Shirataki Noodles (Gluten-free)

I've been hearing about Shirataki noodles. Been popular in the East for a while. Now the West can enjoy them. They actually do taste like pasta. I was shocked. If you can ignore the um...unpleasant odor...when you first open the package, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the taste. I liked the "spaghetti" version better than the "linguine". The sauce stuck to it better. Bonus: it's gluten-free. So mangia!

Ingredients:
-1 package Shirataki noodles (2 servings)
-Frozen peppers
-Frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrot combo
-Lucini Hearty Artichoke Tomato sauce (2 servings)

Total calories: 125 (for 2 servings)

Italian Pasta Salad

Tired of the same 'ol pasta salad? Try a healthy version with an Italian twist. Bonus: it's a snap to prepare.

Ingredients (for 5 servings):
-1 cup dry whole-wheat pasta, cooked
-2 zucchinis (steamed)
-1 c broccoli (steamed)
-1 can artichokes in water & drained
-2 servings turkey pepperoni
-3 hot Italian chicken sausages
-2 tbsp olive oil
-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 c cherry tomatoes
-garlic, pepper & basil to taste

Total calories: 311

Chicken Pasta Salad

Refreshing salad to make for the summer. You can also use tuna instead of chicken. Enjoy!

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):
-2 c whole wheat pasta (I used Ronzoni penne)
-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-1/2 cucumber, chopped
-1/2 can artichokes (reserve 2 tbsp liquid for dressing)
-1 red pepper, chopped
-1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
-8 oz. 0% Fage Greek yogurt
-pepper, parsley, oregano for yogurt dressing

Total calories: 310

Pasta!!!

PASTA! Need I say more.

Ingredients (for 4 servings):
-3 servings Barilla Penne Plus
-2 containers fresh mushrooms
-1 bag of organic spinach
-4, 1/2 c servings pasta sauce (no sugar added)
-4 Italian-style chicken sausage

Total calories: 469

Italian Sausage & Veggie Pasta

Don't be afraid of complex carbs! See the recipe here.

Eggplant Lasagna

Click the title to see the recipe. I added noodles, portabello mushrooms, capers, green peppers to the original recipe. And used light provolone & asaigo cheese instead of mozzarella, since I already had some in the frig. The Trader Joe's Sweet Basil Pesto Chicken & Turkey Sausage was quite good. I thoroughly enjoyed this dinner!

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):
-Trader Joe's Sweet Basil Pesto Chicken & Turkey Sausage
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 medium eggplant, sliced very thin
- portabello mushrooms
- 1/2 jar capers
-1 green pepper
-2 servings lasagna noodles
-2 servings light provolone
-1 serving asiago cheese

Total calories: 490 (lasagna 320; sausage 170)

Tortellini Pepperoncini Salad

This was oh-so-yummy. Check out the recipe here.

Ingredients:
-cheese tortellini
-cherry tomatoes
-pepperoncini
-parmesan cheese
-spinach
-basil
-canned white soybeans
-capers
-olive oil

Pasta sauce almost as good as Nana's

Another crockpot creation. Chicken with Lucini sauce. Love this sauce. It has no added sugar. I'm not a fan of sauce with sugar! Fresh zucchini with more sauce (did I say I like sauce) and penne. Yum.

Ingredients (for 3 servings):
-3 servings boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
-1 jar Lucini Tuscan Marinara
-2 servings Barilla Penne Plus
-1 zucchini

Cook chicken (w/ 1/2 c sauce) in crockpot on high for 1 hour, low for 6. Simmer zucchini in sauce for 15 minutes.

Total calories: 431