Sun Dried Tomato Pesto & Chicken Pasta

I saw this recipe recently over on Julie's blog. If you haven't checked her out yet you really need to. My blog totally has a crush on her blog. She is a wonderful cook and an excellent hostess. I love going over to her house, I always know I'll get some tasty food, tons of laughs, and I'll get to stare at her pretty serving dishes. (I'm so jealous of those!)

I knew I had to make this for two reasons...

1) It just sounded good
2) It would give me a chance to hang out with my new friend, Frannie Food Processor.

The dish was very good. It had a wonderful flavor, I loved the pesto. It just a little dry for my taste. When I eat pasta it has to be coated in a ridiculous amount of sauce. (So healthy, I know) Now, the reason this could have been a little dry is because I couldn't find sun dried tomatoes in a jar at the grocery store. How annoying! We shopped at the Walmart Market to save a few $$ and the only sun dried tomatoes I could find were just in a package "ready to eat", no oil or anything with it.

While I was making the pesto, I did add some oil, but I guess just not enough. Since this is originally a CL recipe though, the pasta probably isn't supposed to be drenched in anything. If I make this again, I can just add less pasta. Matt loved this. He loved it so much he had it again for dinner or lunch the next 4 days. One night was plenty for me.


Sun Dried Tomato Pesto & Chicken Pasta
Found On: Julie's Foodie
Originally from: CL
(no pictures, it just wasn't very pretty)


Ingredients
Pesto:
1 (7-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves
Pasta:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 (6-ounce) bag prewashed baby spinach
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated fat-free milk
1 (3-ounce) package goat cheese, crumbled (I used mozzarella, I had it on hand)
6 cups hot cooked cavatappi (about 4 cups uncooked pasta) (I used rotini, I had it on hand)


Preparation

To prepare pesto, drain sun-dried tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl, reserving oil. Place 2 tablespoons reserved oil in a food processor. Place remaining oil in sun-dried tomato jar; reserve for another use. Coarsely chop 1/4 cup drained tomatoes; set aside. Place remaining drained tomatoes in food processor. Add basil, water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 garlic cloves to food processor; process until finely minced.

To prepare pasta, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan.

Add minced garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add balsamic vinegar and baby spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in pesto and evaporated fat-free milk. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes.

Add crumbled goat cheese; cook until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Combine chicken mixture and pasta, tossing well to coat. Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup chopped drained tomatoes.

Parmesan and Sage-Crusted Pork Chops

I saw this recipe in the December 2008 Cooking Light. It's a very simple and delicious dish. We paired in with some spinach and brown rice seasoned with basil, parsley, sage, and sauteed onions. It was a great Monday night meal.

Parmesan and Sage-Crusted Pork Chops
Yield4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop)



Ingredients
1 (1 1/4-ounce) slice white bread, torn into pieces (I also used Panko)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 large egg whites
4 (4-ounce) boneless thin-cut pork loin chops, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
Preparation

1. Place bread in a food processor; pulse bread 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure about 1 cup. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, sage, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Place flour in another shallow dish. Combine mustard and egg whites in another shallow dish, stirring with a whisk.

2. Working with one pork chop at a time, dredge pork in flour, shaking off excess. Dip pork into egg white mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Coat pork completely with breadcrumb mixture. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining pork, flour, egg white mixture, and breadcrumb mixture.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add pork; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done.


For Nutritional Info go here

Healthy Muffins

Lately, my schedule is insane. I'm taking 11 hours at school, and work 32. Monday and Wednesday are my school related days and Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I work. Yuck. I usually end up eating at least 3 meals a week sitting in the parking lot before class. I don't want to spend the money or calories on eating out and I don't care for deli meat or sandwiches, so those meals usually consist of raw veggies and hummus, a handful of almonds, a banana and apple or nectarine, and a granola bar or trail mix - not super satisfying. I decided to go on the hunt for something that was easy to eat, filling, and healthy that I could throw in the mix every once in a while.

