Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Penne

1 sweet onion, cut in wedges
1 medium zucchini, cut in big wedges
1 red bell pepper, cut in big wedges
1 pint button mushrooms, stemmed
2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, washed and dried
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 lb hot turkey sausage links
1/4 cup white wine
1 lb whole wheat penne, cooked according to package; 1/2 cup pasta water reserved
Freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, toss the onion, zucchini, pepper and mushrooms with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast, until caramelized, about 30 minutes, turning vegetables halfway through cooking time. In a small bowl add the tomatoes, garlic and remaining olive oil. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Add to the baking sheet at the halfway point of cooking, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, spray the pan with cooking spray and add the turkey sausage links. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Once cooked, slice the links and return to the pan. Increase the heat to high and deglaze the pan with the wine. When the vegetables have cooked, cool slightly, then coarsely chop. Add the vegetables and any pan juice to the sausage in the skillet. Toss in the cooked penne, adding the reserved pasta water, if needed, to moisten. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and serve in bowls topped with Parmesan.

Amy's rating: 10/10 - LOVED! Can't wait to make again.
Chad's rating: 10/10

Recipe adapted from the food network - Melissa d'Arabian.

Pineapple Jerk Chicken with Rice

2 cups brown rice
1 onion; chopped
1 jalapeno; seeded and chopped
1 lb chicken breasts; cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can diced pineapples; drained
1/2 cup jerk marinade (Lawry's)
1 can black beans; drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cilantro
Olive oil
Salt and pepper


Prepare rice according to package.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and cook until the onion has softened; about 7-9 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. 
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and increase heat to medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the pan and cook until lightly browned; 5-7 minutes. 
Add the pineapple and jerk marinade and simmer until the chicken is cooked through; 3 minutes. 
Stir in the onion mixture, black beans and cilantro; cook until the beans are heated through; 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and serve over rice. 


Chad's rating: 9/10
Amy's rating: 9/10


Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray. 

Roasted Chicken and Artichoke Sandwich

1 Rotisserie Chicken; shredded

1 can artichoke hearts; drained and chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes; chopped

1 can garbanzo beans; drained and rinsed

2 cloves garlic; minced

2 teaspoons lemon zest

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and Pepper

Ciabatta bread; sliced

Combine the garbanzo beans, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until smooth; season with salt and pepper. 

Spread the garbanzo bean mixture over each bread slice. 

Top with chicken, artichoke hearts and tomatoes. 

Amy's rating: 9/10

Garbanzo bean spread - adapted from Food Network. 

Vegetable and Spicy Sausage Soup

4 ounces 50% less-fat pork sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups fat free, less -sodium chicken broth, divided
2 (15 ounce cans) organic cannellini beans; rinsed, drained and divided
1/3 cup half and half
Salt and pepper


Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage to the pan and cook for 4 minutes or until browned; stirring to crumble. Remove from pan and keep warm. 
Return pan to medium heat. Add onion, zucchini, carrot, celery, garlic and salt; cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato paste and crushed red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 
Place 1 cup vegetable mixture, 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1 can beans to food processor and process till smooth. 
Return pureed bean mixture to pan. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups broth and 1 can beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Stir in half and half.  
To serve, ladle soup into bowl and top with desired amount of sausage crumbles. 


Chad's rating: 9/10
Amy's rating: 9/10 - next time, I would try turkey sausage.


Recipe adapted from Cooking Light Magazine. 

Chicken and Vegetable Packets

2 chicken breasts

1 zucchini, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Oregano

Parmesan cheese

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Lay each chicken breast in piece of foil. Drizzle a little olive oil over chicken.

Top with vegetables and season with salt, pepper, oregano and Parmesan cheese. Fold foil over chicken to create a sealed packet.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Chad's rating: 8.75/10

Amy's rating: 8/10

Orechiette with Turkey Sausage and Beans

1 pound orechiette pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound turkey sausage, casings removed

1 small onion, chopped

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded aged white cheddar

Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil over medium- high heat in a large skillet. Add the sausage and onions. Using a wooden spoon, break up the sausage into bite-size pieces as it browns.

Continue cooking until the sausage is golden and the onions are tender. Add the beans and oregano; cook for a few more minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Once melted, whisk in flour for a minute till dissolved. Then whisk in milk. Continue to whisk till it thickens. Finally, add the cheese and stir till melted.

Add cheese sauce and cooked pasta to sausage. Season with salt and pepper.

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 9/10

Recipe adapted from Food Network - Giada De Laurentis