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lighter healthy pretzel-crusted mustard chicken breast

Lighter Pretzel-Crusted Chicken

March 1, 2012 ·

Like most people it seems, I am always on the look out for healthy, easy and delicious ways to cook chicken. This Lighter Pretzel-Crusted Chicken is all of the above, is figure-friendly, family-friendly, and also easily halved to yield 2 servings.

No oil or butter helps make this a lighter and healthier version of a breaded chicken. Chicken breast cutlets, or tenders, are dipped in an egg white and honey mustard mixture and then “breaded” with crushed pretzels. A little cheese helps the pretzels adhere, and some seasoning rounds out the flavors quite nicely. Served with a side salad or crudites, Lighter Pretzel-Crusted Chicken is as good, and good for you, as it is easy, and comes in around 200 calories. Enjoy!

Lighter Pretzel-Crusted Chicken

This is one of our frequent go-to dinners for when we need something quick, easy and healthy.

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 4-ounce chicken breast cutlets (about ¼" thickness) or 1 pound chicken breast tenders
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons honey mustard or Dijon mustard
1½ cups pretzels, crushed (yields approx. 1 cup)
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.
In a shallow bowl, whisk egg whites and honey mustard.
In another shallow bowl, mix pretzels, cheese, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Dip a chicken breast in egg mixture. Then dip the chicken in the pretzel mixture, pressing the coating to help it adhere and making sure both sides get well-coated. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Spray tops of chicken lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until pretzel coating is browned and chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve immediately.

Notes

Adapted from Eat Better America

Filed Under: Favorites, healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, chicken, dinner, easy, low fat, pretzels, quick

Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Pancakes with Blackberry Sauce

February 28, 2012 ·

Since blueberries are not quite in season, I decided to put a twist on my Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and make Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Pancakes. I thought they deserved a suitable accompaniment. As luck would have it, Trader Joe’s had in stock their mega containers of blackberries. Score!

Since I was planning to top the pancakes with lightly-sweetened berries, I decided to reduce the sugar. Otherwise I stayed pretty true to the recipe. The sauce is very simple and can be made ahead, which is very nice.

Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Pancakes are a nice burst of lemony goodness. They are higher in protein, made with whole wheat flour, and delicious on their own. When topped with a lightly-sweetened blackberry sauce, they are extraordinary.

Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Pancakes with Blackberry Sauce

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

Sauce:
16 ounces blackberries (fresh or frozen)
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pancakes:
15 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
zest of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
cooking spray
confectioners' sugar, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Sauce: In a medium sauce pan, bring blackberries, water and sugar to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Pour into a strainer (or colander with smaller holes) to drain excess water. Put drained blackberry mixture into a bowl and stir in lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Pancakes: In a medium bowl. whisk together ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, juice and vanilla extract.
Fold in flour until just combined; add poppy seeds, gently mixing until combined.
Spray large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-low heat. Add batter, using a scant ¼ cup for each pancake. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve hot, with confectioners' sugar or maple syrup, if desired.

Pancakes adapted from my Whole Wheat Blueberry Lemon Pancakes;
Sauce adapted from Eating Well

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: blackberries, easy, lemon, pancakes, poppyseed, ricotta, topping, whole wheat

Raisin Bran Muffins

February 21, 2012 ·

These Raisin Bran Muffins come from a cookbook called Kids Cooking: A Very Slightly Messy Manual, by Klutz Press. I received this book as a gift when I was about 10 years old. The book is obviously geared toward kids with recipes using basic ingredients ~ some with silly names or interesting concepts (for example Tuna Cones, i.e. tuna in an ice cream cone. Hmm…)

Anyway, these Raisin Bran Muffins were always a favorite and probably the most made recipe from that book. They taste just like you would expect – raisin bran in muffin form. I thought they would be a fun treat to make for Adam, only this time I decided to enhance the recipe with some vanilla, cinnamon and extra raisins. I had no idea how much he would love them! Adam is lukewarm about raisins alone, but the raisins in these muffins he loves. Go figure.

