Chicken and Feta Tabbouleh

 

My “daughter” (Hilary) is going on her mini Spring Break this weekend and requested a few things to take with her:  chicken salad and tabbouleh.  Being the good sister that I am, I happily obliged.  Plus I’ve needed a good excuse to get out of this cooking/blogging slump.

Last summer I mentioned to one of the dance moms who was making tabbouleh for dinner how much I loved it!  Hers had chicken and feta…could it get any better??  She returned that night to pick up her daughter with some for me to try and the recipe.  How exciting!  It was amazing…and healthy, the recipe was from Cooking Light!

Later that month I brought the recipe with me on our family beach trip and it was a hit there as well.  Even our “extra-mayo”, “no-butter-please, country-crock-only" friend loved it! 
 

Tabbouleh is made with bulgur (a quick cooking form of wheat…which is a fiber-rich whole grain), tomato, lots of parsley, and mint.  I opted to leave the mint out.  Bulgur can be tricky to locate…you may be able to find it by the rice and other grains in a regular grocery store.  Whole Foods definitely has it.  In Albertson’s it was by the olive oil?!?

Other changes I made: 1) baked my own chicken…but rotisserie is definitely easier, 2) used a little more olive oil, and 3) doubled the recipe.

I would probably have a smaller serving (not 1 1/2 cups) and serve it over lettuce…yes, another salad!

Chicken and Feta Tabbouleh
adapted from CookingLIght.com

Makes 4 large servings (1 1/2 cups)

3/4  cup  uncooked bulgur
1  cup  boiling water
2  cups  chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1  cup  chopped plum tomato
1  cup  chopped English cucumber (or a regular one with/ the seeds removed)
3/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/3  cup  finely chopped green onions
1/4  cup  chopped fresh mint
2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
1  teaspoon  minced garlic
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  ground cumin
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

Place bulgur in a medium bowl; cover with 1 cup boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. 

Combine chicken and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add bulgur to chicken mixture; toss gently to combine.  Taste and re-season with salt, pepper, and cumin.

Per serving (1 1/2 cups) – 296 calories, 9.5 g fat (3.4 g saturated), 26 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 28 g protein (exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 3 protein, 2 fat; WW points: 6)

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Baked Chicken Meatballs

I’ve had this recipe in my “to-make file” since last August, and every time that I went to make it, something came up or I found another recipe to try instead.  Honestly, I just haven’t been cooking
that much lately…due to lack of time and motivation.  Gotta work on that!

 

 

 

But these meatballs’ time has finally come.  And I’m so glad it has.  So light and flavorful…I’m thinking a meatball sandwich with melty, gooey provolone cheese is going to really hit the spot.

The thing that intrigued me most was that the meatballs were made from ground chicken breast and that they were served with a side of roasted red peppers…2 things to lighten up classic spaghetti and meatballs…no beef and no pasta (not that I think pasta is a bad thing!).

If you can’t find ground chicken (I got mine at Whole Foods and used breast meat only), I’m sure ground turkey would work just as well (maybe add a few tsp of olive oil though…turkey breast is even leaner than chicken breast).  
         

Baked Chicken Meatballs
adapted from Gourmet magazine

makes 12 meatballs

3 slices Italian bread, crusts removed and torn into small pieces (1 cup)…although I'm sure any bread will be fine
1/3 cup skim milk
3 ounces sliced pancetta or bacon, finely chopped 
1 small onion, finely chopped 
2 small garlic cloves, minced 
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 pound ground chicken
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 
2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided
2 teaspoons red wine (or water)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about 4 minutes.

Cook pancetta (or bacon), onion, and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Cool slightly.

Squeeze bread to remove excess milk, then discard milk. Lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then combine with chicken, pancetta mixture, bread, parsley, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Form 12 meatballs and arrange in a 9 by 13 glass baking dish.

Stir together remaining tomato paste, remaining teaspoon oil, and red wine and brush over meatballs, then bake in upper third of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

* If you want to make the roasted red peppers you can find the recipe here.  I actually roasted them using the Cooks Illustrated method (shown here) in which you use no oil and peel the skin off after they have roasted…after they were roasted and peeled, I then sliced them and tossed with 1 teaspoon of oil and the remaining ingredients (vinegar, capers, and red pepper flakes).

