Slow-cookin BBQ Chicken Take Two

Slow-Cookin BBQ Chicken - (Hungry Girl 1-2-3, Pg. 174-175, 149 calories) I'm not sure what Diana did when she made this recipe but I personally love this one.  I didn't have the same problems that Diana had.  However, the first time I made this, I used low-sodium (no salt added) tomato sauce, red wine vinegar (that was all I had) and I added 2 tbsps of Famous Dave's Rich and Sassy BBQ Sauce.  I cooked it on high for 4 hours and then I ate it on a wheat bun.  I also ate the leftovers with Baked Tostitos. 

I made this recipe again for my parents and they loved it.  My Mom just made it for the first time, on her own, this weekend.  She used the cider vinegar and said it was still a tasty recipe.

I would highly recommend this recipe.

Bursting Burrito Bowl

Bursting Burrito Bowl - (Hungry Girl 1-2-3, Pg. 136-137, 264 calories) We made this on a summer Hungry Girl night (which we forgot to blog).  I can't really speak on the ease of this recipe since Diana made it while I played with Lex.  I do know that she cooked the chicken in the crockpot.  She used the "Slow Cookin Mexican Chicken" recipe, also in this book (pg. 182).  After that, it was a matter of chopping up the ingredients and warming up the beans.  Then you just piled all the ingredients together into a bowl.

In my opinion, this is better than the Chipolte Burrito bowls.  I highly recommend this recipe and I plan on trying this again on my own.

Sweet N' Sassy Boneless Hot Wings

Sweet N' Sassy Boneless Hot Wings - (Hungry Girl 1-2-3. Pg. 126-127, 267 calories per serving) I have experienced this recipe twice.  Diana made it once on a summer hungry girl night that we had--but forgot to blog--and then I made it again for my Mom when I was in Michigan.  This is a really good recipe but it has a kick.  And be careful when you go shopping--make sure you buy the sweet Asian chili sauce, not the regular chili sauce.  Even the sweet Asian chilil sauce had a little too much spice for my Mom.  I would like to try this recipe with a sweet and sour sauce or maybe the Panda Express sauces.

Slow-Cookin' BBQ Chicken

Slow-Cookin' BBQ Chicken (HG 1-2-3, pg.174)

Dishes Used- 3
Fire Alarms- 0
First Aid Incidents- 0
Matthew Annoyance Level- 0

I prepared the ingredients and chicken the night before.  In the morning before I left for work I dumped everything into the crock pot and set it to low.  When I got home at 3 my apartment smelled REALLY good and made me hungry.  I pulled out the chicken to shred.  Most of the BBQ sauce was toasty and caked on to the bottom with a thick layer on the chicken.  It looked sad, not like what I expected.  I made ANOTHER mixture of her BBQ sauce and poured it in with the shredded chicken.  I left it on low until Matt came home.  It looked better, but neither Matt nor I cared for the taste of the sauce.  If I did it again I would try it with the usual pre-made BBQ sauce we buy at costco and forget her sauce.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole or Chicken Pot Pie--You Decide!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole (Hungry Girl 1-2-3, Pg. 66, 260 calories per serving, makes 4 servings) - If you like tortillas in your chicken pot pie then this is the recipe for you.

Dishes Used - 2
Smoke Alarms - 0
Matthew Annoyance Level - 0
Babies played with - 1
First Aid Administered - 0

Tonight, we decided to try a recipe from the newest Hungry Girl cookbook.  This is a very easy recipe to make but it was rather disappointing in taste.  It didn't taste like an enchilada at all.  It tasted more like a chicken pot pie.

We both agree that this is not a recipe that we will do again.  But if you have ever wondered what it would taste like if you made your chicken pot pie crust out of tortillas then this is the recipe for you.

New Recipe from the New Hungry Girl Book

Hungry Girl just came out with a new cookbook--Hungry Girl 1-2-3.  While my mother was in town visiting for Spring Break, we decided to try one of the new recipes.  Since we are Italian and we love chicken, we made an appropriate selection.

