Chicken Penne Pasta

Why is it kids don’t like vegetables? A good portion of all recipes I read that are geared toward families always say, “This recipe is a good way to get your kids to eat their vegetables.”

I guess we were lucky with our kids. I would not say they were perfect, but never caught either of them hiding their veggies in napkins, knocking them off the plate, so the dog could eat them, or run to the bathroom to spit it out. Once I did teach them, what their Auntie Angela used did when she was little. When my sister didn’t like a vegetable my mom served, my sister would stir it into her mashed potatoes to mask their taste. Whatever works right?

I like this recipe because it is full of color and taste, and the bonus is it uses wheat pasta, lean chicken breast and low sodium chicken broth.  This is a quick and easy meal, which usually there aren’t any leftovers because the kids gobble it down.

Chicken Penne Pasta

8 oz uncooked whole wheat penne pasta, cooked per package instructions minus the salt

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

½ cup low sodium chicken broth

1 cup broccoli florets

½ teaspoon salt (I usually omit)

Ground pepper to taste

2 Tablespoon olive oil

3 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

3 oz parmesan cheese

Directions:

Coat large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium temp

Add chicken and cook 4 minutes on each side or until done

Remove chicken from pan, slice into strip, keep warm

Add onion garlic and red pepper to skillet and sauté 5-7minutes

Add chicken broth and broccoli, cover and cook for 3-5minutes, stir occasionally until broccoli is lightly steamed

In a large serving bowl, toss together pasta, vegetables and chicken

Season with salt, pepper, and olive oil, garnish each serving with basil and cheese

Cottage Cheese Pancakes…

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who are on a diet; and claim they have had to give up all their favorite foods. If you are trying to lose weight or even eat healthier, you do not have to have to give up your favorites. You either have to eat much smaller portions of the “full fat” version or try to find a different version that is lower in the fat content.

Pancakes are an American favorite for breakfast and hehehe sometimes dinner! The recipe today is a healthier version for pancakes; they are similar to crepes.

White flour is replaced with whole-wheat flour and wheat germ. Top with fruit jam or preserve of your choice, or sugar free syrup.

The recipe makes six pancakes. I suggest splitting them between two people and serve with fruit salad.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2cup cottage cheese, prefer low fat

2 Tablespoons wheat germ

2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

Fruit jam or preservers

Powdered sugar, optional

Directions:

Blend eggs, cottage cheese, wheat germ, flour and salt until smooth. I suggest a food processer for this step.

Pour a small amount of batter onto lightly greased pan or griddle and cook until light brown.

Remove to plate, spread jam on top of each then roll up. You can finish by sprinkling powdered sugar over the top.

Are you in the Holiday 37%

With the holidays come high fat, high calorie foods. Weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s on average is between one to ten pounds. According to survey, published in 2011, Consumer Reports asked what Americans dreaded the most about the holidays; at 37%, weight gain tied for second, along with going into debt.

The holiday spread does not need to happen, if you are careful about what you chose to eat. Instead of loading your plate with heaping portions of everything, try a small spoonful of your favorites. Drink water instead of wine or other spirits. Save the wine for the toast at dinner or midnight. Prefer soda; try a diet version or less sugar/calorie version like Pepsi One.

 Studies have shown if you drink a glass of water before your meal, you will consume less food. Did you know it takes 20 minutes for your brain to realize it is full? No wonder we all over eat! If you drink a glass of water before you hit the buffet line, this will give your brain time to realize you are not as hungry as you think. Slow down, chew slowly, and engage in the conversation around you, thus giving your brain and stomach time to chat with each other.  

Most importantly, listen to your body; you do not have to be a part of the clean plate club. It is ok to leave food on your plate, that is why everyone asks for doggie bags when they go out to a restaurant.

 Yes, you can have dessert, with small portions and smart choices. I know for me personally, I just want a taste of something sweet. Just a fork or spoonful, cures my sweets tooth.

The recipe I am giving you today, nobody will ever know it is low fat unless you tell. My friend Cheryl has had this recipe for over twenty years. I cannot stand peanut butter, but I love this. You can of course make it full fat, but you do not need too. So what does this taste like? Peanut butter mousse.

Peanut Butter Fluff

Ingredients:

Graham crackers (if you can find the low fat ones even better) enough to line a 9” X 13” pan (about six full crackers)

16 ounces Sugar Free Cool-Whip

2 cup low or nonfat milk

¾ cup peanut butter

1 6 ounce box sugar free Vanilla Jell-O brand pudding

Directions:

Line a 9” X 13” pan with graham crackers.

In a large bowl, mix milk and peanut butter until smooth.

Add pudding to the mix; beat for one minute.

Fold in ¾ of Cool Whip.

Spread mixture evenly on graham crackers.

Spread remaining Cool Whip on top and refrigerate one hour.

