Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

It's been way too long since my last post. There are many reasons why my postings came to a halt, but there is no need to waste the time or energy explaining them now. The short version is that life happened and I had to prioritize my time commitments in order to survive. Bad news for a blogging hobby that, while fun, isn't necessary for survival or sanity.

The good news, though, is that I am back. And it's summer. And I've got daylight and energy to burn.

So let's get right to it, shall we?

There are certain things that I am literally obsessed with. One of those things is artichoke hearts. I remember, as a kid, sitting at the counter in our kitchen, while my dad made artichokes in the pressure cooker. He'd scoop the veggies out (are the vegetables? Flowers? I don't really know.) and place them in front of my sister and me, with a bowl of melted butter and a bowl of mayo. And we would go to town, scraping our teeth along the leathery leaves and pulling the meat off of the fronds into our mouths. I'm not sure we even came up for air before we made it to the hearts, which we would wait for our dad to cut out of the base for us, so we could eat them with our fingers, again, dunking them in butter and mayo. I am sure that you are --sooooo-- shocked to hear that I had a weight problem growing up, right? (Somehow, though, my sister has always been svelte and petite... Clearly, I got the short end of the stick when it came to the metabolism genes.)

These days, you won't find me dousing anything in butter and the thought of mayo makes my skin crawl and the back of my throat itch. My eating habits have definitely changed (for the better) over the last several years and I have learned how to incorporate things I have always loved in much, much healthier ways.

If you're a fan of spinach-artichoke dip, then you absolutely MUST try this recipe. The flavors are spot on, rich and delicious, but the recipe significantly reduces all of the calories by leaving out fatty ingredients like cream cheese and mayo. I made this for dinner the other night and had to seriously restrain myself from having a second helping--I wasn't hungry anymore, but it was THAT GOOD.

Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

recipe adapted from EmilyBites.com

A lightened up version of something everyone loves!

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (plain)
• 2 T minced garlic
• 1/4 chopped onion
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
• 5 oz fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray your baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts and place them in the baking dish (it's fine if they overlap some).
4. Place the breasts in the oven and bake them for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
5. In a large bowl, mix together all the other ingredients, except for the mozzarella cheese.
6. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the oven. Drain any liquid that may have accumulated while baking.
7. Top the breasts with the spinach and artichoke mixture. Spread the topping evenly over the dish.
8. Sprinkle the mozzarella across the top of the dish.
9. Bake for an additional 25 minutes.

Based on the original recipe (which I have eliminated cream cheese and mayo from), this was roughly 250 calories per breast serving.

Bulgar & Feta Salad

In the midst of the madness that my life sometimes becomes, I am always grateful for certain things that simplify my world. Some of these things are probably the kinds of things that all kinds of people appreciate--pre-sliced English muffins, coffee to go and Lean Cuisines. And while I could go on for days about all the weird things I'm obsessed with, I will only highlight a few.

First, there is the wonderous world of songza. Songza figures out what time of day it is, you pick your mood and it gives you a myriad of playlists. Sounds simple enough, right? That shit is life changing. I promise. You can thank me later.

Second, automatic sprinklers. Yes, I live in San Diego. Yes, we probably have the best weather on the entire planet. Yes, I own a hose. But do I have the memory capacity to remember to water my lawn? If my garden from last summer is any indication, the answer is no. I bought my house because I wanted a yard. I didn't think about the pesky things you have to do with a yard, like water it. And mow it. When someone invents a roomba for your lawn, please let me know. That would be epic.

Finally, make up removing wipes. After anywhere from 9-12 hours at work, a work out and chores, the last thing I can be bothered to do is wash my face. I know. it's probably disgusting to even admit that. But sometimes? You're just that tired. And this is where the wipes come in... One swipe, and you're done. Even better yet? They remove your sins, too.

This winter, after a string of break-up fueled poor choices and a spree of self-depricating behavior, I was visiting with a friend. We had just gone for a run (or maybe we just woke up? I can't remember... you can draw your own conclusion as to why), and I needed to wash my face. I grabbed a face towelette from the pack in my friend's medicine cabinet and scrubbed it across my face. Seconds later, my cheeks were on fire. My eye brows tingled. My forehead felt like it was being stretched in 87 different directions. In short, my face? It was on fire.

I was in shock (and pain). I had used these same face wipes weeks before, without a similar reaction. Between whimpers, I accused my friend of tampering with her bathroom products to try and melt my face off. Her simple response? "Oh honey, it hurts to wash the whore off."

And now, those face wipes are forever dubbed, "Whore Wipes." Which sounds like a completely different personal hygiene product.

Along with whore wipes, I also have a great appreciation for things that I can throw together one day and continue to enjoy for the rest of the week. I like things that are easy, don't require a lot of my attention to establish in the first place and aren't a lot of work to maintain or preserve (sounding more and more like a case for needing another kind of whore wipe, I suppose).  And that's where this recipe comes in---it's quick, simple and easy. No complaints here.

Bulgar Wheat and Feta Salad

Adapted from Everyday Food

Easy and delicious. Could you really ask for much more?

Ingredients

1 cup bulgar

2 cups boiling chicken stock

1 can chickpeas

1 bell pepper, diced

1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/4 chopped dill

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the bulgar with the boiling stock. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.

2. Drain the bulgar and place in a large bowl.

3. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.

4. Add chickpeas to the bulgar. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss.

5. Add remaining ingredients. Toss.

6. Serve hot or cold.