Friday, March 12, 2010

Cookbook Review and Giveaway: Secrets of a Skinny Chef, Mac and Cheese with Shredded Chicken and Cauliflower



Up for review, I have the cook book Secrets of a Skinny Chef by Jennifer Iserloh.
According her, “Maintaining a healthy weight, or getting to that healthy weight, is not about dieting. It’s about eating the foods that you already love but cooking them for yourself so you can make them healthier.” In her new book, Secrets of a Skinny Chef , Jennifer teaches you how to cook the food you crave without the hard struggle of dieting and deprivation. Her Mac and Cheese with Shredded Chicken and Cauliflower is a perfect example. To boost the nutritional power, Jennifer employs her arsenal of Skinny Chef secrets and uses whole wheat (or brown rice, for gluten-avoiders) pasta, loads it with 2 cups of cauliflower (a great source of Vitamin C and folate and fiber to make you feel full) adds chicken for protein and creates the creamy, oozy goodness with fat-free milk, whole wheat flour and part-skim mozzarella cheese. You can feel good about feeding it to your loved ones, and eating it too!

Check out her site here and find her on Facebook too!!


For this review I decided on a dinner recipe. Cheesy pasta with chicken and most of us like roasted cauliflower (my 6 yr old loves it!). I think 4/5 of us liked this. Next time I think I would do some of the cooking steps differently though, I would roast the cauliflower on a baking sheet so it gets all golden pretty brown (it sort of just steamed in the foil and took much longer until it wasn't crunchy), precooked chicken (leftovers) would be fine in this, and maybe add some color like broccoli, peas or red bell pepper strips. I might even double the sauce (but not the cheese), it gets soaked up quickly. Even my 6 yr old mentioned that it was all the same color, she couldn't find the cauliflower. haha!
I am also eyeballing her recipe for French Tuna Salad made with greens, quinoa, red potatoes, hard boiled eggs, veggies and tuna. I may have to make that for my lunch, I don't think anyone else here would eat it. But doesn't that sound good?
Keep reading, you'll want too! You can win a copy!


Mac and Cheese with Shredded Chicken and Cauliflower
Serves 6

Mac and cheese is a staple in many American households, but the box kind has almost no nutritional value. Serve this hearty dish instead. If you want to shorten the recipe preparation time, you can use pre grilled frozen chicken or rotisserie chicken without the skin. You can also buy frozen cauliflower florets, let them defrost on the counter top, and then just stir them in.

8 ounces whole wheat or whole brown rice elbow macaroni or penne
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups fresh cauliflower florets
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 10 ounces)
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mild chili powder
1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons trans-fat–free margarine
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
11⁄2 cups fat-free milk
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a saucepan, cook the pasta 5 minutes less than the package instructions indicate. Drain and set aside.

Coat a large piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Wrap the cauliflower in the foil and place the packet directly on the rack inside the oven. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat it with cooking spray. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Set the chicken on the baking sheet and lightly coat the top with cooking spray. Bake the chicken and cauliflower 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken begins to brown and is no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken and cauliflower from the oven; set the cauliflower aside. Shred the chicken thinly and set aside.

In the pot where the pasta was cooked, melt the margarine over medium-low heat, then add the minced garlic, flour, and nutmeg. Mash the flour into the margarine with the back of a wooden spoon and stir until a thick paste begins to form. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the paste starts to leave a light coating inside the pan. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly, until a thick sauce starts to form. Add the mozzarella and stir until it melts. Turn off the heat and add the pasta, chicken, and cauliflower. Serve immediately.

Per serving (2 cups): 400 calories, 33 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat (7 g saturated), 65 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 642 mg sodium

Skinny Secret
How to feel full and satisfied without overloading? The key is to eat the meals you crave, like mac and cheese, but prepare them with lighter ingredients like low-fat dairy and incorporate plenty of veggies that are grated or diced so that they are barely detectable!





