Dinner is served! High Class Chicken Fingers

This week's What's for Dinner? Wednesday meal is ready for you to enjoy (at least in a visual way)!  It's a grown up version of a childhood favorite that I like to call High Class Chicken Fingers.

The blackberry, honey, and mustard sauce will delight your adult tastebuds as you reminisce about days of old enjoying tasty fingers or nuggets of goodness. Many kid-friendly meals are not very healthy living friendly. However, this dinner won't fill you with regret! There's no frying involved.

To view the full recipe check out the post from this morning HERE>>

Did you cook with us? Share your version of High Class Fingers and Tag it with the #W4DW hashtag.  Have a comment about this meal idea or a favorite childhood chicken finger/nugget story? Share that below too:

What's for Dinner? Wednesday: High Class Chicken Fingers

Happy What's for Dinner? Wednesday! Last week I shared a recipe for Falafel Scotch Eggs that was brand new to most of you. This week's recipe is one you've likely seen before, but it has a little bit of a twist.  It's for High Class Chicken Fingers! This blast from the past (or a least my past, I couldn't get enough of chicken fingers when I was a kid!) goes healthy in this recipe that I slightly modified from one I found on Eating Well.

Besides enjoying reminiscing of a simpler time when cooking up this childhood classic gone all grown-up, I think you'll enjoy the fact that it only requires 15 mins to make and you're likely to have most of the ingredients already in your pantry! Plus, the fancy sauce that goes with it is a fun, adult twist.

Here's what you'll need to serve High Class Chicken Fingers to four:

Ingredients:

1 cup blackberries 

1.5 tbsp mustard

2 tsp honey

1 lb chicken tenders

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 tbsp cornmeal

cooking spray

How to put it all together:

Step One: Get saucy! You're all grown up now so you won't be dipping these chicken fingers in ketchup.  To make your classy dip mash up your blackberries, mustard, and honey in a small bowl.  It will be a little chunky and a lot of yummy!

Step Two: Prep your chicken.  Cut your chicken into nuggets or finger size (your choice) and then sprinkle them with your salt and pepper.  One your chicken is seasoned, coat it with cornmeal by tossing the topping and your meat together in a bowl.  

Step Three: Heat a skillet over medium-high and spray it with cooking spray.  Add your chicken and cook it over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side.  It should be ready when it's lightly browned.  Once your chicken is done cooking, divide it among four plates and add a dash of your berry sauce.  

That's it! Three easy steps and one delicious and healthy entree.  Don't forget to add some veggies for a complete meal.

Are you going to try this recipe tonight? Does it look delicious or do you think chicken nuggets are best served with ketchup? Share your thoughts and your favorite chicken finger memory with a comment below:

Dinner is served! Chicken Cordon Bleu

Dinner is served! This week's What's for Dinner? Wednesday meal was Chicken Cordon Bleu. Normally, this meal is hard to enjoy if you're watching what you eat. However, with the few ingredient swaps made in this recipe >>, this French-inspired dish can be enjoyed guilt-free.

Looking for a different healthy dish?  Be sure to check out the Fit Armadillo Pinterest board to check out dinners from previous weeks>>

Have you ever enjoyed Chicken Cordon Bleu? What do you think of this recipe idea? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below:

What's for Dinner? Wednesday: Chicken Cordon Bleu, A Healthy Trip to France for Your Tastebuds

Happy What's for Dinner? Wednesday! This week's recipe is one of my favorites from one of my favorite healthy cooking magazines, Clean Eating Magazine.  I love it because it's healthy, easy, AND fancy enough to share with special dinner guests.  Modeled after the super decadent French meal, this version of Chicken Cordon Bleu dish is big on taste, but not on fat.  Another reason to love it? It only takes 15 minutes of hands on time and just under 30 mins of total time to create.  Take a journey to France with me and serve some Chicken Cordon Bleu up tonight!  If you're an e-mail subscriber, you already know what you'll need.  If you're not on the A-List (Armadillo List, that is!), sign up HERE>> to get the ingredients for future meals delivered directly to your inbox each week!

I'm dedicating this recipe to my fans who stopped by for a What's for Dinner? Wednesday a few weeks back when I shared Swai, a fish, wrapped in proscuitto and some fans were a little uncertain about using the water dweller with the fancy land meat.  I have a hunch they'll enjoy this one!

