Mango Curry Chicken

I really like this recipe with a sweet, simple flavor, but Jared can never get enough pepper. So, depending on your tastes, the bell pepper and paprika in this recipe are optional.

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes*
1 ripe mango, cubed
1/2 cup light vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbs curry powder
1 tsp paprika (optional)
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups brown rice, cooked*

*Instead of a meal, this can also be prepared as a sauce with whole chicken breasts.

To prepare as a meal:
In a large frying pan, on medium high heat, lightly brown the cubed chicken. Add in soy milk, green onion, pepper, and curry powder, stirring all ingredients together. When the mixture reaches a light boil, add in mango and cilantro, and turn down to low heat. Simmer for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on top of rice.

To prepare with chicken only:
Brown chicken breasts on high heat (center should still be pink, but this will keep the chicken moist through the rest of cooking). In a frying pan, on medium high heat, add together all ingredients, stirring frequently as it comes to a light boil. Turn heat down to low and add chicken breasts to the pan. Cover and simmer for 5 mintues. Flip chicken breasts, cover, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

As a meal
Calories- 300 Carbs- 40 g Protein- 28 g Fat- 4 g

Chicken only
Calories- 150 Carbs- 7 g Protein- 24 g Fat- 3 g

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Banana Bran Muffins

Jared and I purchased some All Bran that for the life of us, we could not get around to eating. So I searched for a recipe that we could finish it off with. This is what we came up with.


2 large bananas, mashed
1 cup skim milk
1 egg white
2 Tbs light margarine
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup All Bran or Fiber One Original
1 cup whole wheat flour
6 packets Splenda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raspberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray paper muffin cups with Pam. Combine All Bran, milk, egg, margarine, vanilla, and bananas in a bowl. Let sit for at least 5 minutes (I let mine sit for close to 10 minutes, to really soften the cereal). Mix together other all other ingredients, except raspberries in a separate bowl. After letting All Bran mixture sit for allotted time, mix together with dry ingredients. Fold in raspberries and spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 25- 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories- 180 Carbs- 42 g Protein- 7 g Fat- 2 g

http://www.flickr.com/photos/selena/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Substitutions

Most of us are familiar with the butter/applesauce exchange. Here are a few others to help maximize the nutrition of your meals.

Switch out white flour for whole wheat flour. The less processed your food is, the longer it will take your body to metabolize it, thereby helping to boost your metabolism. The same goes with white rice compared to brown rice, whole grain pasta, etc.

For lower fat in your meals, ditch your mayonnaise for plain yogurt. This is a great substitution especially in salad dressings.

If you find applesauce too runny for your recipes requiring butter, use lowfat or fat-free cream cheese instead.

Some of these substitutions may change the texture or taste of your dishes, so don't be afraid to experiment a couple times, until you find what works for you... and your diet.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oskarlin/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Herb Crusted Salmon

Jared and I tried this salmon at a corporate cafeteria a few years back and the chef was nice enough to give us the recipe. We have rarely prepared salmon any other way since then.

1 lb skinless salmon fillet*
2 Tbs fennel seed
2 Tbs coriander
1 tsp salt
pico de gallo (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (can also be cooked on the grill at medium heat). Crush fennel seeds and mix together with coriander and salt. Pat mixture evenly on all sides of the fillet. Spray a piece of aluminum foil with Pam. Lay fillet on foil and cook in the oven or on the grill for 15- 20 minutes, or until fillet is cooked through. Top with pico de gallo and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

*Can also be used with chicken breasts, but the rub has the best flavor with salmon.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories 150 Carbs- 0 g Protein- 25 g Fat- 5.5 g

http://www.flickr.com/photos/farahmarzuki/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Chicken Enchiladas

1/2 lb cooked boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup salsa verde (found on the mexican aisle with other jar salsas- I like Herdez, but La Victoria also makes a good one)
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
8 tortillas (for a lower calorie tortilla, I recommend Mission's Extra Thin Yellow Corn Tortillas)
fat free sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together salsa verde and water. Spread 1/2 cup of salsa mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole pan. Evenly distribute chicken, beans, onion, and cheese (saving some cheese for topping), also adding 1 Tbs salsa mixture in each tortilla. Wrap up tortillas and arrange in pan. Pour remaining salsa mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese on top is melted. Serve with a dollop of fat-free sour cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories- 290 Carbs- 33 g Protein- 23 g Fat- 5.5 g

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Easy Green Beans

These beans replaced our corn on the cob for a grilled summer veggie, but can also be prepared on a stove top during colder months.

4 cups frozen cut green beans*
1 Tbs dried chopped onions
2 Tbs light margarine or butter
salt and pepper to taste

To Grill:
Divide ingredients evenly into 4 sheets of aluminum foil. Fold up each sheet and throw on the grill on medium-low heat, turning every 5 minutes, until beans are steaming and margarine is melted.

On the stove:
Heat frying pan to medium. Add in margarine and onions. Melt margarine and then add beans and salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until beans are steaming.

Makes 4 servings.

* Canned green beans can also be used. Drain 2 cans and prepare as instructed, with only 1 Tbs margarine.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories- 50 Carbs- 5 g Protein- 1 g Fat- 1.5 g

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Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)

As with most of the recipes, this is yet another way to disguise your plain chicken and brown rice! It may sound like a spicy dish, but in reality it's no hotter than a stir fry.



4 cups cooked brown rice (I use Minute Rice)
1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
1 whole egg plus 3 egg whites
3/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbs lite soy sauce
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder*
1 Tbs brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Heat stove top to medium. In a wok, or large frying pan, pour in oil. Add in chopped pepper and chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to brown. Add in chicken, soy sauce, minced garlic, and chili powder. When chicken is almost cooked through, add in cilantro and brown sugar, turning up heat to medium-high. Ingredients in the pan should become quite hot, but don't forget to stir ingredients frequently, so they don't burn. Once everything in the pan is hot, pour over egg and whites, stirring frequently. This will fry the egg, while incorporating it with the rest of the ingredients. Turn down heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over rice or add rice directly to the pan to fry with other ingredients.

*If you can find it, I recommend 1 Tbs sweet chili sauce, in place of powder.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories- 350 Carbs- 39 g Protein- 32 g Fat- 7.5 g

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Turkey Burgers

Just because you can't have the real thing on your diet, doesn't mean that you can't eat anything at a BBQ. Try out these turkey burgers for a lite, summer lunch.

1 lb lean ground turkey (Jennie-O makes a great ground turkey breast)
1 egg white
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp seasoned salt

4 whole wheat buns (I recommend Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Wheat)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl, mixing with your hands. Form meat into 4 patties. Grill as usual. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories- 245 Carbs- 22 g Protein- 33 g Fat- 3 g

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawng/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0