A Lighter Alfredo Type Dish

I had every intention of making me some yummy Murgh Makhani (butter chicken) for dinner this evening. Thank goodness I tried the sauce before adding the chicken because it was HORRIBLE. And into the trash can it went. So I went though my bookmarks to find something I could make with already cooked cubed chicken and found a lighter chicken alfredo from Weight Watchers. I took it step lighter due to what I already had in the kitchen and came out with a not quite alfredo, but pretty yummy dish. And let it be known that I halved everything in this recipe except the cheese because I wasn't paying attention. :P

A Lighter Alfredo (my changes are in italics)

• 6 medium garlic clove(s), peeled and smashed with a knife
• 1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, washed, patted dry, four 4 oz pieces (mine were cubed)
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 spray(s) cooking spray
• 1/2 cup(s) canned chicken broth (had to make some from a bouillon cube)
• 1/4 cup(s) heavy whipping cream (used extra light 3%)
• 1/4 cup(s) whole milk plain yogurt, Greek-variety (used regular lowfat)
• 1/8 tsp table salt, for cooking pasta
• 8 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, fettuccini (used elbow macaroni)
• 1/2 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano suggested (used romano)
• 1/4 cup(s) parsley, fresh, flat-leaf, finely chopped, divided (omitted)

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.

Rub garlic over chicken; reserve garlic. Season chicken with salt and pepper and rub in seasonings with your hands; set aside.

Off heat, coat skillet with cooking spray and then set over medium-low heat. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken and cook until golden, flipping once, about 5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine broth, heavy cream and yogurt; pour over chicken and scrape bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon to incorporate seasonings. Simmer chicken gently, turning once, about 30 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Remove chicken from cream sauce and set aside. Add Parmesan cheese to cream sauce and mix until well-combined. Add cooked pasta and 3 tablespoons of parsley; toss well. Serve pasta topped which chicken and rest of parsley. Yields about 3 ounces of chicken and 2/3 cup of pasta/sauce per serving.

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I'd like to say that the picture is after it set out for 30 minutes or so. I was so hungry I forgot to take one before I dug in. It's definitely not the creamy alfredo that I love, but it was pretty good and definitely satisfied any alfredo craving I had. I'm sure it would have been creamier had I halved the cheese like I did the rest of the recipe. And I'll leave you at that because I really need another bowl. :)

High Fiber Sugar Free Bran Muffins

I've been looking for a recipe for these that doesn't taste like crap or is super high in calories. I was thinking that I would have to modify an existing muffin recipe when I found an article for someone who was looking for the same thing who luckily, already experimented to find something that works. Yay! Less work for me! I was hoping it would be completely from scratch, but since I already had some FiberOne cereal laying around, I figured why not? I plugged these babies into my WW recipe calculator and guess what? ONE point! (Unless you add raisins or nuts or something. Then they're two points.) So without further ado, I give you "I Can't Believe These Are Healthy" Bran Muffins.

High Fiber Sugar Free Bran Muffins (my changes are in italics)

• 1 1/4 cups of Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 cups of Bran (used FiberOne)
• 1/2 cup of Oatmeal, not the instant kind
• 1 cup of granulated Splenda
• 1/2 cup of Non-Fat Dry Powdered Milk
• 1 1/4 cups of Skim Mil
• 1 Egg (large)
• 1/4 cup of Canola Oil (used applesauce)
• 1 TBSP Baking Powder (yep, that's tablespoon)
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Non-fat Cooking Spray for pan
• I added 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon and nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Stir together flour, splenda, powdered milk, baking powder, baking soda and salt (and cinnamon and nutmeg) in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine bran cereal, oatmeal and skim milk. Cover bran and oatmeal with as much of the liquid as possible and let stand for about 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Once bran is softened, add egg and oil, beat well. (You don't need an electric mixer, wooden spoon works fine) Add the flour mixture, stirring "only" until combined. DO NOT OVER MIX! Batter will be lumpy. Put even amounts of batter into 6 muffin tins (I used 12 to get them to 1 point) that you coated with non-fat cooking spray.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

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I'm not a huge fan of bran muffins but I wanted to find an easy way to get more fiber in my diet. And for a bran muffin, I think these are the best I've ever had. They are fluffy, they rise, and they don't have a cardboard feel or taste like bran muffins usually do. They're super filling too. Eat one or two of these for breakfast (or a snack!) and you're good to go!

Jambalaya!

Kevin and I were craving something with a little spice but wanted to make something other than the normal Indian food we usually eat when we're wanting something spicy. I remembered seeing a recipe at Weight Watchers which unfortunately is unlinkable because they don't like to tell non-subscribers how many points something is. We ended up changing quite a bit of the recipe due to what we already had and a few mistakes on my part. Oopsies.

