Pasta Salad

This is a very simple and delicious recipe. Its one of my favorites and I make this all the time. The nice thing about this recipe is it is easy to make a bigger or smaller recipe depending on the number of people you are trying to feed.

Ingredients
8 oz Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne pasta (or any pasta you might have on hand)
1 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into little cubes
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup light italian salad dressing
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
1/4 c red onion, finely chopped

Directions

Cook pasta and combine all ingredients in large bowl. Enjoy!

Calories: 121.3

Fat: 4.5g

A Jerky Chicken

This weekend I attended a party and this was one of the dishes served. I loved it and asked my friend for the recipe. Surprisingly it was a healthy recipe so I figured I would share it with everyone.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 habanero pepper, sliced

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips

Directions

1.  Combine the onion, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, thyme, sesame oil, garlic, allspice and habanero pepper in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Place the chicken into a large resealable bag, and pour in 3/4 of the sauce. Squeeze out excess air, and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

2.  Preheat your oven's broiler.

3.  Remove chicken from bag, and discard marinade. Broil chicken for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once to ensure even cooking. Heat remaining sauce in a small pan, and pour over chicken when serving.

Calories: 197

Fat: 2.7 g

Grilled Pineapple

One of my favorite restaurants in Salt Lake is Tucanos Brazilian Grill. They have amazing grilled pineapple. The other day I was really craving it so I looked up recipes for it on the internet. This is what I found. It was pretty tasty. 

Ingredients

For the marinade:

1 T olive oil

¼ t ground cloves

1 t ground cinnamon

2 t dark honey

1 t fresh lime juice

1 firm, ripe pineapple

1 t dark rum (optional)

1 t grated lime zest

Direction

1. Heat grill.

2. Combine marinade ingredients and whisk to blend. Set aside.

3. Cut off the crown of leaves and the base of the pineapple. Stand the pineapple upright and using a large sharp knife pare off the skin, cutting downward just below the surface in long, vertical strips. Cut off any remaining small brown “eyes” on the fruit. Stand the peeled pineapple upright and cut in half lengthwise. Place each pineapple half cut-side down and cut it lengthwise into four long wedges, slice away the core.

4. Place pineapple in the bowl with the marinade and stir to coat the pineapple.

5. Place on the grill and cook about 3-4 minutes, basting once or twice with the remaining marinade. Turn the fruit and move it to a cooler part of the grill or reduce the heat. Baste again with the remaining marinade. Grill until the pineapple is tender and golden, about 3 more minutes.

6. Remove pineapple from grill and place on a platter. Brush with rum and sprinkle with the lime zest.

7. Serve hot or warm.

Serving size: 1 wedge

Calories: 79

Fat: 2g