Hi folks!
Did you miss me?
I took a little hiatus while we were on vacation. I thought since we had not been away for 8 years, and it was quite likely our last trip together with just the four of us, that focusing on us having fun was the right thing to do. I am so glad I did. I think I only went online for about 2 minutes per day the entire time we were away. Some days I did not go online at all. It was a nice break.
I shall share my trip with you tomorrow I promise. Today there is a special treat for you, a treat you will all love and adore. The remarkably talented Dara of Generation Y Foodie is guest posting today.
UPDATE: I believe Dara is no longer blogging so I've removed all the links to her blog but she still receives full credit for the recipe. This one is hers, not mine. Hope you love it.
Dara was inspired to start her blog after reading an article about how young adults could not cook and were considered the "takeout generation". She wanted to show how easy and cheap it is to do healthy at home. She is an amazing young lady, not only does she blog but she is a lawyer during the day. So she's got that whole superhero vibe going if you ask me. Lawyer by day, foodie by night, I think that deserves a cape for sure. Dara is also sweet, supportive, and kind. I am very lucky to know her and am so pleased to share her with you today.
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Hello! I am so excited to be coming to you live from the Asylum today! I love Kim and am honored to be guest posting on her super fabulous blog. I discovered Kim not long after I began blogging myself and look forward to her wacky hijinks and yummy recipes. I started blogging because I am a psycho who hates having free time. I stuck with blogging because I met amazing, talented and supportive people, like Kim, who became my Internet food family.
I was quite stressed to come up with the perfect recipe for this post. I wanted to find something that was Lunatic-worthy while still sticking to my cooking philosophy of healthy, simple recipes. After much deliberation, I came up with this idea. I absolutely love Caesar salad and am always trying to shoehorn random ingredients into Caesar inspired dishes. So I decided to give pasta a whirl. I’ve seen some cold pasta salads that use lettuce, but I wanted a warm and comfy dinner that would take less than 20 minutes to cook. Instead of lettuce, I used my favorite veggie – kale.
Let me get on my soapbox for a minute. If you don’t generally eat kale or are wary of it, I urge you to give it a try. This versatile veggie stands up well both raw and cooked and lowers the risk of FIVE different types of cancer. It’s also packed with vitamin K, omega-3’s, antioxidants and flavonoids. I have no clue what flavonoids are, but they are good for you!
Ok, off the soapbox. I used kale because it cooks really well and will hold its texture and flavor far better than spinach or chard. Either of those would work in this recipe if you prefer, but Tuscan (aka Dinosaur) kale is a great addition. So, to recap, we’ve got chicken breast, whole wheat pasta and kale, a trifecta of healthy and filling awesomeness. How to improve this combination? Yummy Caesar salad dressing!
Now. I had originally contemplated making my own “dressing” for this dish but then I decided not to make life harder for myself, especially since it was a weeknight and my puppy really wanted to go for a walk. So instead, I used 365 Organic Light Caesar Dressing. I pick it up at Whole Foods and it’s seriously my favorite salad dressing right now. It is really flavorful and has only 70 calories per serving! Which makes me very happy. Anyway, any low calorie or light Caesar will work with this recipe. Just make sure it’s olive oil based, not creamy, which would not taste good warm. A little bit of dressing and some lemon juice and you are in business.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1” chunks
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cup Tuscan kale washed, ribs removed and cut into 1” slices
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz whole-wheat penne
- ¼ cup low calorie olive oil based Caesar dressing
- 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions
- In a large skillet or pot, brown chicken and garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently
- Add kale, lemon juice, salt, pepper and red pepper
- Reduce heat to med-low and sauté 5-7 minutes, until kale is wilted
- Add pasta and salad dressing, toss to coat
- Serve sprinkled with Parmesan and black pepper
Thanks Kim for the wonderful guest posting opportunity! And have an awesome and delicious day everyone!
