Spice up your otherwise dull chicken with a blend of lime, cilantro and the spiciness of jalapeño. A quick note about cilantro. You’ll notice this awesome herb is not on the Cycle 1 food list for the 17 Day Diet. I’m not sure why, but cilantro is a great detoxifying herb and adds such freshness to any dish. If you’re making this dish for Cycle 1, I’d go ahead and use cilantro.
Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts
2 limes, juice and zest or 1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, grated
1 jalapeño, finely diced (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Marinate the chicken in the mixture of the lime juice and zest, oil, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, salt and pepper for 30 minutes to overnight.
Grill the chicken over medium-high heat until cooked, about 3-5 minutes per side.
If you don’t have a grill, consider pan frying with olive oil or roasting in the oven.
Grated cauliflower makes a fantastic low-carb, grain-free stand in for rice when you need a little carb detox. You can season this any way you wish – here I brightened it up with lime and cilantro and served it with a broiled pork loin. It has a couscous-like texture, and is perfect with chicken, pork chops, steak or anything you would normally serve with rice.
Does it taste like cauliflower? Yes, it does so if you’re not a cauliflower fan (I love it!) this may not be for you. But if you’re a fan like me, you’ll love this side dish! And it’s also vegetarian, vegan and Paleo-friendly.
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Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice"
Grated cauliflower makes a fantastic low-carb, grain-free stand in for rice when you need a little carb detox. You can season this any way you wish – here I brightened it up with lime and cilantro and served it with a broiled pork loin. It has a couscous-like texture, and is perfect with chicken, pork chops, steak or anything you would normally serve with rice.
Ingredients:
1 medium head (about 24 oz) cauliflower, rinsed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 scallions, diced
kosher salt and pepper, to taste
1-1/2 limes
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Directions:
Remove the core and let the cauliflower dry completely.
Coarsely chop into florets, then place half of the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is small and has the texture of rice or couscous – don’t over process or it will get mushy.
Set aside and repeat with the remaining cauliflower.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil, scallions and garlic and sauté about 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft.
Raise the heat to medium-high.
Add the cauliflower “rice” to the saute pan. Cover and cook approximately 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is slightly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and place in a medium bowl; toss with fresh cilantro and lime juice to taste.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 5 servings, Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving:
Smart Points: 1
Points +: 2
Calories: 61
Total Fat: 3g
Saturated Fat: g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 37mg
Carbohydrates: 8g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 2.5g
Original article and pictures take www.skinnytaste.com site
As you can tell from my blog, I love Mexican food and flavors. I was craving chicken so I marinated a couple of breasts in some olive oil, garlic, lime zest and cilantro. The flavor was fantastic. I served the chicken with slices of lime for an extra bit of tang. Both my kids as well as my husband loved this dish. I served it with roasted tomatoes topped with cotija cheese and black beans. This chicken would also be great sliced up on a salad or in a burrito. A simple, healthy and tasty dish.
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat
2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
Zest and juice of 1 lime (reserve the juice for the last 15 minutes of marinating)
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 clove of garlic, minced
Place trimmed chicken breast in a large zip lock bag. Pound the chicken breasts flat with a mallet until 1/2 inch thick. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lime zest, cilantro, salt, pepper and garlic. Mix thoroughly and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.
Remove chicken from the refrigerator 15 minutes prior to cooking and add the lime juice to the marinade, mix thoroughly. Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken breasts and cook for 4 minutes then flip. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove from heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Chile Lime Salmon Fajita Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette.
Is it April yet?
Or really just May fifth, because clearly I already have Cinco de Mayo on the brain.
Ok well, I actually always have Mexican on the brain, but who can blame me? It is good stuff. Plus, it is always fresh and colorful, and we all know I love that.
Speaking of colorful, it finally stopped snowing here this week and there has been blue skies for the last two days. So awesome, it actually feels a little like spring. I love when these days happen in the dead of winter. It is a total energy booster.
But I mean, really spring is not even that far away. March twentieth, and if you have been living in a hole, that is next month. That’s not far at all.
Whoa! How the heck did that happen? The Easter candy is already in stores and people are talking spring break and Easter brunch. Well I am totally ready for spring, but time still needs to slow down. I feel like it was just Christmas, and before I know it is going to be summer. This both excites me and scares the heck out of me, but what’s new?
