Baked Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

My husband is not a fan of spinach. Especially in salads. Popeye he is not.
I think the only time I've ever seen Joe eat a salad was the first time he met my parents. We had been dating for 2 weeks (yep, 2 weeks) and he was coming over to my parent's house for dinner. My mother had made this beautiful meal, which included a very nice salad, and my husband ate everything he was offered. On the way home, he told me the truth. He only ate that salad because he didn't want to insult my mother. 
The only two exceptions that I've seen to the no spinach rule have been spinach artichoke dip (which I feel barely counts) and the recipe I'm sharing with you today (which is a much healthier choice). It is Baked Pasta with Sausage and Spinach from Skinnytaste and it is seriously amazing. All of the recipes shared on the Skinnytaste site are healthy, even though you wouldn't know it when you taste it. 
I highly recommend this to anyone with picky eating husbands like mine.
Baked Pasta with Sausage and Spinach From Skinnytaste
olive oil spray 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano 8 oz. fat-free ricotta 8 oz. part-skim shredded mozarella 14 oz. uncooked Italian chicken sausage, casings removed 12 oz. whole wheat penne pasta 1 tsp. olive oil 2 garlic cloves smashed, roughly chopped 10 oz. package spinach (I use fresh, but the original recipe calls for frozen) 1 jar marinara sauce salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Start to cook the pasta according to the package directions, but undercook by about 4 minutes.
Combine the ricotta, 6 Tbs. of the Romano cheese, and half of the mozzarella. Brown the sausage, breaking into small bits. Set aside. 

Add the oil to the skillet and saute the garlic for about a minute. Add the spinach and salt and pepper, and cook for another minute. Add the sausage and marinara sauce and cook on low for about 2-3 minutes.

Spray a baking dish with the cooking spray. Put half of the pasta into the dish and top with the sauce. Layer the cheese mixture on top of the sauce. Layer the rest of the pasta on top, and then the rest of the meat sauce. Top with the rest of the cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for another 6-7 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken and Black Bean Tacos

I absolutely LOVE Mexican food. I would have to say it is my favorite behind pizza. Joe took me to get Mexican on our first date, and we spent  every Sunday diet cheat day during the months leading up to our wedding at Jalapenos in the Brookside area of Kansas City. I base how good a Mexican restaurant is on their cheese and onion enchiladas, which is what I order every time. 
And of course there are those margaritas...
For the most part, however, it is hard to find healthy Mexican food. That is why I was so excited to find this baked chicken and black bean taco recipe. Not only is it healthy and yummy, but it gives me an excuse to eat Mexican even on non-cheat days (one taco, which is a substantial size, is only 220 calories). Now I can save those cheat days for Pizza :) 
Pair these tacos with a skinny girl margarita, and you got yourself a guilt free fiesta!
Baked Chicken and Black Bean Tacos From Undressed Skeleton 1 lb. ground chicken 1 packet taco seasoning (I used a packet, but I would suggest making your own if you can help it. Much healthier) 2 Tbs. water 1 large onion, diced 1 16oz. can black beans 1 can salsa 3-4 jalapenos, sliced 1 package shredded low fat colby jack cheese 8 whole grain tortillas optional: Guacamole as a topping

Preheat the oven to 365 degrees. Cook the chicken in a skillet over high heat until fully cooked. Add the water and the packet of taco seasoning, saving about 2 Tbs. of the seasoning. Set aside in a separate bowl.

Drain and rinse the black beans. In the same skillet, add the beans and onions and cook on high heat until the onions are tender. Add the remaining taco seasoning to the bean and onion mixture.

Take a tortilla, and layer the chicken, black beans and onions, a spoonful of salsa, a few slices of jalapenos, and about a Tbs. of cheese.

Fold one side of the tortilla over the mixture, tuck it in, and then fold the other side over. 

Transfer to a baking dish, and then repeat with the remaining tortillas and ingredients until your baking dish is full. 

Bake for 20-23 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cranberry and Pecan Brie En Croute

My love of brie began during a Sunday night ritual a couple of my roommates and I had during our senior year of college. To wind down the weekend, we would have a trashy television night in our scary basement that housed the only t.v. in our house (oh to be in college). It was unfinished, yet we tried to make it nice with a bunch of rugs and couches. It was still scary. Anyway, that was when "Desperate Housewives" was still on t.v., and, yes, we watched it every week. We would also always take a trip over to Trader Joe's beforehand, and get a baguette and brie cheese. Ever since then, when I'm going to a girls night and want to bring a snack, it's usually brie and a baguette.

Being that I am now a grown up, I've been trying to find more refined ways to bring brie to events. While tearing apart a baguette and slathering cheese on it works, it isn't all that impressive.

The recipe I am going to share today is pretty easy, and very good. I brought it to a recent event, and it was devoured. I would, however, recommend it for Holiday events rather than events in the summer. The cranberry, cinnamon, and brown sugar seemed a little seasonally inappropriate. But, in any case, it was delicious.

Cranberry and Pecan Brie En Croute
From The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed
1 8 oz. wheel of brie
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 Tbs. butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven the oven to 375 degrees. Soak the cranberries in water for about 1 minute, so they do not end up hard.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in the pecans and cinnamon. Toast for about 3 minutes.

Lay the thawed puff pastry on a cookie sheet, and place the brie in the middle.

Place the pecan mixture on top of the brie...

then the brown sugar mixture...

then the dried cranberries.

Bring the edges of the puff pastry up and seal them together. Afterwards, I wish I had done this a little prettier.

Brush the pastry with the beaten egg.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy either with crackers or by the slice.