Turkey Tetrazzini...Lightened Up!

Alright, I haven't posted in (on?  what's the right word!?) this blog for a zillion years.  But I will...for now, I can't get into all the whys or the where have I beens.  I can only share this, because you asked for it.  The rest will come.  I promise.

For now, enjoy this tasty and easy dish and know that this blog is never far from my mind or heart...which is part of the reason it's been so impossible to find the right way to re-enter the space.  Again, I digress.  Enough about that.

Chicken Tetrazzini is my go-to dish when someone has a baby.  Yet I never make it for us.  I found this lighter version of it recently and tried it last night.  Thumbs up all around.  My apologies for not including a picture; I'm posting on the fly in between meetings because I promised that I would, so here ya go!! 

First, you'll notice the title is TURKEY and I called it CHICKEN.  As you'll see in the list of ingredients, you can use whatever you've got.  Case in point, I stupidly bought only 4 ounces of mushrooms in my race around the grocery store, so I tossed in some peas to "bulk" it up a bit.  Whatever...it worked. 

Also, I added in some seasonings; fresh rosemary, a little salt and a little fresh black pepper, too.  I think it could have, truly, used a little more.  Do as you wish.  I liked that it was a one pot meal and that it didn't require use of the oven.  Win.  I used small rigatoni instead of spaghetti, too...easier for the little ones to eat---my older daughter promptly stuck one on each of her fingers the way one might do with black olives.  Lessons in "Do Not Play With Your Food" to follow...clearly I need them at my house!  Ha!!

Enjoy this with some yummy muffins or by itself...it was quick to come together, easy and, like I said, got thumbs up all around.

Cheers!

 

 

What You'll Need:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup chopped onion (optional)
• 10 ounces sliced white button mushrooms
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2½ cups low-fat milk
• 12 ounces whole wheat spaghetti (uncooked)
• 2 cups cooked and shredded turkey (or rotisserie chicken)
• ½ cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• Italian parsley, chopped (optional)
 

What You'll Do:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot one medium-high heat. Add the onion (if using) and mushrooms and cook until starting to soften. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
2. Pour the chicken stock and milk into the pot, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti to the pot and cook until almost al-dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked turkey meat and finish cooking until the pasta is done.
3. Take the pot off the heat, stir in the sour cream, butter and cheese. Serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley, if you like.

Notes

This is best eaten immediately after cooking, as the spaghetti continue to soak up liquid while cooling. If you do have leftovers, make sure to add additional chicken stock when reheating to thin out the sauce.  I also added a dash of parmesan cheese on top as I served it; for that reason alone, when I added the salt, it was truly a mere dash.

Tots!

When you have a big event looming in 5 days and you've been hyper-focused (understandably) on it, you sort of forget that vacation is coming.  Insert that "both hands on your cheeks, mouth wide opened" scream (a la Home Alone).  If I'm 100% honest (and why wouldn't I be?  That's how I am!) with you right now, my workouts have been consistently inconsistent and my eating about the same.  I suffer from "eat it til it's gone-itis" and that can get me into some real trouble.

Anyway....with summer essentially here and vacation speeding at me like a train, I decided that I have to reign it in and get serious.  Again.  What's that saying about fall 7 times, stand up 8?  Judge me not. Yes, I've faltered, but yes, I persevere.  So there.  Harrumph!!

As I set about creating my meal plans for the week, I saw this recipe pop up a few times. A quick and organized (victory!) trip to the grocery store, and I finally had everything on hand to make them.  They were easy to toss together and took very little time.  Can't complain about that.

When they came out of the oven, I waited about 12 seconds before trying one.  They were warm (well, yeah--I mean, duh!) and crispy around the edges but soft inside.  Lots of flavor (though I may add some red pepper in round 2) and instantly reminded me of the spinach balls I make on a fairly regular basis.  It's suggested to serve them with a marinara sauce which would be delightful, as would a horseradish sauce, in my opinion.  But I ate them plain.  Okay, okay--I was too impatient to wait for a sauce.  I confess.

Bottom line--I give these 2 thumbs up and a spot in the make again pile.  With zucchini season here, I think I'll have plenty of opportunities to throw a batch of these together.  They're a great side dish and a healthy one to boot.  Win!

What You'll Need:

Cooking spray
1 packed cup grated zucchini
1 large egg
1/4 medium onion, minced
1/4 cup grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp kosher salt and black pepper to taste
 



What You'll Do:

Preheat oven to 400°F. 
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Grate the zucchini into a clean dish towel until you have 1 packed cup. 
Wring all of the excess water out of the zucchini, there will be a lot of water.
In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small ovals.
Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, turning halfway though cooking until golden. Makes 16.
 

 

Read more at http://www.skinnytaste.com/zucchini-tots/#xK0rXwvzz0KW0I42.99
Skinnytaste.com adapted from The Two Bite Club
Servings: 3 • Serving Size: 5 tots • Points+: 3 pts • Smart Points: 3
Calories: 108  • Fat: 4.3 g • Protein: 6.8 g • Carb: 11.5 g • Fiber: 1.8 g • Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 262 mg (without salt)

It Happened

It happened more than once.  The feeling of dismay would wash over me as I sat in my car on the parkway.  I tried to chase it away with KLove's Encouraging Story of the Day or a loud and unashamed car jam session.  I wrote lists of things that made me happy, reasons to be grateful and fun things I was planning to fit into my day.  It happened more than once that I was unsuccessful in chasing away that feeling.

It happened more than once that I allowed my emotions to get the best of me, that I allowed someone else's words, actions and opinions to matter entirely too much.  I began to question my worth, my ability and my purpose.  I started to dwell for far too long in the negative space created by people who were angry and bitter and just plain small and mean.  I lost my temper quickly.  I lashed out at the very people I was clinging to for positivity.  I oscillated between being very quiet and withdrawn and being full of rage that was usually misdirected.

It happened more than once that all of that manifested itself into an intense shame that I couldn't seem to shake.  It stuck to me like the stale stench of a coffeehouse.  It seemed to taunt me, this shame.  I started listening to its insults.  I'm not good enough.  I'll never find something or some place that's better.  No one really wants me to be on their team.

It happened more than once.

And then something else happened.  Well, not quite as simply as that five word sentence would make it seem.  It took a lot of time for me to get out of my own way, to quiet the voices that told me nasty things.  It took amazing friends and unwavering family members to remind me that those voices were full of crap.  It took effort to shun the shame and stand tall.

It took months to feel like I could and should look elsewhere.  It took longer than that to find something that made sense.  It took many late nights, angrily firing off resumes, applying for anything that sounded remotely reasonable and praying (literally, truly, deeply praying) that someone, somewhere would want me.  Validate me.  Remind me that I am capable and all the other things I had been questioning for a while.

It happened.  I got a call.  And an interview.  And interest and enthusiasm.  I got compliments about my work.  I got questions about how I could help a new team.  I got positive feedback and engagement from leaders I immediately respected.  It happened.

So then it had to happen that I resigned from the job I had for more than 8 years.  It happened with one conversation, one short letter and one sentence I uttered with a mix of disbelief and pride along with a dash of uncertainty.

Beginnings can't happen without something else ending, right?  In the same way that hot air mixing with cold air produces a clap of thunder, so too do the emotions of something this big create a certain kind of storm.  The excitement about a new, fresh start clashing with the sadness that comes from leaving something I've known for so long.  My team.  My volunteers.  My sense of familiarity.

And it happened.  In the process of becoming new, the adjustment knocked me way off track.  Nothing was what it was--the nature of new, right?  And nothing felt normal....at all.  My workouts went by the wayside, much to my disappointment.  I felt myself slipping away as it was all I could do to keep up with a fun Arms & Abs Challenge---not exactly my normal routine.  My commutes were wonky, my parking situation kind of crazy and the "New Girl" moniker felt as if it'd be permanent.

