Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken



I knew it had been a very long time since my last recipe post, but I never would have guessed my most recent post was this past January. Wow, I have to be the worst blogger ever! Although I have been swamped with work and tons of side projects, I haven't abandoned the world of cooking and nutrition. Many nights of getting home late and still trying to cook dinner, I admit, I just choose one of my favorite go-to recipes. That way there is little risk of disaster and the element of research/substitution of ingredients is eliminated. Although it doesn't always happen, I like to try to make at least one new recipe each week, which means I do have quite a few updates to add to the blog. I also have an absurd amount of recipes saved on Pinterest that I plan to make in the future. This recipe for Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken is one that I had pinned a while back and just got around to making. I love the fact that  the prep work was super easy and that it cooked while I was working. I was especially excited with the result. The chicken had a lot of flavor, sweet from the honey with a hint of salty from the soy sauce. It was tender and still light in comparison to most oriental chicken dishes. I served it over brown rice with steamed broccoli on the side. So much healthier than Chinese take-out! 

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
serves 5

Ingredients
1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp diced onion
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp corn starch, dissolved in 3 tbsp water
1 tbsp sesame seeds

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place in crock pot.
2. In a small bowl combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, canola oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
3. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours.
4. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce.
5. Dissolve cornstarch in 3 tbsp of water and pour into crock pot.
6. Replace lid and cook on high for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
7. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to crock pot and toss with sauce before serving.
8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve over rice or noodles.

Nutrition: 258 calories, 31g carbohydrate, 25g protein, 5g fat
Weight Watchers Points: 6
Weight Watchers Plus Points: 7

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Diet Friendly Dumplings

I'm excited to finally post a new recipe after quite some time away from Nosh N' Nutrition. The weather in Alabama is absolutely crazy, but on one of our cooler January nights, I was really in the mood for a warm, comfort food dish. Instead of slaving away in the kitchen for hours, I settled on a simple crockpot recipe that I had been eyeing on Pinterest (along with tons of other fabulous recipes) for Chicken and Dumplings. Generally "comfort food" has a negative connotation in the world of healthy eating, but after studying the original ingredients, I didn't have to change much in order to make a light version. This was very easy to make and tuned out to be a wonderful meal. It reminded me so much of Cracker Barrel's Chicken and Dumplings, which I order occasionally. While their dish is just as tasty, I think I enjoyed my version more simply because I knew the exact ingredients and nutritional content. I will definitely be making this again soon!
Chicken and Dumplings
serves 6

Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp light butter
2 cans 98% fat free Cream of Chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 tbsp dried parsley
4 Grands flaky refrigerator biscuits

  1. Put the chicken, butter, soup, broth, parsley, and onions in the crockpot and cook on high for 4-6 hours.
  2. As the chicken cooks and gets tender, break/shred it up with a fork or knife.
  3. Cut your biscuits into strips (about 3 per biscuit). Stir into chicken mixture and cook for another hour.
Nutrition: 255 calories, 25g carbohydrate, 19g protein, 9g fat, 2g fiber
Weight Watchers Points: 6
Weight Watchers Plus Points: 7


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About Lauren

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Nutrition student with a passion for giving yummy recipes a healthy make-over. Future RD on a constant search for the best food finds. And new blogger trying to relay my tasty ideas to everyone else.

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Please feel free to email me with any questions, suggestions, or comments at lamandle88@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

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