Lemony Chicken and Spinach Pasta

I’ve been blogging for over 8 years now. EIGHT years! That’s totally crazy to me. There are over 800 recipes on this blog which blows my mind! So you can probably imagine that sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all of the things I’ve made over the years.

This Lemony Chicken and Spinach Pasta is the perfect example. I made this thinking it was at least a new-ish recipe and guess what? I was wrong. I know, I know, like what is even happening? At least I’m consistent. It’s been 6 years since that first one and this one has some slight changes and it’s so yummy, I’m posting it!

First things first, we start off by sauteing some chicken breasts with a little oil and salt and pepper. You’ll also cook some penne pasta. Easy.

The sauce for this recipe is made with some garlic, chicken broth, lemon, low-fat milk, and Parmesan cheese. I also add a bit of flour and some of the reserved pasta water which helps this perfectly lemony sauce stick to the pasta! As you can hopefully see from the photos, the sauce is slightly creamy, but not at all heavy! Toss some fresh spinach in towards the end along with the chicken and this dish is done!

If you want to kick this up even more, you can also add a splash (or three) of some white wine to the sauce. I also like to add lemon zest in addition to the lemon juice, but that’s totally up to you. Broccoli, mushrooms, kale, or other veggies would also work well in this simple pasta dish!

Yield: 4 servings

Lemony Chicken and Spinach Pasta

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This delicious Lemony Chicken and Spinach Pasta is the perfect weeknight meal! Tossed in a lightly creamy sauce made with milk instead of cream and bursting with lemon flavors!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
• salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 lemons
• 1/2 pound penne pasta
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 cups fresh spinach

Instructions

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush the chicken breasts with one tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts into the skillet and saute for about 5 minutes. Flip and continue cooking on other side until chicken is cooked through, another 5-7 minutes. Juice one lemon on top of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the heat, cover and let stand.
2. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the penne pasta according to package directions. When cooked, drain the pasta, but reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside.
3. Slice the cooked chicken breasts and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and heat again over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the flour and toss to coat all of the garlic.
4. Whisk in the broth, reserved pasta water, milk, juice of the other lemon (and zest, if desired), and the Parmesan cheese. Stir until combined. Add the pepper flakes, fresh spinach and sliced chicken. Toss to coat in the sauce and cook for another 3 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper and garnish with more grated Parmesan cheese on top. Serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 498 Total Fat: 22g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 15g Cholesterol: 109mg Sodium: 532mg Carbohydrates: 29g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 3g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 45g

Chocolate Fruit Dip

Summer always makes me want to eat ALL of the fruit. Everyday. Lots of fresh strawberries and cold apple slices are heavenly.

My girls like eating fruit, but not always as much as I’d like. What better way to sneak more fruit in than with a creamy and chocolatey dip?! And oh boy, this dip is so simple and so yummy! Let’s just pretend that Natalie doesn’t dip the fruit in and just eat the dip off…

Best of all though is that this Chocolate Fruit Dip is pretty guilt-free too unlike other dessert dips!

I use reduced fat cream cheese and protein-rich Greek yogurt as the base. A few tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder go in and in place of sugar as a sweetener, I used maple syrup!

For the yogurt, I went with plain Greek yogurt. I know some people may not like the tanginess of Greek yogurt so if that’s you or one of your kiddos, feel free to swap it out for regular yogurt. You can also use vanilla yogurt for added flavor and sweetness.

Sliced apples, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, heck, even mango would work well with this dip. It’s great for a healthier dessert or for a snack!

Chili Lime Salmon Sliders

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MarinadesWithMazola #MakeItWithHeart #CollectiveBias

June Gloom is over here in the OC, and it’s definitely feeling like summer now! And with summer comes grilling season! My friends at Mazola® Corn Oil recently asked me to create the perfect summer grilling recipe, and these salmon sliders just scream summer! I have to admit that corn oil has not always been the cooking oil I reach for first, but I recently learned that a clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com.

