My sister's kitchen: Skinny Chicken Parm

As I was preparing my own dinner last night, I received a text from my sister, Allison:

I just made the best dinner ever...be jealous.

After a couple additional texts back and forth, I WAS jealous...and proud of her for taking the time and effort to prepare such a wonderful and healthy dinner for herself!   I promptly asked her if she wouldn't mind sharing it, to which she whipped up this little ditty to share.  My sister is one of the most important people in my life.  I love her for her beauty, humor and heart...which definitely shows through in her writing.  Enjoy!! 

 Ok, I know what you’re thinking. I may not be the best person to be writing a spot for a health blog. Let’s face it, I’m not the Lewis girl known for being svelte. I love the carbs. In fact I have made it my job to supply people with fresh baked calories.  When I see exercise waving at me across the street, I avoid eye contact like it’s the one person in high school you’d wish you’d never see again. 

But, I am getting better. 

‘Smalls steps’ is the key phrase. I work crazy hours and after working in a kitchen all morning, fast food is my afternoon delight. Lately though, I have cut my fast food intake by 70%, stocked my fridge with fruit and have started walking to local places instead of driving. Did I mention the multi-vitamin? They’re gummies. *HIGH FIVE*

My main problem with most things in life is that I get bored easily, and well…I’m lazy. 

There, I said it. The first step is admitting the problem. 

And when I’m only cooking for one, it’s hard to get motivated to fire up the oven or wash those pesky dishes. This particular night though, I had a stroke of genius and promptly texted Annie to gloat about my delicious dinner. (hence the blog spot)

My mind set was ‘I’m hungry. It’s dinner time.’

The cravings were exactly as follows: Nachos, Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Chicken Noodle Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

So what’s do Is dos in this situation? I watch my recently DVR'd episode of Top Chef: All Stars and the challenge is Italian. HEY! THAT LOOKS GOOD! So off I went.

The following recipe will blow your mind. You have been warned…

Skinny Chicken Parmesan

2 Grilled Chicken Breasts (frozen. I used Tyson’s Grilled and Ready)

16 oz Tomato Sauce (I used Hunts 100% Natural with basil, garlic, and oregano)

2 humongous Portobello Mushrooms   

½ cup Mozzarella cheese (shredded)

2 slices of Provolone cheese

A dash of red pepper

Take one Pyrex casserole dish you might have gotten from your awesome sister for Christmas, and place your frozen chicken inside. I sliced the Portobello mushrooms and filled in the spaces around the chicken. You can obviously chop them more finely; I just prefer them this way. Pour the sauce over the chicken and mushrooms and pop the dish into a 375 degree oven for 18 mins. While that’s baking away you can boil you some water to make the pasta of your choice. I chose spaghetti noodles. Once the timer goes off, sprinkle the mozzarella over the entire dish, top with the provolone slices, and sprinkle on your red pepper for a nice jolt. Bake for an additional 5-10 mins or until the cheese is nice and gooey. 

I didn’t add anymore spices because the grilled chicken has a marinade already and the sauce is obviously spiced. Plate by putting naked noodles in the bottom of a bowl, take one of the chicken breasts that’s covered in the cheese and place on top of the noodles. Spoon extra sauce and mushrooms around the rest of the bowl. Voila! You have a bowl of awesomeness. And if you were cooking for one, you have your lunch or dinner for tomorrow! SCORE! 

 

Onions would be a nice addition, maybe some zucchini…I was just working with what I had already in the fridge. 

And I think that’s all folks! Lewis, out.