Chicken and Summer Vegetable Baked Ziti

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Baked Ziti

This is a great basic recipe for an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love.  A satisfying, creamy cheesy meal that is surprisingly low calorie-and a great way to get some extra vegetables into your diet!  The vegetables can be substituted for whatever you have on hand, mushrooms, green peppers, eggplant or spinach would all be great in this dish.  You can make this with the chicken, or leave it out for a hearty meatless option.   

We recommend cooking and eating from home most often, and this can easily be made ahead of time and heated just before dinner time for those busy afternoons and evenings when you just don't feel like cooking!  Simply assemble the dish and freeze or refrigerate without cooking it in the oven.  Before serving, thaw (if frozen) and bake as directed.  

4 ounces uncooked whole wheat ziti

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow squash

1 cup chopped zucchini

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cups chopped tomato

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

1 Tbsp The Delicious Dietitian Italian Spice Blend

1/4 cup (2 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

Fresh  Uncooked Chicken 3- 4 breast

2 Tbsp of The Delicious Dietitian White Muscadine Wine Vinegar

2 Tbsp of Olive Oil

1 Tbsp of The Delicious Dietitian Italian Spice Blend

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

2. Preheat oven to 400°.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add squash, zucchini, and onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and spice blend.

*Chicken (Omit if preparing vegetarian)

Combine vinegar, oil and spice blend together.

Place chicken in a plastic bag and pour marinade over meat until evenly covered.

Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.

Saute chicken in pan for about 12 minutes, flipping half way through cooking.

Slice chicken and add to dish

4. Combine ricotta, remaining spice blend, and egg whites. Stir into pasta mixture. Spoon into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Whether you are celebrating the beginning of college football season and tailgating or celebrating Labor Day, this yummy appetizer will be sure to please!  To save time, you can use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.  

CREOLE BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP: 

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
2 packages reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup 2% cheese
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1⁄4 cup apple wine vinegar
1 tbsp Creole spice blend
1⁄2 chopped small white onion 
1 tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350. Whisk together olive oil, apple vinegar, Creole spice blend, onion and brown sugar. In a medium bowl mix together shredded chicken and oil and vinegar. Next, spread the cream cheese on the bottom of an 8x10 baking dish. Spread the chicken mixture evenly over the cream cheese. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Serve with Reduced fat Wheat Thins or Triscuits. 

Back to School Breakfast

We always hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it seems to become an afterthought in the busy morning routine.  Make sure your family gets off to the right start this school year.  This quick and easy breakfast provides plenty of protein to keep your student full and complex carbohydrates for energy.  Best of all, this breakfast can be prepared in under 10 minutes; serve with a glass of low fat milk, and your little scholar will be good to go until lunchtime!

Egg in a Hole

Ingredients

• 2  slices  whole-wheat bread

• 1/2   tablespoon  butter, softened

• 2  large eggs 

• kosher salt and pepper                                                   

• Non-fat cooking spray

• 1  cup berries (such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries)

• 1  cup Greek yogurt

2 Servings

• 
  

• Directions
• Spread the top of each slice of bread with ¼ tablespoon each of the butter. Using a round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut a 2½- to 3-inch hole in the center of each slice of bread, reserving the cutout pieces.
• 
  
• Spray a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet with cooking spray,  over medium heat. Place the bread and the cutouts, buttered-side up, in the skillet. Crack 1 egg into each hole. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until the underside of the bread is golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook the egg to desired doneness, 1 to 2 minutes for a runny yolk.
• 
  
• Divide the berries and yogurt between two bowls. Serve with the eggs.

Recipe Adapted from RealSimple.com

Citrus Fish Tacos

These fish tacos are a great way to incorporate fish into an easy weeknight dinner.  Fish is an excellent option for quick meals--it cooks quickly and is a relatively low calorie way to get in some valuable protein.  Use a white, flakey fish for this recipe: snapper or tilapia work great!  




