Grilled Herb-Coated Chicken Breast

A great low cal, low carb recipe!  Serve over a bed of mixed greens for a great salad!

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half)

Ingredients
3/4  cup  Herbed Lemon-Buttermilk Dressing
4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
2  tablespoons  finely chopped fresh parsley
2  tablespoons  finely chopped fresh chives
1  teaspoon  canola oil
1  teaspoon  honey
Cooking spray

Preparation
Combine Herbed Lemon-Buttermilk Dressing and chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Remove chicken from marinade, and discard marinade. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt and black pepper. Combine fresh parsley, chives, canola oil, and honey, stirring well. Spoon herb mixture evenly over tops of chicken breast halves. Place chicken, herb side down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes each side or until done.

Nutritional Information
Calories:222 (15% from fat)
Fat:3.8g (sat 0.7g,mono 1.4g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:40g
Carbohydrate:4.6g
Fiber:0.3g
Cholesterol:99mg
Iron:1.5mg
Sodium:540mg
Calcium:44mg

Tilapia & Summer Vegetable Packets

A light summer dish that’s easy to make and tastes great! (Courtesy of Eatingwell.com)
 
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
 
1 cup quartered cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup diced summer squash
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
12 green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup pitted and coarsely chopped black olives
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into 4 equal portions

 
Instructions

1. Preheat grill to medium. (No grill? See Oven Variation, below.)
2. Combine tomatoes, squash, onion, green beans, olives, lemon juice, oregano, oil, capers, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
3. To make a packet, lay two 20-inch sheets of foil on top of each other (the double layers will help protect the contents from burning); generously coat the top piece with cooking spray. Place one portion of tilapia in the center of the foil. Sprinkle with some of the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, then top with about 3/4 cup of the vegetable mixture.
4. Bring the short ends of the foil together, leaving enough room in the packet for steam to gather and cook the food. Fold the foil over and pinch to seal. Pinch seams together along the sides. Make sure all the seams are tightly sealed to keep steam from escaping. Repeat with more foil, cooking spray and the remaining fish, salt, pepper and vegetables.
5. Grill the packets until the fish is cooked through and the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. To serve, carefully open both ends of the packets and allow the steam to escape. Use a spatula to slide the contents onto plates.

Oven Variation: Preheat oven to 425°F. Place green beans in a microwavable bowl with 1 tablespoon water. Cover and microwave on High until the beans are just beginning to cook, about 30 seconds. Drain and add to the other vegetables (Step 2). Assemble packets (Steps 3-4). Bake the packets directly on an oven rack until the tilapia is cooked through and the vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information
 
Per serving: 181 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 57 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrate; 24 g protein; 2 g fiber; 435 mg sodium; 591 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Selenium (68% daily value), Vitamin C (30% dv), Potassium (17% dv).
1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 1/2 vegetables, 3 very lean meat, 1 fat

Stir-Fried Chicken with Gingered Vegetables
This recipe serves: 4

Easy to fix, fast to cook…very low in calories and carbohydrates!

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each, sliced into strips
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
2 cups broccoli florets
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 1/2 cloves garlic, peeled
4 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 1/3 cups sliced carrots
1 1/3 cups snow peas
2/3 large red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/8 teaspoon (or to taste) hot pepper flakes
4 teaspoons rice vinegar or sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

Cooking Instructions
1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a nonstick wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook, tossing with a wooden spoon, until the chicken begins to brown. Turn off the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate.

3. Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water until the stems just begin to get tender, about 1 or 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

4. Add the sesame oil and garlic cloves to the wok. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden. Remove the garlic, add the ginger and cook for another minute.

5. Turn the heat to high, add the carrots and cook, tossing with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes. Add the peas, red peppers and hot pepper flakes, continue tossing with the spoon and cook for 1 minute more. Add the chicken, broccoli, vinegar and soy sauce and cook for 2 minutes more. Serve immediately over a bed of rice.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size:about 2 1/2 cups of chicken and vegetables

Amount Per Serving:
Calories200
Protein22 g
Total Carbohydrate13 g
Dietary Fiber4 g
Soluble Fiber1 g
Insoluble Fiber1 g
Sugar4 g
Total Fat7 g
Saturated Fat1 g
Monounsaturated Fat3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat2 g
Cholesterol210 mg
Percent Calories from Fat31 %
Percent Calories from Protein43 %
Percent Calories from Carbohydrate26 %

Courtesy of FoodFit.com

Roast Chicken with Citrus and Thyme

A great, and healthy, baked chicken recipe perfect for any dinner.

This recipe serves: 4

Ingredients
1 whole chicken, about 5 pounds
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved
1/2 onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup roughly chopped celery
1 orange, halved
4 sprigs fresh thyme

Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and orange halves all over the chicken. Stuff the lemon and orange halves into the cavity, along with the onion, celery and thyme.

4. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the skin and season with salt and pepper.

5. Roast the chicken in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 160°F.

6. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the skin before carving.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size:1/4 skinless chicken

Amount Per Serving
Calories323
Protein47 g
Total Carbohydrate11 g
Dietary Fiber3 g
Soluble Fiber0 g
Insoluble Fiber0 g
Sugar6 g
Total Fat10 g
Saturated Fat2 g
Monounsaturated Fat5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat1 g
Trans Fatty Acid (tfa)0 g
Omega-3 Fatty Acid0 g
Omega-6 Fatty Acid0 g
Cholesterol148 mg
Percent Calories from Fat28 %
Percent Calories from Protein58 %
Percent Calories from Carbohydrate14 %

Grilled Tenderloin with Warm Vegetable Salad

It’s Summer and that means it is time to fire up the grill!  Here is a simple recipe for a delicious dish that makes for a great weekend dinner.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 steak and 1/2 cup vegetable mixture)

Ingredients
4  (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (about 1 inch thick)
1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
1/2  teaspoon  black pepper, divided
2  small zucchini, halved lengthwise
2  small yellow squash, halved lengthwise
2  plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2  green onions
2  tablespoons  red wine vinegar
2  teaspoons  bottled minced garlic
Cooking spray
1  tablespoon  commercial pesto
Oregano sprigs (optional)
Preparation
Prepare grill or broiler.

Sprinkle steaks with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, zucchini, and next 5 ingredients (zucchini through garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and shake to coat.

Place the tenderloin steaks on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook for 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Place the zucchini and yellow squash on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 3 minutes on each side or until tender. Place the tomato and onions on grill rack or broiler pan; cook 2 minutes or just until tender.

Coarsely chop the vegetables, and place in a bowl. Add pesto; stir gently. Serve with steaks. Garnish with oregano, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories:245 (39% from fat)
Fat:10.5g (sat 3.7g,mono 4.3g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:27.2g
Carbohydrate:10.4g
Fiber:4.1g
Cholesterol:72mg
Iron:4.4mg
Sodium:385mg
Calcium:85mg

**Recipe courtesy of CookingLight.com