A Breezy Summer Chicken Salad

4 servings

1 head Green Leaf Lettuce

1 cup baby carrots (chopped or sliced)

1 ripe tomato (chopped or sliced)

1 can mandarin oranges

1 cup seedless red grapes

1 ripe banana (sliced)

1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup sliced almonds

4 chicken breast filets (grilled or baked)

Place chicken in baking dish and sprinkle lightly with Lea & Perrins Worchestershire. Bake (or grill) at 350 for 45 minutes. While chicken is baking, combine lettuce, carrots, and tomato. Slice baked or grilled chicken into strips and place on top of salad. Add fruit on top, then sprinkle with sunflower seeds and almonds. Top with low-fat or no-fat poppy seed or honey mustard dressing. ENJOY!

Lemon-Roasted Chicken with Arugula Salad and Dilled Orzo

Prep: 15 minutes Total: 35 minutes

Work on the orzo and salad while the chicken roasts -- the whole meal will hit the table in about a half hour. When cut into small pieces and roasted at high heat, even bone-in chicken cooks quickly. Buy a cut-up chicken, and divide the breast halves into two at home.

Ingredients

Serves 4.

• 1 chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), cut into 10 pieces
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup orzo
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 3 bunches arugula (12 to 16 ounces total), thick stems removed, washed well

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set a large saucepan of water to boil.
2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss together chicken, garlic, lemons, oregano, and 1 teaspoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast chicken, skin side up, until golden and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, generously salt boiling water. Add orzo, and cook until al dente; drain well, and return to saucepan. Add dill and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper, and mix gently to combine.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. When chicken and orzo are ready, add arugula to bowl; toss to coat. Drizzle chicken with pan juices, and serve with lemon wedges, orzo, and arugula salad.

15 Minute Fajitas

2 servings

You will need:

2 boneless,skinless chicken breasts(sliced into strips)

chopped bell pepper/onion,(about 1/2 cup each)

low-sodium fajita seasoning packet

1 can fat-free refried beans

whole-wheat tortillas

Stir fry the chicken in about 2 table spoons of olive oil until thouroughly cooked. Add the peppers and onions along with the fajita seasoning packet and about 1/2 cup of water. Simmer for a minute or two. Have the tortillas warmed and the refried beans heated. Spread the chicken,onions, and peppers onto the tortilla. Add a tblsp. of the refried beans and garnish with fat free cheese or sour cream if you like.

You can vary this recipe to include beef, shrimp, tomatoes, or mushrooms. Use your imagination!

Healthy Chicken Foil Dinner

Chicken Breast/Tenderloins
Zucchini, diced
Tomatoes, diced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lemon Pepper
Oregano
Potatoes (diced VERY small)
Shredded mozzarella cheese

375^o F for about 35 min or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle

Lay your foil down and drizzle E.V.O.O. down on it, then compile these ingredients to taste. You can add whatever spices you want, Walter and I change it up every time. This is diet-worthy and tastes great! We didn’t originally do potatoes and still like it a lot. It’s just an idea, but something to consider for sure! In fact, you could even just cook this over the stove without the potatoes and it would be good too. It's foil dinners, so everything here is by eye and change change up according to how much you like of everything.

Butternut Squash Soup with Warm Mediterranean Chicken/Tofu Salad

Soup: (4-6 servings)

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds)

1 medium onion - chopped (1cup)

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger - grated

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1-2 cups water, as needed

1 Tablespoon fresh sage

Salad: (2 servings)

2 (4-ounce) chicken breasts

1 medium zucchini

1 medium yellow squash

1 medium red onion

1 garlic clove - minced

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme - chopped

1/2 cup corn - fresh or frozen

2 cups chopped lettuce of your choosing

2 Tablespoon semi-sun dried tomatoes - chopped

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Season with salt and pepper and fresh thyme. Spray roasting pan with oil and arrange seasoned squash cut side down and roast. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until tender.

While squash is roasting, dice the zucchini, yellow squash, onion and chicken in ¼-inch pieces. In a medium-hot pan, sauté seasoned diced chicken for three to four minutes. Add diced vegetables, corn, garlic and thyme and continue to cook until vegetables are tender but not over-cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once ready, remove and cool. Meanwhile heat two cups of stock. For the soup, sauté the onion and ginger over moderate heat for about five minutes or until onion is tender. Add onion and ginger to the warming stock and simmer. When squash is cooked, scrape pulp from the skin and add to the broth. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree in batches with chopped sage until smooth. Add more stock to achieve desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, toss salad mixture with chopped lettuce and tomatoes. Add a splash of olive oil and some fresh lemon juice. This recipe takes a little preparation and although the entire cooking process doesn't take long, doing some work in advance is helpful.

Honey Almond Oatmeal with Spinach, Mushroom and Pepper Omelette

1 cup dried oatmeal

1 cup skim or fat-free milk

2 Tablespoon slivered raw almonds

2 teaspoons honey

5 egg whites, 1 whole egg

4 cups baby spinach (raw, cooked, frozen, fresh?)

1 cup fresh button mushrooms-sliced

1 medium red pepper-diced

In a medium hot pan add diced red pepper and sauté for three minutes. Add mushrooms to pan and continue cooking for an additional three to four minutes. Add spinach and garlic to pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from pan and set aside.

Begin cooking oatmeal in water on medium heat. Do not boil. Stir occasionally. Add half beaten egg mixture to half the vegetable mixture, return to sauté pan and season with salt and pepper. (You can make the entire egg mixture and cut in half when serving.)

When serving oatmeal, drizzle some honey and sprinkle some almonds on each serving.

TIP: To add variety to this dish, you can simply add one serving of protein powder to your oatmeal while cooking. This will offer a number of variations in flavor and also ensures you get the appropriate portion of protein-to-carbohydrate ratio. It is especially useful if you don't have enough time to prepare the omelet.

Vegetable and Sausage Fritata

1 medium red pepper -diced

1 medium yellow pepper-diced

1 cup button mushrooms-sliced

1 medium red onion-diced

1/2 pound cooked potatoes-diced

1/2 pound cooked turkey sausage

6 egg whites, 1 whole egg

1 clove garlic chopped

Basil and thyme to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium hot sauté pan, sauté peppers and onion for approximately five minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and continue to cook (for how long?). Add chopped garlic and cooked potatoes to pan and mix all ingredients. Remove from heat and set to the side until later.

Sauté sausage in olive oil until browned (approximately 10 minutes) then season with salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients together with beaten eggs and herbs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.

In an oiled baking dish, add the vegetable mixture to the egg mixture and bake 20 to 25 minutes until eggs have set. Serve with a side of fresh fruit or berries.

TIP: Pre-heat the oiled baking dish in oven while preparing ingredients. This will ensure filling begins cooking immediately once it is put into the oven. The vegetarian alternative is to omit turkey sausage and replace with tofu or additional vegetables.

Turkey Bacon 'n' Egg Scramble, Hash Browns and Grilled Tomatoes

5 egg whites, 1 whole egg

4 slices turkey bacon

2 medium sweet potatoes

2 whole tomatoes

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes in 1/8. Toss potatoes with 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast on foiled and sprayed roasting tray for 15 minutes or until tender.
Cook bacon in the oven or under a broiler until crispy (approximately 10 minutes).

Once cooked, let stand on paper towel to drain the excess fat. Meanwhile, beat eggs and season with salt and pepper. Cut tomatoes in half, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with dried thyme. Broil tomatoes for approximately five to six minutes. Scramble eggs in a medium hot pan. Once done, add chopped bacon. Enjoy.