Crab and Veggie Pasta with Healthy Alfredo Sauce

Maria Von Trapp may prefer raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, and those are all fine and good. But if I were to write a song about my favorite things, Alfredo sauce would be in it. It's hard to beat that rich, buttery, garlicky, creamy goodness.

However, since I've been trying to eat healthfully (most of the time), Alfredo sauce and I haven't gotten to hang out quite so often. Because when you're trying to cut down on calories and fat, it's hard to justify eating a plate full of pasta swimming in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. I once tried a healthified Alfredo made with Greek yogurt and found it to be gross (and it didn't taste remotely like real Alfredo). So I resigned myself to the reality that things like Alfredo sauce just cannot be made healthy and still be good--that it should be reserved for special occasions and splurges, where you eat the full-calorie version but very infrequently.

And then this Alfredo sauce happened.

Believe it or not, it's made with cauliflower. And believe it or not, it's actually good. Now, it doesn't taste like it has a stick of butter or a quart of heavy cream in it . . . because it doesn't. But it does have this great, velvety texture and rich, creamy taste. Cauliflower, I didn't know you were capable of such greatness.

I used this cauliflower-based Alfredo sauce in a recipe that has become a standby with two of my friends from way back when. Quite often when we're together and can't decide what to cook, we land on this dish which we've always just called Crab Pasta. We use imitation crab meat (classy, I know) and have used varying combinations of mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, spinach, onion, and black olives.

I hope you enjoy!

Crab and Veggie Pasta with Healthy Alfredo Sauce
Sauce from Pinch of Yum

Yield: 4 servings

For the Sauce
1-1/2 small heads cauliflower, chopped*
3-4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch black pepper
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)

All the Rest
1/2 lb. whole wheat fettuccine, spaghetti, or angel hair pasta (uncooked)
Olive oil
1/2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 oz. mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. dried tarragon

8 oz. lump-style imitation crab (or the real deal)

Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil and add the cauliflower. Cook on medium-high heat until cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes. The longer you cook it, the smoother the sauce will be. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, saute the 3 cloves garlic in butter until tender and fragrant. Transfer the cauliflower and about 1 cup of the cooking broth to a blender or food processor. Add the sauteed garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and puree until very smooth, about 3-5 minutes depending on your machine. Once the mixture is moving, stream the 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil in. If needed, add more broth or water if the mixture is too thick. When the sauce reaches desired consistency, transfer to a medium saucepan. Add cream; cover and keep warm until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain but do not rinse. (Note: the creator of the Alfredo sauce recipe recommends keeping 1/2 cup of the pasta water and adding it to the Alfredo sauce. I didn't do this, as my sauce seemed a fine consistency.) 

Get the skillet you used for the garlic earlier. Heat olive oil over medium heat and add the asparagus and mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes, until veggies are almost tender and asparagus has brightened. Add tarragon, remaining 2 cloves garlic, and crab meat. Continue to cook until garlic is fragrant and crab is warmed through. 

While the vegetables cook, combine the pasta and Alfredo sauce, stirring well. To serve, place pasta on a plate, and top with vegetable and crab mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

• The Pinch of Yum blogger lives in the Philippines where the heads of cauliflower are apparently much smaller. Using 1-1/2 heads of cauliflower from my North American grocery store yielded quite a bit more sauce than I needed--enough to generously sauce the pasta plus save some extra sauce for a future use. So you could probably use just 1 head of cauliflower and be fine.
• I will probably use more garlic next time because, really, when have you ever eaten something and thought, "This has too much garlic"?
• If it's not quite Alfredoy enough for you, you might consider mixing traditional Alfredo sauce with this Alfredo sauce. Maybe 1 part traditional to 2-3 parts cauliflower-based.

Nutrition Information (from My Fitness Pal)

Note: For nutrition facts purposes, I figured the amount of sauce I made would be 6 servings rather than 4, and adjusted other amounts to match. So if you make the recipe above as written, then proceed to eat 1/6 of the sauce and 1/4 of the pasta, crab, and veggies, these nutrition stats should be accurate.

Chipotle Swiss Egg Stacks

These lovely, simple little egg stacks are a variation on the Spicy Avocado Egg Stacks I like so much from A Couple Cooks. It's so simple it's almost not worth writing out a recipe for it.

