Recipe Round-up: Chicken, Jack Cheese and Tomato on Garlic Bread

Ok people, prepare yourselves for a little piece of heaven. Low cal or NOT. Boy howdy is this good- Read directions ahead so if you want to make any of the same changes we did you can.

Chicken, Jack Cheese, and Tomato on Garlic Bread
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.
Makes: 4 Servings


3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each) (We just butterflied it)
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 baguette (8 oz.) halved lengthwise (Not to be confused with french bread!)
1 clove garlic (We used minced)
4 tsp. Dijon mustard
4 slices reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese (about 3 oz.) (We used a Mexican Fiesta shredded mix since it was the only one that was reduced fat with Jack cheese in it)
1 large tomato, cut into 8 slices
8 fresh basil leaves (We just used dry and sprinkled it on)
Our other additions:
Coriander
Garlic powder
 

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Toss the chicken with the oil, salt, pepper, coriander, garlic powder. Coat a nonstick grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until cooked through but still juicy (We just threw it on the grill- Adds a fantastic flavor!). At this point the recipe says to thinly slice the cooked chicken- We didn't, it seems kind of dumb to if you butterfly the chicken before cooking. It's the perfect size this way. 
3. Meanwhile, place the baguette on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until toasted. Let cool slightly, then rub the cut sides of the bread with the garlic clove. Spread with the mustard. Arrange the cheese over the bottom half of the baguette and return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven and top with tomato, basil, sliced chicken, and the top half of the bread. Cut crosswise into 4 sandwiches.

Serve with salad made with romaine lettuce, chopped tomato, and 70 calories worth of dressing- See your dressing bottle for serving size.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:
Serving size- 1 sandwich
Calories: 330
Total fat: 8 g
Saturated fat: 3.5 g
Sodium: 860 mg
Carbs: 35 g
Dietary fiber: 1 g
Protein: 28 g
Calcium: 15%

Recipe Round-Up: Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry

Adapted from: Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry

This fun favorite is just as good as Chinese food from a restaurant, we think. And it's nice because it's something the tots can help with in coating the meat in the bag. They can shake it ALL up! Then you can sing, "Shake it, don't break it...took your momma 9-months to make it..." No? Ok. You don't have to.

But the only difference is that we use brown rice instead of white. We've really been enjoying this new switch. I just get the cheap Wal-Mart brand brown rice is the 1 lb. bags. We either use that or calrose (sticky) rice. I'm not crazy about just straight up white rice anymore...

This is also great to prep-ahead because you can just chop everything ahead, prep the meat ahead, and then when dinner time rolls around you can just throw it all in the hot wok or pan. Another tip is that you can also use frozen steamer broccoli florets if you want, but fresh generally does better.

Hope you enjoy!

Recipe Round-Up: Chicken, Black Bean, and Corn Salad with Chipotle Mayo.

Let me just tell you right off, this stuff is SOOOO good! It's pretty easy to throw together if you have some left over chicken, but if not it's easy enough but you just have to take into account the time necessary to cook a chicken breast.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound or 1 can (15 1/2 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 C. cooked corn (I just use a back of the BirdsEye Steamfresh bags of frozen corn, but a canned corn also works well)
2 pounds grilled chicken breasts, cubed (I just thaw and cook 2 breasts- I suggests seasoning prior to cooking for added flavor. Nothing special, a little salt, a little pepper, a little garlic powder...)
1/4 c. minced cilantro sprigs, washed well and dried
1/4 c. minced bottled roasted red pepper or pimento (I'm not a huge pimento fan, and don't particularly love the bottled stuff, so I'll just roast a red pepper over my burner until it starts to sweat and look roasted with black blisters all over the skin. Or you can even just chop one in half and throw it on your George Forman with the chicken)
1/2 c. plain yogurt (don't be scared, you won't taste it- It's mostly for consistency)
1/2 c. chipotle mayo*
3 avocados, halved and pitted (then I chop them into small cubes)

*Chipotle Mayo:
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (just one pepper, not one can)
1/2 tsp. adobo sauce from the can
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
1 cup. mayo (I use light mayo)

(NOTE!: This makes way more than the recipe calls for, but is a fantastic condiment to keep around for wraps, spice up some sandwiches, or throw on some pasta if you're feeling brave-)

HOW TO:
In a large bowl, toss together the black beans, corn, chicken, cilantro, and red pepper. Set aside.
In a smaller bowl, mix your yogurt and 1/2 c. of chipotle mayo and stir sauce into chicken mixture until well combined. Add avocado pieces and gently mix into the salad.


If you want you can cover and chill for 1 hr. for flavors to develop. But it tastes good fresh too.


We then serve it in bowls with white corn (Santitas is the only way to go) tortilla chips for spoons. Adds that touch of salt and crunch. Or if you want to have some fun communal eating, just leave it in the big bowl and share it fondue style!


ENJOY!!
{We always fight over the leftovers the next day, so I'm just sayin'...plan ahead. Have a secret spot ready in the fridge. This is your fair warning...}