Pan Fried Chicken Parm (Hungry Girl 1-2-3, Pg. 60, 258 calories, makes 2 servings) - This recipe is basically the Italian version of the Fiber-ific Chicken.  I did make this recipe pan fried as directed but the next time I make it, I'm going to bake the chicken.  I personally prefer baked chicken over the fried versions--I also prefer it as a cooking method, frying makes the stove top all messy.  I followed the recipe except I did substitute the tomato sauce with the no salt added tomato sauce that I added my own spices to.  Overall, it was an OK recipe.  We both liked it but it seemed to be missing something.

Next time, I think I will try adding my own spices to the fiberone mix and bake the chicken.  It is definitely a good recipe to try.

Shake and Bake Hungry Girl Style

Fiber-ific Fried Chicken Strips (Hungry Girl, Pg. 112, 277 calories) - If you like Shake and Bake Chicken, you'll love these.  I highly recommend this recipe to everyone.  This recipe is for a single serving--8 chicken strips.  The first time I made this recipe, it was a little bland.  Now I add seasonings to the fiberone mix and put some bbq sauce in the egg mix.  I also bake the recipe instead of frying it. 

Being a single person and a stressed out teacher, I tend to make this recipe on Sundays.  I make two chicken breasts and wind up getting three meals.  I have the rubbermaid take-alongs with the dividers so I can make up a few meals for during the week.  I like to combine the chicken with the butternut mashed potatoes or steamed vegetables.  (For those who live in the LA area, go to Super King in Altadena for a wide assortment of fresh veggies at extremely affordable prices--so much better than Ralphs. Vons or Albertsons pricewise).

Diana: All on her own

Thursday night I (Diana) made the ez tomato-basil chicken (200 under 200, pg. 138, 175 cal).  Highly recommend it.  Very easy.  I actually used a can of crushed tomatoes with italian dressing because I couldn't find the basil kind.  It was great.  I also tossed some Italian seasoning and basil seasoning on top before baking.  You will need to make some side to go along with it for a meal.  Matthew thinks it would be better with two big slices of Mozzarella cheese.

All on My Own

During the week, I decided to try out some of the Hungry Girl Recipes on my own.  Since I was determined to perfect the Butternut Squash fries, I bought another Butternut Squash.  I made the fries in my toaster oven this time, broiling them for 20 minutes.  They were perfect.  But since I am one person, I didn't make the entire recipe.  I cut up the entire Butternut Squash and searched the original Hungry Girl book for more Butternut Squash recipes.

Maplelicious Butternut Squash Mash: (Hungry Girl, Pg. 277)  This is a way of making something similar to sweet potatoes for 109 calories.  I also tried the recipe without the maple syrup and it tasted like regular mashed potatoes--one of my comfort foods.  It was so simple since I already had the squash cut up.  You just microwave it for 6 minutes then mash--amazing!!

HG's Famous Bowl: (Hungry Girl, Pg. 98)  If any of you love KFC's Mashed Potato bowl like I do, this is a must make.  You make the Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes, Shake and Bake style chicken with the FiberOne Cereal (Italian seasoning to flavor), Green Giant Steamed corn and Fat Free Chicken Gravy.  The Chicken takes the longest time to prepare but I made 2 Chicken Breasts so I could cut up some of the Chicken and eat the rest the following day.  For 288 calories, this is a very filling meal.  I love it, all my comfort foods combined in a bowl without all of the calories.  (The world's best PMS food, in my humble opinion).

Rockin' Tuna Melt: (Hungry Girl, Pg. 68)  I made this to go with my Butternut Squash Fries.  This is a 212 calorie treat.  Of course you have to like Tuna to enjoy it.  And if you have a cat like I do, they will stay by your side while you prepare and eat your meal.  I left out the tomatoes and carrots when I made this and substituted them with chopped celery.

I would highly recommend all of these recipes.