Chicken, Broccoli, Whole Wheat Pasta

I'm still trying to maintain a high protein diet, but it's getting harder and harder when all I want is savory snacks and ice cream. :)  Baby B is measuring to be a bit smaller than Baby A - and therefore, I am trying to be mindful of what I eat. The doctors have emphasized that I need to eat as healthy as possible, and I must say, my trips to the grocery store have been few and far between. That said, I signed up for the Peapod grocery service and it's fantastic. I highly recommend it. I make a list on the app on my phone while lying in bed, and then place the order for whichever day fits my (or Jim's) schedule - I usually opt for the next day, pick up.

Jim picked up the recent order on Saturday. The only slight downside is that you don't really choose your own produce - so you don't know if you are getting 4 or 5 bananas (even though there is an option for "one banana" or a "4-5 count bunch"). There is, however, an option to select "green" or "ripe yellow" bananas. But at any rate, you don't know exactly what you are ordering.

I headed into the kitchen on Saturday afternoon and noticed two huge bunches of fresh broccoli - I normally would buy one small bunch. Needless to say, I googled a ton of recipe ideas for all this ridiculous broccoli I had. Rather than boiling all the nutrients out of the vegetable, I came up with this fancy little number.

Roasted Broccoli Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss fresh broccoli florets with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving for a refreshing, tangy finish.

Now the broccoli is so yummy and warm and tangy that you could just snack on the broccoli by itself. However, being the carb-lover that I am (and needing protein), I decided to make a chicken, broccoli, pasta dish. I already had some grilled chicken in my fridge leftover from when I made the chili - so why not add some to the dish? It's all about improvising. :)

Pasta Dish Ingredients:

• ½ pound whole wheat angel hair pasta, cooked al dente
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion
• ½ cup parmesan (optional)

Instructions:

Heat olive oil then add garlic, onion and lemon juice for about 10 minutes. While that is cooking, go ahead and start boiling your pasta for about 10 minutes.

Fold the roasted broccoli into the sauce until coated. Lastly, toss the wheat pasta and chicken with the 'sauce' and broccoli and top with lemon zest and parmesan, if you choose. I say 'sauce' because it's very light and almost doesn't really have a sauce, more like a coating. It's a light summer dish that really hits the spot.

Enjoy!

xo, 

Shaz