Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken

I made this for us on Sunday night for dinner. This was my first time trying it out and they turned out great. I tweaked the recipe a bit, but I will post the original. The recipe calls for chicken thighs but we already had chicken breasts and we aren't huge fans of chicken thighs so we made do. I tried following the recipe about the baking part but my oven does not cook chicken that fast. So if you do chicken breasts you might want to cut them up in smaller pieces instead of just putting the whole breast in (like I did). They will cook faster that way and not burn the outside. I served bacon wrapped corn, which I will post that recipe as well. I also did not follow that recipe exactly either and will tell you what I did differently. We also had roasted red potatoes. This meal was very very good!!

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken
Serves 4 (2 chicken thighs) or can serve 2 (1 chicken breast each, this is what we did)

Ingredients
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or 2 chicken breast boneless skinless
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons honey, I used 4 tbsp
2 teaspoons cider vinegar, I used 1 tsp

**I did not use all of the rub since we only did 2 chicken breast. I just tossed them both in a bowl with all the spices mixed together and threw out the rest.

Directions
Preheat broiler.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side. **(if you cut chicken into pieces then it will be done by this time, just make sure to cut into chicken and make sure it is white all the way through)

Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.

Nutritional Information
Calories:321 (31% from fat)
Fat:11g (sat 3g,mono 4.1g,poly 2.5g)
Protein:28g
Carbohydrate:27.9g
Fiber:0.6g
Cholesterol:99mg
Iron:2.1mg
Sodium:676mg
Calcium:21mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light, www.myrecipes.com

Peppered Corn on the Cob
If I would have followed this recipe as it stated then I know it would have been amazing. But, since I did not read all the directions I would not slow cook it so I just followed the recipe exceot the slow cooker part. I just boiled it on the stove and it was still good!I just did 2 ears of fresh corn. So i will post original recipe but you might want to tweak it according to how many ears of corn you do.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter, softened
4 garlic cloves, pressed
6 ears fresh corn, husks removed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 fully cooked bacon slices (we tested with Ready Crisp Bacon)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 jalapeño pepper, minced, I omitted

Directions
Combine butter and garlic in a small bowl. Rub garlic butter evenly over ears of corn. Sprinkle evenly with pepper and salt. Wrap each ear of corn with 2 bacon slices, and secure with wooden picks. Place corn in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add broth and jalapeño pepper.

Cover and cook on LOW 3 to 4 hours or until corn is tender. Remove bacon before serving, if desired.

Bacon Bit: If you don't want to wrap the bacon around the corn, simply chop the bacon and sprinkle on top of the corn in the cooker.

**Like I said I boiled mine and just mixed the chicken broth and water and boiled it that way but I suggest following the recipe because I know it is much better that way.

-Compliments of www.myrecipes.com

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Made this recipe for the first time on Sunday night and we loved it. Justin said it is one of his favorites I have made yet. So that means it must have been SUPER DUPER delicous. Prep was easy besides cooking chicken. So if you could pre-cook and chop the chicken that will cut prep time. Also, since it is a casserole it would be great to pre-make, freeze, and then pop in the oven another night.

Makes 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients
9 ounces uncooked spaghetti (about half of regular sized pck.)
Cooking spray
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
2 (14.5-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 tablespoon low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided
3 cups frozen chopped cooked chicken, thawed (I used fresh chicken)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350º.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese, cooked spaghetti, and chicken. Spoon into a 3-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories:395 (19% from fat)
Fat:8.5g (sat 4.9g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.4g)
Protein:36g
Carbohydrate:45.3g
Fiber:3.1g
Cholesterol:65mg
Iron:1.9mg
Sodium:934mg
Calcium:417mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light Magazine

Baked Chicken Tortillas

We made this last week for dinner and we really enjoyed it. Very quick and would be a great meal when you have friends over or you could double, triple the recipe for a party or small gathering. Cinco de Mayo is this week and it would be a great recipe for that. We ate a small serving of chips and salsa on the side. Other good dips with this would be guacomole or a black bean dip.

