Honey, Sriracha & Lime Baked Chicken Breast Recipe | Healthy Slimming Friendly Dinner

Honey, Sriracha Lime Baked Chicken Breast Recipe | Healthy Slimming Friendly Dinner

Tasty, spicy lower-calorie Sriracha & Lime Baked Chicken Breast recipe. Slimming friendly dinner recipe  

If you love a cheeky little bit of spice in your life, this recipe is for you!

You all love my sweet chilli chicken, and this is kind of inspired by that.

I recently managed to get hold of some Sriracha sauce, which is an Asian chilli and garlic sauce.

I was desperate to come up with a tasty dish to use it in. 

I have been putting a little drizzle on top of my cheese on toast, which is amazing too!

Scroll down for the full recipe and instructions!

This recipe is super easy to prepare and requires just a little bit of forward-thinking as the chicken comes out best when it has been left to marinate.

I recommend leaving the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or even longer if you can.

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MAPLE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

MAPLE SHORTBREAD COOKIES - This cookie is buttery, sweet, tender and  they melt in your mouth!! The cookie dough is formed into logs, chilled for about an hour, then sliced (abt. 1/4" thick) and baked at your convenience. 

 MAPLE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

This recipe makes 4 nice big logs (each log makes about a dozen cookies). I often make this cookie dough and (after it's formed into logs) I freeze them. When I need another batch of cookies, I just pull the dough out of the freezer and (after  you let it warm up enough to slice) you have hot cookies in a flash!!

Ingredient

2 cups butter (no substitutions) room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 + 1/2 teaspoons maple extract

4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

How to cook

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter, sugar, salt and extracts until the mixture is light and fluffy (takes a couple minutes and looks sort of like whipped cream when you are done).

Add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing well in between each addition. The dough will seem VERY thick, so a stand mixer works best but it isn't absolutely necessary. You will know you have mixed it enough when the cookie dough starts to come away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Mix in nuts.

Divide the dough into 4 logs about  2" in diameter. Roll the logs in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about an hour (or up to several days).

When it's time to bake, slice the cookie dough logs into 1/4" slices and roll (tops and bottoms) in granulated sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for  18-20 minutes (my oven takes exactly 18 minutes) or until the edges are JUST STARTING to turn golden.

 

Note: When your dough is chilled, it MAY seem too hard to slice, if so, just let it warm up a little. If my dough is frozen (and I don't want to wait) I zap the "cookie log" in the microwave for NO MORE THAN 8 seconds, which makes it easy to slice.

                            ENJOY !!!

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MINI PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKES (FOOL PROOF)

MINI  PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKES (FOOL PROOF) - If you are looking for a quick, easy and super tasty dessert, this is it: Mini Peanutbutter Cheesecakes!! These delicious little treats are nearly foolproof and they freeze well too.

MINI  PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKES (FOOL PROOF)

CRUMB CRUST

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 tablespoon peanutbutter (melt with butter)

CHEESECAKE FILLING

16 ounces (full fat) cream cheese (room temperature)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy style)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs (room temperature)

Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Next, make the crumb crust by heating the butter and peanutbutter until they melt (or are very soft). Add to the graham cracker crumbs an mix well. Put a healthy spoon of this mixture in each cupcake paper and tamp it down flat. Set aside.

To make the filling:

Beat the room temperature cream cheese (with electric mixer) until it is smooth and creamy (about 30 seconds at medium speed).

Add the sugar, peanut butter, sour cream and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Add the eggs (one at a time), mixing between each egg (just until well combined) but don't overbeat.

Fill cupcake papers about 3/4 full with the filling (an ice cream scoop works perfectly for measuring this).

Bake in preheated 275° oven for 24 minutes. To tell if they are done, this trick works well: tap the side of the cupcake pan...the cooked filling should jiggle (just a little) towards the center.

Cool baked cheesecakes to room temperature, then chill for 2 hours. Makes 16 depending on how full you make the paper liners. I usually put a pinch or two of graham cracker crumbs on the top of each (baked) cheesecake for decoration, but that is not necessary.

ENJOY !!! 

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MEXICAN QUINOA LUNCH

MEXICAN QUINOA LUNCH - This recipe is super quick and easy to make and it screams "comfort food" to me!! Hubby has a phobia about anything spicier than salt and pepper 😉 so THIS recipe is just for me (and I LOVE it).

It's delicious at room

temperature too !!

