dudettes. i have the worst garlic breath right now! luckily, marshall does too. the dinner i just made is well worth the garlicky stench that is lingering in our house.
before i talk about dinner, i want to share my workout with you!
today was an upper body workout. i decided to focus on shoulders, back & biceps.
5 minute treadmill warm up @ 6 MPH pace
straight set:
wide grip pull down:
- 12 @ 40#
- 10 @ 50#
- 8 @ 60#
- 10 @ 50#
- 12 @ 40#
i did 30 seconds of butt kicks between sets to keep my heart rate up.
superset: (3 sets of each)
- standing overhead dumbbell shoulder press @ 10# x 12 reps
- standing dumbbell biceps curl @ 10# x 12 reps
superset: (3 sets of each)
- bent over dumbbell row @ 15# x 12 reps
- dumbbell front raise @ 5# x 12 reps
superset: (3 sets of each)
- dumbbell shrugs @ 20# x 20 reps
- “basketball shots” with medicine ball @ 8# x 20 reps
superset: (3 sets of each)
- single arm dumbbell row @ 15# x 12 reps (each arm)
- dumbbell hammer curls @ 10# x 12 reps
superset: (3 sets of each)
- dumbbell side raises @ 7.5# x 12 reps
- single arm dumbbell concentration curls @ 12.5# x 12 reps (each arm)
5 minute treadmill cool down @ 6 MPH pace
this was a fun workout that too 45 minutes total. let me know if you try it and how you like it!
i was recently sent a cookbook and coupons from the company that makes sorrento, president and precious cheeses.
“the skinny cheese cookbook” is a compilation of recipes by chef daniel green that feature low fat and fat free cheeses made by sorrento, president and precious.
i picked up some of their fat free feta using the free coupon they sent to me.
i decided to try the cheese on top of a cracker, to get a taste for the fat free feta itself.
my thoughts? i really liked it! it was incredibly flavorful feta and i couldn’t even tell it was fat free. with fat free cheeses, you typically have to sacrifice flavor. that is not the case with president’s fat free feta cheese. it tasted just like full fat feta! and even better: a little goes a long way. a one ounce serving is just 35 calories, not bad at all!
i had two chicken breasts waiting to be turned into dinner, so i flipped through the book, looking for a chicken recipe.
the only recipe in the book using chicken breasts was the prosciutto wrapped chicken stuffed with feta. i didn’t have the ingredients for this particular recipe on hand, but i used the stuffed chicken method as inspiration for my own dish.
pasta roma with feta & spinach stuffed chicken breasts
first i split two chicken breasts to prepare them for stuffing. i smeared a layer of spinach artichoke hummus into the pocket of the chicken breast.
next, i put a layer of feta on top of the hummus.
finally, i stuffed the chicken breasts with spinach.
i secured the breasts with toothpicks. they were bursting at the seams!
i heated a bit of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. after seasoning the chicken breasts with a little salt and pepper, i seared it for about 1 minute on each side.
flip!
i removed the breasts from the pan and placed them in an oven-safe dish. i baked them (uncovered) for about 20 minutes @ 350 degrees, flipping the breasts halfway through.
while my chicken was baking, i prepared the pasta roma. i made some basil pesto from scratch (basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt & pepper). enter: the reason for my GARLIC BREATH. i got to use my new ceramic grater for the first time!
i started with the cool peeler.
garlic goes in.. 
roll it around.. 
voilà! perfectly peeled garlic! so simple.
then i put the peeled garlic to work on the ceramic grater. it worked beautifully.
seriously, this was the best state fair purchase yet! perfect garlic for the pesto.
don’t forget to enter to win your own ceramic grater, you have until thursday @ midnight to enter.
i boiled some whole wheat thin spaghetti. well, marshall did, actually.. that’s his job. when it was al dente, i tossed the pasta and pesto together.
i diced three ripe roma tomatoes. they’ve gotta be roma!
toss the tomatoes with the pasta, along with ~3/4 cup of fat free feta.
pasta roma. i used to work at a cafe that served a similar dish, which is where i pulled my inspiration from for this pasta. i sure loved being a waitress!
when i got done making the pasta, the chicken breasts were cooked to perfection. impeccable timing!
