Laying all the Recipe Cards on the Table

Sorry that I haven't been around for a while. There were school finals, then lots of holiday events, birthday parties, and just general busyness. I'm still going to be posting occasionally, but with an even heavier school load this coming semester (starts next week!) I know that it's going to be sporadic at best. I do however actually have a recipe to share- shocking, I know! I had a long list of to-do's for my winter break, half of which of course have not gotten done. Funny how when you still work full time your winter school break doesn't really seem like much of a break. But, I have managed to get some casseroles into the freezer, which was one item on that long list. I even managed to finally make this Everyday Food recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini. This was in the April 2007 issue. Yes, 2007. As in 3, almost 4, years ago now. And it had been on my to-cook list since then. So, I guess this dish did more than double duty- it made two meals, but it also let me cross something off two lists! This recipe was time consuming for me, but I knew it would be so I blocked off a whole evening to make it. It's not that it's terribly hard, but I'm a slow worker and the prep work of shredding a whole rotisserie chicken and cleaning mushrooms took me awhile. It did come out deliciously though, and considering I've got one in the freezer for later I would say the effort was well worth it. I only wish I hadn't waited so long!

Chicken Tetrazzini
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 8


Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 tablespoons butter
1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced inch thick
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 14.5 ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 pound linguine, broken in half
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed and drained

• Preheat oven to 400. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (for pasta). In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over high heat. Add mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until tender and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
• Make sauce: In same saucepan, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour; cook, whisking, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, gradually add milk, broth, and wine. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and add 2 cups Parmesan and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package instructions for al dente; drain and return to pot. Add sauce, chicken, peas, and mushrooms. Toss well to combine. Divide between two shallow 2-quart baking dishes; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Freeze (see below) or bake until browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
• To freeze: After placing pasta mixture in baking dishes and sprinkling with Parmesan (step 3), cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and freeze up to 3 months.
• To bake from frozen: Bake, covered with foil, at 400 degrees, until center is warm, about 2 hours. Uncover, and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes more. Serve.
• To bake from thawed: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake, covered with foil, at 400 degrees, until center is warm, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes.

My notes: I didn't thaw the peas. Instead I just tossed them in during the last minute on the pasta's cook time. That did the trick just fine. Also, I bought bags of pre-shredded Parmesan cheese; recipe says grated, but the shredded worked just as well with less prep work from me. Also, I'm sure I've mentioned before, when freezing my casseroles I always wrap it first with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil. I have to remove the plastic before I can put it in the oven, but I feel like the casseroles keep better this way.

Easy Entertaining with Proscuitto-Wrapped Chicken

Yeah, yeah, yeah- I know. I'm still being lazy about posting. But it's not general laziness, I've just been far busier in other places than the kitchen. But I am very much looking forward to getting back to lots of cooking when I'm finally set up in my new kitchen at the house. In the meantime, here's a recipe I made back in January that I can share with you. Josh was a very busy guy during that month, and there were a lot of nights where I only had myself to cook for. Sometimes I wouldn't bother to go to the effort of making a meal, but I did take the opportunity to try out this "Cooking for One" recipe from Everyday Food one night. This recipe was so simple and fast, not to mention delicious, that I quickly realized how great it would be for entertaining. Just multiply your ingredients by the number of guests and you're ready to go.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Breast
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 1
















1 teaspoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half
3 thin slices prosciutto
Lemon wedge, for serving

• Heat broiler of toaster oven (or oven). Season chicken with salt and pepper; wrap with prosciutto. Place chicken, seam side down, on baking sheet; rub with remaining teaspoon oil.
• Broil until chicken is opaque throughout, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with a lemon wedge.

My notes: The side dish was included in this recipe, green beans that you broil along side the chicken. Mine came out inedibly burned to a crisp. Hence the cropped photo and edited recipe. If you'd like to give the green beans a shot, Everyday Food tells you to toss about 4 oz. green beans, ends trimmed, with 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Just pop on one half of your baking sheet, opposite the chicken breast. And good luck, cause my chicken was perfect, but my green beans had a trash can burial.

