 Oniony Crunchy Panko Breaded Chicken Legs I’m not a big fan of chicken legs, still my husband LOVES them. So in the best interest of marital bliss, I decided to give him an early Valentines Day gift.
Notice I managed to get some broccoli on the side.
8 large chicken legs
1 package onion soup mix
1 large egg white
¼ cup milk
2 cups panko bread crumbs
½ cup whole wheat flour
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine egg white and milk.
Combine onion mix, Panko and flour.
Spray non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Wash and dry chicken legs, then dip in egg mixture, then panko mixture.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 363
Total Fat: 12.51g
Cholesterol: 119mg
Sodium: 444mg
Total Carbs: 24.24g
Dietary Fiber: 2.49g
Sugars: 1.98g
Protein: 33.44g
Weight Watchers Points 8
 Light Slow Cooker Spaghetti When my kids were young and funds were short, we ate a lot of spaghetti. In those days I made it from scratch – meaning jarred sauce wasn’t in the pantry, just lots of cans of tomatoes.
I still make spaghetti the same way. I love to meld the flavors myself, cooking the sauce for hours in my slow cooker. Using shredded veggies, and very lean beef, I can keep the calories in check. I top whole wheat spaghetti with this slow cooked sauce, and I’m back in the day.
Do I miss those days? Sometimes, but life is good at almost 50, so I’ll just make my spaghetti and enjoy the memories.
Happy cooking!
Servings: 4 large servings
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound extra lean beef, 4% fat
4 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 – 6 oz cans tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup red wine
3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 cups water
1 large carrot , shredded
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 package mushroom , sliced
6 ounces spaghetti
pinch red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Heat oil in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and beef until beef is cooked through. Approximately 5 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker and cook for 6 – 8 hours, dependent on how hot your slow cooker cooks food.
3. Cook spaghetti according to package directions and serve sauce over pasta.
What’s good for me in this dish?
Lean beef is high in tryptophan and protein. Chock full of vitamins B12, B6, B3 and B2, beef has cardiovascular benefits, as well as the ability to prevent colon cancer. Beef also contains iron, selenium and zinc.
Tomatoes provide a great source of vitamins C, A and K, not to mention the antioxidant and cancer preventing benefits of Lycopene. Tomatoes support colon and prostate health, and are a good source of potassium, niacin, vitamin B6, and folate to support a healthy heart.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 426
Total Fat: 9.37g
Cholesterol: 70mg
Sodium: 445mg
Total Carbs: 50.39g
Dietary Fiber: 5.83g
Sugars: 10.56g
Protein: 33.60g
Weight Watchers Points 9
Nutrition details obtained from whfoods.org, nutritiondata.com, about.com, and abouthomecooking.com.
 Baked Gooey Gooey Chicken It’s already Super Bowl Sunday! Terrific. We have a party to attend, and I haven’t planned my dish yet. Not like me. I’m usually browsing through my favorite blogs and cookbooks looking for the perfect recipe. It’s one of those weeks where I just ran out of time.
Time to look in the blog archives and pull out some family favorites. I have a ton of chicken legs in the freezer, so my choice is Baked Gooey Gooey Chicken. It takes just a few ingredients thrown in a baking dish, and the chicken comes out ooey, gooey delicious.
If you find yourself looking for something tried and true to feed a crowd, here are some family and friend favorites.
Enjoy!
Light and Crunchy Chicken Taco Casserole
Weight Watchers White Bean Turkey Chili Recipe
Sweet Hoisin Glazed Chicken Legs
Aunt Kathleen’s Chinese Cabbage Salad
Rotini with Squeaky Cheese (Yes, Squeaky Cheese)
Quick and Easy Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Caesar Salad with Tortellini
Happy cooking!
 Not Your Typical Breakfast Burrito Who doesn’t love to eat breakfast out? All those lovely foods to choose from. Cheese laden omelettes, huge pancakes topped with lots of butter and syrup, and thick pieces of bacon.
Sorry. This is a healthy cooking blog. It’s a rare treat that we go out to breakfast. Most often it’s when my son is in town, or we are on a road trip.
Still, you can definitely have a terrific breakfast at home, and it doesn’t have to be a lot of work. Take this breakfast burrito filled with creamy eggs, caramelized onion, and tasty roasted bell peppers.
