Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Prosciutto & Fontina Cheese

Totally yummy.... 'Nuff said.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Prosciutto & Fontina Cheese
Serves: 4
Points: 5

Ingredients
4 (5-6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 (1/4 ounce) thin slices prosciutto or lean baked ham
8 large basil leaves
4 tbsp shredded fontina cheese
2 tsp olive oil

Instructions
1. To butterfly the chicken, place a chicken breast skinned side down, on a sheet of wax paper so that one long side faces you.  Starting at the thinner end of the breast, begin to cut the chicken lengthwise in half, cutting almost all the way through to the opposite end but still leaving some meat attached.  Open up the breast like a book, cover with another sheet of wax paper, and pound to 1/4-inch thickness with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy saucepan.  Repeat with the remaining chicken.

2. Sprinkle the chicken with the pepper.  Layer 1 slice of the prosciutto (tuck in the edges of the prosciutto if necessary to fit), 2 leaves of the basil and 1 tbsp of the fontina over one half of each breast, leaving a 1/2-inch border.  Fold  the remaining half of the ckicken over to cover the filling, pressing the edges to seal.

3.  Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, then add the chicken.  Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 4-5 minutes on each side.

Lemon-Garlic Roast Chicken

I have this WW cookbook called "Take-out Tonight!"  It has different take-out style recipes for different ethnic regions.  There are a ton of recipes in there that I want to try.  So this week, I am doing "take-out week" and cooking something from this cookbook each night. 

Last night, we had this Greek recipe and it was very good.  Easy, tasty and good for you too.  I served some green beans sauteed in olive oil along with the chicken & potatoes and we had a great meal.

Lemon-Garlic Roast Chicken
Serves: 4
Points: 6

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 skinless bone-in chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup water

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2) Combine the lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, oregano, marjoram, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper in a large bowl.  Add the chicken, tossing well to coat, and marinate 20 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the potatoes and toss well to coat.  Place a wire rack in the center of a large roasting pan.  Arrange the potatoes around the rack and roast 20 minutes.

4)  Remove the chicken from the marinade; reserve marinade.  Remove the pan from the oven, and place the chicken on the wire rack.  Add the water to the reserved marinade and pour over the chicken and potatoes.  Roast chicken and potatoes 20 minutes; baste with the pan juice (okay, here's the deal, I think my roasting pan was too big because all the "juices" evaporated.  So, I just used some fat-free chicken broth to baste with.).  Return the pan to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken registers at 170 degrees, about 15-20 minutes longer (it was about 15 for me).

Easy Slow Cooker Thai PB2 Chicken

PB2?  Are you wondering what PB2 is?  Well PB2 is the greatest invention EVER!  Its powdered peanut butter.  Yeah, you heard me, powdered peanut butter.  AND because its powdered, it is WAY less in points than even reduced fat peanut butter.  For example, 2 TBSP of reduced fat peanut butter is 4 points.  2 TBSP of PB2, reconstituted with 1 TBSP of water.... 1 point!  Yup, 1 point.  So, if you're interested, check out Bell Plantation because they are the folks who sell it.  Infact, I have to order some more today.

I found this recipe on their website.  I altered it slightly because I like a little more peanut butter flavor.  I ran it through the recipe builder on the WW website so I know the points are correct.

I served this over some cooked egg noodles.  It was a great substitution to the Thai Chicken Pasta that I like to get at the Cheesecake Factor, that's for sure!

Easy Slow Cooker Thai PB2 Chicken
Serves: 4
Points: 4 (if serving with egg noodles, be sure to add the points for that!)

Ingredients

2 lbs: Skinless, boneless, chicken breast
3/4 cup: Salsa
1/2 cup: PB2
1 tsp: Ginger (if fresh, minced)
2 Tbsp: reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp: Lime juice
2 tsp: Cornstarch (optional)
2 tsp: Minced garlic (optional)
To taste: Salt and pepper

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours.

Spanish Chicken & Rice

This was a really tasty dish.  I think that its almost the jumping off point for a paella.  Add a little shrimp, maybe a little sausage and boom, Paella!  My feeling was that it needed more spice.  The 1/8 tsp of chili powder wasn't enough in my eyes.  Next time I make it, I will make it 1/4 chili powder and see how that is.

Spanish Chicken & Rice
Serves: 4
Points: 6

Ingredients

1 medium garlic clove(s), crushed
2 medium onion(s), chopped
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
2 cup(s) water
14 1/2 oz canned tomatoes, whole, peeled and chopped  (I used a can of stewed tomatoes - with the juice - and just chopped them up in a bowl before putting them in the pan)
5 1/2 oz uncooked wild rice, long grain  (I bought the 6oz box and just didn't use the seasoning packet)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp chili powder, or to taste
1/2 medium sweet red pepper(s), chopped
1/2 medium green pepper(s), chopped
1/2 cup(s) celery, sliced
2/3 cup(s) frozen green peas

Instructions
 
1) Spray a large nonstick frying pan with cooking spray, heat, then brown garlic, onions and chicken.


2) Add water, tomatoes, rice, turmeric and chili powder. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

3) Add peppers and celery and simmer 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add peas and simmer until rice and peas are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust liquid if necessary.   I did have to add a little more water to get the rice just right.  But that might have been because I had it cooking at a higher "simmer".

Southern Oven Fried Chicken

I found this on someone's website (she is credited at the end of the recipe).  These chicken strips are perfect for a meal with some veggies & a potato (or bake some french fries up) or as an appetizer with some different dipping sauces (note: to make your own low calorie BBQ sauce, take a 12 oz can of diet coke and 1 cup of ketchup.  Put over medium heat and reduce until its the consistancy you'd like.  Very tasty!)

All nutritional information for this recipe was provided by the website's owner.

Southern Oven Fried Chicken
Serves: 8
Points: 3

Ingredients
1 Cup Corn flakes, crushed
1/3 Cup Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground Red Pepper
2 Egg Whites, slightly beaten
1/4 Cup Skim Milk
2 lbs. Skinless Chicken, cut into even strips

Instructions

1) Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl.
2) Mix egg whites and milk in small bowl.
3) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with butter flavored cooking spray.
4) Dip chicken into egg mixture and coat with corn flakes. Place on cookie sheet, and spray with more cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip pieces and spray with more cooking spray. Continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves: 8

Per Serving: 138 Calories; 1g Fat (8.2% calories from fat); 23g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 53mg Cholesterol; 380mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk. WWP: 3 (www.AimeesAdventures.com)

Italian Skillet Chicken

This recipe was also found in a WW cookbook ("Turnaround").  This was very tasty.  Add a cup of cooked whole wheat pasta (2 oz dry) to each serving and add 3 points per serving.  Basically, what I did was cook 8 oz dry of whole wheat pasta then tossed it all together when done and split into 4 servings.

Italian Skillet-Chicken
Serves: 4
Points: 3 (6 with the pasta as mentioned above)

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips
1 (14 1/2 oz can) crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1) Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-hig heat.  Add the onions, carrot and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Sausage and Spinach Couscous

I found this recipe in the WW "In One Pot" cookbook (one of my favorite WW cookbooks). It was very easy to make and very tasty.


Sausage & Spinach Couscous
Serves: 6
Points: 6

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil
1 pound Italian chicken sausage cut into 2-inch chunks (I used hot italian turkey sausage because that's what I could find)
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup jarred marinara sauce
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 cup plain couscous

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning often, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl.

2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the skillet. Cook, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, add about 1/4 cup water to the skillet while the vegetables are cooking.

3. Return the sausage to the skillet. Add the broth and marinara sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the sausage is cooked through, about 8 minutes longer. Stir in the spinach. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach just begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Stir in the couscous. Cover and remove from the heat. Let stand until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 5 minutes. Fluff the mixture lightly with a fork, just before serving.

Crockpot Cheesey Chicken Spaghetti

I have only made this once, and it was tasty but I don't think I really executed it properly. But, I will definitely be trying it again. I believe I got this off of a WW message board, however I there is something on my sheet that references Halfmysize.com (whatever that is... LOL)

Crockpot Cheesey Chicken Spaghetti
Serves: 12
Points: 6

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti, cooked
1 pound Light Velveeta Cheese
12.5 oz can chicken breast, drained and flaked
10 3/4 oz can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
10 3/4 oz can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup, undiluted
10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel - I don't think I was able to find these, so I kind of improvised.)
4 oz can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/2 cup water
1 small onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
salt & pepper to taste

1. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and stir to mix well

3. Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. Stir again just before serving.

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms
Serves: 4
Points: 3

Ingredients
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (4, 4 oz pieces)
2 cups mushrooms, small, halved
1/3 cup canned chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Instructions
1) In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp of oil

2) In a medium bowl, mix 2 Tbsp of vinegar, mustard and garlic. Add chicken and turn to coat.

3) Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. Saute chicken until cooked thru, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm.

4) Heat remaining tsp of oil in skillet. Saute mushrooms for 1 minute. Add broth, thyme and remaining Tbsp of vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until musrooms are deep brown, about 2 minutes longer.

5) Serve chicken topped with mushrooms.

