Meal Planning

Posted on April 16, 2015 by rebeccacain23

Do you meal plan?

I do every 2 weeks. I like to plan ahead. I don’t plan what meals are going to be for what nights or anything… but I plan and shop for 10 dinners (sometimes 1 or 2 extra recipes that have similar ingredients to others that I’ve shopped for in case I change my mind) and then I shop for lunches and breakfasts etc for those 2 weeks at a time.

That is why a lot of the things I talk about I say “thaw”. I don’t usually buy and then cook meat the next day. I don’t usually buy fresh and cook THAT day. It’s very rare that that happens. I don’t like to run to the grocery store every day. I’ve got kids… kids that are impatient and don’t love the grocery store. I personally don’t like the germs that come with the touching of the shopping carts! Ew.

So, every 2 weeks I’ve got my pinterest board that I go thru, delete the ones I’ve already made my own, and re-pin ideas for the next couple of weeks.

Here is my weekly planning board: https://www.pinterest.com/rebeccacain23/weekly-meal-plans/

If you don’t like the online route for meal planning, you can go the route of a paper pad: Knock Knock What to Eat Pad

OR a magnetic white board for your fridge! I’ve done this in the past! Magnetic Meal Planner

My husband and I also just started using the app: “Out of Milk”. You can scan the UPC code on some items so that it can be REALLY specific if you husband needs to pick something up for you! You can specify store, items, how many, average price, and whether or not you have a coupon for it. It also gives you an alert for whats on sale in the area! It’s a very helpful app, and I have it open as I shop so that I only buy what I planned to purchase. It helps keep me from purchasing anything impulsively!

Also, have you ever heard of Mvelopes? There are 2 versions. There is the cash version, and the debit card all online version. The online version, at www.mvelopes.com has a free version and it tracks all of your swipes on your debit cards and credit cards! It helps you budget and track your spending. It will even give you a graph that shows you percentages of where you spend your money! Crazy huh? We took a Dave Ramsey course at our church and it was recommended. I’d say check it out if you’re looking for something to help figure out where all that $$ is going! 🙂

Tonight my husband is still not home and it’s 8p. Sometimes he gets home early, and sometimes he gets home late! I did not feel like cooking a big whole dinner just for myself.. and also did not feel like making dinner at 8p. So, tomorrow is the day a recipe will come!

So, how do you meal plan? What are your tools?? Or, do you just wing it at the grocery store?? Let me know!

And now, for the quote of the day:

Taco Tuesday!

Posted on April 14, 2015 by rebeccacain23

So it’s Tuesday and my husband requested… what else… tacos! HA!

So, since THAT isn’t a new recipe, I’m going to post ideas, tips, thoughts and pics of ideas for Taco Tuesdays for you!

Low Carb Taco Tuesday:

http://lusciouslowcarb.blogspot.com/2010/10/its-taco-night.html

She used CHEESE for her taco shells! Check out her blog!

And… have you SEEN these?! We have some. As many tacos as we eat in our house, these are a necessity!

They are: TacoProper Taco Holder

Hysterical huh??

Ok… this one Rasta Imposta Taco I’ve gotta consider getting John for no reason… hahahahahaha!

Or this book… a TACO cookbook!!! Tacolicious: Festive Recipes for Tacos, Snacks, Cocktails, and More

As far as tips go, I’d have to say… why not have a “Taco Tuesday” and a “Macaroni Monday” and a “Wings Wednesday” etc… At least occasionally. It’s easier on the cook, and fun for the people eating! Traditions are a PLUS and also something to look forward to. Maybe the first week of each month, or quarter you can have a “Spirit Week” where it’s a themed dinner meal. How easy to plan for that huh??

So… that’s the post for today! I promise tomorrow will be WAY more recipe like… I’m shopping tomorrow!! WOOHOO!

IF you have any recipe requests, ideas, or want me to makeover or under a recipe… let me know in the comments or send me a quick email!!

Sundried Tomato Avocado Chicken Sanwiches with Pesto and Mozarella!

Posted on April 13, 2015 by rebeccacain23

I was seriously craving twice baked potatoes. SOOO bad! Alas, my potatoes were VERY sad looking and VERY small. It’s all I had left. I have had a lot of sauteed and roasted veggies for lunches these last couple of weeks and therefore have none for twice baked potatoes. Boo!

Instead, I made a DELICIOUS sandwich on GREAT HARVEST Sourdough. This is significant. It is not significant because I am affiliate of Great Harvest, it’s significant because it’s just simply the best. https://www.greatharvest.com/ I worked at a Great Harvest Bread bakery when I was 15 years old, and I have never tasted bread as wonderful as they make. They have locations all over… so if you’re near one… STOP AND GET BREAD!! 🙂

Ingredients

This was for 2 servings

6 chicken tenderloins (or more, depending on how many servings you need)
olive oil
2 TB butter
Kosher Salt
freshly ground Black Pepper
Mrs. Dash OR 21 Seasoning Salute
2-3 mozzarella string cheese sticks (OR fresh mozzarella if you have it!)
4 slices of SOURDOUGH bread!!
2-3 TB fresh homemade basil pesto
2 TB diced Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Arugula or any type of lettuce for sandwich
1/2 avocado sliced for in sandwich

INSTRUCTIONS

Lightly drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and the Mrs. Dash or 21 Seasoning Salute.
Sautee in skillet with 1 TB of butter. Cook until white all the way thru and then set aside and let rest.
Place 1 TB of butter into the warmed skillet and let melt on med to low. Butter one side of each of the slices of bread (just like with grilled cheese) and put pesto on the opposite side (from the butter) of 2 slices of bread. This is so that each sandwich will have 1 slice of bread with pesto on 1 side of the sandwich. Place the chicken, sundried tomatoes, and cheese onto the bread and place the other piece of bread on top. “Grill” like grilled cheese until the cheese is melted. (I cut the string cheese in half lengthwise, and then width wise.) Flip over to brown the other side of the sandwich.
Remove from skillet and place onto plate. Remove the side w/out the cheese and place the avocado pieces and the arugula (or lettuce) and put back together. Cut and ENJOY!

This sandwich was FULL of flavor. The sourdough definitely was crunchy and the perfect flavor and texture for this sandwich. NO WORDS! Ok… yes, you really have to try Great Harvest! 🙂 The chicken was moist and tender… everything balanced quite well! This is a quick and easy dinner!

I served this with 2 mini sweet potatoes. Aldi has a bag of steamable sweet potatoes that you just pop into the microwave for 8 minutes! I just had the sandwich and sweet potatoes and was quite satisfied! Give this one a try!

And now, for the quote of the day:

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Check out this link: 15% off San Francisco Coffee K-cups

Tropical Coconut Crusted MahiMahi with Coconut Lemon Rice

Posted on April 10, 2015 by rebeccacain23

I am still learning how to cook fish. Each fish type is a bit different. You cook salmon differently than you would mahimahi. You make tilapia differently than you do mahimahi. All different textures and thicknesses. So, for me, it’s a bit hard to take the time and effort to master each one. I am getting closer with salmon… SO CLOSE!! 🙂

This recipe… MASTERED MahiMahi! I’m telling you, it’s AMAZING! If you follow it closely, you will be quite happy with how it turned out! IF you love coconut that is. 🙂 Seriously… tropical and fresh, flaxy and tender… this is an awesome recipe!

I was inspired by this recipe: http://www.bubblews.com/news/788347-coconut-crusted-mahi-mahi-recipe

I changed a few things, so the recipe below is mine, but the inspiration DEFINITELY came from the recipe above!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of bread crumbs (I used 2 pieces of dried whole grain bread and blended in my NutriBullet)
3/4 cup of Sweetened Flaked Coconut
1 teaspoon of finely zested lemon zest
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons of olive oil
4 (6 oz.) mahi mahi fillets
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for Coconut Rice:

1 cup rinsed White Jasmine Rice
1 can light coconut milk
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

Instructions:

Rice:

Place rinsed jasmine rice into a Rice Cooker and then pour the can of Light Coconut Milk over the rice and let cook. Will just switch to warm when it is done. When the rice is done, put it into a large glass bowl and add the lemon juice and salt and pepper and toss to coat. Set aside covered to keep warm waiting to serve with the fish.

Fish:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and then line a baking sheet with Aluminum Foil and spray it with cooking spray. You can use a Cooking Spray Mister.

If you do not have Panko Bread crumbs, or other PLAIN breadcrumbs, you can do as I did. I took 2 dried pieces of whole wheat bread, placed it into my nutribullet, and ground it into crumbs! Worked perfectly!! You can also use a Food Processor or a Blender.

