Herbed Lime Chicken

The first post after the weight loss proclamation... will it be good, or just -blech- healthy?


I'm sure you all are worried that I will post 90 days 81 days of different ways to plate a garden salad. Have No FEAR!! Taste of Home Everyday Light is here!

Trainer Meal Plan Approved. :D Friend and Family dinner table appreciated.

Herbed Lime Chicken
Serves 4


(I'm a terrible person and forgot to take a picture... here's the one from the interwebz...)

1 16-oz. bottle Fat-Free Italian Salad Dressing
1/2 c. Lime Juice
1 Lime, halved and sliced
3 Garlic Cloves
1 t. dried Thyme
4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breast halves (about 4 oz. each)

In a bowl, combine everything but chicken. Remove 1/2 c. for basting, cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining marinade into gallon ziplock bag and add the chicken. Seal the bag and turn over to coat. Refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours.

~~~jeopardy theme music~~~


Drain and discard marinade. Grill Chicken on the BBQ for about 5 minutes. Turn over and baste with remaining marinade. Grill for another 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through.

Serve immediately with a delicious and healthy side like Confetti Rice - coming up next!

Nutritional Info:
Cal 62 - (That's what the book says, I'd guess more like 160-180. Thanks Stacy for pointing that out!)
Fat 2g
Carb 8g
Fib 1g
Prot 27

Lime

Lime Pork with Peppers

This is a really tasty stir-fry found in my ToH Everyday Light Cookbook. Served with Lemon Fried Rice and Pineapple Smoothies, it was a citrus-y well rounded meal. Plenty of meat and sweet, colorful veggies, this dish looks, smells, and tastes delightful.

Lime Pork with Peppers
serves 4 


2 med Limes
1/4 c. reduced-sodium Soy Sauce
1/2 t. Garlic Powder
1 t. dried Oregano
1/2 t. dried Thyme
1/8 t. Chipotle Powder (or Cayenne Pepper)
3 sprigs Fresh Parsley, stems removed
1lb Pork Chops cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Bay Leaf
1 T. Olive Oil
1 t. Brown Sugar
2 medium Onions, cut into 8 wedges
2 Bell Peppers (I used Green and Yellow)
2 medium Tomatoes, halved then cut into 8 wedges (16 pieces)

Finely grate lime peel, reserving 2T. Juice the limes. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, chipotle, parsley, lime juice and reserved lime peel.

Pour 1/2 cup marinate into a gallon Zip-loc bag; add the pork and bay leaf. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

Drain Pork and discard marinade and bay leaf. In large non-stick skillet, heat oil over med-high heat. Add sugar, stirring until bubbly. Add meat; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until browned.

Reduce heat; add onions, peppers and reserved lime mixture. Cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add tomatoes and cook 1 minute longer. Serve.

Nutritional Information:
240 cal
8g fat (2g sat)
63mg chol
540mg sodi
18g carb
3g fib
26g pro

Pork Chop

7 Up Salad - aka Bring the Green Jello!

Before you read the ingredient list, I insist that you try it before you say "ew" and skip over it. Sure, there is a weird ingredient in it, but that's what makes it tangy. I'd be happy to make it for you, : ) cuz then I'd get some!

It's the Jello dish of the gods. Yum.

So, as far as I know, this recipe comes from my Great Grandma Edwards. If she is the creator, she is a culinary genius. This jello side/dessert is present at almost every Edwards/Baker family gathering, and I recently shared it with my work crew. I have new fans : )

7 Up Salad


Cook until melted:
7 oz. 7 Up (or other clear lemon lime soda)
1/4 lb Marshmallows (mini's are fastest to melt)

Add:
3.4 oz pkg Sugar Free Lime Jello (or regular)
12 oz. Neufchatel Cream Cheese (or regular)
Stir until smooth.

Add:
20 oz. can crushed pineapple (do NOT drain)
Chill until partially set.

Fold in:
1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream - whipped
2/3 c. Light Mayonnaise (or regular) (that's the weird ingredient)

Chill until set. Grab big serving spoon and 7 Up Salad. Hide from family. Eat all in one sitting. Die of happiness.

I would assume that you could do this with orange soda, orange Jello, and mandarin oranges, but I'm just so in love with the original that I haven't tried.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do... or not, then I'd get it all to myself : )

Citrus Chicken with Rice and Veggies

This is a recipe for the days you know you aren't going to have time for dinner prep later, and your only downtime is between 7 and 9 in the morning. Have you met my friend - Mr. Crock Pot? He really is perfect.

Dad, Boo, and Chelle loved this. Dad just loved the flavors and and tenderness of the slow cooked chicken. I , personally, thought it was good but I wasn't as big of a fan as the family was. I don't know that Citrus flavored meat are really my thing. But don't take my opinion... get your own!

Ok, this recipe is courtesy of 1001 Slow Cooker Recipes with adjustments by me. I made this last night for dinner and got awesome feedback. The lime and thyme really give you a kick of flavor and wake up your taste buds. If you like citrus flavor and are looking for a different way to season your chicken, look no further!

 Citrus Chicken with Rice and Veggies

4-6 bone-in Chicken Thighs
1/4 c fresh Lime Juice (about 1 and 1/2 large Limes)
14 oz can Chicken Broth
1 t. minced Garlic
1/2 t. dried Thyme Leaves
1/4 c. Butter, melted
3-4 c. Instant/Minute Rice
2 c. Frozen Peas, thawed (That's what I used anyway, canned might not hold up)
1 t. Dried Parsley (optional)

Place thawed chicken in sprayed slow cooker.

Combine lime juice, broth, garlic, thyme and melted butter in small bowl and mix well. Pour over all chicken. Cover and Cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours.

Remove chicken to platter. Increase heat to HIGH. Stir in rice and peas, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Serve chicken over rice, sprinkled with parsley.

--So technically the directions say to leave the chicken in the crock pot and stir in rice and peas, and that's what I did, but I think this will work better EDIT 1. The rice ended up on top of the chicken and I couldn't get all the rice cooked evenly, and served a couple crispy kernels. Not Cool : (
--Also, after 8-10 hours of cooking the chicken just about falls apart so remove it carefully.
--The original recipe called for only one cup of rice, but that's just not enough to serve everyone. Also, there is a ton of broth, so you can probably cook about 2 cups of rice if you want it. EDIT 2

I hope you enjoy this. It really is a quick prep, and I just served it with a side of broccoli.

Cook on!

Edits:
1 - I cooked this again and took the chicken out before adding rice and peas. Wonderful.
2 -  I made this again and used about (unmeasured) 4 cups of rice. The great thing about minute rice is that it only takes a few minutes to cook, so you can tell if you have enough liquid to add more rice. With this much rice, you get cooked rice and no broth/juice. : ) just what I wanted.