Lean & Green Spinach Salad With Garlic & Dill Chicken Tenders

This is a delicious & moist chicken
and salad meal!

Ingredients: 

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup pickle juice

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon dried chives

avocado oil cooking spray

8 cups baby spinach leaves

2 cups chopped red, yellow and/or orange bell peppers

1 avocado sliced or chopped

4 - 6 tablespoons Walden Farms O Calorie Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Method:

Cut the chicken breasts into large chunks or strips. Place in a bowl or dish and cover with the pickle juice. Allow to marinate overnight.

Drain the juice from the chicken pieces. Season the marinated chicken with the garlic, dill, pepper and salt. Lightly spray a large nonstick skillet with the cooking oil spray and place over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and sprinkle with the chives. Cook, turning to cook all sides. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 15 minutes or until cooked through and no pink remains in the meat. 

While the chicken is cooking, arrange 2 cups of spinach leaves onto each serving plate. Top with 1/2 cup of bell pepper and 1 1/2 ounces of sliced avocado. Drizzle 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing over the salad. Arrange 6 ounces of cooked chicken on top of the salad. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving equals: 1 lean, 3 greens, 1 healthy fat and 3 condiments

Nutritional info per serving, approximately: 575.5 calories ~16.6 grams fat ~ 27 grams carbs ~ 14 grams net carbs ~ 83 grams protein

Notes: A pickle juice marinade produces a very moist chicken with a delicious and subtle flavor. (Even though my husband is not at all fond of vinegar, he thought that this chicken was quite good.) 😀

🍋 Low Carb Lemon Cheesecake Squares ~ Sugar & Gluten Free

 

These cheesecake squares are light
& creamy and similar to lemon yogurt

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups ultrafine almond flour

1/4 Lakanto Baking Sweetener**

1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan or sea salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 - 2/3 cup Lakanto Powdered Sweetener (based on desired level of sweetness)

2 teaspoons lemon zest (finely grated peel) 

3 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice***

2 tablespoons canned coconut milk, coconut cream or heavy whipping cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 to 3 tablespoons Lakanto Powdered Sweetener (for dusting)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350*. Sift the almond flour, Baking sweetener and salt together into a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and mix until well combined. Pat the crust mixture evenly into the bottom on the pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 275*. Add the cream cheese, powdered sweetener, lemon zest, juice and coconut milk to a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until the ingredients are creamy and smooth. Mix in the eggs. Spread the batter over the cooled crust. Bake for 30 minutes, or just until the filling is set. (A knife inserted in the center should come out clean.) Cool on a rack for 20 to 30 minutes and then refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle the top with a light dusting of powdered sweetener. Cut into 16 squares. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container.

**I use Lakanto Baking Sweetener because it has a finer texture than  regular substitute sweeteners. If you do not have the Baking Sweetener in your pantry, you can process the Classic Sweetener (or other granulated sweetener) in a food processor, to create a finer texture.

***If you do not have Meyer lemons, regular lemons will work.

Notes: Very Simple to make! ~ The flavor of these light & creamy cheesecake squares is best when they are refrigerated overnight. (My husband liked this treat frozen.)

Nutritional info per serving, approximately: 188 calories ~ 18 grams fat ~ 3.76 grams carbs ~ 2.6 net carbs ~ 4.4 grams protein

Lean & Green Italian Style Stuffed Chicken & Cauliflower Rice

This simple chicken is gourmet
quality ~ it's so moist and flavorful!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Lakanto Monkfruit Baking Sweetener* (optional)

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

three 6 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts (18 ounces total)

4 ounces part skim mozzarella cheese (Full fat may be used if you are not on a lowfat meal plan.)

2 cups baby spinach leaves

toothpicks

avocado oil cooking spray

two 12 ounce bags frozen riced cauliflower**

Method:

Preheat oven to 350*. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, sweetener, olive oil, Italian seasoning, red pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Slice each chicken breast through the middle, but do not slice all of the way through. (This is called "Butterflying".) Brush the inside and outside of the butterflied chicken breasts with the sauce mixture. Stuff each chicken breast with 1/3 of the of the cheese (1 1/3 ounces) and 2/3 cup of the spinach leaves.

Close the stuffed chicken breasts and secure with toothpicks inserted at a diagonal. Spray an ovenproof skillet with the avocado oil and place over medium high heat. Add the stuffed chicken breasts and cook until each side is golden brown. 

Two Lean & Green portions & one
  larger one for my husband. 😀

Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. While the chicken is baking, add the riced cauliflower to a saucepan with 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn heat to low until ready to serve.

Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the cauliflower rice to each serving plate. Top with a stuffed chicken breast and drizzle the pan juices over each serving. Makes 3 servings.

*I use Lakanto Baking Sweetener because it has a finer texture than  regular substitute sweeteners. If you do not have the Baking Sweetener in your pantry, you can process the Classic Sweetener (or other granulated sweetener) in a food processor, to create a finer texture.

**I always keep bags of Walmart Great Value riced cauliflower (found in the freezer section) or of Trader Joe's riced cauliflower (found in the refrigerated vegetable section) on hand, in my freezer.

Each serving equals: 1 lean, 3 greens, 2/3 a healthy fat & 2.55 condiments

Nutritional info per serving, approximately: 488.5 calories ~ 17.34 grams fat ~ 15 grams carbs ~ 9.68 grams net carbs ~ 67 grams protein

Notes: This delicious meal is very quick and simple to make ~ my husband and I both loved it❣

Grilled (Or Slow Cooker) Hawaiian Style Huli Huli Chicken

🍍 This is a tasty & simple chicken meal!

