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!

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.

While brainstorming about what to make for dinner yesterday, I remembered a dish that I had made once before I started my blog. I couldn't remember the exact flavors of the Chicken Portobello Lasagna but I could recall that everybody seemed to enjoy the dish. It wasn't until I sat down at the computer to post this, that I realized the repetition of my recent entrees. Chicken, mushrooms, and pasta seem to have been on my mind lately. I promise I will change things up a bit but until then, I definitely encourage you to try this lasagna. It was creamy and delicious, and of course healthy too.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Add chicken, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute on medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.
3. In a large bowl, combine soup, yogurt, salt, and pepper. Add spinach and chicken mixture. Fold in cheddar cheese.
4. Spoon 1/4 mixture into baking dish. Cover with 2 lasagna noodles. Repeat layers twice; top with remaining mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake covered for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 additional minutes until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x7 baking dish with cooking spray. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Combine the ingredients for the seasoning mixture. Lightly mist the chicken breasts with olive oil (or regular) cooking spray and sprinkle each side with the mixture. Grill until thoroughly done. Cut grilled chicken into bite-sized pieces.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet, add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, stir together alfredo sauce, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and Marsala. 
5. Add chicken, mushrooms, peas, and 1/2 cup parmesan.
6. Spoon mixture into baking dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake for 35 minutes.

1. Wash chicken and pat dry. Brush with butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Place chicken in slow cooker. Sprinkle Italian dressing mix on top. Cover and cook for 5-6 hours.
3. One hour before serving, mix soup, cream cheese, Sherry, and onion in a saucepan. Cook and stir until smooth. Spoon over chicken.
4. Add mushrooms and peas. Cover and cook for 30 minutes longer.
5. Serve over rice or egg noodles if desired.

Made famous by P.F. Chang and also served at other restaurants including Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen, lettuce wraps are a popular Chinese-inspired appetizer choice. Since it is usually a large serving, I tend to order lettuce wraps for my meal. There is something so appealing about the warm chicken and veggie combination served against the cool, crisp lettuce. The sauce in the meat mixture along with the similar dipping sauce makes for an amazing flavor combination. This is a recipe that I would never be able to recreate on my own as I had no idea what ingredients could provide such a succulent sensation. With the help of a fellow blogger, I have perfected this recipe and have gotten compliments by everyone who has tried it. I would have to say the most sincere compliment is from the boyfriend who licks the plate clean after each serving (literally). This is by no means a quick week night meal. There is a lot of chopping and dicing involved but with the help of a veggie chopper, it is not too bad. I would suggest preparing the meat, veggies, and sauces ahead of time. Then the actual cooking time is only about 15 minutes.  Most recipes that I make require quite a bit of nutrition modifications to get them to the point that I will eat them. The original recipe is pretty healthy as it, full of lean protein and veggies with very little fat. I have given the nutrient analysis based on 6 servings with each serving making 2 lettuce wraps for only 95 calories. You can divide the recipe to make 4 larger portions and each serving would still only amount to 142 calories! This is a great meal to serve to guests because it looks fancy and tastes fabulous. I served it over boiled whole grain brown rice along with a dipping sauce that I will post about later. The sauce is so similar to the white sauce served at Japanese steakhouses. It is quite amazing!

1. Boil chicken breast for 15 minutes or until cooked thoroughly. Chop finely to the size of a corn kernel.
2. Finely grate the carrot. Finely dice the onion, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and bell pepper to the same size of the chicken.
3. Whisk together the sauce ingredients. If you doubled the sauce to make the dipping sauce, set half aside.
4. Spray a large pan with cooking spray. Add onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper. Saute for 2 minutes to soften. 
5. Add chicken, water chestnuts, and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. 
6. Add sauce to pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced. Add grated carrot. 
7. For dipping sauce, add an additional 1/2 tsp sriracha sauce and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes to the reserved sauce.

I assumed that after graduation I would be searching for recipes to blog about in order to fill my empty schedule. Not quite the case. Between traveling, preparing for grad school, and painting, I am actually behind on posting about recipes that I have already made. In addition, I have recently become pretty infatuated with interior design. After moving back home, I decided it was time to completely make-over my bedroom. While I splurged on my Pottery Barn bedding and curtains, I have made a lot of my own decorations and found more frugal substitutes to designer inspirations. Since this sort of thing has absolutely nothing to do with nutrition, I am thinking of starting another blog to document my "do-it-yourself" home improvement projects along with "before and after" photography. Don't worry though, because this newly found interest will never compare to my passion for nutrition and development of healthy recipes.

