Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

There is more to this recipe then the title implies. Not only are you cooking your meat but you are also preparing a delicious sauce to serve with it at the same time. The secret ingredient in this sauce is sure to surprise you. What is it you may wonder? For those of you who have cooked from this cookbook before you may not be surprised because you are getting used to using food in strange and unexpected ways but for others it may come as a complete surprise. The secret ingredient is oatmeal. It's great because it not only adds some texture, it fills you up at the same time.

When I was doing my groceries the store was out of my favorite brand of diced tomatoes so instead of substituting for one with way to much salt content I used whole canned tomatoes instead. Click here for my post about tinned tomatoes and a great brand I found with way less salt.

SERVED WITH: We ate this meal with broccoli and some brown rice to soak up the yummy sauce

COOKING TIPS: Make sure to really pound your chicken flat. I found out the hard way that I didn't get the meat thin enough. When it came time to roll up the chicken with the spinach stuffing inside it just wouldn't roll. So I did a amateurish job and stuck a ton of tooth picks into each one to hold them together while they cooked.

RATING: 8. This is a heart warming dish for a cold winter's night

Braised Pacific Halibut

This is another one of those dishes I chose to make because I had some leftover white wine in the fridge. So far I have not been a huge fan of the fish recipes in the GI diet cookbook. Out of the six fish dishes I have tried I have loved two (Drunken Salmon and Grilled Tilapia) but the remaining four I have not really enjoyed. If I decide to try this meal again I think I would make a few changes. I would attempt the recipe using fresh spinach and I would follow my chef friends advice with regards to the white wine (see below in cooking tips)

SERVED WITH: Brown rice and Mediterranean oven roasted tomatoes

COOKING TIPS: My chef friend gave me a little tip. He said if you bring your wine to a boil in a frying pan before adding it to your casserole to braise the fish with you will end up with a more flavorful dish.

RATING 6. My husband rated this dish a 7 but I disagree. I didn't enjoy it all that much.

Warm Artichoke Dip

This is another item I made last weekend for our party. It was the first time I had tried it out and both batches of it were gone by the end of the evening. It was nice to serve a warm dip. I put out a ton of veggies to eat it with but most people ate it with the tortilla chips instead. It tasted great straight from the oven when it was hot and later on when it cooled off. This turned out to be a pretty chunky dip so I can see why people chose the tortilla chips. It was a little more difficult to keep on a carrot stick.

SERVED WITH: Veggies and tortilla chips

COOKING TIPS: No tips necessary, just chop it up and mix it up.

RATING: 8. I would definitely make it again.

Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula

This meal is so super easy I just had to share it with you. But I warn you it has a dreaded red light item in it - GOATS CHEESE. On the good side it is made with whole wheat pasta, nutricious spinach, red onions, and white kidney beans - all of which are allowed on the GI diet
Basically you take some cooked pasta and toss it with the remaining ingredients. I actually enjoy eating this meal warm for dinner and then eat it cold the next day for lunch. Below is the recipe. Try it out if you are allowing yourself a small splurge.

Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula


SERVED WITH: This is a full meal all on its own.

COOKING TIPS: It is so easy to make, just throw it all together, mix and serve.

RATING: A 9 for flavour, but only a 6 if you consider the red light item in it.

Spinach and Meatball Soup

For a soup this was quite delicious. The soup broth and the mini meatballs are flavoured with cumin so I find I have to be in the mood for a dish such as this. By adding in some white kidney beans this soup becomes quite hearty. As the recipe suggested we ate ours with a dollop of yogurt cheese stirred right in. This gave the soup a creamy texture even though is was made with chicken broth. It may not be the most attractive looking soup but its flavour made up for its appearance.

SERVED WITH: A slice of whole grain toast and a glass of water

COOKING TIPS: Before I made this soup I just assumed I would cook the meatballs before putting them in the soup but that is not the case. You simply throw the meatballs into the broth and let it simmer for 20 minutes. By then your mini meatballs will be cooked all the way through.

RATING: A solid 8 as long as you are in the mood for Indian flavorings.

Herbed Cheese Omelette

This week I learnt how to make an omelette. May not sound very exciting to you but it was to me. Doesn't seem like a hard thing to master but if you just "wing" it like I had been doing you may wind up with the same result: scrambled eggs. So I followed the directions and "ta daaaa" a delicious omelette was served for a speedy week night supper.

SERVED WITH: I was lazy and in a hurry so I had it with a slice of bread. A side salad and some asparagus would have made a better dinner.

COOKING TIPS: Have patience. The trick to making an omelette is letting it slowly cook in the pan while gently lifting up the edges and letting the uncooked egg run underneath. After about five minutes, or when all of the egg is just about firm, you can flip one side onto the other.

RATING. 10. The tanginess of the lemon mixed with creamy cheese created a wonderful fresh tasting flavor.