Chicken Pot Pie

Although this dish is traditionally unhealthy, 

I was able to make this comfort food with significantly less calories while still retaining the taste we all love.

Ingredients:

3 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
2 potatoes, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
5 large carrots, diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 sheet pie crust

 Instructions: 

1. Preheat over to 400°.

2. Chop all of the vegetables 

(I used my Cuisinart to speed the process along).

3. Bring broth to a boil in a large pot. 

Add peas, potatoes, celery, carrots and onion to the pot; 

cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 6 minutes. 

4. Add chicken; cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is done. 

Remove chicken and vegetables from broth with a slotted spoon; 

place in a large bowl. 

5.  Increase heat to medium. 

Place the flour into a bowl and then gradually add milk to bowl, 

stirring with a whisk until well blended. 

6. Add milk mixture to broth; 

cook for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. 

Stir in chicken mixture, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. 

7. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

8. Sprinkle some flour on a work surface; roll dough into a 13 x 9-inch rectangle. 

Place dough over chicken mixture, pressing to seal at edges of dish. 

Cut small slits into dough to allow steam to escape 

and then coat dough lightly with cooking spray. 

9. Place dish on a foil-lined baking sheet. 

Bake at 400° for 16 minutes or until pastry is browned and filling is bubbly.

Couscous-Stuffed Peppers with Basil Sauce

Saw this recipe being made on the Food Network and just had to try it! Giada really hit it out of the park with this one! Not only is it delicious and easy, but the presentation makes it look even better! Although I must admit that I am not a bell pepper fan so the next time I made this, I left the bell pepper out. :)

Ingredients:
 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 cup couscous
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup raisins
1 packed cup chopped baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium red bell pepper
 1 medium yellow bell pepper
1 medium orange bell pepper
 Hot water, as needed

Sauce:
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) creme fraiche
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 garlic glove, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra, as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra, as needed

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, raisins, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes.

Sauce: In a blender, combine the basil, creme fraiche, olive oil, water, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove the peppers from the oven and arrange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce around the peppers and serve.

Enjoy!

Baked Egg Cups

I decided to try one of the many delicious-looking foods I had "pinned" on Pinterest. I found this recipe, courtesy of "The Simple Delights" (http://thesimpledelights.com/?p=246), for 100-calorie Baked Egg Cups. Not only is it a beautiful breakfast, but very easy to make!

Ingredients:

Thinly Sliced Ham (round)

I suggest having the deli specially slice it for you as packaged ham (like the type I used) is a little too thick.

Eggs

Green Onion

Salt

Pepper

Cheese (I used Parmesan)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. Form the ham inside the pan to create a cup. Crack an egg inside the ham cup (careful not to break the yolk!), then top with salt and pepper.

Cook for about 12 minutes, or until the egg whites solidify but yolk is still runny. Remove from the oven and use a large spoon to easily remove each egg-ham cup from the pan.

Sprinkle with sliced green onions and cheese and Enjoy!

This recipe was very easy and can make any person look like a great cook! Perfect for a brunch. The best part is you can make a whole pan of them when cooking for others or just one or two for yourself!

Brie and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Chicken

My sisters and I decided to make dinner on Christmas Eve for the family. We decided on a four-course meal that featured this dish. Served with sauteed asparagus and risotto- this was a big hit!

Pictured with Waldorf Salad with marshmallows and cranberries.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
4 gloves garlic, thinly sliced
2/3 cup dry white wine
2 oz Brie Cheese (rind removed and cut into small pieces)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 skinned, bones chicken breast halves
2 Tbs mined onion
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage (or 3/4 tsp. dry rubbed)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10 1/2 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth

Directions:
Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion; sauté 30 minutes or until golden brown. Add sliced garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup wine; cook 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon onion mixture into a bowl; let cool. Stir in Brie, salt, and pepper.

Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the onion mixture into each pocket.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from skillet. Set aside; keep warm.

Add 1/3 cup wine, minced onion, sage, and minced garlic to skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil, and cook 7 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Return chicken to skillet; cover and simmer 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve sauce with chicken.

Garnish with fresh sage, if desired.

ENJOY!



Courtesy of: Cooking Light (http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/brie-and-caramelized-onion-stuffed-chicken-breasts-10000000234518/)