Chicken & Squash with Tomato Basil Pasta

Chicken & Squash with Tomato Basil Pasta

You will need 1/2 lb to 3/4 lb chicken breast or tenders. Cook chicken w/ a little salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, paprika and lemon juice.  Then set aside.

 

Cook the following in skillet over med heat for about 8 to 10 min while the water for the pasta is boiling:

2 c sliced yellow squash and zucchini

1/4 c chopped white onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves

1tsp. light olive oil

2 tsp. lemon juice and a bit of zest

 

 

Cook pasta-I found these amazing tomato basil noodles by "Amish Wedding"-no preservatives, colors or salt in them AND 9 g of protein in each serving!

 

Add 2 c marinara sauce-I like "Mama Rosa" brand to the veggies. Also,  add the chicken back in. Let it simmer on low together while the pasta is cooking for about 12 min.

 

Drain the pasta and then combine in skillet with everything else. Give it a toss and let them all become friends for a few min before serving.

 

Serve with green salad and make sure everyone is a member of the "Clean Plate Club"-that is what we do here at our house and how we encourage our 4 yr old to eat it all up-yes even that mushy squash he ate so he could be in the club!!

 

Enjoy! xoxo-A

 



Chicken, peppers and angel hair tossed with pnb & soy sauce

What you will need:

Seasonings: (1/2 tsp of each)

ginger

garlic powder

cinnamon

dry mustard

blk pepper

Sauce:

2 tsp Light olive oil or reg olive oil

1 tsp natural peanut butter

1/4 c lite sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sriracha or hot sauce

whisk together and add into pan right before you drop the pasta in to toss

Peppers and onions:

1/2 cup sliced red onion, 2 cups chopped sweet peppers-yellow, red, orange

Chicken:

cube 1 and 1/2 lbs chicken breast and boil in water for 8 min. Drain and then add back to pan with 1/4 c water remaining. Add to the skillet 1 tsp unsalted butter, 2 tsp minced garlic, the peppers and onions. Season with the above seasonings evenly and cook for 10 min on med while the pasta cooks.

Angel hair or other pasta:

Whole grain, 4 servings-cook according to package

Toss all together and serve! Serves 3 adult portions and one hungry 4 year old!



Enjoy! A

Healthy Enchilada Lasagna

Enchilada lasagna!

So clean and healthy and the whole family will love this one!

What you will need:

12 small white corn tortillas

1/2 or 3/4 lb diced chicken breast or ground turkey (or omit meat for a vegetarian dish or add black beans)

Yellow, orange, red or green pepper-pick at least 2 of those 4

1/2 c chopped onion-which ever kind you like

1 c chopped tomatoes

1/2 c corn-frozen or fresh off the cob

2 cups salsa- I used a pineapple mango flavored for extra flavor

1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 c lime juice

1/4 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 c hot sauce

Fresh cilantro, pepper, Badia seasoning, red pepper flakes

8 oz Creamy citrus avocado dressing that I got from Whole Foods-which was the inspiration for this entire meal

DIRECTIONS:

1.Layer 5 tortillas on the bottom of the 9 by 13 baking dish then add 1/2 of the meat and veggie mixture that you cooked in a skillet already (add the hot sauce, lime juice, butter and seasonings as  it cooked down in the skillet)

2.Next, add the tomatoes and half of the salsa, half the cheese and then half of the avocado dressing.

3.Layer 4 more tortillas and add the rest of the meat and veggie mix, then repeat step 2.

4.Layer 3 more tortillas and sprinkle remaining cheese on top

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 min.

Enjoy!! A

HEALTHY ITALIAN TUNA BAKE

Directions & Ingredients:

6 oz Greek yogurt

8 oz lite sour cream

2 tsp tomato paste

1/4 c parmesan cheese

1/4 c white or spanish onion chopped

1/2 c chopped mushrooms

1/2 c chopped yellow, green or red peppers (or a combo)

2 cans white albacore tuna

2 cups dry mini penne or rotini whole grain pasta

1 c shredded mozzarella

1/4 to 1/2 c Italian breadcrumbs (whole wheat)-depending on your taste (go easy)

First, boil pasta just under what the directions tell you to because you are going to bake it for additional time.