Now take a small glass bowl and add in your bread crumbs, coconut, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk your ingredients together. Then drizzle 2 tablespoons of your olive oil over your coconut mixture and mix the olive oil into your ingredients. Set this aside for use later.

You now want to liberally seasoning both sides your mahi mahi filets with your salt and pepper.

Now place your mahi mahi on your prepared baking sheet and place them into your preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes remove your baking sheet from the oven and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over your mahi mahi fillets. Then divide your coconut mixture between your fillets and cover the entire top of each fillet with your mixture. This will create a wonderful crust when baked. Now return your baking sheet to your oven and bake until golden brown and your fish can flake easily with a fork. This should take an additional 10 minutes.

Then remove your coconut crusted mahi mahi from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve over rice and with a veggie.

You will TRULY enjoy this! My husband gave it the gold seal and said that he’d order this at a restaurant and then go back for more! It’s seriously one of the best recipes for MahiMahi I’ve ever had!!!! I will definitely be making this one again.

And now, for the quote of the day:

Roasted Cauliflower and Bacon over Lemony Zucchini Noodles

Posted on April 9, 2015 by rebeccacain23

Yesterday I did… yard work! Gasp! I know! Those of you who know me would be absolutely SHOCKED!! The last time I did “yard work” I ended up rushing to the local urgent care and getting 10 stitches in one of my fingers. I played it safe this time… I just purchased ferns for my front porch and transferred them (with some help from my brother and hubby) into hanging baskets. Then I filled my “\Window Box” or porch flower boxes with dirt and pretty little flowers that by daughter picked out. My husband was laughing at how little the flowers were for the flower boxes and said that noone is going to know that any flowers are in the box! I am HOPING that they will grow and hang over a bit. My daughter picked them out and was SO excited about it. I figured, who really cares… you know? I’m ok if they never really show to those people walking by my house… I know they are in there! 🙂

So after a hard day (hehehe) doing yard work and I needed to take my ol’ hound dog 🙂 on a bit of a jog. So, my sweet husband took care of the kids and I went for a little jog. Well, my hound dog decided to cut me off mid-jog to smell something on the other side of the path and I rolled my ankle over a tree root and fell pretty hard! Silly dog. It took me a second, but I got back up, finished the, now walk, and got back home to fix some dinner. I feel old this morning though. I only have 2 tiny bruises from this fall, but I feel sore all over. I’m so old.

So, after all of this, I decided to do something carb free and quick. I THINK this took me 30 min or under from start to finish. The most time consuming part of this was making the zucchini noodles. It wasn’t that bad, it’s just that I had to figure out how I wanted to make them. My cheese grater worked the best. I didn’t have a fancy Spiral Vegetable Slicer. Honestly it probably would have been WAY easier, but I wanted to try this recipe with what I already had without buying anything. You can also try a Mandoline. I have one, but I really decided I would use my Cheese Grater because most people already have one of those.

So, here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

2 cups cauliflower florets (fresh, not frozen if possible)
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion – 1/2 small onion (I prefer sweet yellow)
4 pieces of nitrite and nitrate free bacon (I used pre-cooked Trader Joes Bacon)
2 TB unsalted butter
2 medium zucchinis
1 TB homemade pesto (optional) for garnish
Shaved parmesan as garnish
For the lemon sauce:
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1.5 teaspoons lemon juice
1.5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking tray with tin foil.
Toss the cauliflower in a medium bowl with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Lay the cauliflower out on the prepared baking tray and roast for 25 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork and lightly browned.
While the cauliflower is roasting, grate the zucchini using the cheese grater (or your “spiralizer” if you have one!)
Place a large skillet over medium heat and coat with 1-2 TB olive oil. Lay in the bacon slices and cook for 3-5 minutes or until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
After bacon is removed (don’t overcook it, it’ll add a burnt flavor the rest of the dish!)add in your minced garlic, and onions. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant and then add in the zucchini noodles. Sprinkle the lemon zest and pour the lemon juice over top of the mixture and stir.
Cook, tossing frequently, for 3-5 minutes or until zucchini noodles are slightly soft, or “al dente”. Add in the butter and stir until melted. Add in the cauliflower and crumble the bacon back in over the skillet, with your fingers. Give a toss and then remove from heat and stir in the Greek yogurt mixture. Toss to combine thoroughly and divide into bowls.
Sprinkle with parmesan and drizzle a bit of pesto (optional) over top for garnish and a bit of extra flavor.

