Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf

     This is another recipe that I found from What's Cookin, Chicago? via Pinterest.  When I came across it, I knew it might be a keeper.  Well it turns out I was right (aren't I always)!  I have made this meal about four times now and I think it is safe to say I will make it again before too long.  If you like sauce, it wouldn't hurt to add a bit more than the recipe calls for.  Enjoy!

1 lb. ground chicken

1 egg

¼ cup breadcrumbs

½ tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground pepper

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

½ cup (or more) spaghetti sauce

½ cup shredded Italian cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spray a small loaf pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the spaghetti sauce and Italian cheese.  Be careful not to handle the chicken more than is necessary, otherwise it will become tough.  Form into a loaf and place in loaf pan.  Top with spaghetti sauce.

     Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle the Italian cheese over top of the meatloaf.  Heat for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.  Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Baked Chicken Fajitas

     I have never really been a fan of fajitas, but I always tried to trick myself into liking them.  My husband loves them, so I would make them fairly often and try to convince myself that they would be good.  More than anything, I enjoyed the colors of the different bell peppers, but that was really it!  After I was done making them I would maybe eat half of one!  However, since I have found this recipe from Eatin' on the Cheap, I actually love fajitas (and not just the colors)!  This is one of the easiest recipes to prepare and I love that my husband never lets the leftovers go to waste.  He will even eat them cold!  I have probably made this recipe about 7 times since I found it a few months ago, and it will continue to be a favorite weeknight meal around here!

1 lb. chicken breast
10 oz. can of Rotel
1 medium onion, sliced (optional)
2 bell peppers (any color), cut into long thin strips
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. salt
tortillas
reduced fat sour cream

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Cut the chicken breast into thin strips and place in the bottom of the dish.  Slice peppers and place in the dish.  Pour the can of Rotel, including the liquid, over top of the chicken and peppers.  Mix together the chicken, peppers, and Rotel.  In a small separate bowl, combine oil and spices.  Pour over top of the chicken mixture.  Toss together to evenly coat the chicken and peppers.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Before serving, drain excess liquid from the dish.  Serve with warm tortillas and sour cream.

Strawberry & Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

     Well I am back at it again...trying to eat healthier!  Not that I ever try to eat unhealthy, but I love to cook and bake, and I can especially get myself into trouble when it comes to baking!  I mean just take a look at my pinterest boards.  For the Superbowl party we went to, I made peanut butter cheesecake brownies with Reese's on top!  I think everyone loved and hated me at the same time.  But I was thankful that I could make them and only eat one instead of the whole pan!  Oh, and I should mention that I also made a fresh fruit platter with a fat free fruit dip!  I guess you could say they sort of balanced each other out?!  Anyways, back to eating healthy.  I have been doing so good, but I have sort of gotten myself into a rut of eating the same things every day, since I know they are good for me and taste good.  But, it can be boring at times.  So I broke out an old weight watchers cookbook and found this recipe.  It didn't take much time at all to make and it was pretty darn good!

2 tbsp. light cream cheese
4 slices low calorie bread (like Sara Lee 45 Calories and Delightful 100% Whole Wheat)
2 tbsp. strawberry jam or fruit spread
1 egg
2 egg whites
3 tbsp. skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

     Spread a tablespoon of cream cheese onto each of the two slices of bread.  Spread a tablespoon of strawberry jam onto each of the remaining two slices of bread.  Put the slices of bread with jam on top of the cream cheese slices to make fruit and cheese sandwiches.  Cut each sandwich in half diagonally.
     In a wide bowl or pie plate, whisk together the egg and egg whites.  Whisk in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
     Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray and set over medium high heat.  Add the sandwiches to the egg mixture and let soak.  When pan is hot, place sandwiches on the skillet and let cook until browned.  It should only take about 2-3 minutes per side.  Top french toast with fresh strawberries and enjoy!  There isn't even a need for any syrup!

Nutritional information per serving: 263 calories, 6 grams of fat, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber.  6 WW points+

Veggie & Beef Stir Fry

     This recipe is simple, but satisfying.  It is also pretty healthy!  It was quick and easy to prepare and I can guarantee you it will be back on the menu again soon!  I know that because my husband even took the leftovers to work!  You have to love that sort of meal!  Plus, I got to use one of my favorite kitchen appliances, my electric wok.  Seriously, I got it at a garage sales quite a few years ago, but I love that thing!  If you don't have one, put it on your Christmas list - you won't regret it!

