Gluten Free Grilled Chicken Breast with Baked Potato & Steamed Broccoli @ The Chateau

On Valentine’s Day my boyfriend and I decided to go out for dinner. Since we had a gift card to a local restaurant The Chateau we decided to go there. Since it was Valentine’s Day we had over an hour wait to be seated (the restaurant wasn’t taking reservations that night).

Unlike the last time I went to The Chateau I was really in the mood for grilled chicken … so after taking a look on the menu offered on the company’s website I decided to order off the gluten free menu. Granted, I don’t have a gluten intolerance, but it was the only menu where grilled chicken was offered except for an option to add to a large dinner salad.

My meal itself was completely delicious. I opted to get the garden salad with fat free zinfandel dressing on the side. Whereas for my dinner I was served 2 large “butterflied” chicken breasts, a baked potato and steamed broccoli. The meal also came with a small container of jellied cranberry sauce, which I decided to not eat since I didn’t quit need the additional flavoring.  Since we were going to get a dessert to share I ate a little less than half my meal … to save room for dessert that is.  Strawberry shortcake was served over a warm biscuit, topped with strawberries in sauce, ice cream and whipped cream. A decadent and delicious treat to the end of a delicious meal.

The leftovers I did take home and enjoyed the following day.

Pace Nacho Cheese Taco Shells

 If you’re a fan of tacos and even possibly Doritos, then you may have at one point or another ventured over to Taco Bell and tried a Doritos Locos Taco. Since I saw Taco Bell offering these tacos I have been anxiously waiting to see the taco shells sold in a grocery store. Thankfully, that day had come when I picked up a box of Pace Nacho Cheese Taco Shells at Wal-Mart.

I want to start off by saying these are not an exact “dupe” of the Taco Bell Doritos shells … but they’re as close as you’re going to get.  The shells are not as firm/hard as traditional taco shells; they’re on the softer side of crunchy. As the box describes, they’re nacho cheese flavored and they’re perfect stuffed with taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream … or whatever may tickle your fancy. I found they added great flavor to my meal and I enjoyed them even the next day crumbled over a taco salad.

Pace also sells an original and kickin’ jalapeno flavor. So far, I’ve only noticed them at Super Wal-Mart locations. Price wise, if I recall correctly, they were under $1.50

A 2 shell serving is 130 calories or 3 points plus values.

Grace Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

I often get asked if I have a recipe for my Jamaican jerk pork or jerk chicken.  Quite honestly, I don’t. When I was a kid my parents would make homemade jerk seasoning … but as a jarred season began to be sold in a local market, it was easier to purchase a jar than it was to make the seasoning.  I purchase a jar of Mild Grace Jamaican Jerk Seasoning for $4.99 and it lasts for a very long time. If you’re in the New England area, I happen to purchase this season from Stop & Shop retailers … whereas if you’re closer to the inner city, I can also purchase this at tropical stores.

If you are planning on purchasing the seasoning, be aware that a little goes a long way! One tablespoon of seasoning can be stretched to cover a 2 pound pork roast or even 1 ½ pounds of chicken breast. The more seasoning you add, the spicier it’s going to be. There have been times where I’ve been too heavy handed with the seasoning and after my meal was cooked, no one wanted to eat it because it was so hot.

The seasoning comes in a paste form and provides delicious, classic Jamaican jerk flavoring. It’s wonderful and a great seasoning to be paired up with any meat. Whether chicken or pork, after the seasoning is rubbed onto the meat, I bake it in a 350 degree oven until cooked through. It’s perfect, delicious and an authentic seasoning.

Quest Bar Cookies & Cream

Well over a year ago I was introduced to Quest Bars. While trying different flavors I found there were some that I enjoyed and others that I was not a fan of. But that’s typically how it is when trying something new. Since I happen to be a huge fan of Oreo cookies I decided I had to give the Quest Bar Cookies & Cream a try.

