One of the best ways to keep your body healthy is to eat plenty of fiber. I am a huge carboholic but I know that only certain carbs hold the fiber that helps filter the body and keep the body full for longer. From Eating Well, here is a collection of Quick High Fiber Meals. Check out this recipe for Chicken and Sundried Tomato Orzo.

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Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

From EatingWell: March/April 2008

Sun-dried tomatoes and Romano cheese pack a flavorful punch along with the tantalizing aroma of fresh marjoram in this rustic Italian-inspired dish. Serve with sautéed fresh spinach or steamed broccolini.

4 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces orzo, preferably whole-wheat
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), divided
1 plum tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, peeled
3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided

PREPARATION
Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.
NUTRITION
Per serving: 457 calories; 12 g fat ( 3 g sat , 6 g mono ); 68 mg cholesterol; 54 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 36 g protein; 10 g fiber; 372 mg sodium; 546 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Folate (34% daily value), Iron (25% dv), Potassium (16% dv), Calcium & Vitamin C (15% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 3

Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1/2 fat

Slimmer Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy

I found a collection of recipes on Eating Well that slims down diner food; the comfort food that we all love, can't live without and sometimes crave. Try these versions and see if they can help quell that craving and find some new, slimmer favorites.

Chicken-Fried Steak & Gravy

From EatingWell: September/October 2008

Can you really make a chicken-fried steak that isn't loaded with saturated fat and salt? Absolutely. We skip the deep frying, but with rich country gravy as consolation, you won't miss it. Our pan-fried, crispy cube steak has less than one-third of the fat and about 80 percent less sodium.

4 servings

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes


INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound cube steak, cut into 4 portions
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup half-and-half

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place all-purpose flour on a large plate. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Whisk cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch and paprika in another shallow dish. Season both sides of steak with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dredge the steak in the flour, shaking off excess; dip in the egg whites, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add 2 pieces of the steak; cook until browned on both sides, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer the steak to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 2 pieces of steak. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add broth to the pan and boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk water and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in half-and-half; season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Serve the steak topped with the gravy.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 315 calories; 13 g fat ( 3 g sat , 7 g mono ); 57 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 33 g protein; 1 g fiber; 312 mg sodium; 379 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (50% daily value), Potassium & Zinc (15% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes, Shallots, and White Beans from Just Peachy in Dixie

It's always nice to find a chicken recipe that is more interesting than just plain, spiced baked chicken (wow, my dinners are boringgg). While browsing some blogs that I follow, I found this recipe for chicken with roasted tomatoes, shallots, and white beans from Jennifer at Just Peachy in Dixie.

"Hi all!

Anybody else a Robin Miller fan? I just love her show, "Quick Fix Meals"! She shows you how to make a meal fast, while making extra at the same time for another meal later in the week. "

read more...

From Eating Well's collection of Simple Chicken Dinners, here is a quick and easy recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Quick Chicken Cordon Bleu

From EatingWell: November/December 2009

To make traditional cordon bleu, you layer prosciutto (or other ham) and cheese in between thin slices of chicken or veal, then bread and sauté the whole stack. This quick, easy version keeps the flavors the same, but skips the fussy layering and breading steps. Serve with: Delicata squash and broccoli.


READER'S COMMENT:
"This is one of my favorite Eating Well recipes ever! I used chopped Prosciutto bits and Gruyere, and baked it more like 15 mins. Everyone loves this and it is just too easy to make to not put it into regular rotation on our dinner menu....


4 servings

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds), trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Note)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or thyme
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped ham (about 1 ounce)

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and salt. Combine cheese and cream cheese in a bowl. Combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper with breadcrumbs, parsley (or thyme) and 2 teaspoons oil in another bowl.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large, ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Move the chicken to the center so all pieces are touching. Spread with the cheese mixture, sprinkle with ham, then top with the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F, 5 to 7 minutes.


TIPS & NOTES
Tip: It can be difficult to find small chicken breasts. Remove the strip of meat from the underside of a 5- to 6-ounce breast—the “tender,” about 1 ounce of meat—to yield a perfect individual portion. Freeze the tenders and use them in a stir-fry.
Note: We like Ian’s brand of coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs, labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets. To make your own breadcrumbs, trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until dry, about 15 minutes. One slice of bread makes about 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs.


NUTRITION 275 calories; 13 g fat ( 4 g sat , 6 g mono ); 97 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 34 g protein; 1 g fiber; 327 mg sodium; 259 mg potassium.
Exchanges: 4 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat

Chicken dinners are the easiest go to when you need to make dinner quickly-check out Ladies Home Journal'scollection of Beat the Clock chicken recipes; check out this recipe for Grilled Curried Chicken Cutlets Over Asian Rice Noodle Salad. I know I will definitely be trying this one; it looks so good!

