seriously delicious x 2

Yes, yes, I have yet ANOTHER panini recipe for you :P But don't worry, I also have another non-panini recipe for you :)

Let's just say at least this addiction is somewhat healthy! Haha. But this panini was YUM-O and you have got to try it if you like buffalo chicken at all! And if you like recipes with only 5 ingredients! Again...out of October Cooking Light {apparently wins issue of the year, in my opinion!}, I got this fabulous recipe for a Buffalo Chicken Panini. Without further ado:

Buffalo Chicken Panini

This toasted sandwich delivers classic bar-food taste in a healthier package.

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)


1/4 cup hot pepper sauce, divided {I used Frank Red Hot's Buffalo Wing Sauce and it did the job perfectly!}
1 pound chicken breast tenders  {I cut up chicken breasts into strips, cooked them on the skillet, then tossed the cooked tenders in the hot sauce in a ziploc storage container}
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
6 tablespoons canola mayonnaise {I used regular light mayo}
8 (1-ounce) slices white or sourdough bread

Preheat broiler; coat broiler pan with cooking spray. Combine 2 tablespoons sauce and chicken in a medium bowl, tossing to coat. Arrange chicken in a single layer on broiler pan; broil 4 minutes on each side or until done. Place chicken in a bowl; toss with remaining 2 tablespoons sauce. Combine cheese and mayonnaise. Spread 3 tablespoons cheese mixture on each of 4 bread slices; top each with one-fourth of cooked chicken and 1 bread slice. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Arrange 2 sandwiches in pan. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently. Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until bread is toasted (leave skillet on sandwiches while they cook). Repeat procedure with remaining 2 sandwiches.
CALORIES 402

FAT 16.2g (sat 4.9g,mono 6g,poly 3.5g)

CHOLESTEROL 75mg

CALCIUM 100mg

CARBOHYDRATE 29.1g

SODIUM 724mg

PROTEIN 32.4g

FIBER 3g

IRON 0.8mg

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2010

Recipe #2 is from a random cookbook I got at Ross one day: Eat Up Slim Down Annual Recipes 2008. This cookbook is kind of hit or miss, but one of its hits has turned out to be one of my favorite recipes! This is the third time I have made it, and it is still just as delicious as ever. It's pretty easy to make, and the curry flavor mixed with the sweet apricot jam just makes this impossible to turn down! It's healthy and great to serve guests. I made a huge batch {I always double this recipe} of it tonight so we could have it throughout the week for lunches and things. So here you are:

Curry-Kissed Chicken & Carrots and Rice

Ingredients for curry chicken:

1 1/2 tbsp curry powder

3/4 pound chicken tenders

Olive oil spray

1/3 cup water

3 tbsp apricot jam

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream {use 2% milk for a lower-cal option, but I have to admit I love the full flavor that this ingredient gives}

2 tbsp scallions

Ingredients for carrots and rice:

1 cup water

1 cup 10-minute brown rice

1/2 cup shredded carrots

Directions for curry chicken:

Place curry powder on a plate. Toss the chicken tenders {I cut the chicken breasts into small cubes, they cook faster} in the curry powder, making sure all sides are coated. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with olive oil spray. Add the chicken tenders and cook 2 minutes per side, until no longer pink inside. Remove to a clean plate. Add the water and apricot jam to the warm skillet and simmer for 30 seconds, stirring to melt the jam. Add cream and simmer for 1 minute to thicken sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken. Scatter scallions on top.

Makes 2 servings.

Directions for carrots and rice:

{Personally, I just use my rice cooker, and near the end of the rice cooking, I toss the carrots in to let them steam} Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in rice, return to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. 

Makes 2 servings.

Simple. Delicious. Quick. And honestly it's not overkill traditional Indian food or anything, it won't make your digestive track do strange things. I promise :)

Cheers {maybe I'll take a break from the kitchen for a day???}