If you’re unfamiliar with Quest Bars they are protein bars which are pretty low in calories in comparison to other protein bars on the market. They’re also low in carbs, high in fiber, high in protein, there’s no sugar added and they are gluten free.  They are available for purchase through select online retailers while they are also sold (individually and in case packages) at fitness shops such as GNC and select vitamin/nutrition shops.  You can search Quest Bar retailers in your area on the brands website: www.questproteinbar.com/‎

The cookies & cream bar has more of a cream taste to it (think the filling of an Oreo). But there are plenty of cookie bits and chunks running throughout the bar.  It’s definitely a healthy take on an indulgent treat. The great thing about Quest Bars is they can be eaten straight out of the packaging; they can also be eaten warmed in the microwave or baked for a few minutes in an oven. It is undoubtedly one of my favorite Quest Bars to date that I have tried. They don’t have an aftertaste, they don’t have a weird texture … they’re just “money”.

The only downside? They can be pretty hard to find since they are one of the newer launches to the brand.

This particular bar is 180 calories or 5 points plus values.

Weight Watchers Hoisin Steak Stir-Fry

Skimming through the Weight Watchers Good Deal cookbook for dinner ideas, there was a particular Asian flare dish that really caught my attention. I’m thinking it was primarily due to the fact it was a beef stir fry. I decided it had to be on the dinner menu, so I put the few items I needed to pick up at the grocery store on my shopping list … and dinner was on its way to being created.

I followed the recipe to a T and found it to be rather easy to whip together. Dinner came together in under 30 minutes which was also a bonus.  The beef turned out rather moist, the sauce was just right and the vegetables were perfect – cooked but still had some crunch to them.  The recipe actually calls for the serving of brown rice which I liked to see because most recipes call for one dish, not the accompanying sides. In addition to the rice, I served this alongside some fresh steamed broccoli.

The greatest part? The entire meal was only 6 points plus values! ¾ cup of beef mixture and ½ cup rice.

Limited Edition Cookie Dough Oreo’s

A number of posts back I showcased the Limited EditionMarshmallow Crispy Oreo’s … but what I haven’t posted about yet are the Limited Edition Cookie Dough Oreo. I waited to open the package after the marshmallow crispy cookies were gone.

The original chocolate Oreo’s are my absolute favorite cookie. Admittedly I typically opt to skip on flavored chocolate cookie Oreo’s because I usually feel nothing can live up to the original. Although when I saw these, I was intrigued so of course I had to try them. Upon first bite, I found the cookie itself is a softer crispy cookie and they taste extremely fresh, a lot fresher tasting than the original cookie. The unique thing with these cookies is the fact the frosting is flavored and it has chocolate chip pieces/slivers in it.  The pieces/slivers of chocolate provided no new texture.  Would I say it tastes exactly like cookie dough? No, but it is reminiscent of it.  The cream itself has a chocolaty flavor to it from the chips but it has a bit of a caramel flavor to it. If you eat the cream alone it tastes along the lines of a chocolate caramel, but when eaten with the cookie it’s reminiscent of cookie dough. But on the plus side they’re not overly sweet and certainly not as overpowering on the sugar factor when in comparison to the Marshmallow Crispy Oreo’s.

A serving is 2 cookies, which are 140 calories or 4 points plus values. 1 cookie would be 70 calories or 2 points plus values.

Skinny Cow Chocolate Mousse Ganache

When I had saw that Skinny Cow had come out with a new ice cream cone, I was put on the hunt. Unfortunately I came up empty handed for nearly 2 months until just recently I spotted the Skinny Cow Chocolate Mousse Ganache ice creams at my local Target. Since I was so excited to find them I purchased a box and unfortunately enough they weren’t on sale when I purchased.

Typically I am a fan of Skinny Cow ice cream because I find the brand simply gets it right. Deliciously “healthier for you” ice cream which is lower in fat, calories or points plus values in comparison to some of the other ice creams on the market.  The ice cream itself is a blend of vanilla and chocolate ice creams and chocolate ganache. The whole shebang is pretty good … but I have to say the best part is the little glob of ganache at the center of the top of the cone. Sadly, the ganache wasn’t as plentiful as I would have hoped for (I was hoping for a chocolate ganache core). The ganache was the flavor that I savored the most … whereas the rest of the ice cream is the classic smooth creamy ice cream Skinny Taste is known to provide.

Would I repurchase them again? Probably if I were in the mood for an ice cream cone … although I may give the mint a shot to see if it’s any better than the chocolate mousse.

Each cone is 160 calories or 4 points plus values.