At the same time in a pan on the stove on med heat mix the yogurt, sour cream and tomato paste with the following seasonings: garlic powder, basil, oregano, pepper, red pepperflakes and paprika. Mix well and let sit for 5 min until warmed all the way through.

Pour the cheesy sauce mixture into the baking dish-I used a 9x13. Strain the pasta and also pour into baking dish.

In the same pan add the veggies along with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and let cook down for 5 to 7 min.

Lastly, combine all ingredients into the baking dish-finishing off with the shredded mozzarella, parmesan and breadcrumbs. (I also added fresh parsley and more black pepper at this point)

Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 min.

Enjoy!!!
A

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps! Love this idea and there are endless combinations you can prepare! Make it fun, think outside of the box...make them your own!

I used :

1 lb cubed chicken breast

1 c corn

1/4 c each onions, celery, carrots, silvered raw unsalted almonds

Seasoning for the mixture:

lime juice, cumin, Badia complete seasoning, cilantro,  parsley, ginger, crushed red pepper, pepper, garlic, 1/4 c lite sodium soy sauce (I would have made it spicier for sure with wasabi, Sriracha  and Red Hot if my son wasn't eating it too-he handled the above flavors great though!)

I sautéed the chicken first with all the seasonings/juice/sauce and slowly added in the veggies and then spot checked for taste and added more of whatever I thought it needed. Total cook time 20 min. Wrap in iceberg lettuce and serve-I need a little help on my wrapping skills but that will come! Enjoy!!! xoxoxo-A

Cucumber tuna salad with Greek yogurt, soy sauce and wasabi mustard

 

Great source of protein!!!! Are you eating enough protein??? Tuna and Greek yogurt are 2 great and affordable sources. I eat Greek yogurt every day at some point whether it is in tuna salad like this, with granola or alone with berries or fruit. Try just adding Greek yogurt to something you are maybe already eating daily and watch what happens!!! It is an awesome and healthy substitute to mayo or even  cheese when called for in recipes.

2 4.5 cans of white albacore tuna (StarKist selects if you are feeling fancy!) Great source of omega 3, low sodium, high protein, low carb)

3/4 c Greek yogurt (my favorite healthy food in the whole world)

2 tsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp wasabi mustard

3/4 c chopped cucumber

2 tsp chopped onion

1 stalk chopped celery

salt, pepper and parsley to taste

Options to eat:

Alone with whole wheat pita chips

On a flatout flat bread with more veggies

With hard-boiled eggs, cheese and tomatoes on a platter

Be creative and sneak other veggies, herbs or spices in there-you don't have to do it exactly how I posted it!

Enjoy!!!!
xoxoxo-A

 

 

 

 

Holiday Granola

Filled with goodies!! Makes a great healthy gift to give to loved ones too (which of course I am doing). I love to eat my granola with plain Greek yogurt!!! So delicious and fun to make!



walnuts-1 cup

almonds-1 cup

oats-6 cups

blueberry and pomegranate crasins-1 cup

dates-1/2 cup

white chocolate chips-1/2 cup

toasted coconut-1/2 cup

honey-1/4 cup

cinnamon--1/4 cup

Directions:

Mix together oats, nuts, coconut, honey and cinnamon then bake at 350 for 25 min. Let cool and add in crasins, choc chips and dates. Serving size is 1/4 cup.

 

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

A

Healthy Whole Grain Penne Pasta w/ ground lamb smothered in pesto garlic lemon sauce

[caption id="attachment_583" align="aligncenter" width="360"] penne with lamb and pesto[/caption]

What you will need:

8 oz Whole grain penne pasta

3/4 lb ground lamb-hard to find but so worth it!

1/2 c feta cheese

2 c spinach leaves

1/3 c pesto paste

1/4 lemon juice

1 cup pasta water

1/2 c skim ricotta cheese

2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 c chopped onion (white or spanish)

salt, pepper to taste

pine nuts to garnish

Optional: 1 c beef stock-mine was homemade from left over short ribs (celery, carrots, onion, basil, oregano and burgundy wine) I am pretty sure this contributed to the awesomeness but you should be fine with low sodium store-bought beef stock or without it at all. Lamb has a very powerful taste all on its own!!

