Bowties with Broccoli Pesto

Serves 4
Prep time & cooking time: 45 minutes (It was hard to separate the prep time and cooking time, because you are sort of constantly working on this meal. From pulling ingredients out of the pantry to having the meal on the table was 45 minutes, BUT, if you have a larger food processor (mine is so tiny and I had to work in three batches) this will come together much faster for you.)

8 ounces whole wheat farfalle
2 cups broccoli florets
3 tablespoons water
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, halved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
Grated zest of 1 lemon
6 dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

1. Cook farfalle according to package directions, drain and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, place broccoli and water in medium microwaveable dish. Cover and microwave on high until tender, 2-3 minutes; drain. Rinse under cold running water; drain again.

3. To make pesto, place broccoli, basil, Parmesan 1 tablespoon of the pine nuts, the garlic, salt, and pepper flakes in food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add broth and oil; process until smooth.

4. Combine pasta, pesto, and lemon zest in large serving bowl; toss to coat. Sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes and remaining 1 tablespoon pine nuts.

Served with garlic-cheese toast.

Results: I was all prepared to hate this dish. I'm a huge fan of pesto, and I just knew that I would think "Nice try, Weight Watchers, but FAIL!" Nope, this dish was delicious! The broccoli pesto was so fresh and tasty. I loved it! I put half the pesto mixture in the freezer to use another day (I knew the boys wouldn't eat anything GREEN.) We had some leftovers and they were delicious cold for lunch the next day. Takes some effort to make, but this is a new favorite!

Crispy Chicken with Lemon-Basil Dip and Lemony Fennel & Radicchio

Serves 4
Prep: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 20 minutes

Crispy Chicken with Lemon-Basil Dip
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons, plus 1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into strips
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 garlic clove, minced

1. Place oven tack in top third of oven. Preheat oven to 400*. Line a large baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray.

2. Stir together mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of the yogurt, the mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper in a medium bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dip chicken pieces, one at a time, into panko, pressing gently to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, to make dip, stir together remaining 1/2 cup yogurt, the basil, lemon zest, garlic and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl; set aside.

4. Remove baking sheet from oven; turn chicken over. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Return to oven; bake until chicken is browned and cooked through, 10 minutes longer.

While chicken is cooking for it's last 10 minutes, prepare the Fennel & Radicchio salad.

Lemony Fennel and Radicchio
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup water
1 cup finely shredded radicchio (about 1/4 head of radicchio)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add fennel, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add water, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel begins to soften, about 3 minutes.

2. Uncover skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly, until most of liquid is evaporated and fennel is tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in radicchio, parsley, and lemon zest and juice.

Serve chicken with dip and fennel-radicchio salad.

Results: OH.MY.YUM! Not only do I want to make this for dinner tomorrow night, but Henry wants me to make it for the next 100 nights and Steven, YES, I said STEVEN, wants me to make it for the next three nights. This was delicious and easy to make. The salad was fantastic too (the boys would not eat that though.) I think fennel might be my new favorite vegetable, especially for adding some crunch to a salad. A new favorite meal in our house!

Pistou Halibut with Sauteed Garlicky Spinach

Serves 4
Prep time: 11 minutes, Cooking Time: 9 minutes

Pistou Halibut
1/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 skinless halibut filets (I used snapper)
Cooking spray
lemon wedges (optional)

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; rub over both sides of fillets.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fillets; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Sauteed Garlicky Spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (10-oz) package baby spinach
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until golden. Add half of spinach; cook 1 minute, turning with tongs. Add remaining half of spinach; cook 1 minute, turning with tongs, until spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper.

Served with lemon wedge and basmati rice.

Results: This was very easy to prepare and it was delicious! I'll definitely make this one again. The recipe says that the "pistou" (pronounced pee-TOO, by the way) can be prepared and frozen.

Grilled Salmon with Garlic, Lemon, and Basil

Serves 4

Sauce:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 garlic cloves, minced

Salmon:
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare sauce, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper; add fish to grill, skin side up. Tent loosely with tin foil. Grill four minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with sauce.

Served with mashed potatoes and peas.

Results: This sauce was super easy to make, and would also taste great on chicken. I didn't think this made enough sauce for four people, but it worked for Chris and I, because the kids didn't want any of the sauce. So tangy and fresh tasting...a keeper!

Lemon-Basil Chicken with Basil Aioli

Serves 4

Chicken:
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped green onions (about 2)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil

Basil Aioli:
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1. To prepare chicken, combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to basil mixture, turning to coat.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan, cook 8 minutes on each side or until done.

3. While chicken cooks, prepare aioli. Combine 1/4 cup basil and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Serve with chicken.

Served with egg noodles and salad (carrots for the kids)

Results: This recipe just screams "SUMMER" to me and is one of my hands down favorites. I usually make extra because the leftovers are great. Henry devoured his, Steven wouldn't even try it, even with the threat of missing chocolate chip cookies for dessert. He is *so* missing out, because it's really delicious.