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

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

Asparagus is a great low cal side dish and this recipe adds some great flavor.  It is both quick and easy.  (Recipe courtesy of CookingLight.com)

Yield:
8 servings (serving size: 5 spears)

Ingredients:
40  asparagus spears, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
2  tablespoons  butter
2  teaspoons  low-sodium soy sauce
1  teaspoon  balsamic vinegar
Cracked black pepper (optional)
Grated lemon rind (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tender.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle over asparagus, tossing well to coat. Garnish with cracked pepper and rind, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories:45 (60% from fat)
Fat:3g (sat 1.8g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.2g)
Protein:1.9g
Carbohydrate:3.9g
Fiber:1.7g
Cholesterol:8mg
Iron:0.7mg
Sodium:134mg
Calcium:18mg

Supreme Squash Casserole

A great summer time low cal side! Courtesy of SparkRecipes.

Ingredients

2 summer squash
2 zucchini
1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
1 cup 2% kraft shredded colby jack cheese
2 eggs
3 garlic cloves
1/2 large yellow onion
2 cups mushrooms
2 tbsp light Daisy sour cream
cooking spray
Add: salt, pepper, & cumin for taste

Directions

Coat pan with cooking spray – add diced mushrooms, garlic cloves, and onion. Saute until tender

Cut both zucchini and squash into thin slices. Add to a pot w/ one tsp water and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Then remove from the stove and add onion/ mushroom mixture to the pot.

Mix two eggs with 2 tbsp sour cream

Coat baking dish w/ cooking spray. Evenly distribute squash mixture to bottom of pan. Add half of ricotta cheese, half of egg mixture, and half of shredded cheese. Layer the other half of the squash mixture on top and use the rest of the ricotta and egg mixture.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, remove foil and add the rest of the shredded cheese. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Lastly, turn oven to broil and let broil for 2-3 min so cheese topping become crusty.

Let cool for 10-15 minutes and enjoy. Makes 9 servings
Number of Servings: 9

Nutritional Info
Fat: 3.8g
Carbohydrates: 5.8g
Calories: 87.9
Protein: 8.1g

No Bake Protein Bar

A great alternative to store bought, pre-packaged meal replacement/protein bars (see 10 Replacements for Your Grocery List)

INGREDIENTS:
5 tbsp natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1/2 cup dry oat meal or whole grain hot cereal (uncooked)
1/2 cup oat flour (double the dry oats if you do not have oat flour)
6 scoops chocolate whey protein (approximately 132 grams worth of low-carb protein powder)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons flax seeds (optional)
1 cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 cup water (depending on what type of protein you use, you may need to add more)
Modifications: Use vanilla protein and replace ~1/4 cup of the oatflour with a variety of nuts, seeds, or dried berries.

PREPARATION:

Spray an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix – the mixture will be crumbly and dry. Add water & vanilla. Sponsored Links

Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, everything until a dough forms. The dough will be sticky. Spread dough into pan using a clean wooden spoon or spatula that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Refrigerate a few hours (or freeze for an hour) and cut into 9 squares. Wrap bars individually (use sandwich bags or plastic wrap) or store in covered container between sheets of wax paper. Keep refrigerated.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
197 calories, 21 g protein, 7.2 g fat (8% saturated), 13.7 g carbohydrate, 1.6 g fiber

Recipe Courtesy of liftforlife.com

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