Indian Spiced Kabobs

In the mood for Indian? These wonderfully spiced yogurt marinated kabobs are not only easy to prepare, but incredibly healthy and low in fat!

You may not know this, but I also LOVE Indian food. I used to eat Italian like alllll the time, 'til I met my husband and I really got adventurous with ethnic foods. He was unafraid, even since an infant of trying new things. Me- funny enough-- I was a pizza, pasta and hamburger girl. Yes I have changed quite A LOT over the years!

I discovered Indian and especially Chicken Tikka Masala- OMG- YUMMMM! Well if you do not know of the tikka I will explain- it's chicken marinated in a yogurt marinate and cooked and simmered into a sauce made with beautiful spices such as garam masala, heavy cream and tomato paste. It is heaven or hell depending how you look at it.

Heaven in your mouth, hell on the hips...

Moroccan Chicken Gyros

This Spicy Moroccan twist on the classic gyro will ignite your taste buds and make the summer taste that much better!

I am constantly inspired by the amount of creativity and talent of my food blogging peers out there. One of my faves has to be Half Baked Harvest. Besides her ridiculously amazing photos, there is this off the wall creativity in her flavor combos as well as amazing execution and knowledge of so many different techniques! She also happens to be like REALLY young, like 20! What?! I know sooo crazy!

Well when I saw this recipe for Spring Veggie + Lemon Moroccan Chicken Skewers with Minted Goat Cheese Yogurt I swooned!! I mean imagine all those Moroccan spices cooled down with a minted goat cheese yogurt. It was as amazing as I imagined, like soooo soooo freaking good I needed to share it with all of you!! The marinade for this makes chicken MAGIC!

Chicken Beeriyaki with Asian Slaw #beermonth

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Millennial Central for Kirin. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. All ideas presented are my own.

Here is the first group celebration of #beermonth my friends! My blogger pals have all joined together to bring you their take on beer recipes. I am super excited to introduce you all to Lauren of Hall Nesting, Heather from girlichef and Jessica from Jessiker Bakes! I love all these ladies and I want you to show them love to by checking out there blogs (I love them all and read them all every week!) and by checking out their recipes at the bottom of this post!  

This is my very first sponsored post, I often shy away from these things unless I genuinely think you guys wanna read about it. With this one, I knew I should be involved with this one. It is #beermonth after all! So when the opportunity arose for me to sample and cook with Kiran Ichiban, I was totally on board.

If you haven't heard of Kiran Ichiban it is THE Sushi Restaurant go to beer to represent Japan. To learn more about the beer, visit their website! I hadn't tried it before, so my expectations were low. But it was pretty decent, crisp and clean. Absolutely perfect to accompany any Asian dish. I think it represents Japanese cuisine pretty well; it is a simple yet elegant beer and very balanced. Not overly malty or hoppy you can pair this with most anything. But you know I don't just pair beer with food, I make food with beer!

Asian beer, Asian inspired dish! All you foodies- don't hate on me, I have a confession. I don't like sushi- nope- I tried it all and it ain't my thing. So that was out and I was glad, it's a whole lotta work. So I made something completely different with my beer. Chicken Beeriaki, it's like chicken teriaki, but like WAY better.

Everything is better with beer, but I also made this super easy too! All you have to do is brown some chicken and prepare the sauce in the food processor, then added the fresh Asian veggies. No cooking of veggies required, so it kinda makes an Asian slaw. I paired it with some sushi rice for that authentic feel. So I got what I like about sushi- protein, the sauce and that awesome sticky rice without the seaweed taste. I made a roll out of the ingredients, but I tasted it and I don't care for the seaweed AT ALL! If you do like sushi and seaweed wrappers this can easily be made into a roll. You can see I included a piece of the roll on the pictures so you could see it.

 Why is this a Foodgasm?

Chicken teriyaki is a staple- but kicked up with beer?! Even better. I find the beer flavor intensified and enhanced this and accompanied it even more than I imagined! This sauce is one of my new favorite things and I think it will be yours too! Even for the skeptical- try it! It will surprise you! Plus it is easy to make and low in fat and calories!

What you need

2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/3 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
Olive Oil as needed for browning

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon pickled ginger
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup Kiran Ichiban beer

2 cups chopped Asian salad (the kind you buy in a bag)

 

How to make it

1- Dredge chicken in mixture of flour, salt and pepper.
2- Brown chicken on both sides in a skillet on medium heat.
3- In a food processor, combine: 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon pickled ginger, 1/2 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1/2 cup Kiran Ichiban beer.
4- Mix together the Asian chopped salad with some of the sauce.
5- Serve atop Sushi rice.

Nutritional Information

Each serving includes chicken sauce and vegetables. Additional calories for white rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#Beermonth recipes

 

#HolidayDetox Part Three: Dinners that satisfy

Part 3 of the #HolidayDetox series explores dinner

Dinner has got to be my favorite meal of all! When I was on WW, I saved liked half my daily point for dinner. I like a big satisfying meal. One that will satisfy my belly, my heart and my cravings. Dinner for me is a comfort and many times is my time for comfort food. But I gotta find a way to trim the calories of these meals that are usually loaded with fat. If dinner is your jam too you are gonna want to read this!