I had a couple meltdowns as I sat in traffic, the idea of all I was missing at home sitting on my heart like an anchor.  The idea that I wasn't pulling my weight only harder to accept than the idea that I was sure I wasn't appreciating Mark, my parents and my girls for all that they were doing to smooth the bumps of this transition.

And it happened.  My new team embraced me as if I was a long lost friend.  The atmosphere felt instantly different.  The work ahead of me feels every bit as important as the work I left behind, and the partners every bit as committed.  I knew I would be able to contribute.  I knew that my contributions would be welcomed and encouraged.  I knew that others saw, in me, what I either couldn't or wouldn't see until now.  And on that kind of faith and belief, I began to walk taller and prouder.

And it happened.  May 1st.  Today is the day I am starting to feel more like myself.  And it's fitting, too.  It's a new day, a new week and a new month.  Slate doesn't get much cleaner than that, does it?  

I got a workout in this morning.  Yes, it was a Sunday, so I had the time.  But tomorrow is a Monday--and I'll make that time.  This morning I remembered how amazing it feels to get in a killer workout.  I felt strong.  I felt happy.  I felt determined and successful.  Who wouldn't want to start their day/week like that!?

I'm dedicating this month to all things aMAYzing.  And that, I've decided, includes me.  It includes my ability to crash & burn, but come back stronger.  It includes my ability to be vulnerable, to remember that HELP is not a four-letter word and to recognize each and every silver lining that exists.  aMAYzing means doing my best, not THE best.  It means letting go of some control, leaning on people a little more than normal and allowing myself enough grace. 

I would challenge you to embrace--and share!--your aMAYzing, too.  What's aMAYzing about you?  About your friends and family?  About your work?  I'd love to hear it.  Feel free to message me and tell me your aMAYzing things.  In my humble opinion, there simply cannot ever be too much aMAYzing!

REflect REfresh REnew

It's Day #4 of the Refresh.  And I know what you're thinking.  "She's lost her mind.  It's the THREE Day Refresh, there is no day #4."  Well, you're right.  Technically.  I'll explain.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week I treated myself (yes,treated myself!) to this amazing product.  The 3DR is an excellent way to get back on track after a few too many whatevers and it's also a great way to expedite the process of losing a little weight and feeling better if you have a big event coming up.

For me, this Refresh was as much symbolic as it was strategic.  I am starting a new job on Monday, and this seemed like a perfect way to get rid of excess---in so many ways.  It was something I could control.  It was something I could see through from start to finish...to start again.

My take on it?  It's a sacrifice, sure.  But aren't a lot of things worth having worth sacrificing for?  Excuse the horrendous grammar there, please.  So Day #4 is the day when we see if the sacrifice was worth it---and the results worth sharing.  Day #4, to me, is the critical day.  It's also the day you're allowed to eat "normally" again, though the goal is that "normal" is redefined.

A couple notes for you on this.  First of all, this is the second time I did the Refresh.  I had some knowledge of how it'd go, but I did my best to go into this round with a clean slate and no lofty expectations.

This Refresh is not a cleanse that leaves you locked in the bathroom for 3 days.  Nope.  Not the way it works.  It's also not a starvation game that leaves you miserable and lethargic.  Not in the least.  In fact, during the Refresh, I have more energy than normal and my sleep quality is significantly better.

Which brings me to the last note I want to share before I divulge my results.  I found myself much more aware of how I felt when I fueled my body properly.  It matters.  And you may not think it does, but oh my goodness the difference.  I didn't feel groggy or sore when I woke up.  I didn't feel as agitated or annoyed.  Food is a powerful drug/weapon---used properly, it can be an incredible asset.

Alright, so here's the scoop....I lost 4lbs and 2" during this round.  In 3 days.  And maybe that doesn't seem like a lot, let's reframe it.  That's 4 packages of butter.  If it still doesn't seem like much, I challenge you to carry around 4 packages of butter for the next 3 days---and see how it feels to put them down.  Again; not a whopper of a number, but enough.  I am 8 pounds away from my goal weight, so I knocked HALF of that off in 3 days.

