The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Quick Skillet Steak w/Onions & Mushrooms

This meal was great.  I've been trying to make new things each week, and my husband absolutely enjoys steak more than any other meat.  The kids love mushrooms, so it was a win-win!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb thin cut beef round sandwich steaks
• 1/2 large onion, sliced into rings
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 4 seconds cooking spray
• garlic powder to taste
• salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• Cooked whole grain rice as side, or desired side dish

Directions:

Slice beef into thin strips. Season with salt, garlic powder and fresh pepper to taste. Heat a large skillet over high heat. When the skillet is very hot, spray with cooking spray and add half of the beef. Cook one minute, then turn steak and cook an additional 30 seconds. Set aside in a large dish.
Spray the skillet again and when it gets hot add the remaining steak, cooking one minute, then turning and cooking 30 seconds more. Add remaining steak to the dish. Return skillet to heat and spray once again with cooking spray; add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook one minute, then turn and cook onions an additional 30 seconds or until onions are golden.
Lower heat to medium and add 1/2 tsp olive oil to the skillet, add mushrooms, salt and pepper and lightly spray the top of the mushrooms with cooking spray. Cook 1 1/2 minutes, then turn mushrooms and cook another minute and a half. Add to dish with steak and onions and stir to combine. Serve over brown rice.  ~Happy Eating Friends! Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement~Columbian Steak with Onions & Tomatoes

The appropriate name for this with a sunnyside egg on top is Bistec a Caballo.  I hesitated to put an egg on my husbands, because, it's different.  Shannon doesn't like different usually.  But when I asked him, he surprised me and wanted to try it.  It was delicious!  Serve by itself for a lower carb option, or with whole grain rice for a healthier option, or with mashed potatoes like we did.  Yummy! (Even the kiddos loved the egg! I cooked theirs thoroughly though!)

Ingredients:

1-1/2 sirloin tip steak, sliced very thin

salt to taste

garlic powder to taste

cumin to taste

4 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced thin or chopped

1 very large tomato or 2 medium tomatoes, sliced thin or chopped

4 Eggs (or number of people you are serving)

Side of your choice, pototoes or rice

Directions:
Season steak with salt and garlic powder. Heat a large frying pan until VERY HOT. Add 2 tsp of oil then half of the steak and cook less than a minute on each side. Set steak aside, add another teaspoon of oil and cook remaining steak. Set aside.

Reduce heat to medium, add another teaspoon of oil and add the onions.  Cook a minutes, then add the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and cumin and reduce heat to medium-low.

Add about 1/4 cup of water and simmer a few minutes to create a sauce, add more water if needed and taste adjust seasoning as needed. Return the steak to the pan along with the drippings, combine well and remove from heat.  Serve w/cooked sunnyside egg on top and your side of choice. 

Happy Eating Friends! ~Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement - Roasted Zucchini, Corn and Tomatoes

• As you know, I've been on a Bethenny Frankel kick lately. Here is yet another fabulously healthy recipe straight from her book...which by the way, if you've ever been on a diet and/or been thinking of going on a diet, her book Naturally, Thin is a must-read that will change the way you think about food and dieting.
• 
  
• Roasted Zucchini, Corn and Tomatoes
•  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh shredded basil
• 2 medium zucchinis
• ½ cup pear tomatoes
• 1 corn on the cob

Preparation

1. Cut zucchini into 1 inch pieces.
2. Cut pear tomatoes in half.
3. Remove corn from one ear.
4. Heat nonstick skillet over medium high heat and coat lightly with olive oil.  Add zucchini and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Toss so garlic doesn't burn.
5. After slightly golden brown, add corn and tomatoes. Cook until zucchini is tender.
6. Add shredded basil just before serving.

Buon appetito! Leah

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Beef & Bean Taco Casserole

Wow.  This one was a winner, both for dinner, and lunch leftovers.  This will definitely be made again in the Epp household!

• Ingredients
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 can 10 oz black or regular lowfat refried beans
• 1 pkg taco seasoning
• 2 1/2 cups broken tortilla chips (I use whole grain or whole wheat)
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper chopped (I used yellow because it's what I had handy)
• 4 medium green onions, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350.  Cook ground beef, until thoroughly cooked through.  Add refried beans, salsa and taco seasoning.  Reduce heat to medium, heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

In ungreased 2 qt casserole dish, place 2 cups of the tortilla chips. Top evenly with beef mixture.  Sprinkle with bell pepper, onions and 1 cup of tomato, and the cheese.

Bake uncovered 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Top with remaining tomato and tortilla chips.  

I served with diced avocado.  Happy Eating Friends! ~ Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Stir Fry in a Tortilla

This was the perfect meal for a Friday night.  Cheap, easy...and quick.  As you know, I'm very into health-friendly foods.  I like to find amazing recipes that are lower in bad fats and high in protein and healthy carbs.  Anytime you can sneak in a ton of veggies into a great meal, it's going to be a winner all the way around.  This will be one I make again, for sure! Enjoy!





Ingredients:

• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper sliced
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper sliced
• 1 box 0 oz mushrooms
• 1/2 cup sliced red onion 
• 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut up into bite-sized peices
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• salt & pepper
• 8 whole wheat tortillas
• 1/4 cup whipped light or fat free cream cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese or cheese of your choice

Instructions:

Warm oil in large, nonstick skillet.  Add the bell peppers, mushrooms, and red onion and cook, stirring frequently for five minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium and cover, cooking five minutes longer.

Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste, tossing to mix well.  Cook and stir until heated through well.

Meanwhile, warm tortillas in oven.  Spread each tortilla with cream cheese, then top with chicken & veggie mixture, then with cheese.  Roll up tortillas, and enjoy. 

We just ate these alone, no sides.  Like I said, easy for a Friday night!  Happy Eating Friends! ~Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Slaw

I absolutely love anything with Buffalo sauce.  I love spicy and so finding this recipe and Frank's Hot Sauce was a dream come true.  You think I'm kidding, but I'm not!  I now use Frank's on everything from salads on my meat, mixed in with my homemade ranch salad dressing, on all my burgers, and even sandwiches.  It's awesome!  Also, I'm not a huge fan of Blue Cheese dressing, but this homemade version in the slaw was amazing.  The burgers were great because they had veggies mixed in, and (I left hot sauce & slaw off of the kids') because they were so good, the kids couldn't even tell.  Clayton ate a whole burger, including the bun, which is a first in our house. I served them with grilled potato slices.  Yummo!


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cold or broccoli slaw (recipe calls for broccoli, which I couldn't find)
• 1/4 cup skinny blue cheese dressing  (recipe below)
• 1.25 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
• 2/3 cup grated carrots (grate in food processor) 
• 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs (couldn't find whole wheat, used regular)
• 1 clove garlic, grated 
• 1 tbsp red onion, grated
• 1/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce ( A MUST!  I poured more on our burgers as we ate them)
• salt and fresh pepper
• oil spray
• 5 slices reduced fat cheddar
• 5 whole wheat burger buns (I used Martin's 100 calorie Potato Whole Wheat Buns)
• Grilled Potato slices as side (recipe below)

Directions:

In a medium bowl combine slaw and skinny blue cheese dressing. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, carrots, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Makes 5 equal patties, 5.5 oz each.


Heat a large skillet on high heat. When hot, lightly spray the oil. Add burgers to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low.


Cook on one side until browned 4-5 minutes, then flip. Cook another 4 minutes or until burgers are cooked all the way through (keep heat medium-low to prevent burning);top with cheese and place on a toasted burger buns topped with broccoli slaw.

If grilling, clean grill well before cooking and spray with oil spray to prevent sticking.




Low Fat Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl, mash blue cheese and yogurt together with a fork. Stir in mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, and garlic powder until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 1 cup.


Grilled Potatoes:


Ingredients:

• 2 (13 oz total) medium russet potatoes, washed
• 2 tsp olive oil
• sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• (If you have a crinkle cutter - I didn't - it makes them look more authentic. If you want one, they are on amazon, but you don't need one)

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat (indoor grill would work too).
Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices. Toss the potatoes with olive oil. Add salt, and pepper to your taste.

Reduce heat on the grill to medium and lay the potatoes slices straight onto the grill; close the lid. Cook until the potatoes are golden on one side, about 6 to 10 minutes, making sure they don't burn and adjusting flame accordingly. Turn and cook until tender inside when pierced with a fork, but slightly crisp and golden brown on the outside. Remove from grill, and serve immediately.


Happy Eating Friends! ~Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movements ~ Light Cajun Chicken Pasta

Whenever you hear the word light, you automatically wonder if the dish can be good as it's fatty counterpart.  But, I guarantee you, this dish does.  It was delicious, and had a ton of veggies packed in so also...nutritious!  Try it with shrimp, or both chicken & shrimp to change it up if desired.












Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked linguine (I used whole wheat)
• 1 pound chicken breast strips
• 1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (I used Tony's Seasoning instead)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp light cream cheese
• fresh cracked pepper
• 2 scallions, chopped
• salt to taste
• Smart Balance cooking spray

Directions:

Prep all your vegetables. In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside. Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add half of the chicken. Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done, set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside.


Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes. 


Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste.


Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes.


Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine; toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions and enjoy!
Happy Eating Friends! ~ Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Chicken Marsala with Pancetta and Cream

I love chicken marsala.  And this is by far one of the best recipes I've ever made.  I would suggest cooking with whole wheat pasta if desired, and doubling the ingredients for the sauce so you have enough to mix with the pasta.



INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil
• 2 oz pancetta (about a 1/4 inch thick slice), cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1/2 medium onion, diced (or you can use chopped shallots)
• Flour for dredging (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 lb of skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut or pounded into thin cutlets
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
• 6 Tbsp 1/2 & 1/2 or heavy cream
• Whole wheat pasta if desired, I used linguine and then doubled the sauce mixture - cream, marsala, salt/pepper, onion

Directions:

1 Coat a large skillet lightly with olive oil and set it over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until just crip and lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and cook until translucent and slightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside.

2 Put the flour on a plate. Pat the cutlets dry. Season them on both sides lightly with salt and amply with pepper. Heat the skillet with the pancetta fat over medium high. Add more olive oil, if needed, to get about 2 Tbsp of fat in the pan.

3 When the fat is hot, dredge a cutlet through the flour on both sides. Shake off the excess flour and immediately put the cutlet in the pan. Do the same with as many cutlets as will fit in the pan without touching. Sauté the cutlets, turning once, until browned on both sides. If thin, they should cook through in just a few minutes total. Transfer the cooked cutlets to a plate and continue sauteíng the rest, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer these to the plate as well.

4 Pour off the excess fat. With the pan over med-high heat, add the Marsala and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the Marsala is reduced by about a quarter. Stir in the cream and boil until you get a nicely thickened sauce. 

Return the chicken, onions, and pancetta to the pan and turn the cutlets over to coat. Let them reheat for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Serve w/salad and bread also if desired.

Happy Eating Friends! ~ Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Recipe - Red Pepper Hummus

Homemade hummus...my whole family loves it! This recipe makes so much more than those little tubs of hummus you get at the grocery...and is way tastier! Serve with warm pita triangles!

Red Pepper Hummus

• 2 (16 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 c roasted red peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 jalapeno, thinly diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 3/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

DIRECTIONS
In a food processor on low speed, combine the garbanzo beans, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and jalapeno until the ingredients start to blend.  Process until smooth. Season with black pepper, cayenne, cumin and oregano.  Add red peppers and garlic, then turn the speed to medium, and blend to your desired consistency.

Buon appetito!  Leah

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Homemade Beef Stew with Rice

Well, the weather (until Saturday) this week had been rainy and gloomy, so I decided to buy some stew meat to throw in the crockpot for some homemade beef and rice stew.  It turned out delicious, substituting rice for potatoes really does something for this soup.  The leftovers are better, as the rice has soaked up all the juices.  My little boy lapped up every bite...

Ingredients:
1-pd of beef stew meat (already cut up)
1-package of frozen carrots, peas and green beans (or fresh)
2-cups uncooked (4 servings cooked) brown rice
3- Celery sticks cut up
6-Cups of Beef Broth
Garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
Pour beef broth into crockpot and turn on to low heat.
Add beef, frozen veggies, celery sticks, and garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste.  Leave for 6-8 hours on low heat, then cook rice according to directions.  Add to stew, stir, and serve with your choice of bread and/or salad.  Happy eating friends! ~Trina

The Down & Dirty on True Whole Grain

As you all painstakingly know by my anti-chicken fingers movement recipes, I'm a nut for feeding my body with healthy foods.  So, I love researching and learning about what is truly healthy as they come out with new items every day we are supposed to ax from our families diets.

I will tell you one thing: if you are swapping whole grain for refined flour products, healthy fat (such as avocados or nuts in place of potato chips), fresh foods rather than processed foods, you are already on the right track.  Throw in leaner proteins, milk and cheeses, etc, you will be doing great.

So, to hone in on one of these items - what truly is whole grain?  Well, the first ingredient should say "whole".  Avoid or deeply scrutinize products that show multi-grain - loose regulations by the FDA mean  the product doesn't necessarily contain much whole grain.

So why whole grain and what is refined flour?  Refined flour is made from grains that have been stripped of their fiber-rich outer bran and nutrient-dense inner germ.  So...basically, most of the nutritional value has been removed.

Be sure a whole grain (e.g., whole wheat, oats, whole barley, whole rye) heads the ingredient list.  Skip those that list wheat, unbleached wheat, wheat farina, rice, corn or rye flour, as all are refined.  Look for at least three grams of fiber per 100 calories.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather be feeding my body, and my children's body, with as many nutrients as possible.  More articles to follow on healthy eating!  ~ Trina