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Watch Me Make Quick Chicken Lasagna with Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis 

Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis and I made this Quick Chicken Lasagna – no fuss, 5 ingredients and even out of my Diabetic Cooking cookbook – so delicious! Glad he was there to help me open the jars! Take the easy but delicious way out with commercial pasta sauce, rotisserie chicken and no-boil noodles to create my friend, Karen’s masterpiece…perfect for the person who doesn’t have time to cook but wants to impress.  I have lots of people who repeat this recipe often.

Quick Chicken Lasagna from the Trim & Terrific Diabetic Cooking Cookbook

1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and chicken cut into pieces (about 3 cups)

2 (26-ounce) jars red pasta sauce

1 (8-ounce) pkg no-boil lasagna noodles

2 cups shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese

2 (10-ounce) pkgs chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 (4-ounce) pkg crumbled goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2. Combine chicken and pasta sauce.

3. In an oblong baking dish, spread thin layer of chicken sauce. Top with layer of noodles, one-third chicken sauce, Mozzarella cheese, half spinach, one-third of goat cheese. Repeat layering with noodles, chicken sauce, Mozzarella, remaining spinach, one-third of goat cheese. Continue with remaining noodles, chicken sauce, Mozzarella, goat cheese.

4. Bake, covered, 50 minutes. Uncover, bake 5 minutes longer, or until bubbly. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information per serving

Calories 393, Protein (g) 29, Carbohydrate (g) 40, Fat (g) 13, Calories from Fat (%) 29, Saturated Fat (g) 5, Dietary Fiber (g) 6, Cholesterol (mg) 57, Sodium (mg) 1026, Diabetic Exchanges: 2.5 lean meat, 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 fat

Terrific Tidbit: For the person that doesn’t like to cook, this lasagna is made with commercial pasta sauce, rotisserie chicken, and no-boil noodles to create one of my very favorite lasagnas. If you’re not using no-boil noodles, do not bake before freezing. Try different flavored pasta sauces such as roasted garlic for bonus flavor.

Quick Chicken Lasagna with Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis

Both recipes are really easy to whip up and require ingredients I had in my pantry. My mom always taught me to be flexible when preparing  a recipe and add or leave out whatever ingredients I want. I like a lot of gravy and my husband likes “creamy” creamed corn so I added more liquid to each recipe to ensure I had ample gravy and the corn was VERY creamy. Also, a little garlic as I put it in anything. I had dinner made in about 45 minutes and a little reality TV watching probably slowed me down…

Creamed Corn
Sometimes I use fresh corn on the cob and sometimes I grab frozen corn from my freezer, either way, this simple side goes well with any entrée.

Makes 2 (1/2 cup) servings

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups corn
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/3 cup skim milk
Pinch sugar
Salt and pepper to taste 

1. In small nonstick skillet, melt butter and sauté onion 3 minutes. Add corn, and continue to cook 5 minutes longer, stirring.
2. Sprinkle with flour and stir one minute. Add milk and sugar. Bring to boil, lower heat, and continue cooking until thickened. Season to taste. Add more milk if needed.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 198 Calories from fat 28% Fat 7g Saturated Fat 4g Cholesterol 16mg Sodium 65mg Carbohydrate 34g Dietary Fiber 4g Sugars 8g Protein 6g Dietary Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 fat

Let us know if you need either of the recipes on my mom’s Facebook Fan Page.

Sometimes You Just Need Comfort Food…Even if it’s 100 degrees outside.

I am always thrilled when my diabetic cookbook is selected by the ADA.  You will enjoy all the chicken recipes featured in the ADA Chef’s Chicken Throwdown.  I selected a Chicken Pot Pie-the ultimate comfort food!  You can find all the recipes from the chefs on their site but I wanted to give you my version of Chicken Pot Pie, which of course, is diabetic friendlly and featured in my diabetic cookbook with the ADA, Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC Diabetic Cooking.

Chicken Pot Pie from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC Diabetic Cooking
Nothing beats a good old-fashioned chicken pot pie that’s almost effortless to make. Toss in your favorite veggies and use rotisserie or leftover chicken to save time.    

