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 - Kahlua Grilled Shrimp Pasta

I personally think we should add a little Kahlua to every meal!  So here it is with shrimp and pasta.  Direct, from me to you!

Kahlua Grilled Shrimp Pasta

To Grill:
2 lb shrimp peeled
1 tomato, quartered
Marinade:
1/4 cup white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 cups honey
1 tbsp basil, fresh chopped
1 tbsp thyme fresh chopped
1 tbsp cajun seasoned salt
1 tbsp cilantro fresh chopped
1 tbsp garlic chopped
1 tbsp parsley chopped
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

Prepare:
1 cup kahlua
Corn starch to thicken
1.5 tbsp red pepper chopped
1 lb angel hair pasta

Mix all marinade ingredients: add shrimp and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Grill shrimp and tomato over charcoal fire with mesquite and oak wood. Cook pasta according to package direction in a 2 quart stock pot. In a small bowl I make a small amount of roux from cornstarch and kahlua. In a skillet I pour in some kahlua and heat it on a medium temperature. After it begins to boil I add the roux (thickening agent) and stir until it is somewhat thick. Then I add the shrimp and cook just until the shrimp are coated - usually only about 5 minutes. If the kahlua starts to boil off, add more. Add Worcestershire sauce, red pepper and shrimp.  Serve warm on top of pasta.  Garnish with fresh cilantro and grilled tomato.

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement~Healthy Beef Stroganoff

I love beef stroganoff, however the traditional dish is packed with fat & calories, so I decided to do some researching to find a lower fat, yet tasty version of this meal.  I finally found one I liked in the Eat Up, Slim Down cookbook, which I changed slightly to fit what I was looking for.   The lighting in my kitchen isn't that great for photos...so while the pictures my not reflect it, this recipe tastes fantastic!



1-TBL Olive Oil
1-Pd or so of tenderized stew meat.  This part is important, if it's not tenderized, you must tenderize it yourself or cook it for a MUCH longer time.  I suggest the tenderizing, as it cooks so much quicker.
1-small or medium onion

Ground Black Pepper & Salt
2-cups Beef Broth
1-TBL Worcestershire sauce
1-can (4 oz) sliced mushrooms, or 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2-PD wide whole wheat egg noodles (which Walmart didn't have as you can see, so I used whole wheat spiral noodles, use whichever noodles you like)
1-cup Light Sour Cream
3-TBL Flour

In large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil.  Add beef & onion, and salt & pepper, cook about 10 minutes or until browned & onions are tender.  Add broth,Worcestershire sauce & mushrooms; bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or so (if meat is not tender, you will need to cook about 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook noodles according to directions.  In small bowl, whisk together sour cream and ONLY 2 TBL of flour.  Add to meat mixture, and stir into bubbling strew and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes, or until thickened.  Here's where the extra TBL of flour comes in.  I like my sauce a bit thicker, so I add it and continue to cook as it thickens.  If you like the lighter consistency, don't add the third TBL of flour, or only sprinkle part of it in until you reach desired thickness of sauce.  You can always add more broth too if too thick of consistency.  Serve the stroganoff over the noodles.  I like to serve with sourdough bread, and that's it.

Happy Eating Friends! ~Trina