Here is what you'll need to serve four this dish:

4 4-oz boneless, skinless thin-cut chicken breasts
4 large spinach leaves (no stems!)
4 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Blue Cheese
2 oz ham
1 pinch o' paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
pinch o' pepper
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp chopped chives

How to whip it up:

Step One:  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (we're really not in France anymore!).  Take out your chicken and get ready to layer on the goodness. Start with a layer of spinach, one leaf per chicken breast. Next, spread on a layer of your laughing cow cheese.  Top each chick off with 1/2 a slice of ham.  Once you have these three layers in place, roll up the chicken tightly and sprinkle each piece with a pinch o'paprika.  Place your chicken in a glass baking dish and set it to cook for 20 minutes.

Step Two: As your chicken rolls bake, cook up your mushrooms. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and set it to medium-high heat.  Once your skillet warms up, add your garlic and cook it for one minute before adding in your mushrooms and pepper.  Continue to stir in the ingredients together for 10 minutes before removing them and setting them aside.

Step Three: Before you get back to that chicken, prep the sauce by mixing together your yogurt, mustard, and chives.  

Step Four: Check on your chicken. Once it's cooked through, take it out of the oven and place each breast over 1/4 of your mushrooms before drizzling 1/4 of your yogurt mustard sauce on top.

And you're done! Super easy, but super impressive as well.

What do you think? Would you try this recipe? Know someone who would? Share it! Then leave your comments below: 

Dinner is served! Lemon Chicken with Quinoa

It's dinner time in the Fit Armadillo household! Tonight's meal was Lemon Chicken with Quinoa. This dish is packed full of protein from the chicken, beans, and quinoa so feel free to add your favorite carb-based side for a complete meal.  The meal is part of my weekly What's for Dinner? Wednesday series and you can find the full recipe HERE>>

All my What's for Dinner? Wednesday meals are saved to my Pinterest board.  To check out some older recipes and get inspired to cook a healthy dinner, visit the board HERE>>

Would you try this meal? What did you cook for dinner tonight? Share your thoughts with a comment below:  

What's for Dinner? Wednesday: Lemon Chicken with Red Beans and Quinoa

This week’s What’s for Dinner? Wednesday meal is Lemon Chicken with Read Beans and Quinoa.  This tangy, protein-filled number was adapted from one in the March 2013 copy of Shape magazine. The most time intensive part of this meal is cooking the quinoa because it takes about 25 mins to make, however, it's a pretty easy dish overall.  Ready to get cooking? Here's what you'll need to feed four:


Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry quinoa
4 4-oz  boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp ground cumin
Olive oil cooking spray
1/2 small red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 - 15 oz cans red beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 

Step One: Make your quinoa come to life by combining it with 1 cup of water in a saucepan.  Set your stove to medium heat to bring this protein-filed grain and the water it is swimming in to a boil.  Then, reduce the stovetop’s temperature to bring the pan’s contents to a simmer before covering it for 25 minutes.  

Step Two: While your quinoa continues to cook, prep your chicken.  Coat the chicken with the lemon juice and then sprinkle it with a pinch of salt before rubbing it with your cumin. Don’t let one part of the chicken get jealous-make sure to coat it evenly with the spice.

Step Three: Use a medium heat setting to warm a skillet sprayed with cooking spray before adding your cumin covered chicken.  Cook your chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side before removing it from your skillet to cool.

Step Four: Now that your chicken is out of the way, spray your skillet again and add the onion.  Sauté your onion for 4 minutes before adding your garlic and cooking for another minute.   Finally, add the rest of your salt, pepper, pinto beans, and vinegar and bring the skillet to a simmer.  Your quinoa should be done by now. Check on your quinoa and then stir it into this mix.  Remove the mix from the stove and mix in your last ingredient, parsley. 

Divide the chicken and quinoa evenly among four plates so you and your guests don’t fight.  Add a carbohydrate as a side and you'll have a complete meal.  

Do you plan on making this dinner? Share your thoughts with a comment below:

Dinner is served! Healthy Taco Salad

Dinner is served and it's a Healthy Taco Salad!  If you're a salad lover, you probably know that the restaurant version of this meal is shamefully high in calories and low in nutrition.  However, the version shared in this week's What's for Dinner? Wednesday meal is under 350 calories.  It's great as a dinner or lunch if you pre-make your tortilla cups.

