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Category Archives: Quick & Easy


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SNAP Challenge: Day 3

Today’s prompt: “How has eating on a limited budget impacted your mood? Your concentration? How has that impacted your interaction with family and coworkers?”

I’m not as happy and motivated as I normally am. My concentration is a mess. I’m constantly thinking about food – whether we will have enough, when I can eat next, why the hell is my stomach always grumbling?!, what I will do if we run out of food. It’s definitely affecting my productivity at work.  I can’t say my interactions with family and coworkers has really changed. The biggest change between Mike and me is that I am constantly asking him if he’s doing ok, if he’s hungry, if I can get him anything. I’m worried about him and obviously don’t want him to be hungry. I feel bad for making him go through this when he’s trying to study for his exams.

My energy levels are l-o-w. I went for a 7 mile run after work today and it… sucked. I don’t know how else to put it. My legs felt like lead the entire time. My stomach ached. I didn’t have gum to chew. At the end, my body felt like it had just done a 20 mile run, not a 7 mile run.

Here’s what we ate today:

  • Breakfast: toast with peanut butter (Mike) and savory oatmeal with fried egg (me)
  • Snack: red grapes
  • Lunch: three bean turkey chili with elbow macaroni
  • Pre-run snack: 1/2 banana each and a couple raisins
  • Dinner: pepper chicken with white rice
  • Snack: spoonful of peanut butter (Mike)
  • Snack: peanut butter banana oatmeal raisin cookies

The best thing I had today were the grapes. They were so sweet and juicy and I had to stop myself from shoving fistfuls into my mouth. I brought about a cup of grapes to work and rationed them throughout the morning. Every time I finished a project or approved a contract, I got to eat a grape. Oh, and the iced tea with lemon juice I had with dinner? So good. I’m usually a plain water kinda gal, but I really needed something else to drink!

I’m not gonna lie – dinner was pretty fabulous, too. During my run I went past a couple Chinese restaurants (and a few bars… and a few chocolate shops…) and it all smelled so good. Like it was taunting me. Jerks. I was sweaty, tired, and worst of all – hungry. I wanted to cave in and get takeout for dinner, but that obviously wasn’t an option. Thankfully, this pepper chicken hit the spot! Mental note: do not run down streets lined with restaurants/chocolate shops/bars/bakeries any more this week.

takeout fakeout pepper chicken | doughseedough.net

Takeout Fakeout – Pepper Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 small onions, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 chile peppers, thinly sliced, optional
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

steamed white rice, for serving

  1. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper and the salt over the sliced chicken. Dust chicken with cornstarch until well coated.
  2. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 3 – 5 minutes. Move to a bowl and keep warm.
  3. In the skillet, add in onions, garlic and chile peppers (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add in bell peppers and mushrooms. Stir in soy sauce, white pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper until well combined. Cook for 3 minutes or until bell peppers are tender-crisp. Stir in cooked chicken and toss to coat with sauce.
  4. Serve hot with steamed rice.


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SNAP Challenge: Day 2

Today’s Feeding America prompt: “How would this experience be different if your spouse and children were also eating off a limited food budget for the week?”

Well, I guess it wouldn’t be any different since Mike is doing the challenge with me. I actually think it would be more difficult for me if he wasn’t on it because he would have the luxury of eating whatever he wanted while I was stuck with what I’ve already purchased! That said, I think Mike would be happier if I were doing the challenge alone; he’s studying for some big exams this week and not having food to munch on has been hard for him.

Day 2 was a little more than Day 1. Yesterday, we spent a lot of time outside at the farmer’s market and just walking around outside. Today, it was raining the entire day. So, instead of doing our 7 mile run and doing other stuff outside, Mike studied all day and I worked on blog stuff. Sitting around usually leads to mindless munching for us, but this time it wasn’t really an option.

