I woke-up on Thanksgiving morning with a sore throat and about 8 loads of laundry to do. My family was in town to celebrate and so I put on my big girl pants, took some vitamin C and Echinacea, and surged ahead. I put out a Thanksgiving meal that was traditional, yet simple: turkey in an apple cider and orange peel brine, cheesy broccoli casserole, buttermilk and chive mashed potatoes, apple, sausage and sage stuffing, and some not-so-great drop biscuits that were chewy and gross. I also made a Pumpkin-Pecan Pie with Chocolate and that was…rather delicious. Duh.
Oh, and Cranberry Margaritas. They were very well-loved by all!
I’m still not feeling 100% but not enough to lose my appetite or need to sleep all day, just cruddy enough to be whiny and not want to workout. It’s a fine line between being under the weather and every day life, I know.
Like most of us, though, I’m craving comfort food without the guilt. The weather is cold and I’m seeing way more of the inside of my home than I’d care to admit…and yet, I want to be sure my pants still fit following the holiday season. I mean, Thanksgiving is like the appetizer for the holiday season that is upon us.
Black Friday happened. Cyber Monday is coming. I’ll be purposely hiding my credit card from myself that day. Oh wait, I have the credit card number, expiration date, and security code memorized. Ooooops.
In all seriousness, I need a few weeks of normalcy. We’re back from vacation, Thanksgiving is behind us, and Christmas is a month away – time for boring old life. Work, workout, cook, sleep, repeat. It doesn’t sound all that bad, really. So long as work is low-stress, I make time for workouts, my meals are simple, and Mr. Prevention doesn’t wake me to tell me I’m snoring.
Some things we have more control over than others….meals, however, are something I can do something about. I love this particular meal because it’s husband and kid-approved, it requires just one skillet and one cutting board, and it reheats wonderfully. Plus, it’s high in fiber and insanely delicious. I upped the nutrition by adding additional red onion and avocado for serving. Enjoy!
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red onion, diced
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 12 oz whole wheat penne pasta
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ⅓ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup 2% mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup 2% sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken and onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken and onions to a plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the water, chicken broth, and penne. Bring to a boil and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the liquid is almost absorbed and the pasta is tender. Stir in the barbecue sauce and Greek yogurt. Once mixed, add in the reserved chicken, onions and shredded cheese. Stir to combine and cook until everything is heated through.
- Serve immediately and garnish with additional red or green onions.
- Sunday: Sweet Onion Risotto with Sauteed Kale
- Monday: Honey and Sesame-Glazed Chicken (Shrimp?) with Green Beans
- Tuesday: leftovers
- Wednesday: Sweet Potato and Sausage Strata
- Thursday: Spicy Thai Curry Noodle Soup
Be well,
Sorry you aren’t feeling 100% – I had a canker sore on my tongue of all places from when I bit my tongue and today is the first day it didn’t hurt to eat or talk – so there was no chance of me overeating, even if I wanted to!
That dish looks delicious, but I am off to check out the Thai noodle soup. 😀
This pasta dish looks amazing! I will have to add it to my family’s menu this week. Pasta has always been a favorite of mine but so many of the recipes have a calorie count that is way too high. I started using the Recipe Analyzer on Registered Dietician Sofia Abdelkafi’s website and it has helped me determine if my favorite recipes are actually healthy or not. You can check it out here: http://sheismynutritionist.com/recipe-analyzer/