Hello and Chicken Enchiladas

Well, I'm back. That vacation went a bit longer than I had intended it to. If only the part of it that was spent in Cozumel had gone longer too! I've been getting back into the habit of meal-planning and cooking more and more, but it has still been a rather sporadic thing. Josh has been practicing several nights a week, and along with shows, plans with friends and a good pinch of laziness cooking hasn't been a full-time thing again just yet. And just as some of this stuff will be slowing down after Friday, other things will be picking up. We'll be starting the house hunt this weekend, which I'm sure will only make me crazier, and then lazier. So things won't be quite back to normal for some time I would guess, but I am back to cooking and will be happy to share the new recipes I make when I get the chance. :)

So, we had a little Mexican/Caribbean vacation earlier this month and upon our return I wanted to keep us in the vacation spirit. To help I decided to make these Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Sauce for dinner the week after we got back. This recipe had been sitting around on my To-Cook list for an embarrassingly long time. I figured like crossing it off would be a good way to jump back into the kitchen habit. I halved this recipe, just using the two chicken breasts I had in the freezer. That was apparently more chicken than I needed cause I ended up making two extra enchiladas and still had some chicken leftover. The extra enchiladas threw off my salsa ratio a bit, so these enchiladas were truthfully a little dry. But they were also truthfully delicious! And I can only imagine that they will be that much better when I get the math right.

Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Sauce
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 6













3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
Coarse salt and ground pepper
5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 jars (16 ounces each) medium green salsa
3/4 cup heavy cream
12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely shredded (3 cups)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place with garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine salsa and cream.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred meat, discarding skin and bones. Peel and chop garlic. In a large bowl, combine chicken, garlic, and 1/2 cup salsa mixture.
• Stack tortillas flat, and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute to soften. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip in salsa mixture, lay flat, and fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll up and arrange, seam side down, 8 enchiladas lengthwise and 4 crosswise in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining salsa mixture, then cheese.
• Bake until cheese is browned and salsa is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes; let rest 10 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.

My notes: I will definitely be making this recipe again, and probably just make the full-size batch so I don't have to worry about any of that pesky dividing. The only other change I might make would be to add a bit of cheese to the filling. I served this with Cilantro-Lime Rice on the side and our usual pre-dinner salad.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Couscous

Well, like I said posts are going to be a bit rare for awhile. Josh is busier and busier with each passing week, making a lot of dinner effort hard to muster when he won't even be eating it several nights a week. The grocery budget is getting tighter for us too, just like it is for so many other households. Just doesn't allow for as much freedom as I once had in planning the weekly menu and shopping list. This is a recipe that I actually made quite awhile back. I didn't think the picture turned out all that appetizingly, but I decided to go ahead and share it with you guys. Chicken thighs can be a very cost effective protein choice, so a good option for meat eaters these days. And with only 5 ingredients required, several of which might be staples in your kitchen, it could be a recipe that keeps your weekly grocery spending down.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Couscous
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












8 chicken thighs
2 zucchini (about 1 pound total), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in upper third. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place, skin side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes.
• Remove sheet from oven, and turn chicken, skin side up. Scatter zucchini around chicken, and season with salt and pepper; toss with pan juices. Return sheet to oven, and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in couscous. Cover, and let stand until all the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in parsley, vinegar, roasted zucchini, and 2 tablespoons pan juices; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with zucchini and couscous.

My notes: My chicken stuck a little bit to the pan, so maybe a light rubbing with olive oil could help with that. Other than that this was a good, easy recipe that I'd probably make again.

Spicy Chicken Pasta

Actually, not so spicy if you ask me. Still quite yummy though. This was a pretty easy recipe, and actually meant to serve one. I just doubled it up and that means that it was easy to split between two and not worry about portion control. I'll probably make it again, probably with even more red pepper next time.

Spicy Chicken Pasta
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 1












Coarse salt
1/2 cup penne or other short pasta
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• In a large pot of boiling slated water, cook penne until al dente, adding chicken during last 2 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Drain chicken and pasta and return to pot.
• To pot add tomato, tomato paste, garlic, olive oil, red-pepper flakes and spinach; season with salt. Cook over medium, tossing until spinach is barely wilted, about 1 minute. Remove post from heat; stir in lemon juice and enough water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Season with salt, if necessary, and serve immediately.

My notes: Like I said, I'd probably like it a bit spicier, so more red-pepper flakes for me next time. This would be an easy enough dinner to make in a pinch, as I've always got a variety of pasta and usually have chicken in the freezer and spinach in the fridge.

Cajun Stirfry

I was planning on making some kebabs with some of the meat I reserved from the gumbo, but I got lazy. I don't mind that I got lazy though, cause I really enjoyed what I came up with instead. I decided to pretty much just toss my kebab ingredients together in the pan and see what came of it. I thought the flavors came together really well, and it was really enjoyable and easy. I think I'll definitely toss this together again sometime.

