Chicken Teriyaki

This is a very simple way of making chicken
 teriyaki quickly. It's one of my favorite foods so I started making it at home vs. going out to eat.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast per person you are serving
1 bag of Jasmine white rice
1 bag of frozen broccoli or stir fry mix
Teriyaki sauce of your choice, I prefer thicker original sauces.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Prep: Place chicken breasts in a Tupperware container or bowl. Add teriyaki sauce on top of it and cover. Let sit in fridge for 1 hour prior to cooking chicken. 
Directions:
1. Boil water so that you can start the rice which typically takes 8-10 minutes
2. Add the vegetable oil to pan and heat on medium
3. When oil is runny and pan is warm, add chicken.
4. Fully cook chicken, cut in center to ensure it is cooked all the way through (you should not see any pink).
5. Steam vegetables to desired tenderness.
6. Drain rice when ready and add to plates along with vegetables.
8. Cut chicken and serve on rice.

Homemade Pizza

Earlier I did a post on making a burger at home to avoid going to a fast food place. It dawned on me that it is even more common to order a pizza. Ordering a pizza is really just something American's do without much thought. We're busy, don't want to cook, maybe low on money so we don't want to go out to eat at a nice place. The problem is you spend more on ordering a pizza than if you made it at home, and when it's made somewhere else you have little to no control over the type of ingredients they are using on it. It's easy to get stuck in a rut where you just pick up the phone and order pizza instead of spending a few minutes to prepare something, but putting in that little effort will really benefit the health of yourself and your family.  Another issue that I've noticed is people ordering so many sides to go with the pizza simply because they are offered. "Wings? Sure I'll have those. Cinna bread! Sure throw that in there. Oh yes we have to have cheesy bread! Don't forget the liter of soda!" So what you end up doing is consuming enough calories for a whole day in one sitting, and it's also food that has little to no good nutritional value. It will have lots of carbohydrates, lots of sugars and starches which will end up making you not feel good and ultimately gain weight.

Pizza made at home

I really believe that you can still eat things that are considered "bad" foods as long as they are made right and you are aware of portion control. And portion control really means eating only enough so that you aren't hungry which is usually 1 piece of pizza. People will tend to eat 3-4 slices because it tastes good, but they would have been full after one and more full if they ate slowly.

So what I will show you to do is make a pizza at home in literally minutes. It's important to choose things that you like but also to make a smart choice. For instance, I enjoy pepperoni pizza, but I know pepperoni is full of fat and grease. What I did is substitute turkey pepperoni which has 60% less fat than regular pepperoni! Can you believe that? I also got a low fat cheese and kept the sauce and cheese light. I added sliced black olives. Now, if I had ordered this pizza it would  have cost about $15-$25 after delivery. This pizza cost $5.02 for everything. That is really a savings! Of course there are healthier ways to make a pizza, this is just the way I made this one. Feel free to add vegetables to yours, pineapple, fresh tomatoes, artichoke hearts, etc.

Ingredients:

Tomato paste spread on the pizza

1 can Pillsbury pizza dough
1 can tomato paste
1 cup shredded low fat cheese
1 can sliced olives
about 15-20 turkey pepperoni slices

Step 1:
Grease a cookie sheet (sorry about how stained mine is!)

Preheat oven as directed on the dough packaging.

Step 2:
Lay out the dough on the cookie sheet. I folded up the ends on each side to form a thicker crust at the end. Spread the tomato paste.

Pizza with toppings before baking

Step 3:
Add toppings! I put on the cheese, sliced olives and topped it with turkey slices.

Step 4:
Bake 13-17 minutes or as directed on the dough package.

Step 5:
Cut with pizza cutter and enjoy! It will be very hot so of course use caution when picking up the pizza. Serves about 4-5 people.

Shrimp is one of my favorite seafood dishes. In the past I have always made stir-fry with beef or chicken, so I thought I would try something new. Shrimp for me has usually been served with pasta, huge plates of pasta in Alfredo sauce. My lifestyle now is based around health and nutrition, so I know that a pasta dish like that is not going to be an option now. Shrimp and vegetables are the magic combination because I can eat far more of this and the calorie intake will be significantly lower than pasta, plus I am getting all those great vitamins. 