Chicken Jambalaya (my changes are in italics)

• 2 1/2 oz raw turkey sausage, chopped (used pre-cooked)
• 1 large onion(s), chopped
• 1 medium celery, stalk, chopped (omitted because it's expensive here right now)
• 1 small green pepper(s), chopped
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
• 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 2 medium chicken breast, cooked, skinless, cubed (about 2 cups)
• 28 oz canned tomatoes, whole, plum, peeled with juice (used 5 fresh tomatoes, peeled)
• 2 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
• 1 cup(s) uncooked white rice, long-grain (used brown basmati rice)

Coat a large, nonstick saucepan with cooking spray. Over high heat, sauté sausage until crispy on edges. Add onion, celery and green pepper; sauté until tender.

 Reduce heat and stir in cayenne, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic; sauté until garlic is fragrant.

Stir in chicken, tomatoes, broth and rice. (I cooked rice separately because brown rice cooks longer.) Bring to a simmer, cover and let cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. (I wasn't paying attention and added all the broth even though I was cooking rice separately, so I let it simmer/boil uncovered for about 45 minutes.) Serves 4.

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This was a joint effort between Kevin and I, so I can't take all the credit. It was my first time blanching, peeling, and coring tomatoes so now I can add that to the experience. I should also say that our jambalaya had paprika in it as well because I mistook it for the cayenne. But it was sooo good and I'm glad I have some leftover so I can eat it again. A nice change from the Indian we usually eat!

Easy Peasy Banana Cream Pie

I can't cook/bake very well, but I'm almost embarrassed to post this because it's so easy (which I will admit, is my kind of cooking). But I thought I'd share anyway because who doesn't love a 2.5 point piece of pie?

Banana Cream Pie

• packet of fat free sugar free banana cream pie pudding mix by Jello
• 1 3/4 cup of skim milk
• 2 small bananas
• reduced fat pre-made graham cracker crust
• Cool Whip Free

Line graham cracker crust with sliced bananas.

Whisk milk and pudding mix together for about a minute. Pour immediately into pie crust. Refrigerate for one hour (three for a firmer pie).

Cover top with Cool Whip Free. Cut into 8 slices.

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My pie was a little gooey because Kevin couldn't even wait the full hour before taking it out of the refrigerator, ready to cut into it. I was at least able to hold him off long enough to put the Cool Whip on. Still pretty yummy, gooey-ness and all.

Oh, Crockpot! How I Love Thee!

Yesterday we became the proud owners of a brand new slow cooker. They are not very common here unlike their counterpart, the rice cooker. But we found one at a decent price and brought that baby home. Before bed, we threw in a beef bottom round with some fat free chicken broth, water, onions, carrots, garlic, beef seasoning, salt, and pepper. It cooked all night, then this morning when we woke up, threw in some potatoes and let it continue to cook all day. By 5:30pm (when we couldn't wait any longer) we dug in. The meat just fell apart... so tender and juicy. So right now, I'm in pot roast heaven. So full, yet still contemplating what my next meal with the crock pot will be. I think it may be one of the best kitchen appliances ever.

A Lighter Enchilada

It's hard to find good Mexican food here in Dubai, and it's almost impossible to find "healthy" Mexican food anywhere. When I came across this recipe for chicken enchiladas at skinnytaste.com, I figured it would be worth a try.

Chicken Enchiladas (my changes are in italics)

For the sauce:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
• 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (used cayenne)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
• kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

For the chicken:

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 8.5 oz (2 breast halves) cooked shredded chicken breast
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• kosher salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder (used cayenne)
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 8 (6-inch) reduced carb whole wheat flour tortillas (used 8 inch tortillas)
• 1 cup shredded low fat Mexican cheese (used full fat Mexican cheese)
• Nonstick cooking spray

In a medium saucepan, spray oil and sauté garlic. Add chipotle chiles, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic on low until soft, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Spray a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it. Place on baking dish seam side down. Top with sauce and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. Top with low fat sour cream or scallions if you wish. (Extra points) Makes 8 enchiladas.

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In this recipe, I had to sub some ingredients for what I already had in the kitchen. I failed to notice that 6-inch tortillas were required and I had bought 8-inch ones instead so this recipe barely eked out seven enchiladas, and they were very scanty ones at that. So because of the extra carbs and the full fat cheese, it made these 4 points each instead of 3 points like the original recipe states. Still, not too shabby!

As for flavor, these were pretty good, although a bit too much cilantro for my taste (though Kevin liked it). When I make these again, I'll use a little bit more chicken, a low fat cheese so I can make them cheesier without sacrificing points, less cilantro, and of course, the smaller tortillas.

