Sashi Made A Recipe: Sheet Pan Creole Chicken & Shrimp

 I am definitely obsessed with sheet pan dinners right now.  Sheet pan fajitas and sheet pan fried rice are 2 that I make almost every week because they are so simple AND tasty!  So finding another recipe that is a hit for both my husband and I is a definite winner in my book.  Especially since chicken breast and vegetables are 0 points on WW Blue. AND this one incorporates shrimp which I loooooooove.

Sheet Pan Creole Chicken & Shrimp

adapted from EatingWell.com

• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 bell peppers, any color, deseeded and cut into 1" pieces
• 2 c. cherry tomatoes
• Cooking spray
• 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
• 10-12 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 c. corn kernels: fresh, frozen, or canned & drained

1. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Place it on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 425ºF.
2. In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, paprika, thyme, black pepper, salt, and cayenne.  Reserve 2 tsp of the mixture in another small bowl.  
3. Add the remainder of the spice mix to a large bowl.  Whisk in 1 Tbsp of the olive oil until spices are smooth.  Add the peppers and tomatoes and stir coat well.
4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and coat with cooking spray.  Spread the coated vegetable mixture on the baking sheet and return it to the oven.  Roast for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 tsp of the spice mixture and 1 Tbsp olive oil to the same large bowl used for the vegetables.  Whisk until smooth.
6. Add the chicken pieces and whole shrimp to the large bowl and toss until all are well coated.
7. When the vegetables are done, remove the baking sheet from the oven.  Add the chicken/shrimp mixture and the corn to the pan; stir to combine then spread evenly across the pan.
8. Roast until the chicken and shrimp are cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 10-15 minutes longer.
9. Serve as-is or over rice or riced cauliflower.

Makes 4 servings

On WW Blue 💙: 2 points per serving

Sashi Made A Recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken Fried Rice or Riced Cauliflower

The 2 best things about this is that it only takes 15 minutes to cook with very little hands on work AND it only dirties 1 pan. Oh, so 3 best things: AND you can make it the same way no matter what kind of rice you use. Just make sure it's cooked and either at room temperature or cold. My husband doesn't eat eggs but if you prefer eggs in your fried rice, just stir them onto the pan with the chicken halfway through the chicken's cooking time and break up the egg while stirring everything together. 

Sheet Pan Chicken Fried Rice or Riced Cauliflower 

• 8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4" cubes
• 10 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (or you can cook the veg according to the package directions while the chicken is cooking)
• 2 c cooked rice, cooled
• OR 2 ~ 8.5 oz pkgs of precooked rice (like Ben's Original Ready Rice)
• OR 10 oz pkg of frozen riced cauliflower 
• 3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 
2. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with nonstick spray.  
3. Arrange the chicken pieces evenly across the pan. Bake 10 minutes.
4. While the chicken is cooking, if your vegetables are still frozen, cook them in the microwave for 1 minute less than the package directions. If using precooked rice or frozen riced cauliflower, cook according to the package directions.  
5. While either of those are cooking, mix together the soy sauce,  sesame oil,  ginger, garlic powder and pepper.
6. When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven. Using a large spoon, push the chicken to the center of the pan. Pour the vegetables on top of the chicken, then the rice, then the sauce. Stir everything together until it is all coated with sauce.
7. Spread the mixture evenly across the pan and bake for 5 minutes more.
8. Remove from the oven and serve.

Makes 2 large servings

On WW Blue 💙, 3 points per serving with the riced cauliflower, 9 points per serving with cooked rice, 13 points with Ben's Original Ready Rice 

Sashi Made A Recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas with Cauliflower Tortillas

 

Not gonna lie, I am kind of obsessed with this meal. I've been making these fajitas once a week for about a month and a half now because they are SO EASY! I usually end up eating mine over riced cauliflower because flour tortillas make my stomach hurt and I'm just not a fan of corn tortillas. Tonight, though, I wanted to eat my fajitas like a real person. So I modified the cauliflower pizza crust I've been making (post to come soon) and tortillas.  They were so soft and tasty!

