Spring Pesto Tortellini Salad + Weekly Menu

April 28, 2013 by · 7 Comments

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My days are so off….I almost missed Lily’s birthday! Though, since dogs don’t live long lives compared to us humans, I have previously stated that I’m through with celebrating her birthdays. I mean, she’s 4 now… :(

But it’s no wonder I’m confused. I was back to work for 2 short days before hopping on a train to Chicago to meet Mr. Prevention on Friday, who was returning from Brazil, for a professional networking thing-a-ma-bob in the city. It was fun, but exhausting.

The past week has been Chicago to Minneapolis to Chicago to Ohio to Michigan to Chicago and back home again. If driving through a state counts, add Indiana to that list.

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We are now both home and have managed to wear yesterday’s birthday girl into the ground after a day of the dog park, running errands, and lots of love and affection. #bulldogproblems

Despite picking up a few staples while home for 36 hours last week, yesterday was a major shopping trip. For me to spend over $100, that’s a spendy trip. I blame most of that on the sirloins, the lamb, the 3 melons, and the 6 pack of Goose Island that mysteriously made it into my shopping cart. Hmmmm.

In the 36 hours I was home last week and at work, I brainstormed as to what could be made for dinner with what I had on hand…and tortellini. What can I say? I had a craving.

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After first finding the tortellini (in the middle of the dry pasta aisle, who knew?), I was pleasantly surprised to find a whole wheat variety which offered up 6 grams of fiber per cup. To bulk up the slightly sinful tortellini and to get the carbohydrates down and portion up, I added some of my favorite spring veggies — asparagus and zucchini. I tossed in red onion for looks, artichokes because I had them in my pantry, and beans for some added protein and fiber to this vegetarian meal.

My super quick meal on a whim turned out pretty fantastic…if I do say so myself!

Enjoy this dish packed with spring and nutrition!

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Spring Pesto Tortellini Salad

9 oz whole wheat cheese tortellini
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch half moons
1/4 red onion, very roughly diced
15 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup prepared pesto

Directions:

Bring 3-4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat.

Once boiling, add the tortellini to the pot, stir, and cook 4-5 minutes. Add the asparagus and stir, cooking for 1-2 minutes. Add the zucchini and red onion to the pot. Stir and cook 3-4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and pour into a large colander. Rinse tortellini and vegetables with cold running water for 30-60 seconds; transfer to a large bowl.

To the bowl, add the drained artichokes and beans. Add pesto and gently toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving, or serve at room temperature.

Yield: 6 servings (~1 1/3 cups each)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 304 calories; 9.5 g. fat; 25 mg. cholesterol; 667 mg. sodium; 38.0 g. carbohydrate; 11.8 g. fiber; 14.3 g. protein; 6.7 g . sugar

Result: This makes for a light meal or would serve 10-14 as a side dish. I think this is the perfect light, warm weather meal and ideal for packing in lunches or serving a backyard barbecue. I bulked up the tortellini with tons of veggies for both the color and the nutrition. This keeps beautifully in the fridge – serve chilled or near room temperature. Enjoy!

Weekly Menu: April 28th – May 2nd

Yesterday felt like Sunday…but I’m so glad it wasn’t :)

Be well,

sig4

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Filed Under: 300 calories or less, carb-controlled, fiber, fruits and vegetables, one-pot meal, quick meals, recipe, Uncategorized, vegetarian, weekly menu ·

Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa

April 21, 2013 by · 8 Comments

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You guys, I’m playing at the biggest ice rink in the WORLD this weekend. In Minneapolis, playing hockey. To summarize, I have 1) always wanted to come to Minnesota and 2) always wanted to play hockey in Minnesota.

We’re playing in this great breast cancer tournament with teams as young as 10 and under and jeez, can those kids play. The women’s division (i.e. adults) has 4-5 levels of play. There’s 8 sheets of ice. 8!!!!!!

We lost our first game yesterday, 3-1. I think that was the score…

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We wasted time between games by eating, of course, and then visiting most of the hockey pro shops in the area…which is quite a few. I decided to take advantage of the vast selection of hockey sticks and as I retrieved my stick from the car to compare curves on the blade, I found the blade of my stick being held on by tape and tape only. It was a blessing I discovered this SMALL issue prior to our next game.

$200 later, I have one sleek new stick :-D Mr. P about died when I told him the price ;) (I picked a good one!)

We won our second game, 3-2, but no thanks to me. I have been self-diagnosed and professional hockey player-diagnosed with “lace bite” which is more-or-less an overuse injury that causes excruciating pain on the top of the foot, right where the ankle meets the foot. Between my new stick and that breaking-in process and my lace bite, I’m a mess.

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Not only are things rough-going on the ice but my teammates…well, they have no taste in food. Noodles and Company is really not the best food there is in Minneapolis. But between our vegetarian teammate and our unadventurous eaters, our eats have been incredibly lack-luster. It’s a shame, because a foodie like me can go to town in uncharted waters, finding the best of the best to eat in new cities.