Cajun Stirfry
Recipe from me; Serves 2-4












6 oz. andouille sausage, sliced thickly
1 large chicken breast, cut into bite size chunks
1 green bell pepper, seeded & ribbed, cut into chunks
1/2 red onion, chopped
Dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Olive oil

• Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring, till beginning to soften. Meanwhile toss chicken with enough dried oregano, salt, and pepper to lightly coat.
• Add chicken to pan and cook, stirring, until no longer pink. Add andouille to pan and cook until sausage is warmed through and chicken is cooked completely.

My notes: I served this over brown rice, which was a nice background for the spice and flavor of the meats. The recipe might sound a little vague, but since I just tossed it together I wasn't really paying a lot of attention to what I was doing. It's not hard to toss things into the pan and come out with something good though, so give it a shot! I served chili roasted sweet potato wedges on the side.

Very Pale Chicken Gumbo

This is what your chicken gumbo will look like when you are too impatient to properly cook your roux. It'll still taste pretty good, but tell me if that isn't the whitest gumbo you've ever seen. Sometimes it's hard to be patient when you're hungry. Really hard. Next time I'll be more patient, I promise. In the meantime, just make sure you cook your roux longer than me and you'll be fine. Obviously, this picture isn't all that pretty. Go ahead and scroll down and look at that Orzo. It's a lot prettier. It might redeem me.

Half-Hour Chicken Gumbo
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












3 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 red bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 10 oz. package frozen cut okra
8 oz. smoked (precooked) andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1" thick
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 lbs.), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
Store-bought or homemade cornbread, for serving (optional)

• In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add 4 cups water; stir in okra and sausage. Bring to a boil. Stir in shredded chicken, and warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; if desired, serve with cornbread.

My notes: I only used half the chicken, because I wanted to use the other half for a salad, and I used 6 oz. of andouille (1 link of a 2 link 12 oz. package). I didn't notice it really lacking because of these changes. I also added 1 cup of brown rice to get some extra fiber in there, and help balance out the less meat. I also thought that this was even better the next day for lunch leftovers. The flavors had time to mingle, which makes me think that maybe half-hour gumbo is quick, but a slower cooked one would be tastier. I made some cornbread from mix (Jiffy rules!) to go with it, at EF's suggestion.

Chicken Sammiches

Recently I made one of Josh's favorite foods for dinner- a chicken sandwich. I know, is it weird that that is his favorite thing? That a chicken sandwich is what he will almost unfailingly order if it's on the menu? That it is his best and most ordered meal at our favorite seafood restaurant? Just give him some chicken on a bun and he's probably pretty happy. That said though, since he likes it so much I had always hesitated to make it. It's so simple, but I was sure that I could find a way to mess it up. But I went ahead and took a stab at it a week or two ago (don't even get me started on how little I've had to post lately). I used Kelly's Honey Mustard Chicken recipe to bake two chicken breasts. I spread a little bit of the extra sauce on the wheat buns (p.s. I found some awesome Orowheat buns with, like, 5 grams of fiber!), top with some tomato and greens, and there ya go! I made some more oven frites, cutting them a little thicker this time. They still came out great. Since I needed the oven at different temperatures for each recipe I cooked the chicken first, and covered it with foil while I cooked the fries and that worked great. Next time I will just split a chicken breast, or look a little harder for chicken cutlets, because it can be quite a mouthful with a whole breast.

Pots of Comfort

Well, after getting back from NYC on Monday there wasn't a whole lot in the pantry and fridge for making dinners. I was however lucky enough to have some frozen chicken breasts, along with the rest of the ingredients for a chicken pot pie I was going to make a couple weeks ago, but didn't. I tossed the chicken in the fridge to thaw and last night was actually able to make us a real dinner. I've made this Kraft recipe for Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie before, but this time I decided to use my 10 oz. ramekins to make 4 individual pies. This worked really well except that I probably didn't vent my crusts well enough, cause they spilled over some. I anticipated that might happen and they were on a baking sheet, so no matter. Also, I could have added some more veggies. I had a big bag instead of a 10 oz. box, so I eyeballed it, and one of the pies ended up a little skimpy on the filling. To cut the crust to size I just pressed the upside-down ramekins onto the unrolled pie crust and cut the circles out. This way I even have a small ball of dough leftover that I'll probably make a couple of hand pies from this weekend. I was gonna do that last night too, but I was also trying to do laundry while cooking and all that multi-tasking was beginning to catch up with me. Anyway, this recipe is a great one to have because all the ingredients can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Maybe you've even got the ingredients in your kitchen right now! Get to cooking!

