Tag Archives: chicken

Spinach and Tomato Stuffed Chicken Roulade

Now that I’m finally able to use my stove and oven to make some healthy food since Hurricane Sandy swept through, I haven’t made anything. After Sandy, I had to throw out everything in my refrigerator (due to 3 days of power loss) and ended up eating take-out for a few days before I jumped on a plane for a whirlwind weekend in New Orleans. My diet is taking a beating as a result. Days of Chinese food followed by days of Cajun, deep-fried food does not bode well for my waistline. And since I haven’t been home, I have yet to get to the grocery store so my fridge has nothing but water in it. Oh and a scary-looking left0ver piece of Spinach and Tomato Stuffed Chicken Roulade.

Thin-sliced chicken is layered with spinach, cheese and tomato before being rolled up and baked. To top it off, a simple sauce of tomatoes, basil, spinach and red wine vinegar adds another layer of vibrant flavor. I made this dish last week when I was trying to cook all of the chicken in my freezer, knowing the hurricane was coming and my power was going. This dish is light and perfect if you are looking to make a low-calorie, high-flavor chicken dinner. I made a batch of this and took it to my friend’s house before the hurricane. If we’d chosen to not eat so badly, we would have eaten all of it. But when the weather is bad, the only thing I want is bad food like cheese fries and chicken parm sandwiches. I’ll end up making this dish again because it’s very tasty and can be made with other ingredients like kale or feta. However I make it next time, I will eat every bite.

The ingredients:

Place thin chicken breasts on work surface, smooth side down. Top with 1∕4 cup of the spinach, 1∕4 cup of the cheese, and 1 tomato slice.

Fold in ends and roll tightly. Place seam side down on a platter. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Whisk together egg whites and broth. Divide flour onto two large plates. Coat stuffed chicken with flour, then dip into egg mixture and
back into flour.

Heat oil over medium heat in large sauté pan. Brown each chicken roulade, then place on a baking sheet. Bake in a 325 oven for 20 minutes.

While chicken is baking, combine tomato, spinach, vinegar, broth, and herbs in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Season with salt and
pepper.

Slice each chicken roulade horizontally into 1-inch slices and top each portion with warm tomato mixture.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Shape Magazine

Buffalo Chicken Soup with Orzo

What is it about buffalo sauce? Why is it that it took me years to find out the I loved it and now I can’t seem to live without it? The first several times I tried it, I didn’t like it. But back then, I was happy having mild, bland, and boring tasting food. Now, I put spice in everything. Granted, sometimes I’ll come across a buffalo dish that is so spicy that I can barely get through it. But Frank’s is spot-on perfect. So the fact that the bottle of Frank’s in my fridge is almost empty is nearly sending me in a panic. I put in on chicken, I put it in pasta, I toss it on veggies. It’s my go-to. And this time, I even put it in my soup – Buffalo Chicken Soup with Orzo.

Chicken, carrot, onion and cooked orzo are mixed together with chicken broth, buffalo sauce, and cheddar and parmesan cheeses. With some added flavor from green onions, ranch seasoning, and cilantro, this soup is not short on flavor. You really need to be a buffalo sauce lover like me to appreciate this soup. But you could also use as much or as little as you want if you just want a slight buffalo taste. I’d wait to add any cilantro until the end rather than at the beginning because heated cilantro, once it turns almost black, is pretty unappealing and almost tasteless. Throwing some at the end will add a huge punch of freshness which tastes so good with warm soup. This is a good soup which I think would be good with a dollop of sour cream on top or with a splash of light cream mixed in. If you like buffalo chicken, you’ll like this soup.

The ingredients:

Cook orzo according to package directions, cooking halfway (I cooked mine about 5 minutes) to allow for more cooking later. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sauté onion, garlic and green onions until opaque and fragrant.

Add carrots and ranch seasoning.

Add broth, buffalo sauce, cheeses and precooked chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Return soup to a boil and add the orzo and cook until al dente.

Top with green onions, cilantro and blue cheese crumbles (if desired).

Additions: None

Omissions:

Blue cheese

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Bake Your Day

Curried Chicken Salad

I don’t know about you but I feel like I post a lot about egg salad or chicken salad but the fact of the matter is that I grew up in central Illinois where mayonnaise was always in my house and a mayonnaise sandwich wasn’t necessarily out of the question when no one was looking. But since mayo is bad, bad, bad, I’m not willing to give up on egg salad and chicken salad, two of my favorite loves. I keep trying to make it healthy and whether I’m satisfied enough or not, I’m always willing to try it a different way. So there you go. I was curious about a Curried Chicken Salad recipe from Martha Stewart but it required a lot of chicken prep which I wasn’t into. So this is my version of Martha’s version and it turned out pretty darn good.

Precooked chicken is mixed with a combination of Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, curry powder and scallions before being tossed with toasted almonds and Granny Smith apple. Using precooked chicken makes this dish come together fast and the combination of yogurt and light mayonnaise keeps it creamy. The curry adds a bold flavor punch (but not too much) and the almonds and apple provide a fun crunch. Since I typically like a bit of sweetness in my chicken salad, either from grapes or dried fruit, I love the addition of the Granny Smith apple which not only adds a little sweetness but also a tart edge.

Curried Chicken Salad (makes 4 servings) – adapted from Martha Stewart

9 oz precooked chicken, chopped (such as PERDUE® SHORT CUTS® Carved Chicken Breast, Original Roasted)
6 tablespoons non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons green onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted
1 small Granny Smith apple, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
lettuce or baby spinach

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, scallions, almonds, and apple. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in chicken until combined. Serve over lettuce, baby spinach or on your favorite bread.