¼ - ½ lb.stir fry beef
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 zucchini, coarsely chopped
3 cups broccoli, coarsely chopped
1 yellow squash, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. teriyaki sauce
1 cup brown rice

     Coarsely chop the zucchini, broccoli, and squash.  Boil water for the rice.  Cook rice according to the package.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in an electric wok (or large skillet if you don't have a wok).  Add the beef, stir frying until no longer pink, about 2 minutes.  Add in the vegetables and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add teriyaki sauce (more to taste if you would like) to the stir fry.  Serve the beef and vegetables over the brown rice.  Makes 4 servings.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

     I have to admit that I was taking a big chance when I decided to make this meal for the first time.  I found this recipe from The Yummy Life on Pinterest and decided to try it. I wasn't convinced it would be a hit for several reasons, the first being that it used ground turkey instead or beef, which isn't my husbands favorite.  Secondly, it used an ingredient, hoisin, that I had never heard before and had no idea what it would taste like.  It also had several other ingredients which I didn't have or don't like to eat.  Among all those things I don't have a food processor to mince all the veggies, which meant more work for me!  So as you can imagine, I was shocked after I made this meal for dinner one night and subsequently watched my husband scarf down three helpings!  My husband rarely tells me he doesn't like something I cook, but I can tell by whether or not he eats leftovers.  In this case, there weren't even any leftovers, which was an indicator that I should make these lettuce wraps again!  If you like spicy, which around here we don't, check out the yummy life link above for some dipping sauces.

1 lb. ground turkey
1-2 tsp. canola oil
1 cup shredded carrots, minced
3 green onions, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. cooking sherry
1 tsp. sesame oil
1-2 cups brown rice
Lettuce

     Mince the carrots, green onions, garlic, and ginger.  This can either be done by hand or using a food processor.  Heat the oil in a skillet. Brown the turkey. At the same time begin preparing the brown rice according to package directions.
     Once the turkey has browned, add in the minced carrots, green onions, garlic, and ginger.  Cook for 5 minutes.  In a small bowl, mix together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry, and sesame oil.  Add to the turkey and stir, cooking about 5 more minutes or until heated through.  
     Serve turkey mixture with rice in lettuce leaves.  To make as an appetizer, serve in endive leaves.

Healthier Banana Pudding

     I am so sad that I haven't had time to share some really great recipes on my blog!  However, I have been busy going back to Michigan to visit family and see my new little nephew, Luke!  We had a blast seeing everyone and I can't wait to go back soon!  I actually made this the day before we left, trying to use up some bananas that would have otherwise been thrown away.  Since getting back, school has started back up and I have been far to busy with lesson plans to do much blogging, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been cooking!  More delicious recipes will be coming your way soon...

1½ cups skim milk
1 box french vanilla instant pudding (3.4 oz)
2 Yoplait Light banana creme yogurt (6 oz each)
4 oz. fat free cool whip (half a container)
24 reduced fat vanilla wafers
3-4 bananas

     In an electric mixer, beat milk and pudding mix on a low speed.  Add in the yogurt.  Use a spoon to fold in the cool whip.
     Place a layer of wafers on the bottom of either individual ramekins or a 9 x 9 baking dish.  Spoon half the pudding mixture over the wafers.  Slice bananas and place over top of the pudding mix, reserving a few slices for garnish.  Add another layer of wafers, reserving a few for garnish.  For the last layer, spread the remaining pudding over the wafers.  Garnish with banana slices and vanilla wafers.  Refrigerate for 3-8 hours before serving.

Tip:  If you don't plan on eating this all immediately, use individual ramekins and just make a few at a time.  Leave the pudding mixture in the mixing bowl in the fridge until you want to make the rest.  If you put the wafers, bananas, and pudding together it will only be good for a day!

Nutritional information per serving: 271 calories, 1 grams of fat, 62 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber.

