Quick & Easy Homemade Low Carb Chicken Nuggets

My family loves a good chicken nugget.  They happen to be one of the 7 things my picky 5 year old will actually eat, so I'm always looking for easy, quick, and healthy alternatives.  I've tried all kinds of low carb options such as almond flour and making my own breadcrumbs from low carb bread.  We stumbled across Porq Italian Herb Panko Crumbs at the store by accident and were intrigued.  Despite their name, they are not breadcrumbs at all - they're made from pork rinds!  We liked the fact that they have zero carbs per serving and are low in calories.  I was, however, hesitant that that they would have that weird pork rind aftertaste.  Even so, we decided to give them a try, and we are glad we did.  They have that lovely crispy panko consistency and great flavor.  You'd never know they were made with pork rinds.  Our chicken nuggets turned out delicious!  This is now my favorite way to make them.  Score!  These can be cooked in the air fryer if you'd prefer to use less oil.  375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken

I've been busy recently preparing for when our little bundle of joy arrives.  I'm currently at 38 weeks and growing larger and larger more and more impatient to meet our little guy!  In the meantime, I've been making lots and lots of freezer meals (recipes to come) and have also been playing around a lot with my Instant Pot.  

Zuppa Toscana (Instant Pot Recipe)

On Friday, I'll be 30 weeks pregnant!  There is 14 years' difference between my little sous chef and our little... oh!  I just realized that I never announced the baby's gender!  We're having a...

Baked Cheesy Pesto Chicken

In a few days, I'm going to hit the halfway point of my pregnancy, and I have been having some serious cravings!  Mostly good things like apples and grapes... some not-so-good things like chocolate milkshakes and fries.  Another weakness of mine recently has been pesto.  I could seriously slather that stuff on anything!  I decided to make a baked pesto chicken for dinner tonight and add some cheese and tomato freshly picked from my garden.  Oh, my goodness, was this fantastic!  If you're a pesto lover, this is a must make!  

Roasted Garden Vegetable & Sausage Ratatouille

When we bought our new house in the end of May, I knew that time was of the essence, so I hurriedly planted a vegetable garden.  I also started a compost pile, which is finally turning into beautiful, rich soil.  Other than dealing with Canada thistles (help!), we have naturally healthy, rock-free soil here.  I can't wait to see how well my garden does when I add compost to it!  If your garden is bursting at the seams like mine is, this is a delicious and healthy way to use up those summer veggies.  Sausage and a splash sherry add beautiful depth of flavor to this ratatouille.  Because I didn't have time to start bell pepper seeds indoors, I sadly went without them this year.  If you have them, thinly sliced bell pepper is a tasty addition to this dish.  

Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu

Since we're still in the process of getting established in our new home, I've been sticking to quick-and-easy meals for dinner.  Hasselback chicken is a concept that I came up with after getting very frustrated with all the butterflying, pounding, rolling, stuffing, and fastening of chicken breasts for stuffed chicken.  It's seriously easy to make.  My favorite thing about it is that you can easily control the chicken-to-other-ingredients ratio.  The first time I tried it, I made a Cajun chicken with pepper jack cheese and spinach, and it was amazing.  Check it out here.  This time, I had some leftover deli ham that I had to use up, so I decided to make a Cordon bleu.  The results?  My family raved over it. 

Speaking of our new home, we're making progress!  Unpacking has had its ups and downs, but we've been getting through it at a pretty steady pace.  Just 37 a few more boxes to go through in the basement, and we'll be all settled in!  Along with a new house comes the excitement of exploring new local destinations.  I have 4 grocery stores (that I'm aware of so far) within 1 mile of my house, which will make it much easier for me to shop sales.  I also still haven't had the time to set up a food blogging station, so, once again, these photos were taken at my bay window.

Skinny Tuscan Chicken over Summer Squash "Noodles"

Unseasonably cold weather got you down?  This lightened-up Tuscan chicken is sure to incite thoughts of spring!  It's light, healthy, and full of flavor but without all the carbs.  Boiled summer squash is used in place of pasta and paired with a delicious, creamy, veggie-packed topping spooned over juicy, herbed chicken. 