I’m traveling next week, too. I’m excited about it, but I miss cooking already. Even simple and quick meals like this, I miss the healthy, balanced meals.

Wish us luck on our last game and me luck in having at least one decent meal in MN!

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Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa slightly adapted from Inspired Edibles

Jerk Chicken:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp fresh ginger root, grated
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4  tsp sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp malt vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
4 (5 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Mango Salsa:
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1/2 English cucumber, seeded and diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Combine all ingredients for the jerk chicken (garlic through olive oil) in a ziplock bag; add chicken and fondle to coat. Refrigerate chicken to marinade several hours, or up to 24 hours.

Preheat grill to 400 F. Grill chicken 7-8 minutes per side or until slightly charred and cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine mango salsa ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve salsa alongside chicken.

Yield: 4 breasts with ~2/3-3/4 cup salsa

Nutrition Information (per serving): 261 calories; 6.5 g. fat; 69 mg. cholesterol; 196 mg. sodium; 17.0 g. carbohydrate; 1.9 g. fiber; 33.8 g. protein; 13.0 g. sugar

Result: We loved this! The chicken was moist, slightly spicy with the cool mango-y and citrus salsa to compliment the chicken beautifully. This was easy to throw together in the morning or evening prior for a make-ahead meal. Even the salsa can be made ahead of time. Fresh, clean, healthy flavors!

Game time, Mall of America, then back to Chicago!

Be well,

sig4

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Filed Under: 300 calories or less, carb-controlled, fruits and vegetables, gluten-free, low-carb, quick meals, recipe ·

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

April 19, 2013 by · 10 Comments

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Life is full of mysteries. Lots and lots of mysteries.

I wonder why my mom texts me when she knows I’m driving. Before she knew how to text, she insisted I not even TALK on the phone while driving. Hmmm…

You wouldn’t think with Chicago traffic that the day there was severe flooding and road/highway closings that I would make record time to the city. I mean, that just makes no sense, right?

You wouldn’t think it would take me leaving for the weekend to get my first REAL hug of the week from Mr. Prevention. I guess we’ve been busy…

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I would’ve never guessed that when I pulled up in the driveway last night, my mom would be visibly disappointed not to see Lily’s fat head pop up over the seat. Genuine, visible disappointment.

I’d never imagine that I’d pack my clothing, toiletries, etc. and pack them all into my hockey bad. The thing has got to weigh nearly 70 pounds of huge, stinky, bulkiness. I hope Delta agrees to check it. I also hope I don’t offend too many people with my new scent for the next few days.

One would think I’d have considered sharpening my skates prior to going to a hockey tournament, but no. Instead I couldn’t keep an edge at my game on Wednesday night and my coach instructed me to, “Please get those things sharpened in Minneapolis…before the first game….”

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I would’ve been missing a small piece of completeness without having learned about “Are You Faster Than A Redneck?” that airs on the Speed channel. Who knew my dad and brother would turn me on to such a welcome waste of time?

Who knew it would take me 27 years to encounter my first whoopie pie? Not I. Pre-blogging, I had never heard of whoopie pies. Since starting blogging, they’ve been on my to-do list. I finally used my hockey team, who I’ll be traveling with to Minneapolis this weekend for a breast cancer hockey tournament, as an excuse to make these super decadent whoopie pies.

It probably goes without saying, but these were a hit. I will also mention that between 3 games in 2 days, we’ll burn those calories off ;)

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies from Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes

Cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup natural, smooth peanut butter
pinch of salt
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

To make the cookies, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed. Add the egg and beat an additional minute, beat in vanilla.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add half of the flour mixture; beat on low speed and add the buttermilk. When just incorporated, add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just blended.

Spoon the batter onto baking sheets (a scant 1/4 cup per cookie), leaving several inches between each cookie as they will spread. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until centered are no longer shiny, yet soft. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, marshmallow, peanut butter, and salt. Once smooth, add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until fluffy.

Once cookies have cooled, spread 2-3 tablespoons of filling onto the bottom of one cookie and top with another. Fill all the cookie sandwiches this same way. To keep stored in the refrigerate, wrap each individually in plastic wrap and enjoy within 5 days.

Yield: 18 whoopie pies

Nutrition Information (per whoopie pie): 277 calories; 13.9 g. fat; 11 mg. cholesterol; 276 mg. sodium; 34.6 g. carbohydrate; 0.95 g. fiber; 4.3 g. protein; 20.8 g. sugar

Result: Hmmm…nothing not to love here, except of course the calories ;) My first ever whoopie pies weren’t the prettiest, but they sure tasted great!

 See you in Minnesota…my first time to MN! :)

Be well,

sig4

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Filed Under: 300 calories or less, kid-friendly, recipe, Uncategorized ·