Lamb Chops

Pat and I are always looking for something other than beef to grill. I love lamb but Pat has always been a little sceptical to training. Last week I went grocery shopping the the lamb chops where on sale. I figured if he didn't like them then I would have a few good lunches. Boy was I wrong!!!! We have made this twice in the past two weeks. They are delicous and my leftovers always seem to disappear.


1 lb Lamb Chops
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 - 2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste



Combine the all the ingredients and marinate the chops for a least an hour. We found it is best to marinate them overnight. Remove chops and discard marinade. Grill chops until they reach about 160 degrees. (about 10 minutes). Serve with a salad and veggie and you have a meal to impress.

This has become a fast favorite in our house. The leftovers are wonderful even cold. Hope you enjoy.

Tomato Basil Chicken

I made this last night for Pat and I. I opened the fridge to find the chicken and had no idea what I was going to make until I looked out the kitchen window and saw the fresh basil. This was a quick favorite with Pat, and I love the fact that I can throw it together in less than 15 minutes. Steam some veggies to go with it and you have a perfect meal. Hope everyone enjoys!

1 lb Boneless Chicken Breast (thin cut)
1 tbs Olive Oil
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
4 Cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Fresh Basil
4 tbs grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper


Heat olive oil in pan. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic to the heated oil and saute. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Add chicken to hot pan and cook completely. Add diced tomatoes, remaining crushed garlic and fresh basil to the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve each chicken breast with a 1/4 of the sauce and 1 tbs of grated Parmesan Cheese.

Makes: 4 serving
Calories: 207 Fat: 7g Carbs: 6g Fiber: 1g Protein 29. (Listed on myfitnesspal as Granite Fit - Tomato Basil Chicken)

Pesto Chicken w/ Broccoli

This recipe has become a favorite of my eight year old son. He really likes to help me make the pesto sauce. If you have a food processor the pesto sauce is easy to make and you can keep it in the fridge to quickly throw together a meal during the week.

2.5 oz package of Basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
4 cloves of garlic
2 tbs Parmesan cheese
2 lbs of chicken breast
1 tsp of dry basil
1 lb of broccoli
16 oz package of multigrain/wheat penne pasta


Cook pasta according to package directions.

Toast pine nuts of medium heat until lightly browned. In food processor combine basil, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, chicken broth, 3 cloves of garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Blend until combined. If sauce is too thin add a little more chicken broth. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Chop chicken breast in small 1" cubes. Heat non-stick pan and coat with cooking spray. Cook final clove of garlic in pan add chicken and cook thoroughly and season with dry basil. Steam broccoli until tender. Combine pasta, pesto sauce, chicken and broccoli and top with small amount of shredded Parmesan cheese.

Makes 8 servings.
Calories (still need to calculate breakdown will post later)

Chicken Parmesan

This is one of our favorite recipes, even our 8 year old loves this meal. To save on the carbs usually we only serve it with a salad and a veggie. It's guaranteed to be a family favorite.

4 (4oz) thin cut chicken breasts

1/3 cup dry whole wheat bread crumbs

1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking spray

¼ cup red wine

1 jar tomato basil pasta sauce

½ cup low-fat or skim mozzarella cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Pound chicken with mallet or large pan until breast thickness is about a ¼”. Coat each chicken breast in bread crumbs.

Heat olive oil or cooking spray in large skillet. Add chicken breast and brown on each side until chicken is cooked through and remove. Reduce heat and add wine to pan to deglaze and then add pasta sauce. Add chicken back to pan and cover each chicken breast with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover and simmer until the cheese is melted and the sauce is heated.

Calories: 350 Fat: 8gs Carbs: 25gs Fiber: 3gs Protein: 35gs

Greek Chicken w/ Yogurt Dill Sauce

This is one of Pat's favorites. Its quick and for a sandwich has
a really low carb value. We usually eat it with baked pita chips or carrots.

1/2 cup greek style yogurt
1 small cucumber
1 tbsp dill
1 lb chicken breast
1 tbsp Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tomatoes
1 cup lettuce
sliced onion
4 Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Flour Pita Bread


Combine peel and grate small cucumber and combine with greek yogurt and dill. Refrigerate until ready to make sandwich. Chop chicken into small cubes and season with Cavender's seasoning. Heat olive oil in pan and add seasoned chicken and saute until cooked. Spread 1/4 of yogurt mixture to half of pita and 1/4 of chicken, tomato, lettuce and onion. Makes 4 servings.

Calories 245; Fat 8.5 g; Carb 11g; Fiber 4.5g; Protein 35g.

Turkey-Spinach Lasagna

I love to cook and that has definitely contributed to my weight issues. Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. There is just something about having all your friends and family around to enjoy a wonderful meal. I love to cook for my friends and family and now they are benefiting from my healthier cooking. My love to cook has lead me to try to create healthy ways to make some of our favorite meals. Enjoying the healthy food you eat is the main key to be able to make the changes in your diet a life style change rather than just a quick fix. Hope everyone enjoys these. I want to try to post a few new recipes every month. If anyone is looking for a healthier way to make a family favorite I'm always up for the challenge. Just drop me a note.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
½ lb ground turkey 99% Lean
½ lb sweet or spicy turkey sausage
(such as Shady Brook Farms)
1 ½ cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups of homemade marinara sauce
(or 2 jars low-fat no sugar added sauce)
1 (16oz) container of fat-free cottage cheese
¼ cup egg substitute
¼ cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 (10oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
9 cooked whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350◦.

Spray large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Cook turkey until brown, add onion and garlic and cook until onions are transparent. Add 5 ¾ cups marinara sauce and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Combine cottage cheese, egg substitute, parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper and spinach.

Spread ¼ marinara sauce on bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles on bottom of pan. Cover with ½ cheese mixture then 1/3 meat sauce mixture. Cover with 3 more noodles and repeat. Cover top 3 noodles with remaining meat sauce mixture and top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350◦ for 50 minutes. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings. This freezes wonderful for a meal later when you are in a rush. Even my 8yr son loves this recipe and he doesn't even realize that he is eating spinach.

Nutritional Information:
Calories 275, Fat 7, Sat Fat 2, Carbs 26.5, Fiber 4, Protein 21.5