The actual point of this post is to give you a very easy alternative to a popular fast food item. Fried chicken fingers are everywhere. From McDonald's to Zaxby's to O'Charley's, you can find chicken fingers in an assortment of restaurants. The amount of calories varies by place, but these are never a healthy option, especially considering that their typical accompaniment is french fries. While this is not actually a recipe, I want to share with you a great way to make crispy chicken fingers (or nuggets) at home in the oven. The key ingredient (besides chicken) is Shake N' Bake Extra Crispy seasoned coating mix. Not only is it healthier than frying your tenders, but much easier too. Just wash and trim your chicken. Drop it in the bag of mix. Shake. and Bake. I'm not saying that you could fool someone into believing these are fried but they are crispy and full of flavor. I like to serve them with my cauliflower casserole (recipe coming soon) and a green veggie for a healthy southern meal. There are also other flavors of Shake N Bake including Crispy Buffalo, Ranch and Herb Crusted, Hot & Spicy, BBQ glaze, and Parmesan (used for my Eggplant Parmesan and Chicken Parmesan recipes).

1. Place seasoning mix in the bag that comes with it. Drop chicken tenders into bag one or two at a time. Shake to coat.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and cooking spray (for easy clean-up). Spread coated chicken tenders out on sheet and bake for 25 minutes (The box says 20 minutes but I always do 25).

A healthy meal should always be balanced with lean protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables. I have found that the easiest way to provide this combination is in a pasta dish. While I love all of my tried-and-true pasta recipes, I was in the mood to experiment. I knew that there was a possibility that the results could turn out against my expectations and I would be eating a frozen meal for dinner, but I felt pretty optimistic about this creation. I feel that is pretty common to eat an appetizer as a meal, especially at a restaurant. I have done this plenty of times as restaurant portions are outrageous in size. An appetizer that is available at many restaurants is spinach artichoke dip. I tend to stay away from it at restaurants because it often contains more calories than a meal. But at home, I would definitely eat my spinach artichoke dip for dinner. Based on my recipe, I decided to create a spinach artichoke pasta dish. It would have been just as good as a vegetarian dish without chicken, but I was cooking for more than just myself and my taste-testers requested chicken. Thankfully, the dish turned out fabulous. Everybody loved the fact that it was reminiscent of the dip and I was completely satisfied with my new dish and the nutrition facts that go along with it.

1. Cook pasta until al dente (about 10 minutes). Drain.
2. Grill chicken until done. Cover to keep warm until sauce is ready.
3. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute garlic for about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add cream cheese, greek yogurt, and chicken broth. Stir until combined and reduce heat to medium-low.
5. Add the milk and parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
6. Add hot sauce, spinach, artichokes, salt/pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir to combine.
7. Cut grilled chicken into bite-sized pieces.
8. Add chicken and pasta to sauce and toss to coat.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, broccoli, pasta, and cheese. In a small bowl, whisk together the soups, broth, onions, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir soup mixture into the chicken mixture.
3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
5. Stir, and then bake for another 30 minutes.
6. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition: 230 calories, 25g carbohydrate, 26g protein, 3g fat, 4g fiber, 4 weight watchers points

I love the spicy flavors of Mexican cuisine but I hardly ever go out to eat at Mexican restaurants. The main reason is that the menus tend be full of fried, greasy, cheese-drowned items. I decided to create an entree that has all of the flavor without the unnecessary fat and calories. It turned out delicious and the recipe makes 9 servings so I have plenty of leftovers for later in the week. My Mexican Lasagna recipe may lead you to think that the dish is a sort of hybrid between Mexican and Italian flavors. If you find that those flavors do not seem to mix, don't worry. I completely agree. The recipe includes the word "lasagna" because of the layers. Layers of tortillas, chicken, cheese, beans, tomatoes, and corn all finished with a creamy enchilada sauce. This healthy entree is sure to become a family favorite.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the first 7 ingredients and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
3. In another saucepan, combine both soups and enchilada sauce and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring often.
4. Spoon 1/3 sauce mixture in the baking dish and spread to cover bottom. Top with 3 tortillas. Spoon half of the chicken mixture and 1/3 of the sauce over the tortillas; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese.
5. Top with 3 tortillas; repeat layers once with remaining chicken, sauce, and cheese.
6. Top with 3 tortillas and 1 cup of remaining cheese.
7. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.
8. Top individual servings with desired toppings such as greek yogurt or salsa.