Per meatball – 108 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 11 g protein (exchanges: 1 fat, 1 1/2 protein; WW points: 2)

Shrimp Salad Sandwich

Happy Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras has come and gone…what a perfect day to get my life “back on track”. Since the Super Bowl took over my life I haven’t eaten as well, worked out as much, been as organized as usual…oh well!

But today is a new day. I’ve already worked out, been to church, eaten lots of healthful things, drank a lot of water…starting to feel better!

I started my day with half of a pear for my pre-run snack. After my run I enjoyed a bowl of pineapple over-night oats and a glass of OJ. For lunch I whipped up this delicious shrimp salad (no meat today!) and had it on whole wheat toast. I also had some yogurt and cottage cheese with blueberries. And lots of water.

I’ve decided to give up coffee (caffeine) for Lent, again. I’ll have to wait and see if I’m really addicted to the caffeine (no headache yet) or if I just crave coffee. Hopefully this will help me cut back in the long run and not just for these 40 days. I drink coffee everyday and I wish I didn’t…but I love it! Or at least I think I do. It will definitely force me to drink more water.

So onto the shrimp salad recipe…it’s so easy that I really can’t even call it a recipe! I bought pre-boiled/pre-peeled shrimp at WF yesterday, about 1.5 pounds worth. Pulsed them in the food processor and then transferred them to a mixing bowl. I then added 1 heaping tablespoon each of Greek yogurt (non-fat) and mayo (the real deal) which equaled about 1/4 cup total, a scant tablespoon of Dijon mustard, about 1/4 of a cup of relish (green tomato relish…my fave), 3 stalks of finely diced celery, and some Old Bay Seasoning.

That’s it! You can adjust everything to suit your taste…just don’t add too much mayo! And if you want to skip the bread, just do lettuce wraps instead.

Per serving (about 1/8 of the recipe…w/o bread) - 131 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated), 5 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 18 g protein (exchanges: 3 protein, 1 fat; WW points: 3)

Marinated Flank Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce

The Super Bowl is over, and after spending a week in MIA I am finally back in my kitchen.  What a week it was!  I don’t think I have ever been so exhausted in my life…but it was worth it.  To experience the Saints winning the Super Bowl from the sideline is a memory I will never forget!

I returned home Tuesday morning to an empty fridge and no desire to go to the grocery store.  But I finally went yesterday and got the ingredients to make this week’s CEiMB recipe…hosted by yours truly!

I selected this recipe for several reasons: 1) I love beef, 2) I love blue cheese, and 3) the recipe was in the new cookbook I got from Danielle for Christmas…and I hadn’t cooked from it yet.

Yesterday I marinated the meat all day.  When I got home from the studio I seared the steak in a skillet on the stove and then put the whole thing under the broiler. 

 
I turned the blue cheese sauce into a salad dressing.  The dressing was loosely based on this recipe…for the sour cream and mayo I did 2 tbsp Greek yogurt and 1 tbsp mayo…and it was delish!

For my salad: shredded carrots, red bell pepper, green onion, radicchio, and romaine plus the beef and dressing…perfect dinner!

I think some people are surprised when I tell them I eat beef and cheese.  But my food philosophy is to eat REAL food that I enjoy…and if it happens to be high in fat (like both of these foods are) I do so in moderation.  This means in small amounts and/or only occasionally.  I eat cheese regularly, but in small amounts.  I eat beef about 1 to 2 times per month. 

Marinated Flank Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce

• Per serving – 310 calories, 16 g fat (5 g saturated), 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 33 g protein (exchanges: 1 vegetable, 4 1/2 protein, 3 fat; WW points: 7)
• Notes – Sure 16 grams seems like a lot of fat, but only 1/3 of them are saturated…the other 11 grams are healthy unsaturated fats;  flank steak is a relatively lean cut of beef;  as mentioned above, I let the steak marinate longer than 30 minutes and then cooked it in a skillet on the stove and then under the broiler

Herbed Balsamic Chicken

I have to admit, I’ve been making this chicken for a while now.  I just haven’t found the time to take pictures of it and blog about it.  And I feel a little guilty because it is SO GOOD!  And easy.  It kind of reminds me of the chicken from La Madeline, which I love.

