Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers

I had a craving for this pasta today and went to find the recipe in my book. Imagine my dismay when it wasn't there!! So I looked on here and it wasn't there either. Always in search of ways to avoid using your oven, here's another delicious way from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. You could also easily omit chicken and it becomes vegetarian.

Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers

*Note: this pasta is best served immediately as it tends to get less creamy as it sits at room temperature – so serve warm right as it finishes cooking! (Incidentally, it heated up just fine the next day in the microwave on low power.)

*Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 average-sized chicken breasts (about 1 to 1 ½ pounds), cut into chunks
2 red bell peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces
8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound orzo pasta
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until tender. When the orzo is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water (ladling it into a small bowl is my method) and then drain the orzo and set aside.

While the orzo cooks, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot oil and brown on all sides. When nicely browned (but not all the way cooked through), add the peppers, mushrooms and thyme. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms and peppers have softened and browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

In the skillet over medium heat, add the softened cream cheese (if you forgot to let the cream cheese soften at room temperature, no worries! Pop it in the microwave for one minute on 40% power) in bite sized chunks and stir so that the cream cheese melts and coats the chicken and vegetables. Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir. Add the orzo, Parmesan, lemon juice and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.

Linguine and Quinoa Meatballs

Recent Costco purchases: 20 lb. bag of organic brown rice, 10 lb. bag of organic quinoa & 10 lbs. of organic whole wheat spaghetti. Must put all to use and here is one way I did.

Typically, meatballs are made with bread crumbs, but this adds quinoa instead to add more protein. I also revamped my spaghetti sauce from the Risotto Cakes recipe 2 more times! I put it in a food processor and added a little water. Then we had mini english muffin pizzas. Then instead of making this sauce, I just added a little more water and used my sauce. I am looking forward to trying this sauce, though, because I pretty much love anything with balsamic vinegar!

Ingredients

SAUCE

¼ cup olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 celery stalks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 large carrot, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 tsp hot red pepper flakes

1 28-oz. can tomatoes, chopped, with juices

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

MEATBALLS

3 Tbs canola oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 ½ cups cooked quinoa

½ cup finely grated Parmesan

1 egg

3 Tbs. fresh parsley leaves, very finely chopped

½ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. linguine

1 large handful fresh basil leaves

Preparation

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and red pepper flakes and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside to keep warm.

To make the meatballs, preheat the oven to 425. Heat the canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, partially covered, until very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, quinoa, Parmesan, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and cooled onions. Stir until a smooth, homogenous mixture has formed.

Roll the meat mixture into 2-inch balls and set them on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet in neat rows. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until nicely browned but still soft to the touch.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the linguine al dente. Serve the pasta with some meatballs and the sauce and top with a sprinkling of torn basil leaves.

Source: the 10 things you need to eat and more than 100 ways to prepare them

Risotto Cake with Roasted Vegetables

I know I am posting too many to keep up with, but we had this last night and I had to share. I WISH I had taken a picture, but I thought, I don't know if it will be any good. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I had to cook the risotto a lot longer than it said. I kept testing it and it wasn't soft yet. Then when I tried to make the cakes, they wouldn't really stay together, they just kind of fell apart. So I did my best and then I actually put them all together like a pie on a baking pan. Then I layered all the vegetables on top. Then topped with cheese so it looked like a pizza. And, in fact, that is exactly what I told my son it was. The marinara recipe I used was really good and because all the veggies were so sweet, the honey in it really complimented the dish. However, I'm sure it would be just as good with any sauce you choose. Enjoy! Oh, and I got it from the Canyon Ranch cookbook Nourish. All their recipes are found online here.

Ingredients
Risotto Cake:
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup diced yellow onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic cloves
2/3 cup Arborio rice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

Roasted Vegetables:
1 medium fresh zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 large Portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 cup peeled and sliced eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1 red bell pepper, cut in half

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix:
1 teaspoon garlic granules
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup Marinara Sauce (recipe follows)

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add rice to the pan and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add salt, and begin adding vegetable stock to pan 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is creamy. Allow rice to cool for 15-20 minutes.
2. Preheat griddle or electric skillet to 350°. For each cake, use 1/3 cup of risotto mix, form into a ball, and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness. Spray griddle with canola oil spray, and place risotto cakes on griddle until crisp on each side. Place each cake on a baking sheet after grilling.
3. Combine all ingredients for Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix together.
4. Preheat oven to 350°. Spread vegetables out on a separate baking sheet. Lightly spray with canola oil spray and dust the vegetables evenly with 1 teaspoon Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Peel skin off red pepper and slice into strips.
5. Evenly divide roasted vegetable mix over each of the 4 risotto cakes. Top each cake with 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese. Dust each cake with a pinch of remaining Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix and bake at 350° for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
6. Ladle 1/4 cup of Marinara Sauce on a plate and top with one Risotto Cake with Roasted Vegetables.

Serving Information
Makes 4 servings, each containing approximately:
295 calories
47 gm. carbohydrate
7 gm. fat
18 mg. cholesterol
13 gm. protein
705 mg. sodium
6 gm. fiber

Fresh Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 T EVOO
• 2 cups diced onions
• 2 T minced garlic
• 1 1/2 t dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 5 lbs tomatoes, chopped (I just used canned whole peeled tomatoes and chopped them myself)
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbs minced fresh basil
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh oregano

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and brown slightly. Add the dried basil, dried oregano, thyme, and pepper and saute briefly.

Add the tomatoes and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, or until thickened.

Stir in the honey and salt. (If you want a smooth sauce, puree with an immersion blender and strain the mixture through a large-mesh sieve. I just left it chunky.) Add the fresh basil and fresh oregano and simmer for 5 minutes.

Lemon Basil Shrimp and Pasta

We made this last night and for some reason it just completely hit the spot. I served it with the Coconut Green Beans. The spinach tasted so good to me...so I will be remaking this tons as a way to get me to eat more spinach! I actually checked the Cooking Light Cookbook out from the library and this was in it. They mention, in the book, that you can also substitute chicken for the shrimp to be more cost effective.

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

A zesty one-pot pasta dish is complete after tossing with capers, basil, olive oil, and lemon juice. Serve with focaccia or crusty baguette.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 quarts water
• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups baby spinach

Preparation

Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done and pasta is al dente. Drain. Place pasta mixture in a large bowl. Stir in basil and next 4 ingredients (through salt). Place 1/2 cup spinach on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 397 (22% from fat)

Fat: 9.6g (sat 1.5g,mono 5.3g,poly 1.8g)

Protein: 31g

Carbohydrate: 44.9g

Fiber: 2.4g

Cholesterol: 172mg

Iron: 5.4mg

Sodium: 666mg

Calcium: 88mg

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

I literally cannot say enough good things about this dish. It was soooo good and I still have one in the freezer, yay! My only suggestion is that when I tasted the sauce, I kept adding S & P, thinking it was slightly bland. Well, that was unnecessary because the sundried tomatoes do the trick.

from Our Best Bites
based on a recipe by Martha Stewart

• 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone* (6 ounces) you could also make that 1/2 mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

*Note on Cheese:
Sometimes provolone cheese can be hard to find. I don't always encourage the use of pre-shredded bagged cheeses (because 've found they usually contain additives and therefore don't melt or taste as good), but in this recipe I've used a *good* quality one, like Sargento, and it's turned out great. Actually in this batch I used Sargento's Provolone/Mozzarella mix. You'll find that with packaged cheese mixes, provolone is often mixed with other white cheeses and that's totally fine. Just try to find one that is mostly provolone, like a 50/50 mix. The other easy option is to go to the deli department where you can buy sliced cheese. Just ask for a 6 oz chunk and you can grate it yourself.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you're going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.
2. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Use a little extra olive oil if needed.
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer. Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes. If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie. If cooking, sprinkle on top.
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Lighter Chicken Alfredo

So I've been trying to research some healthy recipes to balance out some of the not-so-healthy stuff I make. I came across this website and it had the first recipe. Then someone commented and left the second recipe. I made the second and it took me all of 10 minutes and no more than $7-8 to make. Impressive, yes?

Dana’s Fettuccine Alfredo
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces fettuccine (use whole-grain versions — whole-wheat or brown rice pasta — for extra fiber)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 ounces light cream cheese
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cream; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes as the sauce thickens. Add cream cheese and mix well with a whisk until smooth. Add cooked pasta and grated cheese; toss well to combine. If mixture appears too dry, add small amounts of reserved cooking liquid until the sauce is smooth and pasta is well coated. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Info (per 1 cup of pasta):
Calories: 400
Total fat: 16.5 grams
Saturated fat: 10 grams
Carbohydrates: 47 grams
Cholesterol: 56 milligrams
Sodium: 538 milligrams
Protein: 18 grams
Fiber: 6 grams