Grilled Curried Chicken Cutlets Over Asian Rice-Noodle Salad

Makes: 6 servings

Prep: 20 minutes
Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil, for grill
• 1 pound chicken cutlets
• 3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 package (8 oz.) Asian medium rice-flour noodles (banh pho)
• 8 cups boiling water
• 2 scallions (green parts only) cut into 2-inch-long thin strips
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, seeded and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
• 1/2 cup bottled Asian chili sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges
• 4 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
• 4 tablespoons coarsely chopped salted roasted shelled pistachios

Directions

1. Preheat grill and lightly oil rack. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Whisk together buttermilk, curry, and garlic in a shallow glass dish; season with salt and pepper. Add chicken, turning to coat, and marinate at room temperature, 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, soak noodles in boiling water until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain well. Toss together noodles, scallions, cucumber, chili sauce, juice, 2 tablespoons mint, and 2 tablespoons nuts; salt and pepper to taste, for noodle salad.

3. Grill chicken over moderate heat, turning once, until cooked through and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes depending on thickness of cutlets. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Divide noodle salad among 6 serving bowls. Top with chicken and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons mint and nuts. Serve with lime wedges and garnish with mint sprigs. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts

• Servings Per Recipe 6 servings
• Calories315,
• Total Fat (g)4,
• Saturated Fat (g)1,
• Cholesterol (mg)45,
• Sodium (mg)271,
• Carbohydrate (g)47,
• Fiber (g)2,
• Protein (g)20,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

From Self's November 2008 feature of Eat Healthy All Week, here is an interesting chicken recipe, full of flavor.

Black Bean–Almond Pesto Chicken

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons canned black beans
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons extra light olive oil, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 6 oz)
• 1/2 large zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (left over from Tuesday's dinner)

PREPARATION

1. In a mini-chopper, blend basil, almonds, beans, garlic, 1 tsp oil and 1/8 tsp salt until mixture is combined but chunky. Heat oven to 400°. Heat a small ovensafe skillet over high heat. Add remaining1 tsp oil. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/8 tsp salt. Cook chicken until it browns, 2 to 3 minutes. Move chicken to one side; add zucchini and tomatoes. Top chicken and vegetables with pesto. Cover and bake until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then slice chicken. Place rice in an airtight container; top with chicken and vegetables and refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to eat, microwave on high 2 to 3 minutes.

THE SKINNY

516 calories per serving, 19.2 g fat (2.6 g saturated), 38 g carbs, 7.8 g fiber, 47.5 g protein

Chicken dinners are the easiest go to when you need to make dinner quickly-check out Ladies Home Journal'scollection of Beat the Clock chicken recipes; check out this recipe for Chicken Carrot Salad Sandwiches.

Chicken Carrot Salad Sandwiches

Makes: 6 servings

Prep: 25 minutes
Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound haricots verts (French green beans) or fresh thin green beans, trimmed
• 10 ounces purchased precooked sliced boneless chicken breast
• 4 medium carrots, coarsely grated
• 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat natural-style peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 6 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves
• 1/4 seedless cucumber, sliced
• 12 slices whole-grain bread, toasted

Directions

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil; add salt. Add beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water, tossing, until cool. Pat beans dry and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer to a large bowl.

Coarsely chop chicken and add to bowl with beans. Add carrots, ginger, coconut, peanut butter, yogurt, juice, and soy sauce. Stir until combined well; salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange chicken salad, lettuce, and cucumber between bread slices. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts

• Servings Per Recipe 6 servings
• Calories370,
• Total Fat (g)6.5,
• Saturated Fat (g)2,
• Cholesterol (mg)31,
• Sodium (mg)829,
• Carbohydrate (g)35,
• Fiber (g)6,
• Protein (g)19,
• Vitamin A (DV%)0,
• Vitamin C (DV%)0,
• Calcium (DV%)0,
• Iron (DV%)0,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

From Self's November 2008 feature of Eat Healthy All Week, here is a slimmed down version of General Tso's Chicken.

Skinny General Tso's Chicken

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 6 oz), thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
• 1/2 cup low-sodium nonfat chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1 cup chopped romaine
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 3 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon Carrot-Ginger Dressing
• 1/4 cup cooked brown rice (left over from Tuesday's dinner)

PREPARATION

1. Mix chicken, garlic, ginger, vinegar and 1 tsp cornstarch in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate about 20 minutes. Whisk broth, soy sauce, sugar, pepper flakes and remaining 1 tsp cornstarch in a bowl until smooth. Coat a small skillet with cooking spray. Add oil and heat skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion until it browns lightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken browns, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth mixture and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Toss romaine, carrot and tomatoes for a side salad; sprinkle with dressing. Microwave rice 20 to 30 seconds. Serve chicken with salad and rice.

THE SKINNY

493 calories per serving, 10.5 g fat (1.8 g saturated), 50.5 g carbs, 5.4 g fiber, 46.3 g protein