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!

Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo

Nothing screams "comfort food" like a piping hot plate of fettuccine Alfredo, right?! It's no secret that pasta with cream sauce is my absolute fave - in fact, it was a "danger dish" that played a huge role in my reaching 251 pounds. Now that I've embraced a much healthier lifestyle, and deliciously healthy cooking habits, I've found a way to make that "danger dish" a guilt-free treat - you're welcome! :)

Here's What You'll Need
(8 oz. Serving)

• 2/3 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 6 oz. Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/3 Cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
• 2 TBS. Parmesan Cheese
• 1 TBS Neufchatel (Light cream cheese may be used as a substitution)
• 2 Tsp. Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Green Onions
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• All Your Favorite Seasonings! (I love garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, etc.)

Let's Get Started!
Whipping up this sauce has never been easier - seriously! While you've got your pasta boiling, combine all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, until desired temperature is reached. As you cook, stir occasionally. In a matter of minutes, you'll have a deliciously sinless, and oh-so-creamy, pasta dish on your stove top. The best part? Nobody will taste the difference! Give it a try, and see for yourself - Happy Cooking!

If you like this recipe, than you'll love all of my favorite recipes! Of course, all of my healthy cooking inspiration comes from Pinterest, and winds up on my Nutrish & Delish board; so be sure to follow me!

Low Carb Pizza

If you love pizza, but loathe the carbs, you aren't alone. I am a huge fan of pizza, and often times, it's my weakness! But, I've found an incredible recipe that lets me indulge in those sinful pizza cravings, while still sticking to a low carb diet! The original recipe, Where's the Crust Pizza, is amazing on its own, but as you all know, I love to add my own spin to recipes to "healthify" them even further.

Here's What You'll Need:
To make the "crust" you'll use several ingredients that you would have *never* imagined would be used in pizza crust making, but trust me, it's delish!

• 1 8 oz. Package of Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)
• 2 Eggs - Substitute Egg Beaters for a "healthified" touch!
• 1/4 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Cup Grated Low Fat Parmesan Cheese

Topping Things Off
As far as toppings go, I'd recommend using fresh veggies like, onions and green peppers, or even pineapple for a Hawaiian feel! If you live in a house filled with meat lovers, try to opt for a healthier choice, like low fat grilled chicken breast, ground turkey, turkey bacon, or Canadian bacon. For the toppings, you'll also need:

• 1/2 Cup of Pizza Sauce
• Your Desired Topping Selections
• 1 1/2 Cups of Shredded Low Fat Mozzerella Cheese
• A Sprinkling of Garlic Powder

It's Time to Cook!
I'm just going to warn you that this mouth-watering recipe will quickly become a favorite in your house. Lucky for you, it's a breeze to whip up!

• Firstly, you'll need to pre-heat your oven to 350, then lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
• Using a handheld mixer, blend all of the crust ingredients until they are completely combined. 
• Spread the blended mixture into the baking dish, and pop it in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

 Allow the crust to cool for 10 minutes before moving to the next step! Don't turn the oven off; you're not done yet!

Now that you've made your low carb crust, you can move on to the toppings (my favorite part)!

• Evenly spread the pizza sauce over the crust, then add the cheese, toppings, and a sprinkling of garlic powder.
• Pop that delicious dish into the oven, and let it bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
• Dinner is served! Oh, and feel free to top it off with some red pepper flakes - I love adding a little heat to everything I cook :)
 

As always, you'll find this recipe, and all of my favorite recipes, on my Nutrish & Delish board on Pinterest, a.k.a, my go-to resource for healthy cooking inspiration.

Pesto Ranch Chicken Breast

Crock Pot Love
Oh, how I love my crock pot! It's awesome for whipping up an easy dinner or creating my signature spiked apple cider - but that's a totally different topic that I won't get into right now. 

Pesto Ranch Chicken  Breast
On my menu plan for this week, I am making a deliciously tasty recipe that I found on Pinterest (of course!). The recipe is called "Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken Thighs," but, I am going to "healthify" it with a few simple substitutions. And you know what? Nobody will know the difference! ;)

How To Healthify
The original recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but I'm going to use boneless, skinless breasts instead. Even though you can easily trim the fat off of the thighs, breast meat is always a healthier option - plus, who wants to waste time trimming fat?! Not me! The recipe also calls for chicken broth. Of course, I'll swap out original broth with a low sodium, fat free version like Shelton's.

Here's What You'll Need

• 8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 6 oz. Jar of Pesto
• 1 16 oz. Package of Ranch Seasoning
• 1/2 Cup Shelton's Chicken Broth (or any fat free, low sodium broth)

Get Cookin'
I'm about to blow your mind with how easy this recipe is to prep, so brace yourself. All you're going to do is place everything (the chicken breasts, pesto, ranch seasoning, and broth) into the crock pot, give it a little stir to mix everything up, and place the lid on top. Voila; that's it! Cook it on high for 3-4 hours, or if you've got time to spare, cook it on low for 6-8 hours.

Pairing Suggestions
I plan on serving the chicken on a bed of whole wheat angel hair pasta with a homemade Greek yogurt Alfredo sauce, and one of my favorite sides of all time, Parmesan zucchini. Recipes for both of these delicious sides can be found on the My Favorite Recipes page above.

Follow Your Faves!
Follow my Nutrish & Delish board on Pinterest to stay connected to all of my healthy recipes and fitness tips! Happy Cooking :)