Monday, May 21, 2012

Two-fer

Two-fer one, that is. I cooked last night, but I didn't blog because I was so totally and completely exhausted.

For the one of you who don't know, I ran my first 10K yesterday. In fact, it was my first race ever, and my first athletic competition since high school (unless you count some fierce games of whirley ball and a random staff softball game long ago). Needless to say, the entire experience was intimidating, overwhelming, exhilarating and exhausting all wrapped into one. And needless to say - even though I am very used to waking up at obscene hours to work out - I was just spent last night and didn't make it past 8:15.



So now you get double the recipe pleasure.

Last night we had Chicken Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato and Fresh Red Pepper Sauce
Source: Clean Eating, July 2011

Ingredients:
  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1tsp evoo
  • 2 tsp low-sodium dry rub or blend
  • 1.5 c. uncooked penne
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced (skip - didn't feel like chopping)
  • 2 tsp finely chopped basil
Sauce:
  • 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 c. sun dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 c. unsalted raw cashews
  • 1/4 c. whole fresh basil leaves
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 shallot, halved
Directions:
  • Diagonally score chicken and rub with thin coating of oil and dry rub. Grill chicken. Chop and set aside.
  • Prepare pasta while chicken cooks.
  • Prepare sauce. In a blender/food processor, combine all sauce ingredients until very smooth.
  • Toss everything together and serve.
Yield: 2 servings (we had more than enough for 3)
Per serving: 648 cals; 13g fat (2g sat); 85g carb; 14g fiber; 50g protein; 402mg sodium

Reviews:
The hubs took one look at the unblended ingredients and had major doubts. But, the sauce turned out awesome. I ended up heating it up so the meal was hot, but otherwise have no changes to this. It was a different flavor but different in a way that even the kid and hubs enjoyed.

Tonight we had Tuna Salad Melt
Cooking Light, June 2012

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 c. chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 c. chopped red onion (skip)
  • 1/4 c. canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 c. canola mayo (I use Spectrum)
  • 1 tbsp Dijon
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
  • salt/pepper (skip)
  • 1 (12-oz) can white tuna, drained and flaked
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • bread, shredded Swiss, tomatoes, spinach
Directions:
  • Combine all ingredients (through bread/cheese, tomatoes, spinach) in a bowl.
  • Top bread evenly with cheese and broil. Arrange tomato slices, 1/3 c. tuna and spinach on top of bread.
Yield: 6 servings (one sandwich)
Per serving: 231 cals; 11.1g fat (1.9g sat, 2.9g mono, 3.8g poly); 15.2g protein; 18g carb; 3.9g fiber; 21mg chol; 500mg sodium

Reviews:
Of course we had soccer practice tonight, so I made this and let it hang in the fridge until the boys got home, and simply broiled the sandwiches upon their arrival. So that was the best part - I was able to make this ahead and have something fresh for dinner. I thought it was OK, the hubs liked it, and the kid wasn't the biggest fan. He gave it an encouraging thumbs up at first, but a few more bites in and he was done. Personally, I prefer another tuna recipe I make - with spectrum mayo, diced apple, topped on fresh spinach with a teeny douse of Newman's Own Olive Oil & Vinegar dressing. Yum.

Rankings:
Chicken Penne: Three Forks
Tuna: Two Forks

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