Nater's Leeky Tomato Penne Perfection

Nater's Leeky Tomato Penne Perfection

This is a brand new repipe that I whipped up yesterday for the first time!  It certainly looks good, but the smell is absolutely awesome and the taste is even better, all the infused garlic, thyme, not to mention the BACON!  Kevin would be proud.  This dish is good enough you'll go footloose... and hang up those Sunday shoes.

Here's what you need if you wanna play:

Pepper & Sea Salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 chopped Garlic cloves

2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme (1/3 amount if dried)

12 ounces of smoked LEAN bacon (3/4 pound)

Two pints of cherry or grape tomatoes

3 large leeks or 4 medium leeks

1 pound dry whole wheat penne

2 large chicken boobs (breasts)

1/2 White Cooking Wine or chicken stock 

Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, or flakey Parmesan as substitute

Prepare the leeks ahead by cutting off the dark green leafy top and the base with the roots, then halved the leeks lengthwise, and sliced to 1-inch thick pieces.  Washie-wash and dry the leeky leeks.  Good time to wash the towMATERs too.  Then throw on a large pot of water to start boiling for the penne while we start the rest.  

Throw two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a deep medium skillet over medium high heat.  Add the bacon (trimming big chunks of fat) and crisp in oil.  Once bacon is crisp then add the leeks, chopped garlic, thyme, and generous pepper.  If I could save 'Thyme' in a bottle, the first thing that I'd like to do....  is sauté for 5-6 minutes.  

After you have sautéed, then deglaze the pan with the wine (or chicken stock).  Add the tomatoes and cover the pan. Staying on medium high heat, cook the tomatoes until they burst, 10-12 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.  The tomatoes will burst open in the covered heat, you can gently pop tomatoes if they don't after the 12 minutes.  But don't squish too much, as they will squish more when you stir in pasta and cheese.  Don't make this dish ugly, you know better.  You are what you eat... so make it look sexy.
Generously add sea salt to the boiling water and cook the wheat penne to al dente (slightly firm).  Add a little of the starchy cooking water (quarter cup) to the sauce just before draining the pasta.  Drain, and toss the pasta with the sauce and cheese.  

If you want to add chicken, (as a bodybuilder I eat a lot of chicken boobs), just cook chicken in oven separately while you prepare the entrée.  Keep that protein high!  Drizzle raw chicken with a little extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and back at 325 degrees for 45 minutes (350 for 30 minutes if you're impatient), then slice and top on pasta!  Slow cooking this way makes it taste like thanksgiving turkey.

Cook 'Nater's Leeky Tomato Penne Perfection' and share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus on the links below!  Or share this recipe from my Pinterest account 'NatersAdventure' and I will keep the recipes coming :)   Serves 4, high in protein with added chicken, and good carbs and fats to keep the summer waistline in check!

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Nater's Not-So-Devilish Eggs

When I am in 'healthy mode' I eat so many chicken breasts and egg whites that I swear I wake up clucking in my sleep!  It's suppose to be REM cycle, not a HEN cycle.  There are lots of healthy chicken respires out there, namely 'Nate's Passive Aggressive Portobello Chicken,' but I get bored of the egg whites.  I have fewer egg white solutions, and let's face it my A.D.D. kicks in and then I want to kick a chick, or pound some poultry eventually...  

You better have these goods if you wanna play:

You need Large eggs

FAT-FREE cottage cheese

Yellow Mustard

Paprika 

Here's is a scrumptious quick solutions for egg whites, with less than one carb, 7.3 grams protein, and ZERO fat per egg!  Throw how ever many eggs you want into already boiling water - don't break them all as this is egg boiling 101, not egg drop soup people.  Fifteen minutes at boil is my perfectly poached protein poultry plan for you.  Let cool as you be cool.  Slice longways, and discard yolks.  Yes, throw them away and your cholesterol, calorie count, and myself will thank you, kthxbye.  For every one egg, mix one teaspoon of plain yellow mustard, two tablespoons of FAT-FREE cottage cheese (Smith/Kroger has a green and white cottage cheese that is a staple in my fridge), fill the halved egg whites with the yellow concoction, and garnish with Paprika (or fresh crack black pepper if you find yourself without).  Call them hor d'oeuvres, and eat them while wearing your pearls and favorite sweater set or khakis and pastel polo... and get yo CLUCK on!!

Per Egg (Two halves) :

Fat Zero 

Protein 7.3 grams

Carbs  >1

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Diet & Exercise Tips for this Monster Monday

Two tips, tricks, tidbits... what have you.  

So healthy food doesn't have to be so horrible.  Almost everyone loves Ranch dressing aka 'white trash gravy.'  "Healthy" people have great intentions with salads and veggies but then kill those good intentions with salad dressing.  Regular salad dressing is horrible for you as it is dense in calories and fat, and I'm not even going recommend "fat free" that tastes curdled moldy and been in direct sun all day dressing.  (Although Fat Free Kraft Catalina tastes just like the regular one).  Some times I'll just squeeze a few lemons on my salad and it tastes great, no added calories OR guilt.  But your diet tip of the day is to buy Fat Free Cottage Cheese and a packet of ranch seasoning powder, carefully sprinkle it in and stuurr-it-up until you reach your desired taste - careful kids a little goes a long way!  Fat free cottage cheese is a good source of protein and only 70 calories per half cup.  Use it on your salad, or I love it with sliced bell peppers, celery, broccoli, carrots, or on thick slices of tomato with basil and fresh cracked pepper.

Cardio can be a real drag, but its essential when our diets are less than perfect.  It's also a great way to get our heart rates up and get into a fat burning mode.  When I first started my cardio I hated it, dreading those 'steps to nowhere.'  Now I love cardio (I know right?) and actually have to limit my cardio since I am trying to get weight and mass at this stage.  We all know music makes the time go by faster on the treadmill and elliptical, but we've known that since our seven favorite seven dwarfs sung to us 'Whistle while you Work...out?'  Here's my tip, most us of have smart phones nowadays and I advise you charge up your iTunes account and download music videos with strong beats or put a YouTube or Vevo app on your phone.  Videos give us something to watch AND listen to, faster beats make for keeping our tempo and spirits up, wickie-wickie-REMIX!  My problem is I get the occasional over the shoulder glance and smile from other gym patrons, then I realized "Oh-ma hell, I've been singing out loud... AGAIN."  For those of us with the A.D.D. lifestyle not only listening to the music, but watchin the videos keeps our eyes off the time, which at times seem like a soviet missile countdown... Huston there is no problem here.  Also, after setting your cardio timer on the machine try throwing a small gym towel over the digital clock so that you aren't tempted to watch the clock in misery.  Its good to mix up cardio, running outside (weather permitting), treadmill, elliptical, or bike.  To be honest I don't do the bike unless its a spin class, bikes are 'casual cardio' for me otherwise.  I love to run but get shin splints, (if you get shin splints tape around your arches and they will go away) and unless I remember to tape my high arches I just do the elliptical with a fast paced level 14, for at least 45 minutes. 

I leave you with these words as I have shenanigans with my name on them to attend to!

Be good,

Nater

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