Raisin Bran Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

2 cups raisin bran cereal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup raisins
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir raisin brain cereal, flours, sugar, raisins, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Mix egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla until combined. Add to the dry ingredients and fold gently until combined (do not over mix).
Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 18-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Put muffins on a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Kids Cooking: A Very Slightly Messy Manual by Klutz Press

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, bran, brunch, buttermilk, easy, low fat, muffins, quick, raisin, snack

Lighter Sesame Chicken

February 16, 2012 ·

This Lighter Sesame Chicken recipe is an easy-to-make, healthier version of a take-out favorite. Lean chicken breast is coated with a light sesame and honey sauce, and served over rice and steamed broccoli.

Lighter Sesame Chicken | alidaskitchen.com

This Lighter Sesame Chicken dish has been a staple around our house for years and is truly one of our favorite chicken dishes. It is easy to make, using ingredients you most likely already have at home. The recipe also halves easily, making a nice dinner for 2….

Filed Under: Favorites, gluten free, healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: asian, broccoli, chicken, dinner, easy, light, lunch, rice

healthy whole wheat buttermilk chocolate pancakes

Whole Wheat Chocolate Pancakes

February 14, 2012 ·

Happy Valentine’s Day! I could not think of a better way to honor this day with you than dishing up a plate of these Whole Wheat Chocolate Pancakes. Along with a cup of joe and a dish of fresh berries, these pancakes make a wonderful breakfast treat and are not as bad for you as you might think. A healthy stack comes in around 200 calories, is low in fat, made with 100% whole wheat flour and high in fiber. I’d say that’s not bad!

These pancakes are nice and light, making them perfect for breakfast, though they can certainly be dressed up for dessert as well. They are not overly sweet, which I like because you can easily adjust the sweetness to your preference with your choice of toppings. We actually enjoyed them plain, but a sprinkle of powdered sugar and some fresh berries is also delicious. Chocolate sauce, whipped cream and chocolate chips would definitely takes these over the top (making them more dessert-like and less healthy, of course). The options are endless, which is always part of the fun. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Pancakes

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
½ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons brewed coffee (I used some from my morning decaf)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (I used light butter)
Cooking spray
Strawberries (optional, for topping)
Powdered sugar (optional, for topping)

Instructions

In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, coffee, vanilla and butter.
Add buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and fold until blended (there may be some lumps). Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Preheat non-stick skillet over medium and then spray with cooking spray. Pour batter in skillet by the ¼ cupful and cook until bubbles appear (about 3 minutes). Flip and cook on the other side until done (about 2-3 minutes). Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with fresh berries and powdered sugar, as desired.

Adapted from Kiwi, Jan/Feb 2011

Filed Under: breakfast, dessert, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baby/toddler, brunch, chocolate, easy, low fat, pancakes, quick

easy warm chocolate pudding cakes with a toasted marshmallow

Marshmallow-Topped Chocolate Pudding Cakes

February 10, 2012 ·

Now I always strive to share healthier recipes with you, but when I saw Marshmallow-Topped Chocolate Pudding Cakes in the latest issue of All You, I could not resist. Chocolate pudding cake is enough to make me swoon, but add a melty toasted marshmallow on top…are you kidding me? Must make pronto!

Fortunately I had everything on hand, and it all seemed easy enough. I have 7-ounce ramekins instead of 6-ounce per the original recipe, but figured that wouldn’t be a big deal. Then I decided it was necessary to test the make-ahead capability of this recipe. Let’s just say when I told Mike that we would be having pudding cakes with a marshmallow on top two days in a row, there was very little arm-twisting involved.

