Chicken and cheese packet meals Washington DC

Springfield-based Joyce Fikri, nutrition educator for the St. Louis District Dairy Council, offers a couple of recipes for healthy summer meals.

The chicken-and-cheese foil packets call for oven baking but can be cooked on a grill as well. The quesadillas, which are appropriate for any meal of the day, are made in a skillet. Both call for low-fat cheese.

Recipes are from the dairy council.

BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Foil Packet Dinner

3 tablespoons barbecue sauce

4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 pound)

2 small unpeeled red potatoes, thinly sliced

1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 green onion, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a foil sheet, approximately 12-by-12 inches, on a work surface. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the barbecue sauce in the center of the foil sheet. Place one chicken breast half over barbecue sauce and spread another teaspoon of sauce over chicken. Top with a quarter of the potato, bell pepper and onion. Sprinkle with a little of the salt and pepper.

Fold foil in half to cover contents; make narrow folds along edges to seal. Repeat with remaining ingredients to assemble three more packets. Place packets on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 290 calories, 38 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 630 mg sodium.

Breakfast Quesadilla

Vegetable cooking spray

1/2 cup egg substitute

1 tablespoon diced green pepper

1 tablespoon diced onion

1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat jalapeno-cheddar cheese

2 soft fat-free tortillas (6 inch)

2 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, for garnish

In a skillet lightly sprayed with cooking spray, cook egg substitute with green peppers, onions and jalapeno-cheddar cheese. Flip once. Cook until done. Heat tortillas in microwave about 30 seconds, until warm. Layer a tortilla, egg mixture, another tortilla and put cheddar on top. Cut into six pieces.

Makes 1 serving.

Per serving: 268 calories, 33 g protein, 12 g fat.

The Trading Post is compiled by Kathryn Rem. Send recipes and recipe requests to the Trading Post, The State Journal-Register, One Copley Plaza, Springfield, IL 62701 or food@sj-r.com. Please include your name, city and daytime phone number.