What we ate today:

  • Breakfast: oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins, tea, water
  • Lunch: sweet and sour chicken, white rice, tea, water
  • Snack: spoonful of peanut butter with raisins
  • Dinner: sweet and sour chicken, white rice, water
  • Snack: Mike had another spoonful of peanut butter
  • Late night snack: oatmeal with pepper, salt, and dried herbs

sweet & sour chicken | doughseedough.net

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 teaspoons canola oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2-20 ounce cans pineapple slices, chopped and juice reserved
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons corn starch

cooked white rice, for serving

  1. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides, 3 – 5 minutes. Add in onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and corn starch. Pour into skillet and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and add in bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened. Stir in pineapple and let heat through, about 1 minute.
  3. Serve hot over white rice.


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SNAP Challenge: Day 1

Today’s prompt from Feeding America: “What have you cut out of your routine to stay on budget (e.g. COFFEE)?”

On paper, I thought that little had changed in our routine. After a half day, I knew things were different.

I didn’t have snacks to munch on when I got hungry or a little bored. I’m used to being able to whip up a batch of kettle corn if I craved something crunchy. This week, I can’t do that.  Mike’s used to having his morning (and afternoon and evening) coffee. This week, he gave it up and got tea instead since it’s a lot cheaper. My lactose intolerance was already hard for me to deal with since it’s so new. This week, I couldn’t fit almond milk or lactose-free cheese into the budget.

Our first day of the SNAP Challenge was already… well, a challenge. We did all our grocery shopping on Friday and planned to start the SNAP Challenge on Saturday. I didn’t sleep well that night. I had dreams about not having enough food for the week.

Breakfast for me was some oatmeal with a sprinkle of brown sugar and raisins and Mike had some whole wheat toast with peanut butter. We both had some tea and water with our meal.

Mike’s dad came in to town to visit and we went off to the farmer’s market with him. I always love going to the market, but this visit was a little less enjoyable – I couldn’t buy any of the fruits or veggies that looked good. I couldn’t give in to the freshly-baked breads. I instantly regretted spending all my money already, but I knew it was a smart move – buying food from the farmer’s market is way more expensive than buying it at Aldi.

By the time Mike and I got home, we were hungry. We didn’t have anything to snack on,  so Mike drank tea while I threw together lunch (and dinner) as quickly as possible.

I had decided that chili would be a great meal to make during this week. I stretched the turkey by adding in lots of beans and I used simple ingredients to cut down on cost. I’m used to eating “chili seven ways” aka chili with elbow mac, cheese, olives, onions, sour cream, hot sauce, and Fritos. I obviously couldn’t afford to buy Fritos and olives to use as a garnish for one meal , so those were nixed. My main attraction to this chili was that I knew it would reheat wonderfully for lunch during the week (if it lasts that long…)

The chili was hearty and delicious. We ate it with elbow mac for lunch and then had it over a baked potato for dinner to switch it up a little.

Three Bean Turkey Chili | doughseedough.net

Three Bean Turkey Chili

1 pound turkey
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 ounce can black beans, drained
15 ounce can kidney beans, drained
30 ounce can pinto beans, drained
2 quarts tomatoes, diced
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprkia
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound elbow macaroni

garnishes – 
light sour cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced
extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

  1. Heat a large non-stick pot over medium-high heat. Place turkey in pot and cook until browned. Drain off excess fat. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until onions are tender.
  2. Pour in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer chili for 30 minutes.
  3. While chili is cooking, cook elbow macaroni according to package directions.
  4. Place a serving of macaroni in a bowl and top with a scoop of chili,. Garnish with sour cream, green onions, and cheddar cheese.


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Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn

I love going to the farmer’s market. I’m proud to say that Madison is home to one of the greatest farmer’s markets ever. I’m also proud to say that the Appleton market is also pretty darn spectacular. I try to go to the market every weekend. Since we have a garden full of veggies, I don’t usually end up buying any vegetables. The one thing I make sure I walk away with? Kettle corn.

Yum. There’s something about that sweet and salty combination that just get to me. It’s dangerous. One minute I have a warm, foot-tall bag. The next, it’s empty and my stomach hurts. To make it worse, I am left kettle corn-less for a whole week until I buy another bag on Saturday. Repeat over and over and over.

