Whole wheat pasta with roasted onions, broccoli, mushrooms, chicken and grated parmesan

For this post, I wanted to show how pre-roasted onions, stored in a Bell jar, can be used as a yummy topping on pasta and other meals throughout the week.

I made my onions on Saturday, and had them stored in the fridge until I used them last night (Tuesday) with pasta.

Here’s how I made my onions:
-Cut up 2 yellow onions into slices of whatever size you like
-Drizzle a pan with olive oil and spread the onions out on the pan
-Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of the onions
-Bake at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes

Once you’ve got the onions prepared (however far in advance you like), you can use them in other meals. I made some whole wheat pasta with roasted onions, broccoli, mushrooms, chicken and grated parmesan.

First, I boiled water and added pasta while I started cooking the chicken in garlic and olive oil at medium-high heat. Throw in the broccoli after about 5-10 minutes, then the mushrooms after another 5-10 minutes (the chicken cooks slowest and the mushrooms cook fastest).

When everything in the pan looks looked, keep the heat on and add the onions in, stirring them around.

Check on your pasta, and drain it when it’s ready. Add about a tablespoon of butter to the pasta and mix it in until it melts. Next, add the chicken and veggies in the pan into your pasta pot.

Lastly, grate some parmesan on top of the pasta.

An experimental sandwich

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat bread (toasted)
• Tomato
• Cucumber
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Alfalfa Sprouts (see earlier post)
• Parsley
• Basil-Walnut Pesto

Maple-Walnut Muffins

Ingredients:

-2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
-1 cups sugar
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup chilled reduced-calorie margarine, cut into small pieces
-2 tablespoons maple syrup
-1 teaspoon imitation maple flavoring
-3 egg whites, lightly beaten
-1 (8-ounce) carton plain nonfat yogurt
-vegetable cooking spray
-1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Combine the first 5 ingredients n a large bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine maple syrup, maple flavoring, egg whites, yogurt; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
-Spoon batter evenly ento 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle walnuts even over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove from pans immediately; let cool on a wire rack. Yield: 1 1/2 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin).

Source: CookingLight Annual Recipes

Here’s what I did differently for this recipe:
-I just used regular margarine. I didn’t have any reduced-calorie margarine on hand–oh well!
-I wasn’t paying attention to the recipe, so I heated up the margarine in the microwave and then realized I was supposed to cut it with knives. Came out delicious anyways!
-I didn’t use vegetable cooking spray, just regular old Pam.
-I made mini muffins instead of regular-sized muffns, so the serving size changed for me.
-And just a note on the walnuts–I find that the smaller pieces go better with mini muffins, but when you make regular-sized muffins, the bigger chopped walnuts are better. Also, walnuts are much cheaper when you don’t buy them pre-chopped, but I don’t have a nut grinder in my apartment yet.

 

I like storing muffins, brownies and whatnot in this little container, which I got at the Marshall’s on Bolyston and Clarendon. Marshall’s is great for (not-particularly-useful-but-adorable) kitchen items like this.