Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

I never much liked Brussels sprouts growing up. It wasn't something we ate often and its reputation as a "yucky" food didn't help much. In college, I attended a Thanksgiving dinner with another family and was served some Brussels sprouts in cream sauce. They were delicious. Here is a non-creamy, low-carb, still delicious way I now enjoy eating them. As an added bonus, the kids love it, too!

2 chicken boneless, skinless breasts (1 lb)
3 T oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2½ c Brussels sprouts, halved (8 oz)
¼ c chopped red pepper (1½ oz)
2 T lime juice
2 T soy sauce

1. Cook chicken in a large frying pan with 1 T oil over medium heat until juices run clear, turning once (about 15 min)
2. Remove chicken from pan and add garlic, sprouts, and peppers, sauté for one minute or until garlic is fragrant
3. Add remaining coconut oil, lime juice, and soy sauce; cover and let cook for 5-7 minutes or until sprouts are just tender
4. Cut chicken into 1- to 2- inch pieces and add back to the pan
5. Continue to cook, uncovered until the sauce thickens (about 5 min)

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size ¼ recipe (approx. 1 c) Serving per Recipe 4

Amount per Serving Calories 224 Total Fat 10.9 g   Saturated Fat 8.9 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g   Monounsaturated Fat 0.6 g Cholesterol 55 mg Sodium 696 mg Potassium 253 mg Total Carbohydrates 7.5 g   Dietary Fiber 2.5 g   Sugars 2.0 g Protein 25.7 g

Bacon Chicken Kiev

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Brats worked so well, I thought I'd branch out and try it with a non-pork-based meat product. I'd never made Chicken Kiev, or even eaten it, so when I looked up a few recipes, I was surprised to discover that the traditional method coats the chicken breast in breadcrumbs. I decided to skip that step entirely and just stick to the bacon.

2 cloves garlic
½ t salt
½ c butter, softened
2 T finely chopped parsley*
2 T finely chopped tarragon*
2 T finely chopped chives*
¼ t pepper
2 t lemon juice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1½ lbs)
8 slices bacon (½ lb)

1. Mash garlic with salt to form a paste.
2. Mix with butter, herbs, pepper, and lemon juice until well blended.
3. Roll into a log in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until solid.
4. Place chicken breasts one at a time in a gallon-size plastic bag and pound to about ¼-in thickness.
5. Cut herbed butter into 4 pieces. Wrap a flattened breast around each piece.
6. Roll bacon around breasts and secure with toothpicks.
7. Bake at 375°F for 45 min or until juices run clear.

*NOTE: You can also substitute 2 t dried herbs, crumbled between your fingers.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 breast Serving per Recipe 4

Amount per Serving Calories 451 Total Fat 31.7 g   Saturated Fat 17.4 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 1.8 g   Monounsaturated Fat 9.7 g Cholesterol 157 mg Sodium 1056 mg Potassium 127 mg Total Carbohydrates 1.6 g   Dietary Fiber 0.2 g   Sugars 0.1 g Protein 39.9 g

Cheesy Herbed Chicken

I was planning to make Mediterranean Meatballs with Tzatziki one night, but I hadn't gotten around to making a new batch of yogurt for the sauce. I ended up just making hamburgers. I figured I could make a Mediterranean herbed chicken and serve that with tzatziki instead. But when I still hadn't made yogurt several days later, I just tossed the ingredients for the meatballs in with the chicken and this was the result. Very yummy and no need to plan ahead with the yogurt.

¾ c minced onion (4 oz)
2 T fresh parsley (or 2 t dried)
1 t lemon pepper
¼ c oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1½ lbs)
½ c grated Romano (1 oz)

1. Mix together onions, parsley, lemon pepper, and oil. Marinate chicken breasts 10 min to overnight.
2. Bake on a metal rack over a baking pan at 400°F for 20 min.
3. Sprinkle cheese over each breast and continue cooking for another 15 min or until cooked through.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 breast Serving per Recipe 4

Amount per Serving Calories 333 Total Fat 17.3 g   Saturated Fat 4.1 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 4.4 g   Monounsaturated Fat 6.8 g Cholesterol 120 mg Sodium 162 mg Potassium 67 mg Total Carbohydrates 2.8 g   Dietary Fiber 0.6 g   Sugars 0.1 g Protein 42.6 g

Chicken Pesto Lasagna

I was looking to make a baked noodle dish with something other than a traditional tomato-based sauce. Pesto seemed like a good bet and chicken breasts were on sale this week. I mixed it all up, added a dash of low-carb garlic bechamel, and made a very rich and delicious lasagna. Adam even commented that maybe it was just a little too rich. I, of course, scoffed at the very idea and helped myself to a second serving.

3 T butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ c heavy cream
Pinch nutmeg
1 recipe Almond Noodles
1 recipe Spinach Walnut Pesto
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and thinly sliced
½ c grated Romano cheese (1 oz)

1. Melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 min.
2. Stir in cream and nutmeg. Simmer until thick, about 6-8 min, stirring frequently.
3. Layer noodles, pesto, chicken, and cream sauce in a 9x9 pan. Top with grated Romano.
4. Cover and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20-25 min or until edges have browned.
5. Let stand a few minutes before slicing.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 slice Serving per Recipe 9

Amount per Serving Calories 351 Total Fat 33.3 g   Saturated Fat 10.0 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 5.2 g   Monounsaturated Fat 16.0 g Cholesterol 101 mg Sodium 313 mg Potassium 254 mg Total Carbohydrates 4.9 g   Dietary Fiber 2.3 g   Sugars 1.0 g Protein 10.1 g

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

This is my has been my standard chicken salad recipe for a while now, with one small change: I usually make it with almonds. We had some extra pecans in the cupboard this week, so I threw those in instead. Positively delicious. I may be buying pecans regularly from now on just for this dish. My 6-year-old daughter ate half a recipe all by herself!