Rub Down

Whew, sorry it took me so long to get back. I had a real rhythm going, keeping up with posting, but then a busy weekend came right along and interrupted everything. I guess it's not that bad though, since at least I have a couple of things to post about while I'm making repeat recipes this week. Last Thursday for dinner I whipped up the cover meal from January's Everyday Food. Well, with a little alteration. A certain grocery store wanted me to pay more than $7 for less than 2 pounds of chicken breast. I wasn't okay with that, but I was also in a rush so I grabbed the breast tenderloins which were slightly cheaper. Makes no difference, as Josh and I both really, really liked this dish. I wasn't sure how he would feel about the salsa, as he typically doesn't go for things like it. I told him that I thought it was really good, but put it on the side of his chicken all the same. He surprised me by saying that it was really delicious and eating all of the salsa with this chicken. Obviously I'll add this recipe to the rotation.

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 oz. each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks

• In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

My notes: I didn't worry about how finely I diced my onion. After last week I was just trying to get it cut and be done with it. I also mixed all my spices in a pie dish, then dumped the chicken in and coated them that way, much easier if you ask me. Aside from that everything else is pretty much by the recipe.

Shells & Cheese

Well, not quite. Last night's dinner was another choice from Josh. He found this Shells with Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella in the July/August issue of Everyday Food. This was a really good meal for us, and we both enjoyed the leftovers today. I'm not gonna elaborate much, as I will soon be on my way to Stephanie's house for some munchies and TV premieres. So, let's get down to the delicious details.

Shells with Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for grates
1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets
8 ounces medium pasta shells
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons butter

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. Meanwhile, heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill, and cut into thin strips, halving if long.
• Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella, parsley, Parmesan, and butter. Toss to combine. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a sauce that coats shells (you may not need all the water). Serve with more Parmesan.

My notes: I actually just realized typing the ingredients that I forgot the butter last night! And yet it was delicious. Oh well, guess I saved us some calories! I don't know if I'll bother with the butter next time, seeing as it was so good without it.

Changin' It Up

Last night's dinner was really good, and really pretty easy. Now, that doesn't mean it didn't take me forever to make it. Between more laundry and trying to keep my cat from attacking the cute kittens that appeared on our back porch, not to mention attempting to shred delicious smelling chicken with the cat under my feet, it wasn't as quick as I think it would normally be. Actually, if I think about the steps done between all the other chores, it is really a fast meal. This was another attempt to step outside my recipe box, as it were, and stretch my cooking boundaries. Or perhaps I should say food boundaries as there is no actual cooking required, just preparations. This salad was actually featured on the cover of the June issue of Everyday Food, but I more or less ignored it then. While making my menu plan this weekend I did a recipe search on Martha Stewart rotisserie chicken. They were on sale this week and I wanted to pick one up to make chicken pizza for Josh, so I was looking for something to use the rest of the chicken up. This is, I think, the first recipe to pop up. After giving it a once over I thought about a tiny adjustment I could make, and decided to go for it. I am so glad that I did, because I really loved it. I'm definitely going to make it again, and probably soon.

Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1/4 medium red cabbage (8 ounces), cored and thinly sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup cashews

• Make dressing: In a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
• In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, bell pepper, and scallions; season with salt and pepper. In another large bowl, toss lettuce with 1/2 cup dressing. Divide among four bowls, and top with chicken mixture. Drizzle all with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with cashews.

My notes: As you might notice from my picture, there is a suspicious lack of cashews and red cabbage. The red cabbage didn't look too great at the store, so I bought a bag of broccoli slaw, which has carrots and cabbage in it. That worked well, but next time I will probably give just the cabbage a shot. And I was personally apprehensive about the cashews. I love cashews, but I just have never been really keen on nuts in my salad. I mean, sesame seeds are good, maybe the occasional pecan, but I just didn't go for the cashews. But what I do love? Chow mein noodles. So that's what I sprinkled across the top. And I'd do it again! Obviously, probably not as nutritional as nuts, but delicious. I ended up making the dressing with bottled lime juice. My grocery store, for some inexplicable reason, had only key limes this week. I've never seen a key lime there before (it's a small local store), and yet this week they had hundreds and no regular limes whatsoever. This dressing was very limy as a result, but I loved it. Next time I'll definitely make it with fresh, granted I can get some. I just didn't have an interest in having to go somewhere else for 2 limes. Also, I cut this recipe in half, so that I would still have chicken for pizza later in the week. But I wish I hadn't cut it in half so I could have had seconds!

