BLT PASTA.

I found a version of this recipe in a fancy cooking magazine and figured there had to be a lot easier, healthier way to make it.  Here's my attempt, and I got to say...It was great!

Brown 6 strips of bacon until almost crisp, then add 1 tbsp minced garlic and cook 1 minute longer

Cook 6 oz of whole wheat pasta

Drain bacon on a paper towel and set aside

You will also need 1 cup grape tomatoes and 6 or more leaves of red leaf lettuce washed and dried and 1/3 cup chopped onions

Caramelize the tomatoes and onions in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp brown sugar

After the tomatoes and onions have caramelized, add the crisp bacon, 1/4 tsp thyme leaf(dried) 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy) and 1 cup beef broth.  Simmer on medium until reduced by half.  Turn off heat and add lettuce leaves cut in pieces and the cooked whole wheat pasta 

Toss together

We served ours with steamed green beans and blue cheese garlic bread

Ingredients:

• 6 slices bacon, diced and fried till crisp
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 6 lrg leaves red leaf lettuce, washed and dryed
• 6 oz boiled whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaf
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

CHICKEN CAESAR CASSEROLE

     We love Caesar salad, but scanning the list of ingredients we knew that it wasn't going to be a healthy dish to eat at this time.  I came up with a casserole that left us just as fulfilled but without the fat and calories

• 6 tbsp fat free bottled Caesar Italian dressing
• 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup minced onions
• 4 slices Jennie o turkey bacon, 
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cups whole wheat rotini pasta, cooked to aldente
• 2 medium or 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
• 3 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup seasoned croutons, crushed
• lettuce

Pour the oil into a medium saute pan and heat on medium.  Dice the bacon and add to the pan with the diced onion.  Saute for 2 minutes.  Add the chicken and garlic and cook until chicken is no longer pink.  Add the diced tomatoes and the Caesar Italian dressing, take off heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  grease a 8x8 pan and add the cooked rotini pasta. Stir the bacon, chicken mixture into the pasta.  Mix the parmesan cheese and crushed croutons together and sprinkle evenly over the top.  Bake 25 minutes .  Serve over chopped lettuce. Serves 6

HERES WHATS FOR BREAKFAST

     This isnt a recipe but it is worth mentioning.  Breakfast is one of those meals that make or break my healthy eating plan.  After an hour of zumba I sometimes want more then just a bowl of cereal to start my day.  I could pretty much eat anything by then!  There are some healthy products out there, might cost a bit more to buy, but worth it.  How bout a breakfast sandwich?

     Thomas  has a great thin bagel that is only 110 calories.  We use the everything bagel to get as much flavor as we can.  How about the southwestern style eggbeaters?  At 20 calories for 3 tblsps you could add a few more tblsps if you wanted, and the flavor is devine.  Add a few strips of  jennie o turkey bacon at 20 calories a piece and you just made a delicious fufilling and healthy alternative to breakfast.  At between 200 and 250 calories per sandwich it cant be beat!

southwestern style eggbeaters

thomas bagel thins

turkey bacon