spinach

After my return to Jenny this weekend, I had a renewed passion for eating on plan and for coming up with new and delicious recipes using Jenny Cuisine.

Saturday night, I had a craving for spinach and artichoke dip… not really the dip, just that flavor. So, I got busy in the kitchen.

Originally, I was going to make a Spinach and Artichoke quesadilla, but after beginning to prepare the recipe… there was WAY too much veggie mix to go with a quesadilla. In the end, I was SUPER happy with the pizzas.

They were creamy, flavorful, and really took care of my craving. Yet another way to volume the JC Chicken Fajita kit, I hope you’ll try this one, too!

Chicken Spinach & Artichoke Pizzas

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1 package Jenny Craig Chicken Fajitas

1/4 medium onion, diced

2 tsp. garlic, minced

3 petite artichoke hearts, diced

1/4 cup chopped spinach, thawed with extra liquid removed

1 wedge Laughing Cow Cheese – Garlic and Herb flavor

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded & made with 2% milk

crushed red pepper flakes

cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add the meat and veggie mixture to the a saute pan at medium heat. Saute until cooked through and then remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, defrost your spinach in the microwave. Once thawed, remove the excess liquid by wringing it in a towel over your sink. Note: It took about 2 minutes in the microwave for my spinach to thaw. I’d recommend using fresh spinach if you have it on hand!

4. Spray your saute pan with cooking spray. Add onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes until they are cooked.

5. Add diced artichokes and spinach to the pan. Also, add chicken (removing the onions and peppers) to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Discard the peppers and onions.

I used these petite artichokes. They were perfect!

6. Remove chicken-spinach mixture to a small bowl. Add one wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese and mix until combined.

7. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place tortillas flat on the sheet. Add 1/2 of the veggie-meat-cheese mixture to each tortilla. Optional: Sprinkle with crushed red peppers.

8. Add 2 Tbsp. of mozzarella cheese to each pizza.

9. Bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Optional: Broil for an additional 1-2 minutes until cheese has browned and tortilla crisps additionally.

10. Slice your pizzas and enjoy!

Hungry Girl's Sweet 'n Sticky Sesame Chicken

Healthier Super Bowl Snack Options

#PHXLASMCI: Las Vegas

There’s something I love about Indian food. Ever since I made my first Indian dish a few months ago, I’ve been tempted to make the next round.

My absolute favorite dish to order at an Indian restaurant is a spicy Chicken Tikka Saag. Maybe you’ve never seen the Tikka distinction? I learned about this from my friend Deb, but Tikka designates WHITE meat. Yep, I discriminate when it comes to chicken. I can’t handle that dark meat…

So what is Chicken Saag? It’s in essence chicken, spinach, onions, tomatoes, and yummy Indian spices simmered to perfection and then served with beautiful jasmine rice. In restaurants, it’s served with tasty naan bread… but for my at-home healthy version, I stayed away from the bread, considering my waistline in the decision.

This at-home version definitely hit the spot, and I was proud of myself for whipping up another Indian treat. While I love eating Indian at restaurants, I know exactly how much oil and butter is included when I’m the one adding it.

Healthy Chicken Saag

From Racheal Ray via Pinterest

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion, chopped
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
1 red chili pepper, sliced or chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
salt
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. coriander
2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom or 2 to 3 crushed seeds
4 small ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 packages frozen chopped organic spinach, defrosted and wrung of excess liquid
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch chunks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Spray a saute pan with butter flavored cooking spray and raise to medium heat. Add onion, ginger, chili and garlic; season with salt and spices. Note: Racheal’s original recipe (link above) called for EVOO and butter. I replaced both with cooking spray…