ONE "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" reader will win a copy of Secrets of a Skinny Chef!!




(This is a must before any extra entries will be accepted!)
1.
All you have to do is just comment why you would like to own this book, AND tell me about one guilt free recipe you like to eat! =)




Earn up to 4 extra entries by showing some "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" bloggie with these rules*!
-Please post yourself a separate comment for each, letting me know which ones you do.

2. (+1 bonus entry) Follow me on Twitter here

3. (2 bonus entries) Tweet about this giveaway using my Tweet button above & post your link or ID here

4. (+1 bonus entry) Click the icon to share this giveaway link on your Facebook then post your link here:







This Giveaway ends: 11:59 pm pst, Tuesday, March 23, 2010.
Please read the fine print:
- Open to USA
- Please leave your email!
- I will verify links/names
- Winner(s) will be notified by email & announced on my Blog & Twitter as soon as the following day
- I will choose my winner(s) using Random.org
- Important! Please read about my giveaway rules HERE*

Don't forget to follow along and be the first to see new recipes, reviews and giveaways! By the way! Have you seen I've added a FeedBurner to my sidebar, so now you can get all my updates right in your email!


I wrote this review for "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" about Secrets of a Skinny Chef. I received free product for this review and giveaway. All opinions for this review are that of myself & family.

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49 Lovely Comments:

Deb said...

I really need to get a handle on eating better..this book would be a great addition to my cookbook library. Can't think of any guilt free recipes---lots of guilty, but no guilt free :(

deborah150 at hotmail.com

Deb said...

Tweet2
http://twitter.com/debthompson/status/10378294875

deborah150 at hotmail.com

Deb said...

Tweet1
http://twitter.com/debthompson/status/10378294875

deborah150 at hotmail.com

Nicole-Lynn said...

Ohh great giveaway! I would love to win this book so I can get some more ideas! I love to cook and bake! My guilt free food item is asiago cheese bagels!

Seasidesmitten@aol.com

Anonymous said...

I am trying to lose wright but am making slow progress, these kind of recipes could really come in handy! My current favorite is Jello instad of icecream or cookies for dessert, a little sweet to round off the day wothout all the calories!
superbutterfly12@yahoo.com

Suburban prep said...

I would so love to know the secrets of a skinny chef because I need help. I exercise and yet all the sweat doesn't appear to be doing much good. I would love to know what else I can do other than not eat.
msgb245 at gmail dot com

Lindsey said...

I have gained 8 pounds since getting engaged... I would love to slim down my classic recipes to look great in a wedding dress! My guilt-free meal is broiled halibut with sun-dried tomato tapenade. And yes... I'm following you! Hopefully I will win and you can notify me at lindsey@spoonsaga.com! Thanks

Jennifer said...

I love recipe books so I can try new things that my kids might actually eat and hubby can make himself!! and my guilt free recipe is my chicken wraps

NikiTheo said...

This recipe looks fantastic! I honestly would have to say mac and cheese is one of my favs, and to have it guilt free, makes me so super happy. I'd really like this book b/c I hate dieting, I hate not being able to have the food I want to eat. and to be able to have the food I want and still be eating healthy? Yay!

NikiTheo said...

I'm not a twitter-er, but I posted this on my FB profile and fan page:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1240093060
and
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1240093060#!/pages/The-Sweet-Stuff/117051791010?ref=ts

Amanda said...

I am always looking for ways to sneak more healthy ingredients into the foods my family likes to eat. My guilt-free recipe is chicken tortilla soup.

amanda.corley@ymail.com

Amanda said...

I tweeted. #2
http://twitter.com/frugalmomto4/status/10442022554

amanda.corley@ymail.com

Amanda said...

I tweeted. #1
http://twitter.com/frugalmomto4/status/10442022554

amanda.corley@ymail.com

Brandy said...

This would be a great book to kick start me into eating better but still eating well! My guilt free food right now is baked potato soup.

For Their Future said...

