Island-Time Chicken Kabobs

With start of spring/summer and constantly being outside, I haven't had much time to focus on prepping meals or posting blogs. Since our nice weather is so limited here in Cleveland, we savor every moment of sunshine we possibly get!

But tonight's spin on some standard chicken kabobs was just too good not to share! I LOVE fruit and summertime fruit is my favorite! I bought 4lbs of peaches and a whole watermelon on Sunday and I single-handed ate the entire stash within 4 days.

Since I haven't really been up to eating chicken lately, I've been trying to think of ways I could overshadow the chicken and trick myself into thinking I am just eating the sweet-summertime-goodness I've been craving! So instead of the classic veggies I usually incorporate into my chicken kabobs, I swapped them for some of summer's best fruit offerings! 

I found the perfect marinade packet from McCormick to bring the Island flavors to our Cleveland patio! It was the perfect summertime meal and a great way to get us excited for our Island getaway next week.

INGREDIENTS:

- 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 30 chunks

- 1/2 of a fresh pineapple, cored and cut into 12 chunks

- 1 mango cut into 12 chunks (I bought these already prepped at Giant Eagle)

- I medium red onion, cut into thick slices, about 24 slices

- 1 McCormick Island Woodfire Grill marinade packet

- 1/4c extra virgin olive oil

- 2 tbsp water

- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

HOW-TO:

Mix together the marinade packet, EVOO, water and vinegar. Pour over the chicken in a freezer bag. Let marinade in the fridge for 1-hour or overnight.

Once the chicken is done marinading, make your kabobs by alternating the chicken, pineapple, mango, and onion until you run out of the ingredients. I evenly placed 2 pieces of mango, 2 pieces of pineapple, 4 pieces of onion, and 5 pieces of chicken on each skewer to make 6 kabobs.

Grill over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, turn once.

TIPS:

- Serve with a side of jasmine rice or some grilled veggies 

- To cut back on the carbs, swap one of the fruits for a veggie such as an orange bell pepper or a yellow squash

Nutritional Info Per Serving (recipe yields 2 servings - 3 kabobs per serving):

Calories: 550g

Fat: 11g

Sodium: 375mg

Carbs: 64g

Protein: 52g

 

Grilled Romaine Chicken Caesar Salad

I discovered a new line of Bolthouse Farm salad dressings made with yogurt this week at the grocery store....Caesar and Ranch dressings with only 45 calories per serving but it doesn't taste like you're eating chalk, YES PLEASE!

This gave me the idea to make Caesar salads but step it up a notch but grilling everything - not just the chicken.Grilling the romaine and tomatoes brings out the natural flavor of both and really makes you forget your eating a salad for dinner.

INGREDIENTS:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins (about .75lbs)
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- 6oz romaine lettuce (I bought the bagged romaine with 3 bunchesand used 2 of them) with the stalk trimmed off the end
- 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 1/4c shaved Parmesan cheese (I used Frigio brand)
- 4 tbsp of Bolthouse Farms Caesar Parmigiano dressing with yogurt (sold in the produce section)

HOW-TO:

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Season your chicken with garlic powder and black pepper to taste - I just evenly coat each side with a thin layer of both. Cook the chicken in the grill pan until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per side. Once cooked, place on a plate and set aside.

Next add the tomatoes to the grill pan and cook for about 30 seconds per side. Place on a plate and set aside.

Finally, add the romaine to the grill pan and cook until it begins to wilt - about 1 minute per side.

Place the romaine on a serving platter and top with the chicken, tomatoes, shaved parm and dressing and enjoy!

TIP:
- When plating, separate the the ingredients into 2 different servings.
- I'm not a fan of croutons, but feel free to add them to this classic favorite for that extra crunch.

Nutritional Info per Serving (recipe yields 2 servings):
Calories: 298
Fat: 8g
Sodium: 489mg
Carbs: 13g
Protein: 49g

Chocolate Granola Banana Cookies

When it snows on a "spring" day in April, you have to do something to cheer yourself up...so tonight I baked! Justin is working late so I decided to whip up a batch of some cookies for the kids before making dinner when he gets home later.

I got the idea for this recipe after seeing a friend post a very similar recipe on Facebook a few weeks back. Plus, I've been trying to find new ways to incorporate the ever-so-delicious Whirlybird Granola I have in my pantry. Since Whirlybird is all-natural and 100% handmade, you can feel good about eating these cookies.

With only 3 ingredients and hardly any prep time, this was a very simple way to make a batch of cookies, and the result was rather tasty!!

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 cup of chocolate granola (I used Whirlybird Granola...order yours here: http://whirlybirdgranola.com/ )

- 3 ripe bananas, cut into small circles

- 2 tbsp of Light Butter Spread made with Canola Oil (I use Land-O-Lakes brand)

HOW-TO:

Preheat your oven to 350*.

Put all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together using a potato masher until the bananas are pretty well mashed and the ingredients are well combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Drop tablespoons of the cookie mixture on a cookie sheet - you should get 14 cookies.

Bake for 12 minutes & then let cool for 5 minutes before eating.

ENJOY!

TIPS:

- The combo of granola & bananas makes this the perfect breakfast on the go!

- This is a great way to sneak in a fruit serving into your kids diet, and they will never know they're eating healthy.

- Using the light butter spread cuts down on fat, calories, and cholesterol.

Nutritional Facts per Serving (recipe yields 7 servings of 2 cookies per serving):

- Calories: 150

- Fat: 5g

- Sodium: 49mg

- Protein: 3g

- Carbs: 24g

Jalapeño Chicken Burgers with Avocado & Mango Salad

After an awesome weekend of absolute gluttony in Austin, this week is strictly chicken, fruit & veggies to try to get back on track.  I found these pre-made jalapeño chicken burgers at Giant Eagle, but you could easily make your own with some ground chicken, chopped jalapeños & garlic powder.

I wasn't sure what to serve with this so I threw together some avocado, mango and line juice as a salad atop the burgers. This came out so good & was super simple. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
-  4 jalapeño chicken burgers  (if you can't find these premade, mix together 1lbs lean ground chicken, 1 finely chopped jalapeño & 1tbsp garlic powder then form 4 burgers)
- 1 medium avocado, chopped
- 1 medium mango, skinned & chopped
- 1tbsp lime juice

HOW-TO:
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and grill the burgers, about 5-7 minutes per side, until cooked through.

While the burgers are cooking, in a medium bowl, mix together the avocado, mango & lime juice.

Serve the salad atop the burgers and enjoy!!

TIPS:
- Since I used premade chicken burgers, the fat & sodium content is higher than if you did it on your own.
- Swap the chicken burgers and serve the salad atop 2 grilled chicken breasts for an even leaner meal.
- Make this salad to serve as a condiment to your favorite tacos.
- Garnish with some Siracha to spice this dish up!

Nutritional Info per Serving (recipe yields 2 servings):
Calories:  520
Fat: 27g (all from avocado & chicken, though, so it's "good" fat)
Sodium: 1250mg
Carbs: 29g
Protein: 55g

Seared Tuna Steaks with Garlic Couscous

I never order seafood at restaurants, primarily because I am allergic to shellfish & salmon. The only time I ever order tuna is when we get sushi. So when I ordered Ahi Tuna when we were in New Orleans a couple months ago, that was a huge change for me...and it turned out to be one of the most delicious meals I've ever tasted!

The Ahi Tuna was served over sauteed spinach that was so good, I would've honestly chosen to eat it over ice cream. I am sure it was made with mounds of butter & garlic, but hey...when in Rome (or in this case, NOLA). I've been thinking about that meal since that night and even ordered something similar recently while out to dinner, which ended up being a total dud.

Nonetheless, they had some tuna steaks at Giant Eagle a couple weeks ago so I picked them up and thought I would try my hand at it. Justin forgot the spinach I ordered when I sent him shopping this past weekend, so I had to settle with serving it over some quick boxed couscous. For my first try at seared tuna, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Although it wasn't as good as the meal I had in NOLA, it served as a decent substitute until we can make our way back down to the Big Easy. 

Plus tuna steaks are lo-cal, lo-fat, lo-carb, and SUPER high-protein. Not to mention, the total cooking time is 5 minutes for these bad boys. Also, this entire meal cost me $15 - one meal alone at a nice restaurant would run you $25-30.

WARNING: These are served raw so if you aren't into raw fish - or if you are pregnant - this is not for you!

INGREDIENTS:

- (2) 8oz tuna steaks

- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

- Kosher salt & black pepper

- 1 6oz box of roasted garlic & parsley pearl couscous (I used Sidemates brand)

HOW-TO:

Cook the couscous according to the package but skip the extra virgin olive oil.

Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brush each tuna steak with 1/2tsp of extra virgin olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper to coat. Repeat on the other side.

Once the skillet is hot, add the tuna steak and cook for 2 1/2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 1/2 minutes. 

Remove from the skillet and place on a plate, letting it rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.

