Balsamic Chicken Pasta, with bruschetta tomatoes and Lebanese olives

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 box of dry pasta
1 large tomato (or 2 small Roma tomatoes)
A handful of pitted olives (green or black, or both. Whatever kind you like)
A handful of shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste (I personally like kosher salt, and coarsely ground fresh cracked pepper)


While the water is boiling for the pasta, start dicing the tomatoes and cutting the chicken into nugget-sized pieces. Put the cut chicken into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour half the balsamic vinegar and half he olive oil over the chicken, and toss until evenly coated. In another bowl, put the diced tomatoes, olives, garlic, parsley, oregano, and the rest of the balsamic and olive oil (and a pinch if salt and pepper). While the pasta is cooking: Preheat a large frying pan with a little bit of olive oil. Cook the chicken on high heat, stirring constantly so it doesn't stick or burn. It should take about 10 minutes for the chicken to cook through, but cut a piece open in the center to make sure it's not pink. Once the chicken is cooked, turn the heat down to Low. Before draining the pasta, take a small ladle-full of the starchy pasta water and pour over chicken. Drain pasta and toss into the frying pan with the chicken. Add the tomato mixture and Parmesan cheese to the chicken and pasta. Mix around and remove from heat. That's it! You can top it with a little more parm cheese and parsley to make it look pretty.


Makes 2 servings.

Gettin' Busy... (Get your minds out of the gutter. That's not what I'm talking about... For now)

It's no secret that I'm busy. Too busy to blog... Yes, I know it's been a very long time. Too busy to clean, to cook, to work out, to eat, healthy that is, etc; and I know I'm not the only one in the word who works a lot and can't find time for, well, anything else.

I would like to dedicate a series of posts to balancing work and life. I am on personal quest to find ways to save time and get things done, without sacrificing my health, my relationships, or my sanity.

Over the next few weeks, I will be exploring tips, techniques, and tools for keeping a well-balanced life. I will post what works for me as well as options that may work for others, such as busy moms, busy college students, or busy husbands.

Stay tuned!

-Dani



PS - The first post in the series will start next Sunday, and I will be talking about time-saving packed lunches, without adding cost or calories.

Essie Nail Mask Manicure

 I saw this Essie Blank Slate Nail Mask online the other day and decided to try it. It's supposed to help prep your nails for a manicure. Each box contains 3 packets and each packet contains 10 masks (1 for each nail). The masks are on these funny little cotton pads. Once you have trimmed, filed, and cleaned your nails, peel the masks one by one off of the plastic backing and stick one to each nail. Leave on for 5 minutes. Remove masks from your nails. There might be some sticky weird film left over. I just rubbed my hands and fingers until it came off (kind of like getting dried school glue off your hands). Then, follow with a base coat. I used Essie All In One Base. Then proceeded to my current manicure.

From left to right: Essie Tart Deco, Sephora by O.P.I. Only Gold For Me Top Coat, and Essie Luxe Effects As Gold As It Gets

Essie All In One Base

Nicole by O.P.I. Drying Drops - squeeze 1 to 2 drops onto finished nails 60 seconds after final coat. I use this after ever manicure.

Ta da! Perfect combo for summer. *PS-for the sparkly accent nail, I applied the Essie As Gold As It  Gets over the Tart Deco, and then topped that with the Sephora by O.P.I. Only Gold For Me Top coat. The rest of the nails were topped with Essie No Chips Ahead Chip-free Top Coat

Toaster-oven Roasted Potatoes

These are so easy to make and so delicious. I made them on a whim today for lunch.

∙          Ingredients:

∙          2 medium-sized potatoes (I used red, you can use Yukon gold or something similar)

∙          3 Tbsp olive oil

∙          Juice of ½ a lemon

∙          1 tsp rosemary leaves (dried or fresh)

∙          2 tsp chopped parsley (dried or fresh)

∙          2 tsp paprika

∙          1 tsp garlic powder

∙          2 tsp kosher salt

∙          Makes one serving (just multiply measurements for each additional serving)

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Add rosemary, parsley, and garlic powder. Wash potatoes well and scrub off any dirt. I recommend using an all-natural veggie wash to really make sure they are clean. At this point, you can either peel the potatoes or leave the skin on. I like the skin, especially when it gets a little crispy when cooked. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. The smaller the pieces the crispier they will get. If you leave them slightly larger, the outside will crisp up, but the inside will remain soft. Toss the cut potatoes into the bowl and toss in the olive oil mixture to coat evenly. Spread potatoes in an even layer onto the baking sheet that comes with your toaster-oven (which should be covered in aluminum foil and sprayed with a bit of cooking spray). Then sprinkle all of the paprika and one tsp of the kosher salt on the potatoes evenly. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven. Turn the toaster-oven on ‘Bake’ and set at 450^o F. Bake for 15 minutes and then switch the setting to ‘Broil’. This is where they get crispy (Yum!). Continue baking for another 15 minutes, but watch the potatoes to make sure they are not burning. They should get a little brown on top. When they are done, they should be crisp, yet tender. Immediately after taking them out of the toaster-oven, sprinkle with the rest of the kosher salt and enjoy! These are great on their own, or serve them with chicken or steak.

Quick & Easy Veggie Chow-mein

Just made this for lunch and it was delish so I decided to  whip up a recipe and post... 

Ingredients:

∙          Left-over Spaghetti (about 3 cups cooked)

∙          Veggies (Raw) - Broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, scallions, etc…(about 2 cups total)

∙          2 tsp minced garlic

∙          1 Tbsp canola oil

∙          1/3 cup low sodium vegetable broth

∙          1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

∙          1/3 cup Diet Cola (or Regular Cola or Root Beer)

Recommended Tools

∙          Large non-stick frying pan with lid, tongs with silicon covered tips

Yield: 2 Servings

Cut veggies so they are all similar sizes. Coat pan with canola oil and turn stove on medium-high heat. Toss in all veggies and garlic. Stir with tongs until veggies start to turn slightly brown on the edges. Toss in vegetable broth and cooked spaghetti. Then add soy sauce and cola. Stir until spaghetti is uniformly coated and lower heat to medium. Cover and leave alone for 5 - 7 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Uncover and remove from heat. Enjoy!

*PS - you can also add chicken or skirt steak to this if you are a proud carnivore, but to keep it quick and easy, use left-over meat from last night's meal!

*PSS - if you don't keep soda in the house, use apple juice instead of the cola. It will do the same job of sweetening and thickening your sauce.