Broiled Broccoli

Ingredients:
2 bunches broccoli5 tablespoons olive oil1 teaspoon garlic salt 
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper

Directions:
1. Heat up the broiler. Use a broiling pan and cover with aluminum foil.2. Cut the broccoli into florets. Place broccoli on prepared pan. Pour the olive oil on the broccoli. Sprinkle with garlic salt and hot pepper. Mix until everything is coated. Put in the oven in the top rack for 8-12 minutes.

Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients: 
3 tablespoons olive oil 
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 
1 shallot, finely chopped 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup3/4 cup water 1/4 cup thinly-sliced sun-dried tomatoes 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallot and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir the soup, water, tomatoes and vinegar in the skillet.
3. Return the chicken to the skillet and heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Mushroom and Spinach Ravioli with Chive Butter Sauce

Pete and I just came back from our Italy trip and fresh pasta is on our mind! We hosted a pasta making party at our house and our friends came over to help us make home made pasta. This is the first time I put my KitchenAid Mixer to the test. I would have to say it was a lot of work, but it was totally worth it! Pasta taste so much better when it is fresh! We made two kinds of pastas, we had plain pasta with a red sauce and the mushroom and spinach ravioli. I found the Mushroom and Spinach Ravioli with Chive Butter Sauce recipe online and it turned out really well!

(Boys are watching football game and the girls are cooking pasta.....hummmmm!)

(Master pasta maker Ms. Erin) 

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons water, or more if needed
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 egg white, beaten
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Directions:
1.Whisk together 1 teaspoon olive oil, water, and whole eggs in a bowl until evenly blended; set aside. Combine flour and salt in a separate large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour the egg mixture into the well and stir just until combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes, adding more flour or water as needed. Wrap dough tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside to rest.
2.Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and continue cooking and stirring until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.
3.Beat cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the cooled mushroom mixture, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, spinach, 1 tablespoon chives, parsley, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
4.Roll the pasta dough out to about 1/16 inch thick. Cut 3 to 4-inch circles using a large cookie cutter. Roll each circle out as thin as possible. Working with one circle at a time, brush the pasta lightly with the egg white. Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon full of the mushroom filling onto the center of the pasta, then cover with a second piece of pasta, pinching the edges to seal. Cut the sealed ravioli with the cookie cutter once more to create a uniform shape. Place the finished ravioli on a floured baking sheet, and repeat the process with the remaining pasta and filling.
5.Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the ravioli and return to a boil. Cook until the pasta floats to the top, 3 to 4 minutes; drain.
6.To make sauce: Melt butter in a skillet over high heat, cooking and stirring until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons chives. Serve over hot ravioli.

Sweet Potato and Pork Chili

Found this chili recipe from Fitness Magazine. Why This Recipe Works for Weight Loss: A diet that includes plenty of lean protein has been linked in studies to successful long-term weight loss. Foods high in water volume, such as chili and soup, have fewer calories but still satisfy and fill you up. Beans are loaded with fiber, which helps to keep you feeling full longer.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
1 medium carrot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
3/4 pound boneless center-cut pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon unsweetened dark-chocolate powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 15 ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and sweet potato; cook 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Season the pork with the salt and black pepper; add the meat to pot and cook until browned, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix in the chili powder, cumin, dark-chocolate powder, oregano and cinnamon; cook 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce; stir, then bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender, about 1 hour. Stir in the navy beans and cilantro; cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Foolproof Standing Rib Roast

This past holiday season Pete and I hosted our first Christmas dinner. We made our first prime rib. We did a lot of research online before picking out this Paula Deen recipe. We didn't want to mass it up because the cut of the meat was so expensive. Everything turned out perfectly. One thing we learned from reading the reviews of this recipe is no matter how big the cut of the meat we should still follow the cooking directions. We don't need to adjust the cooking time to the weight of the meat. 

Ingredients:

1 (10-pound) standing rib roast

1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Directions:

1. Allow roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Rub roast with House Seasoning; place roast on a rack in the pan with the rib side down and the fatty side up. 