1 c diced apple (5 oz)
2½ c cooked diced chicken (12 oz)
½ c chopped pecans (2 oz)
½ c mayonnaise
1 t mustard
½ t salt
¼ t pepper

1. Stir all ingredients together until well blended.
2. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 c (¼ recipe) Serving per Recipe 4

Amount per Serving Calories 381 Total Fat 31.3 g   Saturated Fat 4.2 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 3.3 g   Monounsaturated Fat 6.1 g Cholesterol 57 mg Sodium 500 mg Potassium 298 mg Total Carbohydrates 4.3 g   Dietary Fiber 1.8 g   Sugars 0.6 g Protein 21.2 g

Peanut Chicken

As I began to create this dish in my head, I was intending it to be a basic Asian-style meal. When I started actually cooking, however, I discovered I didn't have all the ingredients I thought I had for authentic Asian flavor. So I changed my plan to Asian-West African Fusion, because that sounds classier than "what-I-had-in-my-fridge-ican."

2 T oil, divided
2 T soy sauce
2 T peanut butter
1 t vinegar
¼ t black pepper
3 T water
1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1-in cubes
⅓ c peanuts (2 oz)
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1½ T grated fresh ginger
1 c chopped spinach (5 oz)
1½ c julienned carrots (6 oz)
1 t lemon juice

1. Stir together 1 t oil with soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, cayenne, and water. Set aside.
2. Sear chicken in 1 T oil.
3. In a separate pan, sauté carrots in lemon juice and remaining oil until soft.
4. Add peanuts, bell pepper, garlic, ginger and spinach to chicken and reduce heat to medium. Cook until spinach is wilted.
5. Pour peanut sauce into pan with chicken and simmer until sauce begins to thicken.
6. Serve over carrots.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size ¼ recipe Serving per Recipe 4

Amount per Serving Calories 331 Total Fat 18.6 g   Saturated Fat 2.8 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 4.5 g   Monounsaturated Fat 6.6 g Cholesterol 55 mg Sodium 855 mg Potassium 466 mg Total Carbohydrates 11.8 g   Dietary Fiber 3.8 g   Sugars 3.0 g Protein 30.2 g

Oven-Baked Coconut Chicken

I was really craving nice crispy breaded chicken the other night. I got the bright idea to adapt a recipe I used to follow for cornmeal breading, substituting coconut flour for the cornmeal. My family gobbled it up and asked for more. As you can see in the photo, this dish pairs especially well with Honey Mustard Sauce.

1 c coconut flour (4 oz)
1 t salt
2 t paprika
¾ t ground sage
1 egg, beaten with 2 T water
10 chicken drumsticks (3 lbs) or 3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 10 pieces* (2 lbs)

1. Mix together coconut flour, salt, paprika, and sage in a gallon-sized plastic bag.
2. Pour egg mixture into a shallow bowl.
3. One at a time, dredge each piece of chicken through the egg mixture, then shake in the bag until well coated.
4. Place chicken pieces at least ¼” apart on a wire rack set over a large baking sheet.
5. Bake at 375°F for 45-50 min or until juices run clear.

*NOTE: You could also make chicken nuggets or chicken fries by using smaller or thinner pieces and cutting cooking time by about half.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 piece Serving per Recipe 10

Amount per Serving Calories 100 Total Fat 8.5 g   Saturated Fat 6.8 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g   Monounsaturated Fat 0.3 g Cholesterol 27 mg Sodium 254 mg Potassium 65 mg Total Carbohydrates 3.5 g   Dietary Fiber 2.4 g   Sugars 0.9 g Protein 3.1 g

Cream of Chicken Soup

A few days ago we were all feeling a bit under the weather. Adam suggested chicken vegetable soup. I didn't especially want chicken soup. What I was really craving was Minnesota Wild Rice Soup. This dish was my attempt to create something of a compromise between the two.

2 lbs bone-in chicken
2 c chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, left unpeeled
1-2 t oil
½ lb yellow squash
½ t salt
½ c heavy cream
2 T butter
½ c grated Romano cheese (1 oz)
¼ t pepper

1. Place chicken in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Add chicken broth and water to cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and let simmer 2-3 hours until chicken falls off the bone.
2. Meanwhile, roast garlic cloves in oil at 350°F for about an hour or until they are soft in the center.
3. Shred yellow squash and mix with salt. Set in colander to drain for at least 30 min.
4. Remove bones and waste from chicken. Shred meat and return to broth. Add cream and simmer over medium heat until broth begins to thicken (10-15 min).
5. Melt butter over medium-high heat and add drained squash. Sauté, stirring frequently until squash is tender (about 5 min).
6. Add squash, cheese, and pepper to broth. Remove from heat, stirring until cheese is fully incorporated.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size ¼ recipe Serving per Recipe 4

Amount per Serving Calories 284 Total Fat 18.6 g   Saturated Fat 9.8 g   Polyunsaturated Fat 2.2 g   Monounsaturated Fat 6.2 g Cholesterol 114 mg Sodium 983 mg Potassium 635 mg Total Carbohydrates 4.2 g   Dietary Fiber 0.9 g   Sugars 1.6 g Protein 24.9 g