oozing with flavor.
i served a portion of pasta alongside a stuffed chicken breast.
this was DEEELICIOUS. the pasta was definitely garlicky to the max. i can still taste it, three hours later. anyone have an altoid?
the chicken was moist on the inside, crisp on the outside (thanks to the searing) and the stuffing was full of delicious flavors. the feta melted and melded with the hummus and spinach. definitely a winner.
yum.
special thanks to president for helping out with ingredients and inspiration for dinner tonight! for the record, i wasn’t paid for my review and yes, the cheese was free.
i want to give you guys some free cheese, too! i will pick three random comments on this post and each of you will get two coupons for some free cheese of your own. woohoo!
i will announce the winners tomorrow!
Qs~
1. what is your favorite variety of tomato? i LOVE heirlooms. they are pricey, but they are so tasty! romas are nice in pastas because they are so firm. the ones i used tonight were delicious.
2. do you eat “fat free” or “low fat” foods? which foods do you eat that are low/no fat and which foods are you not willing to compromise flavor for less fat? i eat fat free yogurt and low fat cottage cheese (i HATE fat free cottage cheese). i always buy full fat cheddar and swiss, i typically don’t like low fat of fat free cheese. but this fat free feta tasted exactly like the real deal. i am sold! as far as other foods go, i don’t mind a little fat as long as it is the healthy kind. peanut butter, anyone?
xo. janetha g.
Next Comments →
my rule on fat free/low fat is that if i miss the real stuff, it’s not worth it. so like, low fat ice cream i think tastes the same. but low fat salad dressing tastes weird so it’s a no.
Pick me! I LOVE cheese. And that stuffed chicken looks amazing!
I am totally making those stuffed chicken breasts asap! I love cherry tomatos! I am not a huge fat free fan. I will buy reduced fat dairy though (it tastes great to me and is easier to digest) cheeses, greek yogurt, ice cream!
Garlic breath–yum :) From the looks of that meal it was worth it!
I HATE fat free cottage cheese. Just a couple grams of fat makes a world’s of a difference. I don’t TRY to eat low/fat free stuff really. Sometimes I do with dairy because high fat dairy makes my stomach realllllly hurt. Full fat ice cream is completely worth it in my opinion.
Fav tomato? Cherry + grape.
ooh! cheese please! I have tried 3 recipes on your blog so far and have throughly enjoyed each one! this would tops :)
I’m not entering the giveaway–just wanted to let you know that I am trying this pasta recipe this weekend. It looks SO GOOD!
YUM! I love cheese so that Skinny Cheese cookbook sounds awesome to me. Stuffed chicken breasts sound good too! I need to get my hands on that spinach-artichoke hummus.
Pasta Roma looks great. I love pesto.
Wow, thanks for such a great giveaway! I love cheese and I eat it every way I can whether fat-free, low-fat, full-fat, you name it! I tend to buy fat-free or low-fat yogurt and ice cream because they taste just as delicious for fewer calories – which means I can eat even more!!!
That looks yummy. I want to make chicken like that soon.
Can sun dried tomatoes be my favorite? I don’t really like regular tomatoes.
I don’t like low fat cheese so I buy regular cheese. But other stuff like sour cream and milk, I’ll by low fat or fat free.
Your meals always look so amazing. Not a good idea reading your blog when I am hungry..) I’ll love to try the cheese.
Heirloom tomatoes are the best for slicing and eating plain with a little salt and pepper. That sounds so good right now!
I love fat free feta, milk and greek yogurt but everything else needs to be low fat or full fat.
I eat full fat everything (except milk, but I don’t drink it). I think it’s unnatural and gross to eat reduced fat versions. It doesn’t come from nature that way, it just isn’t right to me.
i know you will prob think this is strange but i actually prefer the taste of reduced fat vegenaise to full fat. I use it for salad dressings and the red fat gives me a better blend when i dump a vat of sugar and vinegar into it :)
normally i eat full fat stuff b/c i buy so little that’s processed or has a “choice” of full or reduced fat, that if i am buying it, i buy the full fat and just relish in it :)
I don’t love tomatoes, but I do like heirloom ones!