Interested in testing it out for yourself? Find the full recipe HERE>>

Do you enjoy taco salads? Share your thoughts with a comment below:

Dinner is served! Moroccan Chicken in the Slow Cooker

If you checked in earlier, you already know tonight's dinner at the Fit Armadillo household was Moroccan chicken in the slow cooker. It was SO easy to make, I forgot I didn't have to really cook tonight! The chicken is super tender since it's cooked all day in a bath of chicken broth.  Although the recipe says you have the option of pita bread, I highly recommend toasting some up.  The juices and lentils taste delicious on top of a slice of pita.

Want to get ingredients for What's for Dinner? Wednesday recipes delivered to your inbox so you can cook along? Sign up for my weekly newsletter HERE>>

Did you make this meal? Share your thoughts on Moroccan Chicken with a comment below: 

What's for Dinner? Wednesday: Moroccan Chicken in the Slow Cooker!

Happy What’s for Dinner Wednesday! This Wednesday I’m sharing a recipe that will only take TWO MINUTES of hands on time.  How is this possible? We’ll be putting our slow cookers to work for half the day.  This Moroccan Chicken recipe has been adapted from Cooking Light’s 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook.  If you are looking for an easy to use healthy cookbook, I highly recommend checking it out!

Invite five people over for dinner and whip up this flavorful dish tonight!  Looking for a great dinner and a movie idea? Check out Casablanca to make the Moroccan theme complete!

Here are your ingredients for six people:

8 ounces baby carrots
1.5 cups raw lentils
1.5 lbs frozen chiken tenders
2 tbsp garlic, minced
Pinch of salt
¾ tsp ground turmeric,
Pinch of pepper
½ tsp ground cinammon
28-oz fat free, low sodium chicken broth

Optional:
3 pita bread rounds save for just before dinner time
Butter-flavored cooking spray
Hollywood Classic, Casablanca
Couscous

Step One and Done: Round up all of your ingredients and your crock pot.  Toss everything besides your pita bread into the pot and set it to cook on high for 5 hours or if you’ll be gone during the day, set it to cook on high for 1 hr while you’re getting ready in the morning and then 7 hours on low.

That's it! Unless you want to add in your optional items, then continue with your reading...

Step Two:  Set your oven to 400 degrees.  Cut each pita bread in half so you have six rounds total.  Cut each half into 8 slices.  With your pita wedges facing center up, spray with butter-flavored cooking spray, and bake them for about 5 minutes or until they are crispy chips.

Serve 1 cup of the mix from your crock pot with 8 pita wedges.  Try adding in couscous and Casablanca to really get in on the Moroccan theme.

Would you try this recipe? Tell us what you think by posting a comment below: 

What's for Dinner? Wednesday

Happy What's for Dinner? Wednesday! This week I'm sharing a delicious Spinach and Sweet Potato Quesadilla recipe I modified from Health.  It's a very vibrantly colored dish, chock full of vitamins, and tasty to boot!  I'm getting hungry for another one just thinking about it right now.  But, I will stay focused.  I wouldn't want to get spinach all over this post!

Want to join us in this unique twist on Mexican cuisine? Here's what you'll  need to serve 4 people:

• 1 lb of sweet potatoes
• 1 cup vinegar 
• 1/2 cup Splenda 
• 4 black peppercorns
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 flour tortillas
• 5 cups baby spinach 
• 1 cup shredded part-skim cheddar 
• 1/2 lb of cooked diced chicken (cook while potatoes cook or ahead of time)
• olive oil cooking spray

Step One: Stab your sweet potatoes with a fork (they really didn't live up to their name so don't feel bad) and then microwave them on high for about 15 minutes or however long your microwave will take to make them soft.  Warning: They will sound like they're screaming as they release steam.  Don't worry!  They want to be cooked.

Step Two: As you're waiting for your sweet potatoes to calm down, pickle your side of onions!  Find a medium saucepan and add your vinegar, splenda, and peppercorns. Boil this mix until the sugar is dissolved.  When you can't see any more of the sweet stuff, pour this boiling mix over your red onions and let them sit for 10 minutes before draining the liquid off.

Step Three: By now your potatoes should be cooked! Yay for multi-tasking!!  Take out the sweet potato flesh and mash it and your salt and pepper in a separate bowl.  Next, spread 1/4 of your potato mix over a tortilla and add 1 cup of spinach, 1/4 cup of cheddar, 1/4 of the diced chicken, and another tortilla.  

