Chicken Marsala

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. flour
salt & pepper
3 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. dry marsala wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. fresh-grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Flatten chicken with mallet.

In shallow dish, combine flour, salt & pepper. Dredge chicken pieces until well-coated, shaking off excess flour.

In saute pan over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil. Add chicken & brown well, turning often to prevent sticking, for approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

Add marsala wine and chicken broth. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 min (or until chicken is cooked through). Sprinkle w/cheese and cover until melted.

Remove chicken. Pour lemon juice into pan and whisk pan juices and browned bits together. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve immediately

I served this with wild rice but pasta would work as well. I also added mushrooms. Very easy recipe...not low in fat though, less butter could be added and it would still be great!

Barbecue Homestyle Ribs

These are super Yummy. I usually don't had the liquid smoke.

2 lbs country style pork ribs, bone-in or boneless

1 lg. bottle of catsup

1 c. brown sugar

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

3 T. White Vinegar

3-5 drops liquid smoke

**To use sauce with chicken, add 1/2 cup cooking oil.

Combine catsup, oil (if using chicken), sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and liquid smoke - mix well. Set aside. Warm a small amount of oil in a frying pan and heat over medium-high. Brown the outsides of the meat on all sides and salt and pepper to your liking. You can add garlic or other seasonings you like here to spice things up. :) Place the meat in a covered cooking pan (a 9x13 covered with foil works fine), pour the sauce over the meat and cover well. Bake at 375 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours -- more time, more tender. Serve warm. Ladle sauce over the served meat.

Pizza Dough & Sauce

Dough:
1 pk. dry yeast
1 c. warm water (~110*)
2 c. flour (I use half whole wheat half white)
2 T. EVOO
1 t. salt
2 t. white sugar

Let yeast dissolve in 1 c. warm water for approximately 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Let rise until it has doubled in size. (When i'm in a hurry i preheat the oven to the lowest temperature, turn in off, and then let the dough rise in the warm oven. It takes a lot less time this way).

Cooking temp. depends on if you are using a stone or not. I cook for about 20 minutes at 375* on a cookie sheet/pizza pan....or until cheese in bubbly.

Sauce:
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 t. oregano
1 t. basil
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1 t. paprika
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 t. vinegar

(if you'd like it thinner add a little water...i usually add a bit more of each of these seasonings. This sauce is delicious!)

What'd you have for dinner tonight?

Here's what we had and it was YUM-O. Kenny doesn't like blue cheese so we used Parmesan and Pepper jack...but I think blue would be better.

Cobb Pasta Toss

Ingredients
* 3 pints grape or cherry tomatoes
* 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 6 slices bacon
* 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
* 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
* 2 avocados, pitted and diced
* 1 lemon
* 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
* A few dashes of hot sauce
* 4-5 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
* 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
* 1/4 cup fresh basil (about a handful), chopped
* 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley (about a handful), chopped

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat to boil.

Scatter the tomatoes onto a baking sheet and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons EVOO and some salt and pepper. Toss lightly to coat and roast the tomatoes in the hot oven until they burst open and are tender, about 12-15 minutes.

Place the bacon on a broiler pan and transfer to the oven along with the tomatoes. Cook until crispy, about 15 minutes.

While the tomatoes and bacon are in the oven, drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook to al dente, according to package directions. When the pasta is ready, reserve a large mug of the starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot it was cooked in.

While the pasta is cooking, season the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large skillet with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, then add the chicken and sauté until golden brown and cooked through, about 6 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, scoop the avocado flesh into a small bowl and squeeze the juice of the lemon over it, tossing to coat.

When the chicken is finished cooking, add the garlic to the pan, cook for 1 minute, then sprinkle in a few dashes of hot sauce and toss to coat.

In a large serving bowl, mash the cooked tomatoes together with the scallions, then add the reserved pasta water and pasta.

Top the pasta and tomatoes with the chicken, then crumble the cooked bacon over it and toss with the avocado, blue cheese, basil and parsley.

What'd you have for dinner tonight?

Plethora of Great Recipes!

(Sorry for the boring picture, this plate needs some parsley or something!The sides are cooked carrots and couscous by the way.)
This chicken is not necessarily the healthiest but it is very good and maybe something new to do with chicken breasts.

Pound out the chicken breast until it is as thin as you can get it without creating holes. Put a thin layer of sour cream (or tick layer if your a sour cream lover) over flattened chicken breast and add some grated cheddar cheese. Roll chicken breast (use a tooth pick if you need to). Dip in butter then bread crumbs and brown on each side. Then bake in oven at 350 for about 30 minutes.