6 servings (serving size: 1 roll)

Ingredients
1 cup bottled salsa, divided
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 3/4 pound)
1/3 cup chopped tomato
1/3 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
Cooking spray
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine 1/2 cup salsa and sour cream in a small bowl, and spread evenly over each tortilla. Divide chicken, tomato, bell pepper, and onion evenly down center of each tortilla, and roll up. Place rolls, seam sides down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with 1/2 cup salsa. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Nutritional Information
Calories:379 (26% from fat)
Fat:10.8g (sat 4.1g,mono 3.7g,poly 2.5g)
Protein:28.7g
Carbohydrate:38.9g
Fiber:2.8g
Cholesterol:64mg
Iron:3mg
Sodium:623mg
Calcium:284mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light, www.myrecipes.com

BBQ Stuffed Potatoes

I made this recipe for the first time last night and it was SUPER EASY and we both liked it a lot! This recipe is very very filling. We both were so full from it. You can serve this with a side of mixed greens. I modified the recipe to only serve 2 but I am putting the original recipe so just modify it however you need to feed however many people you will be serving. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 potato, about 1/3 cup chicken, about 2 tablespoons sour cream topping, and 2 tablespoons cheese)

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) baking potatoes
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 green onions, finely chopped and divided
1 1/3 cups shredded barbecue chicken (such as Lloyd's)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Pierce potatoes with a fork; arrange in a circle on paper towels in microwave oven. Microwave at HIGH 10 minutes or until done, rearranging potatoes after 5 minutes.

2. While potatoes cook, combine sour cream and 2 tablespoons onions; set aside.

3. Place chicken in a microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap (do not allow plastic wrap to touch food). Remove potatoes from microwave; place chicken in microwave. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

4. Slice potatoes lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side; fluff with fork. Top each potato evenly with chicken, sour cream mixture, cheese, and remaining onions.

Nutrition

Calories:367 (22% from fat)
Fat:9g (sat 5.3g,mono 2.4g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:16.5g
Carbohydrate:57.6g
Fiber:4.2g
Cholesterol:43mg
Iron:3.2mg
Sodium:619mg
Calcium:117mg

-Compliments of myrecipes.com

Southwestern Chicken Stir-Fry

This recipe is easy and so so so good. Justin and I both love this recipe. We have eaten it a couple of different ways. I am putting the original way to eat it but if you want to try it another way then here are the instructions. We will sometimes eat it over rice instead of in a tortilla. We use brown rice which is healthier than white. Just cook rice as directed and then pour stir-fry over rice and viola! Or sometimes Justin just eats it by itself which is just as good as well. This will serve 4 people so we usually take the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Ingredients
1- to 1-1/2 ounce envelope fajita seasoning mix
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
12 ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
Cooking oil spray
1 medium yellow or green sweet pepper, cut into squares
1 small zucchini, sliced on the bias
1/2 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2/3 cup salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained
8 8-inch flour tortillas (optional)
6 cup mixed greens (optional)
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Co-Jack cheese (optional)

Directions
Combine fajita mix, water, and oil in a medium mixing bowl. Add chicken to marinade; stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Preheat a large wok coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add peppers, zucchini and onion; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Set aside.

Drain chicken; discard marinade. Add chicken to wok. (Add additional cooking oil if necessary to prevent sticking.) Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Return vegetables to wok. Stir together salsa and chili powder. Add salsa mixture, corn, and beans to wok. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.

Nutrition
Nutrition facts per serving:
Servings Per Recipe 4 servings
Calories 191
Total Fat (g) 6
Saturated Fat (g) 1
Carbohydrate (g) 18
Fiber (g) 2
Protein (g) 20
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

-Compliments of Fitness Magazine

Chicken Jambalaya

This recipe is so easy and wonderful! Jambalaya is one of Justin's favorite things to eat and he gives this one 2 thumbs up. You can change it up a bit to make it healthier. Sometimes we will do both chicken and sausage and other times we will just do chicken. Either way it is still great.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
• 16 ounce package frozen bell peppers and onions
• 8 ounces smoked turkey sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 cups water
• 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes with jalapeno peppers, undrained
• 8 ounce package jambalaya rice mix (we use Zatarain's)

Directions

Cut chicken into 1/2-inch strips and cut up sausage as directed above. Cook chicken and sausage together in a pan until done. Then set them aside and follow the directions on the back of the Zatarain's box. You will add in the bell pepper's and onions when you add in the rice and seasoning as directed on the back of the box. Add in the chicken and sausage about 10 minutes before the rice is done.