Rosemary-Lemon Roasted Chicken with Fresh Harvest Salad

I think roasted chicken is one of my favorite meals to make. It is so easy, and absolutely gorgeous when it comes out of the oven all golden brown. I'm sure I've said this before, but I love pretty food!

This is a great fall recipe. So fresh with all the vegetables, and the rosemary gives the chicken a whole other dimension of flavor. Rosemary and lemon is such a great combo. Make this on a cold fall night and your family will love you forever. Make the salad first so it has time to chill while the chicken is cooking. Then as the chicken cooks, you can make whatever dessert you want, or sit down with a glass of beer and your loved ones. :)

It has been a while since I last posted, but I have had a tough last couple of months. On top of my husband leaving for training in another state, I have had been dealing with an anxiety disorder. I have been having panic attacks since high school, but they were years apart. For some reason starting in October I have had multiple attacks and severe anxiety on random days; usually for no reason. Now, I am learning how to keep myself calm in stressful situations. Yoga and chamomile tea have become staples in my daily life and I am realizing that cooking is also relaxing to me. So, luckily for me, one of my favorite things to do in life also helps keeps me relaxed. 

With my favorite season upon us, I will definitely be "relaxing" with tons of fall flavors and dishes. :)

Fajita Bowl (can be vegetarian or not!!)

I am so excited for fall to start! The changing colors and brisk mornings. September to December has always been my favorite time of year. Not only for the weather, but for the food. The pumpkins, squash, and spices that come out around this time makes everything better. Just writing about it makes me ready to start pulling out my fall decoration and make my own pumpkin puree. Well, with only a couple weeks until the official first day of fall I can start planning! I might even do it a few days early. :)

This fajita bowl is a quick and flavorful way to curb any Mexican craving you may be having. I was on a huge craving at the time, but I didn't want to go out and eat a plate full of greasy rice and beans. So, I found this recipe. Low in calories and full of nutrition. The avocados have the good fats, the beans give out extra protein, and of course your daily serving of veggies. If you are not a meat eater, you can substitute large portabella mushrooms for the chicken. So no matter what your eating style is, or if you are on a specific diet, this recipe would be great for you!

Open Faced Enchilada Veggie Quesadillas

Well, I have decided to go back to calorie counting. When I lost weight a few years ago that was one of the ways I was able to stay on track. Ever since we have moved here to Colorado, I have been slacking on my eating and exercise habits. I will still exercise now and then, but a routine would never stick. So I have decided to try something I know helped me in the past. Honestly, even after a few days of counting I do feel loads better! There really isn't anything bad about calorie counting, but my big sweet tooth has to be tamed that is for sure. I have to find different ways to curb my sweet cravings. Small pieces of chocolate, a bite of a lemon bar, fruit...etc. If you are thinking about calorie counting it does take a lot of will power and a good workout routine. Start out with an easy daily goal and then work down from there. Then add in whatever workout you did for that day and you will be able to eat a little more too. 

Enough about my crazy self! On to delicious food!!

Lemon-Pistachio Chicken

I really enjoy productive days off. Today I checked a few things off my list, as well as a few others that I wasn't expecting. Good thing I did everything early and now I can relax for the rest of the day. Pretty sure I'm going to cut this post short so I can go have a beer and wait for dinner to cook itself in the crock pot (to be posted soon).
:)

This recipe is great as a light lemony dinner. If you love lemon, and I mean LOVE, then you will enjoy this. It's very "airy" and summery. When it starts getting warm outside I promise to make this again, because this is definitely for one of those nights where it still above 90 and you just want to cool off. Yum!

Hominy & Jalapeno Chicken Soup

When it's below 10 outside you know it's time for some soup. Especially if you plan on staying inside to watch the 2014 Winter Olympics. Every night we just turned on whatever event is playing. The event we like the most is curling. Unfortunately it seems to be the only event that plays in the middle of the night where we live. As long as we wake up at 3 am we can watch it. Probably won't happen as much as we want. :) 

This is a fantastic flavorful Mexican style soup. It's great because you can really dial the spice up or down, depending on how you like it. The original recipe called for the peppers to be seeded, but I know in this household we want to be breathing fire! So I decided to leave in the seeds, as well as adding a little more chili powder. For us it still wasn't as spicy as we like, so my husband ended up adding a little hot sauce to his third helping. Pretty sure after his third bowl I knew this dish got a double thumbs up. Along with being tasteful, this recipe was also very easy. It requires time, but most of that time doesn't require any action. So if you want a simple but exotic dish, here you go! 

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

Spring is here, but you wouldn't know it by the weather we have been having here in Colorado Springs. Snow one day, then it melts the next, two days later it's back. I'm so ready for warmer weather.  This is a great recipe for one of those snowy spring days. Just put everything in the crock pot during the day and your house will be warm and smell fantastic by dinner time. I love crock pot recipes, because I don't have to be in the kitchen the entire my husband is home after work to just cook. Everything is already cooked and I can sit and watch an episode of The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones before we eat. We are really big nerds if you didn't know. :)

I know some germ freaks are probably out there wondering how I could put veggies on the same cutting board as the chicken. Don't worry, I was very careful to put the chicken down then not move it, and none of the veggies touched the chicken. Trust me I am a clean freak every time I use raw poultry. 

