Cajun Chicken on the Lighter Side

Start to Finish: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 pound chicken breast strips
1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tbsp flour
3 tbsp light cream cheese
fresh cracked pepper
2 scallions, chopped
salt to taste
Smart Balance cooking spray

Directions:
1. Prep all your vegetables. In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside. Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
2. Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.
3. Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add half of the chicken. Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done, set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside.
4. Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes.
5. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
6.Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes.
7. Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine; toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions and enjoy!

Notes: So far, this is my favorite recipe from skinnytaste. It is spicy, creamy, and delicious. It made plenty of food and the leftovers were equally as good. My husband also loved it. Definitely one we will be making again.

Servings: 5 (1 serving equals 1-1/2 cups)

Estimated Price: $12.00

Source: skinnytaste.com
Nutrition Facts per serving: Calories: 323.8 • Fat: 6.2 g • Protein: 25.9 g • Carb: 44.1 g • Fiber: 6.3 g • Sugar: 3.2 g Sodium: 126.5 mg (without salt) 

Medium Shells with Fresh Vegetables and Herbs

Start to Finish: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 box whole grain medium pasta shells
1 leek (or white onion)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup green peas, frozen
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup water
1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
5 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp (4 leaves) mint, chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
1) Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut leek (or onion) into thin rings and place in skillet with half of the olive oil and garlic clove. Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat.
2) Add carrot, broccoli, and green peas. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and saute for five minutes. Remove garlic clove.
3) Add a cup of warm water and continue simmering until vegetables are cooked through.
4) Add the tomatoes to the sauce.
5) Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Add herbs, remaining olive oil and Parmesan cheese and toss again.

Servings: 7

Notes: Great light flavor for the pasta. A good summer pasta or healthy meal to get your vegetables in.

Estimated Price: $8.50

Source: Barilla Whole Grain Medium Shells Pasta Box
Nutrition Facts per serving: 383 cal., 10 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 25 mg chol., 499 mg sodium, 52 g carbo., 9 g fiber, 20 g pro. Daily Values: 59% vit. A, 47% vit. C, 34% calcium, 14% iron

Lip-Smakin' Mac 'n' Cheese

Start to Finish: 27 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups rotini or elbow macaroni
1/4 cup chopped onion
6 ounces American cheese slices, torn into pieces
1/2 cup fat-free milk
Dash black pepper

Directions:
In a saucepan cook pasta and onion according to pasta package directions. Drain. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir in cheese, milk, and pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted, stirring constantly.

Servings: 3

Notes: Pretty good. We used Swiss cheese. It had a more pure taste than cheddar mac and cheese. It did not taste powdery and was very smooth. My husband really liked the change in cheese.

Variations: You can use different cheese.

Estimated Price: $3.50

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens 500 Five Ingredient Recipes
Nutrition Facts per serving: 392 cal., 14 g total fat (10 g sat. fat), 42 mg chol., 791 mg sodium, 46 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 18 g pro. Daily Values: 15% vit. A, 3% vit. C, 40% calcium, 8% iron

Classic Macaroni Salad

Start to Finish: 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients:
4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup grated carrot (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped pimento peppers (optional)

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.
2) In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, carrot, pimentos and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.

Servings: 10

Notes: I was looking for a recipe for a macaroni salad and came across this one online. I had all of the ingredients handy (except macaroni noddles) so I made it with pinwheel pasta. It was delicious. It is a sweeter pasta and I love that. Katie gobbled it up and Damien really liked it as well. Then, for a barbecue I decided to make this again. I didn't have all of the ingredients, but it still turned out great and I got a lot of compliments (although with just the sauce it was not as good as with the veggies in it).

Variations: You can really add or delete any of the veggies- green pepper, celery, and onion; but it may not taste quite as good. Also, if you find it too sweet then add 1/3 to 1/2 cups of sugar instead.

Estimated Price: $5.00

Source: allrecipes.com
Nutrition Facts per serving: 390 cal., 18.7 g total fat, 8 mg chol., 529 mg sodium, 49.3 g carbo., 2.8 g fiber, 6.8 g pro. Daily Values: 15% vit. A, 22% vit. C, 3% calcium, 16% iron

Bow Ties with Sausage and Sweet Peppers

Start to Finish: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
8 ounces dried bow tie pasta
1/4 pound fresh spicy Italian sausage links
2 medium sweet peppers, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup vegetable broth or beef broth
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Directions:
1) Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut sausage into bite-sized pieces. In a large skillet cook sausage and sweet peppers over medium-high heat until sausage is brown. Drain off fat.
2) Add broth and black pepper to skillet. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain pasta. Toss pasta with sausage mixture.

Servings: 4

Notes: Most pasta dishes without actual sauce, my husband thinks are too dry, but not this dish. The spicy sausage was delicious, especially with the compliment of the beef broth.

Variations: We used "Fred Meyer Ground Hot Sausage" instead of sausage links. Very spicy and yummy!

Estimated Price: $6.00 (with the recipe doubled)

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens 500- Five Ingredient Recipes
Nutrition Facts per serving: 479 calories, 22 g total fat (8 g saturated fat), 111 mg chol., 713 mg sodium, 45 g carbo., 3 g fiber, 21 g pro. Daily Values: 65% vit. A, 160% vit. C, 4% calcium, 18% iron