Tip: you NEVER cook pesto. You heat the meal and then add the pesto. Only add the pesto to the amount of food you want to eat. Save the remainder of the pesto with a bit of oil over the top in an airtight Jelly Jar in the refrigerator and the food separately. When you reheat the meal, add the pesto AFTER. If you cook the pesto, it changes color and flavor.

This meal was really good! It actually satisfied my craving for pasta, and I didn’t have any!! The zucchini was a little crunchy, but still “noodle-like”. This one was easy and tasty! Give it a try!

And now, for the quote of the day:

Lemon-Dill Salmon Over Buttery Pasta with Peas and Spinach

Posted on April 8, 2015 by rebeccacain23

I’ve been trying to perfect salmon for a WHILE. Like, a serious while. I can’t quite get it perfect, but I’m getting there!!!

I have definitely learned to not attempt to cook it from frozen. Always thaw it. Ha. Should be obvious, but I like to try shortcuts. 🙂

I have also learned, yesterday, that it’s hard to cook it perfectly while paying attention to it when you have two little kids. Most likely, on that day, your three year old will run into the kitchen with blood pouring out of his lip while he is scream-crying with your 5 year old girl running after him (also crying) screaming “I didn’t do it on purpose!”. Yes, that happened last night while I was trying to perfectly cook my salmon. Let’s say that it was ALMOST perfect! Pretty good huh??!!! I was proud of that accomplishment after such a “traumatic” incident. He was fine by the way… his big sister just bopped him… hopefully it really was “by accident”.

So, luckily at that time, the salmon had JUST gone into the oven to finish, and my pasta was done and was “marinating” in the butter. So, if I can do it, YOU CAN TOO!! 😉

Try this one out if you like Salmon!!

This is for 2 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 tso kosher salt
2 medium salmon steaks (filets)
1 tsp minced garlic
1TB olive oil
3 TB butter
1/2 lb. farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 large handful of baby spinach rough chopped
1 cup frozen peas
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp fresh or dried Dill Weed (I used dried)
1 Tb parmesan cheese
splash of white wine for cooking and deglazing the pan

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Meanwhile, if you’re using whole grain pasta, cook it in water according to package directions.
Drizzle olive oil in an oven safe skillet like mine or Oven Safe Chef’s Classic Skillet and heat to medium.
Place salmon steaks skin side down into the hot skillet to get a nice crispy skin.
Top the salmon with salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic and the dill.
Place the butter into the pan with the salmon and melt. (Put skillet onto medium low – 3, and melt butter).
Put a splash of white wine into pan if desired.
Spoon the butter/lemon/wine sauce over the salmon for 2 minutes and then place pan with the salmon in it directly into the oven. (Which is why you need to have an oven safe pan shown in the link above or similar).
Bake for 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon. Remove the salmon from the oven BEFORE the white albumin starts to ooze out. It’s not fun to have on your salmon. REMEMBER TO USE A HOT PAD WHEN YOU REMOVE IT!! Once the salmon is removed from the oven, remove salmon from pan and SAVE the sauce. Place the salmon onto a plate and let sit for 5-7 minutes.
Transfer the noodles and peas into the butter sauce remaining in your skillet and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garnish with dill.
Serve into bowls.
You can either leave the salmon steak whole, or you can “shred” it with your fork and disperse it throughout the dish as I did below.
ENJOY!! This one is a winner!!

And now, for the quote of the day:

Mixed Greens Chicken Avocado Salad with Lemon Poppy-seed Dressing

Posted on April 7, 2015 by rebeccacain23

Mondays…. I made this salad last night. You know the movie “Office Space”?

I seriously LOVE that movie. I really do. I’ve seen it quite a few times, and it’s still funny every time!

I was thinking about that quote yesterday. The day seemed endless. In South Carolina, there is a yellow haze of pollen floating through the air, and coating my throat and lungs causing swelling and coughing and overall miserable feelings in our house. What is the need for this much pollen? I mean, you look outside and you can SEE THE BREEZE. I’m not joking. We have enough pine trees. The pollen needs to dial it back a bit.

I know this rant will do nothing. But I felt the need to whine. And then I had a glass of wine. HA!