Topped with a little Swiss cheese, this burrito was gone in a flash.
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
4 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons roasted red peppers, finely chopped
1 ½ cups spinach, chopped
½ cup low fat swiss cheese, shredded
2 small whole wheat tortillas
salt and pepper
- Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add onion and cook 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add bell pepper, eggs, and spinach. Cooking another 3 – 4 minutes, stirring constantly until egg is set.
- Sprinkle 1/2 of cheese over tortilla and microwave 40 seconds to melt cheese.
- Top with 1/2 of the egg mixture.
What’s good for me in this dish?
Eggs provide tryptophan, selenium, iodine, vitamins B2 and B12, and protein. Eating eggs promotes eye health. They can also contribute to the prevention of strokes and heart attacks. Free range, or cage free eggs are considered to be higher in quality nutrients such as all nine essential amino acids, and are less likely to contribute to high cholesterol levels.
Spinach is another powerhouse of nutrition. Spinach contains iron for energy, and vitamins C and A, folic acid and B6 to help your heart. Spinach has 13 different flavonoid compounds that function as antioxidants, and as anti-cancer agents.
Calories: 424
Total Fat: 8.64g
Cholesterol: 220mg
Sodium: 581mg
Total Carbs: 55.27g
Dietary Fiber: 9.43g
Sugars: 2.06g
Protein: 32.57g
Weight Watchers Points 8
Nutrition details obtained from whfoods.org, nutritiondata.com, about.com, and abouthomecooking.com.
 Artichokes Parmesan with Shallots and Garlic In my heavy duty Weight Watcher days, I ate a lot of artichokes. They were high in fiber, low in fat, and virtually no points. I loved pulling off the leaves, dipping them in a low calorie dressing, and scraping them across my teeth. They satisfied that need to munch.
Artichokes are still tops on my list of favorite foods, so when I saw them in the frozen food section, much cheaper than the produce section, I decided to give them a try.
What a nice change from the usual broccoli side dish. Caramelized shallot, garlic and Parmesan cheese just made my favorite artichoke even better.
Happy cooking!
Serves 4
1 package frozen artichoke hearts, quartered
1 clove garlic
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ medium lemon, juiced
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper
- Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Add shallot and saute for 5 minutes until tender.
- Add garlic and artichokes and cook another 5 minutes until tender.
- Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with parmesan cheese.
What’s good for me in this dish?
Artichokes are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, and a good source of Thiamin, Niacin and dietary fiber. A natural diuretic and digestive aid.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 93
Total Fat: 4.86g
Cholesterol: 3mg
Sodium: 116mg
Total Carbs: 10.31g
Dietary Fiber: 3.77g
Sugars: 1.60g
Protein: 4.19g
Weight Watchers Points 2
Nutrition details obtained from whfoods.org, nutritiondata.com, about.com, and abouthomecooking.com.
 Chicken Salad with Dijon and Tarragon Vinaigrette You know how your mom always told you to eat your veggies? Turns out she was right. Fruits and veggies are a dieter’s dream. All that fiber fills you up.
More importantly, just like Mom said, they’re good for you. Full of vitamins and phytonutrients (I love that word “phytonutrients”), they protect your heart and cells from damage. Armed with this information, don’t you want to eat more of them?
On to the salad.
Walnut oil is a new addition to my pantry. I love the light flavor it adds to my vinaigrettes. True, it’s a bit on the pricey side, but then I’m not using the whole bottle. The combination of walnut oil, dijon and tarragon was perfect with my leftover roasted chicken and goat cheese.
Happy cooking!
Servings: 4
1 tablespoon walnut oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tablespoon honey
½ tsp dried tarragon
1 package bib lettuce, washed and dried
2 large green onion, sliced
1 small apple, chopped
¼ cup dried cranberries
4 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
8 ounces chicken breast, cooked and chopped
4 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
1. Combine walnut oil, white balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey and tarragon. Set aside.
2. Toss remaining ingredients (except goat cheese) in a salad bowl.
3. Toss with salad dressing and top with crumbled goat cheese.
What’s good for me in this dish?