My hunt ended at this recipe from Cooking Light - Morning Glory Muffins. These fit my criteria perfectly. The yogurt and banana make these incredibly moist and I love the trail mix feel to them. An added bonus - I read the reviews and there was a comment on how well they freeze. I can make a batch of 18 and just take one at a time out of the freezer as I need it. I also love how you can change up the ingredients. I am really surprised at how delicious these are. Matt really liked them too. He declared them "The Perfect Breakfast Food".

Morning Glory Muffins
Source: Cooking Light





Yield
18 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup whole wheat flour (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1 cup regular oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon wheat bran
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2) (I had a little under 2 cups, so I added some applesauce)
1 large egg
1 cup chopped pitted dates (I used 1/2 cup golden raisins and 1/2 cup cranberries)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (I used soy nuts)
1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed (about 2 tablespoons whole)




Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Place 18 muffin cups liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife.

Combine flours and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine yogurt, banana, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in dates, walnuts, and pineapple.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly with flaxseed. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information (for original recipe)

Calories:186 (21% from fat)Fat: 4.4g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.7g,poly 2.8g) Protein: 4.2g Carbohydrate: 35.2g Fiber: 3.4g Cholesterol: 12mg Iron: 1.2mg Sodium: 190mg Calcium: 42mg

Chicken Salad

So my pictures from dinner tonight aren't the best, but the hubster gave the meal two thumbs. I'm not a big fan of chicken salad by any means. I don't like mayo so I guess that's why I don't like it. I saw this recipe and was intrigued because it used Greek Yogurt. I've read lots of good things about Greek Yogurt, but had never tried it.

For a non-chicken salad person this was really good. It was super quick and easy to prepare and the clean up was cinch too! The flavor was pretty good. My husband thought it was perfect, I think it could have used a little something else. Maybe some diced jalapeno.

Next time, I'm going to cut this in half. It made way too much for 2 people. Also, I think adding some more veggies would be right up my alley.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Adapted From: Cooking Light July 2008



Ingredients
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups chopped cooked chicken 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped pitted green olives (about 20 small) omitted
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
6 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half Omitted, we ate ours on whole grain English muffins
12 Bibb lettuce leaves
6 (1/8-inch-thick) slices tomato, cut in half


Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside. Combine chicken and next 5 ingredients (through chickpeas) in a large bowl. Add yogurt mixture to chicken mixture; toss gently to coat. Line each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf and 1 tomato piece; add 1/2 cup chicken mixture to each pita half.


Yield
6 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed pita halves)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 404(23% from fat); FAT 10.2g (sat 3.8g,mono 4g,poly 1.5g); IRON 3.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 110mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.4g; SODIUM 575mg; PROTEIN 33.6g; FIBER 6g

Carrot Bread

I marked quite a few recipes out of the July Cooking Light. After we got back from STL last night I decided to give this one a whirl because I had all the ingredients on hand. The Carrot Bread turned out very moist and delicious - similar to a Zucchini Bread. I'll definitely be making this again, next time with some walnuts.

Carrot Bread
Source: July 2008 Cooking Light



Ingredients

3/4 cup sliced carrot
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Cook carrot in boiling water 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Place carrot in a food processor; process until smooth.

3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine whole wheat flour and the next 6 ingredients (through cloves) in a large bowl. Combine carrot, sugar, and the next 4 ingredients (through egg white) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add carrot mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

4. Pour batter into an 8-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. I baked mine for 40 min and it was pretty dark (but not dry). I think closer to 35 would have been better. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut bread into 12 slices





Yield
1 loaf; 12 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 151(32% from fat); FAT 5.3g (sat 0.5g,mono 3g,poly 1.6g); IRON 0.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; CALCIUM 34mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24g; SODIUM 240mg; PROTEIN 3.2g; FIBER 2.1g

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Honey Apple Cake

I saw this in the April issue of Cooking Light and knew I had to make it. I finally got the opportunity to yesterday and I can't believe I waited so long to make it. It was sooooo delicious. The cake is moist and just perfect. When my husband had a bite his first words were "mmmmmm you'll be making this again". (Except, with a mouthful of cake it sounded more like mmmmyulllbemakingisagain". )

I changed a few things from the original recipe. For the frosting, instead of almonds I used oats and I think it turned out great. When I was making the frosting, I wasn't paying attention and poured in regular sugar instead of brown sugar. I was stirring and stirring, and it just didn't look (or taste) like I thought it should. I read back over the recipe and sure enough it was supposed to have brown sugar. I added some brown sugar in and everything seemed fine.