Our Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients

* 1 small (golf-ball sized) onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
* 1 lemon, scrubbed clean
* 12 fresh sage leaves
* Large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup, from 12 stems)
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling pan
* 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
* 6 fresh bay leaves
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 2 boneless turkey breast halves, skin on (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds each)
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup apple or regular brandy (recommended: Calvados)
* 2 to 3 cups apple cider
* Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.

Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.

Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan, and slide 2 bay leaves underneath each one. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast.) Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.

Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy, and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.

This turned out really good. I was not able to find a boneless turkey breast with skin so I got a turkey breast with bone with skin. It ended up taking about 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer then it said to cook it so we had our Thanksgiving meal sans turkey. It was great leftover with sandwiches though and for homemade turkey noodle soup. Lesson learned...use a meat thermometer.


Green Chicken Chili Soup (from Alta Vista Ward cookbook)

8 c. chicken broth
1 onion, finely chopped
8 portions chicken breast (about 2 lbs)
2 pkg. Knorr roasted chicken gravy mix
3 (7 oz.) cans mild diced green chilies
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. fresh cilantro chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 (28 oz.) can white hominy, drained
flour tortillas
1 tomato, diced
sour cream

In a large pot, combine chicken broth, onion, and chicken breast. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from the broth and set aside to cool. Use a whisk to blend gravy mix into the broth. Add chilies, garlic, cilantro, cumin, jalapenos, and hominy. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low. Shred the cooked chicken by pulling it apart with two forks; add it back into the broth. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes. To top it off, add a dab of sour cream and a spoonful of diced tomatoes to each bowl before serving. Use the tortillas to dip into the soup.

(My personal touches...I only add about half of the garlic and onion to this one, just depends how strong you like things. I have tried using other gravy besides Knorr's brand and it definetely wasn't as good, stick with Knorr's. We also like to use a white bean instead of hominy. And lastly, (this is probably not the low cal option but good) I cut the tortillas and fry them to have little tortillas strips on top.)


Cheesecake Factory Santa Fe Salad (from Lindsey Futrell)

(this serves 40 by the way!!)
2 heads iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 bunch red leaf lettuce, washed and broken
2 bunches green onions, sliced halfway up green
3 bunches cilantro, wahsed, stems removed
3 c. grated mexican cheese mix
2 red peppers diced
2 green peppers diced
6 ears fresh corn, boiled and sliced from ear
2 large cans black beans
8 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 small can diced green chilies (or jalapenos)
8 chicken breasts, grilled and diced
6 flour tortillas, lightly fried and cut in small strips for garnish

Dressing:
mis 1 1/2 bottles Brianna's Santa Fe dressing with 1/2 cup southwestern ranch and 1/2 cup guacomole type dressing.
(Pampered Chef has a chipotle rub that makes a delecious ranch that is so good on taco salad and would be really good on this as well).


Only read the following if you can cook without specific measurements
Fruit Salad
Whipped cream (lightly whipped...maybe 1 c?
spoonful of orange juice concentrate
vanilla pudding mix (depending on how much fruit salad you are making you may want the whole thing or you may only want half)
and a little milk...maybe 1/2 c?

Ok, next time I make it I will try to see how much of what I put in, but for now, just try to wing it, that's what I do and it always turns out good! :) This is the best fruit salad I have ever had, I love it! For Thanksgiving we made this and put in apples, bannanas, pomagranit seeds, grapes, mandrin oranges, pinapple, and mini marshmellows. Berries are supper good in this too, just out of season.

Slacker!

Ok so I've been majorly slacking but I will be back on the ball later this week with some great recipes I've been trying lately!

For those of you participating in the sugar contest how are ya doing?? If you want, I will keep track of your points for you. Just leave them in a comment or e-mail me and megs522@yahoo.com. You can just let me know every Sunday if you want.

If you aren't participating...it's definitely not too late to start. It was easier this week then I thought. Yesterday was my sugar day which I had originally decided to go crazy! I didn't and only had a little ice cream. After the instant head ache and not as much satisfaction as I thought I'm not sure if it was even worth it.

Just if you're interested...A while ago I started drinking apple cider vinegar everyday (for a number of reasons). It has helped my complexion immensely. But besides that I noticed something this week. There was one day I forgot to take it and that day I craved sugar really bad all day...it was all I could think about. I don't know if this is something it actually helped with or not, but it seemed to this last week.