QUINOA LUNCH

1 cup chopped onion  

1 clove garlic minced

1 seeded and de-veined jalapeno pepper chopped (optional)

1 cup white quinoa (rinsed well and drained)

15 ounce can low salt kidney beans, rinsed and drained 

1  diced red bell pepper

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (NOT-drained)

1  14.5 ounce can of water

1 cup corn  (I used frozen)

3 teaspoons chili powder (see note about using jalapeno)

1 teaspoon ground cumin (don't leave out)

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 ounce can diced mild green chiles (un-drained) 

1/8 teaspoon cayenne  (more if you like heat)

Make sure you rinse the dry quinoa grain under cold running water before cooking it. Quinoa has a natural coating (almost like a dust?) that can taste bitter if not rinsed off. Some brands of quinoa say "pre-rinsed" but I rinse that one too.......just to be safe (it just takes a second to do).

Saute the chopped onion in a tablespoon of oil until the onions are soft and start smelling sweet. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 to 60 seconds (but watch so it doesn't burn).

Add everything else, stir well, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer and put the lid on to cook for 15-20 minutes (depending on how hot your pan is).  After 20 minutes, turn heat OFF but leave lid on and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

If you are new to cooking quinoa, you will know it is done when you see a TINY white sprout curl inside each grain of cooked quinoa.

TIP: 

I freeze this in one cup containers for a quick lunch.  The next day, I pop one of these frozen containers into the microwave and heat on high for 2 1/2 minutes. If it is NOT frozen, it only takes about a minute or so. It makes a wonderful lunch !!

NOTE: 

My all time favorite way to eat this (and maybe it is just me), but I love it steaming hot, topped with a scoop of ice cold fat free cottage cheese.  Yum!!!  

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FIVE STAR MEATBALLS

FIVE STAR MEATBALLS - I've tried dozens of meatball recipes over the years and, while some of them came CLOSE to what I was looking for, there was always something missing.

Well, I'm thrilled to say THIS meatball recipe is absolutely perfect in every way. First of all they ARE delicious, secondly, they have a WONDERFUL texture right out of the pan, yet they do NOT fall apart after 2-3 hours in a sauce either. Oh yes, and they freeze exceptionally well too!! What more can you ask for?

FIVE STAR MEATBALLS

1 pound ground beef (80% lean)

1 pound bulk Italian sausage

1 small onion chopped fine

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cloves garlic minced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 eggs (beaten well)

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup Panko bead crumbs

1/2 cup cold water

Saute onions in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until they just start to get golden edges. Add the garlic, stir and cook another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside to cool a little. I throw in a half cup or so of very thinly sliced green onions (if I have them) but it isn't necessary.

In a large bowl, mix (with your hands) the meat, eggs, cheese, salt, pepper, Panko bread crumbs and cayenne. Add the cooled onions and garlic and cold water. Mix with hands until well combined (it will seem wet and sticky, but thats OK).

Shape into 2"

Meatballs and place (on waxed paper) in the fridge for about an hour. After an hour in the fridge, you can roll them into better (rounder) meatballs if you want, but that's not necessary at all.

Brown the chilled meatballs (in a large frying pan with a little vegetable oil) until they are nice and brown on both sides, then bake at 350 for 15 minutes. That's it !!!

Eat them right away, or freeze them or put them in a sauce. They are very versatile. I hope you like them as much as we do !!!

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Creamy Sweet Potato, Spinach & Mushroom Casserole | The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan

AD- This recipe has been created in paid partnership with The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own. 

Have you seen the exciting news that I am working with  The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan to bring you some delicious recipes that fit into their Plan?

If you haven’t already seen my Greek Chicken Traybake, then you need to check it out!

The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan is nutritionally balanced and focuses on more than just losing weight. The Steps Plan offers a combination of The 1:1 Diet Products and everyday food choices, which will help you to build a better relationship with food.

You get your own Consultant who is with you every step of the way, and acts as your own personal cheerleader!

I am hoping to show you that cooking doesn’t need to be time-consuming! This recipe is so easy to prepare, requires very little skill, and is ready in just 30 minutes!

This is a Step 3 and up recipe and is 342 calories.

It is a fabulously tasty, one-pot recipe too! Meaning, less washing up to do!

Creamy Sweet Potato, Spinach & Mushroom Casserole | The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge  Weight Plan

You will need:

90g mushrooms (approx. 5 mushrooms)

1 small red onion 

1 can butter beans, drained

1 clove Garlic 

1 small sweet potato

60g fresh spinach

100ml Vegetable Stock (made up from a cube and boiling water)

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp smoked paprika

Pinch of salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon cornflour

1 tbsp fat-free Greek yoghurt

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 200 °C/180 °C fan/Gas mark 6

First, prep the veg by finely dicing the red onion and garlic.

