Category Archives: pasta

Fettucine with Sausage and Kale

Posted on April 3, 2013 | 2 comments

photophotophoto (4)photo (3)I made this for dinner before we left Colorado and was so crazy busy with Passover and Passover recipes, I had no time to post it. Now that the holidays are over I am back with some wonderful new recipes for Springtime.  High recommendation for this delicious pasta dish, what a perfect springtime anytime dish.  It was so very tasty, and easy to prepare.  If you like sausage and you like kale, and who doesn’t like fettucine? Joel managed to pick out every last piece of kale, but I don’t mind because he put it all on my plate. I used baby kale which is just perfect and if you can get turkey sausage it will be that much healthier. It is light, only 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a little chicken broth and Pecorino Romano and you’re finished. Very quick meal, very few ingredients, and it is restaurant worthy for sure. Simple, hearty and delicious. No extra added salt because you have the sausage which is plenty salty enough. I of course used spicy sausage , use whatever you prefer.

*serves 4 as main course

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. turkey or pork sausage, out of casing, and crumbled. Use hot or sweet sausage, whichever you prefer

1/2 lb. baby kale , if you can’t find baby kale use regular kale and remove tough stems and center ribs and coarsely chop the kale. Because I used baby kale, I just used as is, perfection!

1/2 lb. dried egg fettucine

1/2 cup chicken broth

Freshly grated Pecorino Romano for serving

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a 12″ heavy skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers, then cook sausage , breaking up any lumps. Once it browns up, about 7 minutes, take off heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, blanch kale in a 6 – 8 qt. pot of well-salted boiling water, uncovered, I cooked baby kale for about 3 minutes, it wilts quickly. I used a pasta insert and removed the kale and kept that water for cooking the pasta. If you don’t have a pasta insert you can just remove with a small sieve. You’ll want to cook fettucine in this water. I also highly recommend buying a pasta insert for pasta pots. There is a picture of the pasta insert that I use. I use the all clad one, they usually fit all pasta pots.

While pasta is cooking, dried egg fettucine cooks very quickly, add kale to sausage in the skillet and saute , stirring frequently on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add broth , stir and scrape any brown bits from bottom of skillet.

When pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of cooking water, then drain pasta. Add pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to skillet, tossing until well coated and well combined. If you require a little more moistening add a little more pasta water at a time till it reaches consistency that you are looking for. I only added 1/2 cup. If you’re going to let it sit for a while you may want to heat it up and throw in a little more pasta water as it heats up.

Serve immediately , with cheese if desired. I plated each bowl individually.

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Chicken and Mushroom Ragu over Pasta

Posted on March 10, 2013 | 6 comments

I kind of winged this one but it came out so well I just had to post it . I had mushrooms , I had skinless chicken thighs, and all of the other ingredients. Pappardelle type pasta would have been awesome, but I only had fettucine. It was perfectly fine, just try and get as fat a noodle as possible, fettucine, pappardelle type of spaghetti. This is a rustic type ragu, of course you can use white meat chicken just cut into 1/2″ pieces. Firstly what is a ragu?  In Italian cuisine it is a meat-based sauce, commonly served with a pasta. In the northern Italian regions, a ragu is typically a sauce of meat , and cooked with sautéed vegetables in a liquid. Meats are varied and the liquids can be broth, stock, water wine, milk , cream or tomato, and often includes combinations of these. Characteristically, a ragu is a sauce of braised or stewed meat that may be flavoured with tomato, to distinguish it from a tomato sauce that is flavoured with the addition of meat. In southern Italian regions, ragus contain substantial quantities of meat, cooked with vegetables and tomatoes as well. This ragu is a winner, and pretty easy. You’ll need a food processor to get the mushrooms chopped, and a 12″ heavy skillet.

I might also add that I added the arugula and Joel had quite the time picking it out. It added a wonderful flavor despite his picking, I would have loved to do a pod cast of him picking it out, but I was too busy enjoying the dish! photo (8)photo (11)photo (10)photo (12)

Picture of a beautiful Colorado Day from my kitchen to yours. Just have to add that my family is out here now and they loved this dish! especially my son-in-law Brian.

*serves 4 as a main dish

Ingredients:

6 oz. cremini mushrooms

3 garlic cloves

1 1/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into app. 1/2-inch pieces

1 small onion chopped

3/4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes in juice

1 lb. box of pasta, Pappardelle, Fettucine, any thick spaghetti will do nicely

5 oz. baby arugula, kale, spinach whatever green you like and have in the house will work just fine (use as much or as little of this as you want, 5 oz. was an estimate)

grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

Pulse mushrooms and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped

Heat olive oil in a 12 inch heavy skillet over medium high heat. Cut chicken into 1/2″ pieces ( approximately) and season chicken with about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and  about 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Cook chicken in olive oil until a golden color, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Reduce heat to medium and cook onion in oil, stirring occasionally until softened , about 5 minutes.

Add mushroom mixture, rosemary , 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, stirring constantly until it begins to brown up, again about 5 minutes.

Add vinegar and cook until evaporated for about 3 minutes, Add chicken and tomatoes ( with juice) then bring to a simmer, breaking up whole tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, stir occasionally, cook until sauce starts to thicken up, about 30 minutes or so.

Meanwhile cook pasta until al-dente (according to package directions)

Add arugula to sauce and stir until wilted , it will wilt immediately, reserve a cup of pasta water before draining pasta and add to sauce as needed, I probably used 1/2 cup of pasta water to thin it out . Serve sauce over pasta, it was delicious.

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Saucy Stuffed Shells – Baked and Meatless

Posted on January 22, 2013 | 1 comment

Shells 004Shells 007Shells 009Shells 010OK you must be thinking is she kidding Stuffed Shells? gotta be the most fattening food to eat , and it probably is outside of lasagna, baked ziti and the like. Super delicious and sometimes you just hafta roll with it. I wanted a crowd pleaser, vegetarian and something that can easily be made ahead and frozen.  My mind wanders to yummy, gooey food with a lot of cheese because who doesn’t love a lot of cheese. Ah , yes Stuffed Shells.  I wouldn’t cook like this all the time, but once every blue moon no one is getting hurt, right? I served with a salad , no need for bread and butter here. Homemade Maple Syrup Salad Dressing ( see on blog) and it was really pretty awesome. Took a few hours to prepare, mostly because I made my own sauce ( Sunday night sauce) but feel free to use a jar of prepared sauce if you must. This is a perfect meal to make ahead of time, and just pop into oven.

Of course if you love it with meat you can make a meat sauce and follