Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Kale

Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Kale

2 cups whole wheat pasta (I used penne)

1/8 tsp salt

1 pound turkey sausage

4 cups kale, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

3 TB parmesan cheese

Salt water to boil pasta. Boil pasta and set aside

Meanwhile, fry sausage. When done, add chopped kale and cook till slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and cook till kale is tender about 6-10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cover with lid occasionally to prevent liquid from boiling away. Add cooked pasta, sprinkle with parm. cheese, and stir to blend.

Pass extra parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

Chicken with Asparagus, Penne Pasta, and Pesto Sauce

3 large boneless-skinless chicken breasts
2 pounds asparagus
1 bunch green onions
olive oil
garlic salt
pepper
4 TB basil pesto
4 TB sour cream (use low fat if you want)
8 oz. whole wheat penne pasta (or other favorite pasta)
4 TB parm cheese

Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch slices. In a hot skillet prepped with olive oil, fry chicken pieces till golden brown. If there is too much liquid produced from the chicken, skim some off. The chicken will brown up better with less liquid in the pan. Remove chicken pieces to a plate and set aside. In the meantime, cook your pasta to your liking and set it aside.

Cut asparagus into bite sized pieces (about 2 inches or so). Slice green onions, including green tops. Add the veggies to the skillet the chicken was in. Add 2 TB or so liquid (water, broth, or wine) to the pan to deglaze it and get all the browned bits up. Cook veggies till crisp tender. Add the basil pesto, and the sour cream. Stir well and add back the chicken pieces. Add pasta and mix well. Sprinkle parm cheese on top and serve.

UN-stuffed zuchinni

3 ribs celery chopped
6-7 white mushrooms sliced into fourths and then cut in half
3 zuchinni halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise again, then cut middle/seeds/core away. Cut each "spear" into 5 pieces (about the size of your large toenail)
1 and a 1/2 pounds of ground beef browned and your favorite seasoning added. I used garlic salt and lemon pepper
2 eggs
3 cups favorite cheese. I used colby-jack

Brown ground beef and remove to separate bowl.
Stir fry celery 2-3 minutes in pan that had the ground beef in it.
Add mushroom and continue stir frying for another 2-3 minutes
Add zuchinni pieces and continue stir frying for another 2-3 minutes. Sometimes I put the lid on the pan and let it all steam a little to get the veggies cooked and softened slightly.
Return ground beef to pan with veggies. Allow all to cook through and veggies are ALMOST done.
Crack 2 eggs into the pan and stir the eggs into the mixture. As the eggs cook, the mixture will be slightly stuck together.
Sprinkle 3 cups of grated cheese over all and fold in. Mixture will be slightly gooey and stick together.

In the meantime, I cook our favorite quick noodles. Usually a Rice a Roni flavored noodle. Tonight's selection was a parmesan angel hair. (This is our favorite)

Serve a hefty spoon full of the zucchini alongside a spoonful of the noodles. (If you're brave, you can even mix them!)

Quite yummy!
I would love to hear from you if you try this.

Italian Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Oh my YUM-A-LUM!

1 pound turkey italian sausage, remove casings
1 TB olive oil
1/2 yellow or orange pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
28 oz. canned, diced tomatoes (I used the ones flavored with basil, oregano, and other herbs)
1 1/2 TB minced garlic
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or yes if you like it a little less spicy)
8 oz. uncooked whole wheat fusilli
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt or a teaspoon or 2 of chicken bullion. When water is boiling, add pasta and cook to desired doneness. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, to make sauce, in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, cook sausage, stirring and breaking up meat. When cooked through, remove to a plate.

Heat olive oil in same skillet. Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook till veggies are crisp-tender.
About 5-7 minutes.

Add wine, cook until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let cook for 5-7 minutes.

To assemble, add 1 cup pasta to a bowl, top with 3/4 cup meat and veggie sauce. Top with parmesan cheese if desired, and fresh basil. Serve with spoon to get all the juicy goodness in every bite.

We served it with red wine and freshly baked soft french bread. I thought I was in heaven!
This is an adapted Weight Watchers recipe and without the wine, cheese and bread, it is about 8 points.

Creamy Lemon Shrimp (or chicken!)

A light creamy lemony sauce mingles with jumbo shrimp and fresh veggies of your choice ( I use asparagus and mushrooms). Serve over your favorite pasta, or alongside rice pilaaf. Good with chicken too.

1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled (I like the jumbo ones.... about 6 pieces per person) or 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces.
1 TB olive oil
1 TB butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups asparagus spear pieces
1 clove minced garlic
zest of 1 lemon
14 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2 cans cream of celery soup
juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Cook favorite pasta and set aside. (Try bow tie, fettucini, or angel hair)

Melt butter and olive oil in large non stick pan. Add peeled shrimp to pan along with the mushrooms, the asparagus, the garlic, and the lemon zest. Stir fry 5-7 minutes or until shrimp is firm and pink and veggies are crisp-tender. If you are using chicken, cook the chicken 2-3 minutes, then add veggies, garlic, and lemon zest. Cook till chicken is cooked through and veggies are crisp tender.

In a separate bowl or measuring cup, mix the cans of soup, the milk, the dry mustard, and the lemon juice.

Add to shrimp (or chicken) and veggie mixture. Stir in artichoke hearts and heat through.
Serve over pasta.
Serves 6-8

* I'd love your feedback if you try it!*
Weight Watchers points looks to be about 12 depending on how much of this you use as a serving.

As promised, here is the Greek Chicken recipe!

Greek Chicken
A Rachael Ray recipe

I like this recipe because it is a good dish to fix for company or a crowd. I love the creamy texture and taste of the feta with the bite and strength of the kalamata olives and pepperoncini.
Let me know what your favorite thing is about it!

4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lemons
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 sprigs fresh oregano, finely chopped
4-6 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 pounds jumbo shrimp
salt and coarse black pepper
1/2 pound orzo pasta
1 red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 pound feta, crumbled
3 TB banana pepper rings, chopped (pepperoncini)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for orzo pasta.
Crush 2 cloves of garlic and place in shallow dish with about 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 thinly sliced sliced lemon, red pepper flakes, oregano, chicken or shrimp. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. When meat or shrimp has marinated for 10 minutes, (up to 30 minutes is OK), and pan is screaming hot, add chicken or shrimp and lemons. Cook chicken 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally or cook shrimp 6-8 minutes or until pink and firm, tossing with tongs frequently. When you add chicken to pan, drop orzo in boiling water and start vegetables, see below. If you're cooking shrimp, start orzo then start vegetables and then throw shrimp in hot pan.
Meanwhile, heat a second skillet with 2 TB olive oil, over medium high heat. Add red onions and bell peppers and season with salt and pepper, cook 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves chopped garlic and toss a minute, then add olive and tomatoes to the pan and cook a couple of minutes more. Drain orzo and toss in serving dish with vegetables, parsley, feta, and pepperoncini. Place chicken atop, squeeze with juice of lemon if desired, and serve.