Cooking Directions:

Cook lamb in skillet over med heat and drain fat

Cook pasta and set aside to cool-saving one cup of the pasta water for sauce

Add beef stock, garlic, onion, ricotta, feta, seasonings, pesto paste and  lemon juice to the lamb and mix together well

Let cook for 8 o 10 min on low to med heat then add in pasta water and pasta giving it all a good mix again

Lastly,  add spinach and pine nuts until all melted down and in together then serve

Warning!!! This smells divine from the minute you start to cook the lamb and you will want to taste it several times throughout the cooking process....its just so good!

(p.s. great for kids too! My 3 year old had 2 helpings!!)

(p.p.s remember portion control-you can eat this and not feel guilty about being what feels like  indulgent but remember to save some for lunch the next day!! )

Makes about 5 total servings and I served it with a tomato and feta salad dressed in olive oil and red wine vinegar!

Enjoy!

xoxo-A

 

Savory Citrus Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast-bone in, skin on (3 pcs)

3/4 to 1 can black beans

1 med yellow pepper chopped

1/2 c chopped spanish onion

1 med orange-skin on cut into quarters

1 lime-skin on cut into quarters

Juice of one lime or 1/4 lime juice

1 cup chicken stock

1 c water

1 c jasmine rice

1/2 to 1 c mango or pineapple salsa

Season with 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp honey, salt, pepper red pepper flakes and  "Badia Complete  Seasoning" -they sell this at Giant Eagle in the "Mexican" aisle (its fabulous) if you don't have this use garlic, oregano, basil and cilantro seasonings.

Cook on low for 6 hours or so adding the rice during the last 2 hours. It will turn into a soup almost but you can serve it strained in a tortilla or with the broth as a rice and chicken soup.  The citrus is the key here-the flavor comes out with the honey and cinnamon-delicious!!

When you feel the crock mixture is complete and you are ready to eat remove the chicken breast and remove the skin and bones chopping the chicken up and adding it back to the crock pot. Also remove the lime and orange wedges as you won't want to bite into them. Add hot sauce and cheese if you wish. I like this one so much because it is healthy and fit for me as is, my boyfriend can add as much hot sauce as he wants after it is out of the pot and the flavor and ingredients are perfect for my 3 yr old son. Makes for great leftovers too!

Try it and let me know what you think!
Enjoy!

xoxo-A

Greek Goddess Pasta

Directions:

Cook 1 lb chicken breast(that you cubed and marinated in a light Greek dressing for about 40 min) then set aside

Cook 3 c whole grain penne pasta noodles and set aside (make sure you save 1 c of the pasta water to add to your sauce)

***SAUCE***

In pan sautee' the following on med for 15 min:

Kalamata olive paste-2 tbsp (I got mine at the local Greek store)

Olive oil-2 tbsp

Garlic-1 tbsp

Red onion-chopped or sliced-1/4 c

Kalamata olives-1/2 c

Feta cheese-1/4 c

Water from pasta-1 c

*1/4 c pine nuts (optional)

*1 tbsp chopped banana peppers (optional)

Season with red pepper flakes, oregano, salt and pepper

Add the pasta and chicken to the kalamata sauce then add 2 c spinach leaves and 1/4 c feta.  Mix everything together and let them blend together for 10 min or so until the spinach is wilted down and everything is well coated in the sauce.

Enjoy!!!

xoxoxo-A

Wasabi, soy and lime tuna pasta salad

 





So simple to make, so good for you and so yummy!

2 cups of your choice of noodle-I used tri colored radiatore-cook , run cold water over and set aside in bowl

2 pouches Starkist white albacore tuna in water-add to cooled pasta

1 avocado-chopped-smother in lime juice after you cut it so it can keep its green color-add to dressing then pour into pasta mix

1/4 c chopped red onion-add to pasta mix

Dressing:

2 tsp honey

4 tsp olive oil

1/2 c lime juice

2 tsp hot sauce

2 tsp wasabi mustard

2 tsp soy sauce

whisk together then add chopped avocado to dressing then add to pasta mix

salt and pepper to taste

finish off with lime zest

yields about ( 4) 1 cup servings

Enjoy!

xoxoxo-A

Roasted apples, baby potatoes and delicata squash

 



Chop onion-I used white about 1/2 cup

Peel, seed and chop 1 delicata squash

Peel and chop one huge apple or 2 medium

Add half bag of baby potatoes-about 12 oz

Wisk together a heaping tsp of no sugar added apple or pumpkin butter with 2 tsp olive oil and 2 tsp water

Add pinch of sea salt and about 1 tsp rosemary

Give them all a good stir in the olive oil/apple butter mixture and bake at 350 for 30 minutes

I paired mine up with lean pork chops-DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS!!!