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That looks so tasty and I am now craving this dish for lunch. Dara has a way of making even the likes of me crave healthy food, and you all know that is not easy to do. I'd gobble this up and make yummy noises to boot if I had this in front of me right now. Might I just add how great the photos are. I can just picture myself sitting out on the back patio having this served by some pool boy or something. Okay wait, that is not appropriate at all. He'd be eating it with me, not serving me. Yup, much better. Totally appropriate now.
I would love to have everyone stop by Dara's blog, Generation Y Foodie to say hello. Make sure you follow her blog. She's also on twitter, and facebook. Did I mention she also has cookbooks? I know right. You're going to want to order those, and you can find them on Amazon. You can order them directly through Amazon or you can actually link through my store to order them since I am an Amazon Associate. Here is the direct Amazon links: "Gen Y Foodie Holidays: New and Traditional Holidays to make your Holidays Healthy and Memorable" and "Gen Y Foodie Parties: Healthy and Simple Ways to Wow a Crowd". To order through me you would go to the shop tab up at the top of the blog or look to the right for the Amazon widget. I sure hope you enjoyed seeing Dara here at the asylum, I know I feel honoured and touched she did this for me. Thanks so much Dara, for the recipe and just being you. I see great success in your future. You deserve every bit of it. xx
Okay folks make sure you stop by tomorrow when I begin a series of Disney posts for you. We had a blast and I really look forward to sharing the experience with you. I just need written consent to post all the horrifying, embarrassing photos on the blog. Would not want to be sued by people, especially mini-me. It's okay though, I know a good lawyer right Dara!!!
Toodles and smoochies. xx
Cassie
This is a gorgeous bowl of pasta. I don't even think I would share it. Love this!
Kim Bee
Lol Cassie, that made my day. SO funny. I can just picture you leaning over the bowl gobbling it up and chasing us all away. Thanks for the giggle. xx
Katie {Epicurean Mom}
Love both of you!!
Valerie @ From Valerie's Kitchen
Welcome back Kim! I did miss you 🙂 I'm sure your trip was a blast and I can't wait to hear all about it. Now, on to Dara's this pasta...YUM! What a great combo of flavors here. I love all things Caesar so I know I'd love it. The addition of the kale and using a lowfat dressing make it something I would love to try.
Kim Bee
Thanks so much Valerie. I sure hope you like the onslaught of pics coming at you tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. Lol!
Dee at Deelicious Sweets
Great guest post! This pasta dish looks easy and yummy! Glad to know you had a good time Kim!!
Kim Bee
I love Dara's foodie philosophy. She is amazing. And thanks, we had a ball and I can't wait to show you pics.xx
Dara
Awww Kim. You are the best! Thank you for the fabulous opportunity to be a part of your awesome blog. And I appreciate the suggestion that I need a cape. I will see if I can pick one up this weekend. 🙂
Kim Bee
Thank you so much for guesting my dear. I am so honoured to have you. I suggest pink, it would go nicely with your hair colour. Plus pink rocks.
Lacy @ NYCityEats
This is a great guest post from Dara! I love the idea of a caesar salad pasta! Kale is definitely up there in favorite leafy greens and this is a great use of it, plus I can't get enough pasta in my life so any pasta dish will get me hooked! YUM!
Kim Bee
I'm with you, pasta is something I could eat every single day. I can't do spinach but kale seems to not cause many IBS issues.
Colleen @ Culinary Colleen
I love Caesar anything! This sounds so good with the kale. I'll have to check out that light dressing, because Caesar dressing is a huge weakness of mine!
Kim Bee
My hubs is a huge caesar fan too. He goes crazy for it.
Jenn and Seth (@HomeSkilletCook)
awesome guest post from Dara! this pasta sounds fabulous, love the addition of kale!
Kim Bee
She is a healthy genius. Love that girl!
