Sizzling Salmon and Spinach Salad with Soy Vinaigrette

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
DRESSING:
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

SALAD:
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided
4 cups thinly sliced shiitake or button mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
1 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
8 cups baby spinach
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 cup red bell pepper strips

Directions:
Preheat broiler.

To prepare dressing, combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, and stir well with a whisk.

To prepare salad, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and 1 cup onions; sauté 8 minutes. Stir in corn; remove from heat.

Place the fish on a foil-lined baking sheet; brush evenly with 1 teaspoon oil. Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Place 2 cups spinach on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1/4 cup red bell pepper, 1/2 cup mushroom mixture, and 1 fillet. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons dressing over each salad.

Comments:
There is A LOT going on in this one. All kinds of veggies, fish, a dressing. It comes together pretty easily, but I still had to have Adam check the fish. I never know when it's done. He liked all the different flavors that come together. I, of course, didn't eat this. I had this lentil soup instead (also meatless, not fishy.) I always make a big batch and freeze it. Yum.

Weekly Menu 2/27 through 3/5

Adam did the menu planning again this week. He's on a roll!

Saturday 2/27 - Jerky Chicken

Sunday 2/28 - Beef Bulgogi

Monday 3/1 - Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

Tuesday 3/2 - Angel's Pasta

Wednesday 3/3 - Sloppy Joes

Thursday 3/4 - Bread Crust Zucchini Quiche

Friday 3/5 - Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Grilled Ham, Muenster, and Spinach Sandwiches

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
8 (3/4-ounce) slices crusty Chicago-style Italian bread (about 1/2 inch thick), toasted
8 ounces thinly sliced lower-sodium deli ham (such as Boar's Head)
4 (1-ounce) slices reduced-sodium Muenster cheese (such as Alpine Lace)
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup mild chowchow (such as Braswell's)
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Layer each of 4 bread slices with 2 ounces ham, 1 slice Muenster cheese, 1/2 cup baby spinach, 1 tablespoon chowchow, and 1 bread slice.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat sandwiches with cooking spray; add to pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned and cheese melts. Cut sandwiches in half, if desired. Serve immediately.

Comments:
Obviously omitted the chowchow. Gross... Used whole wheat bread and a panini press. There were pretty good. The spinach was a little challenging to get onto the sandwich but it wilted nicely when heated.

Pasta with Prosciutto and Spinach

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 (9-ounce) package fresh cheese tortellini (such as DiGiorno)
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup (1 ounce) preshredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Transfer pasta to a large bowl.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Add nuts to bowl.

3. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Add spinach mixture, cheese, and remaining ingredients to bowl; toss well.

Comments:
Another recipe where the number of servings is questionable. It's supposed to make four, but we got maybe 3. And I measured every last ingredient and used a one-cup measuring cup for plating. Argh. This was pretty good. Much better use for prosciutto, although I did alter the recipe a little bit and threw the prosciutto into the pan with the spinach to heat through.

Grilled Chicken with Rustic Mustard Cream

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon water
Rosemary sprigs (optional)

Directions:
1. Prepare grill.

2. Combine 1 teaspoon mustard, oil, and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; brush evenly over chicken. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done.

3. While chicken grills, combine 1 tablespoon mustard, mayonnaise, and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl. Serve mustard cream with grilled chicken. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

Comments:
First of all - "rustic mustard cream"? Puh-leeze. It's mayo and mustard with a little water. Way to dress it up! Adam was apparently really into the grill recipes this week when he was planning the menu. It's fine with me - takes some of the prep off of my shoulders. Anyway, good flavor although I could do without the "rustic mustard cream."

Beer-Braised Beef

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 cup refrigerated prechopped onion
Cooking spray
1 pound boneless top round steak, trimmed
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
1/2 cup light beer
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Place onion in a 3- to 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Place steak over onion in cooker; pour tomatoes and beer over steak. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until steak is very tender.

3. Shred steak with 2 forks in slow cooker; stir in molasses and salt. Let steak stand 10 minutes before serving.

Comments:
First of all, there's no way this makes 4 servings. I even had a one-cup measuring cup out and we got maybe 2 and a half. A small half. Lots and lots of juice though...

But anyway. The flavor on this is wonderful. The molasses must add that certain something to the depth. We had this with some rolls instead of mashed potatoes (as suggested in the recipe) since I've given up potatoes for lent. Gah.

Grilled Pork Sliders with Honey BBQ Sauce

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce (such as Sticky Fingers Memphis Original)
2 tablespoons dark rum (such as Myers's)
2 tablespoons honey
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
Cooking spray
4 (1.8-ounce) white wheat hamburger buns

Directions:
1. Prepare grill.

2. Combine barbecue sauce, rum, and honey in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Reserve 1/4 cup sauce for serving. Use remaining 1/4 cup sauce for basting.

3. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes. Turn and baste pork with sauce; cook 8 minutes. Turn and baste with sauce. Cook 4 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Let stand 5 minutes; cut into thin slices.

4. Place buns, cut sides down, on grill rack; toast 1 minute. Place 3 ounces pork on bottom half of each bun. Spoon 1 tablespoon sauce over each serving; top with remaining halves of buns.

Comments:
These were good. I don't like barbecue too much but the honey and rum really seemed to offset the smoky flavor nicely.

Salsa Meat Loaf

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chipotle salsa, divided
1/4 cup ketchup, divided
1 pound ground beef, extra lean
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine egg whites in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in oats, 1/2 cup salsa, and 2 tablespoons ketchup. Add beef; mix well. Divide beef mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into an oval-shaped loaf. Coat a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place loaves on prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until done.

4. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons salsa and remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup in a small bowl; spread mixture evenly over loaves.

Comments:
These were really good. The salsa isn't overpowering at all and they stay so moist when they bake. I didn't expect to like them so much so it was a pleasant surprise.

Blackened Catfish

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 small (1/4 pound) catfish fillet
1/4 tsp blackened seasoning (or to taste)
1/2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450. Lightly mist a small baking sheet with olive oil spray. Place the catfish, smooth side down, on the sheet. Sprinkle with the blackened seasoning and cheese.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Comments:
Hard as we tried, we could not find blackened seasoning anywhere. So Adam did some sleuthing online and came up with a recipe:

1 tbsp paprika
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp white pepper
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano

So this is what I used. Apparently it packs quite the punch so use it carefully!

Picante Chicken

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup mild picante sauce
4 medium (4-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 tbsp light cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Spread 1/3 cup of the picante sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Set aside.

Lay chicken breasts on a cutting board. Use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness.

Spread the chicken evenly with the cream cheese. Lay the chicken, cream cheese side up, in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the remaining 1/2 cup picante sauce evenly over the breasts. Cover the dish with foil.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the breasts. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Comments:
I apparently forgot to get cheddar cheese this week and on Thursday night I was so tired I didn't even feel like running to the grocery store across the street from our house to go get some. So I just left it off. I didn't eat this since I was feeling not so great and cream cheese has a tendency to make me feel even worse. Adam seemed to like it though. Probably would have been better with the cheddar though. :)

Red, Green, and Bleu Salad

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
2 medium plum (Roma) tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup red onion slivers
2 tbsp crumbled gorgonzola cheese
2 tsp light balsamic salad dressing
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium serving bowl and toss well.

Comments:
Adam made this and ate it while I was at work so I have no idea how it went. He did say it was easy to make but he didn't dig the dressing he used. He also said it got very soggy if you let it sit around too long so it's best to make it and eat it right away. He also peeled the cucumbers but that's more of a personal preference thing - the skin can be bitter sometimes.

Thai Ground-Chicken Salad

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp honey
1/8 tsp chili garlic sauce
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp EVOO
1/4 pound ground chicken
2 cups shredded romaine leaves
1/2 cup shedded carrot
1/4 cup red onion slivers
2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1-2 tbsp chopped dry-roasted cashews

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, ginger, honey, chili sauce, and salt. Whisk, gradually adding the oil, until blended.

Set a small nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan. Cook, breaking up the meat into chunks with a spatula, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1 tbsp of the reserved dressing.

In a large serving bowl, combine the lettuce, carrot, onion, mint, and cilantro. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and toss. Top with the reserved chicken and sprinkle with the nuts.

Comments:
This recipe is for one serving so you might need to double it like I did. But it makes HUGE portions - two cups of lettuce is a lot! Overall, this was good. Neither Adam nor I are big lime enthusiasts so I think that might have been the main reason I wasn't too much into it. The nuts on top is a stroke of genius though. I might try it again, but I'd rejigger the dressing so it's less...limey.

Weekly Menu 2/20 through 2/26

Adam did the menu planning again this week. This time they're all from Cooking Light.

Saturday 2/20 - Salsa Meat Loaf

Sunday 2/21 - Grilled Pork Sliders with Honey BBQ Sauce

Monday 2/22 - Beer-Braised Beef

Tuesday 2/23 - Grilled Chicken with Rustic Mustard Cream

Wednesday 2/24 - Pasta with Prosciutto and Spinach

Thursday 2/25 - Grilled Ham, Muenster, and Spinach Sandwiches

Friday 2/26 - Sizzling Salmon and Spinach Salad with Soy Vinaigrette

California Bacon Burger

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 strip turkey bacon, halved
1 tbsp egg substitute
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1/4 pound ground turkey
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
3/4 ounce thinly sliced cheddar cheese
1 whole-grain hamburger bun
1 tbsp mayo
tomato slices and thinly sliced red onion to taste

Directions:
Place a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the bacon in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until crisp. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the egg subsitite and the breadcrumbs. Add the turkey, parsley, Worcestershire, and jalapeno. Mix well. Shape into a patty.

