Sriracha Lime Chicken Chopped Salad

So maybe this one came from a Facebook post from The Sriracha Cookbook?  I don't remember.  (I thought eating well and exercise were supposed to help you remember stuff)?  Anyway,  the pictures were very colorful, and so I pinned it.

I showed D and I really wasn't sure about the pineapple (fruit and meat).  But I know I like pineapple so if it was gross, I'd just eat it separately.

D was going to marinate it before work, but then he was afraid the lime would "cook" the chicken, so he just followed the directions.

The original ingredients were all "clean", but I have neither the time nor the energy to go find all those ingredients, so whatever is on sale at Kroger is what I get.

So back to the salad...the chicken was really good, as in D should make it by itself and I would eat it.  The rest of the salad was good too.  I think next time we could step back on the oil in the dressing even more (D already cut some out).

The Nutritional Information was high, but then again there are a lot of calories in 2 servings.  The original recipe said this was gluten-free and paleo.  I have no idea, since I don't practice either type of diet.  (If you reduce the oil from 1/4 C to 3 TBSP it goes from 801 calories to 745 calories.)

Would have again.

Sriracha Lime Chicken Chopped Salad

Photo by ALB

Serves 2
Adapted from Lexi's Clean Kitchen

Ingredients
Sriracha Lime Chicken
2 6 oz chicken breasts
3 tbsp sriracha
2 TBSP lime juice (or 1 lime, juiced)
1/4 tsp Kosher sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Salad
4 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
8 pineapple slices
1 cup organic grape tomatoes
1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 avocado, cubed

Lime Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil (next time, using 3 TBSP)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 TBSP Lime Juice (or 2 limes, juiced)
2 tsp honey
Dash Kosher salt
Dash of sriracha

Instructions
1. Heat the grill

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper

3. In a bowl or marinade dish, combine srirarcha and lime

4. Add chicken and let marinade in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, the longer the better

5. Once marinaded, add chicken to grill

6. Cut pineapple using pineapple corer and add to grill, grill for 3-4 minutes on each side

7. While they are grilling, chop lettuce, then chop avocado, tomato, and red onion and add to serving dish

8. Whisk together dressing, taste, and adjust seasoning as desired (i.e. more lime, additional salt, additional vinegar)- place in fridge until ready to use

9. Once chicken is done cooking, assemble the salad, toss with dressing and enjoy!

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Calories: 801; Total Fat: 45 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 31 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 98 mg; Sodium: 643 mg; Potassium: 1060 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 62 g; Dietary Fiber: 16 g; Sugars: 40 g; Protein: 44 g

Black Bean Soup with Tequila Shrimp

No clue where I found this one, but it had tequila, shrimp, and black beans, so how can it be bad.  D made it and we both liked it.  It was chunky, which usually our black bean soups are more pureed.

Would have again.

Black Bean Soup with Tequila Shrimp

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons white tequila
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Tortilla chips

Preparation
1. Combine 2 teaspoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Add shrimp, tossing to coat.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic, cumin, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle; sauté 1 minute. Stir in beans, broth, black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 3 minutes.

3. Transfer 1 cup soup to a blender; puree until smooth. Stir smooth mixture into soup; keep warm.

4. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; cook 1 minute. Turn and cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat; add tequila, tossing shrimp to coat.

5. Stir juices from shrimp, lime juice, and cilantro into soup. Ladle soup into bowls, and top with shrimp. Serve with chips; garnish, if desired.

Nutritional Information (from MyFitnessPal)
Calories: 389; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 110 mg; Sodium: 1225 mg; Potassium: 89 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 42 g; Dietary Fiber: 12 g; Sugars: 4 g; Protein: 25 g;

From Coastal Living

Asian-Style Pork Nachos With Red Cabbage And Scallions

I think this recipe came up on Facebook.  I'm liking red cabbage at the moment, and it sounded so good, I thought we should have it.  Then I saw 10 Cups of oil.  We don't fry food often, and so I quickly saw various recipes that said you could make chips, baking them, so moving on.  I showed D and he said they looked good.

D made them, and I watched.

When they came out, yum!  Portions were huge (and could be made into 6, with more reasonable calories).  They tasted awesome, and we would have again.

Photo by ALB

Asian-Style Pork Nachos With Red Cabbage And Scallions

Adapted from Bon-Appetit
Servings: 4

Ingredients
Wonton Chips:
Vegetable oil for frying (about 10 cups) (didn't use)
6 ounces wonton wrappers, cut into triangles (used 9 oz)
(Used Pam, salt, Pepper and garlic powder)

Pork:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (used PAM)
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
1 pound ground pork (used lean ground pork)
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 teaspoon sugar

Assembly:
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
⅛ head red cabbage, cored, very thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapeños

Photo by ALB

Preparation
Wonton Chips- Baked not fried
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper,Place the wonton wrappers on the baking sheet. Spray with PAM. Sprinkle with the garlic, salt and pepper. Bake for 7 minutes until crispy and beginning to brown (5 minutes was plenty for me).  If you only have 1 baking sheet, you need to do this a few times.

