Chicken and Spinach Caprese Wraps

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I love anything caprese.  Caprese salad, caprese pasta, caprese grilled cheese...oh yum!  Something about the combination of creamy fresh mozzarella, sweet and fragrant basil, and fresh juicy tomatoes.  Yes I am drooling over here!  When I saw this recipe for Caprese Wraps with Chicken from Cooking Light I immediately fell in love.  Now I am 100% positive the original recipe is fantastic, but I wanted more of a punch out of my wrap so I did change it up slightly :)

Oh my goodness!  Isn't that a drool worthy wrap?!?

Chicken and Spinach Caprese Wraps adapted from Cooking Light
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS white wine vinegar (I think balsamic vinegar would be fantastic!)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
4 cups baby spinach
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (skin removed)
6 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
6 whole grain flat bread

• Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper
• Add the spinach, mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes and toss to coat
• Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and cook flat bread one at a time 1 minute per side 
• Place about 1-1.5 cups filling per flat bread, roll up, and enjoy!

This is definitely a new favorite of mine.  It is so simple, fragrant, and just an all around beautiful dish!  It would be a great lunch o serve with some fresh fruit and you have a well balanced dinner.  Either way...YUM!

The nutritional value is per serving.  This recipe yields 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 197 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 293 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13.0g 20%

Saturated Fat 3.6g 18%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 18mg 6%

Sodium 652mg 27%

Total Carbohydrates 20.6g 7%

Dietary Fiber 9.1g 36%

Sugars 2.7g

Protein 28.6g

Vitamin A 51% • Vitamin C 21% Calcium 27% • Iron 13%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Low in cholesterol
• High in dietary fiber
• High in vitamin A

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Chicken and Zucchini Stew

When I was in junior high my best friend and I would make this zucchini one pot as a snack.  Weird I know, but we liked creating different foods.  I remember a sandwich we would make with corned beef, BBQ chips, BBQ sauce and pickles.  It turned everyone elses stomach, but ours...lol.

Tonight's dinner is a knock off of the zucchini dish we used to make all the time.  It was probably the only thing everyone loved that we did make.  I added chicken to make it more of a meal, used fresh basil, and chunked the zucchini instead of slicing.  Other than that it is pretty original to how we made it :)

Chicken and Zucchini Stew
14 oz can of tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
2 zucchini, cut into chunks (you can use summer squash or a combo of the two)
1 red bell pepper, diced (or any color sweet pepper)
1 TBS minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped (or 1 TBS dried basil)
1 TBS dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 TBS dried minced onion (how on earth did I run out of onion?!? Definitely use fresh if you have it about 1/4 cup or 1 small onion, diced
1 lb chicken cubed

• Combine everything in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally 

Serve with a nice crusty bread and you are set for dinner!  Enjoy!

The nutritional value is based on one serving.  This recipe yields approximately six servings.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 408 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  164 Calories from Fat  16

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  1.8g 3%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  60mg 20%

Sodium  925mg 39%

Total Carbohydrates  10.4g 3%

Dietary Fiber  3.1g 13%

Sugars  5.8g

Protein  26.9g

Vitamin A 32% • Vitamin C 112% Calcium 6% • Iron 14%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Very low in saturated fat
• High in vitamin A
• High in vitamin B6
• Very high in vitamin C

Bad points

• High in cholesterol
• Very high in sodium

Tomato and Spinach Baked Pasta

This is such a simple dish that there really wasn't much that I changed from it.  Sometimes simple recipes are the best ones :)  I found this recipe for Tomato and Spinach Baked Pasta at Shape Magazine.  They have many wonderful, healthy dishes that I love!  This recipe was one of them.  It takes no time to prepare and it tastes amazing.  What more can a girl ask for???

Tomato and Spinach Baked Pasta
1 box whole wheat pasta (I used corkscrew, they used penne)
28 oz diced tomatoes with juice
10 oz baby spinach
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella

• Prepare noodles as directed on the package
• While noodles are cooking heat olive oil in a jumbo skillet over medium-high heat
• Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute
• Add tomatoes and seasonings and bring to a boil
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes
• Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 3-5 minutes 
• Combine sauce and pasta then add 1/2 cup mozzarella
• Stir to combine and place mixture into a prepared baking dish
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes
• Remove and sprinkle with remaining cheese
• Place back in the oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes

I just love the smell of this while it's cooking.  It is so comforting and homey.  This makes quite a bit so feel free to half the recipe or add some zucchini or chicken to the mix.  YUM!  

The nutrition value is per serving.  This recipe yields approximately 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 200 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  253 Calories from Fat  55

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  6.1g 9%

Saturated Fat  1.6g 8%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  9mg 3%

Sodium  294mg 12%

Total Carbohydrates  40.2g 13%

Dietary Fiber  6.1g 24%

Sugars  4.5g

Protein  11.6g

Vitamin A 85% • Vitamin C 38% Calcium 16% • Iron 15%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Low in cholesterol
• Very high in vitamin A
• High in vitamin C

Weekly Meal Plan

I found it so much easier having all the meals prepped and planned for the week.  I didn't cheat too bad, but when we celebrate a birthday one must have cake and ice cream ;)  I am super excited to continue with this plan.  It seems to have made life easier for everyone.  Even the kids are making healthier snack choices.  Maybe because they see me making those choices or maybe because we got rid of all the junk :)  Either way I am happy!

The weekly meal plan

  Above is the meal plan for the week.  The recipes are as follows:

Honey Balsamic Chicken

Tomato and Spinach Pasta

The Chicken and Zucchini Stew is a veggie toss I have been making for years that I will add chicken to.  Stay tuned for the recipe on Tuesday.

The Caprese Wraps are another sandwich I make on the fly that I will be adding spinach and chicken to round out the meal.  I will post the recipe on Wednesday.

Swiss Roast - I have everything prepared in a large Ziploc Freezer bag ready to go and can't wait to try it out!

Lemon Garlic Chicken - Another meal I have prepped in the freezer and ready to go.  

If you have any questions about other meals planned just ask!  I will answer them as soon possible :)

Now onto the grocery list.  

Look at all the yummy goodness for this week!

With everything planned and purchased it is time to organize.  I have changed the plan so I start on Sunday.  That was actually my plan, but for some reason when I originally prepared the menu I had it starting on Monday.  Obviously you can start your meal plan on whatever day you prefer or whatever is easiest is for you.  The point is to help you become more organized and help you find a way that best suits your needs.

Alright now lets get onto the fun stuff...

There you have it!  All the snacks and meals measured for the week.  I can't begin to tell you how much easier this makes everything.  Not only that, but I am down 6 lbs (yes!  Even after eating pizza and birthday cake!) from 2 weeks ago.  By having everything laid out and prepared it takes away the urge to mindlessly snack.  And if I feel I need a snack or I am sorta munchie hungry I grab an apple with peanut butter or a bag of veggies with dip (I make sure there are extras prepared for everybody) or even a handful of nuts helps cut the urge.  

Leave yourself some healthy options for snacking and you won't be defeated.  There are so many options and I am impressed that I can make better choices now.  Good luck everyone and plan for a healthier you!