Broccoli Spaghetti

Thought I would do a quick write up on tonight's dinner. No pic, the camera wasn't cooperating this evening. This recipe came from Real Simple. I found it online, but it's from the February 2004 issue, if you happen to have a that issue lying around. It seemed like a great way to use the leftover rotisserie chicken I had after making a chicken & spinach pizza Monday night.

Broccoli Spaghetti
Recipe from Real Simple; Serves 4

1 pound spaghetti
1 large head of broccoli (1/2 pound)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded (2 cups)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• Cook spaghetti according to the label directions and drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, cut off the broccoli stalk, peel it, and thinly slice it crosswise. Cut the remaining broccoli into small florets. Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, broccoli, and half the salt and cook until the garlic is lightly browned and the broccoli is fork-tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
  
• Add the pasta, the shredded chicken, the reserved pasta water, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and toss well. Drizzle with the remaining oil before serving.

My notes: I totally forgot to add the red pepper flakes, d'oh. It still tasted good, and maybe it's better I forgot the flakes since I don't need to make anything too spicy for Josh. Also, I bought a bag of fresh broccoli florets to save myself some time. That usually works to my advantage because Josh prefers florets over stalk pieces. I just cut some of the larger florets down. I've been buying a lot of rotisserie chickens lately for different uses, and they have been especially handy while Josh has been sick- providing a quick source of tasty protein that won't cause him any difficulty. At the rate I've been buying these I can definitely see myself making these recipes again.

PS: The Minneapolis bridge situation is terribly sad and tragic, so please say a little (or big) prayer for all the people affected.

Feeling Fresh

Last night's dinner was one of the first recipes I made when I started my cooking journey. At first bite I wasn't hooked. But just a few weeks later I found myself craving it. And Josh told me it had been on his mind too, so we had it again. It is a great meal for summertime, with a really fresh flavor. I can't wait to have my leftovers for lunch! The pic below is from Martha Stewart, cause as delicious as this is, it just doesn't photograph that well. Or, I don't photograph it well, whatever.

Pasta with Chicken, Tomato, and Feta
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4
Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 oz. ditalini, or other short tubular pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled feta cheese
1 lb. plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4" chunks (3 cups)
3 cups (12 oz.) shredded cooked rotisserie chicken (skin removed)
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain; rinse well under cold water.
• Transfer to a large bowl; toss with oil, lemon juice, feta, tomatoes, chicken, and basil; season generously with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

My notes: My store's selection of pasta was woefully sparse, so I ended up with rigatoni and used less to account for the bigger size. 1 pound came out to about 5 tomatoes for me. I seeded 3 of them, and let the seeds be in the other 2. Just thought it might make the dish a little prettier, which it did.

Real Simple?

Last night I was planning on making a recipe from my latest issue of Real Simple. I honestly didn't think this recipe would be that hard, but then again I didn't take my total lack of motor skills or mental concentration into account. I really am not that great at multi-step cooking. Now I'm sure you're wondering to yourself, "Aside from toast, doesn't most cooking require more than one step?" And yeah, you'd be right. But the fact remains that since this recipe required me to put things in a skillet, remove them, add more things in the skillet, move to oven, and then back to the skillet with more ingredients that I should probably have realized I would be doomed. The outcome tasted good, but if you think that it looked anything like the picture below, you are sadly mistaken. I would recommend this recipe if, you know, you're not task-handicapped like me.

Sauteed Chicken With Corn and Edamame
Recipe from Real Simple; Serves 4
4 ounces sliced bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh (2 ears) or frozen

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large skillet, over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard the drippings. Wipe out the skillet and heat the oil over medium-high heat.
• Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking dish and roast until cooked through, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the edamame and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Break the bacon into pieces and add them to the skillet. Stir in the remaining salt and pepper. Spoon onto individual plates and serve with the chicken.