6 servings/serving size: 2/3 cup

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced peeled sweet potatoes (yams)
 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen peas
Dough of 5 flaky refrigerator biscuits

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees.
2. In nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook the chicken breasts over medium heat 7–10 minutes or until done. Season with salt and pepper (if using) and cut into pieces.
3. Recoat skillet with nonstick cooking spray and sauté the carrots, mushrooms, onion, and sweet potatoes r 5 minutes or until tender. Add thyme and flour, stirring  30 seconds. Gradually add chicken broth, stirring and cooking over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add chicken and peas and cook another 5 minutes.
4. Coat 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and fill with chicken mixture. Split biscuits in half and lay them on top. Bake 10–12 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Terrific Tidbit
For a timesaver, use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables in this delete fragrant use easy classic  pot pie.

Exchanges
1 Starch
1/2 Carbohydrate
2 Lean Meat
Calories 236
 Calories from Fat 44
Total Fat 5 g
 Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 44 mg
Sodium 404 mg
Total Carbohydrate 24 g
 Dietary Fiber  2 g
 Sugars  5 g
Protein 22 g

ADA Diabetic Chicken Throwdown

When you think of Louisiana cuisine, gumbo comes to mind.  My kids live in Dallas and New York but rely on my easy recipe for this Louisiana favorite.  If you are not in a region where seafood is plentiful, this version is the answer. The secret to a good gumbo is the roux, and my secret is I use browned flour for the roux.  Not only is this a time saver, but you get that rich nutty flavor with out all the fat.  Not only does it taste great, it is so easy as you bake the roux in the oven. So, no matter where you live, you can enjoy my Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.  Remember, gumbo freezes well and so does extra rice!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC  Gulf Coast Favorites Cookbook

Chicken and sausage gumbo, a Louisiana favorite, may be prepared easily and conveniently with chicken, sausage, and seasonings. Gumbo is served over rice.

Makes 14 (1-cup) servings

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound reduced-fat sausage, sliced in 1/4-inch pieces
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 green bell pepper, cored and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
8 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen cut okra or fresh cut okra
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch green onions, chopped

1.  Preheat oven 400ºF.
2.  Place flour on baking sheet, bake 20 minutes, stirring every 7–10 minutes until a dark nutty brown color. Set aside.
3.  In large nonstick pot coated with nonstick cooking spray, stir-fry sausage over medium heat until crispy brown, set aside.  Remove any excess grease, recoat skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
4.  Add chicken and cook, stirring until starting to brown. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery, cooking until tender. Add browned flour, stir continuously.
5.  Gradually add chicken broth, okra, thyme, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add sausage and green onions cooking 5 more minutes. Serve over rice.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 160, Calories from fat (%) 11, Fat (g) 2, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 49, Sodium (mg) 550, Carbohydrate (g) 12, Dietary Fiber (g) 2, Sugars (g) 4, Protein (g) 22, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, 3 very lean meat

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo-Secret to a Simple Healthy Roux

I am thrilled to be an honorary chairman for the 2010 Step Out Walk To Fight Diabetes.  Only a great cause like this gets me out early on a Saturday morning! What people don’t realize is eating healthy is truly a diabetes diet!  There is no magical diabetes diet, and you don’t have to feel deprived to eat healthy.  I was very excited to partner with the ADA with my trim&TERRIFIC Diabetic Cookbook, and best of all, I have so many people tell me how they LOVE that book, whether they are diabetic or not.  So, I wanted to share the Cihcken Tortilla Soup–easy to make with canned chicken broth, salsa, and corn-a one meal dish.  Take a short cut and use Rotesserie chicken or Tyson grilled and ready chicken breasts.  Tortilla Soup is famly friendly and a last minute toss together meal.  For more easy diabetic recipes, visit, http://www.hollyclegg.com

Chicken Tortilla Soup  from Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC Diabetic Cooking
No time to cook so try this short-cut version of one of our very favorites.  Pick up rotisserie chicken for a time saver.  The homemade tortilla strips add a nice touch.  Serve with chopped avocado, reduced fat shredded Mexican blend cheese.

