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Chicken Piccata

Mona’s Family Favorites: I love to make this recipe when entertaining and it always gets a “Wow!” from friends and family. Here’s the culinary trick, timing! Lemon juice and chicken broth are simmered together before whisking in rich butter off the heat to emulsify or thicken the sauce just before serving. We found that 2½ tablespoons of butter was enough to thicken the liquid and make this sauce delicious. I usually serve it over pasta or on a bed of sautéed spinach.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Chicken Piccata
 
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Recipe type: Everyday Meals
Makes: 4 Dinner portions
Ingredients
  • 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • Juice of 1 large lemon
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 2 ½ tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
  1. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place the flour on a wide plate, adding a pinch of salt and pepper.
  2. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, pressing down to coat on all sides before shaking off any excess.
  3. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat, and heat until oil thins and coats the skillet.
  4. Place the dredged chicken into the skillet, and cook for 4–5 minutes on each side, until browned. Remove the skillet from the heat, and transfer the chicken to a plate.
  5. Add the red onion to the skillet, and return to the heat, just until sizzling. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and lemon juice, scraping any browned chicken from the bottom. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and let reduce to about half.
  6. Add the capers to the sauce before returning the chicken to the pan to cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  7. Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in butter to thicken the sauce. Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
Serving size: ¼ breast with sauce Calories: 100

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Spinach Pie

This crust-less “Spinach Pie” is actually closer to a soufflé or quiche than a pie. With eggs, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese, it makes a great dish for a holiday brunch, but it’s also packed with enough nutrient-rich spinach to serve as a dinner side dish in place of creamed spinach.

Spinach Pie
 
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Recipe type: Holiday Favorites
Makes: 6 side dish portions
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons diced pimentos
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Heat olive oil, onion, and garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté for 5 minutes, just until onions are lightly caramelized.
  3. In a fine mesh strainer, squeeze as much water from the thawed spinach as possible.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, egg whites, and ricotta cheese until fully combined. Stir the Parmesan cheese, diced pimentos, salt, pepper, drained spinach, and cooked onion mixture into eggs, and mix well.
  5. Pour the spinach and egg mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake for 40 minutes, or until the center is springy to the touch. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing. For 100 calorie portions, slice into 12 sections by cutting 3 rows by 4 rows.
Perfect Portion Spinach pie

Helpful Tip: While jarred pimentos add a nice roasted flavor, finely diced fresh bell pepper (cooked in the skillet in step 2) can be used in place of the pimentos (if you already have bell pepper on hand).
Serving size: 1/12 pie Calories: 100

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Pumpkin Hummus

Need a festive appetizer? Try our NEW Perfect Portion recipe highlighting a fall favorite flavor – pumpkin!

Pumpkin Hummus
 
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Recipe type: Entertaining
Makes: 8 portions
Ingredients
  • 1-2 large cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons water or vegetable stock
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ⅔ cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • salt to taste
Directions
  1. To saute the garlic, heat oil in pan on medium until begins to bubble. Simmer the peeled clove in a pan for 6-8 minutes over low/medium heat ,until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
  2. Puree garlic, water/stock, chick peas, pumpkin and honey in a food processor until smooth. Add more water/stock as needed. Stir in the spices, and leave some to sprinkle on top when serving. If desired, drizzle ¼ to ½ teaspoon additional honey on top before serving.
HELPFUL TIP: Serve with whole grain crackers, pear or apple slices.
Serving size: ¼ cup Calories: 100

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

In this recipe, Brussels sprouts gain a sweet, almost nutty flavor when roasted in a high-temperature oven. First, tossing them with balsamic vinegar and a touch of brown sugar enhances their flavor and helps the sprouts caramelize even more. The sprouts will continue to crisp as they cook so roast until very deep brown.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
 
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Recipe type: Sides
Makes: 4 Side dish portions
Ingredients
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss Brussels sprouts in all of the remaining ingredients, until well coated.
  3. Spread the coated Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan in a single layer, and bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Sprouts are done when well caramelized and fork-tender.
Perfect Portion Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Helpful Tip: Brussels sprouts can vary in size quite a bit. If you have a few sprouts that are larger than the others, to cut those into quarters to ensure that they cook through as quickly as the smaller, halved sprouts.
Serving size: ⅔ cup Calories: 100

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Creamed Corn

We make our Creamed Corn from scratch using real ingredients by sautéing corn with butter and onions and then simmering it in a slightly sweetened, thickened milk. We like to add just a few drops of vanilla extract to the sauce to secretly enhance the flavor and the sweetness of the corn. You will taste a huge difference compared to what comes out of the can!