Asian Grilled Chicken Tenders

     I recently came across a recipe on pinterest that looked so yummy and healthy I was dying to try it out.  The recipe was for an Asian slaw with ginger peanut dressing.  I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to make with it as a main dish (yes when I do get around to making side dishes I usually decide on that first and then decide what main dish would go well with it!), so I went searching for something.  I found this chicken recipe at one of my favorite (and healthy) food blogs - Gina's Skinny Taste!  When it was time to grill it, I was a bit disappointed that we couldn't use the outdoor grill since there were so many people at the pool by our balcony and we aren't exactly supposed to be grilling on our apartment patio.  Nonetheless, even using the small Foreman grill, these things turned out to be pretty darn good!  As far as my much anticipated Asian slaw recipe?  Well it wasn't exactly my favorite, but I think I might try it again and change it up just a bit.  You can see it on the plate in the picture above and it looks yummy, but I hate to post a recipe that isn't something worth the time it takes to make!

6 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins (3 oz. each)
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
2 green onions, diced
¼ cup teriyaki sauce
1 tsp. honey
2 tsp. sesame oil

     Preheat the oven to 275°.  Spread the sesame seeds on a baking sheet.  Place in the oven for 5 minutes to toast the sesame seeds.  In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients except for the chicken.  Place the chicken in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over top of the chicken.  Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.  If you have time to let marinade over night, that is best.  (I only let mine marinate for 3 hours and that seemed to good if you are in a time crunch).   Make sure to turn the bag over half way through marinating.
     After the chicken has marinated, remove from refrigerator.  Grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until charred and thoroughly cooked inside.  Makes 3 servings.

Nutritional information per serving: 296 calories, 6 grams of fat, 11 carbohydrates, 40 grams of protein, 1 grams of fiber.

Hawaiian Turkey Burgers

     About 2½ years ago I became really interested in food blogs and spent a lot of time reading them and finding new recipes I wanted to try.  When I told my sister that, she told me that I should check out Dashing Dish.  She said the sister of a girl that she had a college class with created the website and made all sorts of healthy versions of foods we love!  I checked it out and really liked her site, and quite a few of her recipes as well.  This was one of my favorites though (and still is)!  We all know turkey burgers are good for you, but that wasn't enough to convince my husband.  The only way I can get my husband to eat a turkey burger is if I make this recipe, which is not a problem for me since these are so simple and delicious!  This time I accidentally bought the mesquite marinade, but they still tasted delicious!

1 lb. ground turkey

4 tbs. teriyaki marinade (I use the kroger brand)

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. sugar

4 pineapple rings (I prefer using fresh pineapple to canned)

4 hamburger buns

In a bowl, use your hands to combine the first six ingredients.  Form into four even sized patties.  Place patties on the grill and cook until to longer pink, flipping once.  At the same time, place fresh pineapple slices on the grill (you may even want to make a few extra just to eat!).  Place each patty on a bun and top with pineapple slice.  My husband also adds ketchup to his!  

Southwest Chicken Wraps

     I found this recipe from Mel's Kitchen a few months ago.  It has been on my weekly menu for several weeks, but tonight was the first time I actually made them since our schedules have been crazy for the past few weeks.  On the way home I stopped and bought a rotisserie chicken to use for this recipe, since I forgot to thaw the chicken I already had in the freezer. It made this meal a bit more expensive, but still cheaper than eating out.  And my husband even took leftovers to work with him for his second dinner!

2 cups of cooked rice (I use 1 bag of Success brown rice)
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. garlic salt
1½ cups of shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced
½ red bell pepper, diced (a green pepper will work too!)
juice from 1 lime
1½ cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
sour cream
6 burrito sized tortillas (I use the Smart & Delicious brand multi-grain wraps)

     While rice is still warm, stir in the cumin and garlic salt.  Add in the chicken, black beans, green onion, pepper, and juice from 1 lime.  Stir just until blended.  Spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray or a Misto Sprayer.  Lay tortillas on a baking sheet and sprinkle each with ¼ cup of cheese, leaving a half inch border around the edges.  Spoon a few dollops of sour cream over top of the cheese.  Scoop about 1 cup of the rice mixture into the center of each tortilla.
     Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  When warm, fold each tortilla into a burrito and place the seam side down onto the skillet.  You should be able to make 2 burritos at a time, depending on the size of your skillet.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crispy and golden brown.

