Pasta without the pasta!

I am back!  I've been going through some trial and tribulations over the past several months that have been clogging up my mindset and my heart thus leading me to want to do absolutely nothing.  Now that I have somewhat, not completely, overcome the situation and ordeal, I am now back in the kitchen.  I have been fortunate to have met someone who has a serious interest in his health as he is a baseball player and works hard daily in the gym.  He has brought a breath of fresh air into my lungs and has his priorities set and is very kind, affectionate, passionate in what he does and works very hard.  He has asked me to help him stay fit and get even leaner by prepping his daily breakfast and lunch, and I now have meaning again, not only in what he has brought to my life but my love of cooking.

I have been following a blog lately My Whole Food Life and have found a couple of interesting recipe ideas.  I of course run them through my recipe analyzer and tweak them to fit our goals and needs a lot better including dropping the sodium and fat content and increasing the protein, and in some cases, the fiber.  One such recipe idea I loved was the Peanut Noodle Stir Fry and below is my version of her recipe.  (By the way, I seasoned my chicken with a little Chinese Five Spice & garlic powder)

Here is my version:

Ingredients

6 oz. Simple Truth boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked & cut into cubes
4 oz Explore Asian Organic Black Bean Spaghetti
1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 green onions, cut into strips
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 Tbs PB2 mixed
1/8 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/8 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Preparation:

1.  Cook noodles according to package direction (very low simmer for about 7 min) & set aside.
2.  In a small bowl whisk together PB2, orange juice, soy sauce & red pepper flakes & set aside.

3.  Thoroughly spray a large skillet with cooking spray &, saute carrots, mushrooms, celery, broccoli & onions over medium heat for about 5-7 min.

4.  Add the sauce & saute for another 4-5 min; you may need to add about 1/2 cup of water to keep sauce from thickening too much and sticking to your skillet and to keep it creamy.

5.  Add the noodles and chicken & stir well to coat.  Continue to saute until well incorporated.

You may be wondering about the noodles; honestly they do not even taste like beans at all!  They are extremely high in fiber which is good because fat binds to fiber so you can expel it (LOL).

This recipe makes 2 servings, and here are the nutritional comparisons (cutting hers in half):

                                      MINE                    HERS

Calories                        520.0                       466.0
Total Fat                          5.8                         15.4
Saturated Fat                  2.0                           3.1
Cholesterol                    49.0                            ---
Sodium                         682.0                     1059.0
Potassium                     370.0                       561.0
Total Carbs                    46.1                         63.3
Fiber                               27.4                           5.7
Sugar                              14.7                           6.2
Protein                           74.8                          20.2

Vit A                              103%                     103%
Calcium                             8%                       28%
Vit C                                70%                       65%
Iron                                448%                       36%

I hope that this dish is a hit and that you enjoy it as well.  Until next time, Happy Eating!