MFB: Orange Chicken Fingers

Photo courtesy of Teresa Henrie

Seriously, if you and I have anything in common, it HAS to be that this dish not only looks absolutely delicious, but that it is just as tasty! 

Orange Chicken Fingers

3-4 chicken breasts cut into 3/4 inch strips. (Make sure they are big
enough to go on the grill)

Whisk together:

Dijon mustard 1 1/2 T
Orange juice concentrate 1 1/2 T
Honey 1 1/2 T
Vegetable oil 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Pepper 1/2 tsp

Marinate the chicken for 15 min.

Cook on the grill 2-3 min per side.  Brush your grill with oil so the
chicken won't stick.

Feature Week 2: Busy Girl Healthy Life

I am so happy to announce this weeks featured "clean eating" recipes are straight from Ms. Lori Harder herself, over at "Busy Girl, Healthy Life"  Lori is an inspiration and icon in the fitness industry. She knows what it takes to be THE BEST in the business, and best news is- she is sharing it with the WORLD. Some people like to keep their success secrets to themselves, luckily for us, Lori isn't one of them. She wants everyone to get what they want out of life, and it always starts with nutrition. If you eat well, you will live well, and have more energy to go after your dreams and your passions, the ability to ENJOY life!

So, get ready to keep eating clean and add these fabulous 7 recipes to your menu. I have linked each recipe straight to her site, because no one can do it like Lori does:)

 Tostadas - seriously these are my favorite!! I'm such a mexican food junkie- and these keep it clean!
 Asparagus Walnut Salad - super delicious with all the right flavorings
 Jackie's JACKED UP Peppers - get ready for a party in your mouth with these bad boys!
Chicken Fingers - perfect for everyone- kids LOVED them, and who am I kidding so did I;)
Healthy Pizza - great family night meal, where everyone can get creative in the kitchen together
Brayden's Southwest Soup - perfect for a chilly day
Ham & Swiss Stuffed Chicken Breast - mouth watering to die for combo!

Please go check out her website for even MORE delicious recipes, here.  You can also like her page on facebook, where she is always adding more fun recipes, and interacting with her "busy girls". 

And what you have ALL been waiting for- added to the prize list- is none other then Lori Harder's latest cook book, "Busy Girl, Healthy Life Cookbook"  To get extra entries, make ANY one of the featured recipes by Lori, and then comment below in this post letting me know which one(s) you made and how much you LOVED them. Each recipe made will give you an entry into the prize jar! 

Eat clean and eat up!

Clean Eating Chicken Vegetable Pasta

There is just something about a chicken dish put together with pasta and some veggies, that is irresistible to me! The Gracious Pantry lives up to her expectations once again with this yummy dish. You can go here for the full story on the recipe. 

Clean Eating Chicken Vegetable Pasta
(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced fine
3 cloves garlic, diced fine
1 green bell pepper, diced fine
6 large crimini mushrooms, diced fine
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese + some for sprinkling
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, baked and cut into bite-sized pieces
1-2 tsp. garlic powder (stick to 1 tsp. if you have to talk to somebody
the next day)
1/2 pound whole wheat rigatoni, cooked

Directions

Step 1 – Cook pasta according to package directions.

Step 2 – In a large skillet, saute the onion, garlic, bell pepper and
mushrooms over low heat until soft. Cook this slowly so that the vegetables
will release their juices. Otherwise, 1 tbsp. of olive oil won’t be enough.
It’s okay to get the pan hot over high heat, but then saute over low heat.
Be patient. It’s worth it.

Step 3 – Once the vegetable mixture is sauteed and soft, fold in the
tomatoes and basil. Cook until the tomatoes just barely start to wilt.

Step 4 – Add your pasta to the pan mixture and then the garlic powder and
Parmesan cheese. Stir well.

Step 5 – Stir in your chicken and serve.

Nutritional Content
1 serving = approximately 1 cup WITH whole wheat pasta

Note: Nutritional content does not include pasta. Data for pasta varies from brand to brand, so I left it out. However, the serving size DOES include the pasta.

Calories: 150
Total Fat: 5 gm
Saturated Fats: 2 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 35 mg
Sodium: 168 mg
Carbohydrates: 9 gm
Dietary fiber: 2 gm
Sugars: 5 gm
Protein: 16 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 4

Happy chomping!

Clean Eating Chicken Tex Mex Alfredo Pasta

If you are anything like me- than you LOVE Tex Mex! And who are we kidding?! Tex Mex is anything BUT healthy. So, when I came by this AMAZING clean version of a Tex Mex recipe- I had to share!

From our featured blog this week "The Gracious Pantry", you can go directly to her recipe HERE, and see more of her special tips and why she came up with this recipe.

Clean Eating Chicken Tex Mex Alfredo Pasta 

(Makes 8 servings)

Ingredients

1/2 lb. cooked whole wheat pasta

3 cooked, large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded or cubed

SAUCE

1 (16 oz.) container plain, low-fat cottage cheese

1/2 cup salsa, no sugar added

1 dash cumin (optional)

1 dash chili powder (optional)

TOPPING SUGGESTIONS

Chopped, fresh tomatoes

Chunks of avocado

Fresh cilantro

Olives

Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Step 1 – In a double boiler, liquefy the cottage cheese. With some brand, this may not happen completely. You’ll still have chunks of cottage cheese left. But that’s okay. You’ll be blending it anyway.

Step 2 – Put the warm cottage cheese and the rest of the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you feel the sauce is too thick, feel free to add a splash or two of milk until you reach your desired constancy.

Step 3 – In a large mixing bowl, combine your pasta, chicken and any toppings you’d like to add. Mix well.

Step 4 – Put your pasta mix on a plate and pour some sauce over the top to serve. Serve quickly as the sauce cools off fast.

NOTE: If using avocados, you may want to top the sauce with the avocado as mixing it in can make it rather mushy.

Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content

1 serving = 1/8 the recipe

NOTE: Data does not include toppings.

Calories: 260

Total Fat: 5 gm

Saturated Fats: 1 gm

Trans Fats: 0 gm

Cholesterol: 39 mg

Sodium: 291 mg (This can be lowered with low or no-sodium salsa)

Carbohydrates: 23 gm

Dietary fiber: 3 gm

Sugars: 3 gm

Protein: 28 gm

Estimated Glycemic Load: 14

Bon appetite!