One Pan Chicken and Baby Broccoli with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I made this MONTHS ago and totally forgot to post it.

My bad, because it's seriously delicious and super easy.  Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is pretty much cooked on one sheet pan.

I was inspired by the recipe in the book Sheet Pan Suppers, and then made a few adjustments to make it more points friendly. 

This dish serves 4 and it's a pretty good serving.  I basically dished out 1 chicken breast per person and then split the broccolini.  I served it along some cauliflower "fried" rice and it was perfect!

(There was more broccolini left on the sheet!)

Only 6 Smartpoints per serving!

One Pan Chicken and Baby Broccoli with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Serves 4 - 6 Smartpoints per serving 

Cooking spray
1 tbsp. brown sugar
6 tbsp. Better 'n Peanut Butter Original Peanut Spread (or PB2 mixed with water)
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp. Siracha sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 pound broccolini
16 oz. uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast

Preheat oven to broil, with rack 4 inches from heat.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

For the sauce, whisk together brown sugar, peanut butter, sesame oil, liquid aminos, siracha, vinegar, water and lime juice until smooth.

Lay chicken breasts and broccolini on baking sheet.  Coat with sauce evenly.   Once done, arrange chicken and broccolini in a tight layer.    Broil, flip the chicken halfway through and the broccolini is cooked through (about 10-12 minutes, but keep an eye!)

Portion among four plates and serve!

Fabulous Find: Siggi's Yogurt

Yogurt is definitely one of my go-tos for a mid-morning boost.  And I tend to gravitate to Greek yogurt because I love the protein - really helps tide me over until lunch.

I was at Target last week and I saw this (and it had an offer on Cartwheel!).  A friend of mine had recommended it and so I decided to give it a whirl. 

WOW.  Really delicious.  Not unlike the texture of Greek yogurt honestly, though it does have less sugar (score!).

I've tried two flavors so far: pumpkin spice (of course) which was 2% fat and 4 Smartpoints, and the raspberry, which was 0% fat and 3 Smartpoints.  Both are really delicious!  And Siggi's seems to have a lot of really interesting flavors.

I've seen it in both Target and Stop and Shop, and there is more information at Siggi's Dairy!

Spinach and Pasta in Garlic and Oil

Super simple.

Nothing fancy.

But REALLY delicious.

I didn't overly season this because I wanted to be able to use it as an option for different things.  Several days I did it as a bed for an Italian seasoned chicken breast.  A couple nights I added a portion into some veggies I was frying up with some paprika and had it as a side dish.


The recipe made about 8 servings and each serving was 3 Smartpoints.  I really used a LOT more spinach than pasta to bulk it up!

Spinach and Pasta in Garlic and Oil
8 servings - 3 Smartpoints per serving

2 cloves minced garlic
12 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed
6 oz whole wheat or protein pasta (I weighed it uncooked and used the points from that)
2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil.
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.  Heat oil in skillet and add in garlic, stirring until slightly browned.

Add in spinach and cook until warmed through.  Add in pasta and toss until coated.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Fantastic Friday Four - March 11, 2016

Spring has sprung! LOVE LOVE being able to run outside and not on the treadmill!

One of the many things making me smile this week, along with....

Because I can't go into the Container Store without a chaperone.  But I have had this before and I love it.  It helps me know what I have and what I don't.

Upgrade to the FitBit Charge HR!  In my new location, there are stairs.  I want to know how many I climb a day!

This may actually be rivaling my love of pumpkin coffee. OH MY GOD it's so good.  It smells and tastes like salted caramel and it is heaven.

And it's FRIDAY!  Bought at Kohl's (another place I can't go without a chaperone!).

What's making you smile this week!

Fabulous Find: Elli Quark

Yogurt, specifically Greek yogurt, is one of my favorite midmorning snacks. With fresh fruit and a touch of granola, it's the perfect thing to tide me over until lunch.

Over the last month or so, I started seeing all these posts about Quark on Instagram.  It was less Smartpoints than Greek yogurt, so color me intrigued.

When I first spotted it in Shoprite, the wording "spoonable cheese" almost steered me away, because I couldn't actually picture what that meant.  However, I figured the multitude of Instagram posts couldn't be wrong, so I took a chance.

SO GLAD I DID!

It is absolutely delicious! It's got the texture of Greek yogurt, but is less tangy.  And only 2 Smartpoints for the whole cup!

I've only been able to find a few of the flavors so far (it's not available in all stores).  I've tried Bananas Foster, Blueberry, Vanilla, Plain and Strawberry.  I also have a Pineapple to try tomorrow.   Everything I've tried has been really delicious, with a lot of flavor.  I'm dying to find the Sea Salt Caramel and the Red Velvet and the Mint Chocolate!

I know these are also available at Target, if there is one near you.

You can also order online!  Elli Quark

Definitely keep a look out.  Worth the extra looking!

Raspberry Cucumber Salad

Cool.  Refreshing.  Tangy.  And for those keeping track?  Zero Smartpoints.

I'm admittedly not a huge salad person, but when I do have them, I like them to have fruit.  I love the sweetness it adds.

I actually used this as a mid morning snack, with a hardboiled egg for protein, and it was absolutely perfect and gave me that boost to get to lunch!

Raspberry Cucumber Salad
Serves 1
0 Smartpoints

1/2 cup raspberries
1 1/2 cups seedless cucumbers, chopped
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Combine and enjoy!

Blog Bites: The Gracious Pantry Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

Who wants a super easy chicken recipe that basically calls for dumping everything in a crockpot, is clean, and can provide meal prep for several days?

I'm going to assume you are all raising your hands.

This clean eating recipe from The Gracious Pantry is super easy and flavorful.  I did modify the dressing a bit, to reduce the points.  I made the whole recipe with 8 oz. uncooked chicken breast, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, and 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus all of the spices.

It came out to 4 Smartpoints per chicken breast (honestly, it's probably less because a lot of the sauce is left in the crockpot, but I will count it!).

I served it over some bowties and spinach with garlic and olive oil for a 7 Smartpoint meal in all!

Check out the recipe!

Clean Eating Slow Cooker Italian Chicken