Buffalo Chicken Wraps

I decided to try making a buffalo chicken dish for dinner that would have the same flavor that I was craving, but not so much of a caloric nightmare. I ended up making a super easy crockpot chicken that was so good!

I cooked two pounds of chicken breasts in the crockpot (cover with water, cook on high for 3-4 hours until the chicken is tender). I threw the chicken (discarding the water that it was cooked in) into my mixing bowl for my mixer, and mixed it on low for about 30 seconds until the chicken was shredded. Then I added 1/2 cup water, 3 Tbsp. ranch dressing mix, and 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce.

I wrapped some in tortillas for E, but I made lettuce wraps for myself, and they were phenomenal. Definitely crushed that craving for wings!

Probably good with blue cheese, too, but I prefer ranch with my buffalo chicken. I had leftovers for lunch today.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

You asked; so here it is.. My version of Stuffed Zucchini Boats. 

Because we live in northern Michigan and venison is so popular I have made up several recipes using it. My family loves venison. I am sure you could switch it with any meat your family enjoys. 

Ingredients:

4 medium zucchini

1 pound sausage (I use venison/pork sausage), browned

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic, very finely chopped

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1 can corn (I use southern style), drained

1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375°F and coat a shallow baking pan with nonstick spray.

Trim the ends from the zucchini and halve them lengthwise. Using a melon baller, hollow out each half leaving a wall of 1/4-inch or less on the sides and bottom. Reserve the pulp.

Season the zucchini halves with salt and pepper, arrange them on the prepared baking sheet and bake until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Roughly chop the reserved zucchini pulp and set aside.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute longer, then add the chopped zucchini.

Season the mixture with salt and pepper and continue cooking until the zucchini is tender and the entire mixture is lightly caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Stir in the tomatoes and corn and cook for 1 minute longer.

Divide the zucchini-onion mixture between the hollowed "boats," and top each with about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.

Bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until the "boats" are tender when pierced with a knife and the cheese is melted and golden.

Makes 4 servings (2 halves each)

Negative Calorie Foods

Lets talk this morning about negative calorie foods. Have you ever heard the theory that certain foods have a negative caloric effect, meaning they burn more calories during the digestive process than they contribute?  For any of you that read fitness or health blogs this term is something you are very familiar with. For those of you who are just starting out you are probably as confused as I was when I first heard the term. I have always been a huge believer in the calorie counting method of losing weight and when I am successfully losing weight each little calorie is golden. As you can imagine then for a calorie counter such as myself the thought of negative calories is very intriguing. I did some research and this is what I found. According to health.com "Negative calorie foods, which burn more fat and calories than they contribute, are a myth." Well, shoot that just took the wind out of my sails. But wait; lets not get discouraged yet and lets read on. The author goes on to say that these foods may not be negative but they are pretty darn close to it. Okay; I like that.. So what foods are they referring to? Can I make anything worth eating out of them? The answer is yes.. Yes you can. Here is the list I found along with a couple must try recipes. 

Fruits 

apple 
cranberries 
grapefruit 
lemon 
mango 
orange 
pineapple 
raspberries 
strawberries 
tangerine 

Vegetables 

asparagus 
beet 
broccoli 
cabbage (green) 
carrot 
cauliflower 
celery 
Chile peppers (hot) 
cucumber 
dandelion 
endive 
garden cress 
garlic 
green beans 
lettuce 
onion 
papaya 
radishes 
spinach 
turnip
zucchini

First recipe that I love, love, love is the Weight Watchers Zero Point Soup aka Cabbage Soup. Here is a link to recipe along with nutritional information. 

Another one of my favorites is Zero Calorie Red Roasted Carrots. Not a meal but a great side.

Now lastly, we all deserve some dessert from time to time.. Here is my go to Zero Calorie Crust-less Apple Pie. 


Although foods such as celery, lettuce and cucumbers may have negligible calories, make no mistake, they still count towards a day's worth of calories. Lets face it every calorie is golden when you are trying to lose weight so why not spend them wisely. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Stir Fry

As with most of my recipes I like to keep things simple and try to use ingredients a "normal" person can find in there local store on any day of the year.

First let's talk sauce. I wanted a sauce that was not over sweet nor spicy. This one seems to have a happy medium.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Sauce

2-3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (or a bit of fresh minced ginger)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup soy sauce or 1/2 cup tamari soy sauce

1/4 cup cider vinegar or 1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Additional

1 bag stir fry ready veggies

1 bag chicken breast

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a large glass jar with a lid. Screw lid on. Shake well.
Can store leftover sauce in fridge up to 2 weeks. Shake well before using.

Next cook up your veggies and meat. I like to use a full bag of frozen stir fry ready veggies.  


I also like to use full package of Tyson Frilled & Ready Fajita chicken.  


To use sauce: stir fry your vegetables and meat as desired, add appropriate amount of sauce, bring to a boil, boil for 1 minute or until slightly thickened.

Serve & enjoy!!! 

*I found that it made up 5 servings. Each serving was about 214 calories according to my calorie journal.