Chicken Parsels with an Herb Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

4-5 Chicken Breast Fillets, skinned
10 Tbsp Butter, softened
6 Tbsp Chopped mixed fresh herbs
(Thyme, Parsley, Oregano, and Rosemary)
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
5-6 Large sheets Filo Pastry, thawed if frozen
1 egg beaten
2 Tbsp Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Step 1:

Season the chicken fillets and fry in 2 Tbsp Butter to seal and brown lightly. Allow to cool. I actually used pre-seasoned chicken which was marinated in white wine and garlic. This prevented me from having to marinate them ahead of time.

Step 2:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Put remaining butter, the herbs, lemon juice and seasoning in a food processor and process until smooth. Melt half the herb butter.

Step 3:

Take one sheet of filo pastry and brush with melted herb butter. Cover the rest of the pastry with a damp dishtowel. Fold the pastry sheet in half and brush again with butter. Place a chicken fillet about 1 inch from the top end.

Step 4:

Dot the chicken with a quarter of the remaining herb butter. Fold in the sides of the pastry, then roll up to enclose it completely. Place seam side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with other chicken fillets.

Step 5:

Brush the filo parcel with beaten egg. Cut the last sheet of the filo sheet into strips, then scrunch and arrange on top. Brush the parcels once again with the egg glaze, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot.

Chicken Flautas

Ingredients:

(Makes 12)

2 Chicken Breasts Fillets, skinned
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
3 1/2 Oz. Feta Cheese, Crumbled
12 Corn Tortillas
Oil, for frying the rolled tortillas
Salt and Pepper

Ingredients for the Salsa:

3 Tomatoes
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Small Bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3 fresh chillies or canned green chillies

Step 1:

To make the salsa, plunge the tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds, then refresh in cold water. Peel away the skins, remove the seeds and chop the flesh. Mix the tomatoes, lime juice, coriander, onion and chillies in a bowl. Season with salt to taste and set aside.

Step 2:

Put the chicken breasts in a large pan, add water to cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it cool a little. Using two forks, shred the chicken into small pieces. Set is aside. Start heating up your other pan of oil to cook the tortillas in.

Step 3:

Heat the 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic and fry over a low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened but not colored. Add the shredded chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, remove from heat and stir in the feta cheese.

Step 4:

Okay, here is the pain in the but part. Before the tortillas can be rolled you will have to cook them 3-4 at a time in the microwave for 30 seconds. As soon as they come out they will need to be rolled. Use a spoonful of the chicken mix in each tortilla. Stick a toothpick in them to hold them together. I used two toothpicks per tortillas. Once rolled they will need to be immediately cooked in the oil that you have heated up for them. Do this till all are rolled and cooked. Let the tortillas cool for 5 minutes before removing the toothpicks to avoid any burns. Serve with the salsa and sour cream. Enjoy.

Chicken, Cheese and Leek Jalousie

Ingredients:

1 Chicken, Roasted (About 3 1/2 lbs.)
2 Large Leeks, thinly sliced
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
3 Tbsp Butter
1 2/3 Cups Button Mushrooms, sliced
1 Cup Low-Fat Cream Cheese
Grated Rind of 1 small Lemon
3 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
2 (9 oz.) Blocks Puff Pastry, Thawed if Frozen
1 Egg, Beaten
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh Herbs to Garnish

Step 1:

Strip the meat from the chicken, discarding all bones and skin. Chop or shred the meat and set aside.

Step 2:

Saute the leeks and garlic in the butter for 10 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Leave until cold, then stir in the cream cheese, lemon rind, parsley, chicken, and salt and pepper.

Step 3:

Stack the blocks of pastry on top of each other and roll out on a lightly floured work surface to a large rectangle, about 14 x 10 in. Drape the pastry over a rolling pin and lift it on to a non-stick baking sheet.

Step 4:

Spoon the filling on to the pastry, leaving a generous margin at the top and bottom, and 4 inches on each side. Cut the pastry diagonally upwards at 3/4 inch intervals at the sides of the filling.

Step 5:

Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg. Draw the pastry strips over each other in alternate crosses to "braid" the pastry. Seal the top and bottom edges with the egg brushed on lightly.

Step 6:

Glaze the Jalousise with the beaten egg. Allow to rest while you preheat the oven to 400 F. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 F and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.