Peel the sweet potato and chop it into small cubes and slice up the mushrooms.

Add the sweet potato chunks to a pan of boiling water, and cook for 5 mins until softened. Once cooked, remove the cubes and drain.

In a casserole dish, add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, butter beans and sweet potato.

Pour over the vegetable stock, season with the smoked paprika, salt, pepper and oregano.

Cover the casserole dish and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

Once cooked, mix the cornflour with a teaspoon of water, add in and stir.

Then stir through the yoghurt as the very last step, any earlier than this could cause it to curdle.

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Chicken Big Mac Fakeaway Recipe | Low Calorie Fakeaway

Chicken Big Mac recipe that you can make at home, that tastes even better than the real thing!

They may have sold out all over the country, but with this recipe, you can now make this meal yourself at home!

If you love this, you'll love my other Fakeaway Recipes too!

The Chicken Big Mac has taken the UK by storm since it's release, so I had to give it my very own fakeaway treatment!

Scroll down for the full recipe and instructions!

If you're not familiar with the original big mac, it is a double burger with an extra layer of bread in the middle, Big Mac sauce, salad, cheese and gherkins.

What makes this dish extra special is the Big Mac Burger sauce.

The Big Mac sauce is what really gives this dish authentic flavour!

If you want to save a few calories, you can cut out the extra layer of bun.

Pin this recipe for later:

Fancy some more recipes?

Like the look of this recipe? I have loads more for you to look through as well! Click the links below for more:

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Pistachio Pineapple Mallow Dessert

Ok –it’s time to talk about something SWEET!  Yes! It’s dessert time and it’s a more healthy dessert that tastes AMAZING!  Perfect for a spring or summer day and it turns out SO pretty!  

My mom found this one from Kraft and shared it with me years ago.  This one is gluten free and high in vitamin C!  I promise – you will NOT feel guilty after eating this one! 

See the nutritional info below and ENJOY!

1 pkg (4 serving size) Jell-O Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding and Pie filling

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

½ cup Walnut Pieces

3 ¼ cups of mini marshmallows, divided

2 tubs (8oz each) COOL WHIP Topping, thawed

3 maraschino cherries with stems

Stir the dry pudding mix, pineapple with juice, walnuts and 1 cup of the marshmallows in a large bowl until well blended.  Gently stir in 1 tub of the whipped topping.

Empty the remaining tub of whipped topping into separate medium bowl.  Add 2 cups of the marshmallows; mix lightly.

Spoon half of the pudding mixture into large serving bowl; cover with layer of half of the marshmallow mixture.  Repeat both layers.  Top with remaining 1-1/4 cups marshmallows and the cherries.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.  Store leftover dessert in the fridge.

Nutrition Info:

Per Serving

Calories 190, Total Fat 8g, cholesterol 0 mg, sodium, 110 mg, carbs 29 g, dietary fiber 1 g, sugars 21 g, protein 1 g, Vitamin C 6%DV

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“Biggest Loser” Asian Lettuce Wraps

This one is yummy!  I grabbed this one from SparkPeople.  This one is great for lunch or a light snack.  It’s similar to PF Chang’s lettuce wraps but it’s made with lean ground beef.  Greg and I love this one!  It’s Gluten free and really high in protein!  This is a great one to store the leftovers in the fridge and eat on for a couple of days!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 lbs extra lean ground beef

1 tsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup celery, chopped

½ cup sliced water chestnuts

1 cup green onions

1 ½ Tablespoons fresh ginger root, finely grated

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce (use Gluten Free Soy Sauce if you are gluten free)

½ tsp red pepper flakes

2/3 cups hoisin sauce

¼ cup sliced almonds

Head of your favorite lettuce (butter, iceburg, Romaine, ect)

Directions:

Sauté bell peppers and celery in oil for 2 min.  Add ground beef, green onions, ginger, red pepper flakes, garlic and water chestnuts.  Stir while cooking for 8 to 10 min, until beef is no longer pink.  Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce and almonds.  Heat thoroughly for 1 minute.  Place 1/16 of beef mixture into each lettuce leaf.  Roll up tightly and serve immediately.

Serves 16

Nutritional Info:

Calories 179.9, Fat 11.1g, carbs 7.7g, Protein 12g

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Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken

This is another great recipe for cooking in your crock pot!  We all have those days that tend to be busy and you just dont have time to cook so save this recipe for those busy days!  I got this one from SparkPeople. 

