It arrives. The daily question from my hungry husband.
"What's for dinner?"
I know what he wants to hear.
"I'm really tired... I don't know..."
To which he will jump to my rescue with, "Oh, I know babe, you work so hard. How about I just take you to dinner somewhere..." as he forces through a pitiful golly-I'll-just-eat-worms look.
WIN, he says to himself. He is successfully avoiding health food while simultaneously racking up brownie points for being a caring husband. Tricky little guy. Yes, I love to eat out, but not at the expense of my waistline. This little dance has got to stop before we both end up rolling down the road to obesity and heart disease. Literally.
My best learned answer to this question: Chicken Pesto Pasta. He never says no and this always trumps a trip to the Olive Oil Garden. (Dodged that fatty bullet.)
Chicken Pesto Pasta for 2
(Who am I kidding, I don't know how to cook for 2. A better title is "Chicken Pesto Pasta for 2 days. Much better.)
1 lb chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
Whole wheat pasta
1 jar of store bought pesto sauce, settled for about 1 hour (you can find this in the spaghetti sauce section of the grocery store)
asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 zucchini squash, sliced into 1/8 inch pieces
1 tbps garlic (I buy the jar of minced garlic in water - very easy!)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Chicken: Add 1 tbsp olive oil and garlic to a non-stick skiller over medium heat. Saute the garlic for about 15-30 seconds and add the cubed chicken. If you are using a regular skillet, you may have to add a touch more olive oil so the chicken won't stick. Toss to coat and continue to cook until the juices run clear.
Veggies: While the chicken in cooking, warm a second non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the veggies in about 1 tbsp olive oil for about 5-8 minutes or until cooked through. (You may also steam the veggies to cut out even more fat but I like to saute them!)
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. I like my pasta al dente. After draining the pasta, combine the cooked chicken, veggies and pasta in the empty pot.
Adding the pesto: Remove the lid and pour out the olive oil that has settled on top. While olive oil is a healthy fat, it is high in calories and I don't think it really adds anything to the dish. After the oil has been removed, scoop out about 2-3 heaping tbsp of pesto into the pasta mixture and toss gently with a spoon to coat. Serve and enjoy!
Serving size for this pasta is about 1 cup of cooked pasta + about 1/4 of the chicken, and load up on those veggies!
