Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Packets

INGREDIENTS

2	boneless skinless chicken breasts (5 oz each)
1/4	cup sweet-and-sour sauce
1	can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained
1/2	medium bell pepper, cut into strips
1/4	small onion, cut into small wedges
1/4	cup chow mein noodles, if desired

DIRECTIONS

Heat gas or charcoal grill. Cut two 18x12-inch pieces of heavy-duty foil. Spray with cooking spray. Place 1 chicken breast on one side of each foil piece. Top each with 1 tablespoon sweet-and-sour sauce and half of the pineapple, bell pepper and onion. Top with remaining sauce.

Fold foil over chicken and vegetables so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again. Allow space on sides for circulation and expansion.

Cover and grill packets over medium heat 12 to 18 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F). Place packets on plates. Cut large X across top of each packet; fold back foil. Top with noodles.

VERDICT
I wasn't that impressed, there wasn't a whole lot of flavor. But it certainly was easy. And relatively little mess. This would make a great meal over a camp fire.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Calories 280 (Calories from Fat 50); Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 85mg; Sodium 200mg; Total Carbohydrate 26g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 22g); Protein 32g

Golden Oriental Skewers

I was so excited about the eggplant fries that I forgot to post this recipe we made on the same night. This chicken was quick, easy, and delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 TBS soy sauce
1 envelope Asian Sesame Salad Dressing Mix
(I couldn't find this... so I tossed in some garlic powder, ground ginger, and pepper)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut lengthwise into strips
wooden skewers- soaked for 1 hour

DIRECTIONS

MIX honey, juice, soy sauce and salad dressing mix in large bowl until well blended. Reserve 1/4 cup of the dressing mixture; refrigerate. Add chicken to remaining dressing mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate 1 to 4 hours to marinate. Drain; discard the dressing mixture.

THREAD a wooden or metal skewer through each chicken strip.

Use Your Grill
Place on grill over medium coals. Grill 8-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning and brushing frequently with reserved 1/4 cup dressing mixture.

VERDICT

This is the perfect summer meal. The missing salad dressing packet was not a problem at all- the ground ginger, pepper & garlic added great flavor to the other ingredients.

NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 329

Cauli-Crust Pizza

I know what you're thinking. The zucchini fries were pushing it. But a cauliflower-crust pizza? Stay with me here:

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2tsp fennel
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley

Toppings:
cheese, sauce, pepperoni... whatever you would normally top a pizza with

DIRECTIONS

"Rice" the cauliflower by putting it in the blender until it's the size of rice. Place in a bowl and microwave 2 minutes to cook.

Mix together the cooked cauliflower with the rest of the crust ingredients. Spread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.Cook on 450 until brown and edges almost look burnt- about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven, top with toppings, and return to oven under broiler until cheese melts.VERDICT

I have to admit, it wasn't as bad as we expected. I wasn't very good though either. I had two batches. The first batch of cauliflower was over-processed and so the batter was very smooth. I did better with the second batch. To me, the first batch tasted better. You could almost pretend it was a real pizza. The second batch with the larger-sized cauliflower had a funky texture. It was like eating pizza on top of an omelet? Or maybe hash browns? Definitely different.On the other side though, the kids didn't notice a thing. They ate their pizza like it was delivery. Not one funny look, not one crumb left behind.

Bangin' Good Shrimp

My new favorite site for healthy recipes is Gina's Skinny Recipes- which you can skip to right now via the link on the right hand side of the page.

The recipes are healthy, and so far, yummy! Try this out for a quick, low-cal meal. It's a skinny-version of Bonefish Grill's Bang-Bang-Shrimp.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
• 1 tsp Sriracha (to taste)
• 1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined (weight after peeled)
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
• 4 tbsp scallions, chopped

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce and Sriracha. Set aside.
Combine lettuce and cabbage and divide between four plates. Set aside.

Coat shrimp with cornstarch, mixing well with your hands.

Heat a large skillet or wok on high heat, when hot add oil. When oil is hot add the shrimp to hot pan and cook tossing a few times until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and combine with the sauce coating well.
VERDICT

I don't know if I believe him, but Mark says this is better than the Bonefish Grill recipe. I'm partial to Bonefish because of the crunchiness, but this recipe is definitely tasty. And HOT. SPICY HOT. But good. Definitely a keeper.

Eggplant Fries

Yes, the title of this post says Eggplant Fries. I hope you didn't skip this post just because of the title. I know it sounds scary. And probably gross. But these are GOOD. And good for you! Check it out:INGREDIENTS
1-2 eggplants cut into 1/4 inch sticks
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 - 1/2 tspn crushed red pepper (I use more because I like mine spicey)
Parsley & garlic salt to tasteDIRECTIONS

Whisk egg and milk. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. Soak eggplant in egg mixture and then dip into the breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes on each side or until crispy but not burnt. VERDICT

I am not kidding when I say these are great. I've never eaten eggplant before, and I'm sure not all eggplant recipes taste like this, but these are GOOD. And it made a lot of fries- two full baking sheets! And we ate them all. Yes, we ate a baking tray each of eggplant. That is how good they were.NUTRITION INFO

I don't have official numbers for fat, protein, etc., but I do know that if you use two full eggplants with this recipe the total calorie count is under 400. And that's for 2 full trays!!

What is this?

Yeah, I'm not sure what I'm looking at. But the veggies look good and I think its... chicken? When I find the recipe I'll post it. Stay tuned.

Pineapple Grilled Porkchops

I've been on a health kick this summer. And that means whether my husband knows it or not, he is too. All of my recipes have been reasonably healthy. Definitely under 500 calories per serving. And in the case of these pork chops- actually tasty too!

INGREDIENTS

1 (8 ounce) can pineapple rings, juice
drained and reserved
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce (You can use low sodium)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 pork chops
1 pinch ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS

1. Mix together the drained pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder together in a large plastic zipper bag, and smush the bag a few times with your hands to mix the marinade and dissolve the sugar. Place the pork chops into the marinade, squeeze out any air in the bag, seal it, and refrigerate overnight. Reserve the pineapple rings.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.
3. Remove the chops from the marinade, shaking off excess, and grill until browned, the meat is no longer pink inside, and the meat shows good grill marks, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Brush several times with marinade and let the marinade cook onto the surface of the meat. Discard excess marinade. While the meat is grilling, place 4 pineapple rings onto the grill, and allow to cook until hot and the slices show grill marks; serve the chops topped with the grilled pineapple rings.
VERDICT

This is the recipe that did it once and for all. I don't mind pork chops anymore. At least not as long as they are cooked with this recipe. This. Is. Delicious.

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 193
Total Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 38mg
Sodium :738
Total Carbs: 26g
Dietary Fiber: 0.7g
Protein: 13.3g