Serve with one serving of the couscous and garnish with lemon. So simple, yet so good...and good for you!

TIPS:

- Skip the couscous and serve with a side of sauteed or roasted fresh veggies to make this super healthy.

Nutritional Facts per Serving: Tuna Steaks Only (1 Serving = 1 8oz portion)

Calories: 280

Fat: 6g

Sodium: 380mg

Protein: 60g

Carbs: 0g

Nutritional Facts per Serving: Couscous Only (3 servings per box)

Calories: 210

Fat: 1g

Sodium: 510mg

Protein: 6g

Carbs: 44g

Blueberry, Sweet Potato & Granola Breakfast Cookies

Sorry for the hiatus the last week or so. Between work, the boys, potty training, and trying to enjoy the (minimal) spurts of decent weather, I haven't found much time to blog. I've just been making recipes I've already posted and haven't dabbled with anything new. Alas, the cold spell had me in a baking (bored-out-of-my-mind) mood Sunday so I opted to make something for the boys.

I've tricked Jake into thinking Pop-Tarts are "breakfast cookies" so he loves eating them for breakfast. I was pretty proud of getting him to think this is a cookie instead of insisting on actual cookies for breakfast...and every other meal/snack. However, Justin still disapproves of the amount of "breakfast cookies" Jake eats during the week.

Side-note: I remind Justin often that we're just a couple of working parents trying to survive mornings & get out the door on time and if he's interested in trying to change Jake's eating habits in addition to working 50-60 hours a week, he can have at it! I prefer to keep my sanity and the diet full of breakfast cookies.

Moving on....I make muffins when I can on the weekends for the week because Nick loves them. To be honest, Nick loves all food. He seriously eats as much as a 200-pound man. I actually love it considering Jake sticks to a really strict diet...of said breakfast cookies, pizza, burgers, fruit snacks, occasional fruit, ice cream, PB&J, yogurt, and countless snacks.

So, since we were stuck inside - again - this past Sunday with frigid temps, I decided to make muffins. I saw a recipe for real breakfast cookies (I guess I'm not so genius on my terminology afterall) on the muffin mix I bought. This gave me the idea of using some granola, puréed sweet potatoes & vegetable oil to make breakfast cookies that I can serve both boys. I swear you can't even taste the sweet potatoes. And at only 100 calories & 5g fat each, I shouldn't get scolded by my husband...even if they opt for TWO! :)

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Package of your favorite blueberry muffin mix (I used the Krusteaz brand because they use real blueberries...and I like it!)
- 1/4c Vegetable Oil
- 1/2c of your favorite granola (try Whirlybird's Original - it's all natural & handmade by an amazing gal, who also happens to be my college roommate! Check it out at www.whirlybirdgranola.com)
- 3.5oz of pureed sweet potato baby food
- 1/2c water
- 1 large egg

HOW-TO:
Preheat your oven to 350*.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until it's all mixed together. From there, drop 1tbsp balls onto an ungreased, nonstick cookie sheet - should yield about 16, so I did 8 and 8 per cookie sheet.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until they start to turn golden brown on top. Remove from the over and let cool on the cookie sheet for another 2-3 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp!

This little guy gobbled these up and looked so cute doing so!

TIPS:
- Try making this with banana muffin mix & using Whirlybird chocolate granola!

Nutritional Facts per Serving (recipe yields 16 servings of 1 cookie per serving):
Calories: 105
Fat: 5g
Sodium: 84mg
Carbs: 12g
Protein: 2g

Southern-Style Frittata with Andouille

For this adult-style breakfast-for-dinner dish, I basically took the standard concept of jambalaya & made it into a frittata. With the amount of flavor & protein this meal has, it's hard to believe it is less than 250 calories per serving! 

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 small yellow onion, chopped

- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- 3 links of Andouille Chicken Sausage (I used Bilinski's brand from EarthFare), chopped into bite-size pieces

- 16oz Egg Beaters

- 1/4c reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend

- 4tbsp of your favorite salsa

HOW-TO:

Preheat the oven to 350*.

In a medium oven-safe skillet that has deep edges, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion & peppers and saute until the start to become tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the sausage and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in the egg beaters and stir in the cheese.

Put the skillet in the oven in & bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the frittata begins to turn golden brown. Cut into 4 even pieces & serve each piece with 1tbsp of salsa. 

Nutritional Info Per Serving (recipe yields 4 servings):

Calories: 245

Fat: 13g

Sodium: 775mg

Protein: 26g

Carbs: 3g