Chicken Florentine - Skinny Style

It's no secret that I love pasta bakes and Italian food! What I don't love are the calories and fats that come along with it... A few weeks ago, I got to thinking about one of my favorite dishes, Chicken Florentine, and ways to make it healthy. Here's what I came up with:

PS: This dish ROCKS! You're welcome ;)

Here's What You'll Need:

• 16 oz. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (Low Fat & Low Sodium Canned Chicken Works too!)

• 6 oz. Frozen Spinach, Thawed - Be Sure to Squeeze the Spinach to Remove as Much Liquid as Possible.

• 2-3 Large Cloves of Garlic, Minced 

• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 2 Tbsp. Whole Wheat Flour

• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

• 1 14.5 oz. Can of Salt-Free & Low Fat Chicken Broth

• 1 Tsp. Nutmeg

• 2 Tsp Dried Oregano

• 1 Tbsp. Black Pepper

• 1 Tsp. Italian Seasoning

• 1 Cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

• 6 oz. Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

• 8oz. Whole Grain Pasta - Spirals are my Fave, but Bow Tie Pasta Works Great too!

 Here's What You'll Do:

• To begin, cube up your chicken breast into bite sized pieces (skip this step if you opted for canned chicken). Once cubed to perfection, cook the chicken in a skillet. While you’re doing that, cook your pasta according to the package instructions.

• In a separate bowl, you’ll combine the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and spinach. Mix everything up until a smooth consistency is achieved.

• In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add whole wheat flour to pot, and whisk for 30-seconds.

• After whisking, add in your chicken broth, and stir until thickened – usually between 2-3 minutes. Then, you can add in your lemon juice, garlic, and seasonings (nutmeg, pepper, Italian seasoning, and oregano). Bring mixture to a simmer.

• Remove from heat, then add the blended cheese mixture from step 2, as well as the cooked and cubed chicken, and boiled pasta.

• Stir everything to ensure the noodles and chicken are evenly coated.

• Transfer everything to a greased 9x13 casserole dish.

• Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

• Enjoy!!

Craving More?
Find more healthy recipes, workouts, and fun fitness tips on my Nutrish & Delish Pinterest board!

Cheeseburger Mac Attack

No, you're not dreaming. This really is a healthy dish.

If you’re sitting around wondering what to cook for dinner tonight, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve got an amazingly delicious recipe that will knock your socks right off. What’s even better is that it’s super easy to make; even the culinary challenged can pull this one off! The best part? It’s healthy! Yes, that’s right, going to town on this mouthwatering meal will not give you thunder thighs or a muffin top!  So, go ahead; dig in!

Here’s What You’ll Need
For four servings:

• 5 oz. (about 1 1/3 cups) uncooked reduced-calorie, high-fiber elbow macaroni
• 10 oz. raw lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp. ketchup
• 1 Tbsp. seasoning salt
• 1 Tsp. garlic salt
• 3 cups frozen cauliflower florets
• 2 Tbsp. light sour cream
• 2 slices 2% American cheese
• 5 wedges light creamy Swiss cheese
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• Optional Seasonings: Salt & Pepper

Let’s Get Cookin’

In a large pot, prepare the pasta very al dente. To make sure it’s cooked just right, go ahead and cook it for about half of the time indicated on the package. Then, drain all excess water and set aside.

While your pasta is boiling, combine the turkey, onion, seasoning salt, garlic salt, and ketchup and mix thoroughly. Once you’ve mixed it all up, stir in the cauliflower and cooked pasta, then transfer the mixture into the crock pot.

Cover with lid, and cook on high for about 3 hours. Or, if you’ve got time to kill, you can cook it on low for 7 hours. Whichever way you choose, just be sure the turkey is fully cooked.

Once the turkey is fully cooked and ready to go, break the cheese wedges and cheese slices up into little pieces and throw them into your crock pot, along with the other remaining ingredients. Be sure to stir everything thoroughly so that the cheese is mixed throughout and evenly distributed.

Then, you’ll cover once more, and cook for an additional 15 minutes to get everything melty and delicious. Your next step is simple: dig in! 

Nutrition Facts
Per Serving
300 Calories
9.5g Fat
38g Carbohydrates
13.5g Fiber
8.5g Sugar
24.5g Protein

More to Love
Like this recipe? Well, there's more where that came from! Check out all of my favorite recipes listed under the my favorite recipes tab above; I promise, you won't be let down! Or, if you're a Pintrest addict like myself, check out my Nutrish & Delish board for a ton of healthy tasty treats. 

The 5 Day Turkey, Berry & Yogurt Diet

If you’re like me, and every other woman on the face of this earth, you get a bit squeamish as swim suit season approaches. I don’t know about you guys, but, for me, trying on swim suits is one of the most horrifying experiences, ever!

Well, I certainly don’t have all the answers to make swim suit season more enjoyable, but I definitely have a way to help you shed a few pounds while promoting healthier eating habits for the future: The 5 Day Turkey, Berry & Yogurt Diet.

Sounds delicious right?! Yeah, it actually is! I mean, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t ready to head to the nearest forest to punch every turkey square in the face around day 3, but it worked like a charm, and the results are long lasting.

The Rules

Here’s what you do: for five days, all you’re eating is turkey, berries and yogurt. Now, there are some modifications allowed. For example, I added low fat, organic granola to my yogurt, and added spinach leaves and sun dried tomatoes to my turkey. This just made it less blah and made me feel like I was actually eating normal meals.

There are requirements about the turkey that MUST be followed in order for this to work. Your turkey has to be low fat (the lowest possible) and very low sodium. I’d highly recommend getting turkey that is cut fresh at the deli, rather than pre-packaged turkey in the lunch meat section; you’re going to have a lot more to choose from the deli, and they allow you to sample before you buy :)

As far as the berries go, there are no rules. Go crazy here! I used blackberries, but I think the next time I do it, I’ll add a medley of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. For the yogurt, I used Yoplait LightVanilla Yogurt. As an added treat, I decided to combine the yogurt, berries and granola and eat them together as a parfait.

 How it Works

You’re probably wondering how this works, right? Well, all three of these ingredients provide your body with everything it needs, and nothing it doesn’t. Basically, you’re living on basic essentials, thus ridding your body of built up junk. Be sure to drink lots of water during this diet, as it will assist you in releasing toxins.

Also, I didn’t mention this earlier, but water is all you’re allowed to drink. No coffee, no diet soda and no juice… I know, I know… the thought of going without coffee is enough to drive me crazy too. But, just keep in mind the end results, and I promise, it’ll be totally worth it.

The Results

During this five day diet, I lost five pounds; which was so great, but that’s not even close to being the best part! The best part about this diet is the lasting results. By tricking your body into surviving on only the essentials for five days, you’re shrinking your stomach. This makes you feel fuller, quicker and puts a stop to overeating and binges.

Before starting this diet, I was eating around 1700 calories a day in order to feel full and satisfied. Since finishing the diet, I feel full after consuming only 1300 calories per day; that’s 400 calories a day, people!

I did this diet a couple weeks ago, and was waiting to blog about it so that I could get a real feel for the long term results. I can safely say that I am amazed by the results of this diet; it’s so great! I plan to do this diet once every 6-8 weeks to keep my body healthy, cleansed and satisfied.

Happy Swim Suit Season!