These stacks are easily adaptable based on your preferences or what you have on hand. You can use any kind of cheese that strikes your fancy. I imagine sharp cheddar would be great with the chipotle, as would normal Swiss if you don't have Laughing Cow spreadable cheese. If you don't have chipotle, paprika would be a good substitute. But smoky, spicy chipotle is better. :-) You could cook your eggs any way you want--poached, sunny-side-up, non-runny yolks, whatever. You could even toss in some vegetables or a slice of bacon or something.

I was trying to capture the steam in this picture.

Chipotle Swiss Egg Stacks
Printer friendly; inspired by A Couple Cooks
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients
1 whole wheat English muffin
1 (3/4-oz) wedge of light creamy Swiss cheese from The Laughing Cow
2 eggs
Ground chipotle powder, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions
Toast the English muffin and spread each half with half of the Swiss cheese. Sprinkle with chipotle powder, to taste.

Cook the eggs: Spray a skillet lightly with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Crack eggs into the skillet. When the bottom is cooked, flip gently, being careful to not break the yolk. Cook for a little while longer, until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny.

Place an egg on top of each English muffin half. Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper and more chipotle.

from My Fitness Pal

Creamy Quinoa Primavera

Today I bring you a lovely, creamy, versatile primavera. You could make this with endless combinations of ingredients depending on what you like and what you have on hand. I love the protein and nuttiness of the quinoa, but you could easily make this with pasta or some other whole grain like farro. If vegetarian eating isn't your thing, you could add in some chicken, shrimp, or bacon.

For the veggies, I used mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, and spinach. The blog I got this from used carrot, celery, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and peas; and the original Betty Crocker recipe suggests asparagus, broccoli, carrot, or zucchini. The moral of the story: use whatever vegetables you feel like using.

This dish was tasty and filling. It was a nice amount of creaminess--just enough to feel a bit like a splurge, but still light enough to not feel heavy and artery-clogging. You could certainly adjust the amount of cream cheese and Parmesan to suit your preferences.

Creamy Quinoa Primavera

Printer friendly; adapted from Elly Says Opa
Yield: 3-4 servings

Ingredients
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 onion
2/3 to 3/4 of an 8 oz. carton mushrooms, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 to 2 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 small roma tomato, chopped
1 handful baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1-2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
In a medium skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until juices have been released and veggies are slightly tender. If using any crisp veggies like carrots or broccoli, add now and saute for another 1-2 minutes until crisp-tender.

Stir in garlic and quinoa and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute. Add the broth and basil (if using dried) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, until quinoa is cooked and broth is almost all absorbed.

Stir in the cream cheese, until mixed throughout. Add the tomatoes and spinach, stirring to warm through and allow the spinach to wilt. Add basil (if using fresh) and Parmesan, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional cheese and/or basil, if desired.

The Best Way to Use Leftover Easter Ham (Apricot Ham and Brie Panini)

Two years ago I made this Double-Apricot Glazed Ham for Easter lunch and, with some shared foodie genius between a friend and me, turned the leftovers into some killer paninis.

This year when I decided to contribute ham to house church Easter lunch, I am not embellishing when I tell you my thought process went like this: "I could do that apricot ham from a couple years ago. . . Which means I can make the paninis!!!"

Even beyond the panini potential, I'd highly recommend the apricot ham recipe to you. The apricot-Dijon glaze is what really makes this dish, so even if you want to use a different ham-roasting method or leave off the chopped apricots, make the glaze (sauce). You'll be glad you did.

Then slap some leftover ham slices between two pieces of bread, slather it with apricot glaze and Dijon mustard, toss in some brie, and grill it to crunchy, melty perfection. Mm-mmm!

After finding the ham recipe on All Recipes, I couldn't remember what (if any) alterations I'd made to the recipe two years ago, so I clicked through the reviews to see if any of them jogged my memory. Lo and behold! There was a review I had written, saying that I'd followed the recipe exactly! Thank you, two-years-ago self. Thank you.

