Mac n' Jack Salad

1 lb elbow macaroni
10 oz frozen corn, defrosted
1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
1 - 8 oz brick pepper jack cheese, diced
s/p
3 TB red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups tomatillo salsa (salsa verde) or chipotle salsa
chopped cilantro or parsley

1. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain & rinse with cold water to cool it down. Drain well.
2. While pasta cooks combine corn, red pepper, onion and celery in large bowl with cheese. Season with s/p.
3. Add cooled pasta to vegetable mixture.
4. Whisk together vinegar and oil. Stir in salsa. Pour over pasta & vegetables. Toss to coat evenly. Garnish with cilantro

This makes a lot and I think it was too much pasta, so unless you are making it for a large crowd or potluck or something, just use 1/2 lb or 3/4 lb of pasta. I also only used half a red onion and cut back the oil. Not a bad idea to make ahead and let it chill in the fridge.

Source: Rachael Ray's Book of 10, page 40

Chicken and Corn-Tomato Salad

I chose to make this recipe b/c it sounded healthy and advertised that it was "ready in minutes." I didn't expect much, but we really liked it!

1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
sliced scallions
minced garlic
2 pints halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn kernels
lime juice
cilantro
avocado wedges

1. Cook the chicken breasts in a large skillet. (I cut mine into bite-sized pieces instead of leaving whole).
2. Remove the chicken then add sliced scallions and minced garlic, stirring about a minute. Add 2 pints cherry tomatoes and corn kernels and cook a few more minutes. Season with S/P.
3. Serve the chicken on top of the salad with a squeeze of lime, cilantro and avocado wedges.

This was good, but not as quick as I imagined. I did not cook the cherry tomatoes, I just stirred them in at the end b/c I prefer them not to be mushy. Justin added some hot sauce and I served them with potato pancakes made from leftover funeral potatoes (yeah, as if funeral potatoes were not unhealthy enough I added eggs and pan fried them...)

Source: Parenting Magazine, October 2009, p.67

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

This is super fast and easy and much healthier than regular alfredo - esp. if you use the low-fat cream of mushroom.

1/2 of 16 oz pkg linguine
1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli florets
2 TB butter
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup parmesan
s/p

1. Prepare linguine according to package directions. Add broccoli during last 4 min. of cooking time. Drain well.

2. Heat butter in 10" skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.

3. Stir soup, milk, cheese, s/p and linguine & broccoli into skillet. Cook until mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve with additional parmesan cheese.

Source: CampbellsKitchen.com

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

I thought I posted about this last year, but I guess I didn't b/c I can't find the post! Spaghetti squash is in season this time of year and that means its cheap! And its easy too. And healthier than regular noodles. And if you've never tried it, you should. The hardest part is cutting the squash in half, so be careful and use a good, sharp knife!

Cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and stringy stuff. Place face-down on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. (I overbaked this time and the squash was more like mush than spaghetti noodles, so watch it) It will be soft and pull apart like spaghetti noodles when its done.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool a little bit, then scrape out the insides with a fork. It should look like spaghetti noodles... Place in a bowl and season with a little s/p.

Serve with your favorite spaghetti sauce - homemade or out of a jar, whatever you like!

I get mine out of a jar, but I brown about a pound of ground beef along with some chopped green peppers, then drain off the fat and stir in the sauce.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

s/p

3 carrots, sliced crosswise

1/2 cup long grain rice, rinsed

16 oz pkg frozen black-eyed peas, thawed

32 oz (4 cups) chicken broth

9 oz pkg frozen creamed spinach, thawed

1. In large pot heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Season the chicken with s/p. Add to the pot and cook, stirring, until golden 6-8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add carrots, rice and beans, scraping up any browned bits, for 1 minute, then stir in chicken broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer until rice and beans are tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, shred the chicken. Add to the soup along with the creamed spinach and cook for 5 minutes; season with s/p. Serve with baguette, rolls, or bread.

Cut calories by using chicken breasts instead of thighs and plain frozen spinach instead of creamed.

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray October 2009

What I did: I did use chicken breasts and I grilled them on the George Foreman instead of cooking them in the pan and then shredded them. So you can use whatever shredded chicken - however you like to do it, and just start out with the carrots and beans and rice in the pot. It seems like anytime I try to cook it in a pan like that it just gets burned on the outside and still raw in the middle, so for me this was simpler. Justin is not really a fan of soups, but he complimented me on this one. And it's pretty hearty, not too soup-y.

Cauliflower Mac n' Cheese

No, you don't have to steam and puree any cauliflower for this recipe. It's really easy. And its from Hungry Girl (www.hungry-girl.com), who takes unhealthy recipes and makes them healthier.

Ingredients:
1 package Green Giant Family Size Cauliflower & Three Cheese Sauce (freezer aisle)
2 cups uncooked Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Rotini Pasta (or another whole-wheat or whole-wheat-blend pasta)
3 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
Optional: salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions: Prepare pasta according to the instructions on the box, and then drain well and set aside. While pasta is cooking, place contents of the cauliflower & sauce package in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 12 - 16 minutes, until sauce has melted and cauliflower is hot.
Once the bowl is cool enough to handle, remove it from the microwave and add cooked pasta. Set aside. Unwrap cheese wedges and place in a small microwave-safe dish. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, and then add to the bowl.
Mix thoroughly, ensuring that the Laughing Cow cheese is evenly distributed and the pasta and cauliflower are coated in cheese sauce. If you like, season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Serving Size: 1 cup Calories: 202 Fat: 4.5g Sodium: 825mg Carbs: 36g Fiber: 5g Sugars: 6g Protein: 8.5g
POINTS® value 4*

Sweet Potato Casserole

One tall, 40 oz can of yams or sweet potatoes, drained
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup softened or melted butter

Combine all ingredients, mix & put in greased 9x13 pan or glass baking dish. Cover with topping mixture and bake @350 for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Topping:
1 cup coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup flour

Combine in medium bowl with pastry blender or a couple of forks

What I do: Sometimes I can't find a 40 oz can of sweet potatoes, so I use 2 of the large cans ( once I actually do my shopping for Thanksgiving I will update with the actual size of the can)

Source: This is definitely my favorite thing for Thanksgiving (not counting dessert, but this is almost dessert anyway). I even eat the leftovers cold the next day. Again, the recipe my mom always uses that I think she got from her old friend, Shirley.

Roasted Broccoli

This is the best way to have broccoli! Even Logan says, "I want more blocky"

Get a full head of fresh broccoli. Wash it & cut off only an inch or 2 of the stem. Then cut it longways so it looks like a bunch of tall trees. Spread them out on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. So good, the florets get all crispy and nutty-flavored.