Recipe - Fusilli with Chicken Sauage, Mushrooms and Sugar Snap Peas

I like to plan, try new recipes I find, and make what I know.  But some nights I have stuff in the fridge that I know I need to use before I have to throw it away.  These nights I throw them all in a pot together and hope the flavor profiles complement each other.  The nights they don’t, you don’t hear about them lol.  I usually suffer through an unsatisfying meal, and note to never pair certain foods together.  But sometimes they turn out delicious and that is why I share.  Never be afraid of trying new things.  All of the food in your fridge is edible, and you must like it if you bought it, so it’s only a small risk.  What you make might not be a masterpiece, but it will still be edible.  And on some nights, you might turn out to have made a delicious meal that you never knew you could.

For this recipe, it’s a good use of whole grain pasta and chicken sausage.  I was lucky enough to have spinach and feta chicken sausage that I buy at the Williamstown Farm Market, but sweet or spicy chicken sausage will work just fine!  If you don’t like mushrooms or sugar snap peas, pick 2 veggies you do like and use them.  I just think the earthiness of the mushrooms pairs so well with the sausage, and the crunch of the sugar snap peas goes so well with softer textures of the sausage and pasta. 

This meal can be plated to look elegant, so if you are trying to impress, this meal can do it in no time, since it is a very simple dish.  You do not have to be a chef to make this, you just need a skillet and a pot for pasta J

Fusilli with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms and Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken sausage

2 cups dry whole wheat pasta (I prefer fusilli with this dish, but any will do)

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (separated)

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

8 oz sugar snap peas

8 oz mushrooms (I used cremini/baby bellas) chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet, remove sausage from casing and cook until browned.  Add pinch of salt and pepper to sausage.  Start boiling water to make the pasta.  Remove sausage from skillet.  Add second tsbp of olive oil and add mushrooms.  Cook about 5 minutes.  Add sugar snap peas and cook 3 more minutes.  Return sausage to skillet.

Once pasta is cooked, drain and add to the skillet.  Mix everything together and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add 2 tbsp olive oil and the ¼ cup of parmesan and stir.

Eat and enjoy J  (pairs really well with a side salad for a hearty meal)

Nutritional Info:

(Serves 4)

Calories – 428

Fat – 23 (all healthy fats, so don’t look scared!)

Carbs – 34

Fiber – 4

Protein - 23

Recipe - Clean Eating Banana Bread and Pumpkin Bread

I had the day off yesterday, and really just wanted to relax.  But since I am really bad at doing that, I ended up doing some cleaning around the house and making Banana Bread and Pumpkin Bread.  I LOVE Banana Bread, and because the weather is cool now, and feeling like fall, I decided to make the Pumpkin Bread as well.  Most recipes I have tried in the past have been delicious, but full of sugar and vegetable oil.  I wanted to stray away from those.  These are not "Skinny" breads full of artificial sweeteners, but whole food breads that do have fat and calories, but are nutritional fat and calories (unlike the refined sugar based breads).  I replaced the refined sugar with honey, and used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.  I made these breads so that they would have 8 servings...8 big, thick, filling slices, but you can also slice them thinner (making 10 or 12 slices) and have lower calories and fat.  For me, I will replace a dessert or even breakfast with a slice of this bread (maybe with some fresh fruit) and I am still getting full nutrition for under 300 calories!

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 and 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground flaxseed
pinch of sea or kosher salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup melted coconut oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, flaxseed and salt.
In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat bananas until smooth.  Add eggs and beat until combined.  Gradually mix in applesauce, honey and oil.
Mix dry ingredients into banana mixture (you would then mix in any nuts or chocolate if desired).
Grease (or misto) a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.  Pour batter into pan and bake for 45-55 minutes.