Let’s talk about this salad. This is the perfect salad. Full of flavor, super easy and I swear it gets better with each and every bite. If I could I would serve this every other night or at least something similar, but you guys know most of my family hates fish. Hates it so much that they actually have problems sitting at the table when it is around.
Basically they are a giant bunch of babies that have five foods they will eat. Tacos (understandable), chicken (as long as it is not weird), pasta (as long as it’s as simple as can be) , rice (white) and steak (grilled). I mean, do you see what I am working with here?
Whatever, they are crazy.
And I have known this my whole life, but to be honest, they would all say that I am the craziest of them all. Really though, I cannot argue with that. I admit it, I am crazy, but I totally accept it. It is what makes me, me.
Plus, I fully believe that we are all a little crazy in some way, and if you say you’re not, well than sorry, but I don’t believe you.
Anyway, back to the point here. This salad!
You guys are going to love this salad or at least I hope you will. I feel pretty confident that if you like these flavors you will love it. You should also know that if you are not into fish you can swap the salmon with chicken and or steak. Both are good and I do know this for a fact, since I obviously had to make the steak and chicken versions for the fish haters at the table.
Oh, and I also have to say that most of the brothers left out all the color in this one and just had the steak + chicken and then headed straight for the leftover rice in the fridge. I love color and well… they hate it.
The whole meal can come together in under thirty minutes, so it is perfect for a weeknight meal or even a weekend meal because it is that good. I mean, I know a salad on the weekend may seem boring, but this is not boring, in any dang way.
Hello, there are tortilla chips. Totally weekend worthy, but bonus if you get to make it tonight <– do it if you can, your Wednesday will be made!
A few notes, don’t skimp on the the tortilla chips – and have a margarita. It makes things pretty fun…..
Even if mine was a virgin.
But if you were here, I’d add tequila to yours. Promise.
HEY GUYS, I NEED YOUR HELP!!
Better Homes and Gardens has nominated Half Baked Harvest as one of the top 5 Food: Family/Everyday Eats blogs. Between now and March 5 voting will take place to decide who is number one. Here’s the catch, you can vote every HOUR until 3/5/14. I would be so appreciative if you could take the time to check out all the bloggers and vote for your favorite… as often as you can between now and then. Thanks for all your support, you guys are why I love doing what I do! VOTE HERE
Original article and pictures take www.halfbakedharvest.com site
This is a recipe I created while on the hcg diet. I’ve adapted it for the 17 Day Diet. Pay attention to the omission if you’re on Cycle 1.
Chicken with Mexican Dry Rub & Fruit Salsa
Ingredients:
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive Oil
2 chicken breasts
Directions:
On medium high, heat oil in pan. Mix together spices and sprinkle dry rub mixture liberally on both sides of chicken breasts. Pan fry chicken until golden brown on one side on medium high, turn over, reduce heat to medium low, cover and continue cooking until done.
Slice chicken into thin strips.
Fruit Salsa
Ingredients:
1 Roma Tomato
1 Sunburst Tomato (sweet yellow tomato)
1 Avocado (omit if you’re on Cycle 1)
Juice of ½ to 1 lemon to taste
Zest of 1 lemon
2-3 Tbsp of oil to taste
Sweetener of choice, to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Cut up fruit in bite size pieces, add other ingredients and mix together.
Serve hot chicken over bed of lettuce and top with salsa.
Yields 2 Servings
Original article and pictures take 17ddblog.com site
One of my favorite dishes is a savory Chicken Tikka Masala. I featured this healthy version in both my Spring C1 Challenge as well as in my monthly meal planning service, Simply17.
You can serve this chicken dish over roasted veggies (carrots and cauliflower is usually how I serve this), or if you’re in a later cycle, you can serve over rice or roasted spaghetti squash like you see community member, Judy, did in the photo above.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients:
1 1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated OR 3 teaspoons ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes
Garam Masala spice blend, divided (see below)
Salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For Garam Masala spice blend:
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions:
Mix all Garam Masala spices together and set aside.
Combine ginger, garlic and onion and set aside.
In a large bowl, add chicken, 1 ½ teaspoons of the Garam Masala spice blend and 1 teaspoon salt and thoroughly coat chicken.
Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in large pan on medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook on all sides until thoroughly cooked, about 6 minutes.
Transfer chicken to plate and cover with foil. Set aside.
In the same pan, add remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil on medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic and onion mixture to pan and cook until onions are soft.
Next, add tomato paste, remaining Garam Masala spice blend, paprika and cayenne pepper to onion mixture and cook until well combined. Add crushed tomatoes and season with salt.