ENJOY!

XOXOXO-A

Granola w/ Pepitas, walnuts, almonds, dried cranberries and mini choc chip morsels

INGREDIENTS:

4 c old-fashioned oats

1 c raw natural sliced almonds

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1/4 c flaxseed meal

1/4 c honey

McCormick's Cinnamon and Sugar grinder-about 2 tbsp or 20 grinds



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix together and bake for 15 min at 350 degrees, give it a shake around to be careful not to burn any one area and bake for another 10 min. Make sure it is spread thinly and evenly on the pan.

Let cool for 25 min then add:

1 c roasted & salted pepitas (the inside of a pumpkin seed-very high in protein)

1/2 c dried cranberries

1/2 c mini chocolate chip morsels

Makes 8 total cups or 32 servings-a serving size is 1/4 cup.

I love to put mine on Greek yogurt or have it with almond milk. It is very satisfying and helps with my sweet and salty cravings!

Enjoy!

xoxoxo-A

Black Bean Spaghetti

BLACK BEAN SPAGHETTI!

Found this little gem at my local "health food store"-Today's Markey in Oakmont, PA

20 g's of protein per serving!!! Low carbs too!!! This spaghetti was sent from HEAVEN! Love it!

I made mine with about 5 oz of salsa marinated chicken, mangos, red onions, red and orange pepper.

This is so easy!

Marinade your chicken in salsa for at least 30 min or longer if you have time. Cube it, cook it in oven or skillet then set aside. Cook your pasta while you cook up your cut up mango and veggies..... sautee' for 10 min on low heat. Last, add in cooked chicken and cooked spaghetti to the mango and veggies and let them play around in there for another 5 min together adding whatever seasonings you want. Give them all a good stir and toss with some EVOO-Extra Virgin Olive Oil!

This is a very light but very filling dish!

I like to try new things all of the time-that is how I keep my healthy eating habits in check. I will not allow myself to get bored! If you put effort into your planning and cooking you will be completely satisfied eating healthy!

Oh ya-I had a small glass of white wine that I soaked some of the mangos in along with some apples and peaches-delicious!!! Also added some guacamole and a few chips!

Enjoy!!!
xoxoxo-A

Labor of Love LASAGNA!

 By now I think you are starting to understand that I believe you should LOVE your body and therefore want to feed it better with awesome good for you ingredients. This Lasagna is a labor of love but well worth the time put into it! There are  many healthy benefits to cooking it this way vs the traditional way and as always I promise it is just as delicious!!!

Ingredients:

1 to 1 and a half packages of lasagna noodles-WHOLE WHEAT (using whole wheat won't make you feel all icky and full after like white pasta does)

1 lb lean ground turkey meat

2 sweet sausage links or about 5 oz total

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 and a half cups chopped mushrooms

1 and a half jars of sauce-I used fire roasted organic

24 oz container of 2% cottage cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded skim mozzarella

Italian seasonings-I used basil, rosemary, garlic and red pepper flakes

I whole zucchini-peeled and shredded to use as  a layer

Step 1:

Cook ground turkey and sweet sausage over med heat in skillet for 10 to 12 min. Add in seasonings, onions and mushrooms for another 5 to 6 min.

Step 2:

Mix cheese mixture-cottage, parmesan and mozzarella in a bowl so it is ready as part of the lasagna assembly line......That is the fun part-putting it all together!!!



Step 3:

Cook your noodles or not depending on what the package says you can do then start to build your lasagna in this order:

noodles

sauce

cheese

meat

zucchini

Repeat ending with noodles and sauce on top. Sprinkle with a little bit more cheese-but remember this is "healthy lasagna" not "good old-fashioned lasagna" so easy on the cheese on top!!! Bake at 375 for 45 min.

