Penne with Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomatoes.. YUM!

Recently I purchased the BEST book.. Feeding Baby Green It's a great resource for recipes and information about feeding your baby wholesome, natural foods. I altered this recipe to fit what we had on hand and it turned out fantastic! Enjoy!

Penne With Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

(Altered from Feeding Baby Green)

3/4c sun-dried tomatoes, julienned

5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1/4c olive oil

8 oz whole wheat penne pasta

3 cups broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces

4 oz black olives

4 oz swiss cheese

2 oz Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Put the sun-dried tomatoes and chopped garlic in a small bowl

and pour the olive oil over them.

Let them stand for at least 30 minutes before cooking,

or overnight,to allow the tomatoes to reconstitute

and to flavor the oil. If you let the flavors sit for more than 4 hours,

put them in the fridge.

2. Cook the penne according to package directions

While the pasta is cooking, begin cooking the sauce.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tomato mixture to the pan.

Saute for one minute. Add the broccoli and saute over medium heat,

stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is tender but still crisp.

If the mixture is dry, add a little water.

3. When the pasta is al dente, drain the water and pour the penne back into the pot.

Add the sauce to the pasta. Gently stir in the olives and cheese.

Divide into four servings and sprinkle Parmesan on each (if desired)

Chicken Piccata

Another wonderful recipe that I thought I would share. This recipe has been on my list of those to make for months, and I kept putting it off. Nate and I had never had Chicken Piccata before and I think we were a little apprehensive. From the ingredient list it sounded somewhat bland, but I finally worked up the nerve and made it. I AM SO GLAD I DID!! It was so tender and flavorful! Even William scarfed it down and begged for more! :) That's what I call a job well done!

Chicken Piccata

(Clean Eating Magazine)

Chickpea Puree

1 T olive oil

1 small onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 c chicken stock

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Chicken Piccata

1/4 c whole wheat flour, divided

sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

4 4oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thick

3 t olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 c chicken stock

1 T fresh lemon juice

2 T olives, rinsed and coarsely chopped

1 T flat leaf parsley, chopped

Prepare Chickpea puree: Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and chickpeas, and cook, stirring frequently for 6-8 minutes (or until onions are light golden-brown and tender). Remove from heat, and pour into a food processor. Add Chicken stock and puree until smooth, adding more water or stock if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, set aside and keep warm until ready to serve.

While chickpea mixture is cooking in skillet, prepare chicken. Reserve 1 T flour for later use. In a shallow dish or plate, combine remaining flour with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture to coat completely and shake off excess.

Heat 1 t oil on large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to plate.

Using same pan over medium high heat (do not wash) add remaining 2 t oil, garlic, and remaining 1 T of flour. Heat mixture, stirring constantly for about 1 minute, scraping up any brown bits from pan. Add stock, lemon juice, and capers. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to med-high and simmer for about 3 minutes until sauce thickens.

Add chicken back to pan and continue to simmer for an addition 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir parsley into sauce, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, scoop 1/4 c chickpea puree onto plate, top with chicken piccata, and spoon sauce over the top. Enjoy!

Tuna Tahini Wraps with Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad - YUM

Hello again world! I am so excited about this recipe; even William gobbled it up! Here goes...

Tuna Tahini Wraps:

6 burrito size whole wheat tortillas

2 large cans of tuna packed in water

1/2 cup tahini

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup water

3 cloves garlic

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 bunch of (6) scallions/green onions chopped

4 cups baby spinach

Pulse garlic and salt in food processor until minced. Mix together tahini, orange juice and cayenne pepper. Slowly add this mixture to your food processor until it is well blended. Add water until the mixture is the consistency of heavy cream. Mix with tuna and scallions in large bowl until blended. Fill wraps with tuna mixture and spinach.

Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup fresh chopped mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil leaves

4 cups baby spinach

Toss all ingredients together and serve with the tuna wraps.

Squash and Tomato Pasta Sauce

Hello there! I have recently adapted a new lifestyle; I call it my "Jesus food diet". Basically the way it works is I only eat naturally occuring foods. I thought it would be difficult, but really; it's kind of fun! My biggest hurdle is chocolate.. So I'm just kind of really limiting it right now. I have been trying so many new recipes and am going to be sharing some of my favorites! Today.. Squash and Tomato Pasta Sauce. I am actually proud of this one because it is one of my very first attempts at creating something all on my own! Well... Here it is; enjoy!

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 c red wine

1/2 summer squash, diced

1 starship squash, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz tomato sauce

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

small palmful dried oregano leaves

pinch marjoram

2 T extra virgin olive oil

In a skillet heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion and simmer until translucent. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about a half an hour. If you feel you need a little extra liquid mix in some tomato juice. Serve over pasta or rice.