Chicken A La Gloria

Oh wow - this is one of the most delicious dishes I have ever made. I made it while home for Christmas for my parents and Will. It did not disappoint anyone and it was enjoyed by all! Everyone raved. And no, I do not know who Gloria is, like my Dad asked!

The only thing is that this is not the lowest cal or healthiest dish! In fact, sometime soon I'd like to make it again with some low-calorie adjustments, just to SEE how it tastes like that. I'd like to try it with skim milk, light butter, etc. I made some notes at the end of the this entry.

The sauce is amazing, so you'll probably want to make rice or pasta to go with it. I even put some sauce on my veggies!

3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and filleted in half lengthwise
1/3 c of flour
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp of butter
1 (8 oz) container of sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c of sherry wine (we used red wine)
1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c whole milk
6 slices of Muenster cheese
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper, dredge lightly in flour to coat both sides. Shake off excess. Add oil to frying pan and brown chicken in batches on both sides. You don’t need to cook the chicken completely.  It will finish cooking in the oven. Transfer the chicken to a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Add the butter to the frying pan and let it melt over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and brown mushrooms until golden.  Then add the sherry wine and cook for another minute or two. Add the creamy mushroom soup and milk and mix well.

Pour sauce over the chicken breasts, cover with foil and bake in oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top each piece of chicken with one slice of Muenster cheese. You can fold the cheese in half if it is too wide for the breast.

Place chicken back in oven uncovered and broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Top with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Original recipe found here.

Lower calorie adjustments for next time - Experimental purposes only. :)
- skim milk
- light butter
- red fat cream of mushroom soup
- less oil

- lower cal or thinly sliced cheese

Asian Edamame Fried Rice

This fried rice is healthier than any you'd get out, and it's awesome! Highly recommend. I love SkinnyTaste.

I made this along with my Hibachi Soup, and Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls. Mmmm.

3 c leftover cooked brown rice
2 egg whites, scrambled
1 whole egg, scrambled 
1 tbsp Smart Balance oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced 
5 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated
1/2 c shredded carrots
cooking spray
1 c ready-to-eat shelled edamame
2 tbsp lite soy sauce
salt and fresh pepper to taste

Whisk eggs and egg whites, season with salt and pepper. In a hot wok, spray a little oil and cook the eggs. When cooked, remove from pan and set aside. Let the wok get really hot. Add oil and cook onions, scallion whites, carrots and garlic for about 1-2 min, careful not to burn. Add brown rice and stir a few minutes to heat through. Add cooked egg along with soy sauce, scallion greens and edamame, mixing well for about 3-4 minutes.  

Original recipe found here.

Lemon Orzo Shrimp

Wow! All of the ingredients for this dish can easily be kept on hand. It's easy to throw together and  very tasty!

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt/pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
8 oz orzo pasta
2 c chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 c frozen peas
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion and oregano, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in orzo until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, peas, lemon juice and shrimp. 

Move to a 9x11" baking dish, top with Parmesan and bake until shrimp are cooked through, about 12-14 minutes.

Original recipe found here.

Bean Burritos Enchilada-Style

These were so good and the leftovers were even better. Yum, yum, and yum. This is a VERY easy recipe and you can add whatever you want to it!

8 red-fat low carb tortillas (I found 60 cal ones)
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 can low-sodium black beans
1 can red enchilada sauce
2 c red-fat shredded mexican blend

green onions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread about 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13×9″ casserole dish. Assemble your burritos by filling each tortilla with a couple heaping spoonfuls of refried beans, black beans, a small handful of cheese, and green onions Roll up and place seam-side down in the casserole pan. Line them up, side by side. Pour remaining sauce (as much as you’d like) over the top of the burritos. Sprinkle any remaining cheese over the sauce. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.

Original recipe found here.

Broccoli Cauliflower Quinoa Bites

These are the best! Super easy and delicious. I like to make good use of my mini muffin pan too!

16 oz frozen chopped broccoli florets
12 oz frozen cauliflower florets
3 eggs, beaten
½ c grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
⅔ c grated Parmesan cheese
½ c cooked quinoa
½ tsp salt/pepper, each

Steam the broccoli florets and set aside to cool. Steam the cauliflower florets then place into a food processor and pulse until the size of crumbs. Allow to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Toss in the cooled broccoli and cauliflower florets and mix until combined. Spray or grease mini muffin pans and press mixture into muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden. Makes 3½ dozen.

Original recipe found here.