Curried Chicken on Toasted Pita

Lunches tend to me my hardest recipe of the day. I like to keep the meal small enough so that I can eat a bigger dinner (because I love feeling full in the evening), but at the same time I like to mix it up and eat something more than a ham and cheese sandwich on an orrowheat roll.

There are times I fall into shitty-lunch-slumps. But lately I've began meal planning my lunches as well as my dinners. My lunches typically use an ingredient from the dinner before, so if, for instance, I thawed out chicken and knew I was going to have too much chicken for dinner.. the chicken gets used for lunch the next day. Or if I cut a tomato, knowing I'll only be using half of it for dinner, that tomato is the basis for lunch the next day.

This dish was killer and was a keeper.
I have a confession about it actually.

I had made mine and I ate it.
I had enough to make a second one, so I made it for Matt. Unfortunately, before Matt could get there I had eaten half of it because I just couldn't stop munching on it. The incredibly crispy pita was definitely the way to do it.

Curried Chicken on Toasted Pita

Ingredients

1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed

3 sprigs cilantro, chopped

1/2 jalapeno, quartered

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

3 tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1/2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp curry powder

1 tbsp thinly sliced green onions

1/2 tbsp sliced toasted almonds

1/4 tsp salt

ground black pepper, to taste

2 pitas

Directions

1. Fill a pot with water. Add the lemon, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken and continue to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the chicken and place it on a plate. Once cool, cut chicken into small pieces.

2. Stir yogurt, mayonnaise, curry powder, green onions, almonds, cilantro, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Stir in the chicken.

3. Toast the pitas in the oven to your desired crispness. Put 1/2 the chicken on each pita.

CALORIES: 328 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 42 milligrams
FAT: 4 grams

Grilled Mozzarella "BST"

Rather than the beloved BLT sandwiches that are filled with bacon, lettuce, and tomato this sandwich features my favorite green: spinach.

When I was a little girl I hated spinach. I think part of this had to do with the fact that I really just loved potatoes and bread and would have preferred to eat starches over vegetables and secondly my mom used to buy this gross frozen spinach puree that I think looks like baby food. My brother was the lover of this spinach that made me want to hurl.

As I grew up I understood this as I just hated spinach period. Even when my mom would make dishes that involved fresh spinach, I was so repulsed at what I thought spinach was that I wouldn't even try it. It wasn't until I started cooking that I realized spinach was a lot more than some over processed frozen dish in the grocery store's freezer section.

In terms of my greens, I really don't like lettuce. I find it boring, flavorless, and I would just much rather eat something else. It also doesn't hurt that spinach is full of healthy ingredients to keep a girl strong and healthy (that girl being me of course).

Obviously this delicious sandwich will be submitted to Kahakai Kitchen's SOUPER (and sandwich and salad...) Sundays.

Grilled Mozzarella "BST"

Ingredients

6 slices bacon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups baby spinach

salt and pepper, to taste

1 dutch crunch roll, sliced and cut in half (to create 2 smaller rolls)

4 oz mozzarella

1/2 tomato, sliced

1/2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp (or cook in the microwave according to the directions on the package.) Set aside on paper towels to drain.

2. Keeping the oil from the bacon still in the pan, cook the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Arrange the spinach on the two bottom pieces of the roll. Top with bacon, mozzarella, and tomato.

4. Heat the oil in a skillet. Cook the sandwiches until golden brown on each side.

* serves 2

CALORIES: 402 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 38 milligrams
FAT: 22 grams
SODIUM: 611milligrams

BBQ Chicken Sandwich

My Friday lunch was delicious. I had chicken for dinner the night before and had just enough chicken left over to make this sandwich.

I originally was going to put it on a hamburger bun, but when I pulled the buns out they looked really small and also were getting kind of stale. I decided instead to cut one of the Dutch Crunch rolls in half, toast it, and use that instead. I have to say, I'm happy I didn't make it on the bun because I really love bread and I really love Dutch Crunch and I think if it was made on a hamburger bun it would have been far too messy.

This easily could have been a dinner and not just a lunch.
YUM YUM YUM - I'm definitely sharing this one with Kahakai Kitchen's Souper Sundays!

BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients

1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 tbsp Montgomery Inn barbecue sauce
2 tsp light ranch dressing
1/2 Dutch Crunch, toasted

1. Combine chicken, carrots, and barbecue sauce. Spread the ranch on the bread. Spoon the meat mixture onto the bread.

2. ENJOY!

Peanut Nugget Wrap

Since the doctor told me I need to watch my cholesterol, I've been eating more and more meatless dishes. This is hard for me, as I'm quite carnivorous. I absolutely love chicken, steak, and pork.

My doctor actually told me to completely cut red meat out of my diet and in terms of meat, to only eat chicken and turkey. This really is not practical for me. In the last year I have made tremendous strides and have lost 50 pounds. Those 50 pounds didn't just fall off without any work. Rather, I've had to change my lifestyle completely, really considering and watching what I eat and when I eat it. The thing is, I went into this weight loss goal knowing this wasn't going to be a temporary diet. I didn't want to do things faddish, I wanted to do it right. I wanted to make a life change for myself; a change that will continue to follow me.

In doing so, I knew I couldn't completely cut anything out of my diet. I want to be able to continue this forever, not set myself up for failure. Yeah, I could tell myself no chocolate and no ice cream for as long as I live, but would I do that? No.

The same is true about the cholesterol. I could tell myself that I would cut cheeses, eggs, and meats out of my diet almost completely, but I know I wouldn't actually do it. Instead I've just been watching the total amount of cholesterol intake a day. This does result in fewer meat based dishes. It doesn't totally limit me however to poultry.

My lunch today had no cholesterol in it. It was very filling and delicious. The only thing I would change is, I wish I had eaten it warm. Eating it cool wasn't bad by any means, but I had a piece of the nugget last night when it first came out of the oven and it tasted soo good warm.

My lunch today is being shared with Midnight Maniac's Meatless Mondays.

Peanut Nugget Wrap
from here

Ingredients
2 tbsp onion
2 tbsp green bell pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tbsp dry roasted peanuts
2 oz extra firm tofu, drained
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tbsp fresh cilantro
1/8 tsp sriacha
2 tbsp bread crumbs
1 handful shredded red cabbage
1 tortilla

Directions

1. In a food processor combine the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and peanuts. Don't pulsate too much, but leave coarse. Add in the tofu, peanut butter, and sriacha. Pulse more until well combined.

2. Form patties out of the tofu mixture. Coat in bread crumbs.

3. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 for 30 minutes total. After the first 15 minutes flip the patties over and cook for 15 more minutes.

4. On the tortilla place the shredded cabbage. On top of that place the tofu patties. Roll the wrap.

* serves 1

CALORIES: 451 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 0 milligrams
FAT: 23 grams
SODIUM: 912 milligrams