Pan-Fried Cod with Farro Salad in Champagne Vinaigrette

My husband and I celebrated 11 years of marriage this past Valentine's Day!  We look forward to a romantic getaway every year, but once the celebrating is over, we come to the grim realization that we have to endure the long, bitter winter that just seems to go on and on... and on and on... like a bad run-on sentence.  You know it's brutal out when the school districts are closed because of the low temperatures.  The frigid weather sends me into complete hibernation mode, and all I want to do is bundle up all day with a hot cup of tea.  I'm happy to report that I've already gained my usual 5-pound winter weight, and I justify it by telling myself that the only practical thing to do is embrace the extra layer of insulation.  It takes everything in me to muster up motivation for exercise this time of year.  My daydreams have ever increasingly consisted of playing tennis under the hot son, or running on the trail next to my little sous chef.  

Speaking of running, I enrolled my daughter in Girls on the Run!  It's a program that "inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running."  Once it's completed, she and I will run our first 5K together!  More about that another time.

Because my exercise routine is rather unstable this time of year, eating healthy is a must.  Once a week, I incorporate fish into our meal rotation, and I'm always looking for different ways to present it to my family.  I've been experimenting with farro recently, and I decided to pair the two for dinner.  Farro is a wonderfully chewy and hearty grain that has a delicious nutty flavor.  It holds up well in soups and stews, and is a great substitute for pasta.  Farro is high in fiber, a rich source of vitamins B and E, and can stimulate your immune system and lower cholesterol.

This farro salad is dressed in a delicious champagne vinaigrette and seasoned with thyme, parsley, and rosemary.  A touch of freshly squeezed orange juice is added to brighten up the flavor.  Fresh tomato and artichoke are tossed in along with some minced onion for a little crunch factor.  This is a delicious salad that's hearty, healthy, and full of flavor.  It can can be enjoyed warm or cold.  I can't wait to use farro in my Tuscan Soup next time!    

Baked Parmesan & Almond Crusted Chicken

I didn't intend on blogging about this originally, but my husband encouraged me to dust off the camera for it.  It really is delicious!  Instead of using panko or breakcrumb, I toss almonds into the food processor (and sometimes pistachios!) until they are breadcrumb size, and then I mix in Parmesan and other delicious spices for the coating.  The chicken always comes out tender and juicy, and the Parmesan and almond crust is amazing!  I served mine with smashed potatoes, green beans, and a creamy dill dipping sauce.

Baked Salmon & Balsamic Quinoa Salad with Zucchini and Pine Nuts

The days are growing colder, and the nights are creeping earlier.  What do I love about fall?  So many things!  Baking pies and breads, picking pumpkins and apples, crunching leaves under my feet, sipping hot cocoa, breathing in the crisp air, and wearing chunky sweaters with fuzzy socks and boots!  Yesterday was the first official day of autumn, though it's felt like autumn for quite some time now.  It was chilly outside, and I was in the mood to fire up my oven for dinner.  I had some lovely organic salmon that I needed to use up, so I made a simple & delicious baked salmon.  As a side, I made a warm quinoa salad with zucchini and pine nuts, and brightened up the flavor by adding balsamic vinegar.  Divine!  

Trottole with Seafood & Smoked Gouda Alfredo

I lied.  In my previous post, I promised to start sharing recipes weekly, but it's been exactly two weeks since I've posted anything.  I had a good reason to lie, though.  We ended our summer with a much-needed beach vacation.  It was a magical time.  Yes, I'm happy to be back home and sleep in my own bed again, but I sure would love to go back for some more of that fresh seafood!  

While visions of sea scallops danced in my head, I splurged a little at the grocery store without a second thought.  I gently cooked shrimp, crab, and scallops in a simmering smoked Gouda Alfredo sauce.  I then poured that delectable, creamy mixture of goodness over cooked organic trottole.  It was so rich and creamy, it had to be a sin!  I served it with steamed broccoli and Tums.  Everything in moderation!  

