Barbecue Chicken Salad

Today was a hot one, and my husband had his first night of school so I decided to make a nice hearty salad for dinner.  This one is so easy.  I tend to buy a cooked rotisserie chicken for this recipe when it is on sale.

1 bag of hearts of romaine
Pulled chicken for two
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I love Sweet Baby Rays for this)
1 cup cooked corn
1 cup of black beans (drained)
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 of a red onion diced
Low fat ranch dressing

Toss barbecue sauce and chicken together. Place in bowl all ingredients except chicken, toss all ingredients together.  Divide ingredients by 2 and put on a plate or in a bowl, and top each plate with chicken. Enjoy!

Buffalo Wings, love them, not the carbs and fat!

I love to eat Buffalo Wings, but know that most recipes call for them, breaded, deep fried, and tossed in a buttload of butter and hot sauce. I found this recipe and took it to a Superbowl party this year, it was a huge hit, and noone knew it was a healthier version.
1 spray of olive oil or butter spray on cookie sheet lined with foil
12 oz of chicken wings or chicken tenders (for boneless recipes)
1 1/4 oz of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning (use hot if you like it spicy)
2 TBSP of fat free milk
1/4 cup of fat free sour cream
1/4 cup of low fat crumbled bleu cheese
3 celery stalks, cleaned

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place chicken wings in a zip-close plastic bag, add taco seasoning, seal bag and shake to coat. Transfer wings to prepared baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 18 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to prepare dip, whisk together sour cream, blue cheese and milk.
Serve wings with dip and celery on the side. Yields about 3 wings, 3 tablespoons of dip and 1 celery stalk per serving.

Chipolte Turkey Burgers

I love burgers with flavor, and especially summertime when I can make them on the grill.  Use some low carb buns, to keep this burger carb friendly.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 slices low fat mozzarella cheese
• 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted (healthy life buns)

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil grate. Place the ground turkey, onion, cilantro, chipotle chile pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl; mix well. Form into 4 patties.
2. Cook the hamburgers on the preheated grill until the turkey is no longer pink in the center, about 4 minutes per side. Place the mozzarella slices on the patties 2 minutes before they are ready. Serve on the toasted buns.

Lighter side of grilling....

This weekend I celebrated the birthdays of two good friends.  The weather last week was so hot, I wanted something nice but not heavy.  A couple of weeks ago I had seen this recipe on Hungry Girl and as usual added my own twist to it, needless to say, it was defintiely a hit!

Serves 4

1 lb of medium uncooked shrimp (41-60 count)
2 5 oz. pieces of salmon
1 zucchini, sliced into wedges
3 TBS of lemon olive oil
1 TBS of Old Bay Seasoning
2 TBS of Vidalia Onion barbecue sauce
8 skewers, which have been soaked in water for at least a 1/2 hr

1. Clean shrimp by removing tails and shells.  Toss into mixing bowl.
2. Cut salmon into small chunks and toss into bowl with shrimp
3. Add sliced zucchini to bowl
4. Mix olive oil, and old bay seasoning together and pour over shrimp, salmon and zucchini.
5. Place fish and zucchini on soaked skewers, alternating, shrimp, salmon and zucchini.
6. Put skewers on heated grill and brush with vidalia onion barbecue sauce, flip skewers after 4-5 minutes, brush this side of skewers with barbecue sacue, cook until shrimp and salmon are pink. (another 4 minutes)

Can't stop eating this one....

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time.  It's hard to believe that it's healthy for you but it is.  It's originally a Weight Watchers Recipe, but I add my own twist to it.

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp  sea salt 1/2 tsp of Montreal Chicken Seasoning 1/2 tsp black pepper 4 chicken breasts 2 tsp of olive oil 1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced 3/4 cup of reduced sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup of white wine 2 TBSP of Balsamic Vinegar T TBSP of fresh or dried thyme 2 tsp of I Can't Believe it's not Butter 1 TBSP of sugar substitute

Instructions

• On a plate, combine flour, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and montreal chicken seasoning. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and turn to coat; shake off any excess.
  
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, flipping once, until golden and cooked through, about 7 minutes; remove to a serving plate and cover to keep warm.
  
• Add onion to skillet; sauté over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add broth, wine, vinegar, thyme, and sugar substitute and remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring often, until onions are tender, about 5 minutes.
  
• Remove skillet from heat and stir in butter until melted; spoon sauce over chicken. Yields 1 chicken breast and about 1/4 cup onion sauce per serving.

The best Grilled Sea Bass I have ever eaten....

