Healthy Chicken Marsala

Healthy Chicken Marsala That Is Delicious...

Without the Fat & Calories!

Ingredients:

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Medium Sweet Onion- Sliced
 1 1/2 Cups of Mushrooms Quartered (any type of mushroom you prefer)
4 Cloves of Garlic Minced (or less if you prefer)
2 Tablespoons of Light Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Cracked Salt
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Cracked Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Hers De Provence
1/2 Tablespoon of Fresh Chopped Rosemary
1/2 Tablespoon of Fresh Chopped Oregano
1 Teaspoon of Italian Seasoning
1/2 Tablespoon of Fresh Chopped Tarragon
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Chopped Parsley
1/2 Cup of Low Fat/Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup of Nonfat Sour Cream
3/4 Cup of Marsala Wine (can be less or more depending on your taste preference)
1 Package of Angel Hair or Linguine Pasta

Prep:

-Rinse chicken breasts with water and pat dry with paper towel. Place chicken breasts in a plastic ziploc bag and using a meat mallet gently pound the chicken breasts out to roughly 1/4" to 1/2" thick. This will allow for even cooking later on.

-Wipe mushrooms clean with a lightly damp paper towel and remove the stems. Depending on the type of mushrooms that you are using you can either slice them in half or quarter the mushrooms for the sauce in your dish. Remove the outer layer of your medium sweet onion, cut it in half and then proceed to cut the onion into thin slices for your sauce. 

-For the flour mixture: in a large bowl mix in the flour, herbs de provence, rosemary, oregano, italian seasoning, tarragon, 1/2 tablespoon each of the salt, pepper and parsley. This will create the coating for your chicken breasts when cooking. 

Cooking Directions:

-Place a large frying pan on medium heat. Once the pan begins to warm add 1 tablespoon of the light extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic to the pan briefly stirring it around the pan. Add the sliced onions and saute for 2-3 minutes and then add the mushrooms. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and then remove the mixture place into a bowl and set aside. 

-In the same pan add the remaining 1 tablespoon of light virgin olive oil and keep on medium heat. Dredge the flattened out chicken breasts in the flour-herb mixture and place them in the heated pan. 

-Add the low fat/low sodium chicken broth and 1/4 cup of Marsala wine to the pan. Cook the chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes before flipping to the other side.

-Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and place on the stove to boil. Cook pasta according to the directions on the package for the pasta to finish aldente. 

-Now, flip the chicken to the second side and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes (or until the chicken is cooked all the way through so there is no pink showing). If you feel the sauce in the pan is cooking off some then add a little more low fat/low sodium chicken broth to the mixture. Once the chicken is cooked remove it gently from the pan and place on a serving dish. Leave the liquid in the pan as this will be the base for your sauce. 

-Keep the pan on medium heat, add the remaining 1/2 cup of Marsala wine (or less if you prefer) to the pan and then stir in the sauteed onion and mushroom mixture. Bring the mixture and sauce up to a low simmer. 

-Once the liquid is simmering stir in the 1/2 cup of nonfat sour cream. This will act as your thickening agent without all of the fat and calories of butter plus adds a bit of depth to your dish! 

-When the sauce begins to thicken remove the pan from the heat. 

-On a plate add your desired amount of pasta then place the chicken breast on top of the pasta. Then spoon the Marsala sauce with the mushrooms and onions over the chicken breast and pasta. Garnish the plates with a little of the fresh chopped parsley remaining and voila you have an amazing healthy dinner!

How did this recipe work for you?!      



Low Fat Baked Chicken Rolled in Herb Bread Crumbs!

An Easy Low Fat Weeknight Meal! 

Ingredients:

4 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts (Increase or Decrease Depending on the Number of People)

1 Cup of Fat Free Greek Yogurt

1 Tbspn. of Chopped Fresh Thyme

1 Tbspn. of Chopped Fresh Cilantro

1 Tbspn. of Chopped Fresh Tarragon

1 Tbspn. of Chopped Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley

1 Tbspn. of Chopped Fresh Oregano

1 Tbspn. of Kosher Salt

1 Tbspn. of Cracked Black Pepper

2 Large Cloves of Garlic Peeled (1 Clove will also work if Garlic is too strong)

Zest of 1 Lime

Juice of 1 Lime

2 Cups of Bread Crumbs or Panko (if desired)

2/3 Cup of Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Rinse the chicken breasts in cool water, pat dry and set aside. Be Sure To Wash Your Hands After Touching Raw Chicken Every Time!! 