For the fish: 


1 lime, juice and zest (about 2 Tbsp juice)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp The Delicious Dietitian Seafood Spice Blend
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
Pepper to taste


For the slaw: 


1 head green cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup The Delicious Dietitian White Muscadine Vinegar
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
1 Tbsp Splenda or honey


6 inch flour or corn tortillas
Avocado (optional)

Fish:

Cut the fish into strips. Combine the fish with the lime zest and juice, garlic, oil and spice blend, in a medium bowl. Marinate 20 minutes. This can be done a day ahead, covered and refrigerated.

Slaw:

• Combine the cabbage, red and green onion in a glass or plastic bowl.  In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, Splenda/honey and oil. Add to the cabbage mixture and toss until well dressed. If using within a couple of hours let it sit at room temperature, if making this ahead, refrigerate until ready to use.  This slaw is delicious fresh, but letting it sit for a day allows the flavors to really develop!

Remove the fish from the marinade and grill on a preheated grill or nonstick grill pan over a medium-high heat until cooked thorough, about 3 minutes per side. Set the fish aside on a plate for 5 minutes.

Heat tortillas on grill or grill pan until warm.  

Place fish in center of tortilla, top with slaw and avocado.  Enjoy!

Okra and Tomatoes

Nothing says summer like juicy, ripe tomatoes, especially when they are picked straight out of the garden.  For this yummy recipe that features two summertime standouts, visit your local farmer's market (or neighbor's garden, if you're lucky) for the freshest, most delicious okra and tomatoes.  

This dish is delicious with sautéed shrimp and grits, or as a colorful side to grilled chicken.  

Ingredients

• 4 slices 40% less fat bacon, diced into small pieces
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoons The Delicious Dietitian Tomato Wine Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2.5 cups fresh okra, cut into 1-inch pieces 
• 1 tablespoon The Delicious Dietitian Southern All Purpose Spice Blend
• Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Cook bacon slightly. Saute onion and garlic with bacon until tender. Add tomatoes, sugar, spice blend and pepper. Stir well and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed. Meanwhile wash okra and remove fuzz if using fresh and cut into pieces. Add the okra and simmer until okra is done, about 20 more minutes.  

July Fourth Barbecue Sandwich

Celebrate Independence Day with a fantastic spin on a traditional barbecue sandwich.  This crowd pleaser is sure to leave guests asking for more!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and chopped
• 2 cups sliced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
• 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup The Delicious Dietitian Apple Wine Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons The Delicious Dietitian Apple Wine Vinegar
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
• 6 (1 1/2-ounce) whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted
• Preparation
• 1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 2 minutes. Add onion to pan; cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup vinegar to pan. Reduce heat to medium. Uncover and cook an additional 15 minutes or until pork is tender, stirring frequently.
• 2. Combine olive oil and 2 teaspoons vinegar in a medium bowl. Add green and red cabbage; toss gently to coat.
• 3.  Spread buns with canola oil blend mayo, top with pork and slaw.  Enjoy!

Road Trip (snacking)!

On the road for a recent trip, I was reminded of the few and far between healthy choices for meals and snacks on the road.  To avoid calorie overload and multiple sugar bombs, a little planning ahead is crucial for eating well while traveling.

Snacking on the road can pass the time and keep passengers happy for the long haul, but convenience store foods often leave much to be desired nutritionally.  Instead of opting for gas station junk foods, pack some snacks that will curb hunger and prevent over-indulgence.

Snack bars (such as Kashi), apples, oranges, bananas, single servings of peanut butter with whole grain crackers, or trail mix are all great options to keep stocked in the car.  These snacks provide protein to help keep hungry passengers full until the next stop, and complex carbohydrates to prevent the dreaded sugar rush.  For longer trips, pack a small ice chest with string cheese, berries, hummus or Greek yogurt to add some variety to snacking.

Plan times to stop for meals ahead of time, so you are never going too long without eating something.  When we try to stretch it out "just a few more miles", by the time you finally stop, resolve is weak, and you may be tempted to grab a fatty, sugary, salty fast food meal. Plan ahead and try to find information about restaurants on your route where you can find healthy options If you must go the fast food route, maintain your portion control, choose a restaurant that offers sides other than fries, and order water or unsweetened tea to drink.  A better choice for long trips is to pack some sandwiches or wraps to tide you over until you reach your destination.