White Chicken and Herb Pizza and A Low Cal Pasta

First, I want to point out the fact that I have a new URL.  The new address for my blog is irondad84.blogspot.com. So, for those of you who have bookmarked my blog, please update your addresses.  Also, you may have noticed a complete revamping of my blog including the title.  I have don't this for a couple reasons.  First, which is also the main reason, which is that I have actually taken a liking to this blogging business as an outlet to share my passion for endurance sports and living a healthy and active lifestyle; and I am thinking that I will probably continue to write well after the Ironman.  Second reason is I wanted an easier name for the URL and a more general title that I wouldn't have to change after the Ironman.  I figured I would change the address and title now rather then later.  So, thanks for bearing with the change.  

Now, on with the main topic for this post, recipes and food!  A couple days ago I made a white chicken and herb pizza for the family and felt it was worthy of sharing.  It was actually really easy and quick to make and was really good.  Our 3 year old loved it.  The recipe called for fresh pizza dough, but I opted for the quicker precook end crust.  You can also make this gluten free with using a gluten free pizza crust and substituting a white rice flour for the flour in the sauce.  Here's the recipe from Cooking Light magazine.  

Ingredients

• Preparation
• 1 pound refrigerated fresh pizza dough
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk 
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast 
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. 1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. 2. Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray; let dough stand, covered, for 15 minutes.
3. 3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add flour and pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 3 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.
4. 4. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal; roll dough into a 12-inch circle on prepared baking sheet. Spread white sauce over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with chicken and onion. Bake at 450° on bottom oven rack for 17 minutes or until crust is golden. Sprinkle with herbs.

The next day I had some left over cooked chicken breasts so I made a Parmesan Chicken style dish.  However, instead of using traditional spaghetti I used a spaghetti squash.  It was also rather easy to do.  Simply take your squash and stab a few holes in it with a knife and microwave it for 11-14 minutes, just until its soft and steamy.  Then cut the top off and cut it into half and scoop out the seeds.  Then all you need to do is use a fork and scrape out the squash.  One of the unique properties of the spaghetti squash is that when its cooked it naturally forms into long thin strands - similar to that of spaghetti.  I used the "noodles" as a bed for the chicken breasts and topped with marinara sauce and sprinkled a bit of Parmesan cheese on top.  It was delicious.  It's a great option for gluten free noodles and also is extremely low calories.  The squash has a slight crunch to it along with a bit of sweetness compared to traditional pasta. 

The benefits of using spaghetti squash as a substitute for pasta go beyond calories.  1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash has about 40 calories compared to 125 in a cup of spaghetti.  Spaghetti squash supplies a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese, a fair amount of potassium.  It also has a low glycemic index so is great for diabetics as well.  I'd definitely recommend trying a spaghetti squash next time your looking at a pasta dinner.