CEiMB: Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic & White Beans
I think LONG weekends make me happy, especially when you don’t have to be anywhere. You can wake up whenever you want and do whatever you want when you want 
That is exactly how today went down.
Breakfast started off with 2 slices TJ’s Fat Free Multi-Grain Bread topped with 1 Tbsp Kettle Cashew Butter (4 pts).
When The Husband woke up, he declared this weekend should be a Starbuck’s every day kind of weekend….um, ok ~ twist my arm on that one 
Venti Iced Nonfat Decarf Latte with Caramel Drizzle (3 pts)
I have to say today was one of my FAVORITE days at the Farmer’s Market because they had the fruit I wait ALL YEAR FOR…..
Pearines ~ Nectarine & Pear! I pretty much couldn’t wait and had one as soon as we got home. (1 pt) Crunchy, sweet & tart all in one – LOVE!
After “frying” in the sun watching our Nephews All Star Baseball game, we headed over to The Joy of Eating.
I subbed my fries for this salad topped with red wine vinegar (0 points)
Because all I really wanted was THIS BLTA! (10 point estimate)
Delicious ~ I think the secret to their AMAZING sandwiches is their homemade sweet bread.
Mid afternoon snackage ~ 1/2 of this Kashi Pumpkin Flax Bar & a Cabot cheese (2.5 pts)
Tonight I finally got back in the kitchen for some Craving Ellie in My Belly Cooking! This week’s recipe looked so amazing in Ellie’s The Food You Crave Cookbook. I LOVE cookbooks that have pictures….it really does make all the difference in the world.
Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic & White Beans
Especially when what you make comes pretty close to how it should look 
I LOVED the simple, yet, delicious sounding ingredient list.
The Star ingredient ~ beautiful Farmer’s Market Tomatoes that I picked up this morning.
I pretty much followed the RECIPE with the exception of adding a few cherry tomatoes.
Oh and I used Rotini instead of Penne weighing it out on MY FAVORITE SCALE because it’s what I had on hand.
It’s pretty simple to make. You cook your pasta according to the package and toss in deliciously sweet olive oil garlic roasted tomatoes.
I really think that LIZ is right in that the roasted garlic and lemon juice make the flavors in this dish stand out.
Toss your pasta, beans, tomato & basil together then drizzle with your garlic lemon olive oil sauce.
Top with parmesan cheese and it’s ready! You get 1 1/2 cups for 9 points.
I had really high hopes for this dish, but, thought it was just OK. I LOVED how the house smelled like roasted garlic and the flavor of the roasted tomatoes, but, really felt like the pasta needed more flavor ~ maybe garlic, maybe lemon, maybe sauce? We both gave it 3.5 stars out of 5, since I didn’t feel like it was really worth the points.
Simple side salad topped with Newman’s Own Light Lime Vinaigrette.
For those waiting for the recipe, I posted my Quick & Easy “Slow” Cooked Baked Beans Recipe.
Off to let The Husband give me a pedicure (he seriously LOVES doing it) and watch a movie!
Night all!
Lemon Garlic Fettucine with Broccoli Recipe
Happy Tuesday all! If you all LOVE lemons, garlic, butter, broccoli and pasta, then, I think you will LOVE the recipe I made tonight as much as we did. It’s light, simple, low in points and delicious.
Today started out at my FAVORITE place (3 pts) ‘;)
S’more Homemade Brown Sugar Banana Nut Bread Goodness (4 pts)
You all are probably going to laugh at my incentive for heading to the gym today….I REALLY, REALLY, wanted more BANANA FROYO but I told myself I had to earn it
It worked really good because I whipped up 30 minutes on the Elliptical putting the cross ramp at 19 (to hit every muscle), resistance at 10 and then alternated going forward & backwards. I think I might now be addicted to All My Children because they have been playing it every day at the gym LOL!
Lunch was a simple salad with broccoli slaw & 1 Tbsp drizzle TJ’s Spicy LF Peanut Vinaigrette….a little really does go a long way. (1 pt)
Leftover Chicken & Sausage Paella with Olives (8 pts). I have determined I like eating this because I LIKE saying it
Then, it was time to get a little Over The Top! Thanks to my FANTASTIC FRIEND Sandy, I learned that you get A LOT more caramel if you layer your toppings underneath & in the middle of your FROYO
Not only is BANANA FROZEN YOGURT the BEST flavor, but, they have REAL, caramel that is buttery, salty and just plain good with Heath Bar Crunch.
SO GOOD!!! Seriously….just seeing this picture makes me want to get in my car and drive down there again! It doesn’t help that I know they are open late too LOL (7 pts)
I am on a quest this week to use up all of the vegetables we have in our fridge before we head to VEGAS!!!
I had two big bags of 2 types of broccoli to use ~ 1 from my sisters garden (jealous!) and 1 from the farmer’s market.
I really LOVE any recipe that let’s me use my Zester! I feel like such a Food Network Star whenever I bet to bust it out. I highly recommend this Zester because your fruit just glides & peels without any effort at all.
I started off my lemon sauce by melting 2 Tbsp of butter with 4 cloves garlic and the zest plus juice of one lemon. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
The easiest way to steam your broccoli is to add it to your pasta during the last 2 minutes of cooking. It will come out vibrate, green and perfectly crisp/crunchy/cooked.
