Halloween Antipasto

October 22, 2021 Amanda Plott

This Halloween Antipasto is basically a black and orange version of my original Skinny Antipasto Salad. I went with some red lentil and black squid ink pasta for the orange and black colors and also chose some colorful tomatoes that came in a pack with orange and dark ‘blood red’ ones. Black olives were a given. And to break up the colors there’s some fresh mozzarella and cauliflower.

It’s a very easy dish to make that I honestly use as a meal in itself since there’s all the pieces of a complete meal-in-a-bowl. Plus, it can be made ahead of time and also is great as a leftover! Of course, you could also use this in place of pasta salad as a side dish too!…

Skinny Orange Creamsicle Italian Soda

July 4, 2021 Amanda Plott

It’s America’s birthday and while we’ve got some rain in the forecast, I’m bringing on the sunshine with this Skinny Orange Creamsicle Italian Soda! The first time I had a creamsicle Italian soda was waaaay back when I was just a little brat and my dad worked at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. They made creamsicles and they were always one of my absolute favorite treats when visiting.

This Skinny Orange Creamsicle Italian Soda is more on par with my tastes these days though, with a lot less sugar and still all the deliciousness! It’s creamy and dreamy and orangey goodness that is so crazy simple to make…

Caprese Pasta Salad

June 27, 2021 Amanda Plott

As it’s getting hotter and hotter outside I’m craving the cold stuff. The lighter stuff. The stuff I don’t have to turn my oven on to enjoy. This Caprese Pasta Salad is just that. Get it started in the morning when it’s cool out and then finish it off in the afternoon or evening as lunch, dinner, or a side for one of the two. The pasta dish itself is based off one of my all time favorites - caprese!

What’s a caprese? Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinegar in one form or another. I basically turned that into a light, easy to make salad that includes fresh baby spinach and some pasta to make it just a little more hearty…

Chicken Parmesan Lasagna

August 5, 2020 Amanda Plott

Almost everyone loves a good lasagna. It’s hard not to. Noodles, sauce, cheese… it’s a heavenly mixture. Today I decided to take it step further and turn a regular lasagna into one that’s chicken based! No, no… not alfredo. Chicken parmesan style!

Chicken parmesan is another Italian-American favorite. Breaded chicken, sauce, and cheese. Who says lasagna has to be sausage? With ground chicken used instead, and the addition of some bread crumbs for crunchy texture, this lasagna is the perfect blend of two classics…

Italian Chicken Tenders

June 25, 2020 Amanda Plott

Who doesn’t like a good baked chicken tender? No one I know. These Italian Chicken Tenders are breaded in Italian seasonings and spices (and even some cheese) before being baked to perfection. They’re simple, delicious, and sure to disappear quickly from any family style dinner.

These tenders turn out low carb and kept friendly while also being another fun kid friendly Italian night dinner option. I made them just a bit better-for-you by using whole wheat bread crumbs that I seasoned myself with various dried Italian herbs and spices…

Chicken Piccata

March 3, 2020 Amanda Plott

Let’s face it. Italian food is probably one of everyones favorites. And chicken piccata is one of the staples of Italian food. The tartness of lemon with the salt of capers all come together with crisped cooked chicken breast that’s perfect to be served over a bed of pasta or even all on it’s own. Either way, it’s the star of the show!

This chicken piccata is made without any cream. That’s right. The cream in chicken piccata is completely unneeded. You can come out of it with less calories while still having a delicious creamy sauce for your chicken…