Nutritional Info (for 10 servings) - Calories - 215 - Fat - 7 - Carbs - 38 - Fiber - 4 - Protein - 4

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:  (Note, if you do not have nutmeg, cloves and ginger, adding the amounts needed and using Pumpkin spice will also do the trick)

1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 tsps. cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground gloves
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup 100% pure canned pumpkin (I used Trader Joe's Organic)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing owl whisk together the dry ingredients (from the flour down to the salt).  Make a hole in the center of the and add eggs, oil, honey and vanilla.  Stir together thoroughly with a fork, but try not to over mix.  Fold in the pumpkin. 
Grease or misto a loaf pan and pour in the batter.  Bake for 40-50 minutes

Nutritional Info (for 10 servings) - Calories - 234 - Fat - 13 - Carbs - 30, Fiber - 3, Protein - 4

Recipe - Easy Tomato Soup

I love soup.  To me it’s like the perfect meal.  You can add anything you want to it.  It pretty much cooks itself.  And you can make big batches and freeze it.  I have wanted to make a homemade, clean tomato soup for a while, because I knew that would be very filling, but very low calorie, so it could be paired with some bread, or a sandwich, or some Ciabatta bread with Asiago cheese (yum).  So I made this batch in my trusty dutch oven (or you can do this in a soup pot or just a large pot).  You will need either an immersion blender or a regular blender to make this soup.  I hope you like it!

Ingredients –

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp or 2 cloves of minced garlic

10 plum tomatoes

1 tbsp of fresh tarragon leaves or 1 tsp or dried tarragon

4 cups low sodium vegetable broth (chicken broth can also be used)

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp black pepper

Directions –

In your pot heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and garlic, cook about 5 minutes until they begin to soften and brown.  Cut the tomatoes in large chunks and add to the pot.  Add the tarragon.  Sauté tomatoes for 5 minutes.  Add the broth.  Add the seasonings. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Use immersion blender or transfer soup to blender in batches.

For a creamy texture, add 4 oz of cream cheese, or ½ cup of heavy cream.

Nutritional Info (5 servings)    (not including the cream cheese or heavy cream)

Calories – 59

Fat – 3

Carbs – 8

Protein – 0

Fiber - 2

I forgot to grab a picture of the finished product cause I wanted to eat it :)  But this is a pic of before I blended it.

Southwest Crockpot Chicken

This is one of my favorite crockpot recipes.  While it is delicious and hearty, and of course easy (hello, crockpot!), it is also versatile.  I make a batch of this and usually eat it served over some brown rice.  But you can also serve it cold over mixed greens or spinach, with a little Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette, or serve it warm with some salsa and organic, clean tortilla chips or in a clean wrap.  These are some things to do with it, but I am sure there are plenty more.

This recipe was inspired by Skinnytaste.com’s Chicken Sante Fe, only I tweaked a few things to make it clean.  But definitely check out her site for some terrific figure friendly recipes.

 

Ingredients:

24oz (1 & ½ pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 15oz can diced tomato, drained (I buy Shoprite brand organic, as that is clean)

1 small can of mild green chilies

1 15oz can organic black beans

8oz of frozen corn

1 and ¾ cups chicken broth

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot . Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top.  

Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning to taste. Serve over rice or tortillas and your favorite toppings.

Nutritonal Values:
Calories - 162
Fat - 1
Carbs - 14
Protein-23
Fiber - 3

In the picture below, I mixed a tbsp of organic sour cream with homemade salsa and drizzled on top

Almost Clean Irish Stew

‘Twas a cold and rainy night that had me craving an Irish Stew.  I hated Irish Stew when I was a kid, so I never appreciated it (being that my parents are from Ireland, and my Mom would make it often).  But thankfully my taste-buds have changed and I can appreciate the deliciousness!!  This recipe is almost clean because I cannot make a good irish stew without a little Guinness Stout, and of course, beer is not clean.  So if you want the recipe completely clean, you can just omit the 12 oz of beer and add 12 oz more of beef broth.  But I am telling you, you’ll want the beer ;)

Also, I am not sure how traditional it is to put garlic in Irish Stew, but I put garlic in everything, so I did this stew, and it works wonderfully!