Remove your pasta/broccoli and add them to the sauce pan. Top with sea Salt, Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, 1 Tbsp EVOO & Shaved Parmesan. If your pasta seems dry, add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water or chicken broth.
Toss & enjoy!
Lemon Garlic Fettuccine with Broccoli
INGREDIENTS:
8 oz Whole Wheat uncooked Fettuccine
3-4 cups broccoli florets
2 Tbsp Butter
3-4 cloves, garlic, minced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 c shaved parmesan
Sea Salt & freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
**You could add chickpeas, grilled shrimp or chicken ~ just count the points!
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Prepare pasta according to package directions, including salting the water. Add broccoli during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
2. While the water boils, prepare your lemon sauce, by melting your butter. Add garlic, lemon zest and juice. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and set aside.
3. Remove pasta/broccoli from water and add to lemon sauce pan. Be sure to reserve 1/2 c pasta water.
4. Add crushed red pepper flakes, parmesan, sea salt & black pepper to taste. Drizzle with Olive Oil and Enjoy!
Makes 6 servings, 4 points each!
Nutritional Information per serving:
Fast, fresh, healthy!
I used to plan my meals around having this Texas Toast ~ It’s the BEST tasting prepared garlic bread (3 pts).
Side salad topped with a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar (1 pt)
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I am off to read, relax and maybe watch Wipe Out!
Just TWO DAYS ~ I can’t wait since today feels like it should be Thursday
Night all!
Double Wild Mushroom Ravioli’s with Arugula & Parmesan Recipe
Happy Hump Day all! I sometimes think I dream of mushrooms ~ I know some of my friends who think I am crazy for loving fungus, but, they are crazy, not me I couldn’t wait to get through my eats today so I could get on to my new recipe that I have been dreaming about ever since I picked up Buitoni Wild Mushroom Ravioli’s that are stuffed with portabella mushrooms, roasted garlic, and CHEESE!!!
I think my Double Wild Mushroom Ravioli’s with Arugula & Parmesan might have even been Mushroom Channel worthy Maybe…I <3 Mushrooms!
Ok…I’’ stop rambling about mushrooms and get on with my day. I started off my day with some basic oats topped with delicious fresh organic berries!
1/3 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
1 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed
Dashes of Cinnamon
2/3 c water
1 c strawberries
Organic Raw Agave Nectar Drizzle
2 pts…simple, yet, delicious and filling.
I had a Morning Star Maple Flavored Veggie Sausage for some protein since I forgot my eggs (2 pts)
Mid morning snack ~ watermelon & RF Cabot (2 pts)
I met The Husband at home for lunch today ~ On the menu, these FANTASTIC Turkey/AVOCADO subs. I ate half plus 2 bites of the other for 5 points so I could have room for
BBQ POP Chips!!! (you get 19 for 2 pts).
My lunch did an AWESOME job at keeping me full so I listened to my body, not my mouth (that wanted ChocoLOVE) and didn’t have an afternoon snack.
Dinner tonight featured the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Ravioli’s that we got for free from FoodBuzz as part of the tastemaker program.
I pretty much LOVE all the Buitoni pastas, but, I have never tried these ravioli’s.
7 points for 1/2 the pack and decent ingredients!
I pretty much decided how I was going to make our ravioli’s when I saw these Baby Bella Mushrooms.
Double Wild Mushroom Ravioli’s with Arugula & Parmesan
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small red onion, sliced
8 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
8 oz white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp White Wine or broth
5 cups Arugula
1 package Buitoni Wild Mushroom Ravioli’s
4 Tbsp shaved parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Caramelize onion in a nonstick pan with nonstick spray over medium low heat. Meanwhile, add your Olive Oil and mushrooms to a large pan to saute over medium heat, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Cook ravioli’s according to package instructions, for approximately 4 minutes in boiling water. Add garlic, sea salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to your mushroom mixture and cook 1 minute. Stir in onions and add wine scrapping any bits off the bottom of your pan.
3. Wilt in 3 cups of arugula and remove from heat. Add ravioli’s, a pinch of parmesan and a little pasta water if needed. Stir gentle to combine.
4. Serve over 1 cup fresh Arugula and enjoy.
Makes TWO BIG servings, 9 points each !
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SO EASY STEP-BY-STEPS:
Saute your onions and your mushrooms separately.
Add in garlic, sea salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.
Add your cooked onions to the mushroom mixture.
Drop your pasta and cook for 4 minutes to make it al dente.
Deglaze with a little white wine.
Wilt in arugula.
Add ravioli’s, parmesan and a little pasta water if needed.
Gently stir to combine.
Place 1 cup of fresh arugula onto your serving bowl/plate.
Top with additional parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes if desired. BIG BOWLS of PASTA and MUSHROOMS make me happy ~ I LOVE how the greens bulk it up!
Dig in and enjoy your rich, creamy, earthy ravioli pillows of goodness. You can really taste both types of mushrooms and I LOVED the two different textures of the wilted and fresh arugula.
DELICIOUS! The Husband gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 ~ I agree I am definitely dreaming of buying these ravioli’s again!
Dessert was a little brie Laughing Cow with Apricot Preserves (3 pts)
Get ready for another HEALTHY GIVEAWAY coming up tomorrow
Night all!
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