What's more, I'm now more motivated to shed the last 4 AND I'm more convinced than ever that my mindless eating or poor choices were exactly that---CHOICES!  And I don't need to make them again.  I'm not talking about going cold turkey and giving up any and all indulgences, but I am talking about being a whole lot more mindful of the choices I do make.  For me, that's the most important part of this process; it's the mental refresh that will sustain all the physical refreshing I want and need to do. 
I said this was a treat.  And it was.  Sure, I was a little hungry, and sure, I had a little cheat--banana chips!! A far cry from other junk I could have chosen!!--on Day #2 and Day #3, but I committed and conquered the 3 days.  And I feel better.  I'm proud of myself and glad I gave myself this gift--it's easy to get lost in the shuffle and forget to take the best care of ourselves.

Whatever you goals are, whatever your refresh need may be, I'd be happy to chat more about this product and how it can help.  Feel free to reach out--I'd love that!  You can also check out this video for more details.  3 Day Refresh Video

Whoops!

I've got a question for you.  Do you think it's better to never make a mistake or make mistakes, own them, learn from them and move forward?  It's a real question.  I think we're taught that making mistakes is something to avoid.  And I suppose there's some degree of truth to that.  I also think there's some falsehood there, too.  Mistakes are wonderful teachers---if you use them properly.

Today's post is dedicated to mistakes.  Because, really---why not recognize that we all fail from time to time, we all come up a little short and heaven knows we all look for the "Do Over" button at least once a day.  I'd like to go one step further, and talk about how I learned from and moved forward after the mistake.  To me, that's the best part. 

You know that I'm a Mom.  I've got two sweet kiddos; Abby and Alyssa.  They really are sweet; I'm not just saying that because they're mine.  You also know that I work full-time.  And you probably know where this is going.  There are times when the two worlds collide and a less-than-great version of Mom comes out.  Make that lashes out.  I hate to admit it; it genuinely makes me sick.  But the other night, I lost my patience and snapped at Abby while I was bathing her.  Seconds before, she had asked if we could play a game while she took a bath.  Frazzled Mom responded with a sigh, an eye roll and a very half-hearted "we'll see."  Then I asked her a question, and when her response wasn't what I was looking for, I snapped.  And the tears came; hers and then mine.  She was just answering me, but I was annoyed and stressed and I let that cloud my response.

As I got her out of the tub, dried off and dressed in her jammies, we talked about how I reacted.  We talked about how sometimes people lose their tempers or make a bad choice.  To my surprise, she turned and said, "Kind of like when I ripped that brush out of Alyssa's hand earlier because she didn't listen to me when I asked her to give it to me?"  She gets it.  She's not even 7 years old, and she gets it.  We hugged it out and made a promise to do and be better.  And I've been very conscious of that promise every minute since.

My lesson?  Slow down, put yourself in her shoes for a second and realize that you are her everything.  And when she's talking to you, she is sharing her thoughts with someone who's so important to her.  Listen.  Understand.  And when you need a break, lean on Mark to step in/step up, because he will.  And it's okay to step away for a minute.  It really is.  Moms need time outs too from time to time!

How about work mistakes?  Yep.  Made some of those, too.  Put together a proposal only to have it totally rearranged.  I thought I understood the objectives, but other people had other ideas.  No pride of ownership here; back to the drawing board I went, determined to get it right.  And I did.  But it took a couple attempts and some conversations.  My lesson?  Get more clarity up front, get things in writing and allow enough time for everyone to weigh in on the "final" product before it really is "final."  Messed it up (in a manner of speaking), didn't die.  Alright!!

Oh, and Coaching mistakes?  You better believe I've made those, too.  The most common mistake---ugh, it's saying NO for people.  Yeah.  How dumb is that?  Here's the most honest, boil it all down thing---I love Beachbody.  I love the company, our leadership, our commitments and our products.  I love what I've been able to achieve, both physically and financially as a result of being introduced to this opportunity. 