Not only do I have 1 dinner recipe on this post, well I have 2 awesomely easy kick-ass dinners that you can make in your crock pot! SCORE! Sooooo easy! And of course my girl Jennifer from Peanut Butter and Peppers is back with her killer dinner recipes! Check them out after my recipes.

Aside from just the food, here at tips to make your dinner more enjoyable and will also help you eat less! It took me a looooong time to learn this on my own during my weight loss journey, but I have shared them all with you and I assure you if you try some of these tips you will not only enjoy your meal more, but actually eat less.

Chicken pot pie stew with gnocchi

Why is this a Foodgasm?

Ultimate comfort right here. Chicken pot pie! I have kept all that you live about pot pie and made it lowfat and easy! So usually chicken pot pie is literally a pie with a crust. I simplified this a bit, while there is so crust, to satisfy that carb craving I added gnocchi, they act like a dumpling in the stew but they're even better. This pot pie has a great creamy texture and it is full of veggies and chicken and a trio of wonderful herbs. Thyme, Rosemary and Sage come together to beautifully season  this and give it that classic French touch. I would say this will keep you fuller longer than a small piece of chicken pot pie.

What you need

3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 32 oz. box of fat free low sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon Rosemary
1/2 teaspoon Sage
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 small sweet potatoes, cubed
8 celery stalks, sliced
2 cups baby carrots, sliced
1 large onion, diced
1.4 oz. Chicken Breast, cubed
13 oz. Frozen Gnocchi

How to make it

1- In a large frying pan add 3 tablespoons butter let it melt on medium heat.
2- Add 1/4 cup flour and combine with melted butter.
3- Gradually stir in the 32 oz. box of fat free low sodium chicken broth.
4- Keep stirring on medium heat until it thickens.
5- Add in 1/2 teaspoon Rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon Sage, 1/2 teaspoon Thyme, Salt and Pepper to taste.
6- Put 2 small sweet potatoes, cubed; 8 celery stalks, sliced; 2 cups baby carrots, sliced; 1 large onion, diced; 1.4 oz. Chicken Breast, cubed; 13 oz. Frozen Gnocchi in the crockpot and add sauce to it and mix together.
7- Cook on low for 5 hours.

Nutritional Information 

 

 

 

Chicken Cacciatore

Why is this a Foodgasm?

Does anyone do comfort food quite like the Italians? I recently ordered Chicken Cacciatore from a take out place near my in-laws house for dinner. On paper it sounded simple enough, chicken slow simmered in a white wine and marinara sauce. I want expecting much, but I wanted a lighter option compared to the cheesy, fatty, carb heavy meals usually availible on Italian take out menus. To my surprise it was soooo delicious! I did not at all feel like I missed out by ordering this lighter dish. Sooo I needed I make my own version and make it even healthier and also make it easy to prepare! So crock pot meet cacciatore, your new best friend!

What you need

1.5 pounds chicken breast, filleted 

1 yellow pepper, cut into strips 

1 red pepper, cut into strips 

1 orange pepper, cut into strips

1 red onion, sliced thin

5 baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

1 jar marinara if your choice 

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon olive oil

How to make it

1- Put a base of veggies down place chicken over the top, rest of the veggies, then top with the sauce, white wine and olive oil

2- Cook on high for 4 hours

3- Serve over pasta

Nutritional Information

 

Jennifer's Gorgeous Dinner Recipes

Lemon Infused Shrimp Scampi

 

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken

 

Quick and Easy Creamy Chicken Marsala

Why is this a Foodgasm?

This meal is soooo simple I didn't even want to post it out of embarrassment!  I'm also not a big fan of using pre-made ingredients, BUT we are all busy people and sometimes we have to compromise from time to time, by not making everything completely from scratch. This dish is QUICK, EASY and LIGHT! Seriously, does it get any better?

My grandfather made the BEST chicken marsala when I was a kid. Seriously amazing!! BUT it took a while to make and it was not so healthy. Fried cutlets, smothered in a marsala wine sauce and covered in mozzarella and provolone cheese. Yup, serious foodgasm, but that bad boy was a one night stand. With this version this is the foodgasm you can marry- reliable, and kind to your waistline. So I took what I loved most about my grandfathers dish and made my own quick version of it for a weeknight. It is creamy and has lots of mushrooms and that great sweet marsala flavor!

I dredged my chicken in flour and spices, but if you want something quicker- there is no need to do it. It will be delicious regardless!

Drunk Lime in the Coconut Chicken

Why is this a Foodgasm?

