Another Weeknight Keeper!

Almost every week I am trying out new recipes.  Sometimes 3 or 4 new ones make the menu and sometimes we stick with the o'll standbys.  I love it when I try a new recipe and it becomes an o'll standby.  Bucatini with Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts is one of those for sure.  If you are not in love with Brussels sprouts or cauliflower, this may just be your gateway dish.  Phoebe has been trying a Brussels sprout or two here and there and every time she likes them a little bit more.  She had a whole pile of them when I made this (and I even said it was okay to pick around them if she didn't want to eat them). 

Like I always say, get all your prep done first then cook, things will run much smoother and you will finish much quicker.  Start by peeling off the outer leaves and halving or quartering (if large) your Brussels sprouts and wash them off (these were from our garden-go us!).

Now cut and clean your cauliflower and set aside.

Next chop an onion, some fresh rosemary and thyme and slice some garlic.  You will also need to mince a few anchovies.  No, the anchovies are not pictured because lets face it, they're not very photogenic.  Speaking of anchovies, don't let them scare you off (if my sister is reading this she has completely checked out at the mention of anchovies.  Doesn't matter though because I'll feed them to her when she doesn't see it coming).  I waited to tell Phoebe about the anchovies until she had already made several declarations of approval for this meal.  Its important to know that sometimes things we don't like by themselves can really add to the flavor of a dish.

I will mention again how great fresh herbs are to have on hand.  They really can have a big impact and some, like this rosemary will last quite a while in the fridge.  While prepping all this good stuff get that salted water boiling for your pasta.

In a large deep skillet heat some olive oil.  Then add your veggies along with some salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned and crisp tender.  Get your pasta in the water when boiling and cook until the package indicates for al dente.

See how nice and brown the sprouts are getting? Oh man, those are good.

Next you add another 1/4 cup of oil (Nelsy was mildly horrified by the amount of oil but it is olive oil and we all know how healthy those Mediterranean's are do we not?  And its not like we're making one serving here so I think we're okay.  Along with the olive oil goes the anchovies, onions, garlic, rosemary and thyme.  Cook stirring until onions have softened and then lower the heat and keep warm.  When I make this next time I will add a little lemon zest at this stage.  Hayden and I both agreed that a little lemon would be a nice touch.

Writing this and looking at these pictures is making me very hungry! Once the pasta is done, reserve a 1/2 cup of cooking water before draining the pasta.  Add the pasta and reserved cooking liquid to the veggies and toss until most of the liquid is absorbed.

You will see in the actual recipe that it calls for toasted breadcrumbs.  We did toast some, and burnt them and didn't eat them.  I thought it was great without them and won't bother with them next time either.  Like I said, I will add a little lemon zest.

And there you have it, one super tasty quick meal for any night of the week.  Check it out at Food & Wine and let me know what you think!

Healthy Chicken in a Curry

How many of you are struggling to stick with New Years Resolutions already?  We're only two weeks in so hopefully you're hanging in there.  I just joined a new gym before Christmas because they have some classes that I really love.  So far I've taken Pilates, Cardio-Kickboxing, R.I.P.P.E.D. and Boot Camp.  Every single class is as full as can be.  I'm curious to see if the attendance drops off in a month or so.  That seems to be the trend with a new year at the gym.  Everyone is gung ho, then things slowly fizzle out.  If you've done this in the past, try to pace yourself.  Don't expect to go from nothing to 5-6 days a week and think you won't get burned out and quit all together.  Build your activity level gradually and instead of doing nothing by March you'll be doing more.  The same is true with your diet.  Forget "going on a diet".  The idea is to change your diet, and if you do this gradually, you again, will be more successful in sticking with it.  Super Bowl Sunday is coming up in a few weeks.  If you're like me, you look forward to the food more than the game (I really couldn't care less about the game).  I have a really tasty chicken dish to share if you're entertaining for the game (or any other time for that matter).  This healthy little number is called Curried Chicken and Vegetable Pan Roast from the Food & Wine website (which I just love).  Here's how it goes:

Don't be afraid of brussels sprouts! These are my new favorite vegetable and I've only liked them since Thanksgiving (just this past one!).  Roasted until nice and brown, they are fantastic.

You'll need to halve 1 1/2 lbs of them.  A perfect job for a little helper if you have one.

You will also need to peel and dice 2 lbs of butternut squash.  Already you can tell how healthy this is, just look at those fantastic colors!

You will also need to cut 2 red onions (I used one large one) into thin wedges.

Toss your veggies in a large bowl with some oil, salt and pepper.

Spread them out over two rimmed baking sheets.

In the same bowl you mix oil, fat-free Greek yogurt, ginger, garlic, curry powder and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the chicken thighs in and stir until well coated.

Lay the chicken over the veggies and roast in a 450 preheated oven.

The recipe suggests serving with warm naan.  We used the bread machine and made some pita instead.

About 40 min in, you'll pull the pans from the oven and pour off any accumulated juices.  Pop them back in for about 20 min more, until chicken is browned and veggies are tender.

Oh my, now how good does this look!  This is enough to feed 12 so its perfect for when you have company, or you can just have leftovers on hand for weekday lunches.  These chicken pieces make a great sandwich the next day.

Serve with Greek yogurt or sour cream.  I think next time I'll make some little yogurt sauce of some kind.  That's it! Minimal work, really tasty meal and healthy to boot!

Curried Chicken and Vegetable Pan Roast (www.foodandwine.com)

2 lbs butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 large red onions, cut into thin wedges
1 1/2 lbs brussels sprouts, halved
1 cup canola oil
salt and pepper
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, plus more for serving
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs Madras curry powder (I think regular curry will work fine)
4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
warm naan or pita for serving

Preheat oven to 450 and position racks in the upper and middle thirds.  In a large bowl, toss squash, brussels sprouts, onion wedges and 1/2 cup of the canola oil; season with salt and pepper.  Spread veggies on to two large, rimmed baking sheets.

In the same bowl, combine the cup of yogurt with the ginger, garlic, curry powder and the remaining 1/2 cup of oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated.  Arrange chicken on top of the vegetables and roast for 40 min rotating the pans half way through until veggies are nearly tender and chicken is nearly cooked through.  Pour off any liquid and continue to roast about 20 min longer until chicken is browned and veggies are tender.  Transfer to a platter and serve with warm naan and yogurt.