Posts Tagged ‘cheese’
Healthy Grilled Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Nutrition guru Joy Bauer has always been someone who inspires me – especially when it comes to throwing a dinner party featuring a main course that’s as delicious as it is healthy. And lucky for us Just Stoppers, Joy has graciously allowed me to feature another of her delicious recipes from her new best-seller, From Junk Food to Joy Food, here. This Grilled Chicken Parm recipe is as drool-worthy as it looks. Plus, it’s super easy to make (for yourself, for family or for guests). And bonus! We don’t have to “go off” of our diets or healthy eating plans to make and enjoy it. Joy also uses all natural ingredients in the recipe, which is always a big plus.
From Junk Food to Joy Food is loaded with these kinds of recipe makeovers — the kind that take everyday favorites (usually loaded with calories, salt, etc.) and swaps them out for brand new, healthier versions of the recipes (each of which guarantees the same amount of flavor and satisfaction — but without the food hangover). And no, this is not a paid endorsement. Although I’d happily bribe Joy for being kind enough to let me share this recipe with all of you.
For more information on From Junk Food to Joy Food, click here. And for more recipes and tips from Joy herself, you can click to her website. In the meantime, if you try the recipe below, please be sure to invite me over for dinner! (That’s not too much to ask, is it?)
JOY BAUER’S GRILLED CHICKEN PARM
Junk Food version (before): 1,000 calories
Joy Food version (after): 310 calories
Ingredients:
Four 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
Dried oregano (optional)
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
Grill the chicken breasts or sauté them over medium heat in a skillet coated with nonstick oil spray for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until they are no longer pink in the center.
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with nonstick oil spray.
Transfer the chicken breasts to the prepared baking sheet. Top each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons marinara sauce, ¼ cup mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, and a pinch of oregano and red pepper flakes, if desired. Place the chicken under the broiler until the cheese is hot and bubbly (or microwave it for 30 to 60 seconds to melt the cheese).
(Makes 4 servings.)
Photo Credit: Joy Bauer
One of my all time favorites
I love sharing my popular recipe for turkey chili at this time of year because it’s the perfect meal (lunch or dinner) to accompany winter weather. That being said, I usually make it during the summer months, too (it really is that good and that good for you). But let’s stick to one season at a time, shall we?
When people who meet me today find out I used to tip the scale at over 450 pounds, they want to know how I lost all the excess weight. Many are disappointed when I let them know I did it the old fashioned way (through diet and exercise) — as opposed to using a magic wand. But if I had to assign the ‘magic wand’ moniker to one of the tools I used to get healthy, it would be to this flavorful chunky turkey chili recipe, which is easy to make and freezes really well. This recipe also thaws and reheats (microwaves!) beautifully. So I always make a huge batch. Check it out:
Gregg’s Chunky Turkey Chili Recipe
Ingredients (in order of use)
5 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
3 White onions, peeled & chopped
2 (two) 7 oz. cans of diced green chilies (mild or hot – your choice)
3 tbsp. fresh garlic, chopped (can also used jarred, but without added oil)
4 tbsp. chili powder (more if you dare)
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (more if you dare)
2+ lbs. lowfat ground turkey
1 (one) 6 lb., 6 oz. can (or several cans that equal the same) of ready cut diced tomatoes (in their own juice, no added sodium if available)
4 large bell peppers, chopped
Directions
In a large pot (the bigger the better), add the olive oil and chopped onions. Cover and cook over medium heat for several minutes (until the onions begin to soften).
Next, add the garlic, chili powder and cumin. Mix it up and then add both cans (liquid and all) of the diced green chilies to the diced onion. Cook covered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Next, add the ground turkey — making sure to mix all of the meat into the mixture while keeping the turkey from “clumping” together (work to break it up into loose pieces/bits). Continue to cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (and de-clumping the turkey when necessary).
Once the turkey is cooked through, add the canned tomatoes and chopped bell peppers, mix thoroughly, then cover and cook on high heat until the contents reach a boil. As soon as you see that your mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to LOW and cook for about 20 minutes more so all the flavors mix together and blend to perfection.
Makes approximately 18 servings
Add a small green salad with carrot shavings and balsamic vinegar along with two to three multigrain crackers to create a complete meal.
After preparing this big batch of chili, I divide it into portion sizes (usually two per storage container) and then, after the containers cool off, stick them in the freezer. After a day or so of thawing (in the fridge) you can zap it in the microwave for a quick, delicious dinner anytime during the week. (You can even store single size portions and take the chili to work for an easy and delicious, microwavable lunch!)
It should be noted that this stuff is so good that you can even serve it to your friends who aren’t on a diet. (Trust me — they’ll never know they’re eating something super healthy.) I’ve even made a big batch of this recipe as a dip for parties and served it with multigrain chips along with light sour cream and cheese on the side.
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