Step Four:  From tortilla to quesadilla! Heat a skillet coated with cooking spray on medium-high heat.  Add your quesadilla in training.  Cook for 3 minutes on each side so that the cheese melts. Mmmm does that smell bueno!  Repeat to make 3 more quesadillas. 

Serve your quesadillas with 1/4 cup of your pickled onions.  Enjoy more calcium than a glass of milk when you have a fiesta with these quesadillas!

Thinking of trying this recipe? Share your thoughts with us by posting a comment below: 

What's for Dinner? Wednesday

It's Wednesday again! This week we're cooking Chicken Blue-Cheese Stuffed Potatoes.  This recipe sounds super decadent, but it's actually super nutritious! Many fad diets have given potatoes and carbs a bad name.  We think this is a real shame because potatoes actually have a lot of wonderful nutrients.  If you enjoy your potatoes with the skin on, you'll provide your body with vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, manganese, fiber, and antioxidants. This recipe is originally from our favorite magazine, Clean Eating and we're excited to share it with you!

What you'll need to serve this meal to six:
6 russet potatoes with the peel left on (maximize your nutrients!)
Olive Oil Cooking Spray
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1/4 in pieces
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp olive oil
3 oz baby spinach
1/2 small onion chopped
1/4 cup reduced-fat blue cheese
2 tbsp low-fat cream cheese
1 tsp lemon juice

How to make it:

Step One:  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Stressed out from the week? Grab a potato in one hand and a fork in the other and get out some aggression by poking holes into your potatoes.  When you're done, hide the evidence by wrapping your potatoes with foil.  Place your foil wrapped potatoes in a large baking dish misted with cooking spray and bake until the potatoes are tender (45 mins-1 hr).

Step Two:  Season your chopped chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook your chicken for 5-7 mins. Once your chicken is cooked through, remove the chicken from the skillet and add your spinach and onion.  Saute these veggies over medium-high heat until the spinach is wilted.  Set the spinach and onions aside.

Step Three: Cut your baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the centers.  In a large mixing bowl, mash the potato insides.

Step Four:  Mix together the potato meat, chicken and veggies, blue cheese, cream cheese, and lemon juice.  Then spoon the mixture into your hollowed out potatoes.  Place the potatoes on a baking sheet misted with cooking spray.

FINALLY: Bake your stuffed potatoes for 10 to 15 mins at 400 degrees or until the potatoes are lightly browned. 

Are you going to cook with us tonight?  Let  us know your thoughts by posting in the comments below:

What's for Dinner? Wednesday

Good afternoon Fit Armadillo Fans.  Today is the first week of our blog and first Wednesday dinner idea. We've cooked this recipe for dinner several times and love how it's not only healthy but also super fast (20 minutes...yes you read that correctly!).  We're making it tonight since we'll be training, spinning, and training some more but still want to eat healthy when all is said and done! Without further ado I give you tonight's recipe* for

Poached Chicken Breast with Nectarine Green Bean Salad
*recipe originally from Clean Eating May/Jun 2010 (one of our favorite magazines!)

What to pick up on the way home from work (Ingredients for 4 people):

2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

2 sprigs fresh rosemary separated
2 sprigs fresh thyme separated
4 4-oz boneless chicken breast
1 lb. green beans rinsed and ends snipped off
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 sprig fresh basil
2 nectarines pitted and sliced
2 tbsp sliced almonds

Steps to yumminess: (Twenty minutes from start to finish!)

1.) Pour vegetable stock into a large pot and simmer over medium heat. Once simmering add 1 sprig rosemary and 1 sprig thyme. Next, add chicken breast. Make sure your chicken is covered in stock (if not, add water or more stock to accomplish). Partially cover the chicken and simmer until completely cooked (about 8 mins).  If chicken is done, it will release a clear liquid when poked with the tip of a sharp knife.

2) While chicken is cooking, boil water in a separate pot. Once water is boiling, add green beans and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer beans covered for 5 mins. Drain beans and rinse under cool water. Cut cooled beans into quarters.

3) In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, oil, and remaining herbs. 

4) Arrange each  plate with a quarter of nectarine wedges with green beans and almonds on top. Arrange sliced chicken breasts on plate and then drizzle chicken with balsamic mixture.

5) SMILE! Dinner is done in less than 30 minutes!

6) Eat and then share your thoughts with us below: