THE 300 CALORIE PASTA LUNCH

THE 300 CALORIE PASTA LUNCH
(OK, may be closer to 310 calories)

Well, they said it would happen, and it finally did...my metabolism seems to have slooooowed down.  Gone are the days of piling noodles high on a plate with all manner of sauces and cheese and whatnot.  Gotta start cutting the calories, but I'm definitely not cutting the flavor.  So, without further ado, my first calorie-conscious recipe..

Ingredients:
(Serves 2)

1 1/2 cups dry Trader Joe's Brown Rice Fusilli
Splash of olive oil
1/8 cup Trader Joe's Basil Pesto Sauce
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 dried red chili peppers, chopped or torn into small bits
2 fresh basil leaves, cut or torn into small bits
2 medium tomatoes (I like Campari from Costco), chopped
Shake of black pepper
Shake of garlic powder

Directions:

1.  Bring pot of water to a boil, adding a splash of olive oil.
2.  Add pasta, stir, cook for 7 minutes stirring frequently to unstick pieces.
3.  Drain pasta and rinse with cold water.
4.  Place pesto in pot and stir in pasta.
5.  Split evenly between two plates and sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp. cheese, pepper, garlic powder, 1 tomato, 1 chili pepper, and 1 basil leaf.

Notes:

*Pair with a low-ish calorie protein for a complete dinner meal.

*To be honest, this alone is not likely to fill you up (unless you have a remarkably small tank!).  But it gives you the chance to have some of what you really want (pasta!  pesto!  cheese!) and then supplement with a piece of fruit or vegetable (spinach is an easy, healthy and low-cal choice) and still stay under a respectable 400 calories.

*Kids can rinse the pasta, stir the pesto, or tear the basil.

FARRO FANDANGO

FARRO FANDANGO

*A heartier, vegetarian version of a Trader Joe's recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 bag Trader Joe's 10 minute farro (cooked according to package)
2 handfuls kale, chopped
3 Trader Joe's (or other) meatless Italian sausages
3 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 cup (2/3 large) onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
6 mushrooms, crumbled

Directions:

1.  Cook farro according to package, adding kale to the pot 4 minutes before end of cooking.  Drain and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil or butter over medium-high heat in a saute pan.  Break up the sausages and cook until browned, adding an extra tablespoon oil or butter during cooking, stirring frequently.

3.  Remove sausage and set aside.  Heat last tablespoon oil or butter over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion, mushrooms and apple to the pan, cooking and stirring until just starting to brown.  Add sausage, farro/kale, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir and cook over low heat a few additional minutes.

Notes:

*For some reason, my kids actually ate this, kale and all.

*The hubby devoured it.

*It's even better the next day.

*If you insist, you could make this with regular chicken sausage...I'm sure it would be delicious, but it truly doesn't lose anything with the veggie sausage, so why not go veggie?  :)

*In case you're not familiar with farro, it's a slightly chewier, nuttier, more interesting version of rice.

*Ready in 15 minutes!