You put the lime in the coconut and....EAT it all up! Yes I took these iconic song lyrics and made a foodgasm. These flavors compliment each other really well, sweet and creamy with that sharp and refreshing lime you are just waiting for a foodgasm to happen! But instead of just any coconut flavor I added some Malibu Rum because I can! This is so easy to do too: just let the chicken marinate and grill it up! Then toss some lime zest on top- DONE! I also whipped some Lime Coconut quinoa/brown rice medley because this needed a nice accompaniment. It is summer and how perfect is this for summer? Tres Perfecto. Eat up my friends!

Great South Bay Blood Orange Pale Ale Chicken with Lemon Roasted Potatoes

 

Why is this a Foodgasm?

I took a different approach with this recipe...I let the beer decide what it wanted to be. I started with a local fave Great South Bay's Blood Orange Pale Ale. With this beer it has been love at first sip- crisp, light, just the right amount of orange flavor and so easy to drink! I wanted to make sure to get in some of my awesome local long island beer. I love the local craft beer scene. Immediately I thought orange chicken, kinda like the one you get from a Chinese place, but healthier and with local craft beer twist (seriously is there anything better??). 

I knew this recipe needed to happen, but how did I execute it. So I kinda went the route of Chicken Fracaise, but made a beer reduction syrup with this. The results were AMAZING! Sweet, but not syrupy sweet and it was light. It paired perfectly with these easy lemon roasted potatoes! You must try this recipe and please do try and get your hands on this beer- you will not be disappointed!

Beer Month's First Recipe Roundup is here with my Dos Equis Rice and Beans and much more!

 Why is this a Foodgasm?

Rice and beans is a nice simple dish, but for me I always have to take it to the next level, that's just how I roll. So it being Beer Month and all I figured why not add some cerveza to the mix and top it with some refreshing lime "sour cream", yeah it's really Greek yogurt (don't worry you won't be able to tell the difference). I wanted some extra protein so I topped with grilled chicken seasoned with chipotle powder. This is a quick and easy dish loaded with flavor and fiber! This is the first recipe party for beer month, see below for links to other AMAZING beer recipes by my #beermonthbloggers friends!

See more beer month recipe links at the bottom of this post!

Spicy Red Curry Coconut Chicken Soup

Why is this a Foodgasm?

This is my own version of Tom Kha Gai, a Thai soup. I love Thai food, so I made my own spicy coconut curry soup! This is sour, sweet and spicy all in one! You got the creamy from the coconut, the spicy from the curry and a little sour in the end with the juice of 1 lime! This is redicu-licious!

The reason I made this- my husband had a cold. So I thought chicken soup, but why not this spicy Thai chicken soup?! This cleared out his sinuses! It was as if his nose were a faucet. The next day he felt sooo good he decided to insulate the basement! A win-win!

Red Lentil Coconut Soup with Chicken

Why is this a Foodgasm?

This is sweet, savory, filling, comforting and spicy all at the same time! If that is not good enough it is also low in fat, high in protein and makes you run really fast......okay I lied about the last one!
Found this on pinterest and got the recipe from here. I modified it a bit, of course. I wanted some chicken so instead of water I used chicken broth and added one breast of chicken to it. I think I will make my own foodgasm from this same basic concept soon!

Green Chicken Parmesan with Pesto

Why is this a Foodgasm? I will say this, a fresh homemade pesto is just amazing! the smell is so fresh almost making you think of spring. The taste of fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, pignoli (pine nuts) and parmesan cheese just make create this sweet salty and savory tango in your mouth! Then you place that atop chicken breast with fresh mozzarella, well that takes it to the next level! Lastly getting that fresh mozzarella golden brown, well you are in trouble, you may have just fallen in love with chicken all over again!

This recipe yielded me 7 servings (depends on how thin you can slice the cutlets)

Chipotle Chicken Fajita Quesadilla

Why is this a Foodgasm? Chicken with onions and peppers with a smokey chipotle flavor balanced out with the creaminess of melted cheese and all encased in a slightly crunchy flour tortilla---- will make your taste buds do the tango or perhaps we should say the mexican hat dance!

This is a 6 point foodgasm!!*  Recipe yields 6 servings

Thai Piña Colada Chicken Stir Fry

Why is this a Foodgasm? Sweet and spicy strikes again! My latest obsession. The chicken is crispy, the veggies are crisp and sweet, the sauce is sweet, spicy and coconut creamy, oh yes bring it on!

This is a 7 point foodgasm (Recipe yields 4 servings)

Greek Spiced Chicken with Spinach Rice pilaf

Why is this a Foodgasm? This was a spontaneous creation. You know how sometimes you just look in the fridge and freezer and make various combinations in your head, well that is what happened. I intended on making stir fry, but I find stir fry sooooo boring. I had me some orzo, brown rice, spinach, chicken breast and feta and I was feeling my Greek heritage saying "just do it!" So I made a kind of spanakopita inspired rice pilaf, similar to the filling in my yia yia's (grandma in Greek) spanakopita. Plus we needed some protein so I seared some chicken tenderloin in some Greek spices as well!

This is a 8 point foodgasm! (Recipe yields 5 servings)