In a large mixing bowl dump the bread crumbs in along with 1/2 a Tablespoon each of all the Fresh Chopped Herbs, the Salt and Pepper, along with the Zest of half the lime. Lightly toss the bread crumbs, herbs and lime zest all together and then add the freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, again lightly tossing the mixture together. 

Now to make the batter for dipping the chicken breasts into before rolling them in the yummy herb bread crumbs! In a medium mixing bowl pour in the Fat Free Greek Yogurt, 1/2 Tablespoon each of all the Fresh Chopped Herbs along with the Salt and Pepper, the Zest half of the lime over the bowl. Stir all of the ingredients together. Now take your hand held grater over the bowl and grate the 2 Large Cloves of Garlic into the mixture. Next, incorporate the juice of the lime into the mixture and stir well. As you can see the batter is quite light and not heavy at all and full of flavor!

Use a nonstick spray and grease a a 9" x 13" glass dish. Once the oven has preheated set up the medium mixing bowl with the yogurt mixture next to the herb bread crumb mixture. Using a pair of thongs take the chicken breast and lay it on one side in the yogurt mixture and then turn being sure to coat the entire breast. Then using the thongs take the chicken breast and place it in the herb bread crumb mixture. Using your free hand lightly coat the top side of the chicken breast, flip the breast and repeat. Using the thongs remove the chicken breast and gently shake it allowing any excess bread crumbs to fall off. Lay the chicken breast flat side down in the baking dish. Repeat this step with all of the chicken breasts that you have.

Place the dish in the 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken breast is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Obviously depending on the size of the chicken breast and your oven the cooking time could vary slightly.

Once the chicken has cooked I serve it on top of a bed of Coconut Cilantro Rice! This is a great meal to satisfy that craving for breaded chicken without all of the fat! Let me know how it turned out for you.....

Be Sure to Check Back Soon My Coconut Cilantro Rice Recipe Will Be Up Soon!  

 

Somewhat Low Fat Apple Crisp!

 

This is a great easy last minute dessert 

that is perfect for during the week or a special occasion! 

Ingredients
3 Pounds of Fiji Apples (or whichever Apple you prefer)
Zest of 1 Small Orange
Zest of 1 Lime
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Tbspn. of Fresh Lime Juice
2 Tbspn. of Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tbspn. of Fresh Orange Juice
1/4 Cup of Splenda
1 Tbspn. of Cinnamon
1 1/2 Tspn. of Fresh Grated Nutmeg


Crumble Topping:
1 Cup of Flour
1 Stick of Butter (if desired substitute healthier versions of butter, i.e. Smart Balance or I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)- Cold and Cut into Pieces
1/2 Cup of Splenda
1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar Splenda
1/2 Tspn. of Salt
1 Cup of Oatmeal

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. Pam a 9"x13" pan.

Wash, peel and slice the apples into medium size slices. In a large bowl combine the slices apples, lime, lemon and orange zests and juices, spices and Splenda. *If you prefer the filling of the crisp to be a little thicker add a sprinkle of flour to the apple mixture. Place apple mixture into the bottom of the 9"x13" greased pan.

For the topping, pull out your Food Processor as this is the easiest way to make it! Combine your butter, flour, Splendas, oatmeal, and salt into the Food Processor. Pulse the mixture until it has combined into a crumble like topping together with very small pieces of the butter still visible. Sprinkle the crumbly topping over the apple mixture. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on your oven!

You can serve the Apple Crisp warm or you can also serve it with some low fat vanilla ice cream if you prefer!

Healthy Shrimp Scampi!

Here is a Really Quick and Healthy Version of Shrimp Scampi That Everyone Will Love! 

