Grilled Chicken and Pesto Farfalle

This has met with great success in the past.  Since it’s the mid of winter in Nebraska, tonight I’m trying it with baked chicken.  And since one batch of white enchiladas on Tuesday was not enough for the five of us plus kids (Andy, Nichole and my mom were the extras) I may just double this.  Which means I’ll have to go shopping for more pasta.  Nuts.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4  pounds  skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 3/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• Cooking spray
• 20  ounces  uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
• 1  tablespoon  butter
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2  cups  1% low-fat milk, divided
• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 1  (3.5-ounce) jar commercial pesto (about 1/3 cup)
• 3/4  cup  half-and-half
• 2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 4  cups  halved grape tomatoes (about 2 pints)
• 1/2  cup  chopped fresh basil

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until done, turning after 6 minutes. Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces; keep warm.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Place pasta in large bowl.

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Combine 1/2 cup milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in pesto. Gradually add remaining 1 cup milk and half-and-half, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 8 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Add 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 cup cheese; stir until cheese melts.

Add chicken and sauce to pasta, tossing well to coat. Add tomatoes and basil; toss gently. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:508 (30% from fat)

Fat:16.7g (sat 7.7g,mono 6.5g,poly 1.1g)

Protein:38.3g

Carbohydrate:50.7g

Fiber:2.9g

Cholesterol:81mg

Iron:3.5mg

Sodium:781mg

Calcium:397mg

photo taken from theculinarychronicles.com

Herbed Shrimp and Pasta

Not low-caloric, not cheap (the only real cost lies in the price of the shrimp), but full of salty, creamy, seafood-y yumminess.  I always short-cut and cost-save with dried herbs, which I did last night, but we’ve used fresh parsley before and I will admit that it does make for a better dish.  Serve with some soft, crusty bread to scoop up the leftover sauce and you’ve got yourself an a-ok meal.

Ingredients

• 8 oz dried angel hair pasta, uncooked
• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 lb peeled, medium-size fresh shrimp
• 4 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp dried dillweed
• Garnish: fresh dillweed sprigs

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat; add shrimp and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp, and set aside, reserving garlic and butter in skillet.

Add half-and-half to skillet; bring to a boil, stirring gently. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp, parsley, salt, pepper and, if desired, dried dillweed; stir until blended. Serve over pasta. Garnish, if desired.

recipe from Southern Living: Easy Weeknight Favorites

photo by knorrbuzz

Tomato and Tortellini Soup

Love this soup.  It has a chicken stock base but the burst tomatoes give it a little more depth.  It’s really pretty perfect the way it is, however, I am thinking of adding a little cream or perhaps some milk and a thickening agent sometime, to make it creamier.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 pints grape tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
• Salt and pepper
• One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken stock
• 1 pound fresh cheese tortellini or ravioli
• 1 cup basil leaves, torn
• 2 scallions, chopped
• A chunk of parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for shaving
• Crusty bread, for dunking

In a large, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid, or a Dutch oven, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Stir in the tomatoes and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the tomatoes burst and a thick sauce forms, 7 to 8 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the tortellini and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and scallions to wilt.

Serve the soup in shallow bowls and top with large shavings of the parmigiano cheese. Serve with the bread for dunking.

Recipe inspired by Rachael Ray

Photo from Taste of Home

Green beans and tomatoes with basil

This was a tasty way to prepare my big bag of Sam’s Club frozen green beans.  It was very simple and the ingredients basic.  I used quartered campari tomatoes and dried basil because I had them on hand.  I steamed the green beans in the microwave long enough to thaw them and let them simmer until we were ready to eat.  It was a nice accompaniment to our meal of pasta and garlic bread.  Charity and Uncle Kolby gave them two thumbs up.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds frozen green beans, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or dried equivalent
• 2 cups cherry tomato halves

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in sugar, garlic salt, pepper and basil. Add tomatoes, and cook stirring gently just until soft.  Add green beans to the mixture and simmer until heated through.

