Quick Pad Thai

Quick Pad Thai

Women's Health

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 6 oz whole wheat capellini or angel hair pasta
• 1/2 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces, precooked
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp red chili flakes - If making for little ones I recommend cutting back on this amount. It was too spicy for little man. 

And Action:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining olive oil. Add chicken pieces and saute until just browned and no longer pink (about 4 minutes). Remove from pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk fish sauce, peanut butter, sugar, chili flakes, and 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Set aside.

Crack eggs into pan and scramble until firm. Add in chicken and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add cooked pasta and peanut butter mixture to pan, tossing with chicken and eggs. Add chopped cilantro. Garnish with crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, or lime wedge if desired.

Nutritional Facts per serving

CALORIES

342.4 CAL

FAT

9.9 G

SATURATED FAT

2.1 G

CHOLESTEROL

191.5 MG

SODIUM

478 MG

CARBOHYDRATES

39 G

TOTAL SUGARS

5.9 G

DIETARY FIBER

4.9 G

PROTEIN

24.8 G

Lemon Herb Chicken

Lemon Herb Chicken

Women's Health

Makes 2 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 tbsp olive oil + 4 tsp
• 2 chicken cutlets
• juice and zest of 1 lemon - The juice alone makes this dish very lemony.
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup fresh mint
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup white wine

And Action:

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in an oven-proof skillet on high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and sear for 2 minutes per side. While the chicken cooks, put the remaining 4 tsp oil, along with the lemon juice, zest, and herbs, into a blender or food processor and pulse until well mixed. Place the skillet with the chicken in a 400°F oven to roast for 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and place the chicken on a plate. Season with salt and pepper, then pour the wine into the skillet, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the herb sauce to the skillet and cook on the stove top for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Tuscan Chicken Pasta

My brain has been in another place lately and the blog gets neglected when I need time to clear my head. This isn't an update on running around upstairs, instead, a delicious weeknight dinner that comes together quickly. The best part were the leftovers. The flavors had time to develop overnight and made for a tasty take your lunch to work option. 

(Image from Women's Health by Joe Schmeizer)

Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Women's Health

Makes 2 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 oz whole wheat penne
• 2 chicken cutlets, cut into bite sized pieces
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 cup canellini beans, rinsed
• 2 tbsp diced roasted red peppers - If roasted red bell peppers aren't your thing then feel free to substitute sundried tomatoes.
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan

And Action:

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. While the pasta is boiling, season the chicken on each side with a pinch of salt and pepper, and sear it in a skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes a side. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the oil, garlic, rosemary, beans, red pepper, and spinach to the skillet. Cook, turning frequently, until the spinach wilts (1 to 2 minutes). Slice the chicken and drain the pasta; toss them with the bean mixture. Spoon the pasta into two bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of parmesan.

Nutritional Facts per serving

CALORIES

405.2 CAL

FAT

6.3 G

SATURATED FAT

1.7 G

CHOLESTEROL

72.8 MG

SODIUM

633 MG

CARBOHYDRATES

46.4 G

TOTAL SUGARS

1.7 G

DIETARY FIBER

8.9 G

PROTEIN

39.5 G