Apricot Ham and Brie Panini

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Ingredients
Bread of choice - I use white French/baguette-type bread
Slices of apricot ham (recipe below)
Apricot-Dijon glaze (from recipe below)
Dijon mustard
Brie cheese

Directions
On one slice of bread, spread apricot-Dijon glaze (sauce), and spread Dijon mustard on the other slice of bread. (If you spread both slices with the glaze it will be way too sweet.) Warm the ham in the microwave for about 20 seconds, and preheat a panini press or George Foreman grill. Place ham on top of bread, arrange pieces of brie on top, and top with the other piece of bread. Squish a bit if necessary. Grill for a few minutes, until cheese is melted and bread is crispy (with satisfactory grill marks, of course). Make as many or as few sandwiches as you wish.

If you don't have a panini press or George Foreman, you can get a similar effect using two skillets. Heat one skillet over the stove and put the sandwich in it. Use the bottom of the second skillet to press down on the sandwich while it cooks; flip the panini halfway through. I think I've also seen Rachael Ray use a brick--wrapped in foil and heated in the oven--to press her paninis when making them in a skillet on the stove.


Double-Apricot Glazed Ham

Adapted slightly from All Recipes
Yield: 36 servings

Ingredients
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock (or up to 1-1/2 cups if using slow cooker method)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6-lb. fully-cooked whole boneless ham (I used a 9-lb. bone-in spiral-sliced ham)
1-2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
24 oz. apricot preserves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tsp. grated orange peel

Directions
Place apricots and stock in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Let cool. Remove apricots, reserving stock, and cut into strips. Mix apricots, sugar, and 1/4 cup of the reserved stock.

To bake: Place ham in a roasting pan. Bake at 325 for 2 hours. Top with apricot mixture during last 30 minutes of baking, basting frequently with pan drippings.

Or to cook in a slow cooker: Place ham, cut side down, in a large slow cooker. Pour in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken stock (this would make the total chicken stock measurement above 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups). Top with apricot mixture. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then turn down to low for 1 hour, basting periodically with drippings.

Heat butter in a medium pan or skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until tender. Add preserves, mustard, orange rind, and remaining 3/4 cup reserved apricot-infused stock. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 10+ minutes, until slightly thickened, stirring frequently with a whisk.

If baking, allow ham to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with apricot-Dijon sauce.

Asian Chicken Salad with Homemade Peanut Dressing

Lately I've been craving (and therefore consuming) Asian food like nobody's business. I've always liked Asian food, but lately it seems I just can't get enough of it! So when I spotted this recipe on Pinch of Yum, it didn't sit on my "must make" list for long before graduating to my "have tried" list.

I more or less followed the recipe, except had to come up with some creative substitutions for Chinese five spice seasoning in the chicken marinade and hoisin sauce in the dressing. I also left out the edamame that she called for because the texture and taste of edamame don't sit quite right with me. But if you like edamame, then by all means add some in!

This salad was great on its own as a full meal as well as in smaller servings as a side dish. It was pretty filling with the seeds and nuts, chicken, and healthy fats in the dressing. When I packed some to take for lunch on a work day, I put a helping of the chicken and veggies in a Tupperware, nestled an itty bitty Tupperware container of dressing inside, and laid a small baggie of the nuts and Ramen on top. Right before eating I just tossed it all together, so everything was nice and crunchy and tasty.


Asian Chicken Salad

Adapted from Pinch of Yum
Yield: 2-3 servings, depending on if it's your whole meal or just a side dish.

Ingredients
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. Chinese five spice seasoning (Pinch of Yum substituted part Garam Masala and part Cajun seasoning; I substituted about 1/2 Tbsp. Garam Masala, 1/4 tsp. cumin, and shots of cinnamon, ground ginger, and black pepper)
1 chicken breast
1/8 cup chopped green onions
1 to 1-1/2 cups slaw or shredded lettuce (I used broccoli slaw)
1 cup shredded carrots
1/8 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 cup crumbled up dry Ramen noodles (or chow mein noodles)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Asian dressing of choice (recipe below for peanut dressing)

Directions

In a quart-sized plastic zip bag, combine the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, and seasoning. Add the chicken and marinate for 1 hour. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken in the sauce, covered, for 5-10 minutes, or until cooked through. (Or bake chicken in the sauce at 400 degrees, for about 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through.) Allow the chicken to cool, then shred or chop.

