Nutrition Transitions: Sauce

Monday, July 30, 2012

Guest Blogger: Brown Rice Penne Bake with Chicken Sausage

I am so thrilled and honored to be doing a guest post for my fabulous sister’s blog. I am not what you would call a Chopped champion, Iron Chef, or Julia Child; therefore, I was very hesitant to try out a new recipe, all the while taking photos and pretending I know what I am doing. Luckily, I was able to find a very simple recipe on Pinterest (inspired by this Real Mom Kitchen recipe), which I changed a little bit to make more Nutrition Transitions friendly :)

If you are looking for a quick, simple, hearty, delicious, Italian, somewhat rich, amazing, drool-worthy recipe…then this is definitely it!

Here are the ingredients you will need to whip up this decadent dish:

1 bag of Organic Brown Rice Penne Pasta

1 jar of Alfredo Sauce (15 oz)

1 jar of Organic Marinara Sauce (26 oz)

2 cups of shredded Organic Mozzarella Cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

4 Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausages (precooked)

Instructions:

(I purchased all of my ingredients from Trader Joe’s, I love the one-stop-shopping and of course 3 buck chuck.)

Cook brown rice pasta according to directions and drain. Mix the sauces together in a large bowl.

Add the mozzarella to the sauces and stir to combine, then throw (not literally) in the penne and toss to coat.

Pour pasta into 9x13 baking dish then add the sliced chicken sausage. Cook at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese, then bake for another 5 minutes.

My happy (and salivating) helpers:

I paired the main dish with a side salad and some delicious roasted garlic and thyme bread (and duh, 3 buck chuck) and my husband LOVED it!! It makes more than enough for 2 so we will be having leftovers for days...oh darn.

Jessica

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Sauteed Chicken Breast with Creamy Chive Sauce

As the seasons change and it gets (hopefully) cooler, many of us crave hearty dishes for dinner. This recipe, adapted from EatingWell's Sauteed Chicken Breast with Creamy Chive Sauce, tastes like gourmet comfort food but is extremely easy to make. I ended up doubling the sauce, though I did not reflect it in the quantities below, and used it as a topping for steamed carrots. We are definitely sauce people around here, and this recipe was great!

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Creamy Chive Sauce

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts, (about 1 pound), trimmed of fat
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour, divided
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium organic chicken broth
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream (I used regular organic)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup chopped chives, (about 1 bunch)

Instructions:

Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch.

Season both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow glass baking dish and dredge the chicken in it. Discard the excess flour.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour; stir to coat.

Add wine, broth and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil, stirring often.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until heated through and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes.