Chicken Ricotta Eggplant, otherwise known as healthier chicken parm

2 chicken breasts pounded as flat as you can get them
2T basil olive oil
2T olive oil
2 cups Classico tomato sauce
1 large japanese eggplant sliced thin or two smaller ones
1/4 cup part skim ricotta divided into two servings
1/2 cup mozz cheese, shredded ( enough to cover the chicken)
salt and pepper
2 servings (118 grams) barilla plus rotini pasta

Brush each side of each piece of eggplant with olive oil. Place on a pan lined with grill foil or lined with foil brushed with olive oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10-15 minutes in a 450 degree oven. You're looking for cooked and maybe crispy pieces of eggplant but not burned ones.

Pound the chicken flat. Use a drop of basil olive oil  on each side of the chicken breast and rub it into the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken ( you can also bake the chicken at 350 degrees for 20 minutes). Place the chicken on a baking sheet lined with grill foil or foil brushed with olive oil. smear 1/8 of a cup of the ricotta over the chicken until the top of the chicken breast is covered with ricotta. Then place the pieces of eggplant on top of the ricotta, then cover the eggplant with the 1/2 cup of pasta sauce. Finally top with shredded Mozz cheese.  bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Then switch to broiling for 3-5 minutes ( you want the cheese to get a little brown on top.

Boil the pasta, ( making sure to measure out an exact serving ) and then combine pasta with pasta sauce.

Serve with pasta, veggies, or a salad.


approx 500 calories per serving w/o pasta
approx 860 calories with pasta and 1/2 a cup of pasta sauce

The Annwich ( a flatbread chicken sandwich)

PIC TO COME NEXT TIME I MAKE THIS

So I make this sandwich using the grill. My husband has named it the Annwhich (which if you know my husband is totally him. :) It's based on the Navajo sandwich from Cheesecake factory but... a bit better for you and pretty darn addictive if I do say so myself.

The Annwich


For the chicken:
3 chicken breasts
1 tbs olive oil
goya
garlic powder
crushed rosemary


For the bread:
1 package store bought pizza dough divided in half
shredded asiago cheese just enough to sprinkle on the pizza dough while it cooks

For the spicy mayo:
1/2 a cup olive oil mayo
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried crushed rosemary
dash of goya adobo with pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder

For the final sandwich:
1 package arugula
1 avocado sliced thin

Start with the chicken. Toss the chicken in the olive oil and then add enough goya, garlic powder, and crushed rosemary so that both sides of the chicken are evenly coated. Grill the chicken for approximately 15 minutes ( around 7 minutes per side). Check to make sure the chicken is done you can always put it on for longer if need be.

For the bread. Oil the grill. Then stretch the pizza dough into two pieces, they can be any shape, but try to keep the anomalies symmetrical ( you're going to be cutting these in half later). Place the shaped pizza dough on the oiled grill. Sprinkle with asiago cheese. Grill for approx 5 minutes on one side ( you can take a peek and see if the grilling side is appropriately browned if not leave on for a little longer). Flip the dough and sprinkle this side with asiago cheese. Grill for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat when finished.

For the mayo, place all ingredients in a bowl and stir. I find that sometimes I need more chili powder or paprika, the proportions indicated above are approximate, season to personal taste.

Now you're ready to assemble the sandwich. Cut the bread in half whichever way the bread pieces will fit together best (this is where the symmetrical anomalies come in) spread with mayo. Line one side of the bread with chicken and then top with avocado pieces. Top with arugala and cover with other half of bread. Cut the sandwich in half. VOILA yummy Annwichy goodness.


total calories per serving approx 450 calories ( though we try to only eat 1/2 of the sandwiches and then save the other 1/2 for the next day)

Chicken Pasta Salad

This one is a regular staple around our house when I feel like I need to eat "healthy". Of course, healthy means something different for everyone. I hate to eat healthy so in my opinion if the food is: grilled, doesn't contain cheese, or involves more than one vegetable then I've achieved a healthy meal. I'm also not a big fan of salad, but in this one all of the veggies are offset by yummy chicken, pasta, and a lovely dressing that, frankly I could probably put on everything and be happy about. This one isn't too bad and it feeds 2 people for multiple days so, I think it can go in the healthy category.

Chicken Pasta Salad
1 red pepper cut up into bit sized pieces
1 yellow pepper cut up into bit sized pieces
3 carrots (I use a peeler to create shreds but you can cut them however you like)
3 stalks of celery cut on an angle to form bite sized pieces
1 package of baby spinach
1 package or one large ball of fresh mozz ( cut into tiny pieces)
1/2 box/bag of rotini pasta
2 chicken breasts
Brianna's Real French vinaigrette (though you could use any tangy vinaigrette dressing)
white wine vinegar

- Boil the pasta. (Make sure that you put olive oil into the water before you add the pasta, this is going to sit for a little while so you want to make sure it's not too sticky.) Drain the pasta when you feel it's reached its desired doneness and then, run cool water over the pasta, set aside.

- Marinate the chicken breasts in a mixture of 1/2 dressing and 1/2 white wine vinegar for 10-30 minutes. Then cook the chicken breasts on a medium to low heat until they are done, add more white wine vinegar if the liquid cooks off.

- Cut up the chicken into strips.

- Place the pasta and all the veggies into a large salad bowl and combine, add in the spinach and combine. Toss with the desired amount of salad dressing.

-Place the pasta, veggie, and dressing mix onto plates or into bowls for serving, add chicken and fresh mozz to individual plates. Enjoy!

Chicken Pasta Salad

This is an old favorite that I had completely forgotten about until the warm weather, and a desire to eat a little better, forced me to go looking for new and different recipes.
Now I hate dieting, I have problems controlling how much I eat, I am almost incapable of not giving in to cravings and I LOVE chocolate. So I don't think of what I am doing now as dieting, more eating better.The biggest problem I am having with eating better lately is my seemingly unending craving for pasta. I hadn't had pasta more than three times in three months and then suddenly I just couldn't live without it. So, instead of pasta sauce, or my husbands oh so helpful suggestion chicken parm we went with chicken pasta salad.
This one is really easy so here goes.

Chicken Pasta Salad
1 red pepper cut into long strips and cut in half
1 yellow pepper cut into long strips and cut in half
4 carrots (peeled and then shredded with a peeler)
4 stalks of celery (shredded with a peeler)
1 package of baby spinach
4 medium balls of fresh mozzarella cut into 1 in pieces
2 chicken breasts marinated in the same white wine vinaigrette dressing you are going to use on the salad then cooked in a skillet and grilled and cut into strips.
1/2 a package of pasta cooked
6 tablespoons white wine vinaigrette such as Brianna's french vinaigrette or as it's known in our house, the one with the artichoke on it.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl mix!this can be stored overnight, but if you plan on doing so add the spinach right before you serve it because it can get soggy.

Chickin and Dumplings

I totally played hokey from work today came home early went to the grocery store and made a new recipe that I got from a friend. Chicken and dumplings!! WOW this was awesome. Here is the really simple recipe ( it will feed you for a week)
Chicken and Dumplings

8 chicken breasts
4 boxes chicken broth ( two normal two low sodium)
1 pint light cream
4 tablespoons flour
dill
sage
salt
pepper

dumplings
2 and 1/4 cups bisquick
2/3 of c cup of milk
tablespoon dill ( fresh or frozen)

Boil chicken breasts in two boxes of broth until they are cooked through. Remove chicken breasts and shred them ( I use two forks). Return chicken to broth add in two more boxes of broth. While this is simmering, pour the light cream into an airtight container and add the flour ( sprinkle it over the top of the cream) put the lid on the container and shake the heck out of it. Then add this to the broth and chicken. add sage, dill and pepper to taste.
simmer...

To make the dumplings ( preheat the oven to 450 degrees)
mix bisquick, milk, and dill then plop the dumplings into the boiling chicken mixture.
they will seem small at first but they grow rather quickly once they are in the water.
Put the entire pot into the oven for 15-20 minutes until the dumplings are a little brown on top.
serve into bowls and let cool before eating ( it is really hot).
This recipe was so easy my husband can do it and cooking really isn't his thing.
Well, I just thought I'd share, I am off to do that homework I have been avoiding.

T