The Rewards of the Green Market

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Penne Pasta with Basil 6 servings

4 chicken Breast
4 zucchini
4 yellow squash
2 red onion
2 red bell pepper
1 butternut squash
1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup chopped basil
4 cups whole wheat penne pasta
1 bottle Italian dressing
1 cup sun dried tomatoes (optional)

My first trip to the green market was enjoyable and delicious. I thought I would share a wonderful recipe that rewarded my taste buds with a tantalizing array of distinct flavors and colors while being healthy at the same time.

I used fifteen dollars in cash to purchase four organic zucchini, four organic yellow squash, two very large organic red peppers, two organic red onions and one organic butternut squash. I received three dollars in change so the vegetables, which will be used for four meals, cost about twelve dollars.

I purchased free range chicken breast at a bulk outlet where you get about sixteen chicken breast for twenty dollars ($1.25 per breast). I washed all the vegetables and 4 chicken breast in clean filtered water from Caricoʼs Water Purification System. The recipe above is for about 6 servings as I always double every recipe so that I may have healthy left overs later on. If your taking the time to cook, it only takes a few minutes more to create an additional meal.

I peeled and diced (large dice) the red peppers, butternut squash and red onions. I cut the zucchini and squash in half with the tips removed (cutting in half makes these easier to grill). I then marinate the vegetables and chicken in an Italian dressing for fifteen minutes in my Carico Ultra-Vac Food Storage containers.

I then lightly grilled all of the vegetables. I use a flat grill rack for the onions, peppers and butternut squash. I put the chicken, zucchini and squash directly on the grill grate. It is vital that you only lightly grill the veggies, you want them to be al dente. The chicken, you must cook until done. Cut the zucchini, squash and chicken breast into smaller one inch pieces before adding them to the saute pan.

After the grilling process, I prepare some whole wheat pasta ( 4 cups), I use penne pasta and remember this is for six meals. I make sure to not over cook the pasta as you want it to have a firm texture.

Once the pasta is ready, I add the pasta and the grilled veggies and chicken to my Carico Ultra-Tech II thirteen inch gourmet skillet. I chop up and add about one cup of fresh basil, four teaspoons of fresh minced garlic, four teaspoons of fresh ground pepper, one cup of sun dried tomatoes and one-fourth cup of organic olive oil and saute it for about 10 minutes with the lid on. Make sure to stir the the ingredients every few minutes.

The finished product is a colorful, delicious treat that is healthy and cost less than 4 dollars per serving and yields 6 servings.

I package the three left over servings and freeze them in my Carico Ultra-Vac container and have a healthy meal ready to enjoy for the upcoming busy work week.