Ingredients:
1 cup of thawed, cooked shrimp with the tails removed
1 package of stir fry vegtables
1/2 cup of broccoli, frozen
1/2 cup snap peas, frozen  
1 table spoon soy sauce
a drizzle of teriyaki sauce over the top 


Directions:
Heat pan over medium heat and add about 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 cup water
Add in your vegetables, soy sauce and teriyaki sauce
Heat for about 3-4 minutes, or until the vegetables are warm, stirring often
Add the shrimp and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp is warm
It's important not to let the shrimp heat up too much, because it will become tough and they shrink up. 

Serve with brown or white rice or alone for a great meal! 

If you are like me, you get those burger cravings every now and then. While my first instinct is to run to Wendy's and stuff my face, the best option I've found is to just keep a couple things on hand to help me conquer a fast food addiction.

As far as hamburger meat goes, you can freeze it. The same applies to ground turkey which is the healthier version of a burger. If you are impatient (I know I am!) you don't want to wait for the meat to thaw to enjoy your burger. That is why I keep veggie burgers in my freezer that can go right in the oven, grill or microwave. They offer many flavors including sweet potato, hamburger, black beans and corn, spicy, etc. Once you get your toppings on it, it isn't much different than hamburger except it is way better for your body. 

The next step is just to apply the toppings you like. I added spinach, tomato and alfalfa sprouts because it's the same ingredients I use for my sandwiches and I love to stretch the continents of my fridge to make many meals.

For toppings I suggest trying things like:

Avocado

Tomato

Slice of bacon

Slice of cheese

BBQ sauce

Ketchup

Lettuce

There are just SO MANY ways to make the burger the way you want it at home. You can make it healthy or unhealthy, but either way it's better than the pink slime that McDonalds uses, and you get to prepare it yourself. 

Sandwiches

Sandwich ingredients

A vegetable sandwich to many probably sounds gross. If you are picturing something soggy that tastes like grass than you are eating the wrong sandwich! This sandwich has great texture and flavor. I like to use a whole grain bread and a bit of ranch dressing for flavor. A lot of people like to put pepper on top of the cucumber.

Finished sandwich

For this sandwich I used:

Several spinach leaves

1/2 cup of alfalfa sprouts

1/2 of an avocado

2 slices of tomato

4 slices of cucumber
2 slices whole grain bread





 


The next sandwich I tried is great for people who want to try to eat more vegetables, but really enjoy some meat on their sandwich. 

Hybrid meat & veggie sandwich

For this sandwich I used an Italian sandwich roll. It has a great taste but is less healthy than the whole grain bread. It's a good transition sandwich for someone working their way from an unhealthy food palate to a better one. 


I used:
1/2 cup spinach leaves
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
2 slices tomato
1/2 avocado
4 slices of cucumber
4 slices low sodium turkey 





The last sandwich is the least healthy of them all, but very tasty. I want to show you that even if you want to eat cheese and  meat and white bread, you can choose options that have better nutritional value than you would normally pick. 

Turkey sandwich with cheese

For this sandwich I still wanted to use some greens. I also used low sodium, low fat turkey meat. This is going to be better for you than piling on bacon or roast beef. I also eat my sandwich "dry" which means I'm not using mayo, mustard, etc. It tastes the same to me without the condiments and I know I save on calories. I also use 1 piece of cheese cut in half. I have noticed a lot of places that sell sandwiches will place 4-5 slices of cheese on one sandwich and that is just way too much.


I used:
1/2 cup spinach leaves
4 slices turkey
2 tomato slices
1 piece of colby jack cheese

Taco Salad

Taco salad is a fun way to add some variety to the normal meals we have each week. It's flavorful and colorful but also so easy to put together. If your local store does not have pre-made taco shells, there is also a taco shell kit that is sold at the commissary (for my military wife readers). It will require you to form an uncooked shell over a bowl cutout and bake it.

Ingredients:
4 taco shells 

1 pound ground beef (Ground turkey can also be used as a healthy substitute) 

1 package taco seasoning

1 package lettuce

2 tomatoes
2 avocados
2 cans sliced black olives
1 package of Mexican variety shredded cheese
1 container of sour cream (optional)
about 1 tsp pepper for the ground beef or turkey. 