I love heirloom tomatoes too! If only they weren’t double the price of Roma tomatoes at our grocery store. I’m obsessed with fat free feta right now. It’s one of my grocery list staple items.
Wow, dinner looks so good!!! The only thing I miss about eating chicken is stuffed chicken! :) I wonder if I could try this with tofu? :)
I try to stay away from fat or sugar free things because it doesn’t do good things for my colitis, but I do sometimes eat fat free feta and plain yogurt. It just depends I guess, but it’s all done in moderation, just like full fat things.
Love to you garlic breath! :)
I am so making that chicken recipe, it looks delicious!!! I love grape tomatoes the most. I use low fat borden american cheese for my daily breakfast sandwiches. I also love the low fat tostitos!!
I got that recipe book too!! (don’t count this as an entry) but I’m definitely looking for that recipe… i think everyone in this house would like it, and thats saying a lot!
What a beautiful dinner. Especially the pasta! I have only had athenos reduced fat feta, I’m totally interested in trying this fat free version. nom nom
1. what is your favorite variety of tomato? i love the little santa sweets (I think thats what they’re called)- the little fat grape tomatoes. They are amazing
2. do you eat “fat free” or “low fat” foods? I usually try to either go with the original or a lower fat (as long as there is not tons of added crap to result in the lower fat). I think fat (good fats) are, well, good for you and necessary! BUT, sometimes ….in items are are seriously high in fat (like cheeses can be)- i like the option of low fat/no fat. Did that even make sense haha. I also go low fat in yogurts & milk
I like cherry tomatoes best. They’re so sweet.
I will eat fat free foods as long as the product still contains natural ingredients. I don’t like it when companies take out fat and add sugar and/or artificial sweeteners instead.
Ooooooooo loving that workout lady!
Your dinner looks scrummy too. I will only eat baby plum toms or tinned I haven’t like the normal sized toms since they made me sick as a child, weird I know!
I don’t tend to eat low fat I probably should!
xx T xx
This dinner looks so good! I would love to win some cheese too : )
I don’t like fat-free cheese, but I like low-fat. But, I actually like low and fat free ice cream. I know that’s weird, but it tastes better to me than the regular kind!
I love tomatoes!!!! Home-grown tomatoes are just heaven! The ones I tend to find in the grocery store…not so much. Yuck! So far, Sam’s Club has the best store-bought tomatoes I have found.
I don’t buy much fat-free stuff. The taste is seriously lacking. Yogurt I can handle but that is about it. I do buy light items but not usually fat-free. I wish I could but I just cannot get past the “manufactured” taste. You know?
Your dinner looks amazing! I don’t know why, but I never think to stuff chicken breasts. You can bet I will try it soon! Yum!
ow ow! free cheese = win!
anyhow, my fave tomatoes are cherry tomatoes! i love munching on them and the way they explode in my mouth! :)
i actually LOVE low fat swiss cheese by finlandia. and sonoma jacks light pepperjack cheese wedges. Mmmm! they’re impeccable.
xo.
Thos pictures made me want that chicken…ASAP. That is definitely what’s for dinner tonight!
I actually don’t like tomatoes but I love salsa and ketchup and tomatoe sauce…weird. I usually go for reduced fat cheese and PB and fat free yogurt. I <3 feta.
Oh that pasta looks great. I am not a big tomato fan to be honest. However, I’m learning to like them when they’re cooked just right – like tons of garlic and roasted. I like the smaller varieties the best. Please don’t give me one of those giant, juicy things. Ick. And don’t 2 garlic breaths cancel each other out? ;-)
Your dinner looks amazing! I try to buy low-fat dairy products. I’ll also buy reduced fat crackers. Other items, though, I go for full fat.
That dinner looks absolutely delish!
And whoo free cheese! I don’t always have to be dairy-free :P
I love heirloom tomatoes as well, they each have a unique flavour which is awesome! Vine ripe are my second fave.
I don’t do the low fat cheese thang [unless you’re talking about laughing cow]… a little of the REAL stuff is far better than a lot of the fat-free [fake!] stuff. If I am eating yogurt/cottage cheese I do go for low fat… but usually not fat free [except greek yog]!
xo
Kris
I like fat-free feta and yogurt, but that’s about it. I used to live off of fat-free cheese in general, but no longer really like it (feta aside).