Place the patty in the same pan the bacon was in. Cook for about 2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another two minutes. Flip the patty, cover it with the cheese, and cook for an additional two minutes, or until the turkey is no longer pink.

Toast the bun. Place the bun bottom on a serving plate. Spread half the mayo onto it. Top with the patty, bacon, tomato, and onion. Spread the remaining mayo over the inside of the top of the bun and flip onto the burger.

Comments:
Seriously, after only three days of cooking solely from this book I'm going crazy with the stupid directions. People who are fat know how to cook. How do you think we got fat? Argh! After this week I'm not going to cook from this book for a long time. That's all I can say right now. It's a great book with good recipes and ideas, but it's written for complete morons. (Almost as bad as that horrible glycemic index cookbook.)

Ok. I feel better now.

What you see in the directions above is what I actually did, which is not what you'll find in the book. These were pretty good for not having any salt or pepper in them. I skipped the turkey bacon and onion on mine and didn't feel deprived. Adam liked it so that's really what matters.

Sausage Breakfast Scramble

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1/4 pound ground pork
1/2 tbsp minced red onion
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp ground sage
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
pinch salt
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (about half of a medium-sized one)
1/2 tsp seeded, chopped jalapeno pepper (about one small)
8 large egg whites
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the pork, red onion, garlic, thyme, sage, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Mix well.

Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the pork mixture, onion, red and jalapeno peppers. Cook, stirring to break up the pork, until meat is no longer pink.

Add the egg whites. Let cook for a few minutes, until the whites begin to set. Scramble and continue cooking until eggs are done. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Comments:
I modified this recipe quite a bit. First off, this is another recipe that uses a different one as an element - this time it was the sausage that was separate. Also, the original has you microwaving the egg whites. I know I already mentioned my dislike of microwave cooking on chicken. The same goes for eggs. I don't use the microwave to cook things very often aside from frozen veggies or things that are meant to be cooked there - like Lean Cuisines. So I changed the recipe to what I actually did. It looked kind of gross for a little bit since egg whites have a tendency to look like, well, snot. But once they cook up they look and taste just fine.

Fresh and Colorful Jicama Slaw

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 English cucumber, seeded and cut into thin 1"-long strips
1/2 pound jicama, peeled and cut into thin 1"-long strips
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin 1"-long strips
6 tsbp chopped cilantro
5 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp EVOO
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss gently to mix. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Comments:
So, jicama. What is that? This is jicama:



Looks like a turnip on steroids, but it has a texture kind of like a carrot and tastes kind of sweet. Adam compared it to sweet peas. It's very versatile and is pretty good for you. Just for a point of reference, that one in the picture was about 1 pound. I only used half of it for this recipe.

For this recipe I used a regular cuke - what's the point of spending extra money on an English one when you're SEEDING it (I also peeled it.) I also left out the cilantro. I'm not planning on eating this one so I used all the red pepper the recipe called for even though it seemed like a lot. Hopefully Adam likes it. And if he doesn't it's his own fault because he picked it out. :)

Better Blueberry Pancakes

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup whole-grain oat flour (I used whole wheat)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the buttermilk, flour, egg, baking soda, vanilla, and salt. Whisk just until blended. Sitr in the blueberries. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Cook on griddle in 1/8 cup dollops. Makes two 4-pancake servings.

Comments:
I left the blueberries out of the batter (I don't like them) and just put them on top of Adam's stack. For being whole-wheat and small, these were very good. They look tiny, but they'll fill you up. I modified the recipe directions a little. They wanted you to cook these in a skillet, which seemed kind of stupid to me. Sometimes it's like this cookbook was written for people who don't know anything about cooking...

Meatball Sandwich

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 pound ground chicken
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup low-sugar, low-fat marinara sauce (I used Barilla Tomato & Basil)
2 whole-grain hot dog bun
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly mist a baking sheet with olive oil spray. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk. Let stand for 2-3 minutes, or until the milk softens the crumbs. Add the chicken, egg whites, parsley, cheese, garlic and onion powders, and salt. Mix well. Divide into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place meatballs, not touching, onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

Put the marinara sauce in a microwaveable bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals until warmed though. (Mine came out of the fridge and took about 2 minutes total.)

Meanwhile, heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the bun, cut side down, in the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until toasted.

Place the bun, toasted side up, on a serving plate. Top with three meatballs. Spoon on about half the heated sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with the second bun. Top with any remaining sauce.

You will have some leftover meatballs. (Ten of them, if my math is correct.)

Comments:
This is combination of two recipes since the sandwich recipe used a separate meatball recipe. Pretty simple to make and it tastes good too. I'm not really a huge fan of ground chicken. I might make them with turkey if I try this recipe again.

Weekly Menu 2/13 through 2/19

Adam did the menu planning this week. I think he's obsessed with The Biggest Loser Cookbook...

Saturday 2/13 - Chicken Cheese-Steak Wraps

Sunday 2/14 - California Bacon Burgers (Biggest Loser recipe)

Monday 2/15 - Thai Ground Chicken Salad (Biggest Loser recipe)

Tuesday 2/16 - My monthly professional association meeting. I'm still trying to convince Adam to come with me this month.

Wednesday 2/17 - Red, Green, and Bleu Salad (Biggest Loser recipe)

Thursday 2/18 - Picante Chicken (Biggest Loser recipe)

Friday 2/19 - Blackened Catfish (Biggest Loser recipe)

Slim Chicken Parmesan

From Everyday With Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
Four 5-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup dry red wine
One 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain.

2. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned, about 8 minutes; transfer to a plate.

3. In the same skillet, cook the garlic over medium heat until golden, about 1 minute. Add the wine, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Return the chicken and any juices to the skillet, turning to coat. Top each piece of chicken with some of the mozzarella and 1 teaspoon parmesan, cover and cook until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes; transfer to a platter.

4. Add the pasta and parsley to the skillet, toss and season with salt. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and serve alongside the chicken.

Comments:
Pretty simple although I skipped the wine and just used some chicken stock. Nice, slightly healthier variation of an old favorite. I like the simple tomato taste anyway. No extra junk in the sauce is a good thing. And wow, 8 oz of pasta is a lot when it's cooked. Who knew? I'd definitely try this one again.

BBQ Chicken Breast Sandwich

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of visible fat
1 tbsp barbecue sauce
1 whole-grain hamburger bun
1 large leaf green leaf lettuce
1 thin slice red onion
2 thin slices tomato
2 tsp low-fat mayo

Directions:
Place the chicken on a cutting board. Cover with a sheet of wax paper. With the smooth head of a meat mallet, pound the chicken from the center out, until it is a uniform 1/2" thickness. Transfer to a medium shallow bowl. Add the sauce. Turn the chicken to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.

Preheat the grill to high heat. Place the chicken on the grill. Turn the heat to low. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side, or until no longer pink inside and the juices run clear. About 1 minute before the chicken is done, place the bun halves, cut side down on the grill, to toast.

Place the bottom half of the bun, toasted side up, on a serving plate. Top with the chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Spread the mayo on the inside of the top half of the bun. Flip onto the sandwich. Serve immediately.

Comments:
Adam started this while I was on my way home. We grilled it outside even though it was cold and snowy. Yay, Wisconsin! Since the sandwich isn't doused in the barbecue sauce I could deal with the slight overtone of smoky flavor. I left the onions off of mine.

Cornmeal Oven-Fried Chicken

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley or 4 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut up and skin removed
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first nine ingredients. Place the buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in buttermilk, then add to bag, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.

Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes; drizzle with butter. Bake 30-40 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Comments:
I actually went out and got a fryer for this. Stupid, since most of it's still sitting in the fridge a week later. I knew I should have just used boneless breasts. Oh well. The recipe itself is fine. It's just our inability to eat leftovers that's the problem. A little more time-consuming than some others, but worth it. One note: I skipped the butter and sprayed the chicken with a little Pam instead. Worked fine.

Cinnamon-Apple Breakfast Pockets

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 whole-wheat pita, cut in half
4 tbsp fat-free vanilla or caramel-apple yogurt
1/2 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced
ground cinnamon to taste

Directions:
Preheat the broiler.

Place the pita halves on a small nonstick baking sheet. Set the pan 6" from the heat source. Broil for 30 to 60 seconds per side, or until just warmed and barely toasted. Carefully open one pocket and spread half the yogurt evenly inside. Insert half the apple slices over the yogurt. Season with cinnamon. Repeat with the other half.

Comments:
Now, I haven't had this yet (I made Adam's for lunch since he's going to some Super Bowl thing tonight) so I can't judge the taste. It's ridiculously easy though. I actually used the toaster oven rather than the broiler. Worked splendidly.

Weekly Menu 2/6 through 2/12

Saturday 2/6 - Brunch Panini

Sunday 2/7 - Cinnamon-Apple Breakfast Pockets (Biggest Loser recipe)

Monday 2/8 - BBQ Chicken Sandwiches (Biggest Loser recipe)

Tuesday 2/9 - Porcupine Meatballs

Wednesday 2/10 - Slim Chicken Parmesan

Thursday 2/11 - Out - our Valentine's Day meal

Friday 2/12 - Open-Faced Meatball Sandwich (Biggest Loser recipe)