This one is low calorie, low fat, and super high in protein! This one calls for a can of reduced fat cream of mushroom soup, so if you are going Gluten Free make sure to buy the Gluten Free Brand of Cream of Mushroom.  The sour cream mentioned below as the last step can be optional. Serve this in warm tortillas or taco shells.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup salsa

1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning

1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed) - Get the Gluten Free kind if you are Gluten Free

1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream

Directions:

Add chicken to slow cooker.  Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken.  Pour salsa and soup over chicken.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove from heat and still in sour cream.  Serve with rice, beans, tortillas, taco shells and all your other favorite taco toppings!!

Serves 6

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 157.2, Fat 3.3g, Carbs 6.7g, Protein 24.3g

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Homemade Vegetable Soup

It has really cooled off here in AZ and the next couple of days are supposed to get cooler!  My friends and family from TN told me it's supposed to get down to like 29 degrees tomorrow night!!  

SO - I thought this is a perfect opportunity for me to post my dad's homemade vegetable soup recipe! We have had this in our family since I was a little girl.  I remember coming home from school as a kid and this aroma filling up our house on those cold days.  I think it will always be a smell that reminds me of my childhood and when I make this, it totally takes me back to those wonderful memories of growing up!

I'm not sure where he got this recipe...probably from his mom...but anyway...it's so yummy and great for you!  It's gluten free, dairy free and full of veggies! This goes great with cornbread and as for the meat...feel free to use beef stew meat or ground beef...your choice! You can also add any veggies you really like!  Enjoy!

 Ingredients:

1 Package of beef stew meat

1 large can of tomato juice (get a 46 ounce can)

1 small onion chopped

4 tsp of salt

2 tsp of Worcestershire

1 tablespoon of chili powder

2 bay leaves

3 cans of mixed vegetables (I like the brand Veg All)

1 17 ounce can whole kernel corn

3-4 potatoes cut up (optional)

1 cup chopped carrots

3/4 cups chopped celery

Directions:

Combine the meat, tomato juice, onion and seasonings above and 6 cups of water in a large sauce pan.  Cook that for 2 hours.  Then add the remaining ingredients and cook for 1 additional hour.

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Apple Snickers Salad

We moved not too long ago to a new house, new city and a new neighborhood.  We have been trying to do a better job of meeting our neighbors and getting the kiddos involved with kids their age.  

We were invited to our neighbor's house last night and everyone was asked to bring their own meat for a BBQ.  There were 3 other families there and each of us brought a side dish or a dessert.   One family brought this YUMMY dessert and I just HAD to share this!  This is SO great for summer time!!  Super easy - total of 15 min prep.  It's an Apple Snickers Salad!!

GLUTEN FREE Folks - Snickers bars dont have Gluten in them BUT I did a lot of research on Gluten/Snickers bars and I do not recommend you try this dish.  There was reports A LOT cross contamination. Snickers are produced on shared equipment with Milky Way bars, which contain malt.  Also - did you know Peppermint tea will help settle your stomach?  Try that if your tummy acts up.  anyway - this one is not all that healthy but tastes amazing.  I did eat this dish and my stomach was fine this morning! 

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip

3 apples, diced

3 regular size SNICKERS® candy bars, frozen

Directions:

Mix together the Cool Whip and apples. Smash the SNICKERS® bars and add to the salad. Best if you allow to stand for a little while before serving.

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Brenda Rowland Chicken and Rice Casserole

Well, the southern girl is coming out in me....this recipe is not healthy and is not gluten free.  But it's beyond delicious!  Growing up in the south in a Southern Baptist church, we had pot lucks all the time.  This recipe came from our dear friend Brenda Rowland.  I called this one "Brenda Rowland's Chicken and Rice Casserole" for a long time growing up so the name sticks.  I'm not changing it...it's been almost 20 yrs since I've had this recipe!

My kids love this one....you could make this one gluten free with gluten free cream of chicken and cream of mushroom...butit wont taste the same.  Anyway - this one is beyond excellent!

Ingredients:

2 cans of Premium white chunk chicken (drain and smash up the chicken) OR boil your own chicken breast in garlic and salt and pepper.

2 cans sliced water chestnuts

2 “Boil in a bag” bags of rice (white or brown – your choice)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cans chicken broth

1 tsp sage

1 oz jar of cheese whiz

½ onion

1Tablespoon butter

2 sleeves of Ritz crackers

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a big bowl and stir together.  Make sure on the cheese whiz jar you use about 1/3 of a cup in your casserole.

Bake on 350 for an hour covered with aluminum foil.

Then, take ½ an onion and chop it up and sauté in butter.  Then take crumbled up ritz crackers and stir into a bowl.  Pour the Ritz crackers mixture on top of the casserole and broil until crackers are lightly toasted.

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