Assuming I make the time to cook New things every week, this will be an ongoing series – Foodie Friday, with yours truly!
Last Sunday I used the kitchen for my Study-Break. I poured myself one glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and pulled out the jar of Marinara that I bought. We have a complicated relationship, me and these marinara sauces. Usually, I prefer to make my own. Sometimes, on an impulse, I’ll buy a jar (typically the “chunky/vegetable” variety) and use it for multiple things. Such as….
Italian Chicken & Pasta
YES, that’s enough for leftovers – always a cooking goal of mine!
2 chicken breats (4 oz each)
Italian Seasoning Mix (rub)
Olive Oil
~2 cups pasta (cooked)
~2 cups Marinara Sauce (of choice)
1/2 bag of steamed broccoli
-options: sautéd red/yellow onions, green/red peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, etc. This is one of my favorite things about pasta sauce – it’s easy to make it how you want it! Add anything there.
Sauté the chicken (rubbed with Italian Seasoning) in ~1 tbsp Olive oil. Cook pasta as directed. Steam broccoli (mine was frozen/bagged), and add to marinara sauce. And…..all together now! See, easy. Healthy dinner with protein, veggies, and carbohydrates. Plus room for a little vino on the side!
FYI: 4 oz of boneless, skinless chicken breast is ~100-130 calories. 1 cup of pasta is ~200 calories. 1/4 cup of Marinara sauce is ~80 calories. All dependent on brand and/or varieties used!
******
NEXT!
Homemade “meatball” sandwich
I purchased Lean Ground Beef (93/7), formed into 4 nicely portioned patties (4 0z each). You could just easily (and for a little less $) buy 1 lb of Lean GB and make your own patties. This usually turns out disasterous for me, so, I spend the extra dollar to have it done nicely!
1 4-oz beef patty
2 slices Whole-wheat toast (or bun, if you have those around! I did Not…)
~1/4 cup Marinara Sauce (probably a little less, I didn’t measure)
Sprinkle of Grated Parmesan Cheese
I cooked the patty in a non-stick skillet, toasted the bread, spooned on the sauce, and topped it off with a sprinkle of Parmsan. Easy, QUICK, and delicious! This meal took ~10 minutes, that’s what I’ll call time-nutrient-dense! The beef is a good source of Iron and protein; we have healthy carbs (and whole-grains!) with the bread, and ~1 1/2 servings of veggies between the broccoli and the tomato-based sauce.
********
On the menu for the weekend? Home-made pizza!! That Marinara jar is still half full, and doesn’t last too long in the fridge once it’s opened (food safety!).
(p.s. Please ignore the picture-quality difference - phone vs. camera. Ehhh, I’ll work on that…)
What’s been in your kitchen this week?
Assuming I make the time to cook New things every week, this will be an ongoing series – Foodie Friday, with yours truly!
Last Sunday I used the kitchen for my Study-Break. I poured myself one glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and pulled out the jar of Marinara that I bought. We have a complicated relationship, me and these marinara sauces. Usually, I prefer to make my own. Sometimes, on an impulse, I’ll buy a jar (typically the “chunky/vegetable” variety) and use it for multiple things. Such as….
Italian Chicken & Pasta
YES, that’s enough for leftovers – always a cooking goal of mine!
2 chicken breats (4 oz each)
Italian Seasoning Mix (rub)
Olive Oil
~2 cups pasta (cooked)
~2 cups Marinara Sauce (of choice)
1/2 bag of steamed broccoli
-options: sautéd red/yellow onions, green/red peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, etc. This is one of my favorite things about pasta sauce – it’s easy to make it how you want it! Add anything there.
Sauté the chicken (rubbed with Italian Seasoning) in ~1 tbsp Olive oil. Cook pasta as directed. Steam broccoli (mine was frozen/bagged), and add to marinara sauce. And…..all together now! See, easy. Healthy dinner with protein, veggies, and carbohydrates. Plus room for a little vino on the side!
FYI: 4 oz of boneless, skinless chicken breast is ~100-130 calories. 1 cup of pasta is ~200 calories. 1/4 cup of Marinara sauce is ~80 calories. All dependent on brand and/or varieties used!
******
NEXT!
Homemade “meatball” sandwich
I purchased Lean Ground Beef (93/7), formed into 4 nicely portioned patties (4 0z each). You could just easily (and for a little less $) buy 1 lb of Lean GB and make your own patties. This usually turns out disasterous for me, so, I spend the extra dollar to have it done nicely!
1 4-oz beef patty
2 slices Whole-wheat toast (or bun, if you have those around! I did Not…)
~1/4 cup Marinara Sauce (probably a little less, I didn’t measure)
Sprinkle of Grated Parmesan Cheese
I cooked the patty in a non-stick skillet, toasted the bread, spooned on the sauce, and topped it off with a sprinkle of Parmsan. Easy, QUICK, and delicious! This meal took ~10 minutes, that’s what I’ll call time-nutrient-dense! The beef is a good source of Iron and protein; we have healthy carbs (and whole-grains!) with the bread, and ~1 1/2 servings of veggies between the broccoli and the tomato-based sauce.
********
On the menu for the weekend? Home-made pizza!! That Marinara jar is still half full, and doesn’t last too long in the fridge once it’s opened (food safety!).
(p.s. Please ignore the picture-quality difference - phone vs. camera. Ehhh, I’ll work on that…)
What’s been in your kitchen this week?