Tag Archives: tomatoes

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

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Happy October everyone!  October to me begs for two things: pumpkin anything and warm, bubbly soup.  Oh, and Halloween candy.  But…I’ve been trying to eat better lately and the key to doing that is to bring my lunch to work each day, stay away from fast food (and candy) and plan my snacks (hello fruit).  One of the easiest foods for me to make when I’m trying to eat healthy is soup.  It’s usually low in calories, filled with veggies, packed with flavor and easy to bring for lunch.  Not to mention that it’s usually a quick, one-pot meal.  I made this Chicken and Vegetable Soup over the weekend which is a perfect grab-and-go lunchtime option.  Made with rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken, the soup comes together in a flash and packs a flavor punch.

Fire-roasted tomatoes are the key to this soup which is mixed with broth, carrots, onions and green beans.  Chicken and quick-cooking orzo bulk up this soup which would also be great with spinach or mushrooms.  The vegetables are quickly sauteed (I added the green beans too early by accident) and become sweet which still retain their crisp and crunchy texture helping to make this soup hearty and filling.  The orzo will plump up a little bit more as the soup sits so don’t worry if it doesn’t look like it’s not quite done.  It will be perfect when you are ready to sit down and eat it.  Paired with some fruit and baby carrots, this will be my lunch for the rest of the week.  And I’m looking forward to it.

The ingredients:

Add oil to a Dutch oven heated over medium-high heat.   Swirl to coat and add onion, carrot, garlic, salt, black pepper and thyme sprig; sauté 4 minutes.

Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil.

Add pasta and beans; cook 5 minutes.

Stir in chicken, and sprinkle with cheese. Discard thyme.

Top with additional cheese if you prefer.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Perdue® Short Cuts®

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Poblano-Turkey Sausage Chili

The beautiful fall weather seemed to be a topic of conversation amongst everyone all weekend.  Blue skies and cooler temperatures seemed to put a pep in my step and I’m quickly becoming obsessed with fall weather, fall clothes and fall food.  I’ve already bought my second bag of apples that I’ve been eating everyday and I’m chomping at the bit to break out pumpkin recipes and scary movies.  Yesterday, with the windows wide open and football on the television, I was excited to make a bit pot of chili.  I typically make chili the first weekend of football season but it had been too warm so when I woke up yesterday to a chilly breeze, I knew it was time to make Poblano-Turkey Sausage Chili.

Turkey sausage is mixed with vibrant spices, diced tomatoes, poblano peppers and two different kinds of beans to make for a thick and spicy chili.  Using sausage instead of regular turkey gives this chili another layer of flavor and if you use hot sausage instead of sweet sausage (like I did), it creates even more intense, firey burst.  If you don’t like so much heat, you might want to stick to regular chili because the poblanos really do pack a punch but the older I get, the spicier the better.  Adding a touch of sour cream or plain yogurt helps to tame the heat a bit and a topping of cilantro gives a fresh element.  I’m obsessed with this chili.  I plan on eating it all week and might just make it again next weekend.

If you like this, also check out Jerk Chicken Chili.

The ingredients:

Add oil to a Dutch oven pan heated over medium-high heat; swirl to coat.  Add onion and garlic; sauté 4 minutes or until browned.

Remove casings from sausage; add sausage to pan.  Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, poblanos, and bay leaf; cook 4 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble sausage.

Add 1 cup stock, tomatoes, and beans.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Combine flour and the remaining 2 tablespoons stock in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk to form a slurry.  Add slurry to chili, stirring with a whisk.  Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thickened.

Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and black pepper.  Discard bay leaf.  Serve with sour cream or yogurt, if desired.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Hot sausage

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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