Rice Mixture

Three Cheese Manicotti

     I had never had manicotti until my husband and I first starting dating and he made it for me.  I think he was trying to show off for me and act like he knew how to cook, but it worked!  I was impressed and have let him make the manicotti every time we ate it for dinner.  I knew his version wasn't very healthy though, so I took over this time and used a weight watchers recipe.  Of course I didn't tell him it was a healthy version until after I saw him chow down 4 of them and he complimented how tasty they were!  I lost the battle with him on putting spinach into the filling, but feel free to add it if you like!

1 box of manicotti shells (you will only need about 8-9 shells for the filling)

15 oz. part skim ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/3 cup shredded/grated parmesan cheese

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

10 oz. chopped frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry (I wasn't "allowed" to add this!)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 egg white

1½ cups reduced fat spaghetti sauce

     Preheat oven to 350°.  Boil water in a large pot and cook shells according to package directions.  As shells cook, combine all ingredients except for spaghetti sauce in a medium bowl.   Mix together the ingredients until well combined.  Carefully remove shells from pot a place on a pan or plate, allowing to cool slightly.  Use a small spoon to drop the mixture evenly into about 8-9 shells.  Spray a 9 x 13 dish with cooking spray or olive oil spray (I always use my Misto).  Pour about ¼ cup of the spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the dish and spread around evenly.  Place stuffed manicotti shells on top of the sauce, then cover with remaining spaghetti sauce.  Sprinkle lightly with extra parmesan cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Makes about 8 servings.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

     Another teacher I work with brought this salad to lunch one day and the entire lunch period I was sitting there wishing I had what she was eating!  I never used to be a huge salad lover, especially with spinach, but more and more I actually enjoy them.  This dressing, although a bit high in fat, is what makes the salad so delicious!  It tastes so good on the fresh strawberries.  It makes a good lunch for work or a light dinner.

2 cups spinach leaves
6-8 strawberries, sliced into quarters
1 tbsp. roasted almond slices
2 tbsp. Brianna's blush wine vinaigrette dressing

Toss all ingredients together with the dressing.  Makes 1 serving.

Easy Garlic Chicken

    On Mondays I don't get home from work until later than usual and then I am out the door shortly after to play volleyball.  So this recipe, whose title promised to be easy, was what I had planned on making for dinner Monday night.  The recipe was no problem, except it does bake at 500°, so it burned all the crumbs on the bottom of the oven and set my smoke detector off twice!  My husband came running out of the other room to see what I was burning this time, but thankfully I had set the timer this time!

2-4 chicken breasts

4 garlic cloves

3 tbsp. olive oil

4 tbsp. brown sugar

     Preheat the oven to 500°.  Line a glass baking dish with aluminum foil (You need to make sure you do this if you don't want your clean-up to be a nightmare, trust me I learned the hard way!).  Spray foil with cooking spray.  

     In a small saucepan, saute the garlic cloves with the olive oil until tender.  This should not take longer than a minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar.  Cut excess fat off the chicken breasts and place in the bottom of the dish.  Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the chicken breasts.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes.  Makes 2-4 Servings.
     

Crockpot Chicken Soft Tacos

     I remember the first time my mom made these and I thought they were going to be disgusting!  I was not a fan of tomatoes, no matter which way you sliced 'em!  So when I saw her dump a whole can of Rotel in the crockpot, I was no longer hungry!  But my mom made me try one, and I was shocked how amazing they were.  Ever since moving away to Texas, this has been my go to meal.  It was one of the only dinners that I actually knew how to make...well maybe!  I'm pretty sure even with the simplicity of this recipe that it required two or three phone calls to my mom!  (How many cans of this?  How many cans of that?  Are you sure I can put frozen chicken in the crockpot?!) Oh and it is another one of those meals that makes excellent, easy to pack leftovers for work the next day.  I even eat it without the tortillas!