Tofu Alfredo Sauce
This recipe replaces the traditional heavy cream and butter with Tofu and saves 453 calories per serving for the sauce alone!
Makes 4 servings, (sauce alone)
Ingredients

• 1 package (12oz) firm silken tofu
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 ½ tsp dried basil
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Kosher salt (or less to taste)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ¼ cup skim milk or plain soymilk
• 1 # frozen chopped broccoli (or fresh)
• 1 pound pasta, cooked and drained

Preparation

• Combine sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Warm in the microwave 3-
4 minutes on high, or until hot.
• Cook pasta. In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add frozen (or fresh) broccoli to cooking water. (I put in some frozen broccoli and some chopped, frozen pre-cooked chicken I had at the same time)
Drain and toss with Alfredo Sauce. Top with more cheese if you like (you've save tons of fat calories in the sauce, you can enjoy them here!)
Nutrition Information: Per Serving: 52 Calories, 4 g Protein, 1 g Carbohydrate, 3 g Fat
Traditional Alfredo Sauce Comparison: 505 Calories, 9 g Protein, 5 g Carbohydrate, 51 g Fat

BLT Pasta

This pasta, I literally could not stop eating it was so good!

BLT Pasta
from my kitchen cafe


*Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 slices hearty or artisan bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, about 4 cups total (ciabatta loaf)
• 12 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound radiatore pasta (or other small pasta shape)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. While the water comes to a boil, melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.

Cook the chopped bacon in the empty skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and leave a small amount of the bacon fat in the skillet (about 2 teaspoons). Cook the onion in the bacon fat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

While the onion softens in the skillet, add 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water then stir in the pasta. Cook until just tender (al dente). Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water by ladling it into a bowl before draining the pasta. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, spinach, Parmesan, bacon and onion mixture, and 1 cup reserved pasta water. Stir quickly and completely so the cheese doesn't melt in large clumps. Add additional water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle pasta onto plates or bowls and top with croutons. Serve immediately.

Pasta Recipes

Sesame Noodles
from Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• Salt, to taste
• 1 pound cappellini (angel hair pasta)
• ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbs. tahini (paste made from ground sesame seeds, you can find with the peanut butter at Whole Foods)
• 2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
• 2 pinches cayenne pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch gingerroot, peeled and grated, or 2 pinches ground ginger (fresh makes all the difference and it’s really cheap)
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 large carrot, grated
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
• Crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish

Preparation

Put a pot of water over high heat to boil. When it comes to a boil, add salt and pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions,until al dente.

Meanwhile, combine soy sauce, tahini, sesame oil, cayenne, garlic, and gingerroot in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Drain pasta and run it under cold water until noodles are chilled. Drain the cooled noodles well – give them several good, strong shakes.

Dump noodles into a big bowl with the sauce and combine until noodles are evenly coated. Add veggies and toss to combine; dump noodles onto a serving dish. Garnish with sesame seed sprinkles and a little crushed red pepper.

Optional: I added ½ red pepper, sliced and chopped roughly and a few handfuls of roughly chopped sugar snap peas, and some roasted chicken I had leftover. I added a little more the sauce.

Pasta with Spiced Chickpeas and Whipped Feta

This recipe piqued my interest so much and I had been wanting to try it. I was a little disappointed yet surprised. I think next time, I will add less chickpeas and add chicken or something. The flavor of the sauce was soooo good and I am not a mint fan, but the texture of the chickpeas was a little off with the pasta. Also, I might try a pasta other than rigatoni because it wasn't very filling. Anyways, those are my suggestions, but I originally found the recipe here. Enjoy!

The idea for this dish started with a Greek whipped feta recipe we discovered. The feta is creamed with olive oil and lemon juice, and typically used as a dip or appetizer. Here we use whipped feta as the "sauce" for a pasta with spiced chickpeas. The flavors are distinctly Mediterranean, but unusual at the same time.

Pasta with Spiced Chickpeas and Whipped Feta

Pasta with Spiced Chickpeas

3 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs fresh mint, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb dried rigatoni pasta
sea salt and black pepper

Whipped Feta


1/2 lb feta, crumbled
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper

Procedure

1. Combine chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic, mint, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Let sit at least one hour at room temperature.
2. Make Whipped Feta by combining all the ingredients in food processor until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
3. Cook pasta. Drain and toss with a small amount of olive oil. Top with spiced chickpeas, then a big dollop of whipped feta. Eat while pasta is still hot.

