Happy Thursday! This has somehow been a snow storm-free week (knock on wood), only about an inch of flurries. This is so exciting! I’m so ready for this winter to be over. Luckily, in 25 days I will be heading to Myrtle Beach and then to spend the week in Asheville, NC with my sister and brother-in-law. Here’s hoping the time flies! 🙂
I mentioned a few posts ago that I was nervous to try kickboxing. But…I loved it! Tonight will be my third class and I can’t wait. It’s an hour long workout, and you get REALLY sweaty, but it’s also a lot of fun and goes by fast. Each class is a little different so you definitely get a good workout, as well as learning some boxing skills. I’m always sore the next day! Unfortunately I can only do one class a week at this point, but I am hoping to go more often once my schedule slows down in a few months.
This week I decided to lighten up a creamy pasta dish that a friend posted on Facebook. I already had a spaghetti squash, so rather than make it with pasta I just used that. The sauce came out so good! I imagine it would also be delicious on its own with just the chicken and a side of veggies, or even with shrimp. I’ll have to try out some other variations and report back!
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken with Spaghetti Squash
Adapted from: Julia’s Album
Ingredients:
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small jar (3-4 oz) sun-dried tomatoes (I used dried, could also use tomatoes in oil)
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast tenderloins
- 1 bag spinach (about 8 cups)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup cream cheese (I used Greek cream cheese!)
- 8 cups spaghetti squash (or 8 oz pasta)
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Directions:
1.) Bake spaghetti squash (directions here) and let cool. Or, cook pasta and drain.
2.) In a large pan, on medium-high heat, saute garlic and tomatoes in 2 tbsp oil for about 1 min. Add spinach, in bunches, and add an additional 2 tbsp oil. Cook until spinach is wilted, then remove spinach and tomatoes from pan (leaving oil). Cut tomatoes into smaller pieces.
3.) Add chicken to the pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook until chicken is done. Then cut chicken into small pieces and add back in the tomatoes and spinach.
4.) Add milk and cheeses and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to simmer and cook, stirring, until all cheese melts and sauce is creamy. Then stir in 1 tbsp basil and remove from heat. Serve over squash/pasta and enjoy!
Nutrition Info (Per serving, from My Fitness Pal):