When I poured the frosting over the cake, I didn't use all of it because I was afraid with double the sugar it would be too sweet. The frosting isn't really a regular frosting, it's sticky and caramelized. So, so, so good! The optional whipped topping and cinnamon mentioned at the end of the recipe is a must!

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Honey Apple Cake
Adapted from: Cooking Light, April 2008



Ingredients
Cake:
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar object
3/4 cup chunky applesauce (Used regular, I don't like chunky applesauce)
1/3 cup honey
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted (I didn't have any almonds, so I used 1/2 cup oats)

Remaining ingredients:
1 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Ground cinnamon (optional)


Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cake, combine oats and 1 cup hot water in a small bowl; set aside.

3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Combine 1 1/3 cups sugar, applesauce, 1/3 cup honey, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed 1 minute. Add oat mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Add half of flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat well. Add remaining flour mixture; beat well. Spoon batter into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Place dish on a wire rack.

4. To prepare frosting, melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup honey; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly, stirring constantly. Stir in almonds. Quickly pour frosting over cake; spread evenly using a rubber spatula.

5. Preheat broiler.

6. Broil cake 1 minute or until frosting is bubbly and golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve with whipped topping; sprinkle with ground cinnamon, if desired.


Yield
16 servings (serving size: 1 cake piece and 1 tablespoon topping)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 255(19% from fat); FAT 5.4g (sat 2.1g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 3.4g; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 40mg; SODIUM 193mg; FIBER 1.5g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.9g

Healthy on a Budget

So the Hubs and I recently decided we want to try and cut our spending down. A huge area we can cut down is at the Grocery Store. Some months, the money we've spent at the grocery store is ridiculous. Due to the Great Grocery Budget Slash, we've started shopping at a Walmart Market store. Definitely not my favorite, but damn I just love the low prices.

One problem with this store is they don't have as good of a selection as other Grocery Stores. In the past, if we shopped there, I'd always end up making another grocery run to get the stuff I needed. Last week however, I stuck to the budget and didn't go any where else. So, that led me to a problem. I wanted to make Chicken-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese except they didn't have quite a few of the ingredients. That didn't stop me though. Below is the recipe with my substitutions - which turned out fabulous! I will most definitely be making this again and again. It was also delicious for lunch (and dinner) the next day.

Chicken-Rotini Salad with Blue Cheese
Based on Chicken-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese - Cooking Light April 2008




Ingredients

1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta) (I used 1 cup rotini and chopped it after it was cooked)
3 cups chopped grilled chicken breast strips (such as Tyson)
1/2 cups trimmed arugula (I used spinach)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (I used whole)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (I used 1 cup)
1/4 cup prechopped red onion (I chopped a white onion I had on hand)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (dry)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (dry)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese (I used maybe 1 tbsp of blue cheese, the hubs and I don't like goat cheese)


Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.

2. Combine pasta, chicken, and the next 6 ingredients (through oregano) in a large bowl; toss well.

3. Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups salad and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 295(23% from fat); FAT 7.7g (sat 2.9g,mono 2.8g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 24.4g; CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 40mg; SODIUM 788mg; FIBER 2g; IRON 2.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.1g

Remember Me?

Long time, no blog. Lately I don't have time for anything but work and school. It really sucks. Last week I actually made 2 meals, both from the April 2008 Cooking Light. I was a little nervous about this dish, but it turned out very well.