WHY, in the world!!, do I get "shy" or "squirrely" about sharing that with others?  I know some of that answer; I don't want to offend anyone.  I don't want to be pushy.  Uhhhh, thing is---who would be offended if I said, "I really enjoy this program and I've made money sharing that with others.  You could, too--would you like to learn how?"   Duh!

So I think about reaching out, I think about asking someone to consider Coaching, I think about asking them to try a program---and then I convince myself they won't want to hear it.  Good grief is that dumb.

Lesson?  It's not my place to say NO--or yes!--for anyone other than myself (well, and my kiddos and Mark when he wants to wear a ridiculous tshirt in public!).  Share.  Share all the time.  Share because I care.  Share because someone once shared for me---and had they not, I wouldn't have forged some amazing friendships, lost weight, gained confidence and earned additional income for our family.

Workout mistakes?  Heck yeah---I've made those, too.  My favorite (it must be, because I've made it more than once) mistake?  Being consistently inconsistent.  You get the concept, right?  The most consistent thing about my workout "routine" was the Stop/Start/Start/Stop nature of it.  It left me frustrated, way short of goal and, frankly, sore.  I'd workout hard, get sore, and skip days to recover.  Then I'd skip a couple more days because, well, LIFE, and then I'd start up again---get sore again, take a break....and the cycle continued.

My lesson?  Stick with it for the love of all that is HOLY!  I mean, really.  It's not like my workouts are super-human feats of endurance.  I'm not scaling mountains or running marathons.  I'm not swimming 833394839483637 miles or completing a weight lifting circuit inspired by some insane body builder.  Nope.  I'm looking at a max of an hour.  An hour!  Clearly I can--and should, and MUST--make that kind of time for myself, right?

Seems like a great time for a quick plug.  The newest program I'm working on is 22 Minute Hard Corps.  Yes, 22 minutes.  I remember chuckling when it was first announced.  First 25 minutes, now 22?  Yeah.  Okay.  But let me tell you....these are some intense, but FUN (no, really!) 22 minutes.  And I'm loving it.  I find it "easy" to make the time for this workout and, on more than one occasion, Abby has joined me for a good bit of the routine.  Seriously.

Alright, so there you have it.  A couple "behind the curtain" moments, intended to remind you that mistakes are part of life.  And making them means learning.  And learning means growing.  We're human.  We're fallible.  The mistake is not the end unless you let it be.   
This is why pencils come with erasers and someone invented white out.  There's a reason for the backspace key and the delete one, too.  Not everything, once done, can be undone.  But not making mistakes means missing out on lessons.  And who couldn't use a lesson or two more in their day?

Chicken Pot Pie Oh My!

We've had a mild winter.  And yes, I know that saying that out loud increases the chances that Mother Nature will hear/read this and make me sorry I noticed.  The mild winter has been good for lots of things.  Less salt and sludge in my garage, for example.  More days on which Abby can ride her bike after school (I may or may not be glad that this wears her out), for another.  Not having to wrap myself in 39897 layers just to get the mail--another bonus of a mild winter.

That said, the mild winter has meant a hit to my collection of cozy foods.  I guess that's been good for my waistline and all that, but nevertheless....I would be super okay with one of those bowls of coziness for dinner.  The kind you're obligated to eat while wearing woobie pants, covered in a comfy afghan, sitting in front of the fireplace, watching hockey.  Does that not sound like an awesome way to wrap up a day?  I mean...

Lucky for me (or something....), I noticed that our high temperatures later this week will be in the 30s.  I tried not to smile when I saw those numbers, but a little grin did manage to escape.

Because a high of 31 degrees means a cozy dinner...and all of its trappings.

The only trappings I don't want were the ones that linger on my hips and thighs.  So I am pretty psyched to have found this recipe.  It's from Real Simple, and it appears to live up to its name.  And it's not going to undo all of my work, either.  I didn't use an entire stick of butter; I sauteed the veggies in some olive oil and only used the butter to make the roux--is that how you spell it?  Oh, you know what I mean, right?   

Cheers to you, enjoy and stay warm!

Lightened Up Chicken PotPie

What You'll Need:

• 1 31/2- to 4-pound rotisserie chicken
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 5tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling crust
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 10-ounce package button mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps quartered
• 1 10-ounce package frozen peas
• 1 store-bought pie crust (such as Pillsbury)

What You'll Do:

• Heat oven to 425° F. Remove meat from chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
• Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When butter bubbles, whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the broth in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. When all of the broth has been added, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking occasionally for 5 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat.
• Melt 2 of the remaining tablespoons butter in another large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add thyme and carrots and cook just until carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Transfer vegetables with a slotted spoon to the bowl containing the chicken.
• Melt remaining butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until mushrooms release their liquid, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer until liquid evaporates. Remove from the heat and add to chicken along with the peas, reserved sauce and remaining salt and pepper. Toss well and spoon into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.


• Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll dough until it is slightly larger than the baking dish and about 1/4 inch thick. Carefully place the dough over the pie filling, tucking the edges underneath. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F and bake until the filling starts to bubble at the edges, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Coconut & Cashew Chicken Tenders...and more--LOTS more!

Note:  For some strange reason (clearly user error) I am unable to properly upload/place pictures in this blog.  I'll keep trying...but I was having one heck of an issue.  Please excuse the lack of mouth-watering shots of each of the featured recipes.  Check back and I'll see if I can't wrestle the computer gremlins into doing what I'm trying to do!  Thanks!

I am not a fan of buffets.  Never have been, never will be.  The endless tables of food, the masses of hands grabbing it, the too many mouths breathing on it.  Seriously, I'm getting chills just thinking about it.  So why am I mentioning this?  Because this blog is a buffet of sorts.  I am probably going to include a few recipes I've recently tried.  My dear friend Jess asked me for some, and I promised I'd post them.  And then I didn't.  Ugh.  I hate when I do that.  Almost as much as I hate buffets.

Alright, let me begin with the title recipe for you all.  Coconut & Cashew Chicken Tenders.  Yes.  Add to it a heavenly honey mango dip.  Yes again!  It feels like a meal one should eat pool or beach-side.  But they also taste just fine when served on snowman-themed plates in our cozy kitchen.   My wish is that they'll also be yummy served in your kitchen!

 What You'll Need:

• 12 chicken tenders (just over 2 pounds)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup toasted cashews
• ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 
  Mango Honey Dip
• 2 mangoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 green onions, roughly chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons red chili flakes

What You'll Do:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add cashews and coconut flakes to blender or food processor and process until cashews are about the size of the panko crumbs, scraping the sides of the blender as needed. Add cashews/coconut, panko, chicken tender spices and brown sugar to a shallow dish and mix until evenly distributed.
• Place the flour in another shallow dish. Whisk the egg with the lime juice in another shallow dish. Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour and then dip in egg, and then finally coat in the coconut/cashew/panko mixture, pressing mixture into chicken with your fingers to make sure the coating sticks.
• Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up!) with a baking rack on top that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly spray chicken with non-stick cooking spray for extra crispiness (optional...we did not ). Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until juices run clear. Broil until coconut is nicely golden, and panko crisp, but still light in color.
• To make the Mango Honey Dip, place all the ingredients in a blender, starting with just 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes and process until smooth. Taste and add additional red pepper flakes as desired

When we made this, I found the sauce to be a little too garlicky (is there really such a thing?  Blasphemy, I know!), so I'd scale back just a  smidgen.  These were crispy, light, perfectly-seasoned and really, really great.  You guessed it, they went into the Make Again pile!

I've tried doing a pecan crusted fish before, and never quite got it right.  Seemed like the pecans always got burned before the fish was done.  Blending the nuts with the other dredging ingredients made a huge difference.  In my opinion.

