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.

Everyone Loves Brussels Sprouts

I don't know why brussels sprouts have such a bad rap. They are like the iconic food that every kid grows up hating, and every adult has scarring memories of being forced to eat. What gives? Brussels sprouts are not only delicious, but they are freaking adorable. They are like little miniature heads of lettuce... And let's be real, pretty much anything in "mini" form is stinkin' cute.

I'm a firm believer that if you hate brussels sprouts, you've just never had them prepared for you in the right way. Because I imagine that gnawing on a little rock of lettuce and trying to choke down gummy bites of a green nemesis would be pretty terrible. But caramelized brussels sprouts? With delicious seasonings? Shredded into pretty ribbons? How could that not be delicious? Have faith.

It's delicious. And it's easy. This has become a staple recipe for me, when I grab a bag of brussels sprouts at the store without a plan. This works every time.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

• 12-14 large brussels sprouts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• pinch sea salt
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted

Procedure
1. Slice each brussels sprout very thin until you have a mound of feathery brussels sprout ribbons. 

2. Heat the olive oil over medium high in a large skillet and saute the garlic for 30 seconds. 

3. Add the brussels sprouts and continue sauteing for another 4-5 minutes, until bright green and tender. 

4. Add the sea salt and brown sugar and toss together. 

5. Finish by adding the toasted nuts.