South Beach Diet Friendly Chicken Nuggets with Almond Meal

South Beach Diet Friendly Chicken Nuggets with Almond Meal
(Makes two servings)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 T olive oil (enough to generously coat the baking sheet)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tsp. paprika (not smoked or hot)
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Turn on the oven to 400F/205C. Brush a baking sheet liberally with olive oil and put the pan in the oven to heat as the oven preheats.

Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts, then cut each breast into 5 nugget pieces (or more if you have a very large breast.) Use a meal mallet or something heavy to pound the thicker nugget pieces so they're all the same thickness.

Combine the almond meal, paprika, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a bowl, mixing together well. Dip each nugget piece into the almond meal mixture, pressing on with your fingers so it coats the chicken. Coat all the nuggets before you remove the baking sheet from the oven.

When all nuggets are coated, lay them on the hot baking sheet and cook 8-10 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is lightly browned. Remove pan from oven, turn nuggets, and bake 10-12 minutes more on the second side, until nuggets are lightly browned and cooked through. (Don't overcook.) Serve hot, with mustard or ranch dipping sauce if desired.

Baked Pesto Chicken

Baked Pesto Chicken
(Makes 4 servings)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
1/2 cup basil pesto
2 oz. (1/2 cup) grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken pieces, then cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces. (I cut the larger ones into 3 strips and the smaller ones into 2 strips.)

Spray a 9" x 12" (or 8.5" X 12.5") baking dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup basil pesto over the bottom of the dish. Lay chicken strips over the pesto, then spread 1/4 cup more basil pesto over the chicken.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (or use a baking dish with a tight-fitting lid) and bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes, just until chicken is barely firm and cooked through. (Don't cook too much at this point, or the chicken will be overcooked by the time the cheese is melted and browned.)

When chicken is barely cooked through, remove foil and sprinkle chicken with 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 5 minutes more, just until cheese is melted.

Mustard Chicken

Mustard Chicken (Makes 8 servings)

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 T olive oil (will depend on your pan)
poultry seasoning to season chicken before browning

Sauce:1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 T Dijon mustard
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (can be canned chicken broth)
chopped parsley for garnish (optional)


Make very small slits crosswise down the length of each breast. (This helps the sauce to penetrate. Be careful not to cut through too far.) Season chicken with poultry seasoning on both sides. Heat olive oil in large frying pan big enough to hold the chicken in a single layer, add chicken and cook about 4 minutes on the first side, until chicken is lightly browned. Turn chicken over and cook 2-3 minutes on the second side, until chicken feels almost, but not quite firm to the touch. (It will continue to cook in the sauce, so don't overcook.)

While chicken cooks, put all sauce ingredients in bowl or large measuring cup, and whisk to combine. When chicken is well browned, lower heat and pour sauce over. Simmer 20 minutes, being sure to keep heat at a very low simmer. After 20 minutes, remove chicken from pan and whisk the sauce a few times to be sure it's smooth. Serve hot, with a little sauce spooned over each piece of chicken, garnishing with fresh parsley if desired.

Southwestern Egg Casserole

Southwestern Egg Casserole(Makes 10-12 servings)

18 eggs
4 oz. can diced green chiles
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, very well drained
Spike seasoning to taste, about 2 tsp. for me
12 oz. grated low fat cheddar cheese
2-3 T thinly sliced green onions
Sour cream, for serving
Salsa, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 F. Open tomatoes and place in colander placed in the sink to drain. Spray 9" X 13" glass casserole dish with nonstick spray or olive oil. In large bowl, beat eggs until well-combined, then mix in well-drained tomatoes, green chiles with any juice, and Spike seasoning. Put cheese in bottom of casserole dish . Sprinkle with green onions if using, then pour egg mixture over. (I like to take a fork and gently mix so all the cheese is well distributed in the egg.)Bake uncovered 40-45 minutes, or until eggs are well set and top is starting to brown slightly. Serve casserole hot with a dollop of sour cream on top and a few spoonfuls of salsa on top.

Mushroom and Feta Breakfast Casserole

Mushroom and Feta Breakfast Casserole(Makes about 10 servings)

18 eggs
2T half and half or milk
1 pound mushrooms, washed and sliced
2-3 tsp. olive oil (depending on your pan)
1 1/2 cups crumbled Feta cheese(or 3/4 cups feta and 3/4 cups of another white cheese)
2 tsp. Spike seasoning
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9 X 13 glass casserole dish with nonstick spray. Saute mushrooms in olive oil until they're softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms if there's any liquid in the pan, then spread evenly over bottom of casserole dish. Crumble feta over mushrooms. Beat eggs with half and half or milk, Spike Seasoning, salt (if using) and pepper. Pour over mushroom-feta mixture, then stir gently with a fork so that mushrooms and cheese are evenly distributed in the egg mixture. Bake 45 minutes, or until eggs are set and top is starting to brown.

My Running/Workout Playlist

It has been a while since I posted! But I have put together a playlist of some of my favorite running/workout songs. Not all are fast, but the ones that aren't are still very motivating, especially if you are a runner! So here it is, enjoy!

Temper Trap: Sweet Disposition

Metric: Black Sheep or anything off their album

Paper Tongues: Get Higher

One Republic: Secrets

Glasvegas: Geraldine

Temper Trap: Fader, Science of Fear and Love Lost

Paper Tongues: Trinity

Coldplay: Life in Technicolor II, Politik and Lost

Metric: All Yours (from Eclipise) and Gold Guns

Sia: Clap Your Hands

Usher: OMG and DJ Got Us Fallen in Love

Justin Bieber: Somebody to Love Remix

Lady Gaga: Bad Romance and Poker Face remix

Taio Cruz: Dynamite and Break Your Heart

The Bravery: Slow Poison

Black Eyed Peas: Rock that Body and I Gotta Feelin

Coldplay: Lovers in Japan

Sia: My Love