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I have been trying a lot of new recipes lately. My boyfriend and I decided to start eating in more (since before our diet what diner food and dominoes). When we started that endeavor i went the easy route... hamburger helpers, baked chicken with box mac and cheese or instant rice (both super delicious duh!). These should be treats though and balanced correctly with lots of veggies, but that wasn't happening. So the experient began - we eliminated the question "What's for dinner?" I hate that question! I went to a friends house and she had two weeks worth of meals planned out based on what they had too much of and their plans for the week. INSPIRING!
I got on pintrest and started looking at recipes, printed a big stack and hit the store. I had 10 days planned and all of the food I needed to make it happen (I forgot a few things, but I wont go into that catastrophe!). Turns out we hated most of them! I cooked them correctly, they were just food we didn't like (ugh). The second round of food has been MUCH better!
That's where this post comes in! I wanted to share a delicious, low cal and healthy recipe! With the ingredients i used (lots of Fit & Active brand from aldi) the entire 9x12 pan came out to 1277 calories! I only ate about 20% of it and was STUFFED - 254 calories if you didn't want to do the math. I did add about 4 times the cheese it called for!
Happy Cooking Friends!
CREAMY CHICKEN QUINOA AND BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
Author: Pinch of Yum
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup milk (I used 2%)
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ½ cup flour
• 2 cups water, divided
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• ¼ cup cooked, crumbled bacon (optional... sort of)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons seasoning (like Emeril's Essence or any
basic blend you like)
• ¼ cup shredded Gruyere cheese (any kind will work)
• 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Sauce: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and generously grease a 9x13 baking dish (seriously, be generous because it really really sticks to the sides). Bring the chicken broth and ½ cup milk to a low boil in a saucepan. Whisk the other ½ cup milk with the poultry seasoning and flour; add the mixture to the boiling liquid and whisk until a smooth creamy sauce forms.
2. Assembly: In a large bowl, mix the sauce from step one, one cup water, quinoa, and bacon and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips and lay the chicken breasts strips over the top of the quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with the seasoning. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
3. Broccoli: While the casserole is in the oven, place the broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute until it turns bright green and then run under cold water. Set aside.
4. Bake: Remove the casserole from the oven, check the mixture by stirring it around in the pan, and if needed, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes to get the right consistency. When the quinoa and chicken are cooked and the sauce is thickened, add the broccoli and a little bit of water (up to one cup) until the consistency is creamy and smooth and you can stir it up easily in the pan. Top with the cheese and bake for 5 minutes, or just long enough to melt the cheese.
NOTES
You will know the quinoa is done when it is soft and looks as if it has popped open, with the germ of the kernel visible as a little spiral. I've gotten quite a few comments about the liquid not absorbing right away - if that's you, just bake it a little longer. With enough time, it should get that moisture soaked right up into a creamy sauce.
Diet Calendar Entries for 29 January 2015:
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1939 kcal
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Fat: 67.50g | Prot: 112.46g | Carb: 138.01g.
Breakfast: Happy Farms Whipped Cream Cheese, Fit & Active Light String Cheese, Thomas' Mini Bagels - Plain, Coffee. Lunch: Little Salad Bar Hummus Roasted Garlic, Baby Carrots, Ground Beef (95% Lean / 5% Fat), Egg Noodles (Enriched, Cooked). Dinner: Crane Lake Merlot, Cheese Club Macaroni & Cheese, Kirkwood Chicken Tenderloins. Snacks/Other: Happy Farms Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Savoritz Cheese Baked Crackers, Mama Cozzi Sliced Pepperoni, Wawa Chicken Caesar Wrap. more...
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2963 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Standing - 1 hour, Cleaning - 1 hour and 40 minutes, Sleeping - 8 hours, Watching TV/Computer - 2 hours and 35 minutes, Showering - 15 minutes, Desk Work - 8 hours, Driving - 2 hours, Cooking - 30 minutes. more...
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