Build the salad by tossing together the green onions, slaw/lettuce, carrots, cilantro, and shredded chicken. Right before serving, add in the almonds, Ramen noodles, sunflower seeds, and dressing.

Homemade Peanut Dressing

This recipe will likely make about twice as much as you need for the Asian Chicken Salad recipe above; it all depends on how heavily you dress your salad.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. sugar (I used half white, half brown)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup oil (I used about half coconut oil,* half canola; some sesame would be good if you have it)

3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

Sprinkle of garlic salt (I probably used 1/8 to 1/4 tsp)

Sprinkle of ground ginger

Squirt or two of honey

A few cracks of black pepper

Scant 1/3 cup water (as needed)

Directions

Whir together all ingredients in a small blender or food processor, such as a Magic Bullet. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. *Note: if you use coconut oil, the dressing will solidify if you refrigerate it. Just zap it in the microwave for a few seconds to liquefy it. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

It was 92 degrees today where I live, but my friends in the Northeast got snow. So it's not too late for pumpkin recipes, right?

I've never been consistently good at cookies--and more often than not have been consistently bad at cookies--but I'm proud to say I've successfully made these babies twice. Both times elicited much praise and many happy sighs from my coworkers, and both times I confess I ate far more cookies than someone who's trying to maintain her weight should.

Most grocery stores carry cinnamon chips in the same section as chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. If you want a chewier cookie, make the cookies a little larger; if you want crispier, make them smaller. I recommend the chewy option, myself.

Whether it still feels like winter where you are, already feels like summer, or is somewhere in between, I hope you enjoy these little bites of pumpkiny oatmeal goodness.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

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Slightly adapted from Eats Well with Others
Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups flour (I use 1 cup all-purpose, 1/4 cup whole wheat)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1-1/2 cups cinnamon chips

Directions
Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a second bowl, use a mixer to cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on medium speed. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until well-combined, scraping down the sides as necessary. Stir in the pumpkin puree.

Slowly add in the flour mixture. Fold in the oats and cinnamon chips.

Preheat oven to 375 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop the dough by the Tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are set and golden. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

per cookie, from My Fitness Pal

Mustard-Herb Panko-Crusted Chicken

I enjoy eating meat but have never enjoyed handling raw meat. It's kinda gross-feeling and cold, but I think the main reason for my raw meat aversion is that it takes a lot of effort to keep the germs in check. When handling raw meat, I wash my hands every five seconds, spray everything with copious amounts of bleach, and use tongs to minimize how much I have to actually touch the raw meat. My high school culinary arts teacher would be proud!

Despite having to handle raw chicken and douse my kitchen in bleach afterward, this crusted chicken was worth it. It had a nice balance of flavor--the mustard was a star player but not overwhelming, and the Parmesan and herbs were great additions to the breading. The end result was flavorful and moist.

Toward the end of the cooking time my chicken wasn't as browned as I thought it should be, so I spritzed on a bit of olive oil for the last 5-10 minutes of baking time, and I think that helped. During preparation, the Dijon mixture tried to slide off the chicken before I could dunk it in the breading mixture, so I'd suggest patting your chicken breasts dry with paper towels before seasoning them and rubbing/spreading them with the Dijon mixture (I'm adding that step to the directions below).

I served this chicken with some Brussels sprouts that didn't do too well and some rice pilaf from a box.

Mustard-Herb Panko-Crusted Chicken Breasts

Printer-friendly
From Prevention RD
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
2/3 cup panko crumbs
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried thyme
1-1/2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated (the powdery kind)
2 (6-oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/8 tsp salt and freshly cracked, pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450. Coat a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray.

Pour the panko crumbs, Italian seasoning, parsley, Parmesan, and thyme onto a plate or wide, shallow bowl; mix until well combined. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Mix the mustard and garlic together then rub evenly all over each chicken breast (I spread it on with a spoon). Roll each chicken breast in the panko mixture until coated; place on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees. Let the meat rest for 3-4 minutes before slicing and serving.

Nutrition Information (per serving; from Prevention RD)
279 calories; 3.5 g. fat; 87 mg. cholesterol; 583 mg. sodium; 13.0 g. carbohydrate; 0 g. fiber; 42.5 g. protein