So, 4 years ago I was diagnosed with colon cancer (which I will blog about at a later date) but this diagnosis forced me to start cleaning up my life in terms of what foods I put into my body. I started buying and eating more veggies, legumes, beans, whole wheat products, lean meat, fish, chicken sausage, turkey dishes, hard cheeses, low sodium foods, unprocessed foods, organic foods, etc. I also started drinking up to 8 glasses of water a day, taking vitamins and exercising 5 days a week. My sleep habits have always been good (I try and get at least 7 hours of sleep a night). And I don’t use drugs so that was not an issue. I do, however, drink red wine (which supposedly is good for your heart as it contains antioxidants!) and the only kind of chocolate I consume is dark chocolate which again is heart healthy. One of my favorite clean eating recipes given to me by my former co-worker Michele Elliott, has everything I love in it: whole wheat pasta, tomatoes, garlic, spinach, beans and chicken sausage and it’s a breeze to make. Here it is:
Whole Wheat Pasta with Veggies and Beans (and Chicken Sausage):
Cook whole wheat rotini pasta according to directions on box
In large pan sauté in olive oil:
2 to 3 cloves of garlic minced
1 large red onion
1 large bag of baby spinach
one container of grape tomatoes (cut these in half to double the amount)
2 cans of red kidney beans
2 cans of chick peas or garbanzo beans
Add crushed red pepper and black pepper
Add cooked chicken sausage to other ingredients (first cut chicken sausage links lengthwise and then make into medallion size) and bake them in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
Cook all ingredients together on stove for 45 minutes to an hour (until beans and tomatoes are soft).
Add cooked pasta to veggies and beans and chicken sausage. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
1 1/2 cups is your portion.
Bon Appetit! Here is a picture of my dish:
