Basil Chicken Over Angel Hair

I woke up this morning with the full intention of working diligently on a group presentation for one of my classes. Do it and get it done. I had all these grandiose ideas that I would knock it out in just a few hours. This is how it really went:

Got up and puttered on the computer for about half and hour.
Attempted to read a review for my presentation.
Got distracted on the computer for another couple minutes.
Went back to reading for maybe 5 minutes.
Decided I was hungry. Ate Reese's cups.
Went back to reading.
Decided I was still hungry. Drank some juice (hey, it was that V8 fusion stuff, so I got some fruits and veggies in there) and had a granola bar.
Got distracted by the computer again.
Went back to reading.
Husband came home from church. Got distracted.
Attempted to start on a powerpoint.
Decided I was still hungry. Decided to eat some lunch....

And the whole day went like this. Apparently I tend to get distracted quite often when it comes to doing things I'm not very interested in. I mean, watching my husband play a video game is far more entertaining than trying to figure out the physiologic basis behind resistance training.

Kind of like I've already been distracted about 20 times so far writing this. Looks like somebody needs to work on focusing on things. Well, it's not like I can't -- just as long as it's something I'm interested in. Talk to me about politics, or finances or something equally as dry and boring and you will eventually see the glazed look, which means I'm off thinking of ponies, or butterflies, or crap I have an assignment due tomorrow that I totally forgot about.

This is why quick and easy meals are a plus for me. I tend to not get distracted as easily or forget I have water boiling or cookies in the oven or that I'm even making something at all. This recipe falls in to that quick and easy category -- start working on the garlic and onions when you set the water on to boil and by the time the pasta is done cooking, all you'll have to do it toss it in with the sauce.

Basil Chicken over Angel Hair
Adapted from: Allrecipes.com

1 (8 ounce) package whole-wheat angel hair pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook angel hair pasta until it is al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken, basil, salt and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium, and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft.

Toss sauce with hot cooked angel hair pasta to coat. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Yields: 4 servings

I guess I have a thing for pasta, basil, cheese, and tomatoes, as this recipe was very reminiscent of this recipe. Different, but definitely with a similar taste. (Not to mention a little healthier.)

Adam and I both enjoyed this, and as I tend to have all these ingredients on hand, I'm sure this will be making the rounds here again.

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 342	Calories from fat 69
% Daily Value
Total Fat 7.7g	12%
Saturated Fat 2.2g	11%
Cholesterol 101mg	34%
Sodium 451mg	19%
Total Carbs 36.9g	12%
Dietary Fiber 1.5g	6%
Sugars 3.4g
Protein 30.3g
Vitamin A 20%	Vitamin C 24%
Calcium 10%	Iron 16%

Dark Chocolate Amaretto Fondue

Every now and again it's always nice to come up with an excuse to eat chocolate. Or, don't even bother with an excuse and just eat chocolate anyways. :) I suppose Valentine's Day is as of good excuse as any... so that's the one we went with.

Over Valentine's Day weekend Adam and I had the pleasure of having my entire family come up to Pittsburgh to visit. Since the "entire family" includes the little man, going out to a nice restaurant (such as the Melting Pot) was kind of out of the question. You know, with the hot burners and curious fingers... not really a good combo. So we decided to wait until mini-man went to bed and then had our own little homemade Melting Pot dessert.

Dark Chocolate Amaretto Fondue
From: Original Recipe

1 (12 oz) bag bittersweet chocolate chips (60% cacao), such as Ghiradelli
3-5 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons amaretto

In a fondue pot, combine ingredients and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.

Serves: 6

We went with pretty traditional dippers -- strawberries, bananas, brownies, and angel food cake. The fruit was the definite winner.

I think next time I would mix the bittersweet with a little bit of semi-sweet chocolate as it was just a little bit on the dark side. Regardless of how dark it was, the 6 of us polished that little pot of chocolate off in no time.

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 344	Calories from fat 176
% Daily Value
Total Fat 19.6g	30%
Saturated Fat 13.5g	68%
Cholesterol 23mg	8%
Sodium 438mg	18%
Total Carbs 33.9g	11%
Dietary Fiber 1.9g	8%
Sugars 33.2g
Protein 4.5g
Vitamin A 4%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 11%	Iron 7%

Chickpeas with Spinach

Chickpeas with Spinach.... such a simple and unassuming name. Sounds pretty boring and very much like a side dish. Well, if had had gone with that assumption, I would have been wrong on both counts. Between the rice and the chickpeas, it's actually quite a filling dish (although you could easily get away with adding some chicken if you have a massive carnivore in your house). Surprisingly, the tomato paste, chili powder, and ginger give this meal a nice flavorful tweak.

Spinach with Chickpeas
Adapted from: Cooking Light, May 2004

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups chopped baby spinach
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup hot cooked basmati rice (or white rice)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes or until mixture begins to brown. Add water and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring constantly. Stir in spinach, chili powder, salt, and chickpeas; cover. Reduce heat; cook 5 minutes or until spinach wilts and mixture is heated. Stir in juice. Serve over rice.

Serves: 4

We had this meal a few weeks ago during our "vegetarian" week (happened totally by accident when I was planning the menu, promise). Adam enjoyed it as well and didn't really miss the meat thanks to the chickpeas. That counts as a winner for me! :)

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 612	Calories from fat 75
% Daily Value
Total Fat 8.4g	13%
Saturated Fat 1.0g	5%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 131mg	5%
Total Carbs 111.0g	37%
Dietary Fiber 21.4g	86%
Sugars 14.8g
Protein 26.0g
Vitamin A 36%	Vitamin C 25%
Calcium 16%	Iron 45%

Spicy Tomato and White Bean Soup

About a month ago, while leaving the gym I passed a maintenance worker who joked that it wouldn't be much longer before I could get back to running outside. Just two days later I wake up to over 14" of snow. And then it just wouldn't.stop.snowing. Once the snow gets over 20" or so, all you really want to do is hole up at home and do absolutely nothing until it all melts away. Too bad that really can't happen and I spent hours out shoveling and cleaning off my car just so I could run simple necessary errands or go to class.

So if I'm not able to keep myself inside all nice and cozy, I have to settle for the next best thing -- a warm and hearty dinner that brings back feeling into my frozen toes (good thing I didn't have any boots when all this snow business happened)

Spicy Tomato and White Bean Soup
Adapted from: Cooking Light, August 2006

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (16-ounce) can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium poblano chile, halved and seeded
1/2 onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Combine 1 cup broth, chili powder, cumin, and beans in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Combine remaining broth, poblano, and onion in a food processor; pulse until vegetables are chopped. Add onion mixture to pan.

Add tomatoes and cilantro to food processor, and process until coarsely chopped. Add tomato mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; stir in juice, olive oil, and salt. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Serves: 4

This is kind of like tomato soup, but kicked up a notch, with beans. The beans and chunks of tomatoes definitely add to the heartiness of the dish, and both Adam and I found it very filling on its own. However, if you must add something with it, the quintessential grilled cheese would go great with the soup.

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 492	Calories from fat 58
% Daily Value
Total Fat 6.5g	10%
Saturated Fat 0.9g	4%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 516mg	21%
Total Carbs 85.7g	29%
Dietary Fiber 33.8g	135%
Sugars 13.7g
Protein 28.6g
Vitamin A 101%	Vitamin C 42%
Calcium 20%	Iron 44%

Udon Noodles with Asian Vegetables and Peanut Sauce

I have decided it is time for a new category label to go along with the 27 other labels under "Choices, Choices...". So why is this a big deal? Well, rather than the typical label of "Chicken" or "Beef" I've decided to add a "Healthy" option for those out there looking for something that is not ridiculously high in calories and/or saturated and trans fat. Healthy recipes will have this little guy:

hanging out, so you can tell right away rather than hunting for the label at the very end of the post. I will also post the nutrition facts (using this calculator) for these recipes so you can see what kind of nutritional value we're talking about here.

Is this going to completely change my blog? No. I'm not going to only post healthy things from here on out. Cakes and brownies and cupcakes and cookies will still make their presence known as well as maybe not-so-healthy main dishes. I just wanted to take the guess-work out of dinner for those out there looking for a healthy meal.

As for this dish? Yes, it fits in that category. And totally doesn't taste like it belongs at all.

Update: I have since changed my healthy rating system. Check out this post to see the new changes!

Udon Noodles with Asian Vegetables and Peanut Sauce
Adapted from: Cooking Light, April 1997

6 tablespoons water
1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces uncooked udon noodles (or spaghetti)
4 cups sliced bok choy
2 cups snow peas, halved crosswise
1 cup shredded carrot

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well.

Combine first 10 ingredients in a small saucepan; stir with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Set aside.

Combine noodles, peanut sauce, bok choy, snow peas, and carrot in a large bowl, and toss well to coat.

Prior to making this dish, I had never worked with bok choy. To slice the bok choy, I simply separated the leaves from the stem, sliced the stem lengthwise in half, then sliced it in about 1/4" sections. I then rolled up the leaves and sliced them that way.

Adam and I really liked the peanut sauce on this dish. And I also liked the fact that I had basically everything I needed except the fresh veggies and udon noodles. This takes a bit of prep work, but if you put your water on to boil for the noodles and then start prepping, the whole dish pretty much comes together in the time it takes for the water to boil and then to cook the noodles (under 30 min).