Leafy greens (not iceberg lettuces) are high in vitamins K, A, and C. They also contain folate, manganese, magnesium and potassium. All contribute to heart health, and healthy blood pressure. They also work together to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. Full of phytonutrients, leafy greens help protect against cell damage.
Lean chicken breasts are a complete protein, with less saturated fat than beef. Chicken also has cancer protecting B vitamins, including Niacin and B6 for energy.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 264
Total Fat: 12.16g
Cholesterol: 43mg
Sodium: 134mg
Total Carbs: 19.26g
Dietary Fiber: 3.21g
Sugars: 13.28g
Protein: 19.33g
Weight Watchers Points 6
Nutrition details obtained from whfoods.org, nutritiondata.com, about.com, and abouthomecooking.com.
 Mediterranean Marinaded Roasted Chicken Not one of my more appealing pictures, is it. It’s a good thing this chicken tasted better than my picture looks!
Roasted chicken can be a funny thing if you’re trying to cook and eat light. It has this wonderful crusty skin, and moist meat that is difficult for us chicken fans to resist. Calorie wise, that can be a killer.
Here’s the problem. That skin that is so flavorful, is the part of the chicken that’s full of fat and calories. Remove the skin and you’re just fine.
This is where I run into trouble. I love the wings. When I’m confronted with that glistening, crusty brown skin, and tender wing meat, I just lose control.
Oh well, I’ll add a salad, skip the roll, and it will be worth every single bite!
Happy cooking!
Serves 8
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oregano
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 pounds whole chicken
- Combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and mustard in a zip lock bag. Add one whole chicken. Marinate for a minimum of 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 and roast chicken on a rack for one and a half hours, or until chicken reaches a temperature of 170 degrees. Turn off oven and allow chicken to continue to cook until temperature reaches 175 degrees. Remove from oven and let chicken rest. It will continue to cook while it rests to a temperature of 180. We cook our chicken this way to keep it from getting too dry. If you take the chicken out of the oven at 180 degrees it will continue to cook and will be dry.
Normally I would provide you with nutrition information for this recipe, but it’s just too dependent on whether you eat the skin with the meat, and which part of the chicken you eat. Light meat is generally leaner than dark meat. If you eat the breast without skin, you’ll be eating approximately 142 calories and 3 grams of fat.
 Tantalizing Fruit Bite Appetizers I’m sure it won’t surprise to you to find out that I listen to nutrition podcasts. Some might call it an obsession (namely my family), this nutrition thing. I prefer to think of it as being informed.
This recipe came from Dr. Susan Mitchell on wdbo.com and Family Circle Magazine. I love Dr. Susan. She is so informative, and still lots of fun.
What a pretty appetizer, and absolutely addicting. Crunchy walnuts hide a cheezy, creamy, chewey center.
I forgot the dried apple when I was ingredient shopping, so I used dried cranberries instead. I’ll bet you could use your imagination and come up with all kinds of combinations of fruits and nuts. Fun!
Happy cooking!
Makes: 18 (can be doubled)
1/2 cup shredded reduced-calorie cheddar cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces light cream cheese
4 drops hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 cup dried apple, chopped
1/3 cup dried apricot, chopped
1/4 cup dried pineapple (such as Sunsweet Philippine Pineapple), chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
- Toast walnuts in a dry non-stick pan over medium heat for 2 – 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Beat together cheddar cheese, cream cheese and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl until blended, about 1 minute.
- Stir in dried apple (in my case cranberries), apricot and pineapple with a wooden spoon. Using a tablespoon, form mixture into balls, then roll between palms.
- Coat balls in chopped nuts.
What’s good for me in this dish?
Apricots contain manganese, vitamin E, magnesium, tryptophan, copper, vitamin B2 and phosphorus. Apricots lower LDL-Cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease. They also protect against Diabetes and Cardiovascular disease. Dried apricots are equally as good as their fresh form when it comes to their nutritional value.
Per bite 55 calories; 3 g fat; 2 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 85 mg sodium; 7 mg cholesterol, Weight Watchers Points 1
Nutrition details obtained from whfoods.org, nutritiondata.com, about.com, and abouthomecooking.com.
 Spicy Chipotle Pork and Caramelized Onion Tostada Who doesn’t love Friday nights? My favorite Friday night is when we go to our local Mexican restaurant where they serve homemade flour tortillas. We sit in the bar and eat away. We talk about the week, and watch whatever sport game is playing on the television. Heaven on earth!
That’s a treat. Most Fridays, we come home, finish up the work from the week, and eat at home.
Cravings are a difficult thing, if you don’t satisfy them, they explode. With no time (or extra funds) to eat out, I decided to try my hand at making a tostada with whatever was in the house.
I won’t try to convince you that this meal rivaled the Carne Asada at our favorite restaurant, but it was really good. I have to admit, I saved a few hundred calories too!
Happy cooking!
Servings: 4
8 ounces boneless pork chops, cubed into bite sized pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic oil
1 small lime, juiced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce, finely minced
4 ea corn tortillas, 8″
1 cup low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 medium avocado, mashed
2 small Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup baby spinach, shredded
4 tablespoons low fat sour cream
1. Heat garlic oil over medium heat in non-stick skillet. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until very tender and starting to brown. Add pork, lime juice, chili powder, cumin and Chipotle and cook another 5 – 8 minutes until pork is no longer pink. Remove from heat.
2. Heat heavy skillet over medium heat and toast one corn tortilla for 1 – 2 minutes on one side, then flip. Top with 1/4 cup cheese and cook until cheese melts.
3. Remove tortilla and top with 1/4 pork mixture, some spinach, tomato, mashed avocado and sour cream.
What’s good for me in this dish?
Pork trimmed of visible fat can be considered a lean meat. Specifically boneless pork chops, or tenderloin. Pork is a good source of vitamin C, niacin, phosphorus and zinc, and a very good source of protein, vitamin B12, iron and selenium.
Avocado contains vitamin K, fiber, potassium, folate and vitamins B6 and C. Avocados contain a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, that could lower cholesterol. The potassium in avocados help lower blood pressure. The folate promotes heart health.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 322
Total Fat: 16.55g
Cholesterol: 37mg
Sodium: 106mg
Total Carbs: 25.14g
Dietary Fiber: 7.69g
Sugars: 4.90g
Protein: 18.81g
Weight Watchers Points 7
Nutrition details obtained from whfoods.org, nutritiondata.com, about.com, and abouthomecooking.com.
 Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Caramelized Spring Onions, and Thyme Six – 6 ounce chicken breasts? Since when is 6 ounces of meat a serving size? Hmmmm. In my world 3 – 4 ounces is a serving size.
Now that I’ve made my point, this recipe from Cooking Light came from my husband’s coworker, Teresa. I love how recipes get passed around. Teresa gave this recipe to me. Teresa also gave this recipe to Joni. I meet Joni at the gym. She said this chicken turned out terrific, so I made it last night. Now I’m giving this recipe to you!
The only change I made was to sprinkle the chicken with fresh thyme. Next time I might brighten it with a squeeze of lemon. This is definitely a do again!
Thanks Teresa!
Serves 6
* 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1 1/3 cups thinly sliced spring onions (about 1 pound)
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 1 tablespoon fat-free milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
* 6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* Cooking spray
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pan; cook 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Combine onion mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, parsley, milk, and thyme in a small bowl, stirring with a fork.
2. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket; stuff 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes; turn chicken over. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done.
Remove chicken from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced by half (about 2 minutes). Add broth, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 9 minutes). Serve with chicken.
What’s good for me in this dish?
Lean chicken breasts are a complete protein, with less saturated fat than beef. Chicken also has cancer protecting B vitamins, including Niacin and B6 for energy.
Calories: 274
Fat: 9.5g (sat 4.3g,mono 3.2g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:39.3g
Carbohydrate: 6.6g
Fiber:2.2g
Cholesterol:105mg
Iron 2.8mg
Sodium:530mg
Calcium:123mg
Weight Watchers Points 6
Nutrition details obtained from whfoods.org, nutritiondata.com, about.com, and abouthomecooking.com.
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What Will You Find Here? Nutrition information and Weight Watchers points for all my recipes. When you're watching your health, or trying to lose weight, you need to know what you're eating, don't you?
So, I hope you enjoy my recipes, and that the nutrition information I provide makes your life just a bit easier.
Happy cooking!
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