Chicken and Veggie One Pan Meal

My one pan dish was inspired by a recipe I came across a year ago. It was quick, easy and didn't break the bank. This meal only takes about 20 minutes to prepare and an hour and five minutes to cook.
Recently I was in Asheville, NC for a festival. I was exploring some local shops and discovered a great place, Spice and Tea. If you are like me, and enjoy a wide array of savory spices, you will love this shop.
The employees were very friendly and helpful. What I really liked is they wanted each customer's experience to be enjoyable, and they encourage you to smell and even sample the spices. For this one pan meal, I purchased a signature blend seasoning. The aroma was pleasant and the taste was mouth-watering.  
A couple notes about the recipe, veggies used to make this dish can be any green veggies of your choice.  Seasoning does not have to be what is shown in recipe. Choose your favorite all purpose season and have fun with it!




















 
Chicken, Veggies and Potatoes All In One Pan:
Serves about 3-4

         
          Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts, cut up (wash and rinse with warm water and sprinkle with lemon juice)
• 1 large potato, cut up (I prefer Yukon gold but red potatoes work just as well)
• 6 oz of broccoli (original recipe showed broccoli only but you may add any green vegetable)
• 6 oz of peas and carrots
• 6 oz of asparagus (each of these is about half a bag if using frozen veggies)
• 1 zucchini
• 1 summer squash
• 1 packet of signature blend seasoning (any all purpose seasoning will work, or you can use salt, pepper, garlic, a dash of cayenne pepper, and sprig of rosemary to season the chicken)
• 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil (original recipe calls for 1 stick of butter, but I wanted to cut a few calories).
• Non stick cooking spray
                                                                                                      
  Directions:
  1. Clean the potatoes (I prefer peeled, but you can keep skin on as well) and vegetables, cut them as close to the same size as possible.
  2. Season the chicken with your favorite all purpose seasoning or use chopped garlic, salt, pepper, a dash of cayenne pepper and a sprig of rosemary.
  3. Use the non stick cooking spray to coat the bottom of the casserole dish (the original recipe calls for olive oil, but I substituted non stick spray).                                
  4. In the casserole dish place a row of potatoes, a row of the chicken breasts, and a row of vegetables. Drizzle olive oil or butter on top of everything (if you have any seasoning left you can sprinkle the remainder on your veggies and potatoes).
  5. Cover with foil. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour and five minutes. If you are looking for crispier potatoes and chicken remove the veggies and return pan to the oven for an additional 5-8 minutes.
  6. Remove from oven and serve.
  
  Note: The last picture shows angel hair pasta as another option if you don't want potatoes.

Cherry Tomato Salad with Basil and Mozzarella

Looking for a refreshing and simple salad for the summer? You can't go wrong with this cherry tomato salad with fresh basil and mozzarella. It will take you less than 15 minutes to prepare and it's only 5 points on Weight Watchers per serving (points will vary depending on amount of mozzarella cheese used and type of dressing).

Enjoy!

 



Cherry Tomato Salad with Basil and Mozzarella:
Serves about 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 medium shallot (or onion), minced (about three tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or fat free balsamic dressing)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, torn (use hands to tear into bite size pieces)
• 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped into bite-size pieces. Add sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Toss the tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Set it aside and let stand for 30 minutes.
2. To remove seeds and extra juice transfer the tomatoes to a salad spinner and spin them for a few seconds. Make sure to conserve the juice.
3. Put the spun tomato seeds and juice through a fine strainer to reserve the juice and discard the seeds.
4. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
5. Add 1/2 cup of the tomato liquid, the shallot, and balsamic vinegar to the saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Simmer until the mixture is reduced to about 3 tablespoons.
6. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and cool to room temperature.
7. Whisk in the oil and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add the basil and mozzarella to the tomatoes. Toss gently to combine.

Summery Mahi Mahi Tacos

Summer is just around the corner! So enjoy this yummy and colorful dish that your family and friends will love. Simple, delicious, and healthy, these tacos are only 7 points per serving on Weight Watchers (points will vary with condiments and type of fish). If I had a grill I would have grilled the fish, but I got great results by broiling it. The mahi mahi only takes about 8-10 minutes to cook per side. I served it with a cherry tomato salad with basil and mozzarella. So tasty!




















Mahi Mahi Tacos:
Serves about 6

Total Time: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients:

       For fish:

• 2 limes (1/2 used to clean the fish), save the rest for the ingredients and to serve with dish
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of all purpose seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of fresh garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1-1 1/2 pounds mahi mahi, or any white fish, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 6 small soft tortillas, warmed (any type of of tacos will do, I used Mission Carb Balance which were only 2 points each on Weight Watchers)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

      For Condiments:

• Fat free sour cream
• Shredded cabbage or lettuce
• Mango salsa (to save time I used store bought pineapple mango salsa)
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
• Lime wedges
• 1 avocado, finely diced
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Cilantro (optional)  
• Salt to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Fill large bowl with warm water. Put fish in the warm water and use 1/2 lime to rub front and back of fish. Do this for about 1 min. Rinse fish and pat dry. Sprinkle the all purpose seasoning on front and back of fish and use fingers to massage it in.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together juice from other 1/2 of the remaining lime, olive oil, chili, cumin, garlic and sea salt. Add fish and toss well to coat. Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator for an hour.
3. Meanwhile, prepare condiments. Set aside.
4. Preheat oven to broil.
5. Prep broiler pan by apply cooking spray (if desired, use aluminum foil to line broiler pan for easy cleanup). 6. Remove fish from marinade and place on broiler pan; brush with marinade. Broil for 8 minutes; flip fish and brush with marinade again. Cook until fish is no longer translucent in middle, about 8-10 minutes more depending on thickness of fish. Remove fish immediately; cut into 8 to 10 large pieces. Top with variety of toppings and lime wedges. Salt to taste if necessary.

Hearty, Healthy Chicken Kale Soup

A hearty soup doesn't have to be on the stove for hours. You can have this one ready in under 60 minutes. This soup is great as a vegetarian dish, but I've added chicken to make it even more filling. Using chicken breast instead of thigh meat reduces the overall fat in the recipe and brings the Weight Watchers value down to only 13 points per serving. This can be lowered even further by excluding a few optional ingredients, such as parsnips and pasta. The thigh meat does add a lot of flavor, so keep that in mind if you are looking to make a richer broth.






Chicken Kale Soup
Serves about 4

Total Time: 45 min

s
Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (or boneless thigh meat) seasoned with Morton Nature Season or any type of seasoning blend, cut into small bite sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 bunch of kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 1 inch knob ginger, peeled & smashed
• 4 cups chicken stock (I prefer Swanson brand, 99% fat free and no MSG)  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 bag of frozen green beans
• Optional additional ingredients: 1 large parsnip, 1/2 cup cooked pasta, and  1/2 cup kidney beans
• salt to taste, depending on how salty your stock is

Directions:

1. Using a mid-sized pan add olive oil and heat on medium. Add onion and cook until color becomes clear.
2. Add chicken and cook for about 4- 5 minutes or until brown on the outside. Add carrots, knob of ginger, ground cumin, chili powder and soy sauce. Stir and cook for about 3 more minutes.
3. Add chicken stock. Turn heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce heat to low.
4. Simmer soup on low for about 20 minutes.
5. Add chopped kale and cook for 3-4 minutes or until kale becomes tender.
6. Serve hot.

Spaghetti Squash Spring Surprise

Baked spaghetti squash works great as a main dish or a side and you can add just about anything to compliment it. Best of all spaghetti squash is 0 Weight Watchers points. Since I love garlic and shrimp I decided this would be the perfect addition to complete this dinner.













Spaghetti Squash recipe:

Serves about 4

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or light butter
• 2 teaspoons dry basil

Directions:

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and fibers with a spoon. Place on a baking sheet cut-side up, add all ingredients to the inside of the squash then place it cut-side down. Bake at 350° for about 50 minutes or until the skin gives easily under pressure and the inside is tender. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Using a fork scrape out the squash flesh a little at a time. It will separate into spaghetti-like strands. Set aside. Total servings will vary depending on squash size.

          

Garlic Shrimp recipe:

Serves about 4
The number of Weight Watcher points will vary depending on the quantity of shrimp and olive oil used.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or light butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced (I love garlic so I added a bit more)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh finely minced parsley
• salt
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled (I used Trader Joe's Wild Red Shrimp which gave it a rich flavor)
• 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)

 Directions:

1. Shrimp (peeled and washed with warm water and lemon) and sprinkle with salt
2. Heat the oil and garlic over medium high heat in a shallow pan
3. Add the shrimp when the garlic is just starting to turn brown and cook for about 4-5 minutes, making sure to stir, or until done and firm to touch
4. Stir in lemon juice and paprika
5. Add the spaghetti squash to the pan (optional: add more salt for taste)
6. Sprinkle parsley over the top
7. Serve immediately

Turkey Meatloaf with Oven-Roasted Potatoes

This is one of my favorite meatloaf recipes. It has a great taste, it's moist and a healthy alternative to beef. This dish was accompanied with roasted potatoes and includes steamed spring veggies to round out this traditional meal.  Enjoy!

 

Turkey Meatloaf recipe:

Serves about 6

Ingredients

• 1 package (1.25 pounds) 93% Lean Ground Turkey
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes (for a little spice try Hunts green chiles or spicy peppers)
• 1/3 cup of  bread crumbs
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 /2 cup onion, finely diced 
• 1/2-1 cup of spinach 
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 2 teaspoons fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, red pepper, garlic and spinach in the olive oil  for about 5 minutes.
3. Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, can of tomatoes, (optional: set a little aside to drizzle on top before putting in the oven) salt and pepper mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and  add in the rest of the ingredients from the pan. Shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased baking sheet. Spread the left over tomato sauce evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the meatloaf is cooked through.

