Thursday, July 28, 2011


Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Mags...was going through my recipes I've gotten from the Food Network and have decided to start cooking! There are so many great recipes! This one is from Giada De Laurentis. Very easy and delicious! They didn't give any nutritional info, but that would be easy enough to figure out. Also, you'll notice by the size of my baking dish, I doubled the recipe. Reheated very nicely the next day. I don't think this would fall under "cooking light", but definitely falls into the "mmm mmm good" category. Soooooo, moderation is the key to this one....or not!

Ingredients:

. 1 Cup Pastina or Any Small Pasta (Used Pipette)
. 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
. 1/2 Cup Cubed Chicken Breast (1-Inch Cubes)
. 1/2 Cup Diced Onion (About 1/2 a Small Onion)
. 1 Clove Garlic, Minced
. 1 (14.5 Ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes With Juice
. 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
. 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley
. 1/4 Teaspoon Kohser Salt
. 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
. 1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs (Used Italian Breadcrumbs)
. 1/4 Grated Parmesan
. 1 Tablespoon Butter, Plus More For Buttering The Baking Dish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occassionally, about 5 minutes (use the directions of the pasta you use). Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8x8x2 baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Servings: 4

Note: Next time I plan to use another can of tomatoes....let me know what you think!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011


Bacon-Ranch Potato Salad

Ta Dum! You inspired me to actually make something worth posting. This recipe is from one of Pillsbury's little cookbooks you find at the check-out counters at most grocery stores. As usual I made a wee little change....mine would probably be titled "Bacon-Potato Salad". Not a big fan of Ranch dressing so I just used some Hellmans Light Mayo.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 Lbs Small Red Potatoes, Quartered
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, Cut In Half (Used 1 Container)
1/2 Cup Chopped Celery
1/4 Cup Chopped Chives or Green Onions (Used Green Onions)
1/4 Cup Cooked Crumbled Bacon; About 6 Slices (I Used the Center Cut Bacon)
1/2 Cup Ranch Dressing (Used 2+ Tablespoons of Light Mayo)

Directions:

  • In Dutch oven or 5-quart saucepan, place potatoes and salt. Add water just to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain; rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well. Cool slightly.
  • Place potatoes in large bowl. Add tomatoes, celery, chives or onions, and bacon.
  • Stir in ranch dressing. Serve warm, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Note: Before mixing it all up, I added a little extra salt & pepper, 2 turns of the garlic mill and a palm full of chopped fresh parsley.

Per Serving (3/4 Cup)...Calories: 140; Total Fat: 8g; Sodium: 300 mg; Fiber: 2g