Spaghetti Squash with Chicken and Sun-dried Tomatoes

The combination of chicken and sun-dried tomatoes is what caught my eye with this recipe, because I usually love those two things together - especially in a pasta. I was therefore intrigued by the use of spaghetti squash as the base for this instead of a pasta, making it very low-carb and therefore super diet friendly! It was a hit with the entire family, the flavors were great and you wouldn't feel like you were missing anything even with how healthy this is.

My changes to the original included adding some onion, using more sun-dried tomatoes and cooking the chicken in the skillet as opposed to using already prepared grilled chicken. I liked doing this too because then you get that extra flavor of cooked chicken in the pan before you start cooking everything else. And, even with the extra step of cooking the chicken this was still a quick, easy meal to put together and enjoyed by everyone!

Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

1 whole Spaghetti Squash
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
2 chicken breasts, pounded thin and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chicken broth, divided
1 3.5 oz pkg. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup frozen peas
2 whole chicken breasts
1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).

2. With a sharp knife, cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scrape/remove seeds with a spoon. Place squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet covered with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Let squash cool.

3. Using a fork, scrape the inside of the squash with the tines to remove strands. Set aside.

4. In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and let cool slightly before slicing into thin strips.

5. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet. Add garlic and onion; saute 3-4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and broccoli and saute 5 minutes. Add peas, sliced chicken, and remaining 3/4 cup of chicken broth. Shake about 1/4 cup parmesan cheese into mixture (just enough to thicken the chicken broth). Reduce heat to medium-low, cover skillet and simmer for about 3 minutes.

6. Serve on top of the squash strands with fresh shaved parmesan cheese.

Braided Spaghetti Bread

I found this recipe on the Rhodes blog, and it was calling my name even though I tend to not pay much attention to recipes put out by brands (weird, I know). But, I'm a firm believer that you absolutely cannot enjoy spaghetti without garlic bread, so I suppose that is what hooked me in with this recipe. Plus it just looked pretty!

It was really easy to put together, baked up perfectly, and was a hit with my husband and daughter (because even though this looked so good, all the carb-loading isn't diet friendly right now, so I had one little bite and then enjoyed my own personal skinny chicken parm with garlic kale). My husband said he expected it to be a heavy meal, but the dough actually baked up nice and light and fluffy, making it not feel heavy at all and was easy for both of them to enjoy - and I can verify this fact from the one bite I had! I've done something similar, with this Spaghetti Bruschetta, but I think I prefer this method...with just putting the pasta on already prepared garlic bread you get a crisp, crunchy bread versus a soft and chewy one with the uncooked dough.

I'm sure we'll be having this one again, and probably in the near future not only because it was a hit but also because the bread dough came in a pack of 5 :)

You can find the original recipe here, along with step-by-step pics of putting it together.

Ingredients

1 Loaf Rhodes Bread Dough or 12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
6 oz spaghetti, cooked
1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes (or 8 oz shredded)
1 egg white
Parmesan cheese
Parsley flakes (I used Italian seasoning and garlic powder)

Directions

1. Roll thawed bread dough into a 12x16 rectangle on parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.

2. Combine spaghetti and sauce. Remove plastic wrap from dough and place spaghetti on top of dough in a 4" strip down the center. Top with cheese.

3. Make cuts 1 ½-inches apart on long sides of dough to within ½-inch of filling. Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid. Transfer parchment paper to a large baking sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

This Week's Menu

Polynesian Pork Chops

Tilapia Ceviche

Baked Spaghetti Bread

Potato, Chorizo and Green Chile Burritos

Turkey Burgers

Spaghetti Squash with Grilled Chicken and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Shrimp Tacos

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Chicken

Broccoli and Quinoa Casserole

Who doesn't love a good cheesy broccoli and rice casserole? Add some chicken and make it into a divan and I am one happy girl. There is just something about the combination that is oh-so-good, but not necessarily good for you. Boo. Therefore I was excited to find a recipe using quinoa instead of rice as well as some lighter ingredients, and I tweaked it a little to come up with my own version that I think is pretty great. Its a perfect side dish or can even be enjoyed on its own - and reheats great for leftovers too!

You can find the recipe I based this off of here. My main changes were to add some onion, celery and garlic, use mozzarella cheese, and give it a crunchy topping. I was going to take the easy route and use a can of cream of mushroom soup, but decided to try the homemade version listed with the recipe instead, and I think it worked great for this. I might not sub it in all the time, but for this particular recipe I'm glad I went the homemade route.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped
4 tsp. unsalted butter, divided
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 recipe homemade "cream of anything soup" (recipe follows) or 1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup mayo or light mayo
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 cups cooked quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked, and you cook it in a 1:2 ratio just like rice. Combine rinsed quinoa and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 15-20 minutes)
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Steam or boil broccoli until just fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, melt 2 tsp. butter. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat and stir in "cream of anything" soup.

4. In a large bowl, combine soup and veggie mixture, milk, mayo and mozzarella. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in broccoli and cooked quinoa. Pour into prepared casserole.

5. Melt remaining 2 tsp. butter in a small bowl. Stir in Panko and Parmesan. Sprinkle over the top of casserole. Cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes; remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.


"Cream of Anything" soup
1 cup cold milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper

In a small saucepan, whisk milk and cornstarch till well blended. Stir in butter, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer on low for one minute more to thicken. Use in recipes to replace one can of cream of anything soup.

Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime

I was intrigued by this recipe, mostly because of the ingredients and the low calories (214 for 2 small thighs!), and was crossing my fingers that it would turn out better than my previous attempt at a mustard-sauced chicken (you can see that recipe here) , and I'm happy to report that I can definitely recommend this one! The other one I linked to is all over Pinterest and had some great reviews, but I was extremely disappointed in it. It had waaayyy too much mustard for my taste - almost inedibly so - and even my mustard-loving husband wasn't too thrilled with the end result. I still cringe just thinking about it! This one, however, had just the right hint of mustard and the lime juice worked well to complement it.

I was still a little scared after tasting all the sauce ingredients mixed together, so I added a couple tablespoons of light sour cream to the mix and was so happy with how it turned out!

Recipe posted here with my changes, but you can see the original at Skinny Taste.

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs, skin removed (keep the bone in for better results)
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. light sour cream (my addition)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lime, squeezed, and lime zest
3/4 tsp pepper
salt
dried parsley (I used dried thyme)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Rinse the chicken and remove the skin and all fat. Pat dry; place in a large bowl and season generously with salt.

2. In a small bowl combine Dijon, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, garlic and pepper. Mix well. Pour over chicken, tossing well to coat.

3. Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Place chicken to fit in a single layer. Top the chicken with dried parsley. Bake until cooked through, about 30-35 minutes. Finish the chicken under the broiler until it is golden brown. Serve chicken with the pan juices drizzled over the top.

Cilantro Chicken

I make this yummy chicken every so often, and every time I do I have to go find it over on Marci's blog because until now I've never bothered to put it on my own. So this last time I decided to add it here so I could access it more easily, and also because I want to share because its pretty fantastic!

The chicken bakes up nice and moist, the chips add some texture and the cilantro-infused salsa gives it great flavor. I've found you can use pretty much any salsa and it works great because of the added cilantro. Oh and don't forget the cheese cause that makes everything better!

And, I can even enjoy this when I'm counting calories...just omit the chips and top with just a little bit of cheese...still fantastic!


Ingredients

2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. honey
4 chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
16 oz. thick-n-chunky salsa (I didn't use it all)
2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro (I used extra)
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

Directions 

1. Combine lime juice, honey, and oil. Dip chicken in lime juice mixture then coat with crushed chips. Place in ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake uncovered @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

2. Combine salsa and cilantro in a small bowl. Pour over chicken then sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 more minutes or until the cheese melts.