For years I have seen Sea Bass on menus and never tried it.  Last year over Labor Day weekend, my husband and I spent the weekend in Milwaukee.  While there, it was suggested that we try a restaurant by the name of Moe's Steakhouse.  I saw the Sea Bass and decided I was finally trying it.  Unfortunately for me, I fell in love with Sea Bass and knew I could not afford to order this new love every time I went out to eat.  I decided to try my hand at it at home, and found a recipe I liked and added a few of my own touches.

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• lemon Juice of 1 lemon
• pepper to taste
• sea salt to taste
• 2 pounds sea bass
• 3 tablespoons I can't believe it's not butter
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I like to substitute butter olive oil)

Directions

1. Preheat grill for high heat.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, lemon, pepper, and sea salt. Sprinkle seasonings onto the fish.
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the garlic and parsley. Remove from heat when the butter has melted, and set aside.
4. Lightly oil grill grate. Grill fish for 7 minutes, then turn and drizzle with butter. Continue cooking for 7 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork. Drizzle with olive oil before serving.

Fish and Chips, a healthier way!

Yesterday, Pat and I attended a barbecue at a friends house.  Everyone was talking about the "old" days and things they missed, and someone said they missed "Arthur Treacher's Fish N Chips".  Well immediately it got me to thinking I wanted fish and chips! So I decided to cook us up a healthy version for dinner tonight, including a homemade, low fat tartar sauce.

Serves 4

Chips:
3 white potatoes
2 TBS of olive oil
1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of red pepper
Salt to season

Fish:
2 lbs of cod, cut into 8 smaller pieces
1/2 cup of Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup of Corn flake crumbs
1/2 cup of Shake and Bake
1 Tbs of Old Bay seasoning
1 Tbs of Garlic Powder
1 Tbs of Onion Powder
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of red pepper
3 TBS of Lemon Olive Oil

Tartar Sauce:
1 cup of light mayonnaise
2 TBS of sweet relish
2 Tsp of lemon juice
1 Tsp of onion powder

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Cover baking sheets (2) with foil and spray with non stick spray.
2. Slice potatoes into french fries. Place potatoes into plastic bag, pour ingredients into bag, seal and shake till all potatoes are covered. Place on sprayed cookie sheet and put in oven and cook until crisp, flip 1/2 way through, total cook time, approx 45 minutes.
3. Mix all ingredients except for fish and lemon olive oil, in a bowl. Brush both sides of each piece of fish with lemon olive oil.  Put ingredients from bowl into sealed plastic bag, add fish, one piece at a time, and shake until both sides are coated, place each piece on sprayed cookie sheet.  Place cookie sheet in oven, 30 minutes after french fries have cooked.
4. While food is cooking, mix together all ingredients for tartar sauce, keep in refrigerator until you serve dinner. (the longer it chills, the better the flavor.
5. Remove fish and chips from oven, sprinkle sea salt over french fries and serve hot.
6. Enjoy!

Chicken or Pork Tamale Casserole...Ole!

My husband loves mexican, so any time I can find a recipe that can be adapted to a lower carb than what we would find in a restaurant, I do.  It always helps to cook at home, that why I can manage his carbs!  This is actually from Cooking Light. Thanks to Hope from the CL for posting this!

Ingredients

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded low fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

It's a great day for Grilling...

I love when the weather is nice, not too hot, and you can grill your dinner.  When I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner tonight, he mentioned bbq chicken and I kind of went, eh...because it seemed so ordinary and as you know, I don't like to cook "ordinary" so I decided I would make my own barbecue sauce. It rocked...so here is how to turn the ordinary into anything but....

Zesty Barbecue Chicken
Serves 4

4 boneless chicken breasts
2 1/2 cups Ketchup
1/4 cup of Splenda brown sugar
1/4 cup of chopped onion
2 TBS Worschetshire sauce
1 teaspoon of garlic paste (or garlic powder)
1 teaspoon of hot pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon of red pepper
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
2 teaspoons of liquid smoke

Mix altogether in a saucepan.  Cook for at least an hour. Season chicken with McCormicks Montreal Chicken Seasoning and grill until cooked through. Baste the chicken with barbecue sauce and continue heating on grill, flip chicken and baste other side with sauce and heat.  Remove and serve.

If you want to keep this a really low carb meal, I would recommend making some Asparagus on the grill.
Grilled Asparagus
Serves 4

1 bunch of thin green asparagus
2 TBS of olive oil
2 Garlic Cloves
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place asparagus on grate or foil boat, drizzle olive oil over asparagus, press garlic over asparagus, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook asparagus until tender 10-15 minutes.

Yum...Biscuits and Gravy...and yes low carb!

So if you are like my husband and I, we love Biscuits and Gravy, but lord knows every restaurant uses a heavy biscuit, thick gravy and I'm sure is not low in carbs.  So I have started to make it at home for us to enjoy on a weekend morning!

8 Biscuits from Carbquik Bake Mix (available through Netrition.com)
1 package of Jimmy Deans crumbled turkey sausage
2 cups of Skim Milk
2 Tbs I Can't Believe it's Not Butter
Red and black pepper to taste
Flour to thicken

1. Make biscuits using recipe on box of Carbquik Bake Mix
2. Heat up the butter in small saucepan, and turkey to heat.
3. Sprinkle flour over turkey sausage and mix.
4. Add Milk and pepper, and cook on medium heat until sauce starts to thicken, if after 5 minutes, sauce still does not thicken, slowly add flour and stir until gravy thickens.
5. Pour over biscuits and serve.
6. Enjoy!

Total carbs per serving: 10 net carbs

It's been awhile....and hard to be here but I'm back

As many of you know, I started this blog in honor of my dad and husband who are diabetics.  After my last post, my dad passed away after many years of fighting diabetes, heart disease, and COPD.  This had been a happy place, where I wrote about food and cooking, but I haven't felt like doing much of either until recently.  So I promise I will try to get back in the swing, pick myself up, start cooking and blogging....Won't you raise your glass of whatever you are drinking and toast my dad, a man who made an impression on everyone he met...Love you and miss you dad!

This weekend, we had an impromptu barbeque with friends.  I made a pork roast marinated in caribeean jerk seasonings and even though everyone had seconds I still had quite a bit of pork leftover.  Yesterday I put some of the pork in my mini crockpot and made a very nice pulled pork.  Tonight I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner and he said "not pork", and laughed.  I, not wanting to be wasteful  thought I will get him to eat pork, and decided to make "pork fried rice".  After we finished, my husband said, that was great and forgot all about the fact this was day 3 of pork....So enjoy!

Serves 4
8 oz of leftover cooked pork (chop, tenderloin, roast)
2 cups of cooked brown rice
1 cup of green peas
1 can of sliced water chestnuts
1/2 lb of green beans
1/2 cup of green onions
Egg beaters scrambled (equivelant of 1 egg)
2 TBS of sesame or vegetable oil
2 TBS of low sodium soy sauce
Fresh basil to taste
Pepper to taste

1. Cook rice according to directions and in a small saute pan, scramble egg beaters.
2. Heat oil in saute pan or wok
3. Add onions, water chestnuts, and green beans to oil.  Saute until soft.
4. Add cooked rice, pork, scrambled egg, peas, and soy sauce.  Saute for 3-5 minutes until pork is heated through, add basil and pepper, saute until basil is wilted.
5. Enjoy!

If you're like me, then you have become a fan of The Biggest Loser...

I wish I could spend 6 months doing nothing but devoting time to weight loss but since I can't, I will have to continue to get healthy the old fashioned way, one day at a time approach.  I love the recipes that are in the Biggest Loser cookbook, again a reason to show that being healthy doesn't mean you can't eat flavorful good food.  Enjoy this recipe from their cookbook:

1 pound 96% lean ground beef, preferably grass fed
1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped whole scallions
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon all-natural low-sodium soy sauce
Sea salt, to taste

Soak 8 (6") wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes (or have metal skewers ready). Preheat a grill to high.

Add the beef, garlic, ginger, scallions, and soy sauce to a medium bowl. Mix well to combine. Season with salt.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Take 1 portion and shape it around a skewer, flattening the meat so it's about 1 1/2" wide and covers about 5" of the skewer's length. Place the finished skewer on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture and skewers. Transfer the plate to the freezer and let the skewers sit about 10 minutes.

Grill the skewers for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Divide the yakitori among 4 serving plates, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving (2 skewers): 135 calories, 23 g protein, <1 g carbohydrates (trace sugar), 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 196 mg sodium

Buffalo chicken....yummm

I love Chicken wings but hate the mess and the fat!  Here is a great way to enjoy the flavor minus the fat, low carbs, and no mess.

Buffalo Chicken Burgers with blue cheese sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 1/4 cup reduced fat blue cheese crumbles
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• 1/4 cup hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• Healthy Life hamburger buns

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Stir the sour cream, blue cheese, and Worcestershire sauce together in a small bowl; set aside.
1. Mix the ground chicken, 1/4 cup hot sauce, celery salt, poultry seasoning, paprika, and cayenne pepper together in a mixing bowl until evenly blended. Form into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.
2. Cook the chicken burgers on the preheated grill 6 to 7 minutes until well marked. Spray the uncooked top of the burger with cooking spray, and flip the burgers over. Brush the cooked side with 1 tablespoon hot sauce, and continue cooking until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
3. Top burgers with blue cheese sauce made in step 1.

Buffalo Chicken Burgers with Blue Cheese Dressing

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 374

• Total Fat: 8.8g
• Cholesterol: 111mg
• Sodium: 1111mg
• Total Carbs: 25.3g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.7g

Pizza, Pizza.....

How can we be expected to give up pizza? I could eat this pizza everyday with a salad, light yet filling and you can change up the ingredients on top depending on your mood.  Today I thought I would share my version of "pizza margherita".

P.S. I sometimes make several of these, cut into fours and serve as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 Flatout light bread (4 forks)
1 Roma tomato
Kraft Shredded Low Moisture Skim Mozzarella
Fresh basil
1 Tbs olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spread olive oil on flatout bread with pastry brush. Bake for 3-5 minutes so flatbread starts to crisp.
3. Remove flatbread from oven, sprinkle cheese on flatbread. Slice tomato into round pieces and place on top of cheese. Sprinkle tomatoes and cheese with fresh basil, salt and pepper (to taste)
4. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on top of pizza.
5. Bake for another 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.
6. Serve warm and Enjoy!!

Had lunch with a dear friend today....fabulous food, laughs, and pure joy!

A friend of mine asked me to lunch today, we went to one of her favorite spots: La Briola in Lombard.  I had never been. Let me tell you I was like a kid in a candy shop, everything on the menu looked great.  Since she asked me there, I let her pick everything we would eat, it was all delicious, but sad to say, ate some "bad" carbs today.  Will have to work out twice tomorrow to make up for it...Look out Zumba, here I come.

Tonight's recipe was inspired by the old italian families.  This was a staple dinner in most italian households, I have made it a bit healthier with a few subsitutions. Mangia!

Italian Turkey Sausage and Peppers:

Ingredients

• 6 (4 ounce) links sweet or hot Italian turkey sausage
• 2 tablespoons I can't believe it's butter light
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup white wine

1. Place the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, and brown on all sides. Remove from skillet, and slice.
2. Melt butter subsititue in the skillet. Stir in the yellow onion,  and garlic, and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in red bell pepper and green bell pepper. Season with basil, and oregano. Stir in white wine. Continue to cook and stir until peppers and onions are tender.
3. Return sausage slices to skillet with the vegetables. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until sausage is heated through.
4. If you would like to you can put all ingredients in the crock pot and simmer on low for 8 hrs.  When I do this, I like to add 3 potatoes diced up.

Nutritional value:
Calories: 259
Fat: 12.1 g
Fiber:4
Carbohydrates: 15
Protein: 18.9

Where do I begin.....

Twenty years ago my father was diagnosed with Diabetes and although I had a grandmother who had Diabetes I never really understood what it meant to be a diabetic.  I like many others thought it meant meals had to be boring and flavorless.  Coming from an Italian and Irish family where my mom although Irish heritage, cooked like an Italian mom, bland, boring meals were something unheard of it, so I knew mealtime would be challenging for my mom.  I watched my mom struggle with trying to get my dad to eat “healthy” foods and him fighting it, saying it was boring, had no taste, and why bother.  Well 10 years ago I met the love of my life, and much to my dismay, found out immediately that he too was diabetic.  Here I thought, oh no, I love to cook, how can I cook for a diabetic and still love the meals I make. I attended a nutrition class with him so I could understand, what he could and couldn't have.  I like many other spouses of a diabetic, were fighting for him to eat healthy and finally this year, he realized he had to make changes or he would be headed for an insulin pump. So now, I have taken family recipes, recipes I have found online, and in magazines and turned them into flavorful, healthy meals for my husband, and now would like to share those meals with you!

I will also include various products from time to time in my recipes that may be low carb and will rate those on taste, which will be honest opinions as I too will be eating the meals I make for my husband, so no sugar coating on the ratings.

Ratings:
1 fork: not worth buying
2 forks: use if you really must
3 forks: good, but could be better
4 forks: Great! could probably pass off to those not watching carbs as the real deal!

I hope you enjoy the recipes and know that you can live life eating healthy, spicy and carb free!*
*Disclaimer: mostly low carb meals, but carb free fit the title better.... :)

Easy Chicken Enchiladas:

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

2 tsp.oil

3 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts

1 can(14.5 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained

1 tub(10 oz.)PHILADELPHIA Santa Fe Blend Cooking Creme, divided

1/2 cupKRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese

8 Mission Carb Balance flour tortillas (8 inch) Rating: 4 forks

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook and stir onions in hot oil in large skillet on medium heat 4 to 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, 3/4 cup cooking creme and shredded cheese.
3. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining cooking creme. Cover.
4. Bake 15 to 20 min. or until heated through.

Makes 4 servings
Nutritional information:
Calories: 436 calories per serving
Fat: 18.7 g
Protein: 24.6 g
Dietarty Fiber: 14.4 g
Carbs: 40.4 g
Net Carbs: 26 g

*Recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods, my adaption, sub Mission Carb Balance tortillas for regular tortillas and add chilies.