The Platter Overfloweth: A Dinner Party

It has been over a week since this dinner occurred and I am still full. I haven't been making a lot of pasta since the "20 x 3/5 Challenge" but when the opportunity came around to have friends over for dinner I thought, "...I just love my friends, I want to make six courses and something that'll set on fire!" I conjured that gem right before I doubled over laughing...I love 'em, but dinner for eight...PASTA! I love pasta but it is all-too-often ruined by fatty, greasy sauces. Just today I saw a commercial selling endless pasta with your choice of two different alfredos?! WTF? No one needs to eat alfredo ever, much less and endless amount! It's scary to think people do...

Healthy is easy but it isn't the most eye-catching. What I'm about to make is most certainly all-you-can-eat (and we did) and it is inexpensive to boot! We're talking a mound...well, you'll see. Even though this beast of deliciousness is just tossed in olive oil, it's just as delicious as a huge plate of greasy, heavy alfredo. We're talking about what makes you feel better afterwards...they're both wonderful - one is so much better for you.

A friend just passed along another blog (which if I liked I would promote but it's gross) where someone adds strange things to coffee to see what will happen. Very similar in format to my own blog - I'm kinda embarrassed by that...joking...the content here should never make you feel the way I felt when this person scrambled an egg in coffee...oh, uh, there's that feeling again...DESSERT...much better. When having others over I feel it is absolutely necessary to have dessert. Now, what do I make that will be unique, thought about, healthy and delicious? Well - you'll see - and it's was all of those things...

Pasta Primavera with Feta and Olive Oil

and for dessert Angel Food Cake and Berry Parfait

(For 4-6)

Jupiter's Shopping List:

2 lbs. Chicken Tenders (boneless breasts, etc.)

1 Large Yellow Onion

3 tbsp. chopped Garlic

1 bag Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Egg Noodles (they're bomb)

Squash, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Carrots, Spinach, etc. (equal portions)

1-2 pkgs. Feta (10-14 oz)

For Dessert:

1 bag frozen blackberries

1 pint fresh raspberries

Angel Food Cake (pre-made)

Powdered Sugar

I added 3/4 cup Agave Nectar to the blackberries and let it simmer for an hour. Agave Nectar, if you don't already know, is a Low Glycemic Index (LGI) sweetener that is all-natural. LGI means that, unlike sugar, Agave Nectar doesn't spike your blood sugar, rather a gradual increase, and isn't as hard to digest as processed sugar. It's delicious in coffee, too. Eggs are not. FYI.

Chicken, Onions, Garlic, Salt and Pepper, enough water to cover the bottom 1 inch.

350 degrees, covered, 45 min - 1 hour

(This could be prepared any way, of course. Grilled would be awesome)

"Table-level Cutting Board Shot"

Chop safely! Carrots are slippery - knives are sharp!

Squash is a lot easier. That's all I have to say about squash.

The green beans are French Style (frozen), the tomatoes are seeded.

After the chicken is done, remove it from the "onion/garlic bath" and set aside to cool briefly. (Sorry no photo) Next boil pasta. No picture again. Hope you know how to do that. While boiling the pasta heat 2-3 tbsp. olive oil with 1-2 tbsp garlic for 2 minutes on medium heat (stir this around). Add the beautifully chopped vegetables (that Kristina did most of - thanks!)

Toss in spinach and flip like a professional...or not. A spatula works well and keeps it clean. When the spinach has started to wilt, kill the heat and slice the chicken.

Toss the all together and you have a marathon runners dream! I did have a nice run the next day - full I was - but I didn't feel bad about it. No heavy cream, a little bit of cheese (sort of) and it's something that isn't bad to over-eat...that doesn't happen a lot.

After you slice your store-bought (I did) layer it with fresh raspberries, the blackberry sauce you made and sprinkle with powdered sugar. BAM! Delicious, healthy...the whole bit. I really didn't even need this, but since I simmered blackberries for an hour+ I was sure as hell eating them!

I continue to eat healthily and hope that you do the same. Pasta is delicious without alfredo, too! Better in fact. And Cheesecake with berries is delicious - but this won't give you a heart attack after your third helping. I can't express to you exactly how it feels - how my body feels - from changing the way I see food, what I eat, and how much. Exercise is important, but what goes in your mouth is first! Make sure what you put in and around it is good for you! Your body will show you how happy it is. Try it!!

...and, no, you do not need to eat bread with pasta. It's kind of redundant.

-Walter