Creamy Artichoke Lemon and Chicken Pasta

This was a great pasta dish!  Definitely one you could add things to as you see fit.  Maybe asparagus?  The sauce was a bit thin so I think next time we’ll try to thicken it up some more.



Creamy Artichoke Lemon & Chicken Pasta (from Confections of  a Foodie Bride)

Ingredients:
12 oz spaghetti
3 slices bacon
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved and pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
Pepper
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
2 tsp capers, drained
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp butter, chilled
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat, cook through. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. In a bowl, stir together flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat chicken with flour mixture. Without crowding, carefully place chicken in the bacon grease. Fry until cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to paper towels. Stir the mushrooms, artichokes, and capers into the pan. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth and lemon juice, cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the cream and the butter to the sauce, stirring until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the chicken breasts into strips, and return them to the pan. Stir the pasta and bacon into the chicken mixture. Serve.

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Spaghetti with Zucchini, Walnuts, and Raisins

We bookmarked this recipe over the summer and Tyler whipped it up for dinner tonight, subbing the raisins for craisins.  It was quick and flavorful, and a really filling vegetarian meal.  Loved it!

Spaghetti with Zucchini, Walnuts, and Raisins (from Real Simple)

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti (3⁄4 box)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup walnut halves, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds small zucchini (4 to 5), cut into thin half-moons
• 3/4 cup raisins
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 1 minute.
4. Add the zucchini and raisins and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the zucchini is just tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the zucchini mixture to the pasta and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the Parmesan before serving.

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Mushroom-Herb Mac n Cheese

I’ve stayed out of the kitchen as much as possible since starting my new job in June, but I finally got up the energy and inspiration to make dinner this weekend, and try a new recipe to boot.  Tyler was happy to have a break I’m sure (and I’m happy to have a break from doing the dishes!)  I bookmarked this recipe months ago and found it sitting there waiting patiently in my Google Reader the other day.  We love cheese and mushrooms so we knew we’d love it.  And love it we did!  Next time I will probably try a different herb mix, or cut back on them a bit as I felt like they overpowered the flavor of the cheese when all was said and done.  The recipe is definitely a keeper though, and it felt good to be in front of the stove again.

Mushroom Herb Mac and Cheese (from Annie’s Eats and Brown Eyed Baker)

Ingredients:
1 lb. pasta shapes
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 lb. cremini (baby bella mushrooms), roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion (HyVee was out of shallots, boo)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
2 cups whole milk
6 oz. (1½ cups) shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
6 oz. (1½ cups) shredded white cheddar cheese, divided
½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions:
Grease a 9 x 13″ baking dish.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions, just until al dente.  Drain the pasta, return to the pot, and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped mushrooms and onion to the pan and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and almost all of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and sauté about 1 minute more, just until fragrant.  Remove the pan from the heat, season the mixture with salt and pepper, and mix in the white wine vinegar.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat.  Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden.  Stir in the fresh herbs and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.  Whisk in the milk and cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the mixture simmers and begins to thicken.  Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat.  Whisk in the shredded Gruyere and cheddar cheeses until completely melted and smooth.

Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta.  Add the mushroom and shallot mixture to the pot as well.  Toss well to thoroughly combine.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.  In a small bowl combine the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, melted.  Toss with fork to coat the crumbs evenly.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the pasta in the baking dish.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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Frozen Pesto

Our garden is doing fabulous this year, but with 3 basil plants I have to work to stay on top of it now that they are proliferating so quickly.  I decided over the weekend to try my hand at freezing pesto, and to try the ice cube tray method for the first time, so we can better portion it.  I’ve used this pesto recipe in the past, but decided to try a different one this time, and I think I liked it better.  It froze really well too, this picture is pre-freezing, I popped them out of the tray today after running some hot water over the bottom to loosen them up a bit.  Then I put them in ziplock bags (usually 3-5 cubes per bag) and stuck them back in the freezer for later use.

Fresh Basil Pesto (from Simply Recipes)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

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Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

Tyler and I both loved this recipe, quick and easy and a great way to work some asparagus into dinner, which is always a plus!  Tyler had just read the 25 Common Cooking Mistakes in this month’s Cooking Light which taught him how to shock the asparagus.   That made a HUGE difference in my opinion.  The asparagus was tender crisp, even when I microwaved the leftovers!  This will definitely become a regular meal in our house, love it.

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  uncooked cavatappi pasta
• 1  pound  asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 3  tablespoons  pine nuts
• 2  ounces  diced pancetta
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.

3. Arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl.

4. Increase oven temperature to 475°.

5. Arrange pancetta on jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475° for 6 minutes or until crisp.

6. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.

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Vegetarian Bolognese

Yeah that is Tyler’s portion, not mine I am swamped with schoolwork now that the end of the semester is in sight (2 days, yikes!)  Tyler planned the meals, did the shopping, and the cooking this week.  It is rare we cook with red wine, but this was worth the extra trip to the liquor store (stupid Kansas not selling wine in grocery stores!)  We both thought this was an excellent vegetarian meal!

Vegetarian Bolognese (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

1/4  cup  dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/4 ounce)

1  tablespoon  olive oil

1 1/2  cups  finely chopped onion

1/2  cup  finely chopped carrot

1/2  cup  finely chopped celery

1  (8-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, finely chopped

1/2  cup  dry red wine

1/4  cup  warm water

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

1  (28-ounce) can organic crushed tomatoes with basil, undrained

1  (2-inch) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind

12  ounces  uncooked whole-wheat penne (tube-shaped pasta)

1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Place dried mushrooms in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms; sauté 10 minutes. Add wine; simmer 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add 1/4 cup warm water and next 4 ingredients (through cheese rind) to onion mixture. Stir in ground porcini. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes. Keep warm. Remove rind; discard.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Place 1 cup of pasta in each of 6 bowls. Top each portion with 3/4 cup sauce and about 1 tablespoon cheese.

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Spectacular Salad with Salmon

I discovered this recipe last summer and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made it!  To change it up a bit we added salmon, which we had a ton of left over from dinner earlier this week.  This was a great way to liven up leftovers!  I was unable to find arugula this week so that was the only other change I made to the original recipe.  This salad is perfect for summer nights when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen!  I think it would be a great addition to a summer picnic or a special Father’s Day celebration!

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Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad

Tyler made this recipe last Saturday as a bit of a Valentine’s surprise.  I had to work that day and informed him that I did not want to have to do dishes at the end of the day, so while a nice elaborate romantic dinner would be great, I’d rather we just get pizza!  Instead he chose to make this pasta salad which was filling and required minimal cleanup.  He knows me well!  Tyler made this salad with canned chicken but you could use the “real” thing too of course.  It was delicious and I think it would be great for picnics and bbqs in the summer months.  You can add different veggies to it as well, we just used what we had on hand, which was sugar snap peas.

Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad (adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sesame seeds
16 oz pasta
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 t sesame oil
3 T white sugar
1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground pepper
3 cups shredded chicken meat
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/3 cup chopped green onion

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame seeds, and cook stirring frequently until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain pasta, and rinse under cold water until cool. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, sesame seeds, ginger, and pepper. Shake well.
4. Pour sesame dressing over pasta, and toss to coat evenly. Gently mix in chicken, cilantro, and green onions.

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Fabulous Stir-Fry

Oh my goodness friends I can’t believe it’s been 3 weeks since I posted!  School has kept me insanely busy and we are doing easy easy meals for dinner these days, and often Tyler is the one doing the cooking.  I often resort to PBJ when I’m really busy with homework.  This recipe was Tyler’s idea to make, it’s based off the stir fry we made at the KC Culinary Center this summer.  Since I am mildly allergic to shrimp Tyler subbed chicken.  I think this stir-fry is fabulous.  If you live in the KC area, we were unable to find the black bean sauce at HyVee or SuperTarget, but Hen House came through for us.  You could add all kinds of great things to this stir fry, it’s a great base.  Tyler bought dried mushrooms and soaked them, also yummy!

Wok-Fried Chicken with Noodles (adapted from the KCCC recipe we were given)

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup canola or peanut oil
1 t sesame oil
1 T garlic, chopped
1 head baby bok choy, chopped in 1-inch pieces
5-6 pieces of shiitake mushrooms
1/2 red pepper, julienne
2 T black bean sauce
1 T soy sauce
14 oz fresh egg noodles, or cooked lo mein noodles
1 green onion, sliced
1 t chili garlic sauce

Directions:

Pre-heat pan over high heat and add oil.  Cook chicken, add sesame oil, and then garlic, cooking until chicken is no longer pink.  Add baby bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, red peppers, black bean sauce, and soy sauce, cooking 30 seconds longer.  Add the noodles to the pan and stir in the chili garlic sauce.

Plate and garnish with green onions.

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Red Pepper Pesto

Ok sorry for the less than amazing photo but 1) sunlight is fading fast in the evenings and 2) this stuff was so good I almost didn’t even stop to photograph it at all, I was all “get in my belly!”  Oh man this pesto is good!  It’s good on pasta, it’s good on sandwiches, it’s good on bruschetta, it’s good straight out of a spoon.  We got a great deal on red peppers at Costco last weekend and Tyler promised he’d find a way to use them.  He found this Rachael Ray recipe on the food network site and whipped it up last night.  It made a ton, and it was a great alternative to regular pesto since basil is just too scarce and too expensive these days!  Excuse me while I go eat another spoonfull before bed   You need to make this pesto, and soon!

Red Pepper Pesto Sauce (from Rachael Ray)

• 1 cup drained, packed roasted red peppers
• 2 small cloves garlic
• 1 (3-ounce) jar pignoli/pine nuts
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, a couple of handfuls
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it

Combine roasted peppers, garlic, pine nuts, parsley, salt and pepper and cheese in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil to form a thick, pasty sauce forms. Adjust seasoning and transfer sauce to a large bowl.

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