So, I noticed I must eat a lot of snacks with sugar because this week I felt like I never had any snacks to eat and would end up just going hungry until my next meal. So what kind of good snacks do you people eat!?!? Please share in comments...I love healthy ideas. One thing I ate this week that totally curved the sweet tooth was a pomegranate. Tons of anti oxidants and so dang delicious (just don't wear white while eating!). Also peanut butter on graham crackers (yes there's a little sugar but not enough for me to count it as sugar) is like a homemade nutter butter...yum!

My gut...in case you are wondering about it :). That bloated gut that I swear women are cursed with shrank this week I am happy to say. It is amazing what one small change can make. I really felt like I had a flatter stomach and I have not changed anything else. So hopefully this is motivation for some of you out there.

Curve the Crave with a Stick of Gum!

So if you are like me...you like to end a meal with something sweet. Not too conducive with not eating sugar. Keep a pack of fun flavored sugar free gum in your purse to quench the need for sugar after you eat.

Baby food & pancakes

Ok, so how is everyone doing not eating sugar? It's not too late to join in if you haven't already. (Rules to the right) I hope we have a lot of participants out there. Last night I so did not feel like cooking and needed to work, so Kenny made pancakes for us for dinner last night. I decided to just have butter on them until I was feeding Bennett his homemade baby food (pureed peaches)and decided to try some baby food as a little topper. It was excellent. Anytime you are cravin' something sweet substitute with fruit!

Contest!!

Ok people here it is. I read on one website that the average weight gain during the holidays is 7 lbs!! Whether that's true or not this will help us eat a little better and stay a little slimmer through this year's holidays. If you would like to participate in the sugar contest here are the rules. There will be a prize for the winner in January.

When: Starting Monday October 20th-December 31

This contest will be on a points system, hopefully it is easy to track. In each week you are allowed 1 cheat day where you can eat as much junk as you want. Hopefully though you will notice the difference and after 1-2 times of complete indulgence you will find just a little bite is better.

For each successful week - 10 points (this includes your cheat day)

Any additional day of cheating - minus 1 point

And that's it, whoever has the most points in at the end of December wins!

Another Great One!

I have put this recipe on my other blog, but it has been improved so I thought I would post it again. This is CPK's Chipotle Chicken Pizza. Below is the actual recipe, here is how I make it:

(this makes 4 personal size pizza)
Cut up 5 chicken tenders and coat with chipotle sauce (you can just buy this in a can either with the mexican food or near the tomatoes). Brown Chicken. I use whole wheat pitas for convenience but any pizza dough is fine.
Put chipotle sauce on pittas (this stuff is spicy so beware of putting too much), then layer with mozzarella cheese and chicken. Drizzle with cilentro sauce (recipe on website) and bake until cheese is bubbley.
Roast in a pan 1 can of drained corn (thawed corn from the freezer will work as well) and 1/2 red pepper. Then add 1 can drained black beans and 1 sm. can of chilis. Top this mixture on pizza and drizzle again with cilantro sauce.

http://www.woai.com/entertainment/story.aspx?content_id=feb89a19-e7df-404c-b387-7a98b92c94bb

Cookin Veggies

Most of you probably know this, but since this month is all about Vegetables, I thought I would just put a little reminder.

Obviously you will receive the most nutrients by eating vegetables raw, but where many vegetables are a little tastier cooked the best way to do that is by steaming them. Broiling is also a good way to cook them. When you boil veggies you will loose many of their nutrients in the water, so unless you plan to drink the water you won't receive their full benefit.

My 2 cents: don't use the microwave when cooking vegetables. Besides whatever weird things it does on a molecular level it zaps nutrients. These bags...
although convenient, do nothing for your food.

Lastly, if you need to add a fat to your veggies opt for olive oil. If you are a calorie counter I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray may be another good option.

Tortellini Tomato Spinach Soup

I made this a while ago and it was excellent! I love when it starts to get a little cooler and it's time for soups! For some extra nutrients you could also add zucchini or squash (add towards the end just before spinach, they should cook up fairly fast), or carrots (add with broth).

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 cup minced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 4 to 6 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
* 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed through your fingers or coarsely chopped
* 1 (9-ounce) package fresh tortellini or 4 servings dried tortellini
* Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper
* 10 ounces fresh or frozen spinach, defrosted and chopped
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, very loosely packed

Directions

In a 3-quart soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring often until onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes, turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions. When tortellini is almost done, add spinach and taste, adjusting seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

Twist on Steak & Potatoes

We had the broccoli puree recipe tonight with steak...it was so good. I think this is my new favorite way to eat broccoli!

I made the stuffed zucchini and peppers tonight (recipe below). They were delicious!

