Recipes - Measuring Cups, Optional

Diet Diaries: Bunless Turkey Burger

As I mentioned in my Grilled Dijon Tilapia post, I’m doing my very best to stick to a low-fat, low-carb, low-sugar diet. Let me tell you, it’s not as easy as it sounds. I did well even on our short weekend trip to New York City. I stuck to my yogurt and made healthful options. It’s just not much fun. Today, I was craving a big fat burger. Instead of giving up on my diet and giving into temptation, I made a small improvisation. Instead of a fat-laden beef burger I made a lean turkey burger, topped it with fat-free American cheese, ditched the bread and swapped starchy potatoes for canned Sauerkraut. I’m one of the few people I know that actually like Sauerkraut – that’s because it’s basically pickled cabbage, or at least that’s what it tastes like to me.

Introducing the Diet Burger. Eat with utensils.

Bunless Turkey Burger Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb Lean Ground Turkey (6% fat or less)

Onion Powder

Garlic Salt

Fat-free American Cheese

Directions

Divide turkey into two heaping burgers. Form into 2 burgers.

Flatten each burger, sprinkle onion powder and garlic salt to taste. Mix well with your hands, and form into burgers.

Grill to desired done-ness.

Place American Cheese on top and melt while on the grill.

Serves 2

Chicken with Tomato Mushroom Sauce

categories: Chicken, Posts, Recipes

Ingredients

1 can Diced Tomatoes

2 Chicken Breasts

1/2 Onion, chopped

1 can Mushrooms

Salt to taste

Directions

In a large skillet, pan-sear chicken breast with olive oil until browned. Remove from skillet.

In the same skillet, sauté onions with olive oil until translucent.

Add mushrooms and sauté until tender.

Add 1 can diced tomatoes then add the chicken back into the skillet. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, add salt, cover and reduce heat.

Cook for 20-25 minutes Until done.

Grilled Dijon Tilapia

categories: Posts, Recipes, Seafood

I know I’m not the only one that struggles to maintain a yummy, yet healthy lifestyle. And having a food blog definitely doesn’t help. Although the holidays are really not an ideal time to get started on a diet, I figured if I didn’t start now, I’d put it off until the beginning of the year – like everyone else. Then end up miserable until Spring when – like most people – I’ll realize swimsuit season is creeping up and I still have Holiday weight to lose. It’s an endless cycle. That’s why, no matter how inconvenient it is now, I started.

For anyone that’s been on a restrictive diet (diets that don’t include sweets and carbs, the two things I love most), you know that the first few days are tough. You want to stick to the guidelines but you’re sick of salad and baked chicken with steamed broccoli – or in my case, asparagus. So, despite some limitations, I’m determined to find a way to still be able to cook delicious. I won’t divulge too much about which fad-diet I’m on as of late. I’ll wait until it actually yields results to share with everyone else. In the meantime, I can still cook meals that are just as delicious as full-fat meals and feel much better about myself and my health.

This recipe is so unbelievably easy. Serve with vegetables of choice.

Grilled Dijon Tilapia Recipe

Ingredients

2 Tilapia Filets

1 tablespoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard

Olive oil Spray

Directions

Heat your Panini grill, or grill pan

Spread Dijon mustard in a thin layer over both sides of the tilapia filets

Coat the grill with spray olive oil, place fish on grill. Cook until done. If you’re using a grill pan it may take a bit longer – don’t forget to flip the filets over.

Serve with veggies.

Donut Holes

categories: Desserts, Posts, Recipes

If you’re in search of a low-fat, low-calorie donut hole recipe, this is not it. But if you’re anything like me, and spend all week trying to fit in workouts and counting your calories on a convenient little iPhone app, then you’re allowed a little indulgence on the weekend. It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone. Just be sure to have a salad for lunch.

Recipe adapted from Rasamalaysia.

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Donut Holes

Ingredients
1 package Pillsbury Grand Jr. biscuits (contains 10 pieces)
Sugar
Oil for deep frying

Instructions
Heat oil in a frying plan.
Separate each biscuit piece and form round shapes with your hands.
Drop them into the frying pan making sure to brown them without burning them. Turn them over to get all sides.
Remove onto a paper towel-lined plate or bowl (to remove excess oil) dust with sugar and serve.
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Panko Crusted Chicken

categories: Chicken, Posts, Recipes

Panko crumbs have become the new trend lately. I’ve noticed it used more often than the traditional Italian breadcrumbs. For those of you unfamiliar with Panko, it is a thick, flaky Japanese breadcrumb used mostly for frying. The nice thing about Panko is that it’s crunchy even if you don’t fry it.

When my mom started using Panko, I knew I had to get on that bandwagon. So during one of my weekly grocery store escapades I picked up a package. I was so excited to use it in my cooking.

I’ve been trying to make healthier dinners. So instead of frying Panko chicken I decided I was going to “oven fry” it. I have a feeling I won’t be going back to Italian breadcrumbs for a while.

Panko Crusted Chicken

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

Italian Seasoning

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

Generously spray each chicken breast with Olive Oil Cooking Spray

Dip each oiled chicken breast into the Panko crumbs until well coated

Place in a baking dish, sprinkle with Italian Seasoning

Bake for 23-25 minutes.

Then, broil for 10-15 minutes (until browned)

Serve with Steamed Asparagus

Chicken and Rice Chile Verde

categories: Chicken, Posts, Recipes, Rice & Grains

I don’t do much cooking with rice, which is kind of ironic considering most Arabic dishes are stews that require rice on the side. I should be making more stews like Bamiya (okra and meat in tomato sauce), Fasoolia (string beans and meat in tomato sauce), and Sabanekh (spinach with rice) but those dishes take way too long on weeknights.

When I came across this Chicken and Rice Chile Verde recipe by Cooking on the Side, I was excited to try something new. Actually, it was delicious. I would definitely make it again.

Recipe adapted from Cooking on the Side.

Chicken and Rice Chile Verde Recipe

Ingredients

1-1/4 cup Chicken Broth

4 large Chicken Thighs (about 1-1/2 lb), skin and excess fat removed

1 medium Onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 clove Garlic, minced or pressed

3/4 cup Calrose Rice (short-grain sushi style rice) If you use other rice, you may need to adjust chicken broth accordingly

1 (4 oz) can Diced Green Chilies

1/2 teaspoon Oregano, dried

1 cup Frozen Peas, thawed

1/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Heat a large frying pan over high heat.

Lightly coat the inside of the pan with cooking spray.

Add chicken in a single layer.

Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove from pan.

Add onion and garlic to the same pan; sauté 30 seconds.

Mix in rice, chiles, oregano and chicken broth. Arrange the chicken, in a single layer, over the top. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low.

Cover and simmer 25 minutes.

Sprinkle the peas over the chicken.

Cover and cook 5 minutes longer, or until the liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat; let stand covered 10 minutes.

Sprinkle cheese on top.

Servings = 4