Try them and let me know what you think!



Next up in this buffet of recipes...Taco Pizza.  Sounds good enough, right?  Let's take two things we really like and smush them together.  And, you may recall, Mark and I had a Fall Flavor Pizza Friday thing going on throughout the fall (as the name clearly states, duh!).  We figured we'd add this one to the list.

For me, this one didn't earn an immediate spot in the Make Again pile, but I do think we'll try it again, making adjustments here and there.  So, here it is!

What You'll Need:

Taco Meat:

• 1 pound ground beef (I prefer ground chuck)
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 15 oz can pinto beans (no salt added)
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ⅔ Cup water

Taco pizza sauce:

• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 can thin crust pizza dough
• 3 cups shredded cheddar & monterey jack cheese blend
• toppings: diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, sour cream, taco sauce, etc.

What You'll Do:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef over medium heat in skillet. Drain fat, add in the pinto beans and seasonings for the taco meat. Mix and let the seasonings coat the meat and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add in the water, allow mixture to simmer over medium low heat.
• While browning the meat, get the taco pizza sauce ready by placing all ingredients in a small sauce pan, mix, cover and let simmer until ready to assemble pizza, stirring occasionally.
• While the taco meat and sauce is simmering, per the direction on the back of the pizza crust, pre-bake the dough. After the first baking, layer as much sauce as you like on the pizza crust. Add about ⅔ of the meat mixture on top (try not to get too much of the meat's sauce or the crust might come out soggy.) Layer on the cheese evenly, back for an additional 10 minutes or per the directions on the back of the pizza crust can, until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
• Top with your favorite pizza garnishes, cut, serve and enjoy! 

I am not quite sure what it was about this dish that didn't quite work for me, but it had all the right elements and flavors.  Maybe it was a little too wet to stand up to the thin crust?  Maybe it was too heavy, again, making the crust seem wimpy.  I'm not sure, but, as I said, I'll probably give it another go at some point and modify as I do.    

Moving back into the realm of chicken--because that darn bird is pretty much the star of every meal around here!--I bring you Honey Lemon Ginger Chicken.  Two things sold me on this immediately; the author of the recipe is someone named Alyssa (awe!) and there are two--TWO!!--steps in the What You'll Do section.  Yeah.  That is a meal I can get behind.  Let me tell you about it.

What You'll Need:

• 3 boneless chicken breasts, (about 1½ pounds)
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• ½ cup honey
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• zest from one lemon
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

What You'll Do:

• In a medium saucepan, add olive oil, minced garlic, and ginger. Sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes and add honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer and thicken while cooking chicken.
• Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and add to a medium skillet. Cook about 4-5 minutes until no longer pink in center and the outside is starting to brown. Add the sauce to the chicken and toss to coat.

Okay, I'll add two more steps if you don't mind.  Make a nice little bed of some good brown rice, maybe some asparagus or snap peas and serve this on top.  Then enjoy.  Wait, is that a third step?  Oh, I don't know.  And really, does it matter?  Bottom line, this dish had tons of fresh, bright flavors and was really light and delicious.


Want more ways to prepare and serve chicken?  Why yes, more chicken recipes I shall share with you.  I'm not a fan of wings--I feel like I've covered this before.  And hot sauce isn't a condiment of choice for me.  That said, the Buffalo Chicken Chili recipe that we make regularly and these yummy stuffed chicken breasts are solid attempts at winning me over. 


These are easy to put together, yet look impressive when plated.  You know what Rachel Ray would say..."That's a meal you could entertain with."  And it is, really.  Add a lovely side salad and maybe a warm veggie and you're good to go.

Here's how it's done.  Oh, and did I mention these are from Skinny Taste?  So that's a great thing, right?

What You'll Need:

• 1/4 cup shredded 2% cheddar
• 4 wedges light Laughing Cow blue cheese 
• 1/3 cup celery stalk, minced
• 1/4 cup green onion, minced
• 1/4 cup carrot, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 5 (3 oz each) thin boneless chicken breasts cutlets
• 15 reduced fat Ritz Crackers, crushed into crumbs
• 1 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 6 tbsp Franks hot sauce
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp light butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• cooking spray

What You'll Do:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a baking dish with oil.