This Week's Menu

Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime

Cajun Mac and Cheese

Beef and Portobello Stroganoff

Asian Tilapia with Quinoa Fried Rice

Golden Mushroom Pork Chops

Glazed Salmon

Pork Carnitas Tacos

Shepherd's Pie

Despite the fact that I'm not really a "meat and potatoes" kind of girl, I sure do love a good Shepherd's Pie. I love the saucy meat mixed with lots of veggies and creamy potatoes. Yum!

My go-to recipe is this one from Marci's blog, just like she says the fried onions really do add some fun pizazz to it. I've played around with that recipe, trying different combos and using whatever I happen to have on hand, and this is currently my favorite. The Italian sausage is a personal preference as it adds a extra flavor from plain ground beef, and I use mushrooms in place of some of the meat because I like the texture they add (and a great way to stretch the meal in a more healthy way!). This is one of the few things I get excited to enjoy as leftovers!

Ingredients


1 lb. mild Italian sausage
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cups french fried onions
1 can tomato soup
1/2 c. water
3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 package (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
3 cups hot mashed potatoes
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Cook and crumble sausage in large skillet. When almost cooked through, add the mushrooms; cook a few minutes more until tender. Drain any excess fat and return to pan.

3. Stir in 1 cup fried onions, soup, water, seasoning, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Spoon veggies over sausage mixture, then top with mashed potatoes.

4. Bake 30 min. or until hot. Sprikle with Parmesan and remaining 1 cup onions. Bake 5 min. more or until golden.

Poached Salmon in Orzo Broth

This was a fun and delicious new way to enjoy salmon! The fish gets poached in a mild broth so it keeps its great flavor, and all the rest of the goodies are cooked in one pot making this super simple yet super fancy-looking :) After this and our fish curry, eating fish in broth with a spoon is my new favorite way to enjoy it.

I'm going to post the original recipe here pretty much as written, although I did make some changes. I doubled the mushrooms (because I love them), used almost a full pound of salmon, and also a little more broth and orzo.

Poached Salmon in Orzo Broth
from Tablespoon.com

Ingredients

1 cup hot water
6 dried shiitake mushrooms (1/2 oz package)
2 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. uncooked orzo pasta
1 salmon fillet (1/2 lb), cut into 2 pieces
1/4 sliced roasted red bell peppers
1 cup thinly sliced spinach leaves
3 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
2 green onions, sliced diagonally

Directions

1. In medium bowl, pour hot water over mushrooms. Let stand about 20 minutes or until soft. Drain mushrooms, reserving liquid. Rinse with warm water; drain. Squeeze excess moisture from mushrooms. Remove and discard stems; cut caps into 1/2-inch strips.

2. Strain mushroom liquid through fine wire mesh sieve or coffee filter into 4-quart Dutch oven. Stir in broth and garlic. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo; reduce heat. Add salmon. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with fork. Carefully remove salmon with slotted spatula; keep warm.

3. Stir mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, basil and onions into broth mixture. Cook about 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted and orzo is tender.

4. Place a piece of salmon in each individual bowl; spoon vegetable-orzo broth over top.

Sausage and Spinach Rice Bowls

The rice bowl: so simple and unassuming, yet probably the most versatile dinner option out there! I love the concept of these because there are a thousand different ways to customize based on your tastes or what you happen to have in your pantry. You can use any type of meat or seafood, change up the flavor of the rice, use seasonal veggies and have one of these every week yet never have the exact same one.

For this particular one, I worked off a basic recipe that included sausage and spinach from Cooking Light and added a few embellishments - roasted red peppers and mushrooms - just because I had them on hand. Yum!

Oh, and did I mention this took less than 15 minutes to cook? Practically perfect :)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I used instant brown, but you can use any variety, flavor, etc)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. hot Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
1/2 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 4-oz can sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers (jarred or fresh)
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and onion; cook, stirring to crumble sausage, until sausage is cooked through and onion is tender. Stir in garlic; cook 2 minutes more. Add mushrooms and peppers, stir to combine, then add spinach. Cook until spinach is just wilted. Stir in rice, mix well to combine and continue cooking until heated through.