Lemon Basil Penne Medley

How is it that you feel like you need a vacation after every vacation??? From the moment we got back from our holiday travels all Ben and I have wanted to do was go on a date night. It didn't help that we spent our 10 year anniversary driving to Utah. Once we opened up a couple of restaurant gift cards for Christmas, we knew exactly how we were going to celebrate once we returned home. Free dinner! Can't beat that.

The weekend we got home we hit the town and went to one of our favorite restaurants (thank you Grandma Sawyer) and ordered our favorite meal, Steak Bryan. The. Best. On our way out we were raving to the hostess about how excellent the food was and she told us the sauce was so easy to make. Lots and lots of butter, lemon juice, garlic, basil and white wine. She had me lost at the "lots and lots of butter" but I figured I'd give a copycat recipe a go.

What happened tasted nothing like our divine dinner, however it was just as spectacular. From a delicious Steak Bryan came this zesty Lemon Basil Penne Medley, proof that sometimes it's a blessing when things don't quite turn out the way you planned.

 

This whole grain penne pasta is tossed with a tangy lemon basil sauce that lightly coats each little ridge. If that isn't lovely enough, I also mixed in freshly chopped basil, sweet salad tomatoes, tangy sundried tomatoes and real mozzarella chunks. And what isn't better than some shaved Parmesan cheese on top? Yes, a true pasta medley!

 

Lemon Basil Penne Medley*

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 cup lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons)

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish

1 1/2 cups snacking salad tomatoes, halved

*12 oz. whole grain Penne pasta (choose gluten free for a gluten free meal)

8 oz. fresh mozarella

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (I use the ones not packed in oil)

Grated or shaved Parmesan cheese for garnishing

 

Directions:

1. Begin boiling salted water for pasta. As water is heating, prepare ingredients by slicing tomatoes in half, chopping the basil and cubing the mozzarella into 1/4" cubes. Squeeze out lemon juice making sure to discard all seeds. Finely chop your garlic cloves.

 

2. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. As pasta is cooking melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once butter has melted add in garlic. Stir continuously for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant.

 

3. In a small bowl or measuring dish, add cornstarch to the chicken broth. Stir until dissolved. Add chicken broth mixture, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar to saucepan. Bring to a light simmer and stir continuously until sauce begins to thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Add chopped basil and stir 2 minutes more. Add 2/3 of the sliced salad tomatoes and stir 2 minutes more.

 

4. At this point your pasta should be cooked. Drain pasta and set aside. Remove sauce pan from heat and immediately toss in warm penne, mozzarella chunks, remaining salad tomatoes, and sundried tomatoes. Stir to coat all pasta.

 

5. Garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Serves 6



Healthified Chicken Alfredo

I love Alfredo, but I hardly ever get to eat it. Every time we go to an Italian restaurant and I skim the menu, the Alfredo is so tempting. I can just never bring myself to order it because Alfredo in and of itself is so fattening, and then you add the factor that a restaurant is making it?! That totally drives up the "not so healthy for you" status. Restaurants are known for adding more sodium and fat to their food because heck, it just makes it taste better.

But here's the good news; if you make your own Alfredo sauce you can cater it to your own preferences. My personal preference for Alfredo: light yet creamy with a garlicky undertone. Perfect!

 

This Healthified Chicken Alfredo was so easy to put together and the flavors were delicious. I was able to make this smooth and creamy sauce using about half the butter traditional recipes call for, as well as 2% milk instead of heavy cream or half and half. The result was quite comparable to mainstream Alfredo sauces. A success indeed!

 

 

Healthified Chicken Alfredo*

 

Ingredients:

2 uncooked chicken breasts

1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary or dried

4 cloves garlic, minced

*10 oz. your choice of whole grain pasta (I used gluten free spaghetti, yay!)