Mix cheddar, laughing cow cheese, celery, green onion, carrot, salt and pepper in a dish.


Lay out the chicken cutlets, placing even amount of mixture in the middle and spread in the center.
In one bowl make a breading station out of crushed ritz crumbs. In another bowl combine mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of hot sauce, and lemon juice as a dredging mixture.
Roll chicken breasts in the mayonnaise mixture, then into cracker crumbs, and put on a lightly greased pan, seam side down.

Lightly spray top of chicken with cooking spray. Bake 30 minutes. While the chicken cooks, melt butter and mix with the remaining hot sauce and garlic powder. Drizzle buffalo sauce over finished chicken breast and serve. 

I was skeptical that these would stay together nicely and worried that they wouldn't be crispy.  Happily proved wrong, I tossed this into the Make Again pile and have gone back to it more than once.  It satisfies that need for "bar food" but doesn't wreck our plans to eat pretty well.  I'll take it!

 And speaking of bar food...what's more bar foody than a good ole burger, right?  Well, move over burger on a bun and make way for burger in a bowl.  Say what?  Yes, Cheeseburger Casserole.  Another recipe found on a Skinny Taste-esque site. 

Confession; I gave up pasta for Lent as I do pretty much every year.  But when Mark decided to make this for Valentine's Day, I didn't have the heart (pun not intended) to tell him it wasn't an option.  And yes, that was a little self-serving, too because I do really like this dish.  It's cozy, comforting, fun and easy to throw together.  

What You'll Need:

• 2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni, uncooked(whole wheat)
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 lb lean ground beef (we used turkey to clean it up some)
• ½ tsp burger seasoning*
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 — 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 cups reduced-fat, shredded cheddar cheese
Optional:
• ¼ cup hamburger dill chips, chopped

What You'll Do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 9" x 13" casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large stock pot, cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
• In a medium skillet, add olive oil and cook onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes.
• Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add salt, pepper and burger seasoning to ground beef while cooking.
• Add in tomatoes, tomato paste and mustard.
• Allow the mixture to cook and thicken until bubbly.
• Add the pasta to sauce and mix to cover evenly.
• Transfer mixture to casserole dish.
• Top with cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Remove from oven and top with chopped dill pickles before serving (optional--but highly recommended).
  
  *Burger seasoning?  Uhhh, we made it up.  Added a dash of Worcestershire sauce, less than a dash of yellow mustard and some kind of steak seasoning that we had in the cabinet.  Tasted just fine to me!
  
  And normally, the dill pickle I get with a sandwich goes straight to Mark.  But for some reason, the little bits of pickle on top of this, for me, make the dish.  They really do.  Don't know exactly why, but let's leave it as optional shmoptional.

 
And thus concludes our veritable buffet of random recipes...also known as "this is what happens when I get a little behind in sharing on my blog and I do hope you'll forgive me."  Buffet is easier to type than all of that.




And I mentioned that we are still on the whole "eat pretty clean" thing.  Still going well, still making it work.  And it is work.  Sure, it gets a little easier here and there, but overall, we're committed to eating as well as we can so that we can enjoy how we look and feel.  And that's not vanity, necessarily.  That's the reality of the situation.  Being smart about what we eat means feeling our very best.  Feeling better means living better and what's wrong with that?  Nothing!

Looking and feeling our best lasts a heck of a lot longer than the momentary feel good that you get from a gooey dessert.  Mmmm, gooey desserts.  I feel like I owe you some posts in that category, what do you think?  I promise; I've got some that are decidely gooey yet still damn healthy.  In fact, I think I'll go make myself a dessert shake right now. 

Cheers, and thanks again for coming along.  Love having you stop by and love knowing you enjoy visiting.  Tell a friend next time; you're all welcome!