Pasta, Tuscan Style!

Ahhh... tis good to be back in the blogosphere, and it's VERY good to have my computer back! I actually made this dish a few weeks ago, and the photos were stuck on my camera until tonight! I rarely make pasta at home, but for some reason, I was crrrraaving it! But, I did try to make it healthi-ER than regular pasta, so I used whole-wheat penne in lieu of plain old pasta. The only not-quite-healthy part is the turkey sausage, but hey, a little dark meat ain't gonna kill you!


I started with one Italian turkey sausage and took the meat out of the casing, and crumbled it up into a pan, along with several minced cloves of garlic.


I added some chopped fresh kale (superfood!)...


...and let it cook down. I am always surprised how much kale cooks down! It always looks like it's going to be too much, but boy, it wilts like crazy.


I added about 1 cup of chopped San Marzano tomatoes...


...as well as about 1 cup of canned cannellini beans.


In the meantime, I cooked up about 6 dry ounces of whole-wheat penne pasta, and added it to the pan when it was cooked and drained. Of course, I had to shower the pasta in freshly grated parm-reg cheese (MY FAAVE), and let it melt all over the pasta.

Oooh it was so simple, yet so tasty! The sausage added just the right amount of fat (i.e. flavaaah!), the white beans added lovely texture (and extra protein/fiber), and the kale provided a nutritional component and color. A perfect weeknight meal that takes just moments to come together!



Tuscan-style Pasta

Ingredients:
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 fresh Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1/2 to 3/4 bunch kale, trimmed and chopped
1 cup canned San Marzano diced tomatoes
1 cup canned cannellini beans
S&P
6oz whole-wheat penne pasta, cooked and drained
freshly grated parm-reg cheese

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a pan, and add the garlic. Cook until the garlic becomes aromatic.
2. Add the de-cased sausage, break into pieces with wooden spoon, and cook until cooked through.
3. Add the kale, let it cook down.
4. Add tomatoes and beans, stir stir stir.
5. Add cooked pasta, season with S&P, stir stir stir.
6. Grate fresh cheese on top, stir stir stir, ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!

Chicken & Spaghetti... with a healthy fun twist!

Generally speaking, I attempt to eat healthy (i.e. lean meats, low carbs, high fiber), but sometimes I just want a big bowl of pasta! When my guilt does not allow me to fulfill that craving, I turn to wonderfully creative recipes like this one. Meseidy from The Noshery has this really cool recipe for Chicken Parmagiana with Zucchini Noodles. Does that sound cool or what?!

I started with the chicken breasts, which I pounded out to about 1" thick, and soaked them in some lowfat buttermilk. Thick and creamy, yum.


Meseidy says to soak them for 5 minutes. I ended up leaving them in the fridge for a few hours (eek!). Turned out okay! I put 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs on a dish, along with S&P, and 1 tsp of Italian seasoning.


I coated each piece of chicken on both sides with the breadcrumb mixture, and placed them in a baking dish I sprayed with cooking spray. You can see I ended up with two big breasts, and a couple small nuggets. Don't ask me how I ended up with the little guys.


I threw them in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes, flipping them halfway through. While those were baking, I washed my zucchinis and squash. Look at them, lined up and ready to go!


I used a zester to make the "noodles". I cut each zucchini length-wise, then used the zester to make strips of zucchini. You'll see it gets more difficult to do this as you get closer to the core, since it is softer at the core. When you get to this point, move on to the next zucchini. Meseidy says to discard the cores; I sliced them up and kept them in the fridge for a little stir fry next time!


I ended up using 5 of the zucchinis, and the 1 yellow squash, to end up with about 2 cups total.


I then sliced a shallot, and minced 4 cloves of garlic.


I also prepared my vine-ripened tomato and roasted red peppers by dicing them.


I cooked the shallot and garlic in a hot pan with olive oil, until they were translucent.


I added 1/4 cup tomato sauce, and some freshly chopped basil.


Then I added the diced tomato and red pepper.


It is coming together! I let this simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.


Time for the noodles! I added these to the tomato sauce.


And mixed it all around to coat the zucchini. I let it cook for just a few minutes, because I did not want the zucchini to get mushy.


As the chicken was reaching completion, I pulled out the dish and put some shredded mozzarella on top. Then I turned on the broiler to melt and brown the cheese.


Once the chicken was done, a delicious meal was ready for me to enjoy!! I am very very very pleased with this dish, for many reasons -- its creativity, nutrition, and taste. Who would think of making noodles out of zucchini? The noodles ended up being perfectly cooked, not too crunchy, not too soggy, and added such a lovely flavor to the dish. The tomato sauce is subtle and light, and the shallot and garlic add the perfect amount of flavor. I highly recommend you try this one out! It is a lot of fun, and a guilt-free way to enjoy pasta!



