Chicken, Zucchini, and Tomato Pasta

Yummy, healthy, and fast!

1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
3 chicken breasts, sliced
1 large zucchini, shaved (use a veggie peeler)
1 c grape tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic
Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta according to packaging.

In a large pan, heat a little olive oil and add chicken. Cook until cooked through and lightly browned. Turn off heat and add zucchini, tomatoes, and garlic, toss to combine. Drain spaghetti and drizzle with a little olive oil. Put some spaghetti on a plate and top with the chicken and veggie mix. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan and serve.

Honey Mustard Crusted Chicken, Baked Sweet Potatoes, and Roasted Veg (One pan meal!)

I hate cleaning up after cooking. I mean I REALLY hate it. I have learned to clean as I go, but I still end up with a mess of cleaning after I am done. So I love one pot or one pan meals. This one is great, it all goes in at one time and cooks at the same temp. If you are cooking for more than 3 or 4, or you don't have big baking sheets, you may have to split it between two pans, but it can still all go in at the same time. If you have never made sweet potatoes this way before, you should try it, it brings out the sugars and caramelizes the side that touches the pan... it's crazy good.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 c honey mustard
2 tbs white wine
1 c Italian bread crumbs
2 zucchinis, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch chunks
3 or 4 small sweet potatoes or yams

Preheat your oven to 375 and coat a large baking pan with a thin layer of olive oil.

Sick the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork and put them in the microwave for about 6 minutes to soften up and start cooking, otherwise they will take too long for a one pan meal. Meanwhile, mix the mustard and wine in a bowl and pour out the bread crumbs onto a plate. Dip each chicken breast in the mustard mix until coated and then roll in the bread crumbs. Place on one end of the pan, but don't crowd the breasts. Next, arrange the zucchini and carrots in the middle and around the chicken if there is room, the veggies can be a little crowded. Sprinkle the veggies with a little salt and pepper. Last, take the potatoes out of the oven and slice in half, lengthwise. Arrange those flesh side down on the remaining area of the pan. Bake for about 25 minutes, checking the chicken to be sure it has reached 165 degrees or is no longer pink.

Ravioli Soup

This is the fastest, easiest soup ever. Really, it is painfully simple. It's filling but not fattening, and you can feel good eating it but a little naughty since it has cheese ravioli. On a side note, I must have a tap into the brains of those at Sunset Magazine (... or perhaps it is the other way around? GASP!) because literally a week after I made this, I found an almost identical recipe in their magazine. But enough of this, make the soup and eat it.

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 c broth, veggie or chicken
1, 16 oz package of frozen peas and carrots (you could use fresh, but lets be honest, we all like easy)
1 lb of mini cheese ravioli, get the refrigerated ones
A handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a dutch oven or large soup pot, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent add garlic and cook another minute, then add broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling add ravioli and cook for about five minutes. Add peas and carrots, parsley, basil, and thyme and cook for another two minutes. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.