To be honest, I cannot remember what we had for dinner that night, what I did the next day or anything in between, but I do remember every single little bite of these pudding cakes. The chocolate is perfectly dark and decadant. The marshmallow oozes and provides a nice sweetness to complement the chocolate. Plus, they’re cute. For a special occasion, such as Valentine’s Day, or any celebratory occasion, Marshmallow-Topped Chocolate Pudding Cakes will rock your world. Perfect to make-ahead for guests, for yourselves, for whatever reason suits you.

Marshmallow-Topped Chocolate Pudding Cakes

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
5 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet choocolate, finely chopped
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
4 large marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 4 6-ounce (or 7-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet. Set aside.
Put butter and chocolate in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until almost melted (about 1 to 2 minutes). Stir until smooth. Mix in flour and set aside to cool.
With an electric mixer (hand or stand) on medium-high, beat sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt for about 5 minutes, until smooth and frothy. Fold in chocolate mixture. Divide batter among ramekins.
Bake until cakes have risen and cracked on top but wet in center (12 to 15 minutes). Do not overbake.
Press a marshmallow in the top of the cake. Set your oven to broil and broil cakes until marshmallow is puffy and starts to brown (keep an eye on it, but about 2 minutes). Put on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Cakes can be made ahead through step 3 and stored (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Baking time does not need to be adjusted, just keep an eye on the cakes.

Adapted from All You, Feb 2012

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: cake, chocolate, easy, entertaining, holiday, make ahead, marshmallow, pudding, valentine's

Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles

February 8, 2012 ·

I have never been one to do much for Valentine’s Day, but I am happy to have any reason to cook or bake something special. Or in the case of these truffles, to mix, roll, and chill something special. These tasty truffles are not only easy and a healthier option, but are made using a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

We all know that chocolate and peanut butter are wonderful together. Add pretzels, and you have the ultimate salty-sweet combination. Toss in a little flaxseed for good measure, and voila! Delicious little Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles. These are the perfect little treat for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day, or for yourself any day simply because you are worth it!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles

Yields: 16 truffles

Ingredients

½ cup chunky natural peanut butter
½ cup pretzels, crushed (this yields approx. ¼ cup once crushed)
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
½ cup chocolate chips, melted
sprinkles (optional, for topping)
chopped peanuts (optional, for topping)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, crushed pretzels and flaxseed until combined. Put in the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour (until mixture is solid).
Roll a small rounded teaspoonful of peanut butter mixture in your hands to form a ball. Place ball on small tray (or plate) lined with parchment or waxed paper. Repeat until all mixture is used. Put tray in freezer until firm, at least 1 hour (I often do this overnight).
Working quickly, dip the frozen balls in melted chocolate and place back on parchment-lined tray. (Note: using 2 forks to dip and pass the balls in the chocolate works well). Top with sprinkles or chopped peanuts, if desired. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, at least 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Notes

1) When working with natural peanut butter, I recommend microwaving it in the jar (as long as the jar is glass) for about 30 seconds. All natural, easily stirred peanut butter.
2) When melting chocolate chips in the microwave, always remember less is more. Cook it on low power in 30-second intervals until chips just start to melt. Then stir to finish melting. Work quickly to dip the truffles.

Adapted from Eating Well

Filed Under: dessert, gluten free, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: candy, chilled, chocolate, easy, flaxseed, holiday, no bake, peanut butter, pretzels, snack, truffle, valentine's

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

February 6, 2012 ·

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, I will be featuring a few chocolate recipes this week. Of course a little breakfast chocolate is the perfect way to start off any week. These muffins are more than just a little breakfast chocolate though. They are chocolate on chocolate. A chocolate muffin studded with chocolate chips topped with chocolate chips. What could be better? Well, they come in under 200 calories and are low fat – a true breakfast treat!

The original recipe uses red wine vinegar and water, which I thought was intriguing. Red wine vinegar in baked goods? I had to try it! I did, and it was good. BUT…I have since revised the recipe to replace the vinegar/water with buttermilk. Nothing compares to the flavor and texture that buttermilk gives to baked goods, and in these muffins that is no exception. I also replaced some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat in order to bump up the nutrition level a bit.