3 frozen chicken breasts

1 can of Rotel tomatoes 

1 package of taco seasoning

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small can of corn, drained

tortillas (I use fajita size)

sour cream

shredded cheese

     Place frozen chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.  In a small bowl, mix together the rotel and taco seasoning.  Pour mixture over the chicken.  Rinse and drain the black beans, then add to the crockpot.  Cook on low for about 6-8 hours.  About an hour before eating, drain the can of corn and add to the crockpot.  Use a metal serving spoon to break apart or "shred" chicken breasts.  To serve, place the chicken mixture on a tortilla.  Top with cheese and sour cream.  Makes about 6 servings.

Meatloaf with Bell Peppers

     So I must admit that my mom used to make meatloaf when I was a kid and I always thought it sounded disgusting.  I'm still not a huge fan of meatloaf, except this version!  I first tried it while on weight watchers, but it is a recipe that I have made time and time again since then.  If I didn't tell you it was weight watchers, you wouldn't even know.  At my husband's request I threw this meal together tonight in less than 15 minutes, plus cook time.  It always makes for good leftovers too!

1 onion, finely chopped (I hate onions, so you won't find this in my meatloaf but feel free to add it!)
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground lean beef (93/7)
1 cup ketchup
½ cup Italian seasoned dried bread crumbs
1 egg white
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground pepper

     Preheat oven to 400°.  Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium high heat.  Add bell pepper (and onion if you choose) and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds longer.  Remove skillet from heat and let cool.
     Combine beef, bell pepper mixture, ½ cup of ketchup, bread crumbs, egg white, mustard, worcestershire sauce, salt, and ground pepper in a large bowl.  Using your hands, mix well.  Place meat mixture in a loaf pan (or form a loaf and place on a baking sheet).  Spread the other ½ cup of ketchup over top of the meatloaf.  Bake for about 45-50 minutes.  Remove loaf from pan and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
     If you want an easy side to go with it, wash and cut the ends off of some fresh green beans.  Toss them in a tablespoon of olive oil and then place on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.  Bake for the last 15 minutes of meatloaf time.  Allow green beans to finish cooking while meatloaf cools.  Immediately after removing green beans from oven, sprinkle is a little bit of finely grated parmesan cheese.  Makes 8 servings.

Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms

     I found this recipe from Kayln's Kitchen, a pretty awesome healthy food blog!  I am really bad at making side dishes to go along with my main dish.  However, these looked so good when I was planning my weekly meals that I actually wanted to make this recipe and then just ended up throwing some barbecue chicken on the plate with it!  This is so simple and really delicious.

½ lb. of green beans
4 oz. mushrooms (I like baby bella crimini)
1 ½ tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. finely grated parmesan cheese

     First wash the mushrooms and green beans.  Remove the stems of the mushrooms by carefully twisting and pulling the stem out.  Slice into 1/2 inch pieces (I sliced mine thinner and they were cooked long before the green beans).  Make sure and dry the mushrooms well, either with a paper towel or a salad spinner.  Next trim the ends of the green beans and then cut then in half.  Place the beans and mushrooms in a gallon size Ziploc bag.

     In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together.  Pour over the green beans and mushrooms into the bag.  Toss gently until everything is well covered with the mixture.  Dump onto a baking sheet and spread into a thin layer so that the green beans cook evenly.  Place in the oven at 450º for 20-30 minutes, or until green beans are crisp.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  (And being the forgetful person I am, I forgot to sprinkle with parmesan cheese, as you can see in the picture below!  They were still delicious, so I am sure the parmesan cheese will only make them better next time!)

Makes about 2-3 servings.

Healthier Chicken Pot Pie

I have seen a million pot pie recipes floating around, but when I saw this one on the Thyme for Wine blog it really stuck out.  The idea of a healthier version was appealing, but I won't lie...the heart on top was another reason this particular recipe caught my eye!  I didn't pull these out of the oven until my husband was walking out the door for work, so I quickly threw it in a plastic bowl hoping he would eat it on his way.  I wasn't so sure that he was going to like it (or even try it!) after I accidentally mentioned it was healthy, but he called me from work later that night to tell me it really was pretty good - "it just needed more crust!"  The next night he asked for leftovers and this time I put extra crust on his.  That was definitely one of the nice parts about making these in separate ramekins, I could make mine healthier with one layer of crust and him happier with three layers of crust!

