The sauce was almost a meal in itself...so, so good!

Long time, no blog, eh? So, the last few days has been filled with comfort food for me. My husband and I had both secretly planned to cook for each other on Valentine's day. I had just got done cleaning the whole kitchen when Hubby got home, requesting me to vacate the premises. Being valentines day and that I do tend to enjoy being pampered...I let him win. He made a delicious New York strip steak dinner and dessert for me! It was amazing!


I decided to make my dinner the next day. First time making Chicken cordon bleu and I will certainly be making it many times more. It was super creamy, flavorful and hit the spot. A couple changes and it will be perfect! Chicken cordon bleu is traditionally made filled with ham and Swiss cheese, but I was imagining a much creamier dish and decided to experiment, using brie instead; and a very successful experiment it was. So here is my version of chicken cordon bleu! Enjoy.

This recipe is from one of the Biggest Loser cookbooks. Jon and I are huge fans of the show. I personally have not missed a single episode in 7 seasons! We've even gotten ourselves each the BodyBugg recently and so far having them is amazing. But back to the recipe, this turned out amazing. We cleaned out the platter and Jon gave it a 8.5 on the 'Hub-O-Meter'!

The chicken was nice and saucy on the outside, and perfectly tender on the inside, AND a serving is only 233 calories! Definitely give this one a try for an easy, healthy, and yummy dinner.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, fat removed and cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided (recipe called for 1 tbsp sesame oil)
• 1 cup onion, cut into strips (I left mine as rings)
• 1 cup green bell pepper, cut into wide strips (I used 1/2 cup, Jon doesn't like peppers)
• 2 tbsp freshly minced garlic
• 1/4 cup bottled sweet and sour stir fry sauce (La Choy)

1. Mix together the cornstarch, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add to a large Ziploc bag. Add the chicken pieces and toss until well coated.

2. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat half of the oil over high heat. Add the onion, pepper and garlic and cook until vegetables are tender-crisp. Try not to burn the garlic. Transfer all to a bowl and keep warm.

3. Add the rest of the oil and add about half of the chicken and cook until light golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer cooked chicken to the bowl of veggies. Continue cooking the chicken in batches until it's all cooked.

4. Return all the chicken AND the vegetables to the pan and toss and reheat if needed. Transfer to a serving dish and stir in the sauce until coated. Makes 4 servings of 233 calories and 27 grams of protein! Serve with Japanese rice!

Photos by The Chocolate Cookie!

Now that we've covered my pico de gallo, I suppose I can share my shrimp fajita filling recipe. It's very simple and involves almost no cooking when using fully cooked shrimp. Just make the pico de gallo, and marinate your shrimp, throw it in the skillet to cook through and you're golden! I won't lie, all the chopping can make for a bit of prep, but it's great to make ahead and then heat up for a quick meal. The marinade can also be used for chicken or beef fajitas, or anything you want; it will give a nice mouthful of flavor to any Mexican dish. I usually serve these fajitas with some sour cream, the pico de gallo, and a little shredded cheddar cheese. The pico really makes this dish and the flavors go a long way. I usually serve it with spanish rice or wild grain rice on the side too. So here it is, comer feliz!

Shrimp Fajita Marinade
Filling for about 6 fajitas

• 1/4 cup lime juice (or lemon)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb large fully cooked shrimp, peeled and tails removed

1. Blend liquids together well. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Transfer mixture to a large Ziploc bag or container, add shrimp and shake well to coat.
2. Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
3. Heat shrimp and a few tablespoons of the marinade in a skillet over med-high heat until heated through and shrimp start to shrink. (Careful not to overcook them as they will become very small and tough.)
4. Serve on warm tortillas, with pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, and rice. Oh, and don't forget the margaritas!

Photos by The Chocolate Cookie