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

Thai Breaded Chicken Fillets

I haven't updated this in awhile. It isn't for a lack of cooking, because trust me, I have been cooking. But it's just a lack of free time mostly. I try to update in the evenings, but lately my evenings are filled with homework. Unfortunately, as this blog is so aptly named, my law work is important to me and has to take precedence over things that I just do for fun.

So I still am cooking, because that is a matter of survival... but updating is just going to be slow as I find time to do it.

This chicken recipe is delicious. I served the Thai chicken fillets with stir-fried mushrooms and corn and a cold noodle salad. I won't be sharing the noodle recipe though, because I didn't like it all that much. The chicken on the other hand will be making a home in my recipe box.

Thai Breaded Chicken Fillets

Ingredients

8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into nugget sized pieces

1 jalapeno, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 tsp grated lime zest

1/2 lime, juiced

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

1 3/4 tsp fish sauce

1/4 lemon grass stalk

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white sugar

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

3 tbsp bread crumbs

1/2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a food processor combine jalapeno, green onion, lime zest, lime juice, 1/2 of the cilantro, fish sauce, lemon grass, salt, sugar, and mustard. Blend until smooth. Place the chicken in a bowl with the blended sauce. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for an hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 350.

3. In a shall dish mix together the bread crumbs, cilantro, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the chicken from the marinade and roll in the bread crumbs, until evenly coated.

4. Place chicken in a greased pan. Rub a tiny bit of olive oil on top of the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes.

CALORIES: 151 calories

CHOLESTEROL: 60 milligrams
FAT: 2 grams

Spicy Chicken Spaghetti and Green Bean Casserole

Like the title indicates, this spaghetti definitely has a kick that most spaghetti's are missing. This spaghetti not only has an array of goodies hidden in the sauce, has chicken to add to the substance, but also has a spice that is really pleasant amongst the other flavors. I made this dinner one night and Matt's initial response was: I hate olives. Blarrgh.

But you know, when dinner was done he had eaten all his black olives, so I guess he didn't mind them too much. Then he asked if I'd make this recipe in the future. Maybe I broke his olive hatred?

Spicy Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper, to taste
24 oz spaghetti sauce with mushrooms
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 jalapenos, diced
1 10-oz can sliced black olives
2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
16-oz spaghetti noodles

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Once the oil is hot add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the juices run clear.

2. In a saucepan add the pasta sauce, tomatoes, red bell pepper, jalapenos, black olives, and corn. Bring to a boil. Once boiling season with garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper. Add the chicken and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.

4. Toss the pasta with the sauce.

CALORIES: 393 calories

CHOLESTEROL: 23 milligrams
FAT: 10 grams

The vegetable dish, the green bean casserole, is a classic. I mean, it's based on a classic. For Thanksgiving every

year my mom makes the classic green bean casserole, consisting of cream of mushroom soup to give the green beans an unhealthy cream delicious. When it comes to Thanksgiving I could eat green bean casserole and mashed potatoes and whatever dessert there was and be in heaven. Oh wait, and the stuffing, I need that too.

But Thanksgiving lacks something my body has been craving, which is the health factor.

This green bean casserole provides a great side dish either for a Thanksgiving meal or just a normal day (like today!) The cornstarch adds the creaminess to the dish without all the actual cream. I'm going to suggest my family go with the lower cal style green bean casserole for Thanksgiving this year.

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

2 cups frozen green beans
4 oz sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground mustard
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp Brummel&Brown
3/4 cup french fried onions

Directions

1. In a greased baking dish, combine the beans and mushrooms. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and mustard; gradually stir in the broth until smooth. Pour over vegetables. Dot with butter. Bake uncovered at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with onions and bake 5 minutes longer.

CALORIES: 235 calories

CHOLESTEROL: 0 milligrams
FAT: 13 grams

Lemon-Lime Chicken Broil with Bean Salad

Simplicity is sometimes key. There are certain flavors I associate with simplicity. The taste of lemon does this for me. It is clean tasting, fresh, and while a strong taste is not overpowering. It doesn't need much to make it special. Lemon is just pure goodness.

Lemon-Lime Chicken Broil

Ingredients

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips

Italian seasoning and salt to taste

Directions

1. In a small bowl mix together the lemon juice, lime juice, and olive oil. Place chicken pieces in the marinade and refrigerate for an hour.

2. Preheat the broiler of your oven. Fill the roasting pan with water.

3. Remove chicken from the marinade and arrange on the pan. Season with Italian seasoning and salt. Pour the marinade in a saucepan.

4. Broil the chicken for 10 minutes, basting often. Turn and broil for 10 more minutes.

* serves 2

CALORIES: 244 calories

CHOLESTEROL: 60 milligrams
FAT: 16 grams

Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 14-oz can black beans

1 14-oz can red kidney beans

1 14-oz can chickpeas

1 14-oz can pinto beans

1 10-oz bag frozen corn, thawed

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin

2 tbsb chili powder

1 tsp lime juice

1 8-oz jar salsa

1 pinch dried parlsey

Directions

1. Pour beans in a large colander and rinse under cold water.

2. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients. Stir well. Put in the refrigerator until ready to use.

* serves 8

CALORIES: 123 calories

CHOLESTEROL: 0 milligrams
FAT: 2 grams

Spicy Peanut Butter Chicken over Rice

I have all these old Cooking Light magazines that I pull out occasionally and make something out of. It's always hit or miss whether I'm going to find a dish I like in the magazines or not. This dish was a definite hit.

The Cooking Light recipes are so full of flavor without being full of fat and other bad stuff.

Check this recipe out on Cooking Light's website.

White Chili with Hot Dog Crescent Rolls

First for an announcement:

before my giveaway ends I need 6 more followers! if you want a chance to win the cookbook, COOK YOURSELF THIN, help me get more followers by promoting my journal and the giveaway. you can gain more entries by doing so; check it out here.

This white chili dish was not my own creation. I cannot claim the genius behind this dish. Actually, this chili comes from one of my favorite food bloggers: The Pioneer

Woman, Ree Drummond.

This white chili from The Pioneer Woman was incredibly tasty and incredibly filling. I really enjoyed the consistency of it, the ease in making it, and the flavors that exploded on my tongue.

I also made these hot dog crescent roll things, which I'm not going to share the recipe for... just wrap hot dogs in crescent rolls and bake, if you want to replicate them. My actual intention for the night was to make corn muffins with hot dog chunks in the middle. But unfortunately, when I opened my corn flour there were bugs all up in there. I've never had bugs in my food before, so I was less than pleased (luckily I had a tiny bit in another container for what was needed in the chili that didn't have the added protein.) I then opted to use a boxed mix for corn muffins that I so conveniently had in my pantry. But.. those little weevils made it into the factory sealed mix also. So I threw it all away, sat there confused for a minute on what else to cook, and then remembered I've had some crescent rolls in my refrigerator for awhile. I wrapped them around the hot dogs I had chopped up, baked them for about 12 minutes, and then served them with the chili. It was definitely a nice side.

Now, with that being said I'm not sharing Ms. Drummond's recipe. But if you want it, click that link above. I will however share my calorie calculation for the dish.

Chili Breakdown

CALORIES: 206 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 50 milligrams
FAT: 7 grams

Chicken Coconut Soup and Stir-Fried Mushrooms and Corn

YUM YUM YUM.

I just moved this weekend and while I made something the second night in the house, it was a repeat sandwich. Obviously it's a much loved sandwich if I am repeating recipes (actually, anything that gets posted on here will eventually be made again because I'm not posting my fails), but this was the first brand new, never tested recipe I ate in my new house.

The kitchen is already unpacked. It's the first room so far that is functioning. But I'm such a food lover. I love to eat. And I really don't like eating out all that often. So I really needed to get my kitchen functioning instead of digging through boxes every time I needed a spatula.

This first untested meal was absolutely delicious. Despite how hot it is outside, the soup was really refreshing, probably because of the coconut.

I apologize the picture isn't more appetizing and that I didn't spoon the soup into the bowl without getting it all up the sides. I am not the neatest person in the world. But forget the picture and make the soup. And the corn/mushrooms.

And of course, this soup recipe is going to be entered into Kahakai Kitchen's Souper Sunday!

Chicken Coconut Soup

Ingredients
1 14-oz can coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
6 quarter-size sliced ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1-inch chunks
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili paste

1. In a saucepan combine coconut milk, vegetable broth, ginger, and lemongrass. Bring to a boil.

2. Add chicken, mushrooms, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chili paste. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way.

3. Remove the lemongrass. Enjoy!

* serves 4

CALORIES: 208 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 63 milligrams
FAT: 8 grams
SODIUM: 629 milligrams

Stir-Fried Mushrooms and Corn

1 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
4 oz sliced mushrooms
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp flour
1 1/2 tbsp water

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Cook the garlic until browned, for about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the mushrooms and corn and cook until the corn is warm all the way through. Pour the fish sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce into the mushroom mixture.

2. Whisk the water and flour together until the flour has dissolved into the water. Pour into the mushroom mix and cook until the sauce has thickened.

* serves 2

CALORIES: 146 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 0 milligrams
FAT: 8 grams
SODIUM: 670 milligrams

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!

Olive "Pizza"

The only complaint of this recipe was it was a little too lemony.

It's not that I don't like lemons, but for what this was some of the acidic taste of the lemon was fine, but the amount that this recipe called for was overpowering.

This is a recipe from the June 2009 Cooking Light, with some variations made (though I should have varied the lemon as well.. too bad I didn't know beforehand!)

I have a shelf of cookbooks and old magazines full of recipes, though I don't actually have a subscription to any food magazine nor have I ever. I have contemplated it, but there's not always something I want to cook in a magazine and I worry that a subscription could end up not bringing me many new things I want to try. The magazines that I do have, I cook out of regularly. Most of them are Cooking Light. Because of this, I'll be submitting tonight's dinner to Cream Puffs in Venice's Magazine Mondays.

My picture tonight is hardly worthy. It doesn't really demonstrate at all what the meal looked like (besides that the "salad" was dismal). I was having lighting issues and the flash proceeded to white everything out, but despite what I did, I couldn't get it in enough light without the flash.. So I proceeded to blind the whole thing.

Oh well. I am not a photographer.

Olive "Pizza"

Ingredients

2 tbsp black olives
1 1/2 tbsp fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 tbsp drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove minced fresh garlic
1/2 tsp water
1 (8-oz) loaf Italian bread, split in half horizontally
1 cup cooked shredded chicken breast
3 tbsp feta cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Place bottom half of bread, cut side up, on a baking sheet (reserving the top half for another use). Spread olive mixture over bread. Arrange chicken over bread and sprinkle with cheese.

3. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Cut in half.

* serves 2

CALORIES: 239 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 48 milligrams
FAT: 4 grams
SODIUM: 732 milligrams

Chicken Tikka Masala and Sweet Potato Roti

I'm a sucker for everything Indian. It's definitely not the easiest cuisine to perfect. The flavors are different, they're strong, and they're not always easily available.

When I see a curry recipe (or any Indian recipe) I am always inclined to try it. Unfortunately the dumb boyfriend isn't excited about Indian food, but this is why I cook things I like, even when he's around. Tonight it didn't matter though.

During college I went to India with my mom for a 2 week excursion. In India (despite eating some of the tastiest food of my life) we participated in an event put on by WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts). The 2 week session involved planning and running a 4 day summer camp for some of the poorest children in India. These children all were the children of construction worker families. I learned so much in India, things I never could have learned from a textbook. I learned about the beauty of other cultures. I experienced true culture shock. I saw that things that I find normal are not normal everywhere and that some things that I find atrocious are not universally seen as such. I learned about the spirituality in India, learning about both the Hindu and Buddhist religions. I became even more aware of the caste system and saw more oppressed people than I've seen in my life. I befriended a beautiful little girl, Prema, despite us not speaking the same language. I learned how to communicate beyond words. I saw the biggest smiles on the faces of these children.

I miss it so much and I really wish I could go back, but I doubt I'll ever have that opportunity again.

When I eat Indian food though, it reminds me.

Chicken Tikka Masala
from here

Ingredients
2 tsp canola oil
1 small onion, minced
1 tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
4 oz fat free plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
16 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size chunks

Directions

1. Heat oil in a skillet. Add the onions and cook until golden. Add the garlic and ginger until fragrant.

2. Mix in the spices and cook for less than a minute.

3. Mix in the tomatoes, milk, and yogurt. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken. Simmer the sauce with the chicken for 15 minutes.

* serves 4

CALORIES: 226 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 60 milligrams
FAT: 4 grams
SODIUM: 437 milligrams

Sweet Potato Roti
from here

Ingredients
1 sweet potato
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Directions

1. Peel potato and cut into chunks. Place in a pot of water and cook until soft.

2. In a food processor pulse the sweet potato until mushy.

3. Mix the rest of the ingredients together to create a soft, pliable dough. If the dough is too dry add water. If it's too sticky add flour.

4. Pull the dough into small ping pong size balls. Flatten with your hands and roll thin with a rolling pin.

5. Cook in a skillet covered with Pam, butter, or oil until golden brown. Flip and repeat.

* makes 10 rotis

CALORIES: 115 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 0 milligrams
FAT: 0 grams
SODIUM: 5 milligrams

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I have lost an exorbitant amount of weight using the website myfitnesspal. On the forums I run a weekly challenge, revolving around a certain food choice. The winner of the challenge chooses the next challenge.

This week the challenge was bell peppers. Sometimes I like them, sometimes I don't. This was one of the occasions where I really really did. It was also one of the occasions where the boyfriend who never likes bell peppers liked them.

I'm not really sure what made it different this time, but they definitely were cooked enough to weird me out and the flavor of the Cajun spice definitely complimented the peppers.

That being said - this dish was super high in sodium like wow.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients
4 ounces pasta
4 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons Brummel&Brown yogurt spread
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup 1% milk
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta. Drain and set aside.

2. Place the chicken and Cajun seasoning in a ziplock bag. Shake to cover.

3. In a large skillet sautee the chicken in the yogurt spread for about 5-7 minutes.

4. Add the peppers, mushrooms, and green onion. Saute 3 minutes. Reduce heat.

5. Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Heat through.

6. Add the cooked linguine, toss and heat through. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

* serves 2

CALORIES: 460 calories
CARBS: 63 grams
PROTEIN: 29 grams
SODIUM: 1383 milligrams

Cantonese Chicken Bok Choy Stir Fry

Dinner tonight didn't look particularly pretty and for some reason it came out a whole lot more liquidy than it should have. BUT, the flavor of the dish was excellent.

Today was my first day at my summer internship at a public defender's office. I was a little unsure about how cooking was going to go after working all day, but it went well. I'm eating an hour later than I would if I weren't working, but at least I'm not eating fast food... Like I did when I last had a job. And got really fat.

Tonight's dinner recipe comes from Food Network Magazine's December 2010 edition.

Cantonese Chicken Bok Choy Stir Fry

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup oyster sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 thin slices peeled ginger
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
10 oz sliced mushrooms
12 oz bok choy, cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp sesame oil

Directions
1. Toss the chicken with the oyster sauce and set aside. Mix the cornstarch with 3 tbsp water in another bowl and also set aside.

2. Heat a skillet over high heat. Add the oil, then add the green onions, ginger, and garlic. Stir fry for 20 seconds. Add the chicken mixture and stir fry until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the mushrooms and bok choy and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Add the broth and sesame oil and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Serve over rice.

* serves 4

Nutrition (without rice):
CALORIES: 303 calories
CARBS: 12 grams
PROTEIN: 38 grams
SODIUM: 415 milligrams

Chicken Empanadas

Not everything I cook is for dinner, obviously. A few days ago my boyfriend asked me if I'd make some sort of finger food for his English class's potluck today. Sometimes having a boyfriend is like having a child; I am just envisioning my future of baking for bake sales and the like. But since I enjoy cooking I agreed. The empanadas were kind of time consuming and perhaps not the best thing to make when I'm trying to study, but I would definitely make these in the future because they are so yum. I followed a Paula Deen recipe (that didn't involve any butter) and just found the process to be so simple (but like I said, consuming - I did make 40 empanadas that all have to be hand-stuffed). I would definitely try to make a dessert empanada in the future. Or an Italian empanada. Ohhh or an Indian empanada stuffed with curry. I mean, it would just work with anything.

Studying is kind going okay. I got enough done today to pat myself on the back. I'm going out to get sushi tonight and when I get home it will be back to studying.

Chicken Empanadas

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked chicken, diced
8-oz Mexican mix shredded cheese
4-oz 1/3 less cream cheese
1/8 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded, deveined, and diced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 15-oz packages pie crusts
Water

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients except for the pie crust in a large bowl. Mix with your hands.

2. Roll out one of the pie crusts on a clean, lightly-floured surface. Cut out circles in the dough using a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Roll the dough out flat to make the best use of the dough. I got 10 rounds per pie crust.

3. After your dough rounds are cut out, with your fingers dipped in water, run your fingers around the edge of a round. Place about 1 tsp of mixture (it might need more than) in the middle of a round. Fold the dough in half and press softly shut with your fingers. With a fork, press the edges closed to seal.

4. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Let cool before eating.

* makes 40 empanadas

CALORIES: 117 calories
CARBS: 11 grams
PROTEIN: 4 grams
SODIUM: 223 milligrams