Asian Quinoa Tuna Salad

Guys! Hi! I'm alive! I'm posting! Yay! I am so sorry I've been so MIA in the beginning weeks of this beautiful blog. Being homeless and finding housing, switching said housing at the last possible second and then moving into new said housing and doing school has proven to be quite the task! It has also meant lots of peanut butter and sodalicious for dinner and subsequently not being able to fit into my pants. Oops. I'll be a real human again soon enough.

Anyways, I digress.

Because I'm always running out the door in two seconds and have to take food with me to last all day, I've become a big fan of on the go meals. It's nice too, because I can make them healthy (goal--fit in aforementioned pants). SO. This was the yummiest salad I threw together with some things I had in my fridge/pantry and it turned out SO AWESOME. You must make this and take it to work. It is great and kept me full for a very long time.

The portion size is just for a one-person meal, but the amounts could be easily bumped up to feed tons of hungry humans. It's so easy and so yummy and versatile. If you don't have/don't like tuna, you could use chicken, any other kind of fish, anything you want, really!

Asian Quinoa Tuna Salad

1/4 cup cooked quinoa
3 oz (about 1/3 of a can) of tuna
1/3 cup shredded carrots (I didn't have any so I just chopped baby carrots)
1 red bell pepper
1 cup fresh baby spinach
Newman's Own Asian Sesame Dressing

Cook your quinoa of choice in chicken broth according to package instructions. I like chicken broth because it adds more flavor. Once cooked and cooled, add tuna, quinoa, carrots, bell peppers and spinach together in a bowl. Add dressing, mix and enjoy!


P.S. (Here's a better picture when it's not in work tupperware :) )

Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta with Bacon

I was looking for something to make that got veggies into the meal so that Chase wouldn't keep asking me to eat them as a side - then I found this recipe and we LOVE it.

I do need to give some warning though that this will use a lot of dishes. And probably all of your burners. You'll either need it to be cooked in segments or have someone help you.

Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta with Bacon
Ingredients:
1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. of olive oil
Seasoning for chicken (whatever you normally like)
12 oz. penne pasta
1 lb. of asparagus, chopped into 2 in. segments, steamed
1 1/2 Tbsp of butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 3/4 cup of milk (I used 1%)**
1/4 cup of cream**
3 oz of Neufchatel cheese (you can find it by the cream cheese)
1/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
4-5 slices of bacon, cooked and cut or crumbled into small pieces

**If you want it a little creamier then add more cream, and less milk to add up to 2 cups**

Directions:
Make sure to steam the asparagus and cook the bacon before you've started the rest of this. This is why I always make Chase help me/use all of the burners because I run out of time and need to do it all at once.

Season the chicken on one side. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in chicken seasoned side down once the oil is hot. Season other side. Cook chicken all the way through, rotating as needed. Once chicken is cooked transfer it to a plate and let cool for a couple minutes then cut into bite-size pieces.

Cook pasta at the same time - make sure to save 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining - you'll use this later!

In a large skillet melt the butter. Add in minced garlic so it sautés a little bit (just until you can start to smell the garlic). Whisk in the flour and let it cook for about a minute. While whisking, slowly add in milk and cream. Whisking keeps clumps from forming. Once it reaches a boil and thickens turn the heat down to medium-low, add Neufchatel cheese and parmesan cheese until the cheeses are melted.

Add in the rest of the ingredients in order: pasta, chicken, asparagus, and bacon until it's all evenly coated. Add in the pasta water until it helps the sauce thicken as the pasta helps soak up the water. Serve immediately.


This made pretty good leftovers - although you have to eat it within a few days for the asparagus to stay good. It was great to make when we had another couple over for dinner.

Tastes even better than it looks promise.

                                     

Here are the dishes just from cooking if a visual helps haha. Definitely worth it though!

Loves, Jord

Recipe adapted from here.