Step 7:

Allow the Jalousie to stand for about 10 minutes before sliding it on to a board or platter to serve. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Ziti (uncooked)
2 lbs. Ricotta Cheese
3 Oz. Grated Romano Cheese
3 Cups Tomato Sauce
1/2 Teas. Black Pepper
1 1/2 lbs. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Step 1:

Cook Ziti according to package directions − 12 to 14 minutes
until Al Dente stirring often. After cooking, drain Ziti well, but
DO NOT RINSE OFF UNDER WATER!

Step 2:

While Ziti is cooking preheat oven to 350F. Combine
ricotta, Romano, tomato sauce (reserve 1/4 cup) and pepper in
large mixing bowl.

Step 3:

Gently combine cooked Ziti with cheese/sauce mixture.
In a 13"x9"x2" pan, spread the 1/4 cup reserved sauce.
Add Ziti and top with mozzarella cheese. Cover loosely with
aluminum foil and bake until mozzarella is thoroughly melted
(about 12−15 minutes). Serve with garlic bread and additional
sauce if desired.

Chicken Kiev

Ingredients:

4 Large Chicken Breasts fillets, skinned
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
1/4 Tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
2 Tbsp Plain (All Purpose) Flour
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Cups Fresh White Breadcrumbs
2 Egg Whites, Lightly Beaten

Step 1:

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of clear film (plastic wrap) and gently beat with a rolling pin until flattened. Sprinkle with the lemon juice.

Step 2:

Mix the ricotta cheese with the garlic, 1 Tbsp of the chopped parsley and the nutmeg. Shape into four 2 inch long rolls.

Step 3:

Put one portion of the cheese and herb mixture in the center of each chicken breast and fold the meat over, tucking in the edges to enclose the filling completely.

Step 4:

Secure the chicken with a toothpick pushed through the center of each. Mix together the flour, cayenne pepper and salt, and use to dust the chicken.

Step 5:

Mix together the breadcrumbs and remaining parsley. Dip the chicken into the egg, then coat with the breadcrumbs. Preheat the oven to 400F. Chill for 30 minutes, then dip into the egg and breadcrumbs for a second time.

Step 6:

Put the chicken on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the coating is golden brown and the chicken completely cooked. Remove the toothpicks and serve.

Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar (Splenda)
  
• 5 large beaten eggs (10 Egg whites)
  
• 2 cups milk (Skim Milk)
  
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups cubed Italian bread, allow to stale overnight in a bowl (Wheat Bread)
  
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened (Smart Balance Stick Butter)
  

For the sauce:

• 1 cup granulated sugar (Splenda)
  
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted (Smart Balance Stick Butter)
  
• 1 egg, beaten (2 Egg Whites)
  
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Brandy ( I used half this amount as it was overpowering)
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.
Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.
In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, and butter.
Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

Directions For The Sauce:

Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Add the brandy, stirring well. Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.

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TIPS:
You can add 1 cup coconut and 3/4 cup chocolate chips to this recipe if you want to make it even better. Though this is not healthy, it is very tasty. Another additive is bagels as the bread. I think this gives the bread pudding a more rich flavor.
There are several things you can do to make this a bit healthier. For starters you can replace the granulated sugar with a sugar substitute such as Splenda. As for the milk you can use skim milk and for the butter you can replace it with smart balance stick butter. As for the brown sugar, I have yet to find a substitute that will not change the flavor of the recipe to much but you can replace all the eggs with just egg whites which does not really change to much and you can also use wheat bread.

However, I did make this recipe the way it is written. This is the first time I made it so I always make one the correct way and one the healthier way. I hope you all enjoy as me and my family cannot get enough of this delicious recipe.

Introduction

I would like to start off by introducing the both of us. My name is Kat and my best friend is Kiki. We will be posting recipes here for everyone to enjoy. Our goal is to post healthy recipes that are great tasting. We will also be posting nutritional tips from time to time that may even help in weight loss. We are not nutritionists so please do not feel that you have to in any way use our tips. They are simply suggestions that we have learned through our own diet plans that have worked for us. I am currently on "The Food Lovers Fat Loss System". Many of the tips that I have been using were obtained through here. This is a great syste, and I highly reccomend it. We are both looking forward to getting started.