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 390	Calories from fat 106
% Daily Value
Total Fat 11.8g	18%
Saturated Fat 2.0g	10%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1279mg	53%
Total Carbs 57.1g	19%
Dietary Fiber 7.9g	32%
Sugars 16.5g
Protein 16.9g
Vitamin A 171%	Vitamin C 120%
Calcium 13%	Iron 26%

Jalapeño, Sausage, Jack, and Egg Breakfast Braid

I am not a "decorating" type of person. I don't pretend to be. The best I do when baking is to haphazardly throw some icing in circles on the top of a cupcake. My cakes lean and my frosting is never smooth. I just don't do pretty. I leave that up to my sister. :D

That said, I was a little hesitant to try this recipe simply because it involved making something look pretty. But it had sausage and eggs and cheeeeeese and jalapenos. I figured Adam was going to be the only other person to see it, so if it looked bad... no one else would have to know. Well, it didn't look horrible... just like loaf of bread wearing a straight jacket. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Jalapeño, Sausage, Jack, and Egg Breakfast Braid
From: Cooking Light, January 2010

1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 ounces chicken sausage with jalapeño peppers, chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped seeded jalapeño peppers
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425°.

Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 15 x 10–inch rectangle.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sausage; cook 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in eggs; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until set. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle Monterey Jack lengthwise down center of dough, leaving about a 2 1/2-inch border on each side. Spoon egg mixture evenly over cheese. Sprinkle cheddar over egg mixture; top with jalapeño peppers.

Make 2-inch-long diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart on both sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling using a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Arrange strips over filling, alternating strips diagonally over filling. Press ends under to seal. Brush with egg white. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices.

Despite how it ended up looking, this actually was pretty good. I couldn't find the right kind of chicken sausage, however, so I ended up using chicken sausage with roasted peppers and asiago cheese instead -- which wasn't bad, I think I was just looking for something a little more spicy. Next time I'd probably use some pepper jack instead of the monteray cheese.

The other thing about this dish that surprised me was how quick it came together. Here I was thinking I would have plenty of time to roll out my pizza dough while the sausage cooked but after grating up the cheese and dicing the jalapeno... not so much. I don't think my egg/sausage mix was any worse for the wear sitting in the pan off the heat for a minute or two, but next time I would actually follow the directions the way they were written. Oops. :)

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 474	Calories from fat 305
% Daily Value
Total Fat 33.9g	52%
Saturated Fat 10.4g	52%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 100mg	33%
Sodium 568mg	24%
Total Carbs 28.5g	10%
Dietary Fiber 2.4g	10%
Sugars 0.7g
Protein 13.7g
Vitamin A 5%	Vitamin C 4%
Calcium 12%	Iron 13%

Three-Cheese Macaroni & Cheese with Apples

I know, I know, another mac and cheese recipe? Well, since it's been pretty hit or miss with the recipes I've come across, I decided to just go at it myself. I basically pulled from several recipes all the different things I liked about each and then gave it my own little twist.

You know it's good when Adam keeps going back for more and then claims it's the best mac 'n' cheese he's ever had. Or maybe he's just being nice... ;)

Three-Cheese Macaroni & Cheese with Apples
From: Original Recipe

1 pound cavatappi or other medium-sized pasta
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 shallot, diced
1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon white wine vinegar
water, if needed
2 small cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup 2% milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 cup white sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced (do this near the end so the apple doesn't brown)
3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook to al dente according to instructions on the box. Drain, and cover with foil to keep warm (if necessary).

In a large saucepan (a wide, shallow 3 quart works well) melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add shallots, brown sugar, and vinegar. Sauté until shallots are soft and carmelized, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. If shallots begin to dry out and brown, add water 1/2 tablespoon at a time. Add garlic and allow to sweat, but not brown, for 5 minutes.

In the same saucepan as the shallot mixture, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add milk and cream. Whisk in flour, black pepper, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, and salt. Simmer until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.

In a medium saucepan, combine the mascarpone, cheddar, and parmesan over medium heat. Mix until completely melted and smooth. Add the cheese mixture to the béchamel sauce in the large saucepan and stir until combined. Add the crumbled bacon and noodles, mixing until all the noodles are covered with sauce. Stir in apple.

Pour noodle mixture into a 2 1/2 quart or larger baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs. Bake on top rack for 5 minutes or until breadcrumbs have turned golden. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes.

Now I know the whole apple part may be throwing you off a bit. But I promise -- PROMISE you will not be disappointed. Make sure you add them in right before you put this in the oven, you want them to remain crisp and juicy, not soft and mushy when you're eating this. And don't leave the nutmeg out of the sauce, it is absolute key to giving the sauce such a great flavor.

This is definitely not your throw-together-at-the-last-minute type of dish, but it makes enough that the leftovers will be. :) And it is so totally worth it. Adam told me I most definitely have to make this again. I think we finally found THE mac 'n' chee recipe. Yay!

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 565	Calories from fat 237
% Daily Value
Total Fat 26.3g	41%
Saturated Fat 14.3g	71%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 79mg	26%
Sodium 803mg	33%
Total Carbs 58.3g	19%
Dietary Fiber 3.0g	12%
Sugars 5.7g
Protein 24.6g
Vitamin A 14%	Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 30%	Iron 20%

Macaroni and Cheese