Photo by ALB

Pork
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat (use PAM). Add garlic and chile and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add pork, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up into smaller pieces with a spoon and pressing down firmly to help brown, until cooked through and nicely crisped in spots, 8–10 minutes. Add lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar and cook, stirring, until liquid is reduced and glazes pork, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Assembly
Preheat oven to 425°. Arrange half of chips on a 9½-by-13” foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Top with half of pork, then half of each cheese. Repeat layering with remaining chips, pork, and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 5 minutes. While nachos cook, toss cabbage, scallions, and cilantro with vinegar and sesame oil; season with salt and pepper. Serve nachos topped with cabbage mixture and pickled jalapeños.

Nutrition Facts (from My Fitness Pal with my adaptations)
Calories: 729; Total Fat: 40 g; Saturated Fat: 17 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 136 mg; Sodium: 2740 mg; Potassium: 151 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 46 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 6 g; Protein: 44 g

Potato Salad with Dill + Horseradish Aioli

This came across Pinterest and looked really good. And I thought it would be really good with a fish like salmon or tuna.  I showed D and he said ok.

We had with salmon.  It was really good, and D seemed to make it fast considering I was watching TV and playing with the dogs in the living room.

We would have again.

Potato Salad with Dill + Horseradish Aioli

Source: From A Thought for Food which was adapted from Vegetarian Everyday by David Frenkiel + Luise Vindahl

Yield: Serves 6 with the fish we had

Photo By ALB

Ingredients
2 lb – 3 oz small new potatoes
15-20 red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups fresh sugarsnap peas, sliced lengthwise
1 large handful of fresh dill, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Horseradish Dressing
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon prepared horesradish

Instructions
Place the potatoes in a saucepan with just enough cold salted water to cover. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes. Test with a small sharp knife. If the potatoes fall off the knife, they’re done.

Drain and set aside to cool.

To make the horseradish dressing, whisk the egg yolks, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt. Slowly drizzle in the canola oil while whisking nonstop until the mixture begins to emulsify. Continue to whisk in the oil until mixture has achieved a thick, mayonnaise-like consistency. Whisk in the horseradish and, if necessary, season with additional salt and pepper.

Combine the tomatoes, peas and dill in a large serving bowl.

When the potatoes have cooled, transfer them to the serving bowl. Pour the dressing over them and toss with your hands to coat with the aioli. Serve.

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
6 servings (not including fish)
Calories: 406; Total Fat: 30 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 17 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 9 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 70 mg; Sodium: 450 mg; Potassium: 968 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 31 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 4 g; Protein: 5 g

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Mustard-Thyme Sauce

Chicken with sauce was basically what this was.  A comfort food.  Throw some rice on the side with more sauce and add some green beans...well, you have a very comfort-like meal.

I like mustard sauces, so this was good.  I would have again.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Mustard-Thyme Sauce

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 2 thighs and 3 tablespoons sauce)

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup no-salt-added chicken stock (such as Swanson), divided
4 teaspoons flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; place in an 11 x 7–inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Bake at 425° for 16 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°. Remove chicken from dish; reserve drippings.

3. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add butter; swirl to coat. Add onion and thyme; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Combine 3 tablespoons stock and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture, remaining stock, and reserved drippings to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, and add mustard, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring with a whisk. Serve sauce with chicken.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 246; Fat: 11.7 g; Sat fat: 3.7 g; Mono fat: 4.9 g; Poly fat: 1.8 g; Protein: 28.9 g; Carbohydrate: 4.6 g; Fiber: 0.5 g; Cholesterol: 122 mg; Iron: 1.8 mg; Sodium: 498 mg; Calcium: 27 mg

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2012

8 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 4 servings)

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole

This is one of those recipes where you go "Why didn't I think of this?" And I didn't. My friend, Jen, pinned it and I saw it and decided D and I must have it. D looked at it and said it must have macaroni in it.

So that's how he made it.

It was delicious. D says it didn't need bacon. I think he might be sick. Of course it needs bacon.

This is the recipe as we made it. We had with Southwestern Salad (a salad kit from Kroger).

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole

Photo by ALB

Adapted from the Happy Tulip
Serves 6

Ingredients
8 oz macaroni (dry), cooked
1lb of chicken (measured raw), cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
8 oz. low fat cream cheese, softened
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup of sharp cheddar, shredded
4-5 green onions, sliced
2 diced, fresh jalapenos

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cream cheese, bacon, 3/4 cup of cheddar, green onions, and jalapenos in a medium bowl and mix well.

