I LOVED it. Then again I made it. Not sure what everyone else will think but I thought I’d share anyway. It was only Little Guy and I for dinner and he wasn’t too too impressed. He ate the chicken with some coaxing but after one bite and a nasty face I decided he didn’t have to finish his Turnup Radish Puree. My rule is one bite and he did try it with an open mind. Oh well.. as I always say.. more for me! I got two lunches out of the deal! :)

Here’s what I did. Take this one as an idea and make it your own. Measurements are all approximate.

• About a 2 cups of turnips
• About 1 cup of radishes
• About a tbsp non-fat cream cheese
• About 1 lb of boneless chicken breast cut into tender like pieces
• About 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1-2 lemons
• About 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper

Here’s my turnips and radhishes from the farm. Aren’t they beautiful?

I scrubbed and cut them in half. Placing them in a pot covered with water and boiled them over high heat. While they were cooking I made a parsley puree with the parsley, juice and peal of the lemons, and the soy sauce. I also added a bit of water to help it in the blender.

I then coated the chicken in the parley mixture and set it aside.

Meanwhile I checked in on the turnips and radishes. I waited until they were tender when pierced before removing them from the heat.

Then I put them in the food processor with the cream cheese plus some salt and just a touch of fresh ground pepper.

Once the puree was done I cooked the chicken in a skillet over medium high heat. They only took a few minutes per side and the the parsley made a great fresh crust on the outside.

I served the chicken on the puree and….

…added some Quick Sugar Snap Peas. :)

I did a quick nutritional analysis with the estimates and I’m getting this meal in at about 4 points for each of the 4 servings. It makes sense. I mean it’s just chicken with some fresh veggies! Totally satisfying though and tasted like summer to me. If that makes sense. :)

The husband wasn’t home when I made it. Hence the experimentation ;) but the little guy was. He liked the rice but ate chicken legs instead of the chicken pieces in the dish. Why? Cause he’s a crazy 4 year old.. that’s why. It’s was deliscious!

• 4 oz POM juice
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breast (About a pound)
• About 2 cups cooked brown rice I used one of the 90 second bags)
• 2-3 cups of baby spinach

Whisk the POM juice, honey, vinegar, tarragon, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

Pierce the chicken a few times with a fork and submerge the chicken. Marinate for at at least a half an hour.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and spray with a non-stick cooking spray.

Place the chicken in the hot pan. It will smoke and sizzle. LEAVE it alone! You are going to sear it for 2 minutes. Do not touch it for 2 minutes.

After 2 minutes flip. The honey will burn a little making this GLORIOUS crusty skin. Cook for another minute.

Remove from heat and cut the chicken into pieces. It will still be pink in the middle. That’s ok, we are still going to cook it. We just wanted to get all that yummy flavor.

Return to the heat and add the marinade to deglaze the pan. Bring it to a boil. If your pan is as hot as mine was it will boil immediately.

Add the cooked rice.

Stir in the rice and have it absorb all the flavor.

Add the baby spinach.

Stir in the spinach until it just starts to wilt. Shut off the heat and serve!

"Apparently all I had to do was shove a beer can up a chicken’s a$$ to get him excited about dinner!"

I may have been wrong. I’m not sure if it was the can of beer or the fact that I was serving him meat on a bone.

He was just as excited about tonight’s dinner and I even served couscous. You all know how much he hates couscous, right? lol

In all seriousness, he love it. Even asking me what spices I used. He NEVER asks me what spices I use. I don’t think he knows what spices are!

The toddler? Well, he ate with minimal complaint. A win in my book. :)

Here’s what I did. . .

Chicken Breasts

• 3 bone in chicken breasts
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Kosher Salt
• Ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl mix the cumin, coriander and onion powders.

Remove the skin from all or some of the breasts. I always remove mine. Why? Well let’s take a look. . .

Nutritional information from SparkPeople.

That’s almost half the calories simply by removing the skin. Not to mention the fat! Yikes!

Place the breasts in a baking dish and season with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the spice mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until internal temp is 165. Mine were perfect at 43 minutes. I pulled them out and let them sit for 5 minutes.

10 minutes before the chicken is done start the couscous. . .

Veggie Couscous

• 2-3 slices of a large sweet onion diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 2 stalks of celery diced
• 1 small zucchini diced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (4oz)
• 1/2 cup whole grain couscous, dry (110g)

Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Spray with non stick cooking spray and cook the onion for a few minutes while dicing the carrots. Add the carrots, then celery, then zucchini.

Sprinkle with the cumin and coriander (subtle tie in with the chicken). Add the broth and bring to a boil.

Add the couscous, turn off the heat and cover. Fluff after 5 minutes.

I also served with some frozen broccoli. It was a perfect meal for the 3 of us with just enough leftover for a lunch. :)

For my Weight Watchers friends, I’d count this (1 breast and 1/4 of the couscous) as 8 WWP. That’s just my estimate, I don’t have it in me to post nutritional info this evening. Sorry. :(

Let’s start with the Moroccan Spices. Earlier today I saw a tweet from Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes and she mentioned Moroccan style seasoning. Not knowing exactly what that meant I asked her and she was nice enough to share her recipe.

• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp chile powd
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp cayenne

I actually had all of those spices in my pantry so I decided I would whip it up and try it on some chicken I was defrosting for dinner.

Later in the day Ryan and I hit a farm stand and became mesmerized by this…

… a beautiful head of purple cauliflower. I never saw such a thing! We had to buy it. I’m glad we did! Besides tasting good apparently there’s some benefits to purple veggies.

So I roasted the purple cauliflower and sprinkled my new Moroccan Seasoning on some boneless chicken tenders. To round out the plate I simply wilted some spinach leaves in a skillet with a teeny bit of olive oil, salt and bit of the Moroccan spice blend.

It was a quick easy meal once my oven heated up. I loved the spices and chicken served over the spinach but both husband and child could have done without. They stuck with simple chicken legs. However both gobbled up the cauliflower that I simply roasted with some kosher salt.

I hope this gives you some idea for dinner this week. Try the Moroccan spice blend. It really is delicious! I’m gonna try it on popcorn and squash seeds as Andrea recommended. :)

Aaaa…. HA!

Simple breaded chicken! It’s a favorite of mine. There’s just something about "fried" breaded things dipped in ketchup. ALWAYS fun. :)

So these are pretty basic but I spiced them up a bit. For me there is just something utterly more satisfying with a bit of flavor. Of course you can use any of your favorite spices to change it up a bit.

• 1 boneless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces (about 8oz)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (30g)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp chili power
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 ground mustard seed

Place all the spices in a quart sized and mix together.

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces. Place in the bag and shake until well coated.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cook the chicken about 4 minutes a side. You may have to lower the heat to medium to prevent burning if the pan gets too hot .

Serve with a spat of ketchup! :) I’m counting the whole recipe as a serving because it’s all I ate but you can split it into two. Just half the nutrition info.

First let me just say I’m a mom with a full time job and her own business. The busy day part of this story is nothing new. :)

The picky preschooler? *sigh* I fear my son is JUST LIKE HIS FATHER!! I don’t know where I’m going wrong. I give him variety. I let him help in the kitchen. I never force anything down his throat. Yet he still automatically dislikes new things. He argued with me all the way home that he didn’t like mango sauce, even though the kid inhales fresh mangos weekly! I then present to him the dish and he’s gives me the face. You know that face. Upper lip curled. Eyes squinted with a look of disgust. Ugh! I hate that face! Funny thing is he didn’t like the chicken on the stick yet when I took it off and cut it on his plate he devoured a whole tender. So you be the judge. lol

Ok, the fire. You’ll know I can’t grill in my apartment, right? Well that’s how I really wanted to prepare the chicken but since the option was taken off the table I decided to go with a broiling method. No big deal until… dun dun dun… I closed the electric stove with un-soaked wooden skewers! YIKES!

Lesson learned.. lesson learned. :)

• 1 mango cubed
• juice of a lime
• 1 tbsp honey (21g)
• Pinch of dried mint leaves (about 1/8 tsp)
• About a pound of chicken tenders (or boneless breasts cut into tender like pieces)
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

I think this would better grilled but I’ll right up how I prepared it.

pre-heat the broiler.

Puree the mango, lime juice honey and mint leaves.

Place the chicken on skewers and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mango puree on the chicken and let site for at least 10 minutes. (I made the toddlers lunch while waiting :)

Lay the chicken on a broiling pan pouring any extra puree on top. Broil about 5-6 minutes a side depending on the thickness of your chicken.

I served with everyone’s favorite.. PEAS! Something, I have to admit, the kid eats without argument. :)

For me, I pulled out a chicken breast this morning so it would be defrosted when I got home from work. I had no idea what I was going to do with it but I knew it was better then coming home to nothing.

Thankfully this idea popped into my head on the drive home. I had curry. I had yogurt. I had peas. So why not? :) It was tasty, spicy, satisfying and totally something I could not get away with for the family but I knew I’d love it. And I did.

• 1-2 slices of onion chopped
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into pieces
• Kosher Salt & Pepper
• 1 tsp red curry Powder
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
• 1 cup frozen peas

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and brown the chicken with the onion. Sprinkle with the spices. If you only have curry, that will work. I just happen to have the others on hand.

Once the chicken is brown and almost cooked thru, lower the heat to medium-low and add the yogurt. You don’t want to boil the yogurt it just bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes while stirring and coating the chicken. Then add the frozen peas. Cook until the peas are warmed thru.

This was a super late, super quick meal I brought together after a super long day. I realize the idea is not that different then yesterdays One Pot Chicken with Mango and Couscous but I thought I’d share anyway and show you how versatile this type of dish is.

The formula is simple… especially for 1 serving… 3-4 ounces of your favorite protein. Brown it. Add some flavorful liquid (juice or broth about 1/4 cup) and any spices you like. Bring to a boil. Add the couscous (1/4 cup). Cover, remove from heat. wait 5 minutes and eat! Of course if you have fresh veggies add them too! I’m just all out. :(

Seriously… how simple is that? Here’s the flavor combo I put together tonight.

• 4 oz raw boneless chicken breast
• 1 medium orange juiced (or about 1/4 cup orange juice)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Couscous (55g)

Brown the chicken in a small pot with a bit of non-stick cooking spray. Juice the orange and add it to the pot along with the soy sauce and ginger. Bring to a boil, add the couscous, cover and remove from the heat.

Wait 5 minutes then enjoy!

The husband wasn’t home for dinner tonight so I got a chance to experiment freely. I loved it. In a weird way I needed it. Cooking is such an outlet for me and I take such satisfaction in coming up with an idea, executing it and creating a meal from scratch.

That’s what I did tonight and I’m ecstatic with the results! Seriously tasty and extraordinarily easy. That’s a win-win in my book!

The kid, on the other hand, saw it as a win-lose. He loved the chicken but couscous isn’t his thing. He’s tried it now a few times and when the texture hits tongue I can see it on his face, he doesn’t like it. I got to give it to him though, he always gives it a try. I’m proud of him for that. So I made a deal and told him to just eat the chicken. Then he enjoyed the other half of the mango. :)

Here’s how I made this quick dish.

• about 1/3 of a sweet onion chopped
• 1/2 pound (8oz) boneless chicken breast (about 1 large breast)
• 10 or so grape tomatoes halved
• 1/2 of a ripe mango cubed (with juices)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Couscous (110 g)
• Kosher Salt, Pepper, Non-stick cooking spray, dried parsley

Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the onion and cook until just softened. Add the chicken. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Stir a few times. Once it starts to "brown" add the tomato.

Cut that mango in cubes. It it’s particularly juicy catch that juice and add it to the pot. Stir and let the flavor merge for a bit.

Raise the heat to high, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the couscous, cover and remove from the heat. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and serve!

Anyway, I made the legs for "the boys" and rolled up my own chicken concoction using a few things I had in my fridge. I’m not sure I’ll make it this way again, but I’m glad I tried it. I’d like to replace the spinach with fresh herbs and possibly cook it in a red sauce. However, in a pinch this was great and I thought it might spark some ideas for you.

Warning.. this is just an idea… I didn’t measure anything.. just take the idea and roll with it. (pun intended) ;~)

• Thin cut chicken breast or regular boneless breast pounded thin
• tomato paste
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• kosher salt & pepper
• dried basil
• baby spinach leaves
• shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non stick cooking spray.

Smear the paste on the chicken. Sprinkle with spices. Top with spinach leaves and a bit of cheese. Roll. Secure with a tooth pick.

Bake for about 15-25 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken.

I went a bit picture happy with this one. I just think it could be such a pretty dish. As you can see in my main picture, I served it with brussel sprouts and corn on the cob. Next time I’m thinking I’ll simmer them in a sauce and serve with a side of whole wheat pasta.

To my surprise… He liked it!

Although after the picture taking session a mom/som battle of epic proportions began. After about 4-5 bites he declared "I’m Full."

"OK" I said, as I don’t like to force him to eat past fullness. However, I save the plate and if he returns (in a reasonable amount of time) and asks for a snack I make him finish his meal first. Well, that’s exactly what happened yesterday. About 10 minutes after leaving the table he asked for candy. I told him he needed to finish he lunch first. (side note: I only gave him half a portion although kept the full portion in his pictures.)

Without going into all the nitty gritty details, the next hour was SHEER torture for mom and child alike. I wasn’t giving in and either was he. He’d ask, I put the plate on the table. He’d cry. I told him he didn’t have to eat it IF he wasn’t hungry BUT he wasn’t getting any candy until he did. Tears, yells, and cries later a majority of his lunch was gone and he TOTALLY forgot about the candy. LMAO So whole grain pasta, zucchini, carrots and chicken eaten and NO candy. I chalk that up to a win for mom. ;~P

Anyway, I’m still marking it as toddler approved as he never stated he didn’t liked it and when I asked him if he did he said yes. Which makes the whole mom/son battle completely illogical. KIDS! *sigh*

• large boneless chicken breast (about 8oz) cut into chunks
• thick slice of sweet onion chopped
• handful of baby carrots (about 3oz) sliced
• half of medium zucchini chopped
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 3oz whole wheat angel hair pasta

Put a pot of water on high and bring to a boil for the pasta

Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Brown the chicken with the onion and carrots. Add the zucchini. Lower the heat to medium.

Whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, oil and chicken broth together. Set aside.

Stir the chicken and veggies. By this time your water should be boiling. Add the pasta. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until desired doneness.

Drain the pasta and plop on top of the skillet. Pour the soy sauce mixture on top. Work the pasta around the veggies and chicken, it will want to clump together. Keep stirring until they are well mixed up. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Serve!