Starting Off

My project is to help those who are convinced that cooking healthy on a budget is impossible. I am a second year college student with a passion for food who is living proof that this is not true! A few times a week I will be posting healthy recipes that are easily adapted to make larger portions as well as tips for smart shopping.

Today's recipe is a Mediterranean-inspired dish - my favorite type of food!

Mediterranean Baked Macaroni
Baked pasta full of veggies, protein, and flavor!

Serves 2
Ingredients:

• 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into cubes
  
• 2 oz Barilla Plus Macaroni Multigrain Elbow Pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 cup chopped eggplant
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1 oz lite mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking dish with cooking spray.
   
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente (still slightly hard but not fully cooked). Drain and set aside.
   
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add chicken and cook about 2-3 minutes. Add onions and garlic and cook about 4-5 more minutes until onions are soft and chicken is cooked through. Add to pasta.
4. In the leftover oil in the saute pan, lightly brown eggplant and mushrooms until tender and add to chicken and pasta mixture.
5. Add marinara sauce, mozzarella, pepper and basil and mix everything together.
6. Put mixture into baking dish and lightly sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
7. Bake approximately 10-15 minutes, until hot all the way through and breadcrumbs have formed a light crust.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 328 calories, 14g fat (1.5 g saturated, 0g trans), 145 mg sodium, 33g carbs, 4.5g fiber, 2.6g sugar, 22.5g protein

Tips for Smart Shopping:

• I have a Trader Joe's and Ralphs located right next to each other so I have the luxury of choosing which I want. If this isn't possible, look through the nutrition facts and ingredient lists of all the items on the shelves. For health reasons, typically shy away from long ingredient lists that have items you can't pronounce as well as foods high in sodium and saturated fats!
• Buy in season fruits and vegetables. I can't possibly stress how much cheaper this makes things! I buy apples year round for $1.59/lb, but this winter I got them for $.99/lb which was fantastic! I will center a lot of my recipes around fresh ingredients and will typically use in season items.
• It may not seem like smart shopping, but make the investment on items like olive oil which may be a little more expensive than you would like but lasts a long time. Once you stock up on an item that has more than just a few uses, it won't be something you have to buy on a constant basis.
• Don't forget to save the leftovers and reuse either for another meal or in another dish!
  

May your stomach be full and your grocery bill be small, wishing you warm wishes and a happy holiday season!