Spicy Peanut Soba Noodles w/veggies and ground chicken!

Easy clean up and extras for lunch (or tomorrow night's dinner)...this delicious and healthy weeknight meal cooks in one pot, is gluten free, full of protein, vitamins, and flavor!  The crunchy raw peanuts on top are seriously everything! Enjoy XO

Strawberry Avocado Kale Salad!

Strawberries and Avocados are a delicious match for a healthy and filling main course dinner or lunch salad!  This easy dinner salad is perfect for the spring and summer.  It is refreshing and light and the lemon vinaigrette recipe can be used on so many other salads and grilled veggies!  What I love most about this salad is that it taste good, while keeping your fitness and health goals on track!  Just add chicken or fish to complete this healthy weeknight meal! 

 

Lighter Chicken Marsala Whole Wheat Pizza!

Two of my favorite foods collided the first time I tasted Chicken Marsala Pizza, so the inevitable happened…I had to lighten it up! I lightened up the sauce and switched to whole wheat pizza crust and the results were amazing!! This is the perfect main course pizza for a large crowd or a casual dinner party.

Butternut Squash, Kale & Chicken Sausage Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Healthy Weeknight Meal alert! Butternut Squash, Kale & Chicken Sausage Stuffed Poblano Peppers -- Spicy, delicious and protein packed. Poblano peppers stuffed with antioxidant rich butternut-squash, vitamin rich kale, and lean protein. Wow! This is a recipe powerhouse for a weeknight meal, that will keep you and your family healthy and ready to conquer the week ahead!

Pear & Chicken Potstickers!

I love any recipe that is Asian influenced. I would like to think I incorporate all of my favorite flavors in every recipe that I create. These potstickers are different, delicious and soooo healthy! I used roast chicken breast that I made on a Sunday, instead of ground chicken; because that is what I had on hand...but you can use whatever you have! What is great about this recipe is you can make a large bunch and freeze what you are not serving that night. Perfect as an appetizer at a cocktail party or served with rice and soup for dinner -- these potstickers are worth the work (its not really that much work)!

 

Baked Cheesy Cauliflower Bites!

Spicy Black Bean & Chicken Stuffed Peppers!

Stuffed peppers are a delicious and healthy weeknight meal...and they freeze wonderfully too!  In this recipe I eliminated rice for a low-carb option...and of course, that leaves a little room for salsa and chips?!?  I love the color and sweetness of the red, orange and yellow peppers.  This is definitely a recipe you should add to your freezer!!! Enjoy!

Ginger Apple Turkey Meatballs!

I am always trying to think of ways to spice up lean cuts of turkey chop meat. I have really been into adding fresh ginger to everything I cook lately… so this recipe kind of fell into place for me. I like making meatballs because you can do so many recipe variations with them, and there is also always enough for the next day! I originally served these turkey meatballs with a spinach salad. The salad included cucumbers, chopped carrots, red onion, orecchiette pasta, and diced apples! I made a rice wine vinegar to dress the salad and wow, it was delicious! You can also find that recipe below! The next day, I sliced up the extra meatballs from the night before and added them to a whole wheat pizza crust I had in the freezer.  This is a quick and healthy recipe that can take you through the week, to create wholesome and easy week night meals.

Red Lentil Cilantro Soup!!

I eat soup almost every other day for lunch. I make up large batches and freeze individual servings for me and my husband as quick portable lunches. We defrost them as needed and it is sooooo much healthier than can soups. Red Lentil is my favorite with Black Bean and Spinach Lemon Orzo coming in tied for second.

Somehow, I always seem to make a large batch of Red Lentil Soup every time it snows! I found that adding cilantro brings such a fresh vibrant flavor to the slow cooked ingredients of this recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as me!
Stay Warm!
XO ~ Jessica

Lighter Brown Butter Lemon Chicken Cutlets

Here is a quick and refreshing main course perfect for pairing with a salad and fresh garlic bread.  Easy enough for a weeknight meal -- special enough for entertaining or a dinner party! The great thing about this chicken dish is that it works for anytime of the year. Lemon is an essential summer flavor, but lemons are also available in abundance during the winter’s citrus season. This recipe gives you all the flavor of a heavy butter sauce but none of the guilt. Lemon juice and white wine take over where all the extra butter is eliminated! 

Lighter Orange Chicken and Broccoli!! Mmmm

Because healthy should taste and look good too!! LIGHTER ORANGE CHICKEN & BROCCOLI...Easy to make and super fast...all the ingredients of a great weeknight meal!!

Quick Roasted Tomatoes!!

Quick Roasted Tomatoes in 30 minutes...all the flavor of slow roasted tomatoes and no patience needed. Perfect for weeknight meals and busy cooks! 

Lighter Chicken Meatballs & Broccoli in Brown Sauce!

This is how an Italian makes Chinese Food! Chicken "Meatball" and Broccoli in Brown Sauce. Yumm! The perfect healthy weeknight meal in under an hour.

Lighter Italian Meatball & Arugula Salad!

 

Italian Meatball and Arugula Salad...this could be the most delicious salad I have ever made...(I used a combination of organic turkey and lean ground beef for the meatballs.)

Filled with fresh veggies and full of flavor, this salad will keep everyone on track with their health resolutions!!

Chicken Tortellini and Squash Soup!!

I can not stop making this soup! The greek yogurt and fresh parsley add such an amazing tang!!!

Lighter Sunday Suppers...Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound organic chicken breast cut into ½  inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 large shallot chopped
• 3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 cup low sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup of warm 2% milk
• 2 cups of marsala wine

 

PROCESS:

1. Coat chicken in flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder
2. Sauté 1 large shallot and 4 garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt and pepper -- sauté until translucent.
3. Remove from pan.
4. Add 2 tbs of olive oil and sauté chicken. Remove chicken from pan.
5. Add mushrooms and sauté on medium heat. Add back shallots, garlic and chicken.
6. Add 2 cups of marsala wine, 1 cup of warm 2% or skim milk, and 1 cup of chicken stock...make sure to pull up all those yummy flavors off the bottom of the pan!
7. Salt and Pepper to taste and simmer for 40 minutes on low.

Enjoy!