Well, I finally figured it out. I can make it at home with my Whirley Pop! This is bad news. I made my first batch on Friday night as a movie snack. I inhaled it. Then Saturday night I ate kettle corn for dinner. I’m going to be out of town for work for a couple days, and I’m contemplating cooking up a huge batch of it to bring with me. A suitcase half full of kettle corn… Hmm.

sweet & salty kettle corn | doughseedough.net

Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn
make this easy snack in a Whirley Pop* or a large lidded pot

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup sugar
salt

  1. Whirley Pop directions: Heat canola oil in a Whirley Pop over medium-high heat. Place  a few popcorn kernels in the popper. When the kernels pop, it means the oil is hot enough! Place remaining kernels in and pour in sugar, stirring constantly. Stir popper over heat until popping slows down to 3 – 5 seconds between pops. Remove from heat and continue to turn handle until popping stops.
  2. Large pot directions: Heat canola oil over medium-high heat with a few popcorn kernels. Once these kernels pop, pour in the remaining kernels and sugar and stir quickly with a wooden spoon to coat the kernels. Cover the pot and shake vigorously every 5 – 10 seconds to keep sugar from burning. Continue to shake until popping slowly to 3 – 5 seconds between pops. Remove from heat and continue to shake until popping stops.
  3. Pour popcorn into a large bowl, shaking salt over it as you go.
  4. Popcorn may stick as it cools – simply give it a good shake in the bowl or gently break it up with a wooden spoon.
  5. Serve immediately. Sharing is optional 🙂

*Don’t have a Whirley Pop? Get one. Now. I use mine all the time to make popcorn! I’m pretty sure that there’s no such thing as too many popcorn makers. I also own an air popper and I’ve been known to make microwave popcorn as well once in a while. YOLO.


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Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini and Corn

chicken with cherry tomatoes, zucchini, corn and arugula | doughseedough.net

Folks, we are up to our ears in tomatoes. Still. It’s been week after week of a million tomatoes. I did one round of canning and got 7 jars out of it. I think I’m all canned out for the season. It’s just not worth all the work.

Unfortunately, that leaves me with about 40 pounds of tomatoes to eat. Every week. I cook with them as much as I can. I bring them to work and try to pawn them off on my coworkers. I lure friends into my home and then won’t let them leave until they take some tomatoes.

Is it bad to say that I’m actually kind of sick of tomatoes? Even worse, a lot of the delicious tomato recipes I’m seeing are filled with my most recent nemesis – cheese (insert sobbing here).

Fortunately, there are recipes out there that are easily adapted to be cheese-free. This recipe happened to not only use up a decent amount of tomatoes, but I was also able to sneak in a garden zucchini and some of our garden hot peppers as well. Win!!

chicken with cherry tomatoes, zucchini, corn and arugula | doughseedough.net

Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes, Corn, and Zucchini

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 lemon, zested and juiced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn or frozen)
2 medium zucchini, quartered, seeded, and cut into 1/4″ pieces
1 bunch green onions, whites sliced
2 small fresh red or green chile peppers, finely chopped
3 cups cherry tomatoes
4 cups arugula
1/2 cup parsley

  1. Butterfly each chicken breast by cutting it in half horizontally and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 3 – 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm.
  3. Add remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan. Add in lemon zest, lemon juice, and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in corn, zucchini, green onions, and green chiles. Cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 4 – 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and parsley and remove pan from heat.
  4. Top each chicken cutlet with a handful of arugula and a healthy scoop of vegetables.

adapted from Rachel Ray Magazine, September 2013


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Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodles

Well, I’m now closer to 30 than I am to 20. At first, I was distraught over this realization. Looking back on it, though, 26 is off to a pretty dang good start. I got to celebrate with my family over the weekend and then the actual day of my birthday was fabulous. In fact, my 25th birthday sucked in comparison.

Sushi!

 

This birthday was pretty great.