I first came across the recipe on one of my regular blog reads, The Bitten Word.  It’s a Bon Appetit recipe that they blogged about last July.  They top their chicken with blue cheese…but you know I used my chicken in a salad and sprinkled the blue cheese on top!  I’m all about yummy salads!

Here’s how the recipes goes…make the marinade and add it to the chicken.  Let it sit over night (or for less or more time, depending on your schedule).  Bake.  Done.

You probably have all the ingredients you need on hand.

Things I did differently to the original recipe were 1) swapping Italian seasoning for the Herbes de Provence,  2) adding garlic to the marinade (of course!),  3) baking instead of grilling, and 4) marinating for longer than 2 hours.

And if you choose to go the salad route too, I made a balsamic-Dijon vinaigrette…equal parts balsamic and olive oil, with a little Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.  Don’t use more than 2 tablespoons on a main course salad. 

The salad had romaine, radicchio, yellow bell pepper, shredded carrots, green onions, part of an avocado (1/2 of a small), blue cheese (less than 2 Tbsp)…it might have had some fruit in it too?  Diced apple or pear would be good!

 

Herbed Balsamic Chicken
adapted from The Bitten Word and originally from Bon Appetit

makes 6 servings*

Printable Recipe

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (5 to 6 ounces each)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence or Italian Seasoning**
1 3 ounce wedge blue cheese

Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or reusable container. Whisk vinegar, oil, , garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Add to chicken; seal bag/container. Chill 2 hours (or longer), turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange chicken on baking sheet or baking dish. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake chicken until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.  However, if you are using the blue cheese as in the original recipe, top each with slice of cheese straight out of the oven.

Per serving*** (1 5-6 ounce chicken breast) - 275 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated), 3 g carbohydrates, 42 g protein (exchanges: 2 fat, 7 protein; WW points: 6)

* The serving size is 1 5-6 ounce chicken breast, but I think that’s a lot of chicken to put on a salad…I stick with about 4 ounces, or about 3/4 of a breast

** I actually didn’t use Italian Seasoning either.  I used Zoe’s Kitchen seasoning that they sell in the restaurant…love it!

*** The nutrition info assumes that only about 1/2 of of the marinade gets absorbed and consumed.  If you omit the cheese, the nutrition info looks like this: 226 cals, 5 g fat (1 g sat), 2 g carbs, 39 g protein…1 fat and 6 1/2 protein…5 WW points

Indian Lentil Coconut Soup

Christmas Day has come and gone...are you as worn out as I am? My past week and a half has been a whirlwind of weddings, dinners, parties, decorating, gift wrapping, party planning, making lasagna for 100 plus people (it was delish I might add). So I am not surprised that when I woke up this morning I was a little under the weather!

I don't have much of an appetite (probably because I'm not feeling well...or maybe because I've eaten so much wonderful/rich/delicious food lately !?!). But soup sounded good to me, I love this recipe, I haven't blogged in FOREVER, and I haven't shared it with you yet...so here it is.

The soup freezes well and I'm heading to Orlando on Wednesday for the Capital One Bowl, so most of it went straight into the freezer...but the serving I had today really hit the spot. Feeling better already!

Indian Lentil Coconut Soup

adapted very liberally from Health.com

makes 16 1/2-cup servings

Printable Recipe

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

5 cups water

1 pound dried red lentils, washed and picked over

1 13.5 ounce can light coconut milk*

2 bay leaves

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute 5 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and other spices; cook until fragrant and spices coat onions. Add water, lentils, coconut milk, and bay leaves; stir to combine.

Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes or until lentils are soft. Add more water if soup becomes too thick.

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Per serving (1/2 cup) - 126 calories, 2 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 19 g carbohydrates, 9 g fiber, 8 g protein (exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 fat, 1 protein; WW points: 2)

* Coconut milk is usually found on the ethnic food isle...not by the alcohol (don't by cream of coconut, save that for pina coladas!)