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 pound of lean beef stew meat

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

2 onions, chopped large

2 cups sliced mushrooms

6 cloves of minced garlic (or 3 tsp of pre-minced garlic)

1 can (6oz) tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

1 can or bottle of Guinness Stout (not Extra Stout, or it will be a bitter stew)

3 cups baby carrots (or sliced carrots, I prefer baby carrots because they are a little sweeter)

4 baking potatoes, peeled and diced large

1 tbsp corn starch

1 tbsp cold water

Fresh parsley for topping

Directions

Heat oil in a Dutch Oven or Large Pot over medium-high heat.  Coat beef cubes in with flour, shaking off the excess.  Fry beef cubes until browned on all sides and remove from the pot.  Add the onion, mushrooms and garlic to the pot, and cook stirring constantly until onion is tender (about 3 minutes).

Return beef to the pot, and stir in tomato paste, beef broth and beer.  Add the potatoes and carrots, cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.  Mix together the cornstarch and cold water in a separate bowl.  Add mixture to stew and simmer until thickened.  (If stew is not thick enough for you, add another mixture of 1 tbsp cornstarch/1 tbsp cold water).

Recipe - Penne Ala Stef (the clean and almost clean versions)

So I was thinking about this time I used to bartend at an Italian place and I used to have their pasta with Rosa sauce.  I have been craving that so much, but know that it is a very dense, calorie and fat heavy dish.  That made me want to look into a similar tasting sauce that was clean and lighter.  I found a clean version, but it just didn’t taste like what I wanted.  I used rice milk to make it creamy, but it was just very watery.  Because I like to eat clean at a 90/10 lifestyle, I figured I would try the recipe once with heavy cream and again with light cream cheese, since everything else in the recipe is clean.  If you are looking for delicious and more traditional, and not saving on fat and calories, I would go with the heavy cream, as it tastes AMAZING!  If you are trying to cut down on the fat and calories, go with the light cream cheese.  I have posted the nutritional info for both versions, but beware this is not a “diet” meal, but it is delicious and a treat.  The recipe remains the same, regardless of what cream item you use. 

This recipe yields 6 servings if pairing with shrimp or a piece of chicken breast (any protein really), and that is what I have the calorie counts for.  If you would like to make the pasta a main course, you could yield 4 servings.

Ingredients

1 pound Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (1 package)

1 (15 oz) can Organic Tomato Sauce

½ cup heavy cream or ½ block of light cream cheese

½ cups chopped onion

1 tsp minced garlic

½ cup low sodium chicken stock/broth or ½ cup dry white wine (if you prefer)

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp butter

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions (usually 10-12 minutes in salted boiling water)

While the pasta is cooking, add butter and olive oil to large skillet.  Add onions and garlic and sauté about 3 minutes.  Add chicken stock/broth to skillet and cook for about 1-2 minutes.  Add the can of tomato sauce and stir.  Then add your heavy cream or cream cheese and stir until incorporated.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  At this time you can also add some fresh or dried herbs if you would like.  I added fresh parsley and dried basil.

Add drained pasta to skillet and toss with the sauce.   Top with fresh grated parmesan.  Both versions were delicious!  (Nutritional Info Below)

Using Cream Cheese –  (6 servings)

Calories – 370

Fat – 8

Carbs – 63

Protein – 13

Fiber – 8

Using Heavy Cream –

Calories – 519

Fat – 20

Carbs – 68

Protein -13

Fiber - 9

 

Recipe - Balsamic Beef Soup

What is better for fall than a nice, hearty, healthy soup?!?  (That's rhetorical!)

I found this recipe online from the weedemandreap.com and have fallen in love.  There are 9 other fall soup recipes that I am eager to try, and will report back my likings, sharing the recipes of those that were OMGish ;)

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TBS. olive oil, tallow, lard, or butter
2 pounds stew meat
2 TBS. tomato paste
4 TBS. balsamic vinegar
4 c. beef broth
4 c. carrots, sliced
8 potatoes, diced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
TOP with minced parsley
Directions:
1. In a pot over medium heat, saute onion & garlic in oil for about 5-7 minutes or until translucent.
2. Cut stew meat into medium chunks and add to onion & garlic.
3. Cook meat until browned, reduce heat to low and add tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Cook on low for 10 minutes to allow the liquid to evaporate and the balsamic vinegar to reduce & sweeten.
4. Increase heat to medium-high, and add broth, carrots, potatoes, salt, & pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes & carrots are well cooked.
5. Remove from heat, top with parsley & enjoy!

This yields 8 servings...