And to get $1.00 back on your purchase of Mazola Corn Oil, text MAZOLA to 79495 between 6/20/19 – 9/26/19 to receive $1.00 back on your purchase of Mazola 40oz Corn Oil! Limit 1 rebate per household. PayPal account required. By texting, you expressly consent to receive multiple automated text messages on this offer. Consent not required as a condition of purchase. Message & data rates apply. Text HELP or STOP to 79495 at any time. Full terms: http://cbi.as/a38tw.

If you haven’t tried corn oil yet, Mazola Corn Oil can be used for all-purpose cooking, and the best part about it is that it is cholesterol-free, which makes it a great heart-healthy choice! It can be used for marinades, grilling, cooking, or even baking. It has a high smoke point at 450°F. It also has a nice neutral taste that won’t overpower the star flavors of your dish.

These salmon sliders are delicious and filling; but aren’t super heavy or greasy compared to regular beef sliders. The marinade for the salmon includes heart-healthy corn oil in place of other oil or butter, lots of fresh lime juice, and spices like chili powder and cumin! Instead of topping these with cheese, I opted to make a fresh corn salsa. I love the texture the fresh corn adds to these sliders. And in place of traditional tartar sauce made with mayonnaise, I made my own sauce using nonfat Greek yogurt!

Spicy Tuna Wrap

I’ve been on a bit of a wrap kick lately for lunches. They are easy and not too heavy. Perfect for summer when it’s so hot out. There’s nothing I hate more than walking around in the heat and feeling weighed down.

The sauce for the tuna is so simple: plain Greek yogurt and sriracha sauce! You can mix in other things like diced onions if you want as well. You can use mayo too if you’d prefer to.

Texture is a must in my wraps so I also added shredded carrots and some sliced cucumbers for some refreshing crunch.

You can also add in lettuce, spinach, sliced tomatoes, etc., just be sure not to overfill so you can still close it up! This wrap is super simple and ready in about 5 minutes. You can prep these for the week as well by mixing up bigger batches of the tuna and sauce in a container. You can also pre-slice your cucumber to use throughout the week too and just assemble a fresh wrap each morning.

Dark Cherry Smoothie Bowl

I’m like 3 years late to the smoothie bowl game. I actually thought I’d avoid it entirely since they seemed to be so trendy in the food blogging world. But, I was thinking about cherries recently now that it’s summer and a smoothie bowl just had to be made!

This smoothie bowl gets its thickness and creaminess from the frozen banana. It gives the smoothie an almost ice cream-like texture that’s just dreamy! Frozen dark sweet cherries are also thrown in. I then add almond milk and some ground flax and a tablespoon of almond butter and blend it all up.

I like my smoothie bowls to be on the thicker side since I’m eating them with a spoon so up to 1 cup of almond milk is plenty for me. You can feel free to adjust this amount depending on how thick (or thin) you want it to be!

The best part about a smoothie bowl is the toppings! I added some chopped fresh cherries, toasted coconut, chopped dark chocolate, and a bit of granola I had. You can also add other fruits or nuts.

I could live off this dark cherry smoothie bowl for the rest of summer! It’s cool, refreshing, and perfectly sweet!

Hummus Topped with Tomato and Corn Salsa

The 4th of July is almost here and I’ve got a super quick last-minute party appetizer for you! One of my most favorite things to eat during the summer is tomatoes, corn, and avocado. Mix them together and I’m one happy lady!

And with all the 4th of July festivities like parades and festivals, the last thing I have time for is to be in the kitchen for hours prepping a fancy food spread. This is one of those appetizers that looks more impressive than it actually is.

I used a regular tub of pre-made hummus from the grocery store and topped it with this homemade tomato and avocado salsa with fresh corn. I wasn’t really sure if I should call this “salsa” since it’s so chunky, but hey, it has tomatoes, so we are going with salsa here! I went with plain hummus, but you could also use other varieties like garlic, red pepper, or even lemony hummus would also probably be really yummy with the topping!

I served it with sliced flatbread, but sliced pita bread or even pita chips also works well with this recipe.

This is one of the appetizers that has a ton of flavor and is pretty light so it won’t weigh you down. It’s perfect to serve with some crisp white wine or sangria!