Then old standby…

Nick, my son, has been waking up really early all week and it has taken a toll on my enthusiasm of trying new a new delicious and light recipe to share tonight.  So I took the easy way out tonight and just defrosted some chicken breasts, sautéed them with tomato sauce and baked it in a casserole dish with a little low fat cheese sprinkled on top with a side of spaghetti.

I was feeling a little guilty but when I saw Nick and Dean, my husband, really enjoying a dinner staple from our home and realized that sometimes the easiest meals that have been made 100 times before are good enough.    It’s not necessary to have something new every night.  So if you are feeling run down, cook one of your family favorites, just keep it light. 

Here are a couple of tips to help you keep it light:

1. When sautéing a non-coated protein (meat, fish or chicken) – use cooking spray instead of oil or butter.  If the protein is sticking to the pan, then it is not ready to be turned over yet.  Wait until it begins to separate a little, then turn over.
2. If you are coating the protein with bread crumbs, flour or something else, use egg substitute or egg whites instead of whole eggs, this helps cut down on the fat.  Also, it is best to use a non-stick skillet for this type of cooking because your coating can stick to a regular stainless steel pan.
3. If you are making tomato sauce or any sauce where you are sautéing onions first, spray the pot with cooking spray, set the heat on medium to medium low, add your onions and then cover the pot so that the onion juices can stay in the pot and assist in the cooking process.  Otherwise, the onions can stick to the bottom.  If this does happen, just add a tablespoon of water and that will help release them from the bottom.

Rest up and Happy Cooking!

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