Carb Loading

The hubs is one of those annoying people who can skip working out for six months, and just roll out of bed and run six miles at a fairly decent clip. So, when he announced he was going to do a half-marathon this fall, I didn't think much of it. Tomorrow is halfie day.

To help him prepare, he requested a meal with "chicken and pasta." After searching through countless cookbooks, we were able to agree on one that isn't too heavy on the sauces, veggies or sodium.

And while I don't have a prediction for his time, my guess is he'll clock some fairly ridiculous pace - all the more the impressive considering he has been sick for almost two straight weeks and has pretty much run only a handful of times and a handful of miles recently.

Go hubs!

Chicken Tetrazzini
Source: 500 Low Sodium Recipes, Dick Logue

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 c. skim milk
• 1 c. swiss cheese, shredded
• 1/4 c. grated parm cheese
• 8 oz. spaghetti, broken, cooked and drained (used whole-wheat)
• 1-1/2 c. cooked chicken, cubed
• 4oz. sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 c. red bell pepper, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Melt butter in a large saucepan on low heat. Stir in flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the milk, stirring until well-blended. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
• Stir in 1/2 c. of swiss cheese and 2 tbsp of parm, stir until cheese is melted.
• Add spaghetti, chicken, mushrooms and bell pepper; mix lightly.
• Spoon into 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with the remaining 1/2 c. swiss and 2 tbsp parm; continue baking until cheese is melted.

Yield: 6 servings
Per serving: 290 cals; 22g protein; 14g total fat (8g sat, 4g mono, 1g poly); 18g carb; 137mg sodium; 360mg calcium

Reviews:
Although I suppose the official review should come after the hubs completes the halfie tomorrow, as of tonight he was enjoying the pre-race chow and gave it a solid thumbs-up. The kid also enjoyed - no gagging, eye-rolling or other theatrics - but he did manage to pick out all of his mushrooms and red peppers. This dish is a great comfort food meal without all of calories, fat and sodium. My one comment? Next time, I might add some garlic or something for an extra bit of flavor.

Ranking:
Three Forks

If the hubs gets a new PR, I credit the meal