Chicken Parmagiana with Zucchini Noodles
from The Noshery
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
S&P
1 tsp Italian seasoning
6 small zucchinis
1 large yellow squash
1 shallot
4 garlic cloves
1 vine-ripened tomato
1/4 cup roasted red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 shredded mozzarella
2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts in a large ziptop bag. Pound out breasts with a heavy object until they are about 1" thick.
2. Fill a shallow pan with buttermilk. Place chicken breasts in buttermilk, ensuring they are completely coated. Let soak for at least 5 min.
3. Fill another shallow pan with panko breadcrumbs, and add S&P and Italian seasoning. Combine.
4. Transfer chicken to breadcrumbs, coat on both sides.
5. Transfer chicken to a greased baking sheet/dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, turning once halfway through.
6. Cut each zucchini/squash in half lengthwise. Using a zester, run it down the length of the zucchini, until you reach the core. You should end up with about 2 cups. (Slice up the cores and save them for a stir fry!)
7. Thinly slice the shallot, and mince the garlic. Dice the tomato and roasted red pepper.
8. Heat olive oil in large pan. Add shallot and garlic. Saute until translucent.
9. Add 1/4 cup tomato sauce, and half the basil. Cook at medium heat for 2 minutes. Add tomato and roasted red pepper, cook for 5 minutes.
10. Add the zucchini noodles. Toss with the sauce, and saute at medium heat for about 5 minutes. Try not to overcook the noodles.
11. When the chicken is just about done, pull out the dish and sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Turn on the broiler, and allow top to brown.
12. Serve the chicken over the zucchini noodles, and garnish with fresh basil. ENJOY!

Mac & Cheese with a hidden healthy secret...

Who doesn't love mac & cheese? But, wouldn't it be great to enjoy mac & cheese without all the guilt that comes with the cheese, heavy cream, and carbs? Ah, yes, my friends, there is a way. We can indeed enjoy mac & cheese, with far less guilt, thanks to Ellie Krieger, the nutritionist on The Food Network! She has a fantastic recipe for mac & cheese with butternut squash, I had to try it (with a few of my own modifications).

I am a big big fan of butternut squash. I love the bright color, the flavor, and most of all, its high fiber content (yes, I am slightly obsessed with fiber). I peeled and chopped a butternut squash, and boiled them until they could be easily pierced with a knife and mushable. I drained the squash, and mashed it all up.


I used sharp cheddar cheese, and fontina cheese, which I grated by hand (gosh that is painful!). I put the cheese in the freezer for maybe 30 min or so beforehand, just to make it easier to grate.


I went for the traditional route of making mac & cheese and started with a roux -- I used SmartBalance buttery spread (with omega-3s!), and an equivalent amount of flour. After cooking the roux for a bit, I added some 1% milk, and whisked it around until the roux was dissolving. Then, I added the cheese and butternut squash, and whisked that around to make sure the cheese melted evenly, and the squash was incorporated. The squash adds such great color to this dish, a vibrant yellow-orange, very reminiscent of the old Kraft mac & cheese, or Velveeta mac & cheese that is artifically yellow. I also added lots of S&P, and some freshly grated nutmeg.


Then I just poured the sauce over some cooked macaroni (I used the kind that has extra fiber and calcium, but doesn't get as chewy and tough as whole wheat pasta). I poured this into a 9x13 baking dish that I sprayed with cooking spray.


I topped this with a mixture of panko bread crumbs, grated parmaggiano reggiano, and olive oil. Then into the oven it went, 350 degrees, for about 30 minutes. Then I turned the broiler on and let the top brown for a few minutes.


Oh it was so tasty! It isn't as cheesy as regular mac & cheese, but still very tasty. It's a fantastic way to make mac & cheese healthier, and especially if you want to hide some nutritious vegetables for the kids. Don't tell them, they won't have a clue!!


Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, about 1-2 lbs, peeled and chopped into 1" cubes (or frozen squash, to save time and effort!)
1 Tbsp butter/SmartBalance
1 Tbsp flour
2 cups 1% milk
1 to 1.25 cups shredded sharp cheddar
0.5 to 0.75 cups shredded fontina cheese
(feel free to add any cheeses you want... even ricotta, or a pepper jack for some spice!)
S&P
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 lb of macaroni (or other pasta... I used one box of Ronzoni Smart Taste)
2 Tbsp panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grated Parmaggiano Reggiano cheese
1 tsp olive oil

Directions:
1. Boil the butternut squash pieces until they are cooked thoroughly, easily pierced with a knife, and ready to be mashed.
2. Drain the squash, transfer to a large bowl, and mash away! Try to get out all the lumps if possible. You could also use a food processor, or a food mill, if you are lucky enough to have one (I'm jealous!).
3. Cook the macaroni to al dente. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
4. In a large pot, melt the butter/SmartBalance, then add the flour. Mix this around into a clump, and cook for a minute or so to get the bitter flour taste out.
5. Add the milk, whisk around to dissolve the roux.
6. Add the cheeses, and the mashed squash, and whisk and stir to incorporate all.
7. Season with S&P, and add the nutmeg.
8. Pour this cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni, and stir stir stir it all together.
9. Spray a 9x13 baking dish, and pour the macaroni into the dish.
10. Combine the bread crumbs, parm-reg cheese, and olive oil, and sprinkle this over the macaroni.
11. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
12. Turn on the broiler for a few minutes to make sure the top is browned.
13. Serve, eat, enjoy, be happy and healthy!