290 Calories* || Serves 4*
I meant to make delicious chicken enchiladas tonight but forgot it had to be slow cooked for 2-3 hours and then shredded, so I found this other awesome recipe and edited it to my liking!
The original recipe is from the Skinny Taste Cookbook and is 290 calories, gluten free, and vegetarian. While I do try a meatless meal once a week, tonight was not that night, because I had already thawed 4 chicken breasts and with my husband doing two workouts per day right now, I know he would've never gone for it. The man loves his meat!
The recipe says it serves 4, but with the added chicken and extra 5oz of pasta that I used, this will feed us for three days. So I will not be cooking tomorrow night!
Here is the original ingredients list and instructions. My modifications will be in italics to the right of the original.
Ingredients:
8 ounces penne pasta (use brown rice or quinoa pasta for gluten-free) || I chose to use a full box (13oz) of GF penne pasta
Kosher salt
1 zucchini, cut into 1/4in thick strips
1 yellow squash, cut into 1/4in thick strips
1 1/4 cups shredded carrots
1tbsp EVOO
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4c grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Freshly cracked black pepper
2tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil
I added 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed.
Instructions:
Cook the pasta to al dente in a pot of boiling water. Meanwhile, chop the zuchinni and squash. In the last two minutes of pasta boiling, add the squash and vegetable mix || see below in photos what I added to my veggie mix || Let cook for about two minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain the rest in a colandar. Because I was adding chicken, I drained all of the water. Explained below in photos.
Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, and chicken if you choose, and cook, stirring, until golden (2-3 minutes). Quickly add the drained pasta and vegetables and the reserved water || the juices from the chicken were enough without adding the reserve water in my case ||
Stir it all together, and add 1/4c Pecorino Romano cheese (found at Trader Joe's), and a dash of salt and pepper. Finish by adding your sliced fresh basil and stirring in.
There are step by step photos below of how I made ours tonight. This meal took 26 minutes from start to finish and will feed my family of three for three days, lunch and dinner!
First, I chopped my zuchinni and squash.
I also chose to add this pre-made veggie mix from Trader Joe's. I didn't feel like shredding a carrot, and this has lots of goodness it in. I added about half of the 16oz container.
While the pasta is boiling, add the veggie mixture and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain into colandar.
Since I was adding chicken, I cubed it first, and then added one of my favorite all purpose seasonings, Stubb's All Natural Chicken Spice Rub.
I used the chicken juices in place of the reserve water the original recipe called for, and it was the perfect moisture for the pasta when I combined it all. Once combined, I added 1/4c Pecorino Romano cheese which added so much flavor and creaminess to the dish!
I finished by sprinkling fresh basil into the mix and stirring it in!
We love all things avocado in this house, so I added a wedge to go along. My husband kicked his up a notch by adding a dash of crushed red pepper flakes to his.
Another STCB success and one to be documented in my hand written recipe book! Comment below and let me know how yours turns out, and whether you use meat or not, or how you made this easy recipe unique by adding your own special touch!
*Adding chicken adds to the total calories of each serving, and makes more servings.
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