  • I had a good day at work (have I mentioned I love my job?)
  • Went for a nice run with Mike (instead of going out for drinks – how grown-up of me!)
  • Went to Takumi for a sushi dinner (totally amazing)
  • Annnnnd best of all – I was surprised with a dairy-free cheesecake by Mike. I melt a little every time I think about that cheesecake. Excuse the cell phone pic, but it’s the best I can do at the moment!

dairy free cheesecake | doughseedough.net

A little background: I’ve recently cut dairy out of my diet because I’ve been developing some not-so-fun reactions to it. I’m really struggling because I’m a dairy-lovin’ gal. Cheese, Greek yogurt, milk, cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream, cheese… you name it. After all, I do live in Wisconsin! Going cold turkey on dairy was hard. It’s still hard…

That delicious dairy-free cheesecake with raspberry sauce made everything better, though. It was so good – I still can’t believe that it was dairy free! I’m going to get him to remake it someday so I can blog about it. Yummmm.

So, while I don’t have the cheesecake recipe to share with you today, I do have some snickerdoodles! These cookies were one of three types of cookies that I brought in to work for my birthday treat. All three were delicious, but these turned out the prettiest. I don’t know about you, but I definitely “eat” with my eyes first. I’ll beautify the other two cookies and get those recipes up as soon as possible. Promise 🙂

soft & chewy snickerdoodles -- no shortening! | doughseedough.net

Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodles
makes 2 dozen cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

for rolling:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Fit a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or use a hand mixer to beat butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Add in sugar and cream until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
  4. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for the topping.
  5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the prepared cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  6. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until puffy and soft. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

slightly adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction


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Couscous Salad

It’s recipe swap time again! This month’s theme was Summer Salads and I got a couscous salad recipe from Nicole over at Cookies on Friday.

I was super excited to get this recipe because I love couscous. Specifically, pearl couscous. There’s just something really amusing about the shape and size of it to me. Unfortunately, the only place that I could find it before was at Trader Joe’s two hours away from home. Whenever I was in Madison, I would stock up on couscous.

Now, Trader Joe’s is a lovely 20 minute drive across town for me. I no longer have to be that crazy lady in the checkout line with 8 boxes of couscous in my arms.

If you can’t find pearl couscous (also known as Israeli couscous) you can use normal couscous instead! Nicole also noted that you can use whatever combination of mayonnaise and yogurt that you would like. I opted to use less mayo and subbed in a Greek yogurt instead of using a plain yogurt or sour cream, but feel free to use what you have on hand!

Couscous Salad | doughseedough.net

Couscous Salad
recipe adapted from Cookies on Friday via All Recipes

1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise
3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/3 cups pearl couscous
1 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup toasted and sliced almonds
1 – 15 ounce can garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  1. To prepare the dressing: combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add couscous and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Let simmer for 12 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat.
  3. In a large bowl, combine couscous, onion, bell pepper, parsley, raisins, almonds, and chickpeas. Toss to combine. Stir in dressing until evenly incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Thanks to Taste of Home Cooking for organizing! Make sure to check out the other recipe swap posts!

 


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California Rice and Beans

My favorite part of traveling for work is getting to eat at different restaurants. My first business trip meal was at Mona Lisa’s in Eau Claire. I had their gnocchi with sausage and peppers, and it was phenomenal. The downside to all this eating out is… well, it’s a lot of eating out. I got home and just needed an easy, home cooked meal. I saw this recipe in the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine and knew it would be perfect after being on the road.

I’m still trying to find a balance between my new work life, working out, and cooking. Before, I was able to run before work. I opted to work 7 – 3:30 at this new job, so running before work just isn’t going to happen! I’m a morning person, but waking up at 5:15 is as early as I can manage. Running before work would mean getting up an hour or more earlier than 5:15, depending on my distance. Nope, no thanks!  So, now I’m running after work and racing the clock to get dinner on the table at a decent time. Simple dishes are good right now since I don’t have a fully stocked pantry like I’m used to and I’m limited with my cooking tools as well.

