Chicken Yakisoba

Don't ask me what chicken yakisoba is. I found this recipe on Pinterest and thought it looked good. All I can tell you is that it tastes delicious!

1/2 head of small green cabbage, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

2 medium carrots, grated

1 small crown broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces 

2 inches fresh ginger

1 chicken breast

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 packages ramen noodles (seasoning packs discarded)

1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (I reduced slightly)

2 tbsp ketchup

(Up to) 1 tbsp hot sauce

1 tbsp sugar

Begin boiling a medium pot of water for the noodles. Peel and grate ginger. Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat, add ginger and saute for up to a minute. Slice chicken and add to pan. Cook about 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from pan.

Add all the veggies to the pan. Stir and cook until wilted (about 5-10 minutes), then add chicken back to the pan. Meanwhile, once the water boils, add the noodles and cook just until done (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat, drain, return to pot and toss with the sesame oil to keep from sticking. 

In a measuring cup mix together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, and sugar. Stir until dissolved, then pour over the veggies and chicken. Add the noodles, stir to coat everything in the sauce and heat through. 

* from www.budgetbytes.com/2012/03/chicken-yakisoba/

Cheesy Shells & Broccoli

Wonderfully gooey & cheesy! Homemade mac & cheese with some broccoli to make you feel like its at least a little healthy.

8 oz shell pasta
1 large crown broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add shell pasta and set a timer for 8 minutes. At that point, add the broccoli florets to the pasta and cook pasta and broccoli for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cook onion in butter over medium heat until onion has softened (about 2-3 minutes). Whisk in the flour to create a roux. Continue whisking the roux for about 2 minutes. Add the milk and whisk well to ensure there are no clumps. Add some pepper and bring the sauce up to a simmer.When sauce begins to thicken, its time to add the cheese. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese until smooth. Taste the cheese sauce to see if it needs some salt & pepper. You can also add some hot sauce to give it a little zip. Stir the broccoli and pasta into the cheese sauce. Voila! Dinner is served. Enjoy!

*From http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/02/broccoli-shells-n-cheese/

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