Chicken and Asparagus Penne, Bell Pepper & Tomato Sauce

I've been guilty of buying store-bought pasta sauce for way too long. There's no excuse considering how quick and easy this sauce recipe is, plus the added satisfaction of knowing the healthy ingredients you're putting into the sauce! 

I chose asparagus as my green vegetable for this dish because this detoxifying plant is packed full of antioxidants, and vitamins K, C, A and E, and also because the OCD in me enjoys cutting asparagus spears down to the same length as the penne noodles. Feel free to substitute with different greens, like peas, zucchini, etc.

Makes dinner for 2, and leftover lunches for 2

• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
• chicken marinade: 
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne or chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3 red bell peppers
• 5 roma tomatoes
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 tsp of each: basil, oregano, parsley
• salt, pepper, and cayenne/chili flakes, to taste
• 1 box (375g) whole grain penne, or pasta of choice
• optional: 1 6oz can tomato paste, plus 6oz water (if you want pasta that is very heavy on sauce)

Begin by slicing the chicken breast into thin strips (about the size of penne). Add all marinade ingredients to chicken and stir to combine. Cover and set aside in fridge. 

Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic cloves. Size and shape won't matter much as they will be pureed in a blender later. 

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic, and let cook for 1min. Reduce heat to med-low, and cover for about 5min. 

Meanwhile, wash, then roughly chop the red bell peppers and roma tomatoes. Be sure to remove the seeds from the peppers. Again, the size and shape of these veggies won't matter as they will also be tossed in the blender later. 

Once the onion has been cooking for 5min, add the chopped peppers and tomatoes, stir, increase to medium heat, cover and let cook for another 5-10min (or til the veggies have softened and broken down a bit - ie. the tomato skins will have separated from the flesh). Remove pan from heat and leave uncovered to let cool. 

While these veggies are cooling, bring a large pot of water (enough to cook the penne) to boil. 

Wash and cut the asparagus down to about the same size as the penne, then set aside. For thicker spears, slice the asparagus lengthwise so it all cooks in the same amount of time. 

Once the veggies have cooled down enough, transfer to a large blender (or in batches to a smaller blender like the magic bullet I used), and puree only til you no longer see large chunks of vegetables. Do not overblend! Pour the blended veggies back into pan. Add dried basil, oregano and parsley, then salt, pepper and cayenne/chili flakes to taste. Stir and bring to med-high heat, then add marinated chicken and asparagus. [optional: if you want to make a pasta that is quite heavy in sauce, now is the time to add the 6oz can of tomato paste and 6oz of water. Just stir it in and let simmer with everything else.] Cover, reduce to med-low and let simmer for 8-10min (or til chicken is cooked through). 

Add penne to boiling water and cook per package instructions. Drain once al dente, and rinse to remove excess starch. Add drained pasta to finished sauce in pan and mix thoroughly to coat the pasta. Serve when pasta has been reheated through. 

Feel free to top with more chili flakes, fresh ground pep, parmesan, or chopped parsley!

Thin, Herbed Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I was at my Child Development course last week and as the prof was discussing the uniqueness of each child's development within the context of universal trends, cultural experience and individual growth, she announced, "We are all pizzas!" Mmm pizza. Wait, what? Prof explained we're all pizzas because we all start with the same base but develop differently as we design our own toppings... and something deep and adorable about pizzas except all I could think about at this point was making and eating pizza. 

But like she said, we all start with the same base. So here's my recipe for pizza crust, and the rest, I'll leave up to you. Get creative! We typically make a meat-lovers and I like to add thinly sliced zucchini and spinach to the mix. I tried something different for my parents a few weeks ago, which turned out pretty delish... smoked oysters, mushroom and avocado. When it comes to cheese, you really can't go wrong, whether it's cheddar, mozza, jack, or whatever's in the fridge, just use lots of it. Try BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce. Add personality!! (I always translate personality to an excessive dose of spices and herbs). Have fun! 

Oh, and my pizzas aren't round... My round, pizza-shaped baking pan seems smaller... and we're hungry people, so this recipe fits the next largest pan in the house which happens to be a 15.25 x 10.25 x 0.75 inch baking sheet. 

Smoked oyster, mushroom, avocado & cheese please.

Yield: 1 large pizza crust (fit to a 15.25 x 10.25 x 0.75 inch baking sheet)

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt (or regular salt)
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano*
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley*
• 1/2 tsp dried basil*
• 1/2 tsp dried cilantro*
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp skim milk

* Crush the herbs between your fingers. This helps release volatile oils and increase the herb's flavor.

Preheat the oven to 410.

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients (water, olive oil & skim milk). Fold in with a rubber spatula until everything is combined (all dry ingredients moistened). 

Meat lovers version with ham, pastrami, turkey pepperoni & mozza

Turn over into baking sheet. You can use a rolling pin here, but I don't enjoy dough sticking to the rolling pin, so wash your hands all clean before getting them dirty in the next couple minutes! I smoosh the dough flat with my palms at the center of the pan, and work the dough outwards with my palms until it is more or less evenly spread out and covers the entire pan. 

Bake crust for 10min. Remove from oven and let cool before adding sauce and toppings of your choice. Once you've designed your pie, bake at 425 for 12-14min. Let cool before slicing and serving. 

{  Remember, this is a thin crust recipe, so it won't seem like there's enough dough, but trust me, there is!! Sure, my smooshing method doesn't produce uniformity in pizza crust thickness, but it really won't affect the taste of your pizza and won't be noticeable after you load it up with toppings. Call it rustic if that feels trendier :) }