Ingredients: 

1 large can pineapple chunks in juice

pineapple juice

2 cups no salt chicken broth

1 cup brown sugar or Monkfruit brown sugar sweetener

2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos

1/4 cup catsup or no sugar catsup

4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders

coconut oil cooing spray

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut (optional garnish)

1/4 cup all purpose flour

freshly ground black pepper 

cooked rice

Method:

Drain the juice from the pineapple chunks and save for the marinade. Set the chunks aside in a bag, or container, in the refrigerator. Add additional pineapple juice to the juice drained from the can to measure 1 cup.

Whisk together the juice, broth, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and catsup. Cover all of the chicken pieces with the marinade sauce. Marinate overnight.  

If desired, preheat oven to 300*. Sprinkle the coconut in the bottom of a pie pan. Bake in the oven until lightly toasted for 4 to 7 minutes, being careful not to burn. Set aside to use as a garnish.

Grill or Broiler Method:

Grill or broil 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve on top of rice. Season each serving with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with pineapple chunks and toasted coconut. makes 6 to 8 servings.

Slow Cooker Method:

Very lightly spray the inside of a slow cooker with the coconut oil. Add the chicken and marinade to the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Remove the chicken to a covered dish. Add the marinade and cooking juices to a cooking pot. Mix the flour with 1/3 cup water whisk together to mix in. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Serve portions of chicken over rice. Spoon or ladle sauce over the chicken and rice. Season each serving with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with pineapple chunks and toasted coconut. Makes 8 servings.

Notes: Traditionally, Huli Huli Chicken is a Hawaiian grilled chicken with a sweet sauce that is barbecued over mesquite wood. Huli is the Hawaiian word for "turn" and Huli Huli chicken is turned while being grilled or broiled. 

On a busy day, when I didn't want to dirty the broiler, I decided to cook the chicken in a slow cooker. (My cousin who lived in Kuai, cooked it this way.) My family loved it and my husband said it was the best chicken he had ever tasted! 

Perfect Blueberry Bundt Cake

Simple, moist and not overly sweet ~ Perfect❣

Ingredients:

bundt cake pan butter & flour

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 cups + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons (1/2 tablespoon) pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

1/2 cup avocado oil

1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

powdered sugar

ice cream, optional

whipped cream, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 350*. Generously butter the bundt pan (even a non-stick one). Add 3 tablespoons of flour to the pan. Turn to coat the inside of the pan with a light dusting of flour. Turn upside down and tap the sides to remove any excess flour and set aside.

Rinse the berries and remove any stems.  Allow to dry on paper towels. 

Sift together 2 cups of the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.

Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer, at medium speed, for 3 minutes until fluffy and creamy. Add one egg at a time, beating at low speed for one minute after each egg. Beat in the vanilla and lemon peel. Beat in the oil until the mixture is glossy, creamy and smooth.

Gently toss the blueberries in a bowl together with the i tablespoon of flour. Set aside.

Add the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients and mix at lowest speed just until all of the dry ingredients are mixed in and smooth. Gently fold in the flour dusted blueberries.

Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Rotate the pan with circular movements to settle the batter evenly in the grooves of the cake pan. Bake for 35 minutes. If the top is golden browned, lightly cover with foil to prevent burning. Continue baking for another 2o minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. (The sides of the cake should pull away from the pan when gently touched.)

Allow the cake to rest for 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Use a butter knife to gently loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert on to the cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Once the cake is completely cool, sift powdered sugar over the top. Slice into 10 to 12 portions. If desired, serve each portion with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Makes 10 to 12 servings. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes: This is a simple and delicious cake that my entire family enjoyed! My dear mother-in-law found the original recipe in her local newspaper. She gave the recipe to me, so of course I made a few adaptations and baked it for her. (She loved it.) 💜

My dear mother-in-law,
Danuta. 💜

🍉🍓 Watermelon & Strawberry Fruit Smoothie ~ Refreshing & Hydrating

Quick, Easy, Tasty & Refreshing❣

Ingredients:

4 cups watermelon

2 cups strawberries

1/2 lime, juiced

2/3 cup pineapple or orange juice

2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, stevia or Monkfruit sweetener

ice 

4 strawberries (for garnish)

4 straws

Method:

Add all of the ingredients to a blender container and process until blended and smooth. Divide between 4 tall serving glasses filled with ice. Makes 5 2/3 cups. About four 1 1/3 cup servings. Garnish each serving with a strawberry and sip with a straw.

Notes: 

For a thicker, slushier drink, use frozen strawberries or add 1 1/2 cups of crushed ice to the blender, instead of serving in ice cube filled glasses. (If using regular ice cubes, crush in the blender before adding the other ingredients.)

For a spiked beverage, add 1 cup of vodka to the mixture.

I made this drink for my elderly godparents because they needed additional hydration and something tasty (especially watermelon) would appeal to them. My husband and I enjoyed this refreshing beverage, too❣

🍹 Tropical Fruit Daiquiri Mocktail ~ An OPTAVIA Fueling Hack!

This mocktail is simple,
quick & refreshing!

 Ingredients:

1 cup crushed ice**

6 ounces cold water

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon rum extract

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 envelope Optavia Tropical Fruit Smoothie fueling

Method:

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and process until mixed and the ice is well blended. Pour into a serving glass and enjoy!

**If you are using regular ice cubes, place in a blender and process to crush, before adding the remaining ingredients.

Equals: 1 fueling & 3/4 to 1 condiment (depending on how much extract is added)

Note: I wasn't a big fan of this fueling, but making it into a "mocktail" made it look & taste special. 🥰