Directions: 

1. Cook the beef or turkey thoroughly in a skillet. Mix in pepper and taco seasoning.
2. Slice the tomatoes and avocados. 
3. Fill shell about 1/2 way with lettuce. Top with cooked beef or turkey. 
4. Divide the drained sliced olives, tomatoes and avocados between the 4 shells. 
5. Sprinkle cheese over the top of each. Add sour cream if desired. 
6. Serves 4. Enjoy! 

Bowtie Pasta & Chicken

This weekend I decided to make up my own creation. I am always trying to find inexpensive meals, and this one was so easy and requires little ingredients.

Finished Pasta

Ingredients:

1 box bow-tie pasta
2 chicken breasts
2 cups (about 1/2 a jar) red pasta sauce
1 small can sliced black olives
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Black pepper to taste

Sauce Cooking

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken breasts up into bite size pieces. Cook thoroughly. Add the sauce and allow to warm up on medium/low heat stirring frequently.
2. Cook the pasta as directed on box, usually 11-15 minutes depending on how hard/soft you like the pasta.
3. Drain Pasta in colander. 
4. Stir in the sliced olives to the sauce/chicken mixture. 
5. Ladle the sauce mixture onto a portion of the pasta and top with Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle pepper on top if desired. Serves 4. 

Grilled Chicken Pita

Ready for a delicious new lunch or dinner idea? This pita is full of flavor.

Ingredients:

2 tbs of spicy mustard

2 tbs ranch (optional if you don't like mustard)

1 tbs of honey

2 chicken breasts

4 strips of cooked bacon

4 pieces of lettuce

2 slices of Swiss cheese

2 pita breads                                                   

                                                                 

Finished Pita

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the spicy mustard and honey. Use a small portion to glaze your chicken and cook chicken either on a grill or stove top. (My husband likes to grill the chicken).

2. Warm up your pitas for a few minutes in the oven or microwave in a paper towel for a few seconds. 

3. Spread some of the mustard and honey mixture onto your pita (or use ranch as a substitute). 

4. Build your pita with the bacon, lettuce, chicken and top with Swiss cheese. Serves 2.

Insalata Caprese

I'm not big on tomatoes, but I thought this was tasty. 

Ingredients:

1 tomato, sliced into at least 4 pieces (2 for each serving) about 1/4 inch think

2 slices of mozzarella cheese about 1/4 inch thick

1tbs Extra virgin Olive Oil

Ground black pepper to taste 

Fine sea salt to taste

A few pieces of lettuce

Directions:

• Start with a slice of tomato, add a piece of mozzarella cheese and top with another slice of tomato and another piece of mozzarella cheese. 
• Top with olive oil, pepper and salt. Garnish with lettuce. 
• Enjoy!

Italian Salad with a Twist

Italian salad with artichoke hearts and olives

What I've learned about recipes over the last couple years is that they are pretty forgiving. If you don't like the taste of an ingredient, you can often find a substitute or just leave it out. For this salad I tweaked a couple things. I added avocado to the salad because it seemed like it would go well, and heck they are so yummy!  Also I left out the onion and cucumber because I didn't like the flavor combination but feel free to use them if you want. Serves 3-4 people.

Ingredients:

1 package Italian style salad

1 can slices black olives

1 can artichoke hearts

1 cooked chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces

2 sliced avocados

Tangy Italian salad dressing, or if you're on a diet like me, fat free Greek dressing.

Optional garnish

Directions:

•  Slice artichoke hearts up. I save 2 for plate garnishes.
• In a large bowl, combine salad, drained black olives, artichoke hearts and chicken.
• Serve with Italian or Greek dressing.

Finished salad

 Hope you enjoy! I have more salad recipes in older posts if you want to see what other options I have.

