Chicken Ricotta Eggplant, otherwise known as healthier chicken parm

2 chicken breasts pounded as flat as you can get them
2T basil olive oil
2T olive oil
2 cups Classico tomato sauce
1 large japanese eggplant sliced thin or two smaller ones
1/4 cup part skim ricotta divided into two servings
1/2 cup mozz cheese, shredded ( enough to cover the chicken)
salt and pepper
2 servings (118 grams) barilla plus rotini pasta

Brush each side of each piece of eggplant with olive oil. Place on a pan lined with grill foil or lined with foil brushed with olive oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10-15 minutes in a 450 degree oven. You're looking for cooked and maybe crispy pieces of eggplant but not burned ones.

Pound the chicken flat. Use a drop of basil olive oil  on each side of the chicken breast and rub it into the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken ( you can also bake the chicken at 350 degrees for 20 minutes). Place the chicken on a baking sheet lined with grill foil or foil brushed with olive oil. smear 1/8 of a cup of the ricotta over the chicken until the top of the chicken breast is covered with ricotta. Then place the pieces of eggplant on top of the ricotta, then cover the eggplant with the 1/2 cup of pasta sauce. Finally top with shredded Mozz cheese.  bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Then switch to broiling for 3-5 minutes ( you want the cheese to get a little brown on top.

Boil the pasta, ( making sure to measure out an exact serving ) and then combine pasta with pasta sauce.

Serve with pasta, veggies, or a salad.


approx 500 calories per serving w/o pasta
approx 860 calories with pasta and 1/2 a cup of pasta sauce

Chicken Pasta Salad

This one is a regular staple around our house when I feel like I need to eat "healthy". Of course, healthy means something different for everyone. I hate to eat healthy so in my opinion if the food is: grilled, doesn't contain cheese, or involves more than one vegetable then I've achieved a healthy meal. I'm also not a big fan of salad, but in this one all of the veggies are offset by yummy chicken, pasta, and a lovely dressing that, frankly I could probably put on everything and be happy about. This one isn't too bad and it feeds 2 people for multiple days so, I think it can go in the healthy category.

Chicken Pasta Salad
1 red pepper cut up into bit sized pieces
1 yellow pepper cut up into bit sized pieces
3 carrots (I use a peeler to create shreds but you can cut them however you like)
3 stalks of celery cut on an angle to form bite sized pieces
1 package of baby spinach
1 package or one large ball of fresh mozz ( cut into tiny pieces)
1/2 box/bag of rotini pasta
2 chicken breasts
Brianna's Real French vinaigrette (though you could use any tangy vinaigrette dressing)
white wine vinegar

- Boil the pasta. (Make sure that you put olive oil into the water before you add the pasta, this is going to sit for a little while so you want to make sure it's not too sticky.) Drain the pasta when you feel it's reached its desired doneness and then, run cool water over the pasta, set aside.

- Marinate the chicken breasts in a mixture of 1/2 dressing and 1/2 white wine vinegar for 10-30 minutes. Then cook the chicken breasts on a medium to low heat until they are done, add more white wine vinegar if the liquid cooks off.

- Cut up the chicken into strips.

- Place the pasta and all the veggies into a large salad bowl and combine, add in the spinach and combine. Toss with the desired amount of salad dressing.

-Place the pasta, veggie, and dressing mix onto plates or into bowls for serving, add chicken and fresh mozz to individual plates. Enjoy!

Easy creamy lemon pasta

This one is so easy that I honestly didn't believe it the first time I tried it. In fact, I have complicated it significantly since I first tried the recipe. I really wanted a light fresh cream sauce, and I was astounded at how easy this is. The lemon juice actually curdles the cream turning it into this lovely light and lemony cream sauce. The thyme is the perfect accompaniment. And depending on what you add into this one, this recipe can take as little as the amount of time it takes to cook pasta.

Creamy lemon pasta

Enough pasta for 2 people
1 cup cream
2 tsp lemon juice
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
3 tsp thyme
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Pecorino Romano cheese for garnish

-Saute the lemon zest and the thyme in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes.
-Add in the cream and cook until it is reduced a little.
-Add in lemon juice.
-Season to taste with salt and pepper.
-Coat pasta with sauce.

Serve with any of the following.

-Chicken breasts cooked with lemon juice and thyme cut into small pieces.
-Slightly wilted baby spinach
-Sliced proscuitto ( I recommend you add this to the sauce at the last minute)

Or you can do what I do and add all three. The great thing about this recipe is that you can add any or all of the ingredients above to accommodate any number of picky palates.

Ricotta, Peas, and Bacon Oh My!

I found the idea for this dish on tastespotting. But once I started playing with it I definitely made it my own. This is quite possibly the easiest dinner I have ever made and one that my annoyingly critical husband actually really liked on the first try. I added in the hazelnuts after my husband proclaimed that it, had a nutty flavor, it gives the pasta a nice added crunch.

5 pieces of bacon
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup peas
2 tsp lemon thyme
3 handfuls of arugula
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts (chopped in a food processor)
1/2 a package cooked penne pasta
grated Pecorino Romano cheese

fry up the bacon until it is to your preference ( both crispy and chewy works) remove the bacon so that it can cool for a minute. Pour off about half the bacon fat and add 1/4 cup of water. Add in the peas and simmer for about 5 minutes. Crumble the cooled bacon into smallish pieces and then add the bacon, ricotta, thyme and hazelnuts stir until thoroughly mixed, then add in the pasta and stir until incorporated. Finally, spoon into a pasta bowl and mix in the arugala, sprinkle with the romano.