It’s Wednesday night, and if all goes well, this post will go live on Friday. I’m leaving for San Diego early tomorrow morning for another work conference and thought I’d see how the scheduled post function works! Hopefully by the time you’re reading this, I’ll be all done with my talk and relaxing by the pool! I’m very excited that I’ll get to see two of my very good friends who live in San Diego, and of course, I’m already looking forward to our meals together at their favorite restaurants. I’m not even entirely dreading the long flight because I know I’ll be fairly well entertained between the TVs on JetBlue and the two new foodie books I got from the library (Spiced and The Omnivore’s Dilemma).

I’ve been meaning to post this risotto recipe for awhile now. My hubby said it was one of the best dishes I’ve ever made! We have a little rating system for my blog. Both my hubby and I give every recipe a score, and only those that receive an 8 or above from both of us are posted. And believe me, he’s a tough critic! There are several recipes that he’s given a 5 or 6 that I’ve had to go back and rework before posting. Sometimes he’ll tell me specific ingredients he thinks should be added or subtracted (“mushrooms, it needs mushrooms” or “way too much lime juice”) and sometimes his comments are more general and less helpful (“it’s ok, but nothing special”). I love his honest feedback though, and I think he truly enjoys being quality control. He gave this risotto a 9.5, which is very high for him. This is the kind of dish that we fight over who gets to take the leftovers to work. My favorite part is that it tastes completely indulgent and bad for you, but really isn’t too naughty.

I’ve professed my love of goat cheese before, and knew it would be lovely in a creamy risotto. I added a base layer of flavor with shallots and garlic, and then stuffed it full of zucchini and yellow squash. It’s the perfect summer risotto, and one that I’ll definitely be making again. Ok, off to pack!

Goat Cheese Risotto with Yellow Squash and Zucchini
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 yellow squashes, chopped
2 zucchinis, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
4 ounces goat cheese
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pan and sauté squash and zucchini until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, melt butter over medium-high heat in a large stockpot. Sauté the shallots for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender; add garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Add the rice and stir until well-coated and translucent. Reduce heat to medium and stir in 1 cup of chicken stock. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the stock has been absorbed; add another cup and continue in this way until all the chicken stock has been absorbed, for about 30 minutes. Stir in the goat cheese and salt and simmer an additional 5 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Stir in squash and zucchini. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 355 calories, 13g fat, 2.9g fiber, 11.9g protein per serving
Cost: $2.64 per serving

When I got home from New Orleans this week, I found 3 salmon filets that my hubby had defrosted in the fridge. Apolinaras is a great cook and loves to grill and throw meals together with whatever is laying around. Because he doesn’t ever follow recipes or write things down, he’s never able to quite recreate the same dish twice. But, he has several variations on a theme he routinely makes that are quite good, like pasta with garlic, cheese, and shrimp, and spicy turkey patties with couscous. He’s always very proud when I come home to a delicious dinner he’s prepared that is ready to eat – I know I’m a lucky girl! He has not, however, tackled cooking fish yet, because he’s afraid of over cooking it and drying it out. Whenever I try to show him how easy it is, he tells me I cook it perfectly and makes one of his cute faces that makes me heart melt. He’s wiggled his way out of learning so far, but I am determined to teach him eventually!

Anyway, when I saw the defrosted salmon, I knew it was a present for me. I decided to make a citrus and soy sauce marinade with garlic and ginger. While the salmon finished cooking in the oven, I reduced the marinade to make a thick sauce to spoon over the top of the cooked salmon. I love the variety of frozen veggie mixes at Trader Joe’s and recently discovered one called the Brittany Blend, which is a mix of green beans, wax beans, and baby carrots. I steamed an entire package and served it alongside the salmon. It was a super healthy meal that came together in no time at all.

Citrus Glazed Salmon
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice
Juice of one lemon (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 salmon filets (7 ounces each)

Directions:
Whisk together orange juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger, honey, and garlic, and marinate salmon filets for 20 minutes to an hour in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the salmon filets on both sides. Bake salmon for 10 min at 350ºF or until no longer raw in the center. Meanwhile, add marinade to the skillet and boil for 10 minutes, or under reduced to desired consistency.

Nutrition: 378 calories, 14.7g fat, 0.4g fiber, 47.5g protein per serving
Cost: $2.71 per serving

My hubby found the lid of our food processer in the recycling today. How in the world did it get in there?!? Luckily he noticed it before emptying our bin on the curb and disaster was avoided. I haven’t gotten enough sleep this week, and apparently it caught up with me! Whenever I’m having a super busy week, I go on autopilot in the kitchen and whip up a simple pasta dish that takes care of both the protein and veggie components of the meal.

I make this dish at least once a month and always have all the ingredients on hand because it’s one my favorites! Hearty whole wheat penne, chicken, and broccoli florets are coated in a light and spicy peanut sauce. Simple, easy, delicious.

Peanut Sauce Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 cups frozen broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups cold chicken stock
2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from pan. Meanwhile, prepare broccoli in the microwave according to the package directions.

Mix chicken stock and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, honey, and crushed red pepper; mix well and add peanut butter.

Pour sauce mixture into skillet the chicken was cooked in and heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, or until peanut butter melts, and sauce thickens and bubbles. Mix pasta, sauce, chicken, and broccoli, and stir until sauce evenly coats all the ingredients. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 508 calories, 14.7g fat, 8.g fiber, 36.4g protein per serving
Cost: $1.01 per serving

After college graduation, I backpacked through Europe with my friend Britt. One of the highlights of our trip was hiking through the olive orchards and vineyards of the Cinque Terre, a gorgeous section of cliffs in the Italian Riveria. My favorite meal there was an incredible pesto lasagna served in Manarola. When I finally became comfortable experimenting in the kitchen, a few years later, the first dish I wanted to perfect was this yummy pasta. It is only natural that the first recipe I created is the subject of my first blog post!

My pesto lasagna is a much lighter version of the one I had in Italy, because there is no heavy cream sauce involved and the pesto itself is made with chicken stock (and a touch of olive oil) and thickened slightly with roasted shallots and garlic. The lasagna is packed with whole wheat lasagna noodles, chicken, and spinach. I usually serve it with a salad and freeze a portion for later. I’m still hoping to head back to Italy at some point to have the real thing, but for now, I’m happy to be able to indulge in this lighter version!

Light Pesto Lasagna with Chicken and Spinach
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup chopped shallots (about 4-5 shallots)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (bake for 5 min at 350ºF)
2 cups fresh basil (1.5 ounces)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (1.5 ounces)
2 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup chicken stock
15 ounces part-skim ricotta
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 egg
4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook lasagna noodles according to the directions on the package.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and cook chicken for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken and add shallots to the same pan; sauté 5 minutes or until the shallots are soft. Add garlic and sauté one additional minute.

Place shallot mixture in a food processor, along with the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil, pine nuts, basil, parmesan cheese, goat cheese, and chicken stock. Pulse until a smooth pesto forms.

Mix the ricotta, spinach, and egg in a medium bowl until smooth.

To assemble the lasagna, place a layer of 4 noodles in a 13×9-inch pan and top it with the ricotta mixture, half the chicken, half the pesto, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat this layer.  Then place the remaining 4 noodles on top and sprinkle evenly with the 2 remaining cups of mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350ºF for 45 min.  Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition:  465 calories, 19.9g fat, 4.3g fiber, and 35.9g protein per serving
Cost:  $1.40 per serving