Rice Pasta with Kale, Chicken, and Spinach

After a workout (today it was a long bike ride along Chicago's lakefront path), my favorite meal has always been some version of this pasta. I've had this in many variations over the years. Today's version featured rice pasta with kale, chicken, and spinach.

Here's how my pasta came together:

• 1/2 cup uncooked rice pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cups packed fresh, prewashed kale
• 1/2 cup chopped chicken, precooked
• 1 cup loose fresh, prewashed spinach
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1-1/2 tablespoons jarred pesto sauce

As soon as I put the pasta into its boiling water, I heated a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Then I added the minced garlic and sauteed for about one minute.

Add the kale, and about 1/3 cup of the pasta water and the chicken. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Right about now, the pasta is done. Drain and add to the frying pan. Add the pesto sauce and stir to coat. I still had a little pasta water in the pan from cooking the kale, which was perfect; it helps create the sauce with the pesto.

Then add the spinach leaves and feta and stir to coat. Cover and simmer over very light heat for one minute.

Uncover, season with a little freshly ground pepper, and serve!

I probably used too much kale, but can one really have too many leafy greens at one meal? I didn't think so. The feta added just the right amount of tang to the smoothness of the pesto pasta and the slight bitterness of the kale. Another successful, post-workout meal!

I hope this inspired some healthy eating after your workout.

With lots of veggies,
HealthyErika

Broccoli Feta Pasta with Pinto Beans

Toss together steamed broccoli with some pasta, pinto beans, feta and pesto, and you have yourself a delicious picnic dinner!

At my house, every Wednesday night during the summer is Concert Night. As in picnicking at Chicago's beautiful Millennium Park while listening to the Grant Park Music Orchestra. This pasta dish assembles quickly, is easy to transport, and can be served cold if desired, making it a great picnic dinner.

Here is how my pasta came together:

• 3/4 cup uncooked orichiette (little ears pasta)
• two heads broccoli, washed and chopped
• 1/2 can pinto beans
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• handful of almonds, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons jarred pesto sauce

I cooked the pasta first, tossing it in pesto and a little pasta water when it was done, and I set it to the side. Then I steamed the broccoli florets. (You could easily do these two things simultaneously if all your pans aren't in the dishwasher.)

Once the broccoli was steamed, it was a cinch. Combine the broccoli, pasta mixture, pinto beans, and feta. Sprinkle with chopped almonds and season with salt and pepper to taste.

I love the way feta adds spark to vegetables like broccoli, and jarred pesto sauce is my standby for healthy pasta dishes. The chopped almonds add a little crunch. This was one picnic dinner I didn't mind taking seconds of, and neither did my husband.

I hope this helped inspire a healthy broccoli dinner for you.

With lots of veggies,
HealthyErika

Banana Colada

Substituting banana for the pineapple in a light pina colada recipe yields superb results!

You may have heard Chicago, along with the rest of the Midwest, has had some very hot days this summer. It was on a hot day such as this that I developed a craving for pina coladas.

My sweet husband, Matt, offered to make one if I could give him a list of ingredients. As I researched recipes, to my horror I discovered that the average pina colada contains 600 to 700 calories! Oh my. I didn't want a pina colada that badly.

However, I felt certain that some enterprising food editor surely must have come up with a lighter pina colada by now. I was delighted to find just such a recipe in my August 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living.


"Puree 2 cups pineapple chunks, 3/4 cup pure coconut water, 1/2 cup ice cubes, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice in a blender. Stir in 1/2 cup rum. Garnish glasses with toasted coconut. Serves 4." (MSL, August 2011, p140)

This recipe sneaks in just 120 calories per serving.

I was enjoying this lighter version of the drink enough to run out of pineapple eventually. The next time I had my craving, rather than run to the store, I tried substituting one banana per serving.

And I was in Banana Colada heaven.

In my opinion, banana subs effortlessly for pineapple in this recipe, and without all the stringy pineapple fibers that would cling to the glass and my lips as I was sipping. The texture is smooth and yummy.

Enjoy!

I hope this post has inspired some healthy cocktails in your future.

With lots of veggies,
HealthyErika

Arugula, Chicken and Cashew Salad with Edamame

For a quick, no-cook dinner, nothing beats a salad using ingredients you have on hand. This salad was an experiment that turned out great.

I love the crunch of the cashews in the mix with the softer ingredients. In fact, I'm going to make a point of keeping some whole nuts on hand in my refrigerator for dishes such as this one.

Here is how my salad came together:

• arugula from a prewashed bag, rinsed to freshen the leaves
• chicken breast I had precooked and shredded (a great time saver)
• a handful of whole cashews leftover from my cashew butter endeavor
• a handful of edamame, precooked (mine were from Trader Joe's)

After giving the arugula leaves a quick rinse, I tossed them in a bit of light vinaigrette. On top I piled the remaining salad ingredients. I shelled the edamame right into my salad bowl.

It was delicious! And nutritious. And so easy.

I hope this inspired some time-saving ways to incorporate healthy foods into your life.

With lots of veggies,
HealthyErika

Cashew Butter and Preserves on Toast

I guess I'm still a kid at heart, because I haven't yet lost my taste for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I sometimes turn to a version of this for breakfast.

For today's PB&J, I used a sour dough bread purchased at Trader Joe's. I presliced the loaf and bagged it for the freezer. When I'm having a PB&J morning, I just pull out two slices for the toaster; it's quick and easy.

The cashew butter I made myself using roasted cashews from Trader Joe's. I used one cup of cashews, a little canola oil, and a little salt. I love it! Making this myself allows me to control the salt and sugar content.

Here is a good reference for making nut butters:
http://www.tastehongkong.com/recipes/homemade-cashew-butter/

Lastly, the preserves (peach with blueberry) were Mom's creation. Wish I could take credit for them, but I'm enjoying the (ahem) fruits of her labor. Thanks, Mom! Both for the jars of preserves, as well as the inspiration to try it myself sometime soon.

I hope this post gave you an idea or two for incorporating healthful foods into your lifestyle.

With lots of veggies,
HealthyErika