Portobello Mushroom Sandwich

Portobello Mushroom Sandwich: Quick and easy...and super low in points!

Ingredients
1 Portobello mushroom cap
1 sandwich round
Tomato, sliced
1 oz. provolone cheese
Roasted red pepper
Basil
Balsamic vinegear

1. Over medium-high heat, sautee onions in a pan prepared with cooking spray.

2. Meanwhile, grill the Portobello mushroom cap (on a George Foreman grill, etc) until tender.

3. Place mushroom cap on sandwich round.  Top with cheese, tomato, basil, roasted red pepper, and balsamic vinegar.

Viola!

Yields 1 serving total
Points Plus value: 5

Chicken with Peach Salsa

Sometimes, I'm really overwhelmed by the number of recipes I have.  Despite the fact that I'm usually very organized, my recipes are all mixed together. There's no rhyme or reason to their storage, especially if those recipes are online.

Recently as I was trying to organize my "bookmarks" on my internet browser, I came across a version of this recipe and decided to give it a shot.  The cool thing about this recipe is that it would probably taste just as good with fish or shrimp.  I chose chicken, because that's what I had on hand.

Ingredients
3/4 lb chicken breast, cut into cube-like pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (for some extra flavor, I used "fire-roasted" diced tomatoes)
1 can peach halves, chopped, drained
Lime juice
Basil
Salt and pepper
Rice, prepared as directed on package (I used Vigo yellow rice)

1. Chop the onions.  Saute the onions in a pan prepared with cooking spray over medium to high heat.

2. Add the chicken and then cook thoroughly, about 5 to 7  minutes.  

3. Add the diced tomatoes, peaches, lime juice, and basil.  Bring to a rapid boil, and then lower the heat. Use salt and pepper to taste

4. Serve over prepared rice.

Yields 4 servings total
Points Plus value: Approximately 10 points per serving

Ginger, Lime, and Cilantro Chicken

I'm back. This time, for real. Promise!

I'll be honest...I had not been cooking a lot lately. But in the last few weeks, I've managed to get back into the "WW" mindset. And now that I've moved to Athens to start the next chapter of my life, I'm excited to begin some more culinary experimentation.  My kitchen doesn't have a lot of counter

space, and I can already tell that cooking may become frustrating at times...but the results, hopefully, should be worth it.

This recipe is another from the WW playbook.  I've tried to make it a few times, but to no avail. I would always forget that this recipe calls for the chicken to bathe in its marinade for 2 to 3 hours. When I sit down at 6 o'clock to cook, I don't exactly want to wait until after 8pm to begin cooking.  But right now, I'm on an extended hiatus in Athens; I'm done with my job at UNF, have moved to Athens, but won't start work and classes in my doctorate program until mid-August(ish).  So I have a lot of free time on my hands. I decided to give this recipe a shot because it just sounded delicious.

Ingredients

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
4 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons minced scallions

(The original recipe also called for lime zest; I did not have any limes handy, so I just skipped it.  It also called for fresh ginger root rather than the ginger, but again, I went with the ingredients I had on hand.)

1. In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic, honey, and half of the cilantro.  Whisk well. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the marinade.

2. Add chicken to the bowl. Coat well.  Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

3. When the chicken is thoroughly marinated, preheat the broiler to high. Place the chicken in a baking dish. Discard marinade. Broil chicken for 4 to 6 minutes.

4. Flip the chicken and brush the reserved marinade. Resume broiling the chicken for another 4 to 6 minutes.

5. When the chicken is thoroughly cooked through, sprinkle with scallions and remaining cilantro. Spoon any sauce from the baking dish onto the chicken.

Yields 4 servings total
Points Plus value: 5

I served the chicken with a side of steamed broccoli and brown rice. The chicken was incredibly flavorful and I didn't want to pair it with anything that would have a competing flavor.

***And because I care, a PSA about kitchen safety. I am somewhat hypochondriacal sometimes, and was convinced that I had developed salmonella poisoning after handling the chicken. I did not really, but it warrants a warning: make sure you handle all raw meats, eggs, and unprocessed dairy with care. Wash your hands after handling these items, and cook them all thoroughly.

Okay, that's it. I'll get off my soapbox now.  

Chicken with a roasted red pepper and pesto sauce

I could probably make a million excuses for my lack of regular posts (job, life, job, moving, job, job)...but despite the lack of posts, I have still found time to indulge in some culinary experimentation.  The last few weeks, I've found my motivation again and got back on my Weight Watchers plan...which means, healthier eating habits and fun new recipes!

In the world of WW and with the points systems, poultry and seafood are the most point-friendly

meaty proteins. I like fish, but I often find myself relying on chicken as a centerpiece for a recipe. My newest favorite recipe has a lot of flavor for minimal effort. Minimal effort is pretty important right now; I'm about to move to a new city in a few weeks and a lot of my kitchen supplies are packed away.  Fortunately, this didn't require much in the way of equipment.

This chicken dish was served grilled, with a smooth, creamy roasted red pepper and pesto sauce. It is based off a WW recipe, but I decided at the last minute to add pesto instead of plain, chopped basil.  Without further ado...

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (Mine were about 4oz each)
1 jar roasted red peppers (packed in water, not oil), drained
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
1.5 tablespoons of pre-made pesto (it's not in the picture, because it really was a last minute substitute)
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper

1. Combine roasted red peppers, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and pesto in a food processor until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

2.  Transfer the  mixture to a small saucepan and cook on medium heat. Stir frequently until the sauce simmers.  Remove from heat and keep warm. (For good measure, I added some chopped basil after I took it off the heat)

3. Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with chopped basil, salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook thoroughly on each side (about 5 minutes on each side).

4. When chicken is cooked, serve with sauce drizzled on top.

Serving suggestion: Add a side of creamed spinach or other green vegetable.

Yields 4 servings total
Points Plus value: 5

Shrimp Pico De Gallo

If you're a frequent reader of my blog, it is probably not surprising that I enjoy Mexican cuisine.  One of the easiest recipes to make is pico de gallo. Pico, or salsa fresca, has less liquid than other salsas.

This recipe takes the classic salsa fresca and ups the ante...it adds some shrimp!  This was one of those recipes that I didn't quite write anything down; I just sort of added ingredients as I felt inspired.  I like cilantro, so I add more than other people probably prefer. 

Ingredients
2 large tomatoes
1/4 red onion
Cilantro, to taste (I used about 1/4 cup, chopped)
1/2 lb cooked large shrimp
Juice from one lime
Salt
Chili powder

1. Cube tomatoes. Dice onion. Chop up the shrimp into small pieces.

2. Add the tomatoes, onions,  cilantro, lime, and spices to a bowl. Combine all ingredients and let it sit for a few minutes.

3. Add the shrimp and toss the ingredients together. Add additional cilantro, salt, and chili powder as needed.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

I served this as a side dish to a bowl of Santa Fe Chicken Soup from Campbell's. It was a quick, easy, and delicious meal!

Yields about 4 servings total
Points Plus value: 2