Ingredients 

1 Pound of Shrimp (Cooked or Uncooked, if uncooked make sure to clean, and devein shrimp)

1 Medium Lemon (for Zesting and Juice)

2 Tbspns. of Fresh Chopped Cilantro (1/2 Tbspn. Reserved for Garnish)

1 Tbspn. of Fresh Chopped Thyme

1 Tbspn. of Fresh Chopped Basil 

1/2 Tbspn. of Paprika (to your taste)

1/4 Tspn. of Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tbspn. of Kosher Salt

1 Tbspn. of Cracked Black Pepper

6  Peeled Cloves of Garlic (or less if is your preference)

1/2 Cup of Low Sodium Fat Free Chicken Broth (if you have fresh chicken stock use this)

1 Tbspn. of Olive Oil 

1/2 Tbspn. of Cornstarch Dissolved in 3/4 Cup of Warm Water to Thicken Sauce 

1/4 Cup of Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese (if desired)

2 Plum Tomatoes Diced

1 Medium Red Bell Pepper-Sliced

1 Medium Green Bell Pepper-Sliced

1 Medium Red Onion-Sliced 

1 1/2 Cups of Sliced Mushrooms (variety is your preference)

1 Box of Fettuccine

Directions:

First, I always work on getting my Herbs all chopped up and in little prep bowls to make it easier when I need to use them at the stove. Chop your Basil, Thyme, and Cilantro as rough or fine as your prefer, place in separate prep bowls and set aside. Next, peel the 6 cloves of Garlic, then take a hand held grater over the top of a small prep bowl and grate the Garlic into the bowl. Remember to have the tip of the Garlic on the grater and grate down to the base of the clove. I love doing this to essentially "mince" the Garlic without all the hassle of using a Garlic press and it is much easier clean up which I am always for! 

Now that the Herbs and Garlic are prepped it is time to move on to slicing up the vegetables! After rinsing and drying the Plum Tomatoes, you are going to dice them up. I find it is easier to dice up the Plum Tomatoes by cutting them in half length wise, then turning the halves length wise proceed to cut the tomato length wise several times depending on how big it is. Once you have sliced the half of the Plum Tomato several times turn it horizontally in front of you and begin to dice it slowly. Place the diced Plum Tomato in it's own small prep bowl. 

For the Bell Peppers and the Red Onion clean and slice the vegetables in thin slices so they will cook easily. Again, place the freshly sliced vegetables in a prep bowl. With the Mushrooms also clean them with a damp paper towel and remove the stems. Then slice approximately 1 1/2 cups of Mushrooms (more or less to your preference) and place in a prep bowl.

For the Shrimp, as I stated above you can always buy previously steamed/cooked Shrimp at the market if you are worried about over or under cooking fresh Shrimp. The only prep to be done on the cooked Shrimp is to go ahead and remove the tails off of the Shrimp and toss into a prep bowl. Now if you buy fresh Shrimp make sure that you remove the shell, legs, veins (or if you are lucky the Shrimp may already be cleaned at your local market) and then rinse them and place in a prep bowl. 

Now the cooking begins!! In a large frying pan pour in the 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil and move it around the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat on the frying pan up to medium low. While you are waiting for the Olive Oil to heat, fill a medium sized pot with water to cook your pasta in and place on the stove at a medium high heat. 

As soon the olive oil starts to warm in the frying pan, place the grated Garlic in the pan. Using a wooden spoon move the grated Garlic around in the frying pan as it is cooking. After, the Garlic begins to become fragrant add the sliced Red Onion into the frying pan along with the Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper. Once you have tossed the Red Onion around in the Garlic and olive oil add the Red and Green Bell Pepper, Mushrooms along with the diced Plum Tomatoes to the pan.

After the vegetables are incorporated in the pan with the Garlic and Olive Oil add the chopped fresh Herbs of Cilantro, Basil and Thyme. Next add the 1/2 Cup of Low Sodium/Fat Free Chicken Stock to the frying pan. While allowing the vegetables to cook for a few minutes, the water should be boiling for the pasta. Add the pasta to the water and follow the cooking directions on the package of the pasta to determine length of cooking with your preference of aldente pasta.

Now turn the frying pan down to between Low and Medium heat on the stove. Next, add the Shrimp to the frying pan and toss with the vegetables and herbs. Add the Paprika and Red Pepper Flakes (if desired) to the frying pan. Take the Lemon and zest with your hand held grater over the frying pan, make sure that you only are zesting the skin of the lemon (as the rind of the lemon can add a sour taste to your dinner). Once you have zested the Lemon, cut it in half and squeeze the juice into the frying pan. If you are using cooked Shrimp all you have to do is make sure that the shrimp have warmed all the way through. If you are using fresh Shrimp the key is to keep an eye on the Shrimp and when they turn pink they are done! 