Bring tomato mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes uncovered. If mixture is too thin, simmer until it reaches a desired consistency. Add water if it’s too thick.
Add chicken to tomato mixture and heat through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add in Greek yogurt and lemon juice. Serve over roasted vegetables. If you’re on Cycle 2 or 3, serve over brown or basmati rice or roasted spaghetti squash.
Yields 4 Servings
Approved for all cycles.
Both photos courtesy of Judy H., a member of my 17DD Blog Community
Original article and pictures take 17ddblog.com site
Dinner! Courtesy of Walden Farms Asian dressing (use as marinade). Side of fried cauliflower.
Very easy!
Cut 6 chicken breasts into strips.
Add the dressing to coat evenly.
Saute some garlic in olive oil, add 2 bags of broccoli carrot streamers, fry them a bit, then add the chicken, stirring and frying until cooked. Add a little bit of low-sodium soy sauce.
Cauliflower is even easier.
Shredded it on the food processor grating blade.
Saute garlic in olive oil, add the cauliflower, half a bag of shredded carrots, half a bag of broccoli slaw and half a bag of slaw mix. Sometimes I add peppers or green onions.
Add a couple Tbs of low sodium soy sauce, and cook until tender.
Then make a well in the middle and pour in some egg beaters or a few beaten eggs. Cook like scrambled eggs and mix into the veggies.
Original article and pictures take 17ddgal.blogspot.com site
Chicken or Beef Skewers (Shish Kabobs) Chicken Skewers with Veggies
Update- I never thought to mention this before and it came to me when posting this recipe on the FB page just recently. The marinade recipe is a slight modification of an old family recipe we use for Peruvian Anticuchos. If you want to use the original recipe, use El Pato tomato sauce rather than regular tomato sauce for that added kick. Enjoy!
Cut up 1 chicken breast (Cycle 1) or 6-8 oz Beef Sirloin (Cycle 2/3) into bite sized pieces. Use the following recipe and let meat marinate for at least 2 hours:
Marinade:
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Tomato Sauce
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp sweetener
Salt, Pepper to taste
Use your favorite veggies from the Cycle Food lists such as onion, mushroom, bell peppers, etc and place them on skewers with meat and grill (you may marinate veggies in same sauce if you desire).
These Chicken Lettuce Wraps are fantastic. I wasn't sure I could stay on the 17 day diet until my wife made these. If this is what diet food tastes like sign me up.
Sauce:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons splenda brown sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
small amount of water
Filling:
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken breasts, baked and diced
1 cup water chestnuts, diced
1 and 1/3 cups mushrooms, diced
1 to 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
3 tablespoons onions, diced
iceberg lettuce leaves
Heat oil in wok, add chestnuts, mushrooms, onions and garlic. Heat until warm. Add chicken and stir. Drizzle sauce over mixture and stir. Heat thoroughly. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves and serve.
Original article and pictures take lifedecoblog.blogspot.com site
Here is a Chicken Feta Spinach Patty recipe that 17dd Blog reader, Judy H., was inspired to create from scratch after reading another member’s post about her patties from her local butcher. The original patties looked so delicious that Judy got creative in the kitchen and developed her own version!
Judy’s recipe was originally double what I posted here, so I took the liberty of converting it to a 4-serving recipe. In Judy’s original recipe, she used 3 eggs (for a 2-pound ground chicken recipe), so if you feel like your chicken needs more than 1 egg, then by all means feel free to add in more.
This recipe is approved for all cycles of the 17 Day Diet. For your non-dieters in the family, toasted on a sesame bun would be a perfect addition. If you’re watching your carb intake, consider a protein style burger (patty wrapped in lettuce), or served as a patty alongside your favorite veggies! Enjoy!
Chicken Feta Spinach Patties
Ingredients
1 pound ground lean chicken
1 egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 to 2 ounces crumbed non or low-fat feta cheese
1 large handful spinach, chopped
1 teaspoon Olive oil (for frying)
Directions
In a large bowl, add all ingredients except for the olive oil and combine until well incorporated.
Preheat a non-stick pan on medium high heat. Depending on how lean your chicken is, you may need to add a bit of Olive Oil to the pan. Add patties and cook until both sides are browned and chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Yields 4 servings (1/4 pound patty per serving)
Approved for all cycles
Photo courtesy of Judy H.
Original article and pictures take 17ddblog.com site