Sugar Contest!

Ok, Halloween is approaching. What better time to start our little sugar contest. I will be posting the rules later this week (once I decide what exactly those rules are). As I said before, it won't be complete abstinence. Small indulgences will be allowed. It will all be on a points system. So tell your family and friends to check the blog later this week for the rules, the more participants the better.
I also decided there will be a small prize involved for the person with the most points. Besides being featured on A Lemon A Day!

More Recipes!

I can't take credit for this one, I got it off of Food Network's Everyday Italian. I have yet to try these but they looked so delicious I couldn't wait to post them until after I tried them. Here are two recipes we will be eating at the Lee residence next week.

Stuffed Zucchini & Bell Peppers

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 small onion, grated
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
* 1 large egg
* 3 tablespoons ketchup
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
* 1/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs
* 1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
* 2 zucchini, ends removed, halved lengthwise and crosswise
* 1 short orange bell pepper, halved and seeded
* 1 short red bell pepper, halved and seeded
* 1 short yellow bell pepper, halved and seeded
* 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly drizzle the olive oil into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Whisk the onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the turkey. Cover and refrigerate the turkey mixture.

Using a melon baller or spoon, carefully scrape out the seeds and inner flesh from the zucchini, leaving 1/8-inch-thick shells. Be careful not to pierce through the skin. Fill the zucchini and pepper halves with the turkey mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the baking dish. Pour the marinara sauce over the stuffed vegetables.

Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown and a thermometer inserted into the filling registers 165 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Transfer the stuffed vegetables to a platter and serve.

Broccoli Puree

Ingredients

* 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
* 1 pound broccoli florets
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 4 ounces cream cheese
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Fill a large pot with enough water to come 2 inches up the sides of the pot. Set a steamer rack in the pot, cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the potato chunks and cook until they are very tender, about 18 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl and mash until smooth.

Place broccoli into steamer rack and steam over medium heat until the broccoli is very tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to the bowl of a food processor. Add the broth, cream cheese, and Parmesan. Process until the broccoli is pureed and almost smooth.

Stir the broccoli puree into the mashed potato and blend well. Season the puree to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Are you getting enough?

Are you getting your 3-5 servings of veggies a day???
For anyone who doesn't know, a serving of vegetables is:

3/4 cup (6 ounces) of 100% fruit or vegetable juice
1 cup of leafy vegetables - 1 cup of vegetables is about the size of a baseball or about 4 leaves of lettuce
1/2 cup of cooked or raw vegetables
1 medium potato
five broccoli florets
ten baby carrots
1 roma tomato
1 ear of corn
4 slices of onion

Don't wait until dinner time to get all your serving in. Add some to breakfast with an omelet or breakfast burrito, some to lunch in a salad or sandwich, and of course snacks!! Also, I always find I eat a ton more vegetables if I prepare them right when I get home from the grocery store so they are ready to grab at my convenience.

I am a sucker for dipping my veggies. But have you ever read the labels on some of those ranch dips?!? Two of my favorite (and healthy) dips are hummus and a cottage cheese dip. I haven't met a vegetable yet that wasn't sooo good smothered in either of these. And both are guilt free! Sometimes I will just dip into plain cottage cheese, other times I'll add a little salt and pepper or Italian seasoning mix to it. But the best cottage cheese dip is:

carton of cottage cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
about a tablespoon of grated yellow onion (depends how strong you like it)
and salt and pepper

Carrots and celery aren't the only good dippers either. Cucumbers, peppers, sugar snap pees, broccoli, radishes, cauliflower, and even zucchini are all easy to keep in the fridge and eat as snacks throughout the day.

What'd you think?

Ok, so I am going to have a theme each month but I would love input! So, as you will notice you can vote for Novembers theme so don't forget to do that.


(click on this box if you want to see a creepy sweet tooth picture, haha)

Also, for all of you sweet tooth's out there (myself included), I was thinking about having a sugar contest from now until the end of the year. No, this is not how much sugar you can eat but how little. It will all be on a points system so you will be able to have homemade root beer on Halloween, and pumpkin pie on thanksgiving if you choose. The person with the most points will be featured in January on yours truly, A Lemon A Day!! I know I know, who could ask for more! But let's all get into good habits before the New Year and this year we won't need our weight loss/eat healthier/get in shape goals come January 1st. So to your right you will notice you can vote on that as well!

Lastly, anyone and everyone feel free to e-mail me healthy recipes that have to do with the months theme at meganwlee@gmail.com. I will do my best to post them all cuz who doesn't love a new delicious recipe!