Chicken Burgers

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These diabetic friendly chicken burgers are full of flavor and simply delicious.

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken breastlight and/or dark meat
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoeschopped (not canned in oil)
¼ cup white onionfinely chopped
⅛ cup fresh basilfinely chopped
⅛ cup fresh Italian parsleyuse the leaves and finely chopped
4 cloves garlicminced
saltto taste
pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients together. Form 4 equal patties.

Heat a pan on the stove with some olive oil, or use a grill to cook burgers. Stove top: cook 8-10 minutes on each side. Grill: cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Burgers should have an internal temperature of 165°F.

Serve with avocado salsa, grilled vegetables, or other sides as desired.

One Pan Salsa Chicken Fajitas by Stephanie Olzinski, RDN

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These one pan chicken fajitas are a quick weeknight dinner option, especially if you don’t feel like cooking over the stove making an elaborate meal. All you have to do is wrap this deliciousness in soft tortillas and top with cheddar, sour cream and avocado. Add your favorite salsa or hot sauce and enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast
1 tsp olive oil
¼ cup salsa
2 tbsp low sodium taco seasoning
½ red onionpeeled and thinly sliced
8 oz mushroomsthinly sliced
1 red bell pepperthinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepperthinly sliced
1 green bell pepperthinly sliced
Add-ons: small whole wheat flour or corn tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado and salsa

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F; line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Arrange veggies on sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil.

Place chicken breasts in the vegetables and top each evenly with taco seasoning and salsa.

Bake for 20-25 Minutes until cooked thoroughly to 165°F. Once cooked, allow to rest for 5 minutes, then slice chicken.

Serve chicken and vegetables in tortillas as desired and other toppings; limit to 1-2 tortillas.

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

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Did you know tomatoes are a delicious fruit that is rich in lycopene – an antioxidant that may help reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer while improving your skin health? This recipe offers a simple way to make the tomato the star of your meal while incorporating the healthful benefits of quinoa, a grain packed with protein and fiber making this dish a complete meal for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

4 medium tomatoesrinsed (buy the ones still on a vine)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red onionspeeled and finely chopped
1 cup cooked mixed vegetablespeppers, corn, carrots and peas
1 cup quinoarinsed and drained
1 cup low-sodium chicken brothor vegetable broth
½ ripe avocadodiced
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp fresh parsleyrinsed, dried, and finely chopped
salt to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and hollow out the insides. Save the pulp for use in tomato soup, a sauce, or salsa. Set tomatoes aside with their tops.

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, and cook until they begin to soften. Add cooked vegetables and heat through for 1-2 minutes.

Add quinoa and cook gently, about 2 minutes.

Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pan. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid and is fully cooked, about 10 Minutes. Once cooked, removed the lid and gently fluff quinoa with a work. Mix in the avocado, pepper, salt and parsley.

Carefully stuff about ¾ cup of quinoa into each tomato.

Place tomatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 Minutes, or until tomatoes are hot throughout (tomatoes may be stuffed in advance and baked later). About 5 minutes before taking out of the oven, place the tops of the tomatoes on so they get a chance to warm through. Serve hot.

Healthful Lentil Soup

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So, this kitchen contraption known as a pressure cooker has become a pretty popular thing these days. It makes food super-fast, which is great when you are always on the run. It’s also perfect for that one recipe that would normally take 7-8 hours to cook, but you just don’t have that time and still crave the meal. Lentil soup is perfect this time of year. It’s warm and goes great with a side of cornbread, your favorite breadsticks or just by itself. Did you know lentils are a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber? Not only do they help lower cholesterol levels, they help manage blood-sugar disorders due to the high fiber content. Fiber helps prevent your blood sugar levels from rising after a meal. Lentils are also packed with protein, iron and B vitamins. This is a must make-recipe so let’s get started.

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onionfinely diced
3 carrotspeeled and diced
2 celery ribspeeled (to remove the strings) and diced
6 garlic clovesminced
6 cups vegetable brothyou can also use chicken broth if preferred
2 cups dry brown lentilsrinse and let dry on clean towel
15 oz canned diced tomatoes with liquid
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
15 oz canned cannellini beansrinsed and drained
2 cups fresh chopped kale leavesremove the ribs before chopping
1 inch diameter Parmesan rind
fresh parsley leaves chopped for topping
fresh Parmesan cheesegrated for topping

Directions

Add 6 cups of broth to your pressure cooker. Then add the onion, carrot, celery, kale, garlic, lentils, diced tomatoes with liquid, Parmesan rind and all herbs/spices.

Cover and seal your pressure cooker and set it to manual 15 minutes high pressure.

It will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure and then 15 minutes for the active cook time – a total of 35 Minutes.

Once the timer beeps, carefully quick release the pressure and allow to depressurize before you touch anything. Safely remove the lid and add the cannellini beans. Allow beans to come to the temperature of the soup, about 5 minutes.

Pull out the Parmesan rind. Give the soup a quick stir and ladle into your favorite bowl or cup. Top with fresh parsley and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes: This is a vegetarian dish as is, but you can certainly add chicken to this for added protein. It’s also great if ladled over a ½ cup of cooked white/brown rice or quinoa.

Grilled Caprese Panini

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This is a classic sandwich I love to make in our home. It’s super simple, tasty and packed with healthy nutrients. I especially enjoy using fresh tomatoes, basil and red onion from our garden when assembling this delicious meal.

Ingredients

4 slices whole grain bread
6 oz mozzarella cheesethinly sliced into 4 pieces
1 medium tomatothinly sliced
¼ cup red onionthinly sliced
1 tsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
6 basil leavesno stems

Directions

Grab your griddle pan and place on your stove. Turn heat to medium and melt butter over the top once it comes to temperature. If you don’t have a griddle pan to achieve the panini marks, you can use a large cast iron pan or non-stick if preferred.

Grab two pieces of bread and top each with a slice of mozzarella. Layer half of the tomatoes, onion, and basil on each sandwich. Season both with salt and pepper. Add another slice of mozzarella to each sandwich and cover with another piece of bread to complete the paninis.

Place a saucepan about the size of the bread over the top of the sandwich and gently press down so the bottom presses into the griddle. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure the bread does not get too browned.

Take your spatula, gently flip the panini on its second side, and press the saucepan over the top of the sandwich to create griddle marks on the other half of the sandwich. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Take panini to cutting board and slice sandwich in half. Serve immediately!

NOTES: For the meat lovers in your life, add grilled chicken or grab an already made rotisserie chicken on the way home from work and save yourself some time prepping. This goes great with tomato basil soup, salad, or fresh fruit for lunch or dinner.