My notes: Most of the problems with this recipe were my fault. My chicken breasts were definitely larger than 6 ounces, but I'm kind of limited to what I can find and afford at my small grocery store. So, I had to bake them for longer than 8 minutes. Much longer. Which then threw off the onion mixture. Also, I can never, ever get bacon to cook crisply in a skillet. After 6 minutes I had 3 soft pieces of cooked bacon. I threw it in the oven with the chicken, and it got a bit crisper. I tore it into bits, which allowed me to only use the meaty portions of the bacon, eliminating at least some of the fat. From now on I refuse to cook bacon any way other than in an oven. Also, since my chicken breasts were really big, I just cut them into big chunks and mixed them in with the bacon and veggie/bean mixture. This meal was pretty good, actually, but not worth the amount of time and effort it took me to complete it. Josh for some reason, despite being a man, didn't like the smokiness of the bacon with everything else. Real Simple mentions you could go sans bacon to cut the fat, and apparently Josh would support that suggestion. Another note- try to remember when you've just taken a dish out of a 400 degree oven. Luckily I let go of it quickly enough that I barely burned my fingers.

The rest of the week

I don't have any big plans for this weekend, as far as baking or cooking go that is. I'm most likely going to Mayfest with Stephanie and her family, and another friend & family. And I think we're hoping to party Cinco De Mayo style afterward. Did somebody say margaritas? Have no fears, I will still do a write-up on my Saturday morning shows though.

Anyway, I decided to just do a bit of a round up post of what else has been going on in my kitchen this week. Now, I know I mentioned that I served the Zucchini Lasagna with a salad, but what I neglected to tell you was that the carrot I used in it came from my father-in-laws garden. Isn't it perty? We've also made a salad with their romaine, and enjoyed many other fruits, er vegetables, of their labor. Hopefully I can get by and take a picture of the garden to share it all with you. They have the biggest rosemary bush! And I also hope to reap the rewards of their hard work more in the future!




Wednesday night dinner was delayed considerably due to inclement weather. There's nothing like a flash flood, to welcome you home, I've always said. Wait, no I haven't ever said that. But living in Texas, sometimes it happens. I guess plenty of places get flash floods, but with the tornado sirens going off once a week for the past month or so it's getting a bit old. The loverly view to the left is the view I was treated to while peering out my front window. Through luck, our apartment is placed just so, as to avoid getting flooded. When I did finally get around to making dinner, I made Kelly's Honey Mustard Chicken along with vegetable brown rice and red grapes. I had to seed the grapes, which was more of a hassle than a difficulty, but I thought it would compliment the chicken nicely, and I was quite right. At least I think I was, ha. Next time I use this marinade I think I'm going to do chicken cutlets, and make yummy sandwiches




And last but not least, Thursday's dinner, Roasted Pork with Black-Eyed Pea Salad. This is a recipe that I'd been meaning to try for quite sometime. But, I'm taking the easy way out on this one. I highly recommend that you click on that lovely little link and get this recipe for yourself. It was really delicious, and really easy. I've made the salad several times before, but this was the first time I'd done the pork tenderloin too. I had some difficulty getting it up to the right temperature, but I think the problem might lie in my thermometer actually. I'm also cheating and using Martha's pic, cause I just couldn't cut my pork that neatly. But really, don't take my not typing up the whole recipe a sign that it isn't delicious. Just take it as a sign that I'm excited because it's Chipotle Friday and the hubster just got home. I gotta get me some chips & guacamole, so I'll check you chicas later. Adios!

Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pieeee

Strangely, two recipes in a row remind me of television comedy. We heart David Cross. Anyhoo, I had a terrible day yesterday, but this recipe came out pretty darn good. Although I did burn my pinkie finger when taking it out of the oven, which sucked. It's been a busy day already, and it will probably only get worse, so I'm just gonna get this up on here and get back to work. Oh, and the pic is courtesy of the Kraft Foods website, cause I didn't get around to taking a pic of mine. It wouldn't have been pretty, even if I had, ha.

Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe from Kraft Foods; Serves 6
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup Kraft Light Done Right Zesty Italian Dressing
4 oz. Neufchatel cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth
1 10 oz. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15 oz. package)

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook chicken in dressing in large skillet on medium heat 2 minutes. Add Neufchatel cheese; cook and stir until melted. Add flour; mix well. Add broth and vegetables; simmer 5 minutes.
• Pour mixture into deep dish 10" pie plate. Arrange pie crust over filling; flute edges. Cut four slits in crust to allow steam to escape.
• Bake 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

My notes: I forgot to thaw my veggies, so I just nuked them for 2 minutes, which worked fine. I also discovered I had no idea how to flute the edges of the pie crust, as I have actually never made a pie before. I managed, but it's wasn't as pretty as it could have been, so I guess I've got some research to do. This is a little tangier than what we are familiar with as far as pot pies go, due to the Italian dressing and cheese. We both enjoyed the dinner, but it wasn't as filling as I thought it would be, so I would suggest serving with a salad, or following with a light dessert.