3. Roast for 1 hour. Turn off oven. Leave roast in oven but do not open oven door for 3 hours. About 30 to 40 minutes before serving time, turn oven to 375 degrees F and reheat the roast. Important: Do not remove roast or re-open the oven door from time roast is put in until ready to serve.

Slow-Cooked Carnitas Tacos

This is my all time favorite taco recipe. It's super simple and tasty.

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs or pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1/2 large onion, cut into 4 pieces
1 avocado, halved, pitted, sliced
Fresh cilantro springs
Corn tortillas

Directions:
1. Toss pork in bowl of slow cooker with salt, black pepper, and dried oregano to coat. Place onion pieces atop pork. Cover slow cooker and cook pork on low setting until meat is very tender and falling apart, about 6 hours.
2. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to cutting board. Discard onion pieces. Using fingers, shred pork; transfer carnitas to platter. Place avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, and sliced red bell peppers, if desired, alongside.
3. Wrap corn tortillas in damp kitchen towel; microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Serve carnitas with warm tortillas and tomatillo salsa.

Marinated Chicken Breasts

FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vinegar, like cider, balsamic, or red wine
3 teaspoons dried herbs, like thyme, oregano, rosemary, or crumbled bay leaf
2 tablespoons mustard, whole grain or Dijon
2 teaspoon garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, each about 6 ounces

Directions:
1. Put the vinegar, herbs, mustard, powders if using and oil in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Close the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients. Open the bag, drop in the chicken breast in the bag. Close and shake the bag to coat evenly. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.
2. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, under cold, running water, or in the microwave at 30 percent power for 1 minute at a time.
3. Heat a grill or grill pan. When the grill is hot, place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. You can also bake the thawed chicken in a 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro Stir-fried Spicy Eggplant

I found all the P.F. Chang's recipes online!

Ingredients:
1 lb eggplant, peeled, cut into 1" dice
1 lb ground pork
1 tspn garlic
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water to make a paste
Canola oil for deep-frying

Spicy sauce:
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce (or substitute oyster sauce)
2 tbsp Lite soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tspn chili paste
½ tspn ground bean sauce
½ tspn sesame oil

Directions:
1. Combine all Spicy Sauce ingredients and mix well.
2. In a wok, deep-fry eggplant at 350°F for 1 minute. Remove eggplant and drain on paper towels.
3. Meanwhile remove all but ½ tspn of oil from wok. On high heat, stir-fry garlic for 5 seconds then add Spicy Sauce. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer 20 seconds. Add eggplant and simmer for another 10 seconds.
4. Stir in cornstarch paste a little at a time until desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Salmon and Zucchini With Shallot Vinaigrette

Ingredients: 

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

1 1/4 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

1 1/2 pounds medium zucchini (about 3), cut into thin sticks

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the shallot, vinegar, sage, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat

3. Season the salmon with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

4. Add the zucchini and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

6. Serve the zucchini with the salmon and vinaigrette

Soba Noodle Salad with Salmon and Asparagus

Asparagus season is here! I see fresh asparagus on sale every where. Here is a great dish you can make with it!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
Fine sea salt
5 1/2 ounces soba (Japanese-style noodles)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 ounces wild salmon fillet, skinned
9 ounces thick asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
3 1/2 ounces baby spinach leaves (5 to 6 cups)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Soba noodles can be found in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets and at Asian markets.
Preparation
2. Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Cook soba noodles in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well; transfer to large bowl. Pour dressing over; toss to coat.
4. Heat vegetable oil in heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon with sea salt and pepper. Cook until browned but still deep pink in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer salmon to plate; cool slightly. Wipe skillet clean. Add enough water to skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Bring to boil. Sprinkle sea salt over and add asparagus. Simmer until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain. Add spinach and asparagus to noodles; toss to incorporate evenly. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Divide noodle salad among plates. Break salmon into bite-size pieces. Tuck salmon and avocado into noodles on plates. Sprinkle sesame seeds over and serve

Steak Picadillo Soft Tacos

This recipe was from the April issue of Bon Appetit. I love how simple it was to make it. To add some HEAT to the tacos I added some fresh jalapeno peppers.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 12-ounce strip of skirt steak
• 1/2 cup 1/4-inch squares green bell pepper
• 3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1/3 cup halved drained pimiento-stuffed green olives plus brine from jar
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 corn tortillas
• Chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Add to skillet; sauté 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plate. Add bell pepper to skillet. Sauté 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with green chiles, olives, raisins, tomato paste, cumin, and allspice. Simmer until sauce is thick, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and olive brine.

2. Cut steak into 1/3-inch-thick slices on diagonal across grain. Add steak and any juices to sauce in skillet; toss to blend.

3. Char tortillas over gas flame or in broiler until blackened in spots, 15 to 20 seconds per side. Divide filling among tortillas. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Cheddar and Chive Bread

The cheddar and chive bread goes great with the pecan crusted chicken tenders and salad with tangy maple dressing. It was super easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 loaf baguette or French bread, split lengthwise, then cut in 1/2
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 blades fresh chives, chopped

Directions:
1. Heat broiler. Lightly toast bread under hot broiler. Remove bread from broiler and cover with shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle cheese liberally with chopped chives and set aside. When you are ready to serve your meal, return bread to broiler to melt cheese. When cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, remove bread from broiler and cut into 2-inch chunks.

Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders and Salad with Tangy Maple Dressing

Loved it! the dressing was amazing, and it was really easy to make. I may try and bake the chicken tenders next time to make it a little more healthy.

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/3 to 2 pounds chicken tenders
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten with a splash of milk or water
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 cup pecans, processed in food processor to finely chop
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or ground
1 orange, zested

Dressing:
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup tangy barbecue sauce
1 navel orange, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
6 radishes, thinly sliced
6 scallions, trimmed and chopped on an angle

Directions:
1. Heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of oil over medium high heat. Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Set out 3 shallow dishes. Place flour in 1 dish, eggs beaten with water or milk in a second. In the third dish, combine bread crumbs with ground pecans, nutmeg and orange zest. Coat tenders in batches in flour, then egg, then bread crumb mixture. Fry tenders in small batches 6 to 7 minutes. Drain tenders on paper towels.
2. Combine maple syrup, barbecue sauce and orange juice in a bowl. Whisk in oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Combine romaine, radishes and scallions in a large salad bowl or on a serving platter. Toss with 3/4 of the dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Top salad with pecan crusted chicken tenders and drizzle remaining dressing over top.

Sauteed Cod with Asparagus, Asparagus Veloute

I discovered this recipe from Rozanne Gold's Healthy 1-2-3 cook book. This is a nutritional cookbook that utilizes only three ingredients per recipe. I like this book because the recipes are fat-free, low fat or low calories.

Ingredients:
2 pounds asparagus
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 7ounce cod fillets

Directions:
1. Cut asparagus off top 2 1/2 inches of asparagus stalks and set aside. Peel asparagus stalks. Cut stalks into 1 inch pieces. Cook stalks in large saucepan of boiling slightly salted water until very tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer stalks to blender. Add 3/4 cup cooking liquid to blender. Blend until very smooth, adding more cooking liquid to thin sauce. Blend 2 tablespoons butter into sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook asparagus tips in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain
3. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in each of 2 heavy large skillets over medium-high heat. Add 3 fish fillets to each skillet and cook until golden and opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Spoon warm sauce onto plates. Top with fish. Garnish with asparagus tips and serve.

Thai Chicken Pizza

My favorite grocery store is Central Market. They have the best seafood and meat selection and wide range of fresh produce. I shop there weekly and the best part about this grocery store is they have a "culinary resource center" I call it free for all fancy sample station. I never skip the food station. They usually use fresh ingredients in the store to make some dishes for customers to try and they offer the recipe with the sample. That is where I got the Thai Chicken Pizza recipe. It was so good I had went back a few times. The pizza turned out amazing. You can get precooked chicken breast and whole wheat flatbreads from most grocery stores.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
4 large flatbreads, about 8 inches in diameter
1 yellow pepper diced
1/4 cup your favorite Thai peanut sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup baby spinach leaves
Sriracha chili sauce to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season chicken with salt and five spice.
2. Divide peanut sauce between flatbreads and spread to edge.
3. Top pizza with spinach, chicken, yellow pepper and then cheese. Dot with Sriracha to taste. Top with green onions.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until flatbread is crisp ad cheese is melted. Cut each pizza into wedges and serve hot.