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya
Betterhome and Garden's Slowcooker Mag

Ingredients:
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or thighs
2 cups thinly sliced celery (about 4 stalks)
2 cups chopped onions (2 large)
1 (14.5oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14.5oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup no-salt-added tomato paste
1  1/2 teaspoon salt-free cajun seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon slat
8 oz fresh or frozen peeled and deveined shrimp (keep tails on if desired)
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice
3/4 cup chopped green, red, or yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
Celery leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into 3/4-inch pieces. In a 3 1/2or 4 quart slow cooker combine chicken, celery, onions, tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, cajun seasoning, garlic, and salt.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours.
3. Thaw shrimp, if frozen; set aside. If using low-heat setting, turn to high heat setting. Stir in uncooked brown rice and bell pepper. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes more or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
4. Before serving, stir shrimp and parsley into chicken mixture. If desired, garnish each serving with celery leaves.

Serves 8

Nutrition: Calories 211; Fat 2g; Cholesterol 88mg; Protein 23g; Fiber 4g; Carb 26g

Light Chicken Fried Rice

I know this may sound weird, but sometimes I get cravings for things I have never tried. Just the other day my husband said he has never heard of that and I'm a little crazy. Which is true. Well, that is what happened when I decided to make Chicken Fried Rice one day. It just sounded really good, even though I never really tried it before. Chinese food is one of my favorite splurges, but I always get white rice because it's definitely healthier. So when I got the random craving for fried rice, I wanted to find a healthy version.

Now that I'm cooking for both my husband and I, our dinners always have to include some kind of meat. I could eat a bowl of just noodles, but my husband likes to have a bit of protein with every meal. So adding the chicken to a bowl of fried rice made it a really nice dinner. Flavorful and filling!

Light and Easy Chicken Fried Rice
iowagirleats.com

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice (brown or white rice)
1 chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper (I used leftover cooked chicken, just as good)
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 egg
3 teaspoons sesame or wok oil, divided
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

Directions:

1. Whisk egg with 1 teaspoon oil in a small dish then set aside.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large work or skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken then stir fry until cooked through and removed to a plate. (If using pre-cooked chicken, you can skip this step.)
3. Heat remaining teaspoon oil in the wok, add frozen mixed vegetables and green onions. Stir fry until tender, about 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Push vegetables to the side of the wok and pour egg mix into the center; scramble the egg. 
4. Add cooked chicken, rice, and soy sauce to wok then toss well to combine. 

Serves 4

Nutrition: Calories 232; Fat 6g; Protein 18g; Cholesterol 74mg; Carb 25g; Fiber 2g

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

I have probably said this many times, but I love my slow cooker. If I could use it every night I probably would. There are so many things you can make in a slow cooker, and I was happy to find out one of those things was Teriyaki chicken. I didn't have to wait for any take out, just had to throw everything in a my slow cooker in the morning and I had delicious Teriyaki waiting for me at dinner time.

All these flavors work so well together. There are so many strong ingredients, but they mix so perfectly. It really is like having authentic Teriyaki straight from your own kitchen!

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients:
3 lbs boneless chicken breast
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (or by taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
Cooked long grain white rice
Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Place chicken in slow cooker, set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, orange marmalade, ginger, garlic, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken in slow cooker, cover with lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
2. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Strain sauce from slow cooker through a fine mesh strainer over a medium saucepan. In a small mixing bowl whisk together 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water and cornstarch. Pour cornstarch mixture into liquid in saucepan and heat mixture over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to gently boil. Allow mixture to boil for about 20 seconds until thickened. 
3. Return chicken to slow cooker and pour teriyaki sauce from saucepan over chicken. Toss gently to evenly coat. Serve warm over cooked rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Low Fat Tamale Pie

Looks like I'm taking a break from all the pumpkin to get me a little bit of mexican. I love mexican food! Probably because I am half mexican, and I have been around homemade tortillas and tamales my entire life. I previously posted a cheese tamale recipe and believe me handmade tamales are definitely the way to go. Although, they do take a lot of time. You really have to set aside an entire day. I have seen tamale pie recipes everywhere and I was curious. I also had my mother asking me almost every week to make this. So I finally caved and decided to get it a try.

Compared to the traditional way to make tamales this was so simple and very delicious. You still get that great flavor of homemade tamales, but without all the time and still healthy for you!

Be very patient when mixing the cornmeal. Keep stirring so it doesn't burn and eventually it will thicken up. I didn't have my burner up high enough so I was standing there stirring for a while before I realized it was futile unless I turned up the heat. :)

Low Fat Tamale Pie
lowfatcooking.com

Ingredients:
Filling:
2 teaspoon canola oil
1 medium onion
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 lbs lean turkey (or extra lean ground beef)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 (16oz) can corn (drained)
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 (4 oz) can sliced olives

Crust:
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 quart fat-free milk
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheese (monterey jack, pepper jack, or mexican blend)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Saute onions and pepper in a large skillet over medium heat till fragrant. Add meat, breaking it up, cooking until no longer pink. Drain liquid. Add chili powder, corn, chilies and olive. Simmer for 20 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, combine cornmeal, salt and milk in a 2 quart saucepan. Heat on medium-high and until thickened, stirring continuously. Spread cornmeal over top of meat and vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese. Place on baking sheet and back for 20-25 minutes, until top is golden.

