Hi Everyone,
I was excited for today’s assignment that I got from Glam Media. What I had to do, is go to Target, and you know how much I LOVE Target and try out whatever I choose by the Simply Balanced products made by Target. Ummm, try Target food, yes please! I was all over that!! But Simply Balanced I never heard of it. So I looked everywhere for it, not knowing what exactly I was looking for, then in the grain isle I saw Simply Balanced quinoa, rice, barley and more. Bingo! I picked up a few bags of grains, then I started walking down more isles and hold and behold, there are more products. It was like a scavenger hunt, looking for the blue labeled Simply Balanced products. I was so excited and my Husband was with me, he thought I was weird. He asked how much stuff are you going to get? I said I want to try it all!! I didn’t try it all but I bought a kaboodle of stuff. Just check it out!!
The first thing I tried were the snack items. I posted on Instagram the freeze-dried edamame I had for mid- morning snack. They are good, lightly salted, full of fiber and not fried!! I liked them so much I didn’t share them with my co-workers, so don’t tell them I have them.
With the other remaining snacks, like the dried apples and the infused raisins with strawberry, those will be coming to you later with a recipe I want to create. It’s all in my head, I just need to make it!! By the way the salt & vinegar chips I haven’t tried yet, but the tortilla chips are delish! They are light, airy, crunchy and salty. You can definitely eat more than one!!
The next thing I tried was the flavored water. They taste wonderful and only 10 calories! My Husband and I really loved the black Cherry. The Rosemary Crisps I know I will love! I am saving them for a special occasion. I can’t wait to try them! But as you can see from the picture above, my one addiction is there, which is the Vanilla Bean Granola. Oh baby, it’s so good, so sweet and made of all natural organic items like quinoa, barley, amaranth, rolled oats and more. The clusters are chunky too, which I love! I don’t care for granola that doesn’t have clusters. The vanilla taste is simply perfect! I add it to my yogurt, which makes for a nice treat!! Oh and a half cup is only 220 calories and contains 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.
After snacks I got more dinner type ingredients that I can make meals out of. Which comes to today’s recipe, but first let me show you the products.
Ok, wait, but before I show you today’s recipe, I wanted to show you what I made with the Simply Balanced Southwestern Style Quinoa and Brown Rice. The rice and quinoa is perfect for a side dish, tacos and salads. It’s not spicy at all, but has a nice southwestern taste with garlic, onion and non-spicy peppers. I made a simple salad with romaine lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, Simply Balanced Southwestern Quinoa and Brown Rice and a dollop of greek yogurt, oh and jalapenos. Man, was that good! I made it for fend for yourself night! It was perfect, filling, healthy and took me under 5 minutes to make, which includes the 90 seconds of making the Southwestern Style Quinoa and Brown Rice in the microwave. This is my kind of meal!! Quick, easy and tasty!!
Now that I showed you my shopping cart! I am going to show you what I made with Simply Balanced Organic Arrabbiata Sauce.
I made a wonder, easy baked pasta dish, with a few ingredients like Simply Balanced Pasta Sauce, high fiber penne pasta, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Pretty easy and quick too!!
The flavor of the Arrabbiata Sauce is so good!! It’s all natural and contains roasted red pepper, garlic, onion,and spices. The sauce really tastes homemade. I kind of reminds me of my grandmothers homemade pasta sauce. My Husband loved this dish so much he went for seconds, which he never does with pasta. I was quite shocked!!
For the recipe, I put 4 servings, but honestly I think it’s more like 5 or 6 servings. With my serving and my Husbands two servings, I still had half a pan left, which made for great leftovers the next day!! Re-heated pasta is pretty good, just add a pinch of water to it and then microwave it, it’s as good as the day you made it! Oh and I served this pasta with some sourdough bread and a side salad! Made for a filling delicious dinner!!
- Serves: 4 large servings but easily can be 5 or 6 servings
- Serving size: About 1½ cups
- 8 oz pasta, you your favorite noodle, such as shell, penne or elbow noodles (I used High Fiber Penne Pasta)
- 2½ cups Simply Balanced Organic Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce, 24 oz. jar
- 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
- 2 oz mozzarella cheese, balls, cut in half
- Lightly spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- Cook pasta according to manufactures directions, but cook until the pasta is Al Dente, meaning it's still a little chewy (most pasta about 7 minutes). Drain the pasta and pour into prepared baking dish.
- Top the pasta parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in oven for 20 - 30 minutes. If the top starts to get golden in color, add aluminum foil to lightly coverl. Cook until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.
- Let the pasta rest a few minutes before serving.
If you like your pasta more crispy on top, bake it for about 5 minutes longer.
I had so much fun with today’s post! Not only is shopping fun, but the food is mighty delicious! I love that Simply Balanced food meets all of my personal nutritional requirements such as, its low sodium and fat, zero Trans Fat, no Hydrogenated Oils or high fructose corn syrup, and no synthetic colors, artificial preservatives, flavors or sweeteners. You can’t go wrong with the nutritional information that Simply Balanced is. Plus I love that I can whip up these quick meals and snacks and know that not only do I love them, but my family does too! So next time you’re at Target, walk down the isles and look for the Blue Simply Balanced labels. There are lots and lots of things to choose from. I can’t wait to discover more!!
Well my Friends, I think I went on and on probably too much, but you know when I get excited I just have to share it all with you!
Have a great rest of the week!
Toodles,
Jennifer
Take the guesswork out of eating well.
Introducing Simply Balanced,a new brand from Target that’s thoughtfully crafted for taste and goodness.
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.
Ooooh how fun!!! This pasta looks soooo delicious, too
Thank you!! 🙂
I love baked pastas! Love it!
Me too! I was surpised how much my Husband loved it too!!
Looks amazing! Your store needs to have a CTJ with my store – you guys had way more of a selection 🙂 I need to go shopping with you from now on!
Come on down, we can go shopping together. I am pretty lucky because I have a Target Greatland near me and I LOVE it! Matter in fact I’ll be heading there tomorrow for the second trip this week!
Your pasta bake looks terrific! Easy enough for my college boy to make!!!
Yup, he could so make it, it’s a piece of cake to whip together!!
Looks delish!
Thank you Alanna! Love your name!
So funny, I was just at Target today and bought that quinoa. Sort of pricey (I usually get mine at Trader Joe’s or Costco) but it looked good! Your pasta looks great, so cheesy and yummy!
I didn’t buy the quinoa at Target, but it was in my cart, but changed my mind at the last minute since i have a ton of it at home and my Hubby isn’t a fan of it.