          

Oven-Roasted Potatoes recipe:

Serves about 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato scrubbed, dried and cut into 1 inch cubes with the skin 
• 2 potatoes, scrubbed, dried and cut into 1 inch cubes with skin ( Yukon gold taste great, but any potato will do)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a heavy duty baking sheet inside for at least 10 minutes.

2. Toss the potatoes in olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and spread the potatoes in an even layer. The potatoes should begin sizzling right away.

3. Roast the potatoes in the top third of the oven for 45 minutes, tossing halfway thru.

4. Serve immediately while warm.

.

Baby Kale Salad with Chicken

Whipped up this delicious and nutritious baby kale salad last night. It was easy to make and took only 25 minutes for prep and cooking time.
Though I kept this dish simple, you may use nuts and dried fruit to customize to your own taste.
 

Baby Kale Salad with Chicken:
Serves about 2

Ingredients

• 10 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
• A pinch of salt (use more if needed for taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of basil
• 1 teaspoon of parsley
• 1 teaspoon of fresh garlic, chopped
• 4-5 cups baby kale
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of onion, chopped
• 1 medium red tomato, sliced

Directions: 

1. In a bowl combine all ingredients from above (except for the baby kale and medium tomato)
2. Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Cook chicken until browned, about 10 minutes on each side. Turn heat down to low. 
3. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Sauté the baby kale in skillet for about 5-6 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper for taste (a teaspoon of red pepper flakes optional). Add chicken and cook for 1 additional minute . 
4. Add sliced tomato to plate and serve.

Broccoli Mash with Teriyaki Chicken

This dish was delicious! It is a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes. I found this recipe for the broccoli mash on the The Chew. I've created my variation to follow Plus Points on Weight Watchers. I also prepared chicken teriyaki to complete this very tasty dinner. Hope you enjoy this meal as much as I do.

 

Broccoli mash with garlic and ricotta recipe:

Serves about 5

Ingredients

• 4 large bunches of broccoli
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil (the original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of olive oil which I reduced to bring down the total number of calories)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. Steam 4 large bunches of broccoli in a pot with water until tender.

2. Spray pan with cooking spray and sauté 5 cloves of garlic in a pan with butter until golden.

3. Add broccoli, garlic with oils, 1 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese to a blender, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend to the consistency of thick mashed potatoes. Do not over blend.

4. Serve like mashed potatoes.

Chicken teriyaki recipe:

Serves about 3

Ingredients

• 1 lbs chicken breast, cut up
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed key lime juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup water

Directions:

1. Combine flour, cornstarch and pepper in large bowl. Add chicken to coat with flour mixture.
2. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken on each side until browned, about 7 minutes on each side. Turn heat down to low.
3. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl. Add 1/3 cup water. Pour mixture over chicken, turning pieces to coat completely. Cover and simmer until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, turning pieces occasionally.

.

Slow Cooked Pulled Chicken

 

Tonight's dinner was slow cooked pulled chicken. It made a very delicious and flavorful sandwich.

Serve it with shredded cabbage or lettuce tossed with low-fat mayonnaise, cider vinegar and honey to taste. It would also work great with a side of mashed potatoes or macaroni salad.

Preparation time is only 20 minutes and the slow cooker does the rest.

Slow Cooked Pulled Chicken
Here is what I used to make this:
Serves about 3

Ingredients

• 3 -4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper,cumin and a pinch of thyme and put it in the refrigerator overnight)
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed tomato soup (I used Amy's Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque, but Campbell's Tomato soup works as well)
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of basil
• 1 teaspoon of parsley
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1-2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional for additional spiciness)
• 1 pinch ground thyme
• hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Spray bottom of slow cooker with nonstick spray, and place the chicken evenly along the bottom.

2. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl (only use half of the onions, set the rest aside for step #4) and pour over chicken. 

3. Cover tightly and cook on low* for 7-8 hours or on high* for 4 hours. 

4. Shred Chicken with fork within the last 2 hours of cooking (add the rest of the onions on top for more flavor).

5. Serve on hamburger buns (bulkie rolls work as well). 

Roasted Root Veggies with Chicken Sausage

I found this dish on Pinterest and decided to add my own twist to it. The sweet potatoes and parsnips added some sweetness to this veggie medley. Great thing about this dish is you can try using any veggies you like. I'll definitely be making this again soon!

Roasted Root Veggies with Chicken Sausage:

Serves about 4

Ingredients

• 1 package of chicken sausages, cut into small rounds
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• A bunch of brussel sprouts, outer leaves removed and cut in half
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon of basil
• 1 teaspoon of parsley
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder (I also chopped some fresh onions to add a little more flavor)
• A pinch coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Lightly oil or spray roasting pans
3. In a large bowl, combine all vegetables and sausage pieces. Drizzle oil over vegetables and toss well until coated completely. Spread out onto roasting pans and sprinkle basil, parsley, onion powder,salt and pepper.
4. Cook for 35 minutes, tossing vegetables about half way.

Note:
Be sure to cut all the vegetables and sausage same size to ensure that everything roasts up evenly. Use two baking sheets if needed.