Cashew Milk or cream

Good Dairy Alternative--Cashew Milk/cream...1 cup of raw cashews and 2 cups of water (if you are using if for savory dishes then use chicken or veggie broth.) Blend until smooth in high speed blender or food processor. Use this in place of milk or cream when it calls for it in a recipe. This add a rich and yummy flavor with out putting more dairy in your diet.

via the Wellness Wisdom Guru

SSautéed Chicken Breasts With Creamy Chive Sauce

Sautéed Chicken Breasts With Creamy Chive Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 pieces chicken breast, boneless, skinless, and trimmed of fat (about 1 pound)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large shallots, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 14 ounces reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup organic, reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup fresh organic chives, chopped (about 1 bunch)

Preparation

1. Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Season both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow glass baking dish and dredge the chicken in it. Discard the excess flour.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.

3. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour; stir to coat. Add wine, broth and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil, stirring often.

4. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until heated through and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes. Stir in sour cream and mustard until smooth; turn the chicken to coat with the sauce. Stir in chives and serve immediately.

Jillian Says:

• Using whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour will give you more nutritional bang for your calorie buck.
• Always buy broth in cardboard containers instead of cans.
• Look for an all-natural sour cream with minimal added ingredients.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 35 mins

Nutrition Facts
Number of Servings: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 244
Total Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 72 mg
Sodium: 679 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 1 g
Dietary Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 26 g

Recipe reprinted with the permission of Eating Well

Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner

Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked (I used brown!)
1-1/2 cups hot water
1 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning Mix
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 each green and red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup Mexican Style Finely Shredded Taco Cheese


Directions:
HEAT oven to 400ºF.

FOLD up all sides of each of 4 large sheets heavy-duty foil to form 1-inch rim; spray with cooking spray. Combine rice, water and taco seasoning; spoon onto foil. Top with remaining ingredients.

BRING up foil sides; fold to make 4 packets. Place in 15x10x1-inch pan. (Cookie sheet...)

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Cool 5 min. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening packets.


Here is the actual original recipe without my changes: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/foil-pack-chicken-fajita-dinner-111262.aspx?tab=recipe

I did not use fresh chicken - I used frozen, and just cooked it for 45 minutes instead of the suggested 30-35. Worked great!

I also topped it with 2 tablespoons light sour cream just before eating. This was insane delicious! Not even kidding when I say I used my finger to clean out the bowl of all the sauce and licked it up. Yum. I will for sure make it again, and I am going to box up my extras for leftovers this week. I made the full recipe - but there is no reason you couldn't quarter everything and just make one packet, which is probably what I will do in the future! You could also throw in other veggies that you like - I am sure it would be good with zucchini or yellow squash, mushrooms (if that's your thing, NOT mine, haha!), onions, etc.

Easiest and tastiest dinner I have made in a long time! =)

Calories and Nutrition from the website (mine were a little lower when put into the MFP recipe maker):
Calories 350, Total fat 8g, Saturated fat 3.5g, Cholesterol 80mg, Sodium 510mg, Carbohydrate 37g, Dietary fiber 2g, Sugars 3g, Protein 31g, Vitamin A 25 %DV, Vitamin C 50 %DV, Calcium 15 %DV

Banana Corn Fritters

From EatingWell: February/March 2006

Savory, smoky and slightly sweet, these are great with roast pork loin, a hearty bowl of black bean soup or barbecued chicken legs and coleslaw. Dotted with creme fraiche, they make an exotic appetizer.

5 servings, 2 cakes each

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Low calorie | Low cholesterol | Low saturated fat | Low sodium | Heart healthy | Healthy weight | High fiber |

View Our Nutrition Guidelines »

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile, (see Ingredient note) or cayenne pepper
• 1 1/4 cups roughly mashed bananas, (about 3 medium)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons milk, or buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil, divided

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and chipotle (or cayenne) in a medium bowl. Mix banana, egg and milk (or buttermilk) in another medium bowl. Add the cornmeal mixture to the banana mixture and stir until just incorporated.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; using 2 tablespoons of batter for each, space 5 fritters evenly in the pan. Cook until golden brown, 30 seconds to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Cook a second batch with the remaining oil and batter, adjusting heat to prevent burning.
4. Transfer the fritters to the oven and bake until puffed and firm to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Reheat at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.

• Ingredient Note: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeno peppers, often used to add heat and a smoky flavor to foods. Ground chipotle can be found in the specialty-spice section of most supermarkets.

Nutrition

Per serving: 243 calories; 8 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 43 mg cholesterol; 41 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 4 g fiber; 326 mg sodium; 286 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (16% daily value).

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 1/2 starch

Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas & Spring Herbs

From EatingWell: April/May 2006, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (2008)

Quick-cooking chicken cutlets are paired with an elegant but easy light sauce of sugar snap peas and artichoke hearts. This dish can be made without the sprouted beans, but is especially delicious with them—if you have extras, try them on a salad.

4 servings

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Diabetes appropriate | Low calorie | Low carbohydrate | Low saturated fat | Heart healthy | Healthy weight | High fiber | High potassium |

Ingredients

• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon flour, divided
• 1 pound thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces sugar snap peas, cut in half (2 cups)
• 1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed
• 1/4 cup sprouted beans, (see Note), optional
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as chives, tarragon or dill
• 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar, or white-wine vinegar

Preparation

1. Whisk broth, mustard, salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons flour in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in two batches, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Stir the broth mixture and add to the pan along with snap peas, artichoke hearts and sprouted beans (if using). Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the snap peas are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the vegetables, and simmer until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in herbs and vinegar.

Tips & Notes

• Note: Sprouted beans, not to be confused with bean sprouts, are beans that have just barely sprouted—they look like a bean with a tiny fiber attached (rather than the more fleshy-looking sprouts commonly used in Asian cooking). Eat raw in salads or add to cooked dishes; they're an excellent source of fiber and protein. Look for them in the produce section near other sprouts.

Nutrition

Per serving: 248 calories; 6 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 63 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 7 g fiber; 605 mg sodium; 603 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (35% daily value), Magnesium (20% dv), Potassium (17% dv), Iron (15% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 4 very lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 fat

Katey's Tomato Viniagrette

Tomato viniagrette... for one... or to share.. super super easy

really low cal & delicious, eat the whole thing if you want ...no guilt

dice up 1-2 nice dark red tomato or a container of cherry/grape tomatoes

crush em up a bit so you have a bowl full of juicy goodness

add a few tsp- as much as you like.. of the vinegar of your choosing... I like lots in mine & usually use like a 1/4 cup w 2 tomatoes... and i like lots of different kinds of vinegar so I swap it around a lot... flavored rice vinegar rocks & lots of variations never boring

add some cracked pepper & whatever other spices you enjoy in this... very customizable...

throw it over a bowl of leafy greens, toss in some shredded carrot, fruit if that's your thing... whatever u like in a salad... this tomato vinegarette is too good.