Ooo! i love to cook and do not have but a few books! I really need a better varity and to learn how to better feed my family!

hpitts88(at)yahoo(dot)com

Netters said...

I would love to win because I am really trying to get fit and live a healthier lifestyle for my family (especially my two adorable little boys). My favorite low-fat meal right now is a Asian Chicken Broccoli Slaw recipe. Very good! My favorite meal I would like to make in a "lower fat" way is Chicken Parmesan

cristiniscouponcrazy said...

i would love the book because i really need to try to start eating healthy and its hard to find healthy recipes that actually taste good. my guilt free food is salad..i love it!!
itsmecristin@yahoo.com

cristiniscouponcrazy said...

tweet-http://twitter.com/crstniscpncrzy/status/10528982155
itsmecristin@yahoo.com
entry2

cristiniscouponcrazy said...

tweet-http://twitter.com/crstniscpncrzy/status/10528982155
itsmecristin@yahoo.com
entry1

Anonymous said...

I need that cookbook! It sounds like she has lots of great recipes...I cook with lots of veggies and whole grains, but could use some ideas for spicing it up!! My guilt free recipe is black bean soup with cilantro sour cream!
row17a@Juno.com

Jeannette said...

guilt free recipe... hm, i'm not sure that i have a completely guilt free recipe, but i like king arthurs whole wheat brownies. OH and i make banana-whole wheat waffles with chocolate chips. yum!!

flamegoddess65@aol.com

Anonymous said...

I'd love that cookbook! My guilt free recipe is baked salmon with leek stuffing! laurabbass@gmail.com

Jeannette said...

i retweeted but i have no idea how to find the ID for it, but i believe you follow me so i'll just put my twitter id here :)

http://twitter.com/whmsicalcupcake

flamegoddess65@aol.com

Anonymous said...

This dish looks great.
thanks hopefully i win
melissa
mbsnoopy@gmail.com

Cara said...

Oh this book would be excellent because I can never seem to keep on a workout schedule.. and my guilt free treat is frozen blended chai lattes - way less calories than milkshakes or mocha lattes

carajcostik@gmail.com

Following on twitter and gave shoutout!

Candace said...

I would love to win this book! I need ideas for healthy dinners that my kids will eat.
One of my favorite guilt free snacks is an "ice cream" sandwich. I use a full sheet of graham cracker and break into 2. Put lite coolwhip in between the graham crackers to make a sandwich. Freeze and then enjoy!

candaceotto32 at yahoo dot com

Stylista Fitness said...

I'm fairly new to cooking!! eek and I'm already 30! double eek! so i'd like to make my Future Husband and future children proud by making delicious meals for them :D

Anonymous said...

I'm really trying to watch what I eat, not only for myself, but for my kiddos as well. We all need to eat healthier meals. But, it's hard to find yummy recipes! Guilt free recipe...hmmm....i don't have one. I need some, or lots of them. I love to eat...lol!!
Melanie
smjstarnes@yahoo.com

Amy B said...

I would LOVE to win this..as a mom to 4 kids..I am always trying to look for healthy ideas. My oldest son has had some very serious brain operations and a stroke..so we have had to change some of his food to be healthier. I would LOVE to have this cookbook to help my tired brain with ideas..lol

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

I could sure use a few "guilt free" recipes added to my repertoire with all the southern cooking I do. One of my favorite guilt free meals are to make different kinds of main dish salads. I have a favorite that I make from roasted veggies - a summer version and a winter version - and another that I pile on boiled shrimp and lump crab, yum!

mary at deepsouthdish dot com

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

I follow you on Twitter from @DeepSouthDish

mary at deepsouthdish dot com

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

I tweeted!! http://twitter.com/DeepSouthDish/status/10939649193

mary at deepsouthdish dot com

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

And, I posted it on my personal facebook page - have no idea how to link that single post though! http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=104579462908053&id=170830613412#!/mynew30?ref=nf

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