OOOO, my first recipe post. I feel so much pressure. This should be a work of art or something...well, maybe not. I made this the other day because it is one of our favorites and I remembered to take a picture! That totally makes it blog worthy! I must make a confession to start this off...I am a VEGETARIAN. I know, crazy right? I never intended to become one but for some reason my last two pregnancies left me this way. I just can't eat meat. I didn't decide this, my body decided it. So I will be giving you my meatless delights. Which, by the way, are amazing! Veg. meals only take about 30 minutes top! SWEEEEEET! Just what I want!



Fettuccine with Mushrooms and Cream

1 lb. fettucine
1 T. olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped (about 2 T.) although, I never have this on hand so I usually don't put it in.
16 oz. of mushrooms (the recipe says 8 oz. of shitake and 8 oz. of white, I just do whatever)
1/2 t. salt (whatever that's supposed to do??)
1 1/2 C. vegetable broth
1/3 C. heavy or whipping cream
1 C. fresh basil or parsley, chopped (if I don't have fresh I just used dried to taste, about 1 T.)
1/4 C. sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (for some reason I can't find sun-dried tomatoes in nowhereville where I currently inhabit, so I just use the dried kind)

My hubby is totally against following directions. He is a wing it man when it comes to cooking. I have to admit, he is REALLY good at it. I have some of his habits now when it comes to dishes like this. Here is what I do: just heat the oil in a skillet (just pour some in, I like to use more than 1 T.) add the shallot, green onion, chives or whatever you decide to use for that ingredient. Cook for a minute-ish. Add the mushrooms and salt (1/2 a t.??? puh-leez!) cook until tender about 10 minutes-ish. Add broth and cream and let it boil for three minutes-ish, stirring every once in a while. At this point I start my water boiling for the noodles. This is where I add my salt. Once it starts to boil put salt in the water, I usually pour some in my hand then dump it in. This gives the noodle great flavor and you don't really need salt in the sauce. Make sure your noodles are al dente. That means they must NOT be mushy....at all! My hubby is very particular about this. He served a mission in Italy. Capiche? Then when the noodles are perfecto, drain, return to pot, dump the sauce on top, and add the sun-dried tomatoes. It is dee-lish! Hope you like it! (hope you can interpret my nonsense as well!) If you need further instructions this is from Good Houskeeping Vegetarian Meals.

Light Italian Wedding Soup

If you get everyday food you already have this recipe and you should try it, because it's SO good.

Light Italian Wedding Soup (serves 6)

1 pound ground turkey (93% lean)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cans (14 oz) chicken broth
2 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
2 heads escarole (2 lbs), cored, trimmed, and coarsely chopped. I actually used spinach, because I didn't think anyone would like the escarole

1. In a bowl, combine turkey, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Using 1 Tbsp for each, roll mixture into balls.

2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add broth and tomatoes with juice; bring to a boil and turn down to simmering. Add meatballs; cook, without stirring, until meatballs float to the surface, about 5 minutes.

3. Add as much escarole (or spinach) to pot as will fit. Cook, gradually adding remaining escarole, until wilted and meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve soup sprinkled with more Parmesan.

per serving: 250 cal, 9.8 g fat (3 g sat.), 23.6 g protein, 19.3 g carb, 4.8 g fiber

notes: I doubled this recipe and used it the next night as pasta sauce. I took out the meatballs and blended the soup. Then I cooked it in a pan until it was reduced by about half (cook on high heat, stirring so it doesn't burn on the bottom). I cooked some shell pasta and reheated the meatballs in the sauce (since it was very hot at that point) and gave everyone some sauce on their pasta with a few meatballs. The sauce was a little weird looking because of the spinach and tomato combination but it was fabulous!

ps - I was trying to include a picture, but it's not working right now. Sorry.

Garlic Chicken & Pasta

Garlic Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta

1 Tb olive oil

1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breast, sliced crosswise

1 tsp salt

1 Tb olive oil

6-8 cloves garlic, crushed (1 rounded Tb)

1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered

1/2 c green onions, sliced

3/4 c red or orange sweet peppers

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)

1/2 c chicken broth

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups dry bow tie pasta - cook as directed

1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped (may use fresh parsley)

parmesan cheese, grated

1. Fry chicken in oil over medium heat until done. Sprinkle with salt and remove from skillet. Keep warm.

2.Cook garlic in oil until golden. Add mushrooms, green onions and peppers - cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, red pepper, cornstarch and salt. Heat to boiling then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Combine chicken, hot mixture, pasta and cilantro. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan to your liking.