Protein Power: Balsamic Herb Chicken

 Another delicious dinner.  Very similar to the Pork Chop except this had chicken and it used mustard.  Since I didn't have any Dijon on hand, I used regular yellow mustard.  Also, instead of cooking on the grill, I used a skillet on the stove.

Here's the ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

1 Tbsp Rustic Herb Seasoning

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 6 pieces 

 And here is how you prepare/cook it:

1. In a storage container or gallon freezer bag, combine first 4 ingredients; salt as desired.  Add chicken.  Seal well and refrigerate 2 hours or up to overnight.
2. 
   Prepare grill to medium heat.  Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.
3. Place chicken on grill.  Grill, turning once, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read food thermometer, about 10-12 minutes.

You can Make Ahead & Freeze by doing step 1.  Seal well, label and freeze.  Thaw completely.  Continue with step 2.

You can also use an Air Fryer:  Prepare step 1.  Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.  Place in a greased air fryer basket or on a greased rack in second position of air fryer.  Set air fryer to 375 degrees F (do not preheat).  Air fry until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read food thermometer, about 12-14 minutes.

Or you can Bake:  Prepare step 1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.  Place chicken on a greased large baking sheet.  Bake until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read food thermometer, about 15-20 minutes.

This makes 6 servings and the Nutritional Information per serving is:

Calories:  180

Total Fat:  8g

     Sat Fat:  1g

Cholest:  73mg

Sodium:  409mg

Carbs:  1g

Fiber:  0g

Sugar:  1g

Protein:  24g

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protein Power: Grilled Balsamic & Herb Pork Chops

 

Another delicious dinner last night.  I'm enjoying trying out these recipes from our Spring/Summer 2023 booklet.  However, this one you can fix anytime as the products are from our standard line.  I didn't do any substitutions but you are welcome to do so.

Here's what you need:

1/3 cup Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Moderna

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons Rustic Herb Seasoning

6 boneless pork loin chops (about 2 pounds)

And here's how you fix it:

1. 
   Combine first 3 ingredients in a gallon freezer bag.  Add pork; seal well and toss to coat.  Refrigerate 2 hours or up to overnight.
2. Prepare grill to medium heat.  Remove pork chops from marinade; discard bag with marinade.
3. 
   Place pork on grill.  Grill, turning occasionally, until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F on an instant-read food thermometer, about 10-15 minutes.

I didn't grill them on a grill but in a skillet on stove top.  

As  you can tell from the  photos, we had steamed green beans (fresh) and fried potatoes (I used Tastefully Simple's Infused Garlic Oil and Seasoned Pepper).  You can use your own sides like a green salad.

Here's the nutritional information per serving.  The recipe makes 6 servings.

Calories:  222

Total Fat:  12.5g

Sat Fat: 3g

Cholest:  62mg

Sodium:  271mg

Carbs:  2g

Fiber:  0g

Sugar: 2g

Protein:  25g

 

On WW program this amounts to 10 points.

You can make ahead and freeze this as well.  That is what I did with the remaining pork chops.  You prepare step 1.  Seal well, label and freeze.  Thaw completely.  Continue with step 2.

Reset Day 3 & 4

 Thursday was a busy day away from home.  However, the scales indicated another pound lost when I stepped on them yesterday morning.  Good choices were made!

I used Day 2 menu as a guide for the day.  Breakfast was the Broccoli Hash.  Slight problem in that the egg stuck to the pan and some of the "hash" got a little done.  Other than that, it was a very filling breakfast along with a cup of mixed berries.

Then it was off to bowling . . . Had a large glass of ice water with lemon to drink while bowling.  Afterwards, I went to my parent's house and reheated some leftover Balsamic Chicken & Veggie Skillet for my lunch.  Oh, I also had to dry out . . . had to wade through flood waters to get from my car into their house.  Not fun!

Then it was off to our Grange meeting that had a Pizza dinner with potluck of salads and desserts.  I made a variation of the Chopped Chicken BLT Salad.  I did not touch the pizza or the desserts (that was a big deal for me as I love Pizza!).

    Ingredients

2 1/2 C chopped prepared Makin' Magic Chicken

 1 Tbsp Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

1 Tsp Citrus Herb Seasoning

18 oz Baby Spring Salad mix 

5 slices turkey bacon, chopped & cooked

4 mini-sweet peppers

2 celery stalks

1/2 cup Citrus Herb Vinaigrette 

    Directions

1. In large bowl, combine chicken, Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and Citrus Herb Seasoning.  Toss to coat.  (I actually mixed it in the zip lock bag that was holding the chicken).
2. Divide lettuce, bacon, veggies, chicken, and dressing among 4 dinner salad bowls and 1 storage container.

My evening snack was a granny smith apple with peanut butter and about an ounce of almonds.

Yesterday, I followed Day 5 menu.  So breakfast was the same as Day 1.  Lunch was leftover Chopped Chicken BLT Salad.  Dinner was the Turkey Veggie Meatloaf.  I did some modifications so listed below are what I used to make it.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs 99% lean ground turkey

1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup chopped fresh button mushrooms

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 Tbsp Onion Onion Seasoning

1 Tbsp Spinach & Herb Seasoning

2 tsp Garlic Garlic Seasoning

1 tsp yellow mustard

1/4 cup egg substitute

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. 
   In large bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing by hand until just combined.  Transfer to a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
3. Bake 50-55 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read food thermometer.

Makes 4 servings.

Served it with steamed green beans.

My evening snack was the Prosciutto Wrapped Melon.  Instead of the prosciutto, I used deli sliced ham.

I'll post today's final menu tomorrow along with my results.

Healthy Eating!

Reset Prep and Day 1

Oh boy . . . plans didn't go so well.  The weather got in the way Sunday afternoon that we decided not to do the grocery shopping until yesterday.   And shopping wasn't easy . . . most of the shelves in the grocery store were empty.  We didn't get half the items.  So, went across the street to the other grocery store - was able to pick up a few more items.  Because we did the shopping so late in the afternoon, I didn't get the prep work done in advance.

This morning, I made the Simply Salsa Egg Cups

for today's breakfast as well as for Day 3 and 5.  However, I may switch Day 2 for Day 3 or 5 as we were not able to purchase the items needed for the Day 2 breakfast (more about that later).  Listed below are the items I used.  For the chopped items, please do it in advance before cooking.

Ingredients

8 oz 99% lean ground turkey 

1 red bell pepper, chopped 

1 Tbsp Onion Onion Seasoning 

3 tsp Simply Salsa Mix

4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped (I actually tore mine into small pieces)

6 large eggs plus 3/4 c egg substitute

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In large skillet over medium-high heat (I actually used medium heat), combine turkey, peppers, Onion Onion Seasoning, and Simply Salsa mix.  Cook and crumble until no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes.  Drain off excess liquid (I didn't have any).  Stir in spinach.  Remove from heat; let spinach wilt.
3. 
   Divide mixture among wells of greased muffin pan (12 count); set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk; salt and pepper as desired (I didn't use any).  Divide among wells of muffin pan.
   
   
   
5. Bake 17-20 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean (it took mine about 23 minutes).  Let stand 5 minutes; carefully remove from pan.
   

3 "muffins" equals a serving.  Serve it with 1 cup of mixed berries.  I had blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.  Once the remaining muffins have cooled completely, I stored a serving in sandwich size ziploc bags.  Two can go in the frig and the last one can go in the freezer for a later time.  To reheat, microwave on High 1-2 minutes or until heated through. 

Lunch for today is supposed to be Pistachio Chicken Salad.  However, that calls for the Magic Chicken, which wasn't made in advance.  I have prepped that this morning while my breakfast was baking.  It will be used for dinner.

    Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup water

4 Tbsp Makin'Magic Chicken Seasoning

    Directions

1. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker combine all ingredients, sprinkling each layer of chicken with seasoning.
2. Cook on low 5-7 hours
3. 
   Chop or shred chicken; toss with liquid in slow cooker.  Divide into 1-quart freezer bags according to below seal well, label and refrigerate or freeze.
• 1/2 cup for Day 1 lunch Pistachio Chicken Salad
• 
  2 1/2 cups for Day 1 dinner Balsamic Chicken & Veggie Skillet
• 2 1/2 cups for Day 2 dinner Chopped Chicken BLT Salad
• Portion any remaining chicken as desired for later use. (the recipe makes 12 - 1/2 cup servings).
• If there is broth left over, freeze it for later use in making soups.

 

So, I'll have a regular green salad (2 cups of mixed salad greens) with 2 cups raw veggies (carrots, brocoli, celery, mushrooms, and peppers) and 5 ozs of low sodium tuna in water.  Dressing will be our Citrus Herb Vinaigrette.

Dinner is the Balsamic Chicken & Veggie Skillet (because the Magic Chicken will be available).  This is so good!  I did do some substitutions, so I will list what I used.  The link is to the original recipe.

 Ingredients

     2 Tbsp Avocado Oil

    1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed, cut in half

    1 medium zucchini, cubed

    1 cup sliced mushrooms

    1 Tbsp Citrus Herb Seasoning

    2 1/2 cups prepared and shopped Makin Magic Chicken

    2 Tbsp Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

    Directions

1. In large skillet, heat Avocado Oil over medium high heat.  Add next 4 ingredients.  Sauté 4-5 minutes
2. Add chicken.  Continue sautéing until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
   
3. Remove from heat.  Toss with Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

Makes 5 servings.  Reserve 1 serving for Day 2 lunch.  I froze the remaining servings for later use as we are just a family of 2.

There are two snacks scheduled during the day.  Snack 1 is Prosciutto Wrapped Melon.  I'll probably have this tonight.  Snack 2 is 2 cups of assorted veggies (like broccoli, cauliflower, etc) with 1 serving of Creamy Balsamic Herb Dressing.

Time to figure out what menu I will be following for Day 2.  It will probably be Day 3 since I need to cook up the salmon that was purchased yesterday.

14-Day Reset - DAy 8

Success!  Week 1 resulted in a weight loss of 3.3 pounds.  Just what I wanted.  Some of the benefits I've seen with this program - no sleepiness in the afternoons (especially an hour after lunch).  Reason - no (or very little) carbs.  Now on to Week 2.

I kind of mixed up the menu again but did stay on track.

Breakfast was a repeat from last week with the Overnight Chia Breakfast Pudding with fresh fruit.

No morning snack - I was so busy training new staff that time got away from me!  So, ate some of the snack items with my lunch.

Lunch was the Salsa Beef Salad with the Citrus Herb Vinaigrette Dressing.  I used kale & spinach instead of romaine.  I used celery, black olive slices, and a slice of green pepper.  Had a few carrot sticks to go with it

Afternoon Snack consisted of almonds and a few more carrot sticks.


Dinner - Pesto Chicken & Veggie Skillet.  Oh my, loved this!  I kind of screwed up the pesto sauce but it was still delicious.  I did several substitutions in regards to the vegetables - green beans instead of asparagus, mushrooms instead of sweet peppers.  I also used our Avocado Oil instead of olive oil.  I also left out the Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

14-Day Reset - DAy 7

Happy Easter!  Hope you all had a good day.  I did several preps today for the upcoming week . . . well actually, only one item got cooked.  Didn't get the breakfast for tomorrow done.  But that's okay.  I did get the meals planned for this week.  And tomorrow will be the results of Week 1!

Brunch - yes, I said brunch.  Had a late morning.  So, I had the Blueberry Citrus Breakfast Meatballs with spinach & kale and the Citrus Herb Vinaigrette.

Snack - Cinnamon Berry Smoothie Snack.  This was a lot better this time.

Dinner - well, really not supposed to have carbs, but I had a small amount of mashed potatoes rather than having the mashed cauliflower.  I did have green beans to go with the meal.  Wondering what I had . . . well it was Creamy Balsamic Meatballs.  They were delicious.

The prep this week was for Magic Chicken to be used in several recipes.

14-Day Reset - Day 4

Oh boy . . . today went sideways.  First, I forgot to put the beef roast in the crock pot to make Magic Beef for the dinner tonight.  Then, I had planned on eating lunch at home when I got done with work . . . well I didn't leave the office until 5pm.  So, lunch was bought at the deli and so was my afternoon snack.  

The neat thing about the Reset Program is . . . you can adapt! 

Breakfast - Blueberry Citrus Breakfast Meatballs with 2 cups power greens (I used kale and spinach) and 1 tablespoon of the the Citrus Herb Vinaigrette Dressing.  I screwed up on the dried blueberries - they were supposed to be no sugar added.


Morning Snack - Cinnamon Nut Energy Bars 

Lunch - Spinach salad with chicken, bacon, cheese, and sunflower seeds.

Afternoon Snack - packaged salted Cashews


Dinner  - leftover Roasted Chicken & Veggies that was meant to be used with a soup for today's lunch.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

14-Day Reset Day 3

Good evening.  This has become my accountability partner.  I let you know how I'm doing in meeting my goals on healthier eating. 

So, today's menu was modified as well.  I'm enjoying the new menu items.  Some of these require advance preparation (and I didn't always do that).  Check the recipe link. 

Breakfast - Make Ahead Microwave Omelets.  This was delicious.  And I didn't make it ahead (but did freeze two of the servings for next week).  The recipe called for 93% lean but I used 99% and I used egg substitute.  No change or eliminations made on the other ingredients.  I recommend using at least 1 1/2 cup microwave-safe container.  It was difficult to stir in a 1 cup bowl - it spilled over onto the plate.  I also recommend spraying your skillet (especially if you use 99% lean meat).

Morning break - deviated from the menu and had a repeat snack - Cinnamon Nut Energy Bars.  The container I'm using must not be very airtight - the bars are getting moist and falling apart.

Lunch - Big Sexy Salad.  It's not like it sounds but it is my favorite.  Almost what I have on workdays anyway.  I used a 50/50 salad mix (it has spinach, kale and a few other lettuce greens) and added broccoli, cucumber, celery, mushrooms, and red pepper.  My protein was tuna fish (a low sodium).  My dressing was Citrus Herb Vinaigrette.  This is quite filling.

Afternoon snack - I had the morning snack - Turkey Avocado Bites.  Funny thing is - I had just the turkey!  This girl does not like avocados or grape tomatoes.  I did sprinkle some seasoning on the turkey.

Dinner - Balsamic Glazed Salmon.  This was supposed to have been yesterday's dinner.  We love salmon (and not that farm-raised, color added stuff!).  I used a broiler pan and broiled it in the oven.  I added fresh green beans covered with Bacon Bacon and Onion Onion Seasoning.  I used our Avocado Oil instead of olive oil.