White Chocolate-Strawvberry Pie-Lets

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1/2 cup Grape Nuts cereal, finely crushed into crumbs
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp strawberry preserves
1 3/4 cups milk
1 (1 oz) package sugar-free white chocolate pudding mix

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the crumbs and 2 tbsp of the preserves. With a large spoon, stir to mix well. Divide the mixture into 4 ramekins of small dessert bowls. Press the mixture into the bottom of the dishes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix. Whisk to blend. Pour into the ramekins or bowls. Dollop 1/2 tsp preserves on top of each. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Comments:
Totally easy to make, although I do continue to use graham crackers instead of Grape Nuts. I think mine turned out a little weird because of the preserves we had in the fridge. They were some strange artificially sweetened stuff that gave the whole thing a weird aftertaste. But still, better than last week's cheesecake!

One-Serving Chocolate Cheesecakes

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1/4 cup Grape Nuts cereal, finely crushed into crumbs
1/2 cup fat-free cream cheesem at room temperature
2 tbsp honey
1 large egg white
1/4 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly mist four 3"-wide ovenproof bowls or ramekins with cooking spray. Divide the crumbs among them, spreading in an even layer on the bottoms. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, with an electric mixer fitted with beaters, beat the cream cheese and honey on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg white, yogurt, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed just until smooth. On the lowest speed possible, mix in the cocoa. Spoon the mixture into the prepared bowls or ramekins.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the centers are set. Let stand for 15 minutes to cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, top each serving with a tablespoon of whipped topping. Dust with cocoa.

Comments:
Not inedible, but way too much cocoa and not enough sweetener. Even if you like dark chocolate, which I don't really, this might be too much. It needs something to cut that bitter cocoa powder taste a little more. Probably won't make these again without a lot of doctoring.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pecan-Crusted Chicken

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 large egg white
2 tbsp minced toasted pecans
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp salt
2 small (1/4-pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly mist a small nonstick baking sheet with olive oil spray.

In a small, shallow bowl, beat the egg white with a fork.

In a small bowl, combine the pecans, parsley, and salt. Spread half of the mixture on a sheet of waxed paper. Dip 1 chicken breast into the egg white to coat. Place the smooth side of the breast on the nut mixture. Press to adhere. Place the breast, nut side up, on the prepare baking sheet. Repeat with the second breast and place on the baking sheet, not touching the other breast.

Bake for 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Comments:
There they go with that olive oil mist thing. *sigh* I used parchment paper on the baking sheet. Worked fine. I also butterflied the breasts to make them thinner, coated both sides with the nuts. I'm a rebel.

This was pretty good. I think I'd try and get the nuts finer next time. I put them in my off-brand "Slap-Chop" and didn't really go to town on them. It might just be a personal preference, but I didn't like the big chunks of nuts.

I'd probably make this again. Simple, relatively quick, and tasty. (Oh, and not totally bad for you - that's a plus too.)

BBQ Turkey Breast Roast

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless turkey breast roast
1 tsp EVOO
2 tbsp barbecue sauce
1/4 cup water

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly mist an 8 x 8 glass baking dish or nonstick baking pan with olive oil spray. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Place the turkey on a cutting board. With a fork, pierce each side deeply about 25 times. Drizzle on the oil and rub to coat evenly on both sides. Sprinkle on the reserved seasoning mixture. Rub to coat evenly on both sides. With the smooth side of the breast down, drizzle on half of the barbecue sauce, rubbing to coat. Place the turkey, smooth side up, in the prepared pan. Rub the remaining barbecue sauce over the smooth side of the breast. Pour the water into the pan, taking care not to pour it over the turkey.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Place on a clean cutting board. Carve, against the grain, into thin slices.

Comments:
Ok, so where does one procure a 1 1/2 pound turkey breast roast? I looked at three different stores and couldn't find a turkey breast smaller than 5 pounds. And that sucker would take a whole lot longer than 35 minutes to cook. I went with turkey tenderloins and they ended up kind of dry. I'm not a turkey fan in the first place. Add to that the barbecue thing and I only lasted two bites. Not for me.

Turkey Goulash

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 pound ground turkey
1 15oz can kidney beans
1 medium yellow squash, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 14.5oz can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp extra-spicy seasoning mix
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:
Lightly mist a medium nonstick pot with olive oil spray. Set over medium heat. Place the onions and garlic in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, or until the onion is tender. Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Set the pot over medium-high heat until it is hot enough for a spritz of water to sizzle on it. With an oven mitt, briefly remove the pan from the heat to mist lightly with olive oil spray. Add the turkey to the pot. Cook, breaking into chunks with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the beans with liquid, squash, tomatoes, chili powder, seasoning mix, salt, cayenne, and reserved onion mixture. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Comments:
My only problem with this cookbook as a whole is their weird directions. And their obsession with "lightly misting" olive oil spray. Gargh!

