Saturday, April 30, 2011

Chicken, Pasta, and Pancakes? Don't worry, not all together.




Hey everyone! I apologize for the lack of blogs, but graduate school is really kicking my big B lately. As finals are lurking around the corner, I've decided to procrastinate in the most productive way possible...by cooking!

This recipe is from a website recommended by my dear old friend Meg Buckley. This site takes well-loved recipes and modifies them so that they are a tid bit healthier. However, the rotini pasta with butter and cheese I served it with probably canceled out any healthy qualities of the chicken.







Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Melted Mozzarella


What ya need:
*24 oz (3 large) chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise to make 6 cutlets
*salt and pepper to taste
*1 tsp olive oil
*3 cloves garlic, crushed
*10 oz frozen spinach, drained
*3 oz shredded part skim mozzarella
*1 roasted red pepper, sliced in strips
*olive oil spray



What ya do:

*Preheat oven to 400°. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly spray a grill with oil or grill outside on a gas grill. Cook chicken on the grill until no longer pink, careful not to overcook or you'll have dry chicken.

*Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan on medium heat. Add oil and garlic, sauté a few seconds, add spinach, salt and pepper. Cook a few minutes until heated through.

*When chicken is done, lay on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment for easy clean-up. Divide spinach evenly between the 6 pieces and place on top. Top each with half oz mozzarella, then slices of roasted pepper and bake until melted, about 6-8 minutes.

*Like I said, I served this chicken dish with just simple rotini pasta with a little butter and cheese. Feel free to substitute the pasta with some roasted veggies or a salad to minimize ya carbs. Me, I'm always down for carbo-loading.


Although I am quite enjoying Lent being over, I'm still trying to keep up with my healthy eating habits (generally). I found this pancake recipe on one of my favorite blogs, and it's amazing. It's less than 300 calories per serving, and has tons of protein. Based on the ingredients, you would never think these would look like normal pancakes but they really do.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

What ya need:

*1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
*1/2 cup oats (I use "Old Fas
hioned Quaker Oats")
*3 egg whites
*1 TBL sugar
*Splash of Vanilla Extract (I use about 1 teaspoon)
*Sprinkling of Cinnamon (about 1/2 teaspoon)
*pinch of salt

What ya do:

*Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Cook on a hot griddle, sprayed with non-stick spray. Serve with syrup, jam, fresh fruit..whatever you want. I cut up some fresh bananas with a little honey...superb.

That's all for now! I'll try to be better about blogging during finals..I'm still backed up with recipes and will try to put the rest of them up this week.

Happy eating!


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