I’m totally stealing that chicken idea from you. It sounds delicious and is super easy and I have everything except the chicken at home!
I’ve tried that fat-free feta and I love it! My fav is to cut grilled corn off the cob and toss it with diced tomatoes, green or red onion, lime juice and feta for a quick salad – yum!
I use both types, depends on my mood.
love the idea of stuffing the chicken with hummus! heirlooms and grape tomatoes are probably my favorites, although plums are great, too :) i tend to avoid non-fat products, the only exception being greek yogurt when it’s on sale.
Yum, cheese! I’d love to try this feta…I’ve had other brands of fat free feta and they were not worth the calories! That chicken, though, looks amazing!
Awesome workout!! question for you about BFL- you do HIIT a couple times a week right? Do you usually do it the day before or after leg day? Just curious because my legs tend to get so sore! ha!
Your chicken looks amazing! Rachael Ray makes a stuffed chicken with Boursin cheese, I think you might like it. The recipe is called Pesto Presto Italian Chicken, let me know if you try it.
1. I love heirlooms and romas. YUM. Funny because I HATED tomatoes (except ketchup) until I was 23. Then one day I just randomly decided they were okay.
2 I tend to stay away from fat free cheese, it doesn’t melt very well and tastes funky to me. But I do get the low fat (2% milk) cheeses. Yogurt is always fat free (especially Greek). Milk is fat free if I drink cow’s, I just can’t handle a lot of dairy anymore. :(
My favorite tomatoes are cherry tomatoes though grape tomatoes are a close second. I tend to by light things when it comes to cheese and sour cream. I buy fat free milk and yogurt.
Your chicken looks fab – I’m going to make a version myself soon!
1. My favorite tomatoes are heirloom from the local farmer’s market – a small tomater is the perfect size to eat on a grilled cheese or slice on top of a salad!
2. I buy reduced fat cottage cheese, string cheese, yogurt, sour cream, and Wheat Thins. I absolutely REFUSE, REFUSE, REFUSE to buy RF peanut butter – life’s too short.
Mmm I love feta! My fave tomatoes are cherry. I tend to stay away from fat free, because it usually just has added crap in there, unless its dairy. I love the 2% greek yogurt from TJ’s and Fage.
I’m with you – heirlooms all the way! They’re so ridiculously beautiful! I usually but ff Greek yog, and I like string cheese (isn’t that usually low fat?), but other than that… gimme fat! It tastes good!
Full fat cheeses like american and chedder. For feta and cottage cheese I’m fine with low fat. I don’t do fat free dairy with the exception of milk. I love Stewart’s Skim Milk. No other brand compares.
my favorite tomatoes this year have been our cherokee purple, even though we haven’t had many. They’re so delicious and beautiful!
I actually love fat free feta! It does taste very close to regular, but most other cheeses need to be full fat :)
I usually drink skim milk and fat free greek yogurt, but I love me some good fat – avocados, olives, salmon, nut butters.
Feta is actually the only fat free cheese I can handle. The worst is fat free cheddar! However, I really like the 2% sharp cheddar shredded cheese from Kraft – it definitely takes like the real deal. Also – trader joe’s has a lite brie that is really tasty!
I love cherry tom tom’s. Also, I like the real deal when it comes to cheese. I prefer almond milk for milk though and sometimes am forced to buy the 0% fage at Costco instead of my preferred 2%!! Such is life though :)
but garlic is so good! i love stride’s new gum that changes from citrus in your mouth to mint after some time. fun! my fave tomatoes are heirlooms with lots of olive oil. i don’t eat low fat or fat free anything lol. i am the queen of fat, eater of the animal kingdom.
the chicken looks awesome! i have seen a bunch of recipes recently cooking w/ hummus. don’t know why i never thought of that.. anywho. favorite tomatoes, roma , by far. i use low fat almond milk, but when i eat cheese (only on BFL cheat day) is full fat baby!
the pasta and chicken both look to.die.for!!! i love president’s fat free feta, i actually have the tomato basil flavor in my lunch box today! love it!
Comments on this entry are closed.