Chicken Pasta Skillet

Well folks, it was a long time coming, three months to be exact, but I finally got myself back in the water! I have been to the pool three times in as many weeks, and the best news is that I have finally managed to wean myself off of those dorky nose clips. For those who don’t already know, I have been working on overcoming a fairly bad drowning phobia, and my mission is just about accomplished! The only thing that is left is to get myself into the deep end of the pool without any kind of floatation device, but that could take a while!

I have also re-dedicated myself to running, which I completely abandoned at the end of October. (That is what “falling off the wagon” looks like, by the way!) And last but not least, I’m hoping to begin a 10-week, “30/20/10” class that begins in January. The class involves 30 minutes of cardio, 20 minutes of strength and 10 minutes of stretching. Not sure how it will go since I sort of like to do my own thing, but I thought it might be a great way to kick off the New Year.

So this means I will be running 3 days a week, swimming once or twice a week, and possibly attending a fitness class once a week. Now, if I can just STAY focused, determined, and highly motivated throughout the winter, I might be lucky enough to have a beach body (or, the nearest that a 40-year-old can get!) before the 2014 beach season arrives!

Besides my eternal wish to be (and look) physically fit, the above regime will help me in other ways as well. Namely, I will have a few extra calories to spend on eating my favorite foods! One of which is the recipe below, adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café. And if rich, creamy pasta dishes are your thing, you will love it as much as I do!

This dish not only packs a lot of flavor, it is also highly versatile. You can easily switch up the vegetables and herbs to your liking. I imagine you could also substitute your favorite seafood for the chicken. It does have one bad point, however… the leftovers are very dry, making it a little unappetizing. To remedy this, simply add more cream, Parmesan, and a light sprinkling of salt before reheating.

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz. chicken breast, cut into 1″ pieces
Salt & pepper to taste
1 ½ Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
2 ½ cups low sodium organic chicken broth
1 cup water
2 cups frozen California blend vegetables, slightly thawed
180g rotini pasta, uncooked
1 small tomato, chopped
125ml whipping cream
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

METHOD:
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside. In the same skillet, add remaining oil, onions and approximately 1/4 tsp. salt; cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté approximately 1 minute longer. Stir in broth, water, pasta, zucchini, vegetables, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is almost completely absorbed; about 15 minutes. Add tomato, cream, Parmesan, and reserved chicken. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with a side of garlic toast, Caesar salad, and extra Parmesan, if desired. Serves 4.