Skinny Tomato Bacon Alfredo

I was browsing around Pinterest a while ago trying to find a good, skinny, pasta recipe that didn't use marinara sauce.  Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE marinara, but my kids.....don't.  They wont even touch the stuff. 

I ran across a couple of recipes of promise but that weren't quite what I was looking for (tempering eggs...come on, who does that?), but that gave me a great jumping off point.  I googled a few other ideas, and found a great basic skinny(er) Alfredo recipe, then added my own flair.

Bada Bing, Bada Boom!  Ta Da!  The birth of a new favorite recipe.  It's been on our menu quite a few times now.

Fast, Easy, and very VERY tasty!

And so I share it with you.

Presenting.....

 SKINNY TOMATO BACON ALFREDO

(recipe yields 6-1 cup servings)

1 cup non-fat milk
1-1/2 - 2 TBSP corn starch
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth (or 1 cup water with 1 bullion cube)
1/4 cup light cream cheese (2 measured TBSP)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
6-8 slices bacon, cooked crisp, then crumbled or chopped (or you can cheat like me and use Hormel's stuff in the jar--about 1/2 cup)
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained well (or 3/4 cup diced or sliced plum or cherry tomatoes)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh (1/2 cup) or dried parsley (1/4 cup)
Salt to taste (optional)
1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 lb pasta (seen here with bowtie and penne--we've used fettuccine as well)

Cook bacon (if applicable), draining as much fat as possible, allow to cool and either crumble or chop.  Set aside.

Fill medium pot with water and add salt according to the directions on the pasta.  Then, for perfect al dente pasta every time, use this tip I learned from my mother in law.  Once the water is boiling and the noodles have been added, continue at a boil for  about1 minute.  Cover pot and take off the heat.  Allow noodles to sit in the hot water while you prepare (or heat) the sauce.  When the sauce is done, the noodles will be done also.  Drain as usual.  So easy and your pasta NEVER boils over on your stove.  YEAY!  

Next, in a medium sauce pan, whisk milk and cornstarch together until smooth.  Whisk in broth and place over low heat.  Add the cream cheese, garlic powder, pepper, salt (optional), and red pepper flakes (optional).  Bring mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens.  Once sauce has thickened, add drained tomatoes and bacon pieces.  Whisk in the parmesan cheese and cook 1-2 minutes more, stirring constantly.  Take off heat and add parsley.  

Drain pasta and toss with sauce.

After it's dished up, sprinkle with a little more Parmesan cheese, if you desire and ENJOY.

Side this amazing dish with this SUPER EASY 1-hour French Bread (pictured here) and broccoli, or a veggie packed salad. 

Featured at The Essentail Homemaker

Listen up peeps.  :)

Today I'm over at The Essential Homemaker teaming up with my lovely sister and sharing with ya'll one of my favorite tasty treats.  So so yummy!

Come on over and check it out.

Hang out for a bit and take a look around.

She's got some amazing things to see.

Bread Baking Basics and a Recipe, too.

Now, I am no bread baking expert.

I know this may come as a shock to some of you.

I was married for almost 9 years before I baked my very first loaf of bread.  No joke.  I was afraid of it.  "Too much work", I thought.  But I was wrong.  Surprisingly enough...it was a lot easier than I imagined it to be (especially if you have a mixer, like I do, that does all the kneading for you). 

In fact, for the past year now, homemade bread has been used almost exclusively in this house.  It took my boys a while to get used to the idea ("No more store bought bread?") but they are quite on board with it now. 

I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes and some bread making tips (marked with "*"), which have become quite useful in the past year as I have learned and experimented with the "art" of bread making.

Simply Perfect Setpoint Bread

Medium Batch--4 loaves

10-12 cups whole wheat flour *1 (about 7 cups pre-ground whole wheat)
2 tablespoons dry instant yeast *2
1/3 cup high-gluten (80%) flour (optional) *3
1/2 tsp vitamin C powder (300 mg) (optional) *4
4 cups warm water (120 to 130 degrees) *5
1/3 cup vegetable/canola oil
1/3 cup honey or sugar
1 TBSP salt

Place 6 cups whole wheat into mixer bowl equipped with kneading arm.  Add dry yeast, gluten flour , and vitamin C.  Pulse to mix well.  Add water, and mix for 1 minute.  For lighter bread, turn off mixer, cover bowl, and let dough sponge (*6) for 10 minutes.  Add oil, honey or sugar (*7), and salt.  Turn on mixer, and quickly add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough forms a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl (you should be able to see the bottom of the bowl too).  The amount of flour needed may vary.  Knead 4-6 minutes (*8) in a mixer and 12-15 minutes, at least, if kneading by hand, until dough is smooth and elastic.

Lightly oil hands and counter top.  Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Shape into loaves (*9) and place into greased bread pans.   