Creamy Orzo with Chicken and Mushrooms

This dish is so creamy it reminds me of risotto but with not as much cooking hassle.

Creamy Orzo with Chicken and Mushrooms
Serves: 6
Points: 5

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, sliced (NOTE: I like to use baby bellas. They hold up better during the cooking process)
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk (NOTE: I actually use the fat-free Simply Smart and it works great)
4 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 1/2 cups cooked orzo (about 1 cup dry)
1 (10-oz) package carved roasted skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1) Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 4-5 minutes (I like to get a little carmelization going). Add the sherry and cook until it evaporates.

2) Combine the milk, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl until smooth. Add the milk mixture to the skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the orzo and chicken. Cook stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in parsley.

One serving is about 1 cup.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

This is a great easy meal to make on a weeknight. I found it on the back of the whole wheat Stove Top Box.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake
Serves: 4
Points: 8

Ingredients

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 pkg Whole Wheat Stove Top (for chicken)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup hot water
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp dried basil
1 cup part-skim mozzarella

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2) Place tomatoes with their liquid in a medium bowl, add stuffing mix, hot water and garlic. Stir until stuffing is moistened, set aside.

3) Place chicken in a glass 8x8 or 8x10 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheese and basil. Top with prepared stuffing mix.

4) Bake for 30 minutes until chicken is done.

Tequila-Jalepeno Chicken

This didn't wind up as spicy as I thought it was going to be but it had a really nice flavor to it. If you have an indoor grill pan, you can cook this year round.

Tequila-Jalepeno Chicken
Serves: 4
Points: 4

Ingredients

1/4 medium onion(s), white, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 fl oz tequila, about 2 tbsp
4 large garlic clove(s), minced
1 tsp unpacked brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp table salt
1 medium jalapeno pepper(s), seeded and diced
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4-oz pieces

Instructions

1) Purée onion through to pepper in a blender until smooth. Marinate chicken breasts for at least 1 hour. They can be marinated for several hours, if desired.

2) Heat grill. Pat excess marinade off chicken and grill until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

Food Finds!

Here are some things that I have come across that are great food finds. They are good substitutions for the real thing. Or just things that I like. These items are now staples in my home. As I find new items I will make additional posts. And remember, everyone's tastes are different. So, you may or may not like these items. These are just suggetions in case you're looking for something new to try.

1) Arnold Sandwich Thins (Multi-Grain) - These are so delicious and the perfect low point substitution for bread. Read more about them here.

2) Laughing Cow Cheese (Lite Soft Cheese Spread) - Each little wedge of cheese is a piece of low point cheesy heaven. Use them on bread or a low-point english muffin. Use them as a dip/spread for celery or carrots. Use them on crackers or even use them to make a fettucine alfredo sauce. Read more about them here.

3) PB2 - My god does this stuff RULE! This is a substitute for high pointed peanut butter! Even reduced-fat peanut butter is high in points. But this stuff, dehydrated peanuts, once rehydrated with water is only 1/4 of the points for the same amount serving as reduced-fat peanut butter. Check it out here. They have even come out with a chocolate/PB2 BLEND! Can't wait to try this out.

4) Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausage Patties - I loved Mc Donald's Sausage Mc Muffins (without the egg) and now I can make my own for WAY less points. You can use these along with a lite english muffin and a slice of 2% cheese. Or do what I do, use a sandwich thin. Either way, these little veggie sausages are very tasty and a good substitution for the real thing.

5) Morningstar Farms Buffalo Wings Veggie Wings - These are very tasty. They make a great sandwich with a slice of cheese, some lettuce and a sandwich thin. Definitely check them out!

Baked Chicken

Yeah, yeah, I know. Everyone thinks a diet or eating healthy always revolves around baking chicken and eating only that and veggies. Well let me tell you, this chicken dish is very easy to make and tasty to boot. Nothing says that every once-in-a-while you can't throw a couple of pieces of chicken into the oven along with some fresh herbs and have a great healthy meal. Pair this up with some couscous or brown rice and steamed green beans or broccoli and you will be full for the rest of the night!

Baked Chicken
From WW website
Serves: 4
Points: 3


Ingredients
1 sprays cooking spray
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz halves
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
2 tsp rosemary, fresh, chopped
2 tsp parsley, fresh, chopped
1/4 cup canned chicken broth
1/2 medium lemon(s), quartered (for garnish)

Instructions
1)Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a small, shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.

2) Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to prepared pan and drizzle with oil; sprinkle with lemon juice, rosemary and parsley. Pour broth around chicken to coat bottom of pan.

3) Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Garnish with fresh lemon and serve.