Cauliflower Tortillas  

• 10-12 oz bag frozen riced cauliflower (I use Birds Eye because it is a finer texture)
• 1 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, as finely grated as possible (I used a microplane grater - put it in the freezer for 10 minutes to make it a little firm, if needed)
• 1 egg
• Optional: 2 tsp of seasoning of your choice (I used garlic powder)

1. Microwave or cook the cauliflower according to package directions.  Let cool until cool enough to handle.
2. Empty the package on a clean tea towel or buttload of paper towels. (That's the official measurement for A LOT of paper towels.)
3. Gather up the edges of the towel. Over the sink or a bowl, SQUEEZE as much of the moisture out of the cauliflower as you can. You want the cauliflower as dry as possible.
4. Optional step: spread the cauliflower out in a fine mesh sieve and let it set for at least 10 minutes to dry out more.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment.
6. Add the riced cauliflower to a medium bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well with a spoon.
7. With clean hands, take 1/4 of the mixture and press it into a ball with your hands. Place it on the parchment on the baking sheet and gently press it into a 5"-6" circle,  making it as thin as possible without creating holes.
8. Repeat with the rest of the mixture to make a total of 4 tortillas. 
9. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until starting to brown around the edges. Very carefully flip the tortillas and bake for another 5 minutes.
10. Remove the tortillas from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. 
11. I served them right away after making the fajitas so I don't know yet how they hold up after time. I've read that you can store them in the fridge or freezer then reheat for a couple minutes in a skillet but I've personally not tried it. Yet.

Makes 4 tortillas 

On WW Blue 💙: 2 points for all 4, 1 point for 2

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas 

• Nonstick cooking spray 
• 3 bell peppers, deseeded, cut into quarters and cut into 1/2" slices (or 2 peppers and a small onion, sliced)
• 1 - 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" slices
• 1 Tbsp low sodium taco or fajita seasoning (I used  FlavorGod's Fiesta Sweet and Tangy)
• Pinch of kosher salt 

1. Set the broiler to high with the rack in the top 1/3 of the oven
2. Cover a large sheet pan with heavy duty foil and spray with nonstick spray.
3. Spread out the peppers (and onion, if using) on the outer parts of the pan.
4. Spread the chicken pieces in a single layer in the center. Sprinkle the chicken with taco seasoning. Sprinkle the entire pan with a pinch of salt.
5. Broil for 10 minutes, watching to make sure the chicken and peppers don't burn, stirring once halfway through. Cut the thickest piece in half. If it's white, you're done! If not, broil for a couple more minutes. 
6. Serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings 

Serves 4-6

On WW Blue 💙, 0 points per serving!

Sashi Made A Recipe: Thai Lettuce Wraps

 

Both Andy and I had been craving Asian food for a few days so we had a sort of Panasian night with these wraps and Spicy Korean Inspired Cauliflower. The 2 flavor profiles really worked well together! In the past, I'd made the wraps with ground pork, but since I'm on my umpteenth (and hopefully final) weight loss journey,  I tried it with ground chicken breast and really enjoyed it! This is extremely easy and quick so would be great for a weeknight meal. 

Thai Lettuce Wraps 

• 1/4 c chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp sweet chili sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 head romaine, butter or iceberg lettuce, leaves removed in whole pieces if possible

1. In a small bowl, mix the cilantro, lime juice, fish sauce, sweet chili sauce and brown sugar. Mix well; set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the pork and cook, stirring to break up clumps, until the pork is cooked through.
3. Remove from the hear, drain, and stir in the sauce. Serve with the lettuce leaves to make wraps.

Serves 4

On WW Blue 💙, if using ground chicken breast or turkey breast, just 0 pts per serving!

Sashi Made A Recipe: Carolina-Style Vinegar BBQ Chicken (& Broiled Zucchini)

 

My husband, Andy, LOVES Carolina vinegar sauce so when I found this recipe over on Taste of Home, I had to make it. It was light yet filling and full of flavor! 

To keep it simple, I just did a quick broil on some zucchini slices. For the zucchini,  I sliced it with my mandoline then put the slices on a baking sheet that had been sprayed with olive oil spray. I lightly spritzed the slices with spray, sprinkled them with Garlic Lovers by FlavorGod (garlic powder works beautifully,  too) and salt, then broiled them about 5 minutes. Easy peasy and tasty!

Carolina-Style Vinegar BBQ Chicken 

• 2 c water*
• 1 c white vinegar
• 1/4 c sugar
• 2 packets of Herbox Chicken Bouillon or 1 Tbsp low sodium bouillon base*
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional if you like more heat)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the water, vinegar, sugar, bouillon,  red pepper flakes, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a 3- to 5-qt slow cooker,  place the chicken breasts then pour in the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.
3. Remove the chicken and shred with 2 forks. Place in a medium bowl.
4. Pour 1 cup of the sauce from the slow cooker in with the chicken. Reserve 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce and discard the rest.
5. Serve the chicken with a drizzle of the reserved sauce, if needed. I ate it as is but this would also make an awesome sandwich!

* I think you could also use a 15oz can of reduced sodium chicken broth in place of the water and bouillon,  too!

Serves 4-6

On WW Blue 💙, up to 1 cup with a Tbsp of additional sauce is just 1 pt!