Anyways… back to my salad. My husband said that he was craving his chinese food leftovers last night and wanted to eat that, and was going to be coming home late. I, however, was NOT craving that. So… I looked at my meal plan and decided on a yummy and filling salad!

This one is seriously soo good! I did have popcorn later that evening as a nighttime snack, but this one was filling, sweet yet tangy, and really fresh. You have your crunch, chewy, sweet, tart… everything!

Try this one out for sure!

Ingredients

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil (or any light oil)
2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp spicy brown mustard, OR dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
dash of fresh ground pepper
2 tsp poppy seeds (or more if you desire)

Mix it in a 2 cup measuring cup with a whisk, or you can mix it in a Salad Dressing Mixer.

Salad

4-6 chicken tenderloins cooked (or leftover grilled chicken on a Cast Iron Pan) thru and sliced. (I cooked mine in the skillet with a bit of olive oil, oregano and salt and pepper. The more basic the chicken, the better. You’re gonna have the flavor in the salad and the dressing)
5 oz baby spinach
5 oz. Artisan salad mix (or spring greens)
1 avocado, cored and diced
1/2 cup shaved or grated parmesan cheese
1 sliced and halved cucumber (I prefer English or “hothouse” cucumbers)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Optional: You can add some almonds or pecans as well if you’d like!!!

ENJOY!!!!!!

And now, for the quote of the day:

Roasted Vegetables – more filling than you’d think!

Posted on April 6, 2015 by rebeccacain23

Do you like the smell of things baking in the oven? Do you like to eat the things baking in the oven? Do you ever wish something healthy could smell good, and then you could eat it without guilt or regret?? 😉 The other day, for lunch, I was not sure what to eat. I was needing something without any processed carbs, but not sure what to do. I knew I had a bunch of fresh vegetables and trying to think that to do with them. Then, I thought… why not oven roast them all together!!

So, I did! I cut them all up, drizzled some stuff over top, sprinkled some seasonings and voila! DELISH! I had planned on eating something a long with it to fill me up, but actually found it completely unnecessary. It was so satisfying and filling! Now, I probably did have a pretty large serving, more than most would have if used as a side dish… but it’s vegetables! Can’t go wrong!

Try this one as a side dish, or a main dish, or roast ahead of time and take bits out for a snack during the day to munch on!!!

Makes 4 large servings or 6-8 small servings

Ingredients:

1 LARGE sweet potato – peeled and cut up into bite size pieces (about 1 inch pieces)
1 large zucchini cut into slices and then cut those in half
2-3 large carrots – peeled, rinsed and chopped
3-4 sweet mini peppers cut into large bit size pieces
1 large yellow summer squash sliced and then halved
2-3 TB extra virgin olive oil
3 TB butter (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Mrs. Dash or Trader Joes 21 seasoning salute
pepper
2 TB parmesan cheese (grated or shredded)
salt to taste

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Chop your veggies and put onto a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the seasonings and stir to coat evenly. Add bits of butter sporadically over the top of the veggies. Place into oven and bake for 20 minutes, and stir around. Place back into oven and bake for and additional 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Sprinkle cheese over top and serve! ENJOY!!!!

And now, for the quote of the day:

Shrimp over Mashed Cauliflower – PFC, Paleo, Low-Carb!

Posted on April 3, 2015 by rebeccacain23

There is always a bit of a fad for diets as the years go on. Low-carb does seem to stick around though. There is something to be said for cutting out bread and pasta and definitely seeing results. I love my carbs, definitely, but I do understand the benefits of decreasing the frequency of eating them! So, yesterday I decided to try something I have been nervous to do. Mashed Cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes or grits. Scary huh??!!! But you know what? They were good! I wouldn’t say I couldn’t tell they weren’t cauliflower. I mean, you can tell. But they are creamy, and satisfying! Definitely helps that carb craving! Delicious! Then, when paired with some cajun jumbo shrimp, who could ask for more??!! Protein, a bit of all natural whole fats, AND some “carbs” in the veggies! Perfect! This one is a quick and easy recipe too!

I’ll try my best to give ingredients and directions and what I used for each separate item.