This is great for dinner and then even better for leftovers the next few days!!!!

ENJOY!!!

XOXOXO-A

Baked Black Bean Pita Pockets

I love black beans! These can be made vegetarian if you like.  I added hot sausage to ours.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat pita pockets

1 can black beans

1/4 c chopped onion

1 c yellow pepper-or color of your choice

1 avocado

1/4 c shredded cheese

lime juice

olive oil

6 oz chopped meat-if you wish (chicken, pork or sausage)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and Combine all ingredients except for avocado and cheese in skillet. Heat in skillet for 12 min with lime juice and olive oil-tsp of each. Season with pepper, red pepper flakes, cilantro (and whatever spices you want)  Line the pockets thinly with smashed avocado and fill with the bean, veggie and meat mixture. Bake for 10 min then add hot sauce (if you wish) and cheese and bake for 5 more minutes.

Makes 3 servings or 6 half pockets

Total time 30 min-15 prep-15 bake

Enjoy!
xoxoxo-A

 

Tuna Casserole-cheat meal!!!

[caption id="attachment_425" align="alignleft" width="1024"] Delicious!!! Sort of a cheat meal-10 on the scale of 1 to yummy, 6.5 on the scale of 1 to healthy! Enjoy!!![/caption]

Yummmm!!!!

10 oz of white albacore canned tuna

Gia Russa brand Wide Egg enriched  noodles-about 3 cups to feed 3 people

1/2 c finely Chopped celery

1/4 c finely Chopped red onion

Cream of celery soup-small can

Small can of milk-fill the can of cream of celery up with milk

6 oz of Velveeta cheese-cut into 6 1 oz pcs and spread throughout the mixture

Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp italian breadcrumbs and 1 tbs of chopped parsley-used as the topping halfway through the baking process.

****Cook noodles about 3 or 4  min  shy of directions on package and pour into casserole dish with all other ingredients-give them a big stir around before placing in oven.

Bake at 350 for 20 min, give the entire thing a big stir and top with parmesan, parsley and breadcrumb mix-bake for 15 more min. Let cool for 5 min and serve with a beautiful side salad!

Enjoy!!

xoxoxo-A

Healthy Zucchini Apple and Walnut Muffins

HEALTHY ZUCCHINI, APPLE AND WALNUT  MUFFINS

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 c Bran Muffin Mix

1 c Flaxseed Meal-we love flax!

1/2 c chopped Walnuts

1/2 c chopped peeled Apple

3/4 c chopped peeled Zucchini

1 c water

3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp honey

2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ginger

Makes 12 mini muffins and 6 regular muffins

Spray pan with Pam or cooking spray. Oven on 350-minis take about 12 min, regular take about 15 min. 

 Top with tsp of apple butter-extra yummy!!!

White bean, wheat berries, tomato & mozzarella salad

Ingredients:

Mozzarella pearls

Chicken cubed lightly seasoned-salt, pepper, red pepperflakes and parsley

Chopped tomato

Wheat berries

Chopped celery

Chopped onion

Mixed together with olive oil and red wine vinegar

Tips: chill the wheat berries and chicken in the fridge after they cook before adding them to the mixture.

It's even better hours later after all of the flavors have had a chance to marry together!

 

Enjoy-A

 

Santa Fe Chicken Salad

[caption id="attachment_390" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Santa Fe Chicken Salad-loaded with goodies-loaded with flavor-loaded with protein and veggies![/caption]

The other night I made a delicious Santa Fe Chicken Salad! I want to share it with you!

I marinated the chicken in lemon juice, lime juice and salsa just for an hour. Once I put everything together in the giant salad bowl  I baked it for 25 min at 350 degrees turning it at the halfway point- just like this in this pan.

[caption id="attachment_391" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Marination-makes it more moist and delicious![/caption]

Next I chopped up peppers, red onions, asparagus, tomatoes, green onion, lettuce, basil and cubed some cheese-cheddar and mozzarella blend. I let the chicken marinade for a while as I chopped everything up.....



Last, I made my own dressing using the ingredients pictured below.....

[caption id="attachment_393" align="alignleft" width="1024"] Make your own dressing-it is so easy!!![/caption]