Remove the pasta from the water and into a strainer. While the pasta is cooking some, mix 1/2 Tablespoon of Cornstarch in 3/4 Cup of Warm Water in a small glass. As the broth of the Shrimp and Vegetables is slightly simmering stir in the cornstarch and allow it to come to a simmer again. The cornstarch will help the broth thicken slightly turning into a great sauce for your dish! 

Take out a large serving bowl and place the pasta in the bottom of the dish, then take the Shrimp, Vegetables and their yummy sauce on top of the pasta. Now here you can either mix the pasta and Shrimp/Vegetables together coating the pasta with the sauce (my preference!) or you can leave it the way it is. To finish the Shrimp Scampi off and to impress your family sprinkle the Parmesan Cheese lightly all over the dish along with the Fresh Cilantro held in reserve for a bright cheery garnish! 

As you can see this is a healthy Shrimp Scampi as you are substituting the butter typically used to make the sauce for Chicken Broth. It may seem like there are a bunch of steps to this meal but the prep takes the most time and once everything gets in the frying pan it goes really quick!          

 

Recipe for Italian Kielbasa with Pasta

Ingredients:
1 Package of Butterball Turkey Kielbasa
1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil
1 Medium Red Onion- Sliced Thin
1 Medium Yellow Bell Pepper Sliced Thin
1 Medium Red Bell Pepper Sliced Thin
1 Medium Green Bell Pepper Sliced Thin
4 Large Cloves of Garlic Peeled
2 Tbsp. of Italian Seasoning
2 Tbsp. of Fresh Greek Oregano
2 Tbsp. of Fresh Basil
2 Tbsp. of Fresh Thyme
1 Tsp. of Kosher Salt
1 Tsp. of Cracked Black Pepper
Zest of 1 Small Lemon
Juice of 1 Small Lemon
2/3 Cup of Nonfat Greek Yogurt
1 Box of Penne Pasta

Instructions:
Remove core and clean all of the Bell Peppers of the seeds and membranes then slice the Bell Peppers into thin strips making it easy to saute in the pan. Thinly slice the red onion to be sauteed in the pan with the Bell Peppers. Peel 4 Large Cloves of Garlic (this can either be increased or decreased due to your taste preference) and lightly "whack" the Cloves of Garlic with a knife or spoon so that the clove is somewhat broken open. In a separate bowl combine finely chopped Fresh Basil, Fresh Thyme, Fresh Greek Oregano, Italian Seasonings (if you do not have fresh herbs dried herbs will work just remember they will be a little stronger), Kosher Salt and Cracked Pepper. Chop the two Turkey Kielbasa links into bite size pieces and place in bowl.

In a large saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add 4 whole Garlic Cloves. Saute the Garlic Cloves in the olive oil and just as the Garlic becomes very fragrant remove the Garlic Cloves from the pan. Add the sliced Red Onion to the saute pan and toss with the olive oil to coat it. Next, add the sliced Bell Peppers to the large saute pan and mix with the sliced Red Onion.Sprinkle the Herb Mixture over the sliced vegetables in the pan and mix together. Also, place a large pot of water on to boil to cook the Penne Pasta in following the instructions on the back of the box.   

Taking a grater zest 1 Small Lemon over the vegetables in the pan. After zesting the Small Lemon slice in half and juice the lemon over the vegetables in the pan. After stirring in the Lemon zest and juice with the vegetables in the pan add the Turkey Kielbasa to the vegetable mixture to the pan. Next, make a small well in the middle of the pan and add the Nonfat Greek Yogurt to the pan. Slowly, fold the vegetables and Turkey Kielbasa in with the Nonfat Greek Yogurt in the pan over low to medium heat.

After all of the vegetables, Turkey Kielbasa and Nonfat Greek Yogurt are combined turn the pan down to low for 5-10 minutes. Then remove the pan from the stove and you can either combine the pasta with the vegetables and Turkey Kielbasa or place your Penne Pasta on a plate and layer the mixture over it.

If you want to be fancy you can always hold some of the herb mixture for reserve and sprinkle this around the plate after the Italian Kielbasa with Pasta has been dished up!