Chicken & Feta Grilled Sandwich

Nothing is better than a gooey grilled sandwich. My spin today on the traditional sandwich and the ingredients makes this sandwich so creamy and delicious. I am using hummus, feta cheese and cooked chicken. I like to try new things and make my lunch special each day!! 

Chicken Tagine with Olives & Preserved Lemon

I had a good deal shopping last weekend. I went to Winners, just looking around in their kitchen section, and it was there!! A nice, medium size “Tagine” was sitting on the shelf, waiting for me. It has a black base and a cute orange colour lid. The deal was the price…$25cad only. Isn’t it cheap??
Tagine is a type of earthenware pot that’s used to prepare traditional Moroccan dishes, made with meat and vegetables. It cooks on low heat and gives nice flavors to food. Check it out!!

I soaked it in water for 30 minutes, as it says on the label and let it dry over night. Sunday morning, I was so excited to try my tagine. So I made a chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemon (I am lucky; I can find preserved lemon in a Greek grocery store, downtown). If you don’t have preserved lemon, use whole thin slices of regular lemon.

Usually, this dish is made with whole chicken and goes with French fries on top, and that’s how my daughter loves it. But to make it low in fat and calories, you might want to use chicken breast only and you skip the fries or maybe, add some mashed or baked potatoes on the side.

 

Note: If you don’t have a Tagine pot, Cast iron casserole works great as well.

Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

When I just heard about Clean Eating, 3 years ago, I was so impressed; it’s NOT a diet and it makes you lose weight.

Those Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, from one of the Clean Eating Magazine, were one of my first recipes to try.

 

Who doesn’t like grilled cheese sandwiches? but these ones aren’t loaded with butter and full fat cheese.  They’re made with black beans spread, shredded chicken, low fat cheese and crispy whole wheat bread.

 

They’re skinny, delicious and great for any time of the day. My little family likes to accompany them with a nice healthy soup.

 

Sauteed Chicken with Tomatoes , Olives and Feta

Everyone has a delicious, quick dish that is so simple; they can make it by heart. It’s kind of Go-To recipe for busy days.

My favourite is Sautéed Chicken with Tomato plums, Olives and Feta cheese. I discovered this super easy recipe in an old Bon Appetit magazine, and I just loved how simple it was.

You prepare the dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and fresh oregano. Some of this dressing is used to marinate the chicken and the rest is for the salad that goes with it; grape tomatoes, feta cheese and kalamata olives. The taste of fresh oregano in this salad is so amazing that I have problems controlling my portions.

What’s your Go-To recipe??????????

Curried Quinoa Cauliflower Salad

I actually don’t have much to say about this recipe. I just made it from leftovers, roasted cauliflower and cooked quinoa, I had in my fridge.

Also I always keep cooked chicken in my freezer. So I was going to make a big salad by adding tomatoes and avocado, but then I remembered that I have a nice curry powder, I bought from Farmer’s market back in Vancouver (during our holiday).

I always wanted to make Curry dressing, so I decided to mix curry, vinegar and olive oil. It combined perfectly with quinoa and cauliflower. So let’s get sharing, shall we?

Crunchy Lemon Zest Chicken

Crunchy Lemon Chicken is a great summer dish. Lemon zest is the key in this recipe and it gives a nice kick to this chicken breast!!

For a buttery taste, I used no more that a tablespoon…so we’re staying on the skinny side :-) 

Also I used saltine crackers which are 50 calories and 1% fat per 5 crackers… not too bad!!

This chicken breast turned out crunchy from the outside and tender from the inside. I served it with hush brown potatoes, my husband's favorite. 

Liebster Blog Award

Earlier this month, I was nominated for The Liebster Blog Award.

 

 

 

I was first nominated by Marie @ Citronlimette. She makes food look beautiful and uses healthy alternatives.

Then by The Red Epron @ Theredapronscravings. She has so many great recipes in her blog, like Spinach ricotta stuffed chicken and more!!.

Please check out these 2 blogs and grab some nice recipes!!  

The rules associated with this award are :

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who awarded you.
3. Copy & paste the blog award on your blog.
4. Reveal your 5 blog picks.
5. Let them know you chose them by posting on their blog.

 My nominees are:

1. Glamhungrymom
2. Skinnyanddelicious
3. Chicagofoodiegirl
4. Menubyvicky
5. My crowded kitchen

Congratulations !!!

