Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad

1/2 (16 oz) box of bow tie pasta
1 lb fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
6 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, red onion, red wine vinegar and salt. Toss with broccoli, grapes and cooked pasta. Stir to coat. Cover and chill. Top with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds before serving.

*Adapted from http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2012/10/broccoli-grape-harvest-salad.html

Cheesy Bacon Mushroom Chicken

Now this recipe is apparently a copycat of a dish at Outback Steakhouse (US chain restaurant) called Alice Springs Chicken. But I've been to Alice Springs and nothing about this dish makes me think "Australia". So I had to change the name. That being said, it is still very tasty, how can it not be with bacon, cheese and mushrooms??

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp lemon juice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
salt
pepper
paprika
8 slices bacon, cooked
2 cups cheese

In a small bowl whisk together Dijon mustard, honey, 1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil and lemon juice. Add the chicken breasts to a large container and pour about 2/3 of the marinade over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate chicken for 2 hours (or however long you have). Refrigerate the remaining marinade for later.

In a small frying pan, melt the butter and saute mushrooms until desired tenderness. Remove from heat. Spray a 9x13 pan or line with foil. Heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Remove chicken from marinade (discard the marinade) and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Sear chicken in hot pan (3-4 minutes per side). Place chicken in 9x13 pan. Bake in oven at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Add the mushrooms, bacon and cheese and return to oven for a few minutes to melt cheese. Serve with the remaining honey mustard sauce.

* From http://blogchef.net/outback-steakhouse-alice-springs-chicken-recipe/

Zuppa Toscana

What a perfect soup for a cool day! This is a version of the soup made famous by Olive Garden. So good!

1 lb ground Italian sausage (I used spicy to give it some kick because I didn't have the next ingredient)
1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic, minced
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
3 large potatoes, sliced
1/4 of a bunch of kale

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 min or until the onions are soft.

Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.

Add the heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in the sausage and kale. Heat through and serve.