For a little variety, it is fun to change up the chips with different flavors (peanut butter chips anyone?) but I always find myself coming back to the mini chocolate chips. Mini chips give the illusion of more chocolate per bite since there are more bits throughout. A little more for less kind of thing.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (or spray muffin tin with cooking spray).
In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and egg. Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, gently folding until just combined.
Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with remaning 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: brunch, buttermilk, chocolate, easy, holiday, low fat, muffins, quick, snack, valentine's, whole wheat

healthy cheesy potato soup with broccoli

Lighter Cheesy Potato Soup with Broccoli

January 31, 2012 ·

So I just logged in to do a final proofread of this Cheesy Potato Soup recipe, and my post was gone. Blank. Nothing. It was my best post ever. It was witty and insightful, delivered a life-changing message – all. gone. Seriously folks…my mommy brain cannot recreate the greatness of that post, so I will simply cut to the chase and get to the real reason why you’re here…the soup!

Lighter Cheesy Potato Soup is one of the tastiest soups I’ve ever had and is also very easy to make. Win-win if you ask me! I decided to add some broccoli for color and to bump up the nutrition level. I also added more cheese than called for in the original recipe. For the love of cheese, it’s a ‘cheesy’ soup! We’re using reduced-fat cheese here, so this only adds 45 calories per serving. It is worth every bit, trust me.

The result is a light and healthy soup, filled with perfectly tender potatoes, vitamin-packed broccoli and calcium-rich cheese. Mike noted the consistency was just perfect for a cheese soup – not heavy, drips off the spoon nicely. I’d say this is a keeper for sure!

Lighter Cheesy Potato Soup with Broccoli

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chopped red potato (about 1 pound)
3-4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 stalk)
1¼ cups skim milk (or 1%)
¾ cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
½ cup water
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced fat (2%) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons chopped green onions (optional)

Instructions

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring onion mixture constantly.
Add potato, broccoli, milk, broth and water to pan; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Add cheese, cayenne pepper, cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat immediately once cheese has melted. Top each serving with chopped green onions, if desired.

Adapted from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb, 2012

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, Recipes, soup, vegetarian Tagged With: broccoli, cheddar, cheese, cooking light, easy, potatoes, quick

Chewy Sugar Cookies

January 27, 2012 ·

Everybody needs a go-to recipe for a classic sugar cookie. While these Chewy Sugar Cookies will never trump my grandma’s melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies, this is the ultimate chewy sugar cookie recipe. The texture is chewy (obviously), the flavor is unbeatable, they have that perfect crackly top, and they’re easy to make. Can’t beat that! The key to making these chewy is to be sure to flatten to no bigger than 2-inch diameter and not to overbake. Otherwise you may end up with a crispier sugar cookie, which frankly is really not a bad thing. The flavor of these cookies is so incredible, they are good chewy or crispy.

Chewy Sugar Cookies

Yields: 24 cookies

Ingredients

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups sugar, plus ⅓ cup for rolling
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into 12 pieces (I used ⅓ less fat cream cheese)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and hot
⅓ cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk (I used skim)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place ⅓ cup sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside (this will be used for rolling).
In a medium bowl, whick the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add 1½ cups sugar and cream cheese. Pour butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk to combine (some small lumps may remain). Whisk in oil until incorporated. Add egg, milk and vanilla; continue to whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix with rubber spatula until dough forms.
Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Using hands, roll dough into balls. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat and place on prepared baking sheets, 12 balls per sheet. Using bottom of drinking glass, flatten balls until 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle tops evenly with sugar remaining in shallow dish (discard any remaining sugar).
Bake 1 tray at a time until edges are set and beginning to brown, about 11 to 13 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Source: The Best of America’s Test Kitchen: Best Recipes and Reviews 2012