Asian Beef and Noodle-Filled Lettuce Cups
I forgot to take a picture

Ingredients
3 ounces uncooked rice vermicelli
12 ounces ground sirloin
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup prechopped onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (Omitted)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 Boston lettuce leaves
1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef to pan, and cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Stir in garlic, and cook for 2 minutes or until browned. Stir in noodles, carrots, and the next 4 ingredients (through mint). Combine juice, sugar, and soy sauce in a small bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add juice mixture to beef mixture; tossing gently to coat. Arrange 1 lettuce leaf on each of 4 plates; spoon 1 1/4 cups beef mixture into each leaf. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon peanuts.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed lettuce leaf)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 270(29% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 2.2g,mono 3.7g,poly 1.9g); PROTEIN 21.2g; CHOLESTEROL 45mg; CALCIUM 37mg; SODIUM 234mg; FIBER 2.6g; IRON 2.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27.8g

Green Beans with Warm Bacon Dressing

I found this recipe in the March 2008 Cooking Light. This was my first time ever using fresh green beans. We loved this so much I'm planning on making it again later this week.

1 pound fresh green beans - trimmed
2 strips of bacon
1/4 cup chopped shallots omitted
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
S&P to taste.

Cook green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Cook 2 strips bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add shallots to drippings in pan; cook for 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add garlic and green beans; toss to coat. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and salt and pepper.

It's his turn

I got my first CL in the mail a few weeks ago and immediately found a recipe I wanted to make - Parmesan Chicken and Rice Casserole. My plan was to make it on Sunday, since I knew I'd be too busy to cook all week. Well the husband failed to inform me he wouldn't be around for dinner (even after I'd asked him) so I figured I'd have to wait to make this. Well he decided to help me out on Thursday and make this. It was quite funny:

Him: So, should I put Parmesan, Monterrey or Cheddar on the chicken?
Me: Um honey, it's called PARMESAN Chicken and Rice Casserole.
Him: Oh, right. Man, this is complicated. I'd rather make some hot dogs.

Anyway, this turned out pretty good, I'm pretty sure we'll have it again. Sorry my picture sucks, my camera died 2 seconds after I took this picture, so there were no other chances for a pretty picture.

Parmesan Chicken and Rice Casserole
Total Time: 37 min





Cooking Spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (3 1/2 ounce) bags boil-in-bag brown rice he used minute rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4lb) he used chicken breast
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp whipping cream he used skim milk
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 - Preheat oven to 450

2 - heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; saute' 2 minutes. Add garlic; saute' 30 seconds. Remove rice from bags; add to pan. Saute' 30 seconds. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon rice mixture in an even layer into a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3 - Arrange chicken in a single layer over rice mixture; sprinkle evenly with thyme and salt. Combine broth and cream, stirring well; pour over chicken and rice mixture.


4 - Bake at 450 for 15 min. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until chicken is done (ours took a little longer)

100 Calories

Go here for a month of 100 calorie or less snacks.

Easy Enough

I found this recipe through Cooking Light the other day. It seemed simple enough and we've never made brisket so this was a good opportunity. We prepared it all the night before and stuck it (it = stoneware from crock pot) in the fridge. In the morning the hubs just popped the stoneware back in the crock pot. I served this with veggies and speedy twice baked potatoes. (Instead of baking the potato in its skin the 2nd time, I put the potato mixture in a dish, sprinkled cheese on top, and baked about 15min. I was too impatient to wait for the potatoes to cool.)

Slow-Cooker Beef Brisket with Beer


Photo by Randy Mayor

1 (3-pound) beef brisket, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup water
2 cups vertically sliced onion (about 1 large)
1 1/2 cups chopped parsnip (about 2)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 (12-ounce) bottle light beer

Rub brisket with salt and pepper. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add brisket to pan; cook 10 minutes, browning on all sides.

Remove brisket from the pan. Add 1/4 cup water to pan, stirring to loosen browned bits. Add onion and parsnip; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Place onion mixture, vinegar, bay leaf, and beer in a large electric slow cooker. Place brisket on top of onion mixture. (M added water so the meat was almost completely covered) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Discard bay leaf. Cut brisket diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with sauce


M and I were nervous that the brisket wouldn't taste good and be too beery (is there such a thing.... ha!) We were wrong and pleasantly surprised. It was very good. If you're not a beer person you will not like this.


Nutritional Information
CALORIES 160(28% from fat); FAT 5g (sat 1.9g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 20.5g; CHOLESTEROL 49mg; CALCIUM 20mg; SODIUM 232mg; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 1.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.6g