WTEW

If you're signed up for our newsletter you know all about what Wednesday's now signify here on our blog. For the rest of my readers, I bring to you the first post of What to Eat Wednesday's! I enjoying cooking but realize that not everyone does, and forget eating healthy, it can feel like hard stuff but it doesn't have to be. Wednesday is smack dab in the middle of the work week and is quite drab so to mix it up, What to Eat Wednesday's have great eats that don't take too long, are easy to shop for, fun for the kids to help with, and healthy (well most of the time ;).

Yummy Chicken Pasta (taking suggestions for a better name in the comment area )
1 1/2 cups of Chopped Rotisserie Chicken
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped apples
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
1 box Bowtie or Shell Pasta
Knife, Cutting Board, Large Bowl, Large Spoon, Pot, Pasta Strainer

First go ahead and put your water on to boil with a few pinches of salt, while it heats up go ahead and pull the meat off of half of a Rotisserie Chicken. If you prefer to forgo the chopping grab a 2 cans of chicken or tuna in water. Once the water begins to boil go ahead and drop in your box of pasta. While it is the pasta is cooking, go ahead and chop the rest of your ingredients. To be completely honest most veggies work well in this recipe, I usually add in zucchini, raisins or cranberries, broccoli, the fresher the better. As you chop your ingredients the 1/2 cup measurement doesn't have to be exact, more wont' hurt. Toss all chopped ingredients into a bowl by this point your pasta should be done cooking (go by the instructions for al dente on the back of the pasta box). Grab your pasta strainer and strain the pasta, run cold water over the pasta until the pasta becomes cool. Pour pasta into bowl with chopped ingredients, add in the 1 cup of Zesty Italian Dressing and mix it all together. Grab a fork and enjoy, well you might want to grab a plate first ;).

How to involve the kids:
The funny thing about kids is if they help to make something they are more likely to eat it, even when there are veggies.
Here are a few ways a child even as young as two can help make this dish.
- Set or Listen out for the pasta timer.
- Set the table.
- As you chop the veggies toss them into a small bowl and allow your child place them in the larger bowl. While you chop the other veggies you can talk to them about colors and size, please be sure to watch out for little fingers near the knife, in fact if you have enough space chop near the sink and have your child on another end of the counter.
- Squish the chicken! Okay it sounds gross mom, but it's fun. After you have chopped the chicken place it into a bowl and let your little one squish it up :D this actually breaks it up into smaller pieces and means you get to do less chopping.
- Watch the pasta to make sure none fall out as you are rinsing it.
The truth is this dish is quick and simple and when in the kitchen you often will not "need" their help but cooking together as a family is lots of fun!

Other ways to eat this dish:
Omit 1/2 a cup of the Italian dressing and the pasta. Instead eat it on crackers/bread, over a bed of lettuce, or roll of the mixture inside of a leaf of romaine for a breadless wrap.

I hope you've enjoyed our first What to Eat Wednesday post, if you get a chance to try this recipe have any questions, suggests, or comments please leave them in the comment section.
Until Next Time!