Shrimp:

10 frozen jumbo shrimp, shelled and de-veined
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
splash white wine (optional)
1/2 tsp onion powder
dash cayenne powder
1 tsp Emerils Bayou Blast
Salt and Pepper to taste

Shrimp Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a small glass Bowls or ramekin and set aside. Set frozen shrimp onto a foil lined cookie sheet that has lips on each side like : Cookie Pan

Drizzle Olive Oil over the shrimp and splash with white wine (if desired) and sprinkle the dry ingredients over top of the shrimp and toss a bit to get completely coated. Place into oven and bake for 12-16 minutes until white/pink and cooked through, no longer any transparent parts of the shrimp. Place onto a generous helping of the mashed cauliflower and top with some shredded cheese of your choice!

Mashed Cauliflower:

1/2 large head cauliflower
2 TB butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 carton chicken broth (or water if you prefer – vegetarian)
1/4 cup whole fat Greek Yogurt (PLAIN!!!!)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Set a stockpot of chicken broth (or water) to boil over high heat.

Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6-10 minutes, or until well done. Drain well. Immediately after, transfer to a large Glass Bowl or plastic bowl.

In a bowl with an hand mixer or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the butter, greek yogurt, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper until almost smooth. Then stir with Spatula.

Set aside and keep warm.

Quickly, for the spinach… if you so desire… it’s just wilted spinach. You toss a LARGE handful of spinach into a skillet with a TB of butter, salt and pepper and a bit of hot sauce… sautee until the softness that you desire…or wiltyness?? 🙂 I just created a word… right? Or not. Whatever.

Oh, and if you wonder what dishes I use… they are hard to find! My husband and I got them for a wedding gift… but here’s a link just in case you are interested! http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Sango-Splash-16-piece-Dinnerware-Set/4012688/product.html

And now, for the quote of the day:

Creamy-Cheesy-Spicy Hearty One Pot Pasta

Posted on April 2, 2015 by rebeccacain23

Do you want something creamy, and yet with a kick of heat at the same time? Something cheesy that still makes you sweat?! Who doesn’t!???? Right?
This dish is IT! And, it’s filling and yummy. Like, real yummy. (You’d never know I was an English major in college would you? I’m not going to discuss how long it’s been.)

This dish takes 20 to 25 minutes to complete, and only 1 pot dirtied! So, if you get home late, pop it in the pan with almost all of the ingredients, simmer… finish and serve! Love these types of dinners!

Creamy-Cheesy-Spicy Hearty One Pot Pasta

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Turkey Kielbasa cut up
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chilis
1/2 cup half&half
8 oz dry pasta (I used whole grain spaghetti, you can use whatever)
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese cut into small cubes
1 cup fresh baby spinach chopped
garnish with parmesan cheese and a bit more spinach (chopped)

Instructions

Add Olive Oil to a 4-5 quart saute pan over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic powder and onion powder and cook for about 30 seconds.
Add chicken broth, tomatoes, pasta, and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese, and half&half. Sprinkle spinach in and let wilt.
Garnish with parmesan cheese, and a bit of extra spinach.
Makes about 4 servings. YUM!

And, my favorite things to cook and stir with, that also makes sure that I don’t scratch my awesome pans are:

* Ioven 8.5 inch Silicone Spatula Set of 4

* Totally Bamboo 5-Piece Utensil Set

And now, for the quote of the day:

	Air-fried Hash and B… on Asparagus Pesto Pasta with Sun…
	Pam Trease Sjolund on Zucchini “Chips”
	Kim \| Peeled Wellnes… on Quick Leftover Rice – Ch…
	rebeccacain23 on SISTERHOOD OF THE WORLD BLOGGE…
	Kim // Peeled Wellne… on SISTERHOOD OF THE WORLD BLOGGE…

Dancin' and Cookin' in the Kitchen!

Cooking with whole and healthy ingredients while dancing with my kids in my kitchen!

Meal Planning

Taco Tuesday!

Sundried Tomato Avocado Chicken Sanwiches with Pesto and Mozarella!

Tropical Coconut Crusted MahiMahi with Coconut Lemon Rice

Roasted Cauliflower and Bacon over Lemony Zucchini Noodles

Lemon-Dill Salmon Over Buttery Pasta with Peas and Spinach

Mixed Greens Chicken Avocado Salad with Lemon Poppy-seed Dressing

Roasted Vegetables – more filling than you’d think!

Shrimp over Mashed Cauliflower – PFC, Paleo, Low-Carb!

Creamy-Cheesy-Spicy Hearty One Pot Pasta