Makes 6 servings

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch slices
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) jar salsa 
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (16-ounce bag) frozen corn
4 (6-ounce) whole wheat or flour tortillas

1. In large nonstick pot coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook chicken over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 5 minutes. 
2. Add onion and garlic; continue sautéing until tender, 3 minutes.  Add chicken broth, salsa, chili powder, and cumin, bringing to boil. 
3. Reduce heat, cook 10 minutes and add corn, cooking a few more minutes. 
4.  Cut tortillas into 1/2-inch strips.  Lay strips on baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.  Bake at 350°F. for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Note:  To add a smoky flavor to you chili use chipotle salsa or add 1 teaspoon chipotle chili flakes found in the seasoning part of your grocery

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 218, Protein (g) 30, Carbohydrate (g) 21, Fat (g) 2, Calories from Fat (%)178, Saturated Fat (g) 0, Dietary Fiber (g) 2, Sugars (g) 4, Cholesterol (mg) 66, Sodium (mg) 427, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 carbohydrate, 2 very lean meat

Diabetic Recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup-Support Step Out Walk to Fight Diabetes

Holly appeared on Fox & Friends preparing some EASY,healthy and creative summer salads…Mediterrean Couscous, Chicken Fiesta, Shrimp Tortellini and a decadent Tropical Upside Down Cake. She had so MUCH FUN there once again.

Holly with cast

Holly's spread

Holly on set

Holly visits Fox & Friends June 2006

Grilled Chicken with Watermelon Salsa

I have teamed up with Tyson to develop recipes to make your life easier! These recipes use the Tyson® Grilled & Ready™ Chicken Breast Fillets which are delicious, and a healthy, lean protein you can feel good about serving to your family. I had fun devloping the recipes and wanted to share one with you.   

Grilled Chicken with Watermelon Salsa
Nothing screams summer like grilled chicken and watermelon!  While the chicken is heating, prepare the salsa in seconds.

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) Hoisin sauce
4 Tyson frozen grilled cooked chicken breasts
2 cups chopped watermelon
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup reduced fat feta cheese
1 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil

1.Coat each chicken breast with Hoisin sauce and place in microwave safe dish.  Follow microwave directions on bag of chicken to heat.
2.  In small bowl mix together watermelon, red onion, mint, feta, seasoned rice vinegar and olive oil.

Serving Suggestion:  Try quick cooking couscous cooked in orange juice tossed with green onions.

Team Tyson-Grilled Chicken with Watermelon Salsa

While many moms enjoy creating quality, home-cooked meals for their families, they often seek new ways to fit cooking into their busy schedules.  As a cookbook author and working mom, Holly Clegg understands the importance of smart solutions that allow moms to be more time-savvy, making time spent in the kitchen more efficient and enjoyable.  That is why Holly is offering the following tips and strategies to help moms dramatically cut down on meal preparation time and clean up, so they can spend more time at the dinner table. 

Bulk Up Your Batches: Whenever inspiration in the kitchen strikes, take the opportunity to cook multiple batches of recipe ingredients to store for use later in the week.  Cooking double or even triple the portions of rice, beans, pasta and veggies can be a perfect way to make mealtimes creative and easy.  Simply mix and match last night’s leftover sauce with chicken breasts and tonight’s rice and veggies, and you have a new and delicious meal ready in minutes.

 Don’t Pout, Leave It Out: If you’re in a time crunch and can’t run to the store to grab an ingredient, leave it out or adapt the recipe.  Cooking should be a creative process, so take the stress out of your kitchen and substitute or skip an ingredient you don’t have (or like!).  If you don’t have sesame oil when making my Sesame Ginger Chicken with Tyson® Grilled & Ready™ Whole Breast Fillets, just use olive or canola oil instead—no one will know the difference because it will taste just as great!

Cut Corners: Stock your fridge, freezer and pantry with simple shortcuts to turn to when you are in a mealtime bind.  Keeping items like bottled lemon juice and minced garlic in your refrigerator are easy shortcuts that will add loads of flavor without adding more prep time. You can also try freezing leftover veggies as an easy and flavorful addition to a stir fry, pasta or veggies. 

 Pick Pre-packaged Products: Embrace recipe-ready ingredients that will eliminate kitchen stress and prep-time.  Use items such as bread mixes that only require water, canned soups and bases, frozen and pre-chopped veggies and pre-cooked protein like Tyson® Grilled & Ready ™Whole Breast Fillets that are tender and juicy and ready in minutes straight from the microwave. You can put a creative spin on these items by adding your own spices, sauce or cooking method to make a quick and delicious original meal. 

 Seal in Freshness:  Love using fresh herbs but don’t always have time to clean and chop? Buy fresh herbs in bulk the next time you are at the store then chop and freeze them to use when needed.  This will not only save prep time, but will bring a quick and easy boost of flavor to favorite dishes.  Maybe add:  Remember 3 parts fresh herb to 1 part fresh.  3 tablespoons fresh herbs=1 teaspoon dried herb (put something like that)

 Embrace Your Gadgets: Say goodbye to the old slice-and-dice method and turn to trusty kitchen essentials to do the work for you. Use kitchen scissors to chop fresh herbs and dried fruits; a peeler for carrots, apples, cucumbers and potatoes; a salad spinner to dry off recently-washed lettuce and a food chopper to cut veggies, nuts and cooked meats. Using these tools will reduce kitchen prep time and help with the overall presentation of your meals. Heat resistant spatula?