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup chicken broth

2 cups milk (I used 2%), divided

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning

1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus more for seasoning

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

 

Directions:

1. Trim fat off chicken. Pierce each side of chicken with a sharp knife 8-10 times. Generously salt and pepper each side. Rub rosemary and 1 clove of the minced garlic into both sides of the chicken. Cook chicken in large saucepan or grill. (I have to admit, I still use my George Foreman from when we first got married 10 years ago! Love it though! If using a saucepan, melt 1 additional tablespoon of butter and cook chicken over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side until cooked through and no longer pink. George Foreman takes 10 minutes.)

 

 

 

2. Set chicken aside (if you cooked in a saucepan, do not clean. It will give additional flavor when you cook your Alfredo in the same saucepan). Prepare salted boiling water for pasta. As you're waiting for the water to boil, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining 3 minced garlic cloves and continue stirring for 1 more minute. Add 3 tablespoons chicken broth and stir until liquid has almost completely evaporated scraping bottom of the pan to deglaze (about 3-4 more minutes).

 

 

3. At this point you should begin cooking your pasta according to package directions. Very important: you want your pasta and sauce to finish at almost the exact same time. You won't want either to sit waiting for the other to be done.

4. To the saucepan add 1 3/4 cup of the milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth. Bring to a light boil. Stir constantly for five minutes.

 

 

5. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup of cold milk. Stir until dissolved. Add to saucepan and stir for one minute until slightly thickened. Reduce heat to low and immediately add grated parmesan. Stir until cheese is melted into the sauce. If sauce is too thick, add more chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

6. By this point your pasta should be done. Drain pasta and pour hot pasta into saucepan. Add chopped parsley and stir to completely coat pasta.

 



 

 

7. Garnish with sliced chicken, shaved Parmesan, lemons and parsley leaves. Serve immediately.

 

Makes 5 servings.

 









Whole Wheat Vegetarian Lasagna

I can't begin this post without paying tribute to my mom. If anything, lasagna is her signature dish. Forget the Italian "Mama Mia!" and just replace it with "Mama Melene!" In all honesty, she's probably made over 300 lasagnas in my 30 years of life. From feeding college kids to family members to community potlucks, this tried and true recipe has always been a winner.

After living on my own and figuring out ways that I could incorporate more whole grains and vegetables into my everyday diet, I realized this was the perfect recipe to play around with. I omitted the meat for a vegetarian option, switched out the traditional noodles for whole wheat lasagna noodles, and threw in whatever vegetables I had on hand. The result was just as flavorful and just as ooey gooey good as I had always remembered.

The great thing about this lasagna is that you can adapt it to your own vegetable preference. I usually add carrots, zucchini, mushrooms and onions. I have also tried it with diced butternut squash (mmm so hearty), green and red bell peppers, a handful of spinach, etc. Just experiment and have fun!

Whole Wheat Vegetarian Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion chopped

3 carrots, halved and cut about 1/8 inch thick

2 zucchinis, quartered and cut about 1/4 inch thick

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 jar spaghetti sauce (24 oz.)

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles

2 cups cottage cheese

2 eggs

1 tsp. sugar

2 tablespoons dried or fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2-4 cups mozzarella cheese (depending on your ooey gooey preference!)

 

Directions:

1. Prep veggies and set aside. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.

 

2. Add onions and carrots to sauce pan and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add zucchini and cook 2 minutes more. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook 3 minutes more. (Salt and pepper vegetables with each addition)

 

3. Add in spaghetti sauce. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, begin cooking your noodles according to package directions. (I always cook whole wheat lasagna noodles 2 minutes longer than suggested for tenderness)

4. In a mixing bowl combine cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, parsley, basil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Whisk all together.

 

5. Drain noodles and set aside.

 

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and begin assembling lasagna. Layers are as follows: Put a very thin layer of sauce at bottom to prevent sticking, 3 noodles, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 mozzarella, 3 noodles, 1/2 spaghetti sauce mixture, last 1/2 cottage cheese mixture (okay if it mixes into sauce as you spread over), last 1/2 of mozzarella, 3 noodles and last 1/2 of sauce to cover all noodles. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

 

7. Bake covered with foil for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes. Enjoy!