Quickie Chicken and Pasta

Kyle's been traveling a lot lately, so Laela and I haven't been eating the fanciest foods.  In addition to being a subsidized single parent,  I've been a little worn out from preparing to move.  To prevent us from living a life of take-out, I've been cooking a couple of chicken breasts in the crock pot, or tossing a few chicken breasts on a foil-lined baking sheet.  That way I have a bunch of protein ready to go, and can just add the chicken to some "quickie meals".

First, I'll share how I make the chicken.

Chicken in the Crock Pot:

You'll need:

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth  (or water with boullion)

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot.  Cook on low.  When the cooker is done, put the chicken in a container and refrigerate for various dishes throughout the week.

Chicken in the Oven:

You'll need:

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and Pepper
• Cooking Spray

Instructions:

• Heat the oven to 350-degrees
• Cover a baking sheet with foil (this makes for less clean-up!)
• Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.
• Sprinkle the spice mix on each side of the chicken breasts.
• Place the spiced chicken on the baking sheet.
• Lightly spray the chicken with cooking spray.
• Bake for about 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
• Place in a container and refrigerate for various dishes throughout the week.

Quickie Chicken and Pasta
serves 2-3

You'll need:

• 1 large, cooked chicken breast
• Pasta
• 1 cup pasta sauce
• 2 cups frozen peas
• Basil (optional)
• Provolone cheese (optional)

Instructions:

• Cook pasta according to instructions.
• Place the pasta sauce and peas in a medium saucepan on medium-low heat.
• Chop or cut the chicken into cubes.
• Add the chicken to the pasta sauce and peas.
• After 2 minutes, add the pasta to the sauce, chicken and peas.
• Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well heated and combined.
• Top with provolone cheese, or rip the provolone apart and gently mix it in with the pasta.
• Serve and enjoy!

Fast Food My Way!

I have blood sugar issues.  I think it may be from years of working too many jobs at weird hours.  There have been times where I forgot to eat and didn't realize it until I was at a red light and was absolutely convinced that my car was going in reverse.  Yeah, my car was definitely not moving.  It was my blood sugar going into a code red.

When Kyle and I started dating, okay literally, the day we went on our first date, I gave him fair warning that I eat every three hours.  If I don't, there are different degrees of of my grumpiness.  Since then, he's actively tried to avoid the hungry, red eyed version of Cara that I become when I go too long without so much as a peanut.

I think the worst part is that my cravings are so acute that I won't just settle for whatever is being offered to me to eat, unless I'm on the verge of passing out.  Then, I'll happily scarf down your stale bag of smoked almonds that you found in the bottom of your gym bag.  Yum.  Sweaty tasting salty almonds.  Delish.

So why is this chic informing us of her blood sugar issues, you might ask?  Well, I encountered them big-time the day while I was stocking up on "supplies" to get us through the weekend.

Colleen, who has not known me a super long time (I think we're going on a month or so now?), gave me the look at the grocery store that indicated that I was slurring and not making any sense.  I said "what?" to which she replied, maybe we should get you a candy bar?

I grumpily trudged through the rest of our shopping, got us home safely, and started searching the pantry for something to eat.  We were about to order food when I went from amber (about to lose my mind with hunger) to straight up code red.

I decided that the delivery man would take too damn long, so I whipped up mussels cooked in my super easy pasta sauce with a cup of white wine, a tablespoon or two of butter, and a clove of garlic, finely sliced.

Hungry?  Want fast food?  Doesn't get much faster than this baby.

Super Speedy Mussels for the Ridiculously Hungry:

You'll need:

• 1 lb mussels
• 1 garlic clove
• Pasta sauce
• 2 Tb butter
• Pasta
• 1 cup white wine (any that's on hand will do)

Instructions:

• Put a pot of water, well salted, to boil.
• Add pasta.
• Cook to a little less than done.
• Cover the bottom of a large pan with water.  Bring to a boil.
• Add mussels to the pan.
• Lower your heat to medium heat.
• Add the garlic and white wine to the pan.
• Put on the lid.
• Check in 1-2 minutes.
• The mussels should open after less than five minutes.
• When the mussels are all open (if there are a few that don't open, just toss them), take the mussels out of the pan. 
• Set aside.
• Use all of the liquids used to cook the mussels to cook and add the butter and pasta sauce.
• Stir all of the ingredients together.
• Allow the sauce to reduce (get thicker) for a few minutes while stirring.
• Add the pasta and mussels to the pan.  Let the pasta soak up all of that delicious sauce.

Enjoy!

This took less than ten minutes.  Seriously.  Think about how long a delivery guy takes to get to your house, or how long it would take you to run out and get something that would make you feel like you'd been hit by a truck.

Let's redefine fast food.  Eat well.  Feel well.  Try it!