Anyway, I made this my way. That is, in a way that makes sense. I put some olive oil in the pan, heated it, added the onions, garlic, and turkey. Cooked it until the turkey was done, added everything else (except the "spicy seasoning mix." What the heck is that?) and cooked it for 40 minutes. Turned out fine. Perhaps I added a few more calories using actual oil rather than a spray. Eh. It'll happen.

I thought this was very good. A nice spicy burn in the background from the chili powder and cayenne. Adam hated it. He has this thing against beans and it ruined the whole thing for him. He pretty much picked out the squash, ate some turkey, and then declared the dish "too bean infested." He then snacked on potato chips. I thought that might happen. Oh well. More leftovers for me!

Chicken Cheese-Steak Wraps

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup onion slivers
1 whole-wheat flour tortilla
1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese
1 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp sliced pickled hot chili peppers

Directions:
With a sharp knife, cut the chicken into thin slivers at a 45-degree angle.

Set a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot. Mist with olive-oil spray. Place the chicken and onion in the pan. Cook, separating the chicken, for 2 minutes or until evenly browned and no longer pink. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the tortilla between two damp paper towels. Microwave on low power in 10-second intervals until it's warm.

Place the tortilla on a serving plate. Spread the cheese, leaving about 2" bare on one end, in an even strip running down the center of the tortilla. Top with the chicken mixture, ketchup, and peppers. Fold the bare end of the tortilla up over the filling and then fold the sides of the tortilla over the middle.

Comments:
Didn't totally follow this. I used low-fat cheddar instead of the Laughing Cow (which is Swiss and neither of us like that.) I also skipped the ketchup and peppers because, well, eww. Just the chicken, onions, and cheese were perfect. I used this thin flatbread stuff rather than tortillas as well and that was great too. I think we'd eat this again.

(Indian) Chicken Salad Pockets

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp mayo
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp curry paste
3/4 cup chopped grilled chicken breast
1 1/2 tbsp seeded, chopped cucumber
1 1/2 tbsp chopped red onion
1 whole wheat pita, cut in half
2 leaves lettuce

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the mayo, lime juice, and curry paste. Whisk to blend. Add the chicken, cucumber, and onion. Mix well.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the pita halves. Add the lettuce.

Comments:
I don't do curry. So that's why the "Indian" is a parenthetical. These were pretty good. I had issues with the pita pockets (can you see the one tearing on the side?), but I can't really blame that on the recipe. It's pretty good the next day too. I put the lettuce in first so that's why you can't really see it in the picture.

Sweet & Spicy Pork Tenderloin

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground chile pepper
1 pork tenderloin (1 1/4 lbs)
1 tsp EVOO
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp hot sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly mist a small roasting pan or oven-proof skillet with olive oil spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the cumin, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, allspice, garlic powder, and chile pepper. Rub the pork evenly with the olive oil. Then rub evenly with the spice mixture until coated. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the honey, garlic, and hot sauce. Whisk to mix. Set aside.

Set a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot enough for a spritz of water to sizzle on it. With an oven mitt, briefly remove the pan from the heat to lightly mist with olive oil spray. Place the pork in the pan. Cook for 1 minute per side, or until browned on all sides. Transfer to the prepared pan. With a basting brush, evenly coat the pork with the reserved honey mixture.

Roast the tenderloin in the oven to 16 to 18 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 160 and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into thin slices at a 45 degree angle and serve immediately.

Comments:
This was easy to prep but it took a lot longer than the recipe said it would to cook. I'm talking 40 minutes or more. I kind of lost track after the first couple tackings-on. It reminded me a whole lot of my other pork tenderloin experience. I'm not a fan of pork in general, and this was just too spicy for me. Adam liked it though. Ate all the leftovers. So that alone makes it a winner for me! I just could not get a good picture of it for the life of me. How annoying. But you get the idea.

Southwestern Chicken Pileup

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 tsp salt-free Mexican or Southwest seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 small boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 whole-wheat pita
2 tbsp hummus
2 tbsp black beans, drained
several red onion strip
several red bell pepper strips
2 tbsp chopped tomato
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
4 tsp guacamole or sour cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450F. Preheat a grill to high heat.

Sprinkle the seasoning and garlic powder evenly over the chicken. Place the chicken on the grill rack. Reduce the heat to medium. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until no longer pink and the juices run clear. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place the pita on the grill rack. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until lightly toasted. Place the pita on a nonstick baking sheet. Spread evenly with the hummus. Top evenly in layers with the beans, reserved chicken, onion, red pepper, tomato, cilantro, and cheese.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the cheese in melted. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges. Top each wedge with guacamole or sour cream if desired.

Comments:
Ok, switched this one up a little. Used Montreal chicken seasoning, left out the hummus, red bell pepper and cilantro. Didn't grill anything. Cooked the chicken in the George Foreman. It all seemed to work out. Man, was it a strong onion though. Wow!