Roasted Pork Chops and Butternut Squash With Kale

This recipe was from the January issue of Real Simple. I still love all of their recipes. I started trying other cook books and magazines and they were not as healthy. I'll post some of those here later with my updated version. I keep coming back to Real Simple recipes because they taste good, ingredients simple and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds)—peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1⁄2-inch pieces
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
4 bone-in pork chops (each 1 inch thick; about 2 pounds total)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large bunch kale, thick ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped (about 14 cups)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with the sage, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
2. When the squash has cooked for 20 minutes, heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the pork with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Transfer the pork to the baking sheet with the squash and roast until the pork is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the kale, ¼ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, tossing the kale and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet, until the kale is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with the pork and squash.

Risotto with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Basil

This is a long over due recipe. I made it right after Thanksgiving and I didn't get a chance to post until now. I made turkey stock with my left over Thanksgiving turkey and also saved some of the turkey meat. I used the turkey stock in place of the vegetable broth and also added some of the turkey meat. We ordered the smoke turkey from Greenberg Smoked Turkey. I loved that the turkey stock and the meat give the risotto a smoky flavor.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from 2 1/4 pounds squash)
3 cups 1/2-inch-wide slices leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cups arborio rice
4 14-ounce cans (or more) vegetable broth
1 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional (for serving)

Direction: 
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add squash and sauté until beginning to soften and brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer squash to medium bowl.
2. Reduce heat to medium; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, leeks, and thyme to same pot and stir until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining broth by 1/2 cupfuls, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Return squash to pot. Continue to cook until rice is just tender but still very creamy, stirring gently and often, about 10 minutes longer (about 25 minutes total cooking time). Remove from heat. Stir in basil and 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl and serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Quick Greek Couscous with Shrimp

This is a very simple weekday dinner recipe. To spice things up a little you can put some paprika on to the shrimp and grill it. I used whole wheat couscous for this recipe. You can find whole wheat couscous from most grocery stores.

Ingredients:
1 1/2  cups water
1 1/3  cups  uncooked couscous
3/8  teaspoon salt, divided
1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
3  tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2  pounds  peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1  cup  grape tomatoes, halved
1/2  cup  thinly sliced green onions
1/3  cup  pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/4  cup  2% reduced-fat Greek-style plain yogurt

Directions:
1. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add couscous, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pan. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add shrimp to pan, and sauté for 3 minutes or until done. Add shrimp to couscous mixture.
3. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, tomatoes, onions, and olives in a large bowl; toss. Add tomato mixture to couscous mixture; toss to combine. Serve with yogurt.

Orange Aioli Chicken Sandwich

I had to try this recipe when I found it in cooking light. The whole wheat Oroweat Sandwich Thins seems like a great idea. These thin buns are light, somewhat pillowy but not a waste of space like Wonder Bread. They are whole grain, do not have any high fructose corn syrup, are very low fat, and best of all, each bun is just 100 calories (the typical calorie count for one slice of bread is 90, so you're getting a complete bun for the cost of one slice of bread)!

Ingredients:
Citrus Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
4  tablespoons orange juice
1  teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce

Sandwiches:
4 chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4  Oroweat Sandwich Thins
4  small romaine lettuce leaves
2  plum tomatoes, each cut lengthwise into 4 slices
1  peeled avocado, cut into 8 wedges
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. To prepare citrus mayonnaise, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.
2. To prepare the sandwiches, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add chicken. Cook 5 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 5 minutes or until done. Remove from heat. Cut chicken diagonally across 
grain into thin slices.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon citrus mayonnaise on each of 4 Oroweat Sandwich Thins halves. Top with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 chicken breast, 2 tomato slices, 2 avocado wedges, and close. 

Kale Chips

Why didn't I know about this recipe before! I would make this all the time! These are a low calorie nutritious snack. Like potato chips, you cannot stop at just eating one.

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt


Directions:
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. 
3. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.