California Rice & Beans | doughseedough.net

California Rice and Beans
adapted from Food Network Magazine, September 2013

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
1 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 – 15 ounce can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
5 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 green onions, sliced

  1. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, bell peppers, squash, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
  2. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Place vegetables into pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, place beans in a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Stir in lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Place hot rice on 4 plates and top with vegetables and mashed beans. Top beans with sliced almonds and green onions. Serve immediately.


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Shrimp with Mango, Lime and Radish Salsa

I’m happy to say that I survived my first week of work. The best part is that I really, really like my job so far and I think it’s only going to get better!

I am also happy to report that we are 90% moved in. Madison is finally starting to feel like home. We have a bed, our laptops, and most importantly – internet. The hardest part of having two homes is not having access to all of my cooking gadgets all the time. I had a difficult time deciding if I wanted to bring my stand mixer or my hand mixer (hand mixer won, due to space), a blender or a food processor (blender… but I think that I might end up getting the food processor anyway), what pots and pans to bring… I’m still not 100% satisfied with my decisions, but that will eventually get figured out, too.

The downside to this move is I haven’t been cooking a lot. We’ve been living off of sandwiches, salads, and pasta mixed with ground turkey and the tomato sauce I canned last summer. Nothing too exciting. I do have a shrimp dish that I made pre-move, though! The whole time I was eating this I was thinking about Scott Conant, a judge on Chopped, who hates raw onion. If you haven’t seen him on the show before, you will just have to trust me when I say that this man hates raw onion with a passion. He tears apart every.single.chef that uses it in their dish. If you are like Scott and hate raw onion, this dish probably isn’t for you. If you do like raw onions, then continue on!

Shrimp with Mango, Lime and Radish Salsa | doughseedough.net

Shrimp with Mango, Lime and Radish Salsa
slightly adapted from Food Network

1 1/2 pounds large uncooked shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lemon, juiced
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

for the salsa:
3 limes
2 mangoes, diced
4 radishes, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. Toss with shrimp until well combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 45 minutes. Heat remaining olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp until they turn pink, turning once.
  2. Remove segments from the limes by cutting off both ends. Place lime on one cut end and with a small, sharp knife, cut off the pith and peel. When all peel and pith is removed, carefully cut between the membrane to remove the lime segments.
  3. Place lime segments in a large bowl. squeeze juice from the lime membranes into the bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Place cooked shrimp on top and serve immediately.


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Lightened Up Pesto Chicken Florentine

Lightened Up Pesto Chicken Florentine | doughseedough.net

Being split between two cities is going to be difficult for me. I have to learn to live without my fully-stocked pantry and fridge, my stand mixer, endless pots and pans, and my million different cake, cupcake, bread, and cookie pans. I’m going to have to adjust to cooking with the bare minimum.

This dish will have no problem in my “new” life. It requires no special equipment and can be tossed together in no time. The leftovers make for a pretty great lunch the next day, too.

I lightened up this dish by making my own Alfredo sauce. The canned stuff (or worse, the packet stuff) scares me and has no place in my kitchen! This homemade Alfredo also passes on the heavy cream and copious amounts of butter. Trust me, this sauce is delish and you won’t even miss the cream or butter!

Lightened Up Chicken Pesto Florentine | doughseedough.net

Lightened Up Pesto Chicken Florentine
adapted from All Recipes

8 ounces dried whole wheat penne
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 3/4 cup lightened-up Alfredo sauce, recipe below (jarred will work as well)
2 tablespoons pesto
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add in chicken strips and cook until no longer pink on the inside, about 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in spinach and tomatoes and cook for an additional 1 – 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
  4. Mix together Alfredo sauce and pesto and pour into cooked pasta. Stir in chicken and spinach and mix well to combine.
  5. Serve immediately.

Lightened Up Alfredo Sauce
makes 1 3/4 cup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce reduced fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

  1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 – 3 minutes or until soft.
  2. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper and stir until smooth. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and cook for 3 – 5 minutes or until mixture has thickened slightly.
  3. Whisk in cream cheese and Parmesan cheese until smooth.