Chicken and Mushroom Pasta with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bow-tie pasta, cooked
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons sage
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chicken broth or stock
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons parsley

Instructions:

1. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper. paprika and Italian seasoning. Then add chicken breasts to skillet. Cook for approximately 5 to 6 minutes and then flip to cook other side. Remove chicken from skillet once fully cooked and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, add 3 more tablespoons of butter. Add garlic and onion. Cook for approximately 4 minutes or until garlic is flagrant and onions are translucent.
4. Stirring constantly, add remaining butter to skillet. Cook for another minute and then add sage, rosemary, thyme and mushrooms. Cook for another two minutes.
5. While continuing to stir constantly, add chicken broth and heavy cream to skillet. Simmer until sauce begins to thicken. 
6. In a small mixing bowl, mix cornstarch and water. Then add mixture to skillet to thicken sauce even more. 
7. Once sauce has reached desired thickness, add Parmesan cheese to skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add pasta and chicken to skillet and mix well. Cover and simmer for about five minutes.
9. Remove skillet from heat . Top with parsley before serving.
10. Serve immediately and enjoy!

One-Pan Chicken Zucchini Pasta

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time:10 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

• 3 large zucchinis, spiralized
• one tablespoon light olive oil
• 2 thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into long slices
• 1 pint heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh white mushroom slices
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Start by pan-frying the chicken: add one table spoon of the light olive oil to a large pan on medium-high heat.  Add chicken to pan. Sprinkle cayenne pepper and paprika on chicken. Cook chicken for about 4-5 minutes on each side until thoroughly cooked and then set aside.
   

   
2. Then warm the extra virgin olive oil in the same pan over low to medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and then cook for 3 minutes, until fragrant.
   

   
3. Next,  add the zucchini noodles and mushrooms to the pan and season them with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
4.  Cover the pan with a lid and allow to cook for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
5. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   

   
6. Add the cooked chicken to the pan. Also add the fresh basil, crushed red pepper, and mozzarella cheese to the pan then stir together, cooking for only about another minute.
   

   
7. Divide the pasta onto separate plates and garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Low-Cal Baked Eggplant Parmesan

I started a new diet a few days after I realized I had gained a whopping ten pounds in only two months. I find it harder to lose weight in the winter when I am craving comfort food such as mac n' cheese, heart soups and of course my favorite pasta dishes. Eggplant parm is one of my favorite dishes, so I decided to see if I could make it as low-calorie as possible. It took only a few simple changes to make this healthier recipe. My boyfriend and I both really enjoyed it. Let me know what you think! Feel free to post your opinions to my Facebook page.

Ingredients:

• Two medium-sized eggplants
• 1 1/2 cups Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 4 egg whites
• One teaspoon salt
• One teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 jar Classico Spicy Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce
• 2 teaspoons chopped red peppers
• 1 cup low-fat parmesan cheese
• 2 cups low-fat mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup basil

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Peel eggplant. Slice into 1/2-inch thick slices.
3. Place parchment paper on two baking sheets. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
5. In another small bowl, whisk together egg whites.
6. Dip both sides of eggplant slice into egg whites and then immediately dip into breadcrumb mixture until the slice is completely coated. Place slice on baking sheet and continue this process with the rest of the eggplant slices. Space them evenly on baking sheet.
7. Drizzle olive oil on top of the eggplant slices on the baking sheet.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Eggplant slices should be slightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
9. Spread 1 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of a medium-sized lasagna pan.
10. Place half of the eggplant on top of the pasta sauce.
11. Spread another 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce on top of the eggplant slices.
12. Then add parmesan cheese, followed by mozzarella cheese. Finish with a sprinkling of basil.
13. Repeat with another layer of the remaining eggplant, then pasta sauce, then parmesan and finally mozzarella.
14. Bake for 20 minutes until chese is melted and edges are golden. Remove from oven and sprinkle with basil and chopped red peppers. Serve immediately.  Enjoy!