Serves 8

Nutrition: Calories 369; Fat 8.3g; Cholesterol 42mg; Carb 49.5g; Protein 23.9g; Fiber 6.8g

Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings

Tomorrow is Sunday and that means, FOOTBALL!! If you are planning a little gathering of friends, you definitely have to feed them these. I have made wings before, but I could not master the crispy skin when I baked them. Fried wings always gave that crispy skin I wanted, but with tons more calories. Then I found this beautiful method. Taking the time to boil the wings, then broil them is worth it! By seasoning the water, you get a great flavor throughout the meat. Then putting them under the broiler gives them that crispy skin that you could only get by frying...but that was before. No longer do you have to throw your wings in a vat of fatty oil. Just boil and broil. Super simple, and even more delicious!!

I later added a bit of Franks Buffalo Sauce. Great combination of flavors!

You can see the spices from the seasoned water. I think that step is so important, because it doesn't just help get the crispy skin, but gives a full flavor throughout the meat. *Also when broiling make sure to place the oven rack to the second to bottom rung. If the chicken is too close to the broiler you get burnt chicken. You don't want that!

I'm all about the sauce! Who needs ranch dressing or blue cheese when you can just dip it in extra sauce. :)

Crispy Buffalo Wings
adapted from food.com

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken wings
1 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup Louisiana hot sauce
1/2 cup buffalo sauce (Franks buffalo wing sauce works great)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot half way with water and then add the first 4 ingredients.
2. Bring water mixture to a boil and then boil for 15 minutes.
3. Transfer wings to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Place oven rack on second to bottom level. Broil wings for 15 minutes on each side. (For crispier wings, cook longer on each side, maybe 20 minutes per side.)
4. While waiting for wings, combine sauces and butter in a microwave safe dish and cook in microwave for 2 minutes, or until melted. (For thicker sauce, cook longer.)
5. When wings are done, toss them with 3/4 of sauce. Use all or use leftover sauce for dipping. 

Serves 4

Nutrition: (6 wings per servings) Calories 405; Fat 30; Carb 0; Cholesterol 119mg; Protein 30g; Fiber 0

Light Chicken Pot Pie

The colder it gets outside the more time I want to spend in the kitchen cooking tons of comfort food. We recently bought some pumpkin spice candles and the house has smelled so good. Everytime I walk downstairs I want to cook everything with pumpkin or butternut squash. I'm starting to realize that fall is becoming my favorite season. The changes of the leaves, the delicious seasonal foods, and the great clothes! I find that my closet isn't as great in the summer time, and all I want to do is wear scarves and boots. Of course if I did that in the middle of summer I would probably be very uncomfortable.

I have been looking at this specific recipe for almost two years now. It came in one of my many cooking magazines and since the day it arrived in my mailbox I have had it flagged. For some reason I have been to scared to make it. Now come on, you have to admit making chicken pot pie seems a little daunting and scary. There are lots of ingredients and it does take a little bit of time, but I have found that it is definitely worth it. I got all my ingredients together the morning of, and I set about two hours aside to prepare. The only thing I have to say is make sure you don't over pour the chicken mixture into your baking dish. I wasn't paying attention and for some reason I ending up with a dish full to the brim and a counter covered in sauce. Instead of throwing away the extra, I stored it in my fridge and just ate it like I would chicken soup. Who doesn't like a little bit of left overs? Now make sure to put your dish on a baking sheet while in the oven. I compelety forgot and I came back to find the sauce boiling a little and dripping down onto the oven coils. Was not fun watching little flames shooting up from the bottom. Thankfully I caught it just in time, but please do yourself a favor and save the clean up by using a baking sheet.

Light Chicken Pot Pie
CookingLight

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk

Filling:
2 small russet potatoes
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 medium carrots, cut into large chunks
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup milk
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, skin removed
1/2 cup fat-free plain greek yogurt
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare the crust: Pulse flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter, one piece at a time, pulsing until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Separate the egg; refrigerate the egg white. Beat the egg yolk and milk in a bowl, then add to the food processor, pulsing until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour. 
2. Meanwhile, make the filling: Preheat the oven to 425º. Prick the potatoes with a fork and bake directly on the oven rack until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly, then peel and break into small pieces. 
3. Bring the chicken broth, carrots and thyme to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook 2 minutes; cover and keep warm. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add the milk, celery, potato pieces and the warm broth mixture and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken, yogurt, peas and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Transfer the filling to a 2-qt casserole dish. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 in. thick and slightly larger than the dish. Beat the reserved egg white in a bowl; brush over the dough and season with salt and pepper. Press the dough against the sides of the dish. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

Serves 6.

Nutrition: Calories 482; Fat 19g; Cholesterol 137mg; Sodium 795mg; Carb 47g; Fiber 5g; Protein 31g