Jackie @ Domestic Fits
We did miss you! I was seriously starting to get a bit worried 🙂 Glad your back. And Dara, this looks fabulous!
Kim Bee
Aw you are so sweet, I was not abducted or anything. I had trouble getting internet the first couple of nights so at that point it was like okay let's just vacation and forget about blogging. It was nice to have a break and just enjoy my time away.
Anita at Hungry Couple
Welcome back, Kim. We missed you, what with the asylum all boarded up like that for so many days. Great guest post and recipe and a nice way to ease back in. Looking forward to the Disney recap. Now get to work catching up on all the posts you missed. Brew a big pot of coffee and stay up all night 😉
Kim Bee
Thanks. I sure was gone awhile. SO unlike me. Lol! I will try to stay up and catch up on all th.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Eliot
I have been adding kale to everything! I love the looks of this recipe and wish I had thought to add it to a cream-based pasta sauce.
Kim Bee
My daughter is a kale fan so I'm hoping she will try this one.
Liz
Welcome home, Kim!!! I can't wait to hear all about your adventures...and I know there had to be a few 🙂
Dara, your past sounds fabulous!!! A dish worth making again and again!
Kim Bee
Nah, it was totally normal and uneventful. *pfft* Thanks Mama Liz! xx
Ann
YAY! Kim and Dara together! I love Dara's recipes and this one is absolutely perfect! Thanks for highlighting her and I can't wait to see your Disney series tomorrow!
Kim Bee
Thanks so much Ann. Dara is a doll. I need to start eating healthier so seemed like perfect timing to have her guest for me. Love her to bits.
Kristen
Fabulous recipe. It sounds like it's got all the right stuff to make it one that my family would adore!
Kim Bee
I'm thinking hubs and B-Dude would love this one. I gotta try it out!
Baker Street
Great to see Dara here! The thought of a caesar pasta is making me hungry. Her pictures are stunning as usual.
Kim Bee
She really takes gorgeous photos. I am so lucky to have her guest for me.
Anna @ hiddenponies
Fantastic post! This looks delicious, and might even have convinced me to give kale another try after the horrible disappointment of kale chips (don't do it people).
Kim Bee
Lol Anna. I am not a fan of kale chips either.
Katie {Epicurean Mom}
Kim darling, this is fabulous...although so are you!! You rock my world! I adore you my dear! xx
Kim Bee
Aw thanks Katie. I am always happy to have you stop in. You and Dara have a ton in common. You both make pretty, healthy food that makes me actually want to eat pretty, healthy food.
Tina@flourtrader
Welcome back Kim! No doubt Disney was a blast, wish I was going soon. Also, glad to see Dara here with another tasty recipe. This one does look like a winner. Enjoy the day you two!
Kim Bee
It was so much fun Tina. Like a different world. Every day felt like it wasn't quite real.
Dara rocked out the pasta. Love this girl!
Emily @ Life on Food
This is a new blog to me and I am so glad I was introduced to Generation Y Foodie. This looks delicious. Kale is wonderful and I love adding it in to any and all dishes. Yum!
Kim Bee
So glad to introduce you to Dara. She is a total sweetheart and can cook like no ones business.
Katherine Martinelli
That is so great that you took time to just be with your family! We didn't go on many vacations growing up, but my senior year of high school my mom, dad, sister and I went to Rome for a week together and it was incredible. Indeed, it was the last time the four of us really went on vacation together.
Great guest post! I love this creative take on Caesar salad! And you don't need to convince me about kale - I loooooove it!!!
Kim Bee
I knew we had to do this. B-Dude will be moving out soon so it was a good idea to go and also to unplug and just live in the moment. So glad we did it. I would love to go to Rome, how lovely to have that memory.
Dara is amazing. I love that she added kale to this.
PolaM
What an interesting pasta. I never thought of using dressing on pasta...
Kim Bee
Dressing kills it on pasta. I do one with Italian dressing myself. It rocks. You must try using it.