  

Chicken Tagine with Artichoke Hearts and Peas

To recognize the wonderful work that teachers do every day helping children, my daughter’s school is organizing, today, Teachers Appreciation Lunch. Parents are volunteering by making, each, a dish for this lunch.

I prepared a Moroccan dish Chicken Tagine with Artichoke and Peas. I made it skinnier using chicken breast, artichoke and peas. Also I made Moroccan whole wheat Bread to go with it. Here is the recipe…

Tandouri-Style Chicken

Tandouri Chicken is a classic Indian dish that is easy to adapt and make at home with your own twist. It is made by marinating chicken in yogurt and spices like cumin, paprika and coriander. Also using fresh garlic and ginger makes all the difference.       

Moroccan Chicken with Saffron

Cooking is not only about the food, it is also about the smells. The aroma and flavour of saffron make the house smells amazing.

I did add some potatoes to this dish because we did eat it “a la Marocaine” with fresh made, whole wheat, Moroccan bread.
You can skip the potatoes and serve the chicken saffron with some rice or quinoa.



Skinny Chicken & Mushroom Pasta

Directions:

Ingredients:

8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast.

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 large garlic cloves, minced

2 to 3 cups fresh mushroom, sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved Or 1 large tomato, diced

Sea salt & black pepper to taste

Dried basil leaves, for serving

Season chicken with your favourite seasoning; I used lemon & pepper seasoning.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and spray some non stick oil. Add chicken and cook until tender and no longer pink.

Remove from pan and cut into cubes. Set aside.

Heat a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and sauté onion, garlic and red pepper for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add mushrooms, then tomatoes and sauté stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender.

Season as when you add each vegetable to the skillet, with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

Reduce heat and add chicken cubed to the skillet. Stir until hot, then add pasta and toss well to coat.

After plating chicken and mushroom pasta, drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some dried basil and cayenne pepper on top.

Enjoy!!

Wild Rice with Dried Fruits & Almonds

Moroccan cuisine is known for its combination of sweet and salty ingredients. This combination does make this dish so versatile; you can use it as a side or as a snack to appease your sweet craving. 

You can use any dried fruits or nuts you prefer.

Ingredients: (4 servings)

1 cup wild rice, rinsed

¼ cup cranberries

¼ cup raisins, rinsed

¼ cup dried apricots, chopped

¼ cup almonds slivers, toasted

3 cups reduce sodium

   beef, chicken or vegetable broth

½ cup orange jus

1 tabs coconut butter (or regular)

½ tsp ground cumin

1 green onion, thinly sliced

2 tabs fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

In a heavy pan, combine rice, cranberries, raisins and apricots.

Add broth, orange jus, butter and cumin. Stir to mix.

Cover and bring the mixture to boil then reduce to medium low heat and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until rice is soft and all liquids are absorbed.

Add green onion, parsley, almonds and fluff it with a fork. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Cover and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Tortilla Wrap Pizza

When it comes to pizza, I'd go for thin crust… and what is thinner than a tortilla wrap???

You can use low fat and low calories wraps and it turns wonderfully crisp in the oven.

This tortilla wrap pizza is perfect for a snack or a quick lunch.

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat tortilla wrap.

2 tbsp tomato sauce

½ cup chicken, sliced

¼ cup mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp grated light cheddar or mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200c (400F).

Cook chicken with your favorite spices (I like BBQ)

Sautee mushrooms in a pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper.

Put the tortilla wrap on a baking sheet and spread over the tomato sauce. Add chicken and mushrooms. Sprinkle over the cheese.

You can also add any toppings you may like.

Bake for 8-9 minutes, until the base is crisp and the cheese is melted. Cut into triangles and enjoy!!!

  

Tender Chicken Kebab

Yogurt, mustard, lemon…all these ingredients create a very tender and juicy Chicken Kebabs.  
You’ve got to try them.

*photo:Garlic Brown Rice with Cilantro and Corn Clic here.

Ingredients:

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into medium cubes.

Garlic to taste

1 tabs Dijon mustard

2 tabs plain yogurt OR light mayonnaise

¼ cup lemon jus

¼ cup low sodium chicken stock

1 tabs thyme

Hot sauce to taste

Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together then add the chicken cubes.

Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 hours.

Thread chicken onto skewers and place them on a preheated grill pan.

Cook 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Enjoy them with your favorite side dish!!!

Super easy Quinoa

This is a flexible Quinoa recipe!!!
You could use it as a side dish (photo) or you could turn it into a main dish by adding some cooked chicken, canned tuna or smoked salmon. Also you could have it as a salad with some avocado and lemon jus.