Kid Friendly Chicken Nuggets and Fries

I was skeptical at first about trying to season my own chicken nuggets and having them turn out crispy but these were great! You can either bake them in the oven with the fries, or cook them on the stove top. This recipe serves about 4, adjust as needed.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup of milk

1 package of powdered ranch mix

1/2 package of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix

1 package of frozen french fries

1/2 cup of cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven and bake fries as indicated on the packaging. 
• Pour the milk into a small bowl
• In a separate container, mix the ranch mix and the corn muffin mix together. 
• Dip each piece of chicken in the milk and then sprinkle heavily with the mix. 
• Cook over a medium heat in 2 tbs vegetable oil until chicken is cooked through. The outside will be golden  to dark brown and crispy. 
• After you take the fries out of the oven, sprinkle the cheddar cheese over them. 
• The chicken will be very hot so give them a minute to cool down. Enjoy!

Lemon-Peppered Salmon and Asparagus with Feta

Here is a simple recipe that's both healthy and flavorful. (Lets not forget EASY!)

Ingredients:

1 piece of salmon for each person you are serving

1 bunch of asparagus

1 lemon

1 tsp sage

1/2 cup Feta cheese

1 tbs Lemon pepper

Directions:  

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a cookie sheet with tin foil as shown. 
• Place the salmon and asparagus on the cookie sheet.
• Cut a lemon into 5 slices. Squeeze 1 slice over the asparagus. Place the remaining slices on the salmon.
• Top the salmon with the sage and lemon pepper. 
• Top the asparagus with the Feta cheese.
• Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Check fish to make sure it is cooked and should flake easily with a fork.

Cold Weather Grilling: Vegetable Bundles

Ingredients

 Here is another great recipe featuring vegetables. You can add the meat of your choice of course, but this recipe is filling enough on it's own.

Sliced Vegetables

Ingredients:

*4 red potatoes

*2 medium carrots

*1 stalk of celery   

*1 tablespoon of butter

*1 teaspoon of dill 

*Salt and Pepper to taste   

*Optional: 1 cup uncooked chicken

Directions: 

*Heat up the grill *

1. Clean vegetables and slice into small pieces. 

2. Tear 4 equal sized sheets of tin foil. Double them up in pairs of 2. 

3. Pour equal amounts of the vegetable mixture onto each foil square.

4. Add the butter, dill, salt and pepper. (Optional chicken would be added now as well).

5. Close up each foil bundle well. Place on the grill and let sit 15 min. Turn both bundles over. Let cook an additional 15 minutes.

6. Remove from grill and open carefully, they will be very hot so let them sit a few minutes before eating. Provides 2 generous portions.

Vegetable Bundle ready for grilling

Lettuce Wraps

Chicken Lettuce Wrap

Part of my New Year's resolution is to eat more vegetables, and this recipe is so good you won't notice you're eating them! I use Honey Teriyaki flavor KC Masterpiece Marinade and Kikkoman Soy sauce, you can use any brands but these are my favorite to use.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

*1 tablespoon vegetable oil

*1 Head of lettuce (the larger leaves are better)

*2 green zucchinis

*2 yellow zucchinis

*1 cup of the meat of your choice cooked and cubed

* About 3 tablespoons of soy sauce

*1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce

*Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Chicken and Zucchini cooking

*Wash the lettuce leaves and set aside.

*Cook the meat and cut into bite sized pieces. Set aside. 

*Slice the zucchini into bite size pieces and simmer on medium high heat in the vegetable oil.

*Add the soy and teriyaki sauce and stir for 3-4 minutes.

*Add the meat and turn the heat down to medium, stir frequently for 3-5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Beef Wraps

*Pour into a bowl, scoop into a lettuce leaf.
*It will be hot so be careful before you bite in. Serves 2. Enjoy!

Greek Pasta Salad

This pasta is so yummy, and can be made vegetarian or with chicken. I like that it's eaten cold because it's easy to put in a Tupperware container to take to work the next day, and doesn't require re-heating.

Greek Pasta Salad with Chicken

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces dry Rotini pasta, uncooked (12 oz = 4-1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons Spicy Brown Mustard
• 1 can Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano.
• 1 can black olives, drained and sliced
• 1 pkg (3.5 oz each) crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
• Coarse ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
2. Meanwhile, mix together oil and mustard in large bowl. Stir in all remaining ingredients, except pepper, until combined. Toss in cooled pasta. Sprinkle with pepper, as desired.
3. Serves 4. Enjoy!