 Get Snazzy With Sauce: If your dish calls for sauce, make it ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it.  Then, when you’re ready to cook, place it in the microwave or stovetop to thaw.  For my Lemon Dijon Chicken, create the sauce ahead of time, and when it’s time for dinner, simply pour over Tyson ®Grilled & Ready™ Whole Breast Fillets before heating in the microwave.  Add it to your favorite pasta and you will have a delicious, grilled chicken pasta dinner in less than five minutes!

Spring Ahead on Clean Up: Everyone is familiar with the saying “clean while you cook,” but it can be easier than you think! After your prep and cooking is complete and you’re ready to sit down for your family meal, put those messy pots and pans back on the heat.  Fill them with a mixture of water and soap or water and vinegar, set to a low simmer, and check on them periodically while you enjoy your delicious hard work. And watch the pots come clean or something that the stuff comes off the pan.

 Holly developed these tips Tyson

For more information on Tyson® Grilled & Ready ™Whole Breast Fillets and to learn more about Holly Clegg’s recipes that give families a jump start on meals, please visit GrilledandReady.com.

Time Saving Tips For Meals In Minutes

Looking for a real family-kid pleaser recipe-this was my “go-to” recipe when I needed a quick nightly dinner or my kids volunteered me to cook for a prom, home-coming or a dinner at our house.  Simple, and unassuming, yet has a gourmet appeal enticing all ages.  I always make rice for the sauce and broccoli (what kid doesn’t like broccoli) so my plate has color.  When Walmart asked for an Easy Chicken recipe featuring their Great Value brand, I knew exactly what to make.  It is affordable, easy and healthy, and best of all quick to make!  Impress tonight with Easy Chicken!

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Holly’s Easy Chicken 
When I was testing recipes my family made me promise to repeat this dish often. The simplicity of the dish is very appealing.

Makes 8 servings

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup canned fat-free chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1. Dust chicken breasts with flour, salt and pepper.
2. In large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil and cook chicken about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and almost done.
3.  Mix together chicken broth and cornstarch; add to skillet. Reduce heat, cover, and continue cooking, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally or until chicken is done.  Add lemon juice. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Easy Everyday Chicken-Quick Dinner

Crawfish Etouffee

After adjusting back into school after winter break, I realized how much I missed my southern foods!  Within one week I made Crawfish Etouffee and Chicken and Sausage Gumbo both from my mom’s Gulf Coast Favorites book.  All of my friends at school love southern cooking and hover around my kitchen when I am cooking.  I always love to share southern recipes, because my friends always rave about how tasty the recipes are.  Both recipes took very little time and were full of flavor.  The only downside is that seafood is extremely expensive in St. Louis.  After a few grocery bills, my parents cut my southern craving down to only a few seafood recipes per month!

Crawfish Etouffee recipe from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC Gulf Coast Favorites Cookbook

The key ingredients in this popular Louisiana staple are tender crawfish simmered with onion, green pepper, and garlic stared with a light roux.   This easy to follow recipe will quickly become part of your Cajun recipe repertoire.

Makes 4 (1-cup) servings

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup fat-free chicken broth

1 tablespoon paprika

1 pound crawfish tails, rinsed and drained

Salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch green onion tops only, finely chopped

1.  In large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, melt butter, stir in flour.
2.  Cook over medium heat until light brown, 5–8 minutes, stirring constantly. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic, sauté until tender, 5 minutes.
3.  Gradually add chicken broth, stir until thickened. Add paprika and crawfish. Bring to boil.

4.  Reduce heat, cover, cook 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Stir in green onions, cook another few minutes.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 210, Calories from fat (%) 31, Fat (g) 8, Saturated Fat (g) 4, Cholesterol (mg) 170, Sodium (mg) 257, Carbohydrate (g) 13, Dietary Fiber (g) 4, Sugars (g) 4, Protein (g) 22, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, 3 lean meat

Terrific Tidbit: The browned flour and oil creates a roux that gives the etouffee that deep rich flavor.

Missing the South – Crawfish Etouffee