good (for you) eats

We've taken a turn for the healthy over here with summer/swim suit season right around the corner!  I'm loving all of the light dinners we've been having, and the best thing about eating something good for you for dinner is that you can load up on dessert! :)

Chicken Florentine Pasta

I made the PW's chicken florentine pasta two weeks ago, and it was a hit!  I cut back on the amount of butter, used whole grain pasta, and went easy on the cheese to make it a little better for us.  This would also be good with kalamata olives added in!

Simple Shrimp Salad

I did a whole post all about this salad last week, but I thought I'd share again in case you missed it.  This salad is both delicious and nutritious, so give it a try!

Creamy Tomato Soup

Okay, I'm taking a brief intermission from the healthy stuff to show you dinner from last Sunday.  Austin went and ran 10.6 miles, and when he was finished, he said he felt like he deserved to eat a big bowl of creamy tomato basil soup with grilled cheese.  I think you can eat just about anything after running over 10 miles haha.

Sweet Potato, Sausage, & Kale Soup

Because I did not run 10.6 miles last Sunday, I made myself a healthier soup!  I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it is definitely a winner.  It has sweet potatoes in it, so I was sold as soon as I read that part of the recipe.    

Since I was on spring break last week, I decided I would be a nice fiance and make Austin something good for breakfast.  I thought I'd give one of those "green smoothies" a whirl (no pun intended, ha), and it turned out really well!  I made us one every morning, and I think it might just be a new trend around here.

Green Monster Smoothie

I love the fruit version, but I created my own little "recipe" for a peanut butter banana smoothie, and it also tastes great!

PS- I add in either flax seeds or oats to give these a little more fiber, and that helps us stay full all morning long!

Chicken Fajita Salad

This chicken fajita salad was another winner!  The marinade makes the chicken taste so good, and the dressing ties everything together really well.  Austin and I both weren't crazy about the red onion, so I'll probably leave that out next time, but that's the only thing I would change!

I had a little bit of chicken leftover from the fajita salad, so I used it to make a quesadilla for Austin's lunch the next day.  How nice is it that we live close enough to his work that he has time to come home for lunch?!  I loved getting to see him in the middle of the day last week!  Anyway, to make the 'dilla, melt some butter in a pan, plop in a tortilla, sprinkle on a little cheese, throw in the chicken, top with another tortilla, flip, and enjoy!  I served this up with an apple.  Yum!

Spaghetti Squash

I tried making spaghetti squash for the first time last week.  I used the above "recipe" to make the squash, and I topped it with my traditional spaghetti sauce (ground beef mixed with a jar of marinara).  I roasted some zucchini (400 degrees for 10-15 minutes) to serve on the side.  This turned out alright.  I definitely prefer actual pasta, but this is a nice option for something a little better for you.

The last thing I made last week was this Mexican turkey casserole.  This was a simple, quick dish that turned out wonderfully!  I just love Jenna's recipes...I think the reason they work so well for me is because she and I are in a similar stage of life.  She's 20-something, lives in an apartment, and is engaged to an Aggie.  The only difference is that she lives in California and has a ridiculously successful blog :)

Turkey Taco Casserole

Hopefully you guys found something new or interesting you'll want to try out soon!  I would totally recommend all of the above...enjoy!