I should probably also mention that while cooking this, I had a beer can fall out of the fridge and explode everywhere, I dropped several sauce covered utensils on the floor, and had a lecture from my husband about not using a steel spoon to stir ingredients in a Teflon skillet.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Strips

I haven't eaten any meat in almost two weeks and so I decided to grab some chicken breasts when I was shopping. Like I've mentioned before, I have a hard time cooking for one so I wanted something that wasn't very elaborate. I tried googling "chicken recipes for one" to no avail because I didn't want just grilled chicken breast. Boring. Then I remembered a recipe Kevin and I tried not too long ago and I adapted it to make chicken strips instead. And I'm so proud of myself for kind of guessing from memory... not like this recipe was hard to begin with. :P

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Strips

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup of panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup of grated parmesan or romano cheese
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Set up two bowls, one containing the beaten egg, the other containing all dry ingredients mixed.

Dip strips into egg, then the breadcrumb/cheese mixture. Lay in dish.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip, then continue to bake for another 7-10 minutes.

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Ahhh. Little nuggets of heaven. I never thought I'd say that in reference to anything other than chocolate but these are pretty damn good.

Why I Can't Cook: The Sort Of Excuse

I haven't cooked much the past few days. I have a really hard time cooking for just myself. I regress back into my college mentality and I go for super easy meals. I've been eating grilled cheese, PB&Js, oatmeal, and salads. When I do this, I can't help but think that when I have kids I'm going to be nothing like my mother. Even simple cooking gets overwhelming if there is more than one thing going on or I didn't pre-measure everything out. I long for the day that I know what spices/herbs/flavors go together and can just throw something together without a recipe. 

Cooking for me is hard because I do lean on recipes. Cooking is fast paced and taking time to reread a recipe means something is probably bubbling over on the stove. Baking, on the other hand, I can do. Follow the recipe, mix, and pop into the oven. With most things, you can stop to reread the recipe, which I usually have to do a lot. So right now, I'm fighting the urge to get in the kitchen and bake. I still have a week left without Kevin and I don't want that stuff in the apartment without him here to eat at least half. So on that note, I'm going to make myself a smoothie.

Why Does Your Smoothie Look Like That?

Today was a lazy day. Well, all my days are lazy, but this one was lazier than most. I went out the past two nights. Trivia with Jen and Jeff and some of their friends on Wednesday night, which was awesome but definitely not enough "American" questions. Then last night I walked over to Barasti (a restaurant/bar on the beach that we're lucky enough to live right across the street from) to meet up with Houri and Stefanie for a girls night. So today I was tired and it ended up being a completely unproductive day. For days like this, I really like to make a green smoothie for lunch (which I happen to have a lot when Kevin is out of town). For those of you who don't know what a green smoothie is, it's a smoothie in which you "hide" your greens, such as spinach, lettuce, chard, or kale. I use spinach because it has a light flavor and my smoothie still tastes fruity. Kale, on the other hand, is a bit more difficult to hide.

My Green Smoothie

• 1 cup of frozen strawberries
• 1 medium banana
• 1/2 cup of pineapple juice
• 2 big handfuls of baby spinach

It's super filling and has four servings of fruits and vegetables in it. (The pineapple juice doesn't count.) Some people take one look at it and are grossed out because it's a lovely shade of greenish brown. Don't let the color stop you from tasting the deliciousness that is a green smoothie. Yum!

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

It's only day three of Kevin being gone out of a reaaaally long two weeks and I'm already bored. So today I thought, why not make some bread? Real bread making (which I've never done before) is a long process (so I've heard) that will take up the majority of the day. Perfect.

I'm a carb-a-holic and I salivate over The Fresh Loaf, so I decided to jump in head first and try to make their recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Bread.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread - makes 2 loaves

• 1 lb whole wheat flour (about 3 cups)
• 12 oz hot water
• 8 ounces bread or all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
• 1 5 oz can evaporated milk... or milk, or more water or soy if you are vegan (used semi skimmed evaporated milk)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp instant yeast
• an additional 1/2-1 cup flour, as necessary, to achieve the desired consistency

Mix the hot water and whole wheat flour together in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic and set aside until around room temperature, at least 1 hour.

Add the milk, honey, salt, yeast, and bread flour to the original mixture and mix until well combined. Add additional flour and knead by hand or in a stand mixer until a tacky but not completely sticky dough is formed. Place the ball of dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to rise for 60 to 90 minutes.

Divide the dough in two and shape the loaves. Place the loaves in greased bread pans, cover the pans loosely with plastic (I put them in a plastic bag), and set aside to rise again for 90 minutes.

During the final 30 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the pans into the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, rotating the pans once so that they brown evenly, until the internal temperature of the loaves is around 190 degrees and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

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Can I be a little proud of myself? I feel like this is a huge step in learning how to cook/bake. I wish it had risen more because the slices aren't that big.. I'm assuming letting it rise longer before splitting the dough would help. I still can't believe I made bread without it being a huge disaster! Without the help of a machine, might I add. And it's pretty darn tasty too. I'm going to save one loaf for Kevin (in the freezer, I think?) and try and not eat the rest in one sitting.