Low Fat, Hungarian Chicken, with Cheddar Buttered Pan Biscuits

If you have read my profile, you would've read about my mother winning the Pillsbury bake off contest. Both my mother and my aunt competed in cooking contests. Even though I don't think personally I'm a good cook, I come by it honestly.
 The recipe today is Hungarian chicken. My aunt, took second place in the West Virginia state competition with this recipe in 1974. In order to reach the state level competition, she had to win three preliminary cooking competitions. The winner of the state competition was awarded $100, and an all expense paid trip to the national poultry cook-off in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
 One of the judges at the state competition, was the chef at the governor's house of West Virginia. After this competition was over, he approached my aunt, and asked if he could have a copy of the recipe. The judge enjoyed this recipe so much, he wanted to cook it for Governor, Arch A. Moore, Jr. Of course, my aunt could not refuse this request! A while after the competition was over she received a letter from Gov. Moore, expressing how much he enjoyed her Hungarian chicken recipe.
My husband loved this recipe. When he finished eating, he immediately called my aunt. I did screw this recipe up, when I made it. I did not reduce the liquid enough, even though I thought I had. If this happens to you don’t stress, it is fixable!
Pour half cup of liquid from pan into a bowl; add two heaping serving teaspoons of cornstarch to the bowl. Mix until smooth, return liquid to your pot and bring to a boil. This will thicken up the liquid; serve as suggested.
I did not have any egg noodles. I served ours, over half cup portions of steamed white rice. I also had made cheddar buttered pan biscuits.  These were great for soaking up any liquid/gravy on your plate.

The original recipe goes as follows:
1 chicken fryer cut into four to six pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups Mazola oil
6 cups chicken bouillon or chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons Ac-cent
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste


This is how I made this recipe:
5 pieces of boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion chopped
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cups water, boiled with three Chicken bouillon cubes, disolved
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup Daisy sour cream, a nonfat
Salt, black pepper to taste.
*I did not use Ac-cent because it is MSG, there is enough MSG in the bouillon cubes*
Directions:
Sauté onion and garlic in oil in a large skillet. Salt-and-pepper chicken; brown in skillet. Add bay leaves and bouillon water; cover tightly and simmer for one hour. Remove chicken, be sure to keep it warm. Cook liquid down to half the amount; stir in sour cream. Serve over cooked noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.
*Recipe suggestion: Try replacing the chicken with turkey or pork chops*

Cheddar Buttered Pan Biscuits
These are a quick and simple, addition you can make to most meals. You can change the variety of cheese depending on the type of dish you are serving. If you are going to serve enchilada lasagna, you might consider using a pepper Jack cheese. If you're going to you serve a tomato Italian-based meal, consider using Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon white sugar
3 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon basil leaves, fresh preferred
1 tablespoon parsley, fresh preferred
1 cup milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. In 9 in. glass-baking pan melt butter in oven.
Meanwhile in medium bowl combine all ingredients except the milk.
Slowly add milk until just moist, turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 10 times or until smooth.
Roll dough into a 12 x 4" rectangle. Cut into 12 one-inch strips.
Remove pan from oven and roll each strip into the melted butter. Place in same pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 min. or until lightly browned.

Crock-pot Chicken Fajitas

I have been making this recipe for close to thirteen years. When I came up with the idea for this recipe “it was let me throw all of these ingredients into the bowl and see what comes out.” This is quick, versatile, simple, tasty, and most off all inexpensive to make

Ingredients:

1 can of Rotel (heat and style is up to you)

2 cans of Black Beans, undrained (we like Ranch Style Brand)

Onion, small and chopped

2 boneless skinless frozen Chicken Breasts

1 clove Garlic, minced

Cumin, ground to taste

1 bunch of Cilantro

Place chicken in bottom of pot.  My family does not care for cilantro chopped up in their food so I lay the entire bunch on top of the chicken. Pour black beans, onion, garlic and Rotel over chicken, lightly dust with cumin. Cover cook on low for 6-8 hours.

When done gently push back beans and Rotel, lift out and discard cilantro. Carefully lift out the chicken, which will be very tender, slice or shred into preferred size.

Serve a variety of ways: over rice, tortilla chips or in tortillas (wheat, flour or corn.) I will usually serve with spanish rice, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and sliced avocado in tortillas

Serves 4 people

There are 4,001,892 ways to cook a potato

I am not sure about everyone else, but I feel like I have gained ten pounds just writing all the recipes this week. How about we lighten up with Scalloped Potatoes? I know you hear Scalloped Potatoes, the last thing you have in mind is light and healthy. 
Like most recipes this calls for salt, I do not add salt to my recipes. Most of the time you do not notice the difference, we get enough salt in our diets from processed foods. When my husband and I got married. I noticed that every time we ate, he loaded his food with salt and pepper even before tasting it. I figured he was going to salt his food before tasting it, there was no reason to add the salt. Over the years, he has given up this mind-set and now tastes before salting. That being said if you would like to add salt to this recipe please add ¼ teaspoon.

This recipe was passed out at a Weight Watchers meeting: 

Scalloped Potatoes

Makes 4 servings

2 large baking potatoes, thinly sliced

2 onions, thinly sliced

¼ cup of minced parsley, fresh

3 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon of black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt (try using garlic powder instead of salt!)

2 cups of hot skim milk

1/3 cup of shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese ( I always used more)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 10” X 6” baking pan with nonstick cooking spray

Layer one-third of potatoes and onions in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle evenly with half of the parsley and flour. Repeat the layering once more, ending with the potatoes and onions. Sprinkle evenly with pepper and salt (garlic)

Pour the milk over the top and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the potatoes are tender and the top is browned, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

If you make this recipe with salt, here are the nutritional values per serving:

Calories 215, total fat 2g, Saturated fat 1g

Cholesterol 9mg, Sodium 284 mg,

Total Carbohydrate 38g, Dietary Fiber 4g,

Protein 11g, Calcium 267mg