Stir in the chicken and pasta and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar and bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Calories: 432; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 10 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 104 mg; Sodium: 502 mg; Potassium: 303 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 31 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 2 g; Protein: 30 g

12 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 6 servings)
14 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 5 servings)

Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma

I love Shawarma.  There's a few places by my work that sell plates, and they always have a good flavor.  So when this recipe popped up on Facebook, and it looked relative easy, I decided to show D.  He said ok.

While we were making the grocery list we noticed there were no sides, so we added some.  We added pita, tomatoes, cucumbers, peperoncini, and hummus.

The result was very good.  The cooked onions had started to caramelize, and the chicken had a ton of flavor.  I'm not sure if the NI is completely correct, because of the whole marinade thing.
But we would definitely have again.

Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma

By Sam Sifton from the New York Times
Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (we got 4)

Photo by ALB

INGREDIENTS
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
A pinch ground cinnamon
Red-pepper flakes, to taste
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

PREPARATION
Prepare a marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and red-pepper flakes in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken, and toss well to coat. Cover, and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.

Put the chicken in the oven, and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.) Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice — really anything you desire.

Nutritinonal Information (from My Fitness Pal with no sides)
4 Servings
Calories: 560; Total Fat: 39 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 24 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 198 mg; Sodium: 641 mg; Potassium: 699 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 9 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 2 g; Protein: 45 g

Korean Chicken Thighs

I believe I found this recipe after reading something about dogs on the Examiner. Because you know if you like an article about dogs, an article about Korean Chicken Thighs would be right up your alley.

Anyway, D made these. They had a really good flavor and I liked the marinade. It reminded me of Teriyaki but not as sweet. However, maybe I shouldn't have put the marinade on the chicken, the rice and the broccoli. I know Kikkoman doesn't contain MSG but some chemistry took place in my head, and the halo headache you get right before a migraine started towards the end of dinner. So I'm leery of this recipe because I just don't know if I want to risk having a migraine.

D who has no migraine issues loved it, and I'm sure if I said I would try it again, he would be all for it. Perhaps I'll just not soak my entire dinner in the marinade.

So yeah, I'll have again, probably.  The Nutritional Information is probably a little off, because I know we had a lot of marinade left over, but oh well.

Korean Chicken Thighs

Serves 4
From Examiner.com

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
8 chicken thighs, rinsed, patted dry, trimmed of fat (used bone-in)
3/4 cup tamari or soy sauce (used Kikkoman Light Soy Sauce)
5-7 green onions, chopped fine
3 Tbsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp honey (if you don't have honey, substitute 2 Tbsp sugar)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced, or pressed
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp of powdered)
pepper to taste

Preparation
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking dish with no-stick spray. Place your chicken thighs in the dish, skin side down.

Combine the rest of the ingredients into a small bowl. Mix well, and pour over the chicken. Make sure the chicken is nice and coated.

Pop it in the oven for 45 minutes. When you're done, turn the chicken over, spread the juice over the top, and pop it back in for 15 more minutes.

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Calories: 537; Total Fat: 30 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 12 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 8 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 114 mg; Sodium: 2206 mg; Potassium: 340 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 18 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 13 g; Protein: 46 g

Chicken Saltimbocca

I found this recipe from Maria on Pinterest.  It had chicken and Proscuitto so I know D would say ok. He did.

It was very flavorful, and I believe D said it was easy.  There were no left-overs which was sad but such is life.

We would have again.  We had with rice and broccoli.

Chicken Saltimbocca

This healthy chicken saltimbocca recipe makes an impressive, yet fast, classy dinner. Serve this Italian-inspired chicken with roasted broccoli rabe and creamy polenta to round out this elegant meal.

Photo by ALB

Makes: 2 servings
Serving Size: 1 chicken breast & 2 Tbsp. sauce
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5-6 ounces each), tenders removed (see Tip)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 thin slices prosciutto
2-4 fresh sage leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dry Marsala

PREPARATION
Put chicken breasts between pieces of plastic wrap and, using a rolling pin or the smooth side of a meat mallet, bash them to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, but don’t bash so hard that they break up. Season with pepper. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each chicken escalope and put a sage leaf or two on top. Lightly dust the chicken on both sides with flour.

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until no longer pink in the middle, about 3 minutes per side. To check if it’s done, stick the tip of a sharp knife into it: the juice that runs out should be clear with no trace of pink. Transfer the chicken to a warm platter and cover with foil.

Add Marsala to the pan and cook over high heat until thickened and reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve the sauce over the chicken.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 395 calories; 15 g fat (6 g sat, 6 g mono); 89 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 7 g total sugars; 27 g protein; 0 g fiber; 443 mg sodium; 279 mg potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 1
Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2 fat

From EatingWell: March/April 2015