vegetables Archives - Page 12 of 15

Bacon Avocado Pasta

July 3, 2013 by kim 1 Comment

Let’s be real here. I eat A LOT of pasta… probably not as much as I would if I wasn’t dating my DB. If it were up to me, I’d make pasta for dinner every night. My DB, on the other hand, always vetoes my decision for pasta making because it isn’t exactly the healthiest dish. There are too many carbs and not enough working out.

As much as I’m ashamed to say it, we don’t really workout. Like… at all. A workout for me means chasing kids around the house and walking around the airport in heels. As for my DB, he does Insanity workouts every once in a blue moon. We really need to change that.

Sometimes, I’ll make pasta just for myself, justifying the carbs by adding avocados and other assorted vegetables. Whenever I do that, my DB won’t go anywhere near it so it’s all for me. It’s one of my secret tactics so I get the pasta all to myself. *insert maniacal laugh here*

This is the perfect summer salad since it isn’t served piping hot. The avocado and tomatoes provide that “cooling” effect which makes it a great dish to be served alongside your BBQ.

A new 4th of July dish for tomorrow, maybe? I’m sure your guests would appreciate it!

Be safe on this four day weekend! Even if you aren’t lucky enough to have a 4 day weekend (I’m included in that category), at least enjoy tomorrow outside!

This dish could easily be doubled or even tripled to accommodate your party.

Bacon Avocado Pasta

Ingredients

8 oz penne pasta
2 avocados, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
4 slices cooked thick cut bacon, crumbled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp oregano
1 tsp italian seasoning
freshly ground black pepper to taste
pinch of garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box, until al dente.
Once cooked, strain the pasta and place it in a large bowl.
Toss the pasta with the remaining ingredients, until thoroughly combined. Serve immediately.
I saved some parmesan cheese and threw it on top after plating, but you can toss it in as well.

https://lovintheoven.com/bacon-avocado-pasta/

Skinny Chicken Pesto Bake

June 13, 2013 by kim 54 Comments

A recipe with the word “skinny” in the title–that means you have to make it, right? I’ll be honest. I’ve admitted it before, but I haven’t always been thin. I went through a thicker stage in my life during high school because I played a ton of volleyball. In translation, that just really means I ate a lot more because I thought it was okay. I was in the gym 20-25 hours a week, so I believed that it didn’t matter what I put into my body because I always worked it off.

Wrong. So wrong. Looking back at my old pictures, how did no one tell me that I had an extra layer of love? A little hint/nudge from my friends or family would have done wonders, but no one said anything to me about it.

My weakness back then (and now) were Jack-in-the Box’s Oreo milkshakes. I drank one almost every day on game days because a milkshake gives you great energy, right?….Yeah, yeah, I was young and naive.

It wasn’t until after high school that I dropped some pounds. I stopped playing volleyball, which meant that I didn’t have an excuse to consume 3,000 calories a day anymore. What a difference that made! You always tell people that you want to lose weight to be healthier, live longer, and want to fit into those skinny jeans, but let’s be real here. You want to lose weight to get that special guy’s attention (that was me!), to strut around in your bikini, or just to be able to tell your sister that you weigh less than her. Hey, a little friendly competition never hurt anyone. Was it by coincidence that I didn’t have my first boyfriend until after high school? Probably not. Looks aren’t everything, but they’re a huge contributing factor, people.

I have so much more confidence now than I did a couple of years ago. It also affects my personality and the way that other people see me. Food can provide comfort, but being content with your weight can provide you with happiness. It’s an ongoing battle that probably 90% of women struggle with (I totally made that statistic up, but it’s gotta be close). You can reach that level of happiness with help from Slim-Fast. Their products can help you lose weight to fit into that wedding dress, or anything else in need of a short-term weight loss solution. Just replace those Jack-in-the-Box Oreo milkshakes with a Slim-Fast milkshake and you’ll start losing weight in no time (that is, if you’re following their diet plan).

Check out Slim-Fast on Facebook for some great tips! Here’s an example of a balanced meal that you can make to jumpstart your diet from SkinnyTaste.

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Skinny Chicken Pesto Bake

Ingredients

2 (16 oz total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and fresh pepper to taste
4 tsp Skinny Basil Pesto
1 medium tomatoes, sliced thin (I used Roma)
6 tbsp (1.5 oz) shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
2 tsp grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Wash chicken and dry with a paper towel. Slice chicken breast horizontally to create 4 thinner cutlets. Season lightly with salt and fresh pepper.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment for easy clean-up.
Place the chicken on prepared baking sheet. Spread 1 tsp of skinny pesto over each piece of chicken.
Bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove from oven; top with tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

https://lovintheoven.com/skinny-chicken-pesto-bake/

Beef and Broccoli

June 4, 2013 by kim 2 Comments

Do you know how difficult it is to make something when I’m living at my parents’ house for the summer? They don’t have flour, butter, chocolate chips, baking powder… Ever since I moved out, there’s no one home to bake so there’s no need for any of my kitchen basics. I can’t simply whip up a batch of cookies whenever I feel like it. I have to sit down, write down the ingredients, go grocery shopping, and then come back and bake.

That takes a lot of effort.

Too much effort? Maybe. Especially when I know that I have all of the ingredients needed at my apartment up north, so why bother buying everything twice? I could just fly up north, bake, and fly the goodies back home.

Somehow, that seems like less work than going grocery shopping.

If I felt like cooking at home, then that’s a different story. There’s everything I need to make dinner, but not dessert in this house. That’s why I’m giving you a recipe for beef and broccoli instead of breakfast scones.

Beef and broccoli seems like such a simple dish, yet I don’t know why I’ve never made it until now. This didn’t taste like the Panda Express’ beef and broccoli; It was more tame and less salty.

Don’t skimp out on the ginger. It makes a difference! This recipe comes from Food.com.

Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1/2 cup water, plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless round steak or 1 lb charcoal chuck steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
hot cooked rice

Directions

In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth. Add beef and toss.
In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.
Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.
Return beef to pan.
Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.
Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Serve over rice.

https://lovintheoven.com/beef-and-broccoli/

Btw, I have to share how obsessed I am with my new rings. If you’re following me on Instagram, then you’re already aware of my fascination of delicate gold jewelry. My jewelry has to hold up in water and everyday wear and tear because I keep my jewelry on 24:7. I’m a low maintenance girl and I don’t have time to take off and put on rings ten times a day! These are perfect.

All of these rings are available on We The Hatters and you can find these specific ones here: one. two. three.

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