A sorry to my readers...

I am sorry I have not been able to keep my blog up to date, I have found it hard going back to school, work and family to keep it up but I am going to do my best to stay up to date with yummy recipes for everyone to enjoy...forgive me!

Chicken with Fruit Chutney on a bed of Spaghetti Squash

So this pretty meal is absolutely refreshing and yummy.  Tonight we had a nice chicken breast with a fruit chutney served on a bed of spaghetti squash...The combo of apples, pears, cherries and nuts was a nice change for this family.






Chicken w/Fruit & Nut Chutney
Serves 4


4 chicken breast
salt & pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dried cherries
2 apples, cored and sliced
1 pear, cored and sliced
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
4 tsp of brown sugar
1 cup water
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1) Lightly sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

2) In a large skillet, heat oil and cook chicken over medium heat until cooked through about 12 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a serving platter; cover, keep warm.

3) Add fruit and nuts to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. For sauce, in a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, water, vinegar, and ginger. Add to the fruit in the skillet; cook and stir 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Serve chicken with sauce on top.

VERDICT: Yum...it may not be 100% clean but it's yummy and different.  Next time I will add a little corn starch to thicken up the sauce a little bit.  The kids loved the fruit.

Simple & Yummy...PW's Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Well with Zumba today along with grocery shopping, lots of rain and a daughter who has strep throat AGAIN I made this yummy dinner with some roasted asparagus.  With the right product choices this is ST2 Feingold  and it may not be 100% clean but it was YUMMY, thanks Pioneer Woman for your lovely meal (check out her site...she's amazing)

PW's Sour Cream Noodle Bake
Serves 6-8
9 WW points (for 8 servings) or 12 WW points (for 6 points)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  lb ground beef (I use 5%)
• 15-ounces Hunt's tomato sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 oz whole wheat egg noodles
• ½ cups light sour cream
• 1-¼ cup small curd cottage cheese
• ½ cups sliced green onions
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (I like Tillmook brand)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add all the noodles to the prepared dish and top with the ground beef mixture and top with grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted. 

VERDICT: OMG this was such an easy dish to make and we made them into 6 servings and they were HUGE!  My kids gobbled it up and it was comfort food at it's best.  Thank you Pioneer Woman for another great meal.

A family favorite: Four Cheese Spinach Pizza

So here's a family favorite I have made for years.  I use Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza crust instead of the said boboli and I use 2 bricks of frozen spinach (note: take an old rag and put the spinach in it and squeeze out all the water).  If you are doing Feingold omit the balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and used approved products and make your own pizza crust.

Four Cheese Spinach Pizza
Serves 6
6 WW points per slice

Ingredients

• 2 packages (10 ounces each) fresh spinach
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 prebaked 12-inch thin pizza crust
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

• In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute spinach for 2-3 minutes or until wilted; remove from the skillet. Cool slightly; chop.
• In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir in the spinach, salt and pepper. Spread over crust to within 1/2 in. of edge.
• In a large bowl, combine the tomato, onions, olives, basil, oil, vinegar and garlic; sprinkle over spinach mixture.
• Top with the feta cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400° for 12-14 minutes or until cheese softens and is lightly browned. Yield: 6 servings.

Penne with Salmon and Asparagus...pure goodness

It may not be 100% Feingold, or even 100% clean but man is this a family favorite for years...and I bet with a few minor changes you can make it Feingold & clean not to mention it's healthy & nice enough to serve to guests (and it's easy)!!!




Penne with Salmon & Asparagus
Serves 4



3 cups whole wheat penne
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (I used organic)
1/2 cup dry white wine (or even more chicken broth)
1 lb fresh asparagus, cut into bite size pieces
3/4 lb salmon (no skin or bones)
1 cup sour cream (I use organic low fat)
3 tbsp dijon mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
chives

1) cook pasta according to package

2) in a large serving bowl, add sour cream, mustard, salt & pepper

3) in a large pan heat chicken broth and wine.  Add asparagus and cook until just tender.  Transfer the asparagus (leave liquid in pan) to the bowl.

4) cook salmon in liquid until cooked all the way through

5) drain pasta and add to bowl.  Add in salmon and mix all together.

6) sprinkle with chives and serve

VERDICT: I have been making this for years when I followed weight watchers and it has always been a family favorite.  I have served this to my girlfriends and they all loved it. Oh and the portions on this are large also. If you change the wine to chicken broth and use approved brands you can make this FG friendly and I know a clean diet says a glass of wine is okay occasionally so this may actually be clean...so I say enjoy life and have some salmon & asparagus is a lovely dish you won't even realize is "diet" food...I won't tell if you don't!

Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas, Artichokes & Herbs...

So tonight's really yummy meal was good clean eating and Feingold friendly...it was so yummy I didn't even get a photo of it because everyone chowed down before I had a change to photography it, even my unexpected guest who showed up was amazed (single guy doesn't get many home cooked complete meals).




Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas, Artichokes & Herbs
Serves 4

• 1 cup organic reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons whole wheat flour
• 1 pound chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces sugar snap peas, cut in half (I just threw them in, I didn't cut)
• 1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs of choice (I use litehouse herbs)
  

1. Whisk broth, mustard, salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons flour in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in two batches, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Stir the broth mixture and add to the pan along with snap peas &, artichoke hearts. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the snap peas are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the vegetables, and simmer until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in herbs.
   
   VERDICT: yummy and so fresh.  I served this with homemade rice-a-roni and a green salad.  My poor bachelor friend didn't know what hit him.
   

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili...YUMMY

So tonight's dinner was yummy turkey chili that I adapted from an old recipe I had...It's yummy and clean and cooks all day in the slow cooker and ready when you get home.














Clean Turkey Chili
Serves 7


1 tbsp olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey
1 onion, diced
5 tomatoes, diced
1 small can of hunt's tomato sauce
1 large can of hunt's tomato sauce
1 can of red kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup of water (or more if you want thinner chili)

add the oil to a pan, add garlic, onions & turkey and cook until turkey is all cooked.  Place meat mixture and remaining ingredients in the crockpot and mix well.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

VERDICT: next time I will double this recipe...YUMMY and very nice on a cool night, it was hard saving lunch for hubby and I tomorrow oh and a bonus it's only about 250 calories per bowl.  Here's a tip try these great slow cooker liners by Reynolds...talk about cutting cleaning in half.