Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

We love this salad! We make it all summer long - we even made it while we were camping once - and I never get tired of it.

Ingredients

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes

1 t. dried basil

1 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. pepper

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 large bunch of Romaine lettuce

1 1/2 cup croutons

1 c halved cherry tomatoes

2/3 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing (our favorite is the Lighthouse brand)

shredded Parmesan cheese

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 8 ingredients, then add chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the romaine, croutons and tomatoes; add dressing and toss to coat. Divide onto salad plates, slice chicken and arrange on salads. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

*If I'm making this for just Chris and myself, I add the dressing to our salads individually. That way I'm not stuck with a bunch of leftovers that will go bad by the next day.

Amazing Crusted Chicken

I found this on allrecipes.com the other day and have made it twice now. It has a wonderful flavor and is so easy and fast to make. My husband loves it so that is all the reason I need to add it to my 'Favorites' list. The chicken stays so moist and juicy but the outside is crispy and flavorful.

Ingredients:
2 cups cheese flavored crackers (such as Cheez-It brand), crushed
1 cup French-fried onions, crushed
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (plain work fine too, or you can just add Italian seasoning to the plain)
2 teaspoons sesame seed, toasted( I bought some that are already toasted)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut in half
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F ( 190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish or sheet with cooking spray.

2. Mix cheese crackers, French fried onions, bread crumbs, sesame seeds, salt and pepper in a bowl. set aside.

3. Wash and pat chicken breasts dry. Spread a thin layer of mayo on one side of each piece and place mayo side down in the cracker mixture. Repeat on the other side patting firmly into the chicken, covering all sides. Place chicken on the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining mixture on top. Lightly spray the chicken with cooking spray.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear, 35-40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

*I serve mine with white rice and a salad.

Apple Dip

Summer is the perfect time to sit and snack on a bowl of fruit - and sometimes it's fun to indulge yourself in a little fruit dip :) This is super easy to put together, so you can have a great snack for book club, picnics or parties in about 15 minutes!

Ingredients:

1 package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 Tbsp orange juice

Directions:

In a large bowl or mixer, cream all ingredients together. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

*The original recipe didn't call for orange juice, but when I tasted the mixture, the texture was really grainy from the sugar. Once I added the orange juice it was perfect. It also sets up nice and thick after you refrigerate it.

Grilled Rosemary Chicken with Cream

I found this recipe on my friend's recipe blog, Making Manna and had to try it. It was delicious - my husband is still raving about it!

Ingredients:

2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh Rosemary, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sauce:

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp milk

Directions:

Prepare grill to medium high heat.

For chicken, combine mustard, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl; brush evenly over chicken. Grill chicken for 6 minutes on each side or until done.

For the sauce, while chicken grills, combine mustard, mayo and milk. Serve over grilled chicken.


*I personally thought that a little of the sauce goes a long way - I won't put as much on my chicken next time. However, my husband loved it just the way it was so I think it's all a matter of personal preference :)


per serving: 400 calories; 55 grams protein; 18 grams total fat; 0 grams fiber; 3 grams saturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 143 mgs cholesterol; 287 mgs sodium
10 Weight Watchers points