Nutrition: 224 calories, 26g carbohydrate, 24g protein, 3g fat, 4g fiber, 4 weight watcher points

So the last chili recipe that I posted was inspired by the beginning of football season. Well this one, kicks off the month of October and the fact that the temperature has finally dropped out of the 90's. Chili is such an easy,hearty meal during this time of year but you can only make chili so often (unless it is one of three things that you know how to cook<---the boyfriend). Because I like to avoid repetitive cooking, as it bores my mind and taste buds, I opted for white chicken chili. It is basically a swap of ground turkey for chicken and kidney beans for white beans: still an excellent combination of lean protein and fiber. To see suggested toppings, check out my post for turkey chili. Leftovers are just as good, if not better, than the day you cook the chili.

1. Spray large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir occasionally.
2. In a medium sized sauce pan, stir together seasoning mix, water, beans, and tomatoes. Add cooked chicken and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes.

In terms of food, it doesn't get much more southern than chicken pot pie. And your typical flavors of the south are usually pretty unhealthy. Think fried green tomatoes, grits, biscuits and gravy, fried okra, etc. Even foods that are naturally healthy such as vegetables are often prepared with tons of cream or butter, yielding a diet disaster. This is why the south has the highest rates of obesity, which I could go on and on about, but I will save that for another time. Sometimes a southern belle just needs some comforting southern food. But does that mean that you must slack on your healthy eating habits? Of course not- just lighten things up a bit. My chicken pot pie recipe is so easy to make and tastes just as wonderful as any other pot pie that I have ever tasted. I generally use almond milk in all of my recipes in place of regular milk. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with skim milk because it is a great source of calcium and vitamin D, great for bone health among many other things. I just love the smooth,creamy flavor of almond milk and 1 cup has just 40 calories (Almond Breeze is the best brand in my opinion). I used Carbquik bake mix in place of the Bisquick, but Carbquik has to be ordered on the internet. If you are watching your carbohydrate intake, it might be a good investment as it has 90% less carbs than Bisquik. It also has 14g of fiber and 6g of protein per serving. I order it from Netrition and often use it to create low-carb recipes including pizza crusts and coffee cakes. No matter which mix you choose for the topping, this is a healthy, hearty dish full of veggies and lean protein.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 8x8 baking dish (a round casserole dish would work as well) with cooking spray.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine chicken, Veg-All, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, and salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
3. In a seperate bowl, combine Bisquick, milk, egg beaters, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
4. Evenly pour chicken and vegetable mixture into baking dish. Spread Bisquick mixture evenly on top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

This recipe is for Cracker Barrel's grilled chicken tenders. I have always loved this recipe because the marinade makes the juiciest, most flavorful chicken imaginable. It is perfect served with fresh vegetables for a healthy country-style meal. I also like to use this recipe in pasta dishes that contain grilled chicken or to top a fresh salad. Although it does require a little bit of pre-planning in order to marinade the tenders for an hour, it takes very little effort and only three ingredients (not including the chicken). The original recipe calls for regular Italian dressing but I chose to use the fat-free variety and it turned out exactly the same. Try replacing fried chicken tenders with these to drastically reduce the amount of fat and calories in your lunch or dinner.

1. Whisk together dressing, lime juice, and honey.
2. Pour over chicken tenders, reserving 1/4 cup
3. Marinate for one hour.
4. Cook tenders in a non-stick pan or grill until golden in color, but not dry.
5. Brush cooked chicken with reserved marinade mixture.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water for the last minute.
3. Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet, spray with cooking spray, on medium-high heat for 3 minutes.
4. Stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. 
5. Simmer on low heat for 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in cream cheese.
6. Drain pasta mixture; return to pot. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese.
7. Spoon into a 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish. 
8. Bake 20 minutes. Top with remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for an additional 3 minutes    or until the cheese is melted.

Chicken Casserole is a fairly popular dish in the American home. It seems that while they are all similar, there are many small variations when it comes to the topping or filling ingredients. Chicken casserole is known as a comfort food classic and comfort food is typically associated with loads of calories and fat accompanied by an uncomfortable feeling of "Stuffed". This is a simple dish to prepare with no strong flavors to offend picky eaters. This is a meal that will draw you back to memories of your childhood days, warm and welcoming. As far as variations, the recipe contains poppy seeds which add to the texture and eye appeal.

This recipe was given to my mom by a family friend after she prepared the dish for my family. Everyone devoured the meal and my mom decided that she would have to prepare it again. While I am sure it was delicious, I never tried the original version. After looking over the recipe, I decided the casserole definitely had potential for a healthy make-over. I began by substituting the canned soups with the reduced-fat versions. Next, I substituted fat-free greek yogurt for full fat sour cream (If you have been reading my blog,  you could have probably guessed this one without me writing it). The topping is where the casserole racks up most of its fat calories. The recipe called for a tube of Ritz crackers and a stick of melted butter. I replaced the crackers with corn flakes and omitted the butter. I would never recommend this cereal as a healthy breakfast option, but it works in this casserole to add crunch. Plus, it is much better than the buttery Ritz. To further reduce carbs, you could just not use a topping at all. Like I said, I can't compare the make-over dish to the original but my healthy version had an amazing creamy flavor, a plenty crunchy topping, and the comforting appeal I was looking for. I served this dish with steamed green beans and a fresh salad. You could also serve the casserole over whole grain brown rice.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix together the soups, yogurt, poppy seeds, salt and pepper.
3. Add the chicken to the mixture and combine.
4. Pour the mixture into prepared baking dish and top with corn flakes.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.

