Pasta and Fresh Tomato Sauce with Tuna and Feta

1 pound vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into a small dice
Salt
12 ounces bite-sized pasta
2 cans (5 ounces each) tuna packed in oil, not drained
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup capers, drained
4 ounces (about 1 cup) crumbled feta, plus extra for topping
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Prepare tomatoes and transfer to a medium bowl; sprinkle lightly with salt.

Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water and a generous sprinkling of salt to boil in a large soup kettle. Add pasta and cook as directed on the box, until just tender. Drain and return to pot.

Add tuna, garlic, oregano, capers, feta and parsley to tomatoes; toss to coat. Add tomato sauce to pasta; toss to coat again.

Serve, sprinkling each portion with additional feta.

Almond Chocolate-Chip Cookies (Gluten Free Recipe)

This recipe is from the January/February 2011 issue of Weight Watchers magazine. I used almond meal which was not as finely ground as flour. I think you could use either almond meal or almond flour. The recipe was written to make 30 cookies. I divided the dough into 12 cookies. This is not a low-calorie recipe, but the cookies are made with healthy ingredients and they are delicious!

Almond Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix 1 cup almond flour, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, and a pinch of salt in medium bowl. Whisk 2 Tbl. canola oil, 2 Tbl. amber agave nectar (I used honey as a substitute), and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract in small bowl. Stir honey mixture into almond flour mixture until blended. Stir in 1/4 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips and 1/4 cup sliced almonds. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet, dividing into 12. (NOTE: my lumps of dough did not stick together very well. However, after baking they melted together and made a nice, cohesive, crunchy cookie. So don't be concerned if they don't seem like a typical cookie before baking.) Bake until golden, about 9 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and let cool completely.

Crunchy Chicken Strips

I have never used panko bread crumbs before. After trying this recipe, I'm sold! They give a nice crunch to the chicken strips. Look for them in the international section of your supermarket.


You might like to experiment with the spices. Try substituting curry powder. Garlic powder would be tasty, too. 

Crunchy Chicken Strips

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 Tbl. water
1 heaping cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
3/4 tsp. ground sage
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Cut chicken into strips. Place in a ziplock plastic bag set in a bowl. Pour buttermilk over chicken. Seal bag. Turn bag to evenly coat chicken. Place in refrigerator overnight or as long as 24 hours.

Line a 15x10x1 baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a shallow dish, mix egg and water. In another dish, mix panko, sage, thyme, and pepper. Take each piece of chicken out of buttermilk, then dip first in egg and then coat it with the crumb mixture. 

On prepared pan, arrange chicken so pieces are not touching. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake, uncovered in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes. 

It is not necessary to turn chicken during baking.

Enjoy with barbecue sauce or do as we did: dip them in ranch dressing. So good!