Fast Rise:  While shaping dough, preheat oven to lowest setting (at least 150 degrees).  Once oven has preheated and bread is ready to go in turn the power off.  Place bread in oven, arranging pans with space between to allow heat to circulate freely.  Watch closely.  Let rise until almost double in bulk, approx. 20-30 minutes.  Leave bread in over and turn heat to 350 degrees.



Normal rise:
Leave bread in pans, uncovered, on the counter top until double, approx 1 hour (depending on the temp in your house).  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

 Immediately remove pans; let bread cool on wire racks.  For a soft crust, mist lightly with water from a spray bottle (*9) while still hot.  Or, lather tops in butter or shortening. 

Slice bread when cool.  Store in plastic bags in freezer, not refrigerator.

Tips/Notes:
 *1 Hard white wheat is best if grinding wheat for bread.  To assist in making the transition to 100% whole wheat bread, replace a fourth to half of the whole wheat flour with unbleached white flour.  Gradually increase the ratio as time goes on.

*2  There is a difference between instant yeast (and bread machine) and regular.  Regular yeast has to be cultured in warm liquid before being added into a recipe, instant (and bread machine) does not.
*3 High-gluten flour is a high protein (80%) flour available at most health food stores.  It adds volume and improves texture in whole wheat bread.
*4  Can add 2 TBSP lemon juice (with wet ingredients) instead of vitamin C powder for improved texture).
* 5  For improved texture, add 1 cup buttermilk or yogurt in place of 1 cup of the water.  (you can make your own buttermilk by placing 1 TBSP lemon juice in a 1 C measuring cup and then filling the remainder with milk).
*6  Not a necessary step because recipe calls for instant yeast BUT sponging dough makes lighter bread and reduces kneading time.  This is very important if kneading by hand.
*7 If diabetic or hypoglycemic, or you just want to, you  can substitute a natural sweetener for the honey or sugar, such as 1/2C to 3/4C unsweetened applesauce, or you can use Diastatic malt.
*8  Recipe says 7-10minutes of kneading in a mixer.  I've read that 4-6 is enough.  My mixer has a self kneading button and it only kneaded it for 3min and 27 seconds.  Look for a smooth and elastic (springs back when touched) texture.
*9  Place divided dough on an oiled (not floured) surface and pound dough to get the air out.  Shape into an oval shape and roll around until it reaches the desired length.  Pinch ends together in the center on the underside and place in bread pan.

I hope this helps some of you who are just starting out.  Experiment.  Have fun!

And ENJOY the fruits (warm tasty bread with melty butter and jam on it) of your labors.

Spinach Bacon Craisin Salad

When engaging in a weight loss journey, I often get asked what I eat.  For lunch especially.

The answer.  Salads....lots of salads.  Why?  Because, in choosing the RIGHT ingredients, they can be VERY LOW in calories AND very filling at the same time.  Plus, they're packed full of "good things to eat" (name that book....). 

On the other hand, eating salads every day can get very monotonous.  Sigh.... 

So I change it up...A LOT. 

This version is one of my favorites.  It's a little higher in calories that some of my "others" but totally guilt-free and worth it.  (Who says healthy food has to be icky and boring?)

Years ago, my sister introduced me to a super tasty version of this.  I tweaked it just a bit to lower the calories and add a bit more nutrition without giving up any flavor.  I've been blissfully enjoying it ever since. 

Spinach Bacon Craisin Salad

Serving for one:
1.5 cups romaine lettuce
1 cup fresh spinach (reg or baby)
1/2 cup low fat (2%) cottage cheese
2 TBSP Hormel REAL bacon pieces or bits (glass cylinder found in the condiments isle)
1/2 roma tomato (or 1/4 cup tomato) cut, diced, sliced (whatever your prefer)
1/4-1/3 cup Craisins (in any delicious variety) 

Pile it on and enjoy.

To cut down the calories even more, replace the Craisins with 1/2 cup fresh fruit (diced strawberries or blueberries would be yummy)


The salad, as is, has 271 calories, 35 carbs (think energy for your workouts), 6 grams of fat, and 22 grams of protein.

I usually side the salad with one serving of whole grain crackers or bread (think, FIBER and fuel), a serving of carrots, large or baby (FIBER), and an apple or orange (FIBER and because I love them).  

YEAY, that's a LOT of veggie and fruits but that's a good, healthy thing.  Plus, it will keep you satisfied until dinner time. 

If you DO eat a mid-afternoon snack, try saving the apple and carrots until snack time.  Dip with 1-2 TBSP peanut (or other nut) butter (yes, I did just say to try dipping your carrots in PB. YUM!), enjoying a 200-300 calorie snack.

So there you have it.  Any questions, comments, feel free to leave them.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE HEALTHY SALAD?