1 russett potato, cubed
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed (I used my Baked Chicken recipe, thawed from the freezer)
¼ cup flour
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup fat free half and half
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg white with 1 tsp water
1-2 store bought pie crusts

     Preheat the oven to 400º.  In a saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Add the potato pieces and boil for about 6 minutes.  Add the carrot pieces are boil for about 5 more minutes.  Make sure both the carrots and potatoes are tender before removing from water.  Use a slotted spoon to remove potatoes and carrots from boiling water and place in a strainer.  Add corn and peas to the boiling water and remove after about 2 minutes.  Drain and add to the potatoes and carrots.
     In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add the chicken.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir well.  Add the broth, wine, half and half, and parsley, stirring well.  Bring the mixture to a simmer.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Stir in the vegetables.  Transfer to 4 over safe bowls (fits perfectly into four 14 oz. ramekins).  Spray the rims of ramekins with cooking spray.

     Place ramekin on pie dough, cutting out the crust so that it is slightly wider.  Repeat so that you have 4-8 pieces.  Brush each side of the pie dough pieces with the egg white mixture.   Place one or two pie dough pieces over top of the ramekins.  Poke a few holes through the dough to allow heat to escape.  Place bowls on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
     Note: If you are making this because it is a healthy version, you may want to only use one pie dough piece.  However, my husband insisted on "more crust" so I used three pie dough pieces on top of his!   I only made two of the pot pies the first night and placed the other two in the fridge.  The next night all I had to do was throw the pie crust on top and put them in the oven for 30 minutes!


 Makes 4 servings.

Asian Chicken Ramen Noodle Salad

This is a recipe my mom used to make quite a bit.  I didn't like it at first because it looked "weird," but now it is a must have at our house.  It is super easy, quick, and healthy!  And of course I love that it is easy to pack in my lunch the next few days!

2 cups of water
2 packages of chicken flavor ramen noodles
½ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing (I always use the Maple Grove Farms brand, fat free)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. dark sesame oil (found in the oriental section of the grocery store)
About 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (I used the Baked Chicken recipe, thawed from the freezer)
1 bag of broccoli coleslaw (rainbow slaw)
1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)

     Boil the water in a saucepan.  Once water boils, break up the ramen noodles into the water.  Cover the saucepan, remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes or until tender.  Drain water from noodles.
     In a large bowl, mix together the dressing, soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1 seasoning mix from the ream noodles.  Add the chicken, broccoli slaw, and bell pepper.  Toss to mix and coat all ingredients.  Next, stir in the ramen noodles.  Makes 4 servings.

Low-Fat Fettuccine Alfredo

     Just in time to help anyone with a New Year's resolution of eating healthier.  This is a healthier version of a great comfort food, with the same amount of great taste.   I found this recipe on food network.

1 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp lemon zest (or less)
2 tsp flour
1 cup milk
kosher salt
2 tbsp Neufchtel or low-fat cream cheese
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping
12 oz fettuccine
pepper (optional)
fresh chopped parsley (optional)

     Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the fettuccine until al dente, according to the package.  You will want to keep about a cup of the cooking water in a separate cup before draining the pasta.
     As the pasta cooks, you will want to make the alfredo sauce.  Start by melting the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Once the butter is melted, add the garlic and lemon zest and cook for about a minute, or until garlic is soft.

     Next add in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon for another minute.  Whisk in the milk and 3/4 tsp. of salt.  You will whisk this constantly until the sauce thickens slightly, about 4 minutes.  Add the cream cheese and parmesan cheese and whisk for one more minute, or until melted.  The sauce should be quite thick.  If you choose, you may now stir in the parsley (I didn't have any fresh, so I opted not to use it).

     Once the pasta is done cooking and you have reserved a cup of the cooking water, drain the water and pour pasta over the sauce in the skillet.  Remove the skillet from heat.  Add about 1/2 cup of the cooking water to the pasta and sauce and gently toss to combine.  If sauce still seems to thick, you may add more cooking water as needed.  Season with pepper and extra parmesan cheese if you choose.  Makes about 4 servings.

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