Recipe idea based upon one from allrecipes.com

Photo by delish.com

Tomato-Jalapeno Pasta

This is definitely one of my favorite summer pastas, effectively utilizing all that abundant produce from the garden; tomatoes, hot peppers, basil.  It has just the right amount of heat and is so very fresh, light and so naturally flavorful.

Ingredients

• 7-oz. dried angel hair or other straight pasta of your choice
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 T olive oil
• 4 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 8 garden tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded fresh or 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.

Meanwhile, cook garlic in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until golden.  Add minced pepper and cook 1 minute.  Add tomato; cook 3 minutes more or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.  Stir in shredded basil and salt.

Serve over hot pasta and sprinkle with cheese and salt.

Recipe inspired by Southern Living: Easy weeknight favorites

Photo by knorrbuzz

Linguine with Zucchini Sauce

I believe I found this recipe out of a healthy living magazine released by Pfizer for its employees.  In addition to the unique flavor the nutmeg creates, the best thing about this dish is the chewy, spongy texture created by a combination of the linguine and the shredded zucchini.  When a given recipe calls for a specific type of pasta, I quite often use an alternate variation of pasta that I have on hand, but for this dish, I must stress: it is essential that you use linguine. One other note of preparation: I hadn’t made this in a long time because Derek dropped my food processor a few years back and hand-grating the zucchini leaves it too mushy and watery.  I repeat: this dish is all about texture.  A new food processor came my way for Christmas and I had been thinking about this recipe off and on ever since.  It  seemed the perfect time of year to try it as it makes a great meatless, lenten meal.  Whether or not you enjoy it, I am willing to wager you have never had anything like it.

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb linguine
• 2 lb zucchini, coarsely shredded
• 3/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup sharp Cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 cup prepared, jarred Alfredo sauce
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp liquid hot pepper sauce

Cook linguine in a large, deep pot of lightly salted water until firm yet tender. Drain.

Heat EVOO in a large skillet over high heat. Add zucchini, garlic salt and black pepper; cook, stirring often, until softened, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in cheese, Alfredo sauce, lemon juice, nutmeg and pepper sauce; gently heat through.  Pour into a large bowl. Toss with drained linguine. Cover; let stand 10 minutes.  Toss again and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Photo by knorrbuzz

Baked Eggs Marinara

This is my new favorite breakfast.  It can be as simple or as complicated as you choose.  Make your own sauce by scratch or dump from a jar (like I do).  Or try a different type of sauce.  I plan to try an alfredo or other cream sauce some time.  Cater it to your own family or guests by using as many eggs as you need or to get really fancy, use individual ramekins for each serving.  Some recommend serving with warm, crusty bread for an ultra hearty meal.

Ingredients:

• About 1/4 cup per egg of any tomato-based sauce
• Eggs
• Shredded parmesan or other hard Italian cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Layer marinara on bottom of ungreased baking dish.  Crack eggs directly onto surface of sauce, spacing them evenly.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with a light dusting of cheese and drizzle with EVOO.  Bake at 400F for about 10 minutes or just until egg whites are set and yolks remain soft.

Chicken Pesto Pizza

I never really make homemade pizza.  It’s not any cheaper and it’s a lot more work than popping a frozen pie in the oven. But this pizza is excellent and worth the extra time and money.  The frozen bread dough really makes a great crust and the key…freshly grated mozzarella.  I occasionally make it with the bagged pre-shredded mozzarella but it doesn’t compare.  The real thing is oh so cheesy, gooey, yummy.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf (1 lb.) frozen bread dough, thawed
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 small sweet yellow pepper, julienned
• 1/4 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1/4 cup prepared pesto
• 3 plum tomatoes, sliced thinly
• 3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

Spread dough on ungreased 12-inch pizza pan.  Prick dough with a fork.  Brush with egg white.  Bake at 400F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In large skillet, saute chicken, onion, yellow pepper, and lemon-pepper in oil until chicken is no longer pink; drain.

Spread pesto over crust.  Top with chicken mixture, tomatoes, and cheese.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Courtesy of Reader’s Digest, April 2009