Skinny Skillet with Turkey Sausage, Summer Vegetables & Gemelli

This savory summer skillet is satisfying, skinny and speedy.  Try saying that 5 times fast!  Turkey sausage is sauteed with fresh summer vegetables and then tossed with a little red wine, fat free milk, Parmesan, and gemelli pasta.  It's a delicious meal that is low in calories, low in fat, and ready in under 30 minutes.  That's pretty perfect for summer!

So, I've been holding fast to cooking with only organic ingredients.  I've also been trying to stick with non-GMO whenever possible.  Thankfully, we have stores like Whole Foods, Landis, and Target nearby that have a great variety of organic ingredients to choose from.  Trader Joe's is next on our list to try, so I'll keep you posted.  It has definitely been a fun and rewarding process.  As if food wasn't already always in the forefront of my mind, it has made me even more conscious about the ingredients that I'm using and the decisions that I'm making.  Yes, I've spent a little extra in grocery money, but I've actually seen some savings in it!  Instead of planning just my meals for the week, I'm also thinking about my husband's lunches.  So, instead of packing my husband the usual two days or so out of the week, I've been packing his lunch 100% of the time.  Ordering out for lunch can be so expensive!  Another savings that I can already see is with not wasting food.  Yes, we would try our hardest to not waste anything, but sometimes we'd find something way in the back of the fridge that would go unnoticed.  If I'm spending the extra cash on organic ingredients, I'll be darned if one crumb of our food goes to waste!

Fun Whole Foods Finds:  The mild turkey sausage used in this recipe is made fresh at Whole Foods.  It's $6.99/lb., but I only use 1/2 pound (two links) of it at a time, so it ended up costing $3.99 for this meal.  It has lovely hints of anise and fennel, and, even though it's labeled "mild", it has a little spicy kick to it that we just love.

Bruschetta Chicken

Tomatoes are in season!  There's nothing quite as delicious as a ripe, freshly picked tomato, and I had some lovely organic ones that I wanted to use with dinner.  I decided to make one of my family's favorite meals, bruschetta chicken.  The chicken is incredibly juicy, and the bruschetta topping is light and delicious - a fresh taste of summer!  It's made on the stove top, so you don't have to heat up the oven, and ready in under 30 minutes.  It's the perfect summer meal! 

We've been trying to use organic foods whenever possible. I've used organic ingredients many times in my cooking, but this is one of the first meals that I've made using nothing but organic ingredients.  Switching to cooking with only organic ingredients isn't as easy as I thought it would be.  You have to remember everything right down to the cooking oil that you use.  While I was prepping my ingredients, I realized that I had forgotten to purchase bread crumbs.  Thankfully, I had a loaf of organic, 100% whole wheat bread, so I decided make the bread crumbs myself.  They turned out fantastic!   

Note about homemade bread crumbs:  You can store the bread crumbs at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.  You can also freeze the bread crumbs.  To freeze, do not bake them first.  Simply place them in an airtight container and freeze.  When you are ready to use them, allow them to thaw, and then bake them.  

Our Favorite Juicy Italian Meatballs

This is long overdue.  I'm alone in my kitchen making meatballs, and it hits me - I've never blogged my favorite meatball recipe before!  How can this be?  We have spaghetti and meatballs once every other week!  Oh well - better late than never.  One of the keys to amazing meatballs is simmering them in your favorite sauce for hours.  The longer, the better.  These meatballs are juicy on the inside and full of flavor.  You won't be disappointed!  

Note:  I have included instructions on how to both fry and bake the meatballs.  My preferred method is frying.

Rotelli with Chicken & Asparagus in Tomato Cream Sauce

Busy day?  Mine certainly has been!  We all need at least a few go-to recipes in our repertoire that are quick and easy but satisfying and delicious at the same time.  This is one of those meals.  Here's to a delicious meal at the end of a crazy day that can be ready in under 30 minutes!  

Chicken Scallopini with Saffron Cream Sauce

Saffron and pine nuts.  Two ingredients that I love but really have a hard time bringing myself to purchase without feeling guilty because of the sheer cost.  Oh, but there's nothing quite as delicious as a fresh batch of basil pesto with pine nuts slathered on a crispy cracker.  Try to imagine my joy and surprise as I unwrapped a pretty little bottle of saffron from my stocking last Christmas.  I sure landed myself a thoughtful husband!  

I decided to use some of my lovely saffron in a cream sauce and serve it over chicken and pasta.  The chicken is so tender and juicy.  Pour that dreamy, delicious saffron cream sauce on top and it's just over-the-top Ahh-mazing!  It's so easy, and it's perfect for a weeknight meal.  I also poured some of that velvety sauce over pasta and served it with steamed broccoli.  This is definitely one of my favorites!

Chicken Parmigiana Pasta Casserole

Along with spring cleaning our diets, we've been working hard at spring cleaning our budget.  We'll be moving to a new house next year, God willing, so cutting corners with spending has definitely been a priority.  We've worked hard to maintain a debt-free life, so one of the most logical ways for us to cut corners in our budget is (please hold for a second while I cover CookingCreation.com's ears) in the food department.  *gulp*  I really, really, really love to splurge at the grocery store, so this takes a lot of commitment and sacrifice on my part.  Challenge on!

On average, we enjoy a rotisserie chicken about once every week or so for dinner.  It's so delicious on its own for a meal, but I love that I always end up having leftover chicken to use in a meal another night that week.  It definitely saves me both time and money.  I wanted to try to stretch out the leftover chicken even more and make two additional meals out of it.  First, I made a yummy Chicken & Vegetable Soup from scratch using the chicken carcass and skin to make a homemade broth (step-by-step recipe to come!).  That was delicious!  I also took 1 cup of the remaining chicken to make a second meal, this Chicken Parmigiana Pasta Casserole.  It's so easy to make and so flavorful!      

Pork Tenderloin with Brandied Cherry-Chipotle Sauce

This is a yummy sauce that I served over roasted pork tenderloin for dinner one night this week.  It's delicious and slightly sweet with a little kick.

Tuscan Three Bean & Bacon Soup with Kale

We woke up to another four inches of snow this morning.  Uncle!  Who's moving to Florida with me?  I'll start packing.  While the snowstorms have interfered with a lot of our precious plans this past month, they didn't stop us from celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary.  Life is so amazing when you're married to your best friend!  We had a lovely time away.  However, the morning before we left to come back home, I came down with a nasty cold.  I never get sick.  I'm always the one who nurtures everyone else and manages to never catch a thing.  Well, I found myself laid out in bed for 36 hours straight - I've never slept so much in my life!  Yesterday afternoon, I finally started to feel well enough to get back on my feet.  The first thing I did?  Homemade soup.  Ah!  What better way to warm your bones and soothe your soul than with a hot bowl of homemade soup?  I made this Tuscan soup with three types of beans (because I'm obsessed with beans), with bacon (because I'm obsessed with bacon), and with kale from the garden.  Though my 9-year-old sous chef initially turned her nose up at the sight of it, she ended up loving it and even asked for seconds.

Quick Bolognese Sauce

It was Friday evening.  I asked my little sous chef, "If you could have anything in the world to eat, whether I cook it or we go out, what would it be?"  Within a split second, her answer was, "Spaghetti and meat sauce!"  Unfortunately, my favorite recipe takes about 3 hours from start to finish and it was already 4:00 PM, so I asked her for a second option.  As she was contemplating what she wanted, I thought to myself, why don't I just come up with a quick version of the recipe?  I got to work and came up with this gem.  It not only cuts down time (it was ready in under 30 minutes!), but we all agreed that we enjoyed this version even more!  Hooray for small victories!