When dining out at an Italian-American restaurant, you may already know to avoid pasta dishes, fried foods, and cream-based sauces; but you would probably never expect the amount of calories that are often in entrees that sound perfectly healthy- such as grilled or baked chicken and fish meals. Many of these such items are drowned in butter or oil that is never mentioned in the menu title. They are also commonly served with starchy sides, such as potatoes or rice. For the health conscious, it is a nuisance to understand the components of a nutritious meal but have no way to overcome the oblivion of deceptive titles that can sound healthy.

This recipe for Balsamic Chicken with Goat Cheese was adapted from a Rachel Ray original. If you have read any of my other posts, you already know of my passion for greek yogurt. It is a healthy substitute for so many different things, including sour cream, buttermilk, and in this recipe-  heavy whipping cream. I have never seen a low-fat variety of goat cheese so regular will be fine because it is used sparingly. Other than the cheese, all of the other ingredients are naturally low in fat and calories. When combined, they create a mouth-watering sauce that makes for a delicious presentation as well. The recipe suggests cooking the chicken in the skillet that you prepare the sauce in;but, you can also season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill it. I would recommend the grilling method if you are preparing the sauce in advance; just omit step #2 from the directions. The sauce can be made ahead of time and then reheated in a sauce pan before serving. This chicken is perfect for a romantic date night meal for that special someone. And if your special someone likes this as much as my special someone, there could be plate-licking involved. It is a restaurant-worthy dish that is great for entertaining a crowd. I served it with a low-fat creamed spinach recipe by The Skinny Chef and a fresh garden salad. For a more filling meal, you could serve the chicken over whole wheat orzo pasta to absorb the extra sauce. Balsamic Chicken with Goat Cheese will have your guests wondering when you have found time to attend culinary school- sure to impress!

In the mood for the taste of bar food, but not quite as eager to see the effects of it on your waistline? It is very difficult to eat healthy at restaurants that are catered towards a sports-enthralled crowd. Such eateries tend to offer many appetizers, with majority of them being fried; think mozzarella sticks, potato wedges, fried mushrooms, and cheese fries. Packing in even more calories, they are often served with creamy dressings for dipping, mainly Ranch and Blue Cheese. The dressing alone average around 200 calories per serving, and by serving, I mean a true serving size of two tablespoons- not the saucer that is brought to the table.

One of the most popular game-day cuisines in the United States is buffalo wings. There are many restaurants that specialize in fried chicken wings, tossed in a variety of specialty sauces. Just one medium sized wing contains 52 calories and 3g of fat. Now go ahead and multiply that by the number of wings you would typically consume for a meal or snack. And then add approximately 500 calories for a serving of french fries. This type of food is commonly paired with beer or other bar drinks, especially during big sporting events and celebrations. Consuming alcoholic beverages not only adds calories through the intake of the beverage itself, but also leads to binge eating and cravings for unhealthy junk food.

Upon hosting your next game day event or just for a simple weeknight meal, try this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Pasta for the spicy, buffalo flavor of hot wings, but only 2 grams of fat. The recipe originated from the popular Buffalo Chicken Dip. After making healthy substitutions to the dip recipe, I decided to turn the appetizer into a main dish entree. The way that I improved the nutrient content of the recipe was by swapping full-fat cheeses and full-fat ranch dressing for their fat-free equivalents. While the flavor of fat-free ranch and the texture of fat-free cream cheese are no where near comparable to the full-fat versions when eaten alone; those differences are extremely discrete when baked with the other ingredients. The pasta dish contains very few ingredients and is great for beginning cooks (If the boyfriend can cook this, you can too. Trust me). The creamy sauce complements the moderate spice of the hot sauce, and could be described as a grown-up version of mac N' cheese. Once in the oven, dinner can be on the table in 20 minutes. Add a fresh garden salad for a complete meal.


Nutrition: (without blue cheese crumbles) 290 calories, 50g carbohydrate, 22g protein, 2g fat
(with blue cheese) 300 calories, 50g carbohydrate, 23g protein, 3g fat

***As with any dish that includes pasta, substitute Fiber Gourmet pasta in place of wheat noodles for a reduced-carb version.