridiculously low calories for a really decent portion, will still keep you full due to the protein and fat, and it is overall very healthy (which is impressive, when bacon and cheese are involved!) Best of all, it's quite easy to make - and can be even easier if you get pre-cooked chicken! Otherwise, you do like me, and get really good at multitasking :) My only thought is it's a bit low on carbs (for energy), but adding some veggies or fruit on the side solves that problem quickly!

I'd recommend assembling all the ingredients while the oven is preheating, then preparing the cauliflower, bacon and onions while the chicken is cooking to save on time.  After all, less time cooking = earlier dinner time :D

Pro tip: You can also bake the chicken in the casserole dish to save on washing up!

And you can make it purple. Enough said.

Ingredients:
Serves 8

~1.3 lb lean chicken breast, raw (or ~1 lb/16 oz cooked)
olive oil, salt, pepper to taste
4 oz Trader Joe's reduced fat turkey bacon
2 heads cauliflower
8 oz shredded cheese(s) of choice (Italian mix is good, so is Cheddar/Jack mix!)
1/2 onion
2-3 green onions
1-3 cloves garlic


To Make:
~ 35 mins

Chicken, if raw (25 mins):
- Set oven to preheat to 400, and place a saucepot with about 1" water to boil on stove.
- Season chicken lightly with 1-2 tbsp olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper, and bake at 400 for about 20-25 mins (flip halfway through). Once done, shred chicken to desired bite sizes.
- Reduce oven to 350.

Cauliflower (15 mins):
- Cut cauliflower into florets, and rinse in water to make sure no dirt remains. Once water in pot is bubbling, steam the cauliflower for 10-12 mins (place lid on pot to capture steam), until fork can easily be inserted into the florets. (Alternatively, can microwave in bowl with a bit of water and plastic wrap over top for same amount of time).

Bacon, Onion, Assembly (10 mins):
- Cook turkey bacon in pan to desired level of crispness, then dice and set aside.
- Cut half of a sweet onion and saute until translucent.
- Place chicken, bacon, cauliflower, onion, and 3/4 of the cheese into your baking dish.
- Thinly cut green onions and mince garlic cloves and add as well.
- Mix all ingredients to desired consistency (or keep them layered, up to you!), and break up cauliflower florets into smaller pieces if desired.
- Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cheese over top.


To Bake:
~ 30 mins

- Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 25 minutes, then uncovered for an additional 5 mins.
Makes 8 servings.

Approximate Nutrition Information (per serving):

230 Cals
9.6 g fat (4.6 saturated)
79 mg cholesterol
440 mg sodium
5 g carb (2 g fiber, 1.9 g sugar)
30 g protein

Sweet - Caramel Cookies

These caramel cookies are one of my favorite desserts. They're more biscuit than cookie; they come out a bit firm and crunchy, but still chewy and buttery. Honestly I have no idea how to describe them, except for saying they're good. Really good. The recipe comes from Bon Appetit Desserts by Barbara Fairchild - an amazing book with hundreds of superb recipes. I'm mostly copying it here for my amusement (I like pictures, and there sadly are none for this recipe in the book), and for easier access (that book is...hefty) but I stick to her recipe exactly. Anyways, here it is!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup (1.5 packets) unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

To Make:
~ 30 mins

- Add sugar and water to a medium pot, and place over low heat.
- Cut the vanilla bean in half, and then split lengthwise. Use a small sharp knife to scrape the seeds from within into the pot.

- Stir until sugar is dissolved, and then increase heat to boil.

- Once boiling, swirl pot occasionally and brush the sides with water-dampened pastry brush to prevent sugar crystallization. Watch for mixture to turn amber colored - which usually takes around 8-10 minutes.
- Use the down time to cut the butter into small cubes, to make mixing easier later.

- Around the 10 minute mark your mixture should turn amber. Be careful - this is a very quick process once started (sugar burns quickly!)

This change happened within about 10 seconds...a few more seconds and it would be burnt!

- Once done, quickly remove the mixture from heat (as it will continue darkening in the pot), remove vanilla pod, and add the 2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream. Mixture will bubble VIGOROUSLY (that's how you know you've done well - congrats!).

- Whisk until cream is combined with caramel, then add the butter a few cubes at a time, until fully incorporated.

- Set aside for 5-10 minutes, until you don't feel heat rising from it any longer. This is to let the butter settle a bit into the mixture. (I tend to err closer to 10; if it's not cooled down enough, the dough will remain too buttery in the end.)

- Once cooled, add 1/4 tsp salt and the 2 packed tbsps of brown sugar, and mix. Then add flour - a bit at a time - and mix to incorporate. (If you're feeling truly stellar you can sift the flour before adding).

- Once done, turn over onto a (optionally lightly floured) surface, cut into two equal pieces and mold into roughly 9"-long tubes. Cover in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight to harden.

To Bake:
~15 mins

- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cut dough into pieces roughly 1/8 inch thick, and place on tray lined with cookie sheet.

Leave a bit of room in between, but don't worry too much - these cookies don't spread much.

- Bake for 13 minutes, until cookies are a slightly darker caramel brown.
- Let cool for a bit before eating, to get the best flavor and texture. Then, enjoy!