Creamed Corn
 
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Recipe type: Sides
Makes: 5 side dish portions
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup minced yellow onion
  • 20 ounces frozen corn kernels
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 ½ cups 2% milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
  1. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced onion, and sauté for 3 minutes, just until they are translucent.
  2. Add the frozen corn, and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  3. Whisk the cornstarch into the milk and then stir into the pot, stirring until the milk begins to thicken.
  4. Reduce the heat to low, and stir the sugar, salt, pepper, and vanilla extract into the pot. Cover, and let cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool for 2 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Creamed Corn
Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 100

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Grilled Greek Pork Chops

Bob’s Farm to Table: Inspired by the traditional pork souvlaki found in Greek diners, we marinate lean boneless pork chops in a medley of Mediterranean seasonings. We love the smoky char that grilling lends to these chops, but they can also be pan-fried over high heat in the same amount of time. Top the chops with a dollop of Tzatziki Sauce for a tangy, creamy finish.

Grilled Greek Pork Chops
 
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Recipe type: Everyday Meals
Makes: 4 DInner portions
Ingredients
  • 4 (4-ounce) boneless, center-cut pork loin chops
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions
  1. Add pork chops and all the remaining ingredients to a large food storage bag or mixing bowl, and toss to thoroughly coat chops. Marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
  2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat.
  3. Shake excess marinade from chops, and grill for 4–5 minutes on each side, just until the internal temperature reaches 145°F, or slicing into the thickest chop reveals meat that is opaque with juices that run clear.
  4. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving topped with Tzatziki Sauce (page 247), if desired.


HELPFUL TIP: Though the usual rule of thumb is that you can leave meat in a marinade overnight and get even better results, that is not recommended with a marinade with this much acid (from lemon juice). An hour or two is all you need; after that, the lemon juice will begin to cook the outside of the pork.
Serving size: ½ pork chop Calories: 100

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Oven-Fried Chicken

Bob’s Farm to Table: We were able to create moist and tender chicken with a satisfying crunchy crust without a single drop of oil! The secret is using a thick buttermilk marinade and a substantial coating of ground cornflakes and flour. This recipe can be prepared three ways: as 100 calorie chicken tenders, traditional fried chicken, or as oven-fried chicken without the skin for even lower calories.

Oven-Fried Chicken
 
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Recipe type: Everyday Meals
Makes: 14 chicken tenders or 8 pieces of fried chicken
Ingredients
  • Chicken:
  • 2 pounds chicken tenderloins or
  • 1 whole chicken (3 ½–4 pounds), split into 8 pieces (with or without skin)
  • Breading:
  • ¾ cup low-fat buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1 teaspoon pepper, divided
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 cups cornflakes
  • ¾ cup flour
Directions
  1. Place the chicken in a large bowl or food storage container. Add the buttermilk, hot pepper sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, thyme, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder, and toss to fully coat the chicken. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to marinate.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425°F, and place a rack in a roasting pan for the crispiest results.
  3. In a food processor, pulse the cornflakes until finely ground. Transfer to a wide bowl; combine with flour and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  4. Flip the marinated chicken in the buttermilk to ensure that it is well coated before pressing each piece into the cornflake mixture, breading on all sides. Place on the rack inside the roasting pan. For crispier chicken, lightly spray the breading with nonstick cooking spray.
  5. FOR CHICKEN TENDERS: Bake for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Check for doneness by slicing into the thickest tender to reveal no pink.
  6. FOR WHOLE CHICKEN PIECES: Bake for 20 minutes, and flip. Reduce heat to 375°F, and continue baking for 25–30 additional minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest piece registers 165°F.

 

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Crispy Kale Chips

Mona’s Family Favorites: Not only is kale one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables out there, I also have an amazing little secret. When roasted, kale crisps up just like a potato chip! And did we mention that it tastes great as well? These chips truly are a snack you can feel good about eating! You will be amazed!

Crispy Kale Chips
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 3 Snack portions
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch kale, washed and dried
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 ½ tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Remove the leaves from the stems of the kale and break into bite-size pieces. Discard stems.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, toss the kale pieces in a mixture of the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to coat.
  4. Spread the coated kale pieces on a sheet pan in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges of the kale have browned.
  5. Sprinkle the baked kale with Parmesan cheese, and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Crispy Kale Chips

HELPFUL TIP: Kitchen scissors make quick (and very precise) work of removing the kale leaves from the stems.
Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 100

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Tex Mex Shrimp and Rice Bowl

Mona is having a fabulous day in her recipe test kitchen creating NEW Perfect Portion recipes. Want a delicious dinner you can make in less than 20 minutes, so delicious and full of flavor, low in fat, gluten free and dairy free, and really easy to make? Each serving is 400 healthy calories… full of protein, fiber, and flavor! The combination of the chili powder, cumin and fresh lime adds the Tex Mex punch!

Tex Mex Shrimp and Rice Bowl
 
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Recipe type: Casseroles & One-Pot Meals
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ medium onion, chopped
  • 4-5 mini sweet peppers, chopped
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
  • ½ cup canned diced tomatoes,
  • 1 package Microwave-Ready Rice, Brown Rice
Directions
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet pan over medium heat. Add garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp, and sauté for 3 minutes until turns pink. Place cooked shrimp in a bowl, and season with chili powder, cumin and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Set aside.
  2. In the same pan, heat remaining oil. Add onions and peppers. Saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add black beans and tomatoes to pan and heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add about ¼ cup broth to keep vegetables in slight liquid state.
  3. While sautéing vegetables, prepare 90 second rice in the microwave. Once completed, add to vegetable mixture in sauté pan and mix through for another 2-3 minutes. Add more broth as needed, yet rice can be a little crispy in the bottom of the pan (the best part!!)
  4. Add shrimp to pan, and season with remaining lime juice and more chili powder and cumin, if desired.
Serving size: 1¾ cup Calories: 400

 

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Cinnamon Rolls

Anson’s American Treasures: My friend, Hope, makes the most amazing cinnamon rolls. The smell of them, coming out of the oven, stops me in my tracks. Amazingly, Bob and Mona were able to re-create her decadent delight with only 200 calories. Swapping applesauce for butter created a moist texture with a burst of sweet cinnamon flavor. OMG! You are going to love them.

Cinnamon Rolls
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Makes: 16 Breakfast portions
Ingredients
  • 1 (0.25-ounce) packet active dry yeast
  • ¼ cup sugar, divided
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • ¾ cup 2% milk, warmed
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • Nonstick cooking spray
    Filling:
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup applesauce
  • 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    Glaze:
  • ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons milk
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
  1. In a small bowl, stir the yeast and 2 teaspoons of the sugar into the warm water, and let stand 15 minutes.
  2. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with the dough hook attached, combine the milk, egg, melted butter, salt, vanilla extract, and the remainder of the ¼ cup of sugar. Add the yeast and water mixture to the mixing bowl, and then slowly mix the flour into the wet ingredients until a dough has formed.
  3. Spray a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Form the dough into a large ball, and place into the prepared bowl. Cover loosely, and place in a warm spot to rise until it has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
  4. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a large ¼-inch-thick rectangle.
  5. Combine all the filling ingredients, and spread over the entire surface of the rectangle of dough.
  6. Starting on the shortest end, roll the dough into a pinwheel, and then slice into 16 equal slices that are about ¾ inch thick. Arrange slices so that they are crowded together in the prepared baking dish. Cover, and let rise for 2 additional hours.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray the tops of the risen cinnamon rolls with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
  8. Prepare the glaze by using a fork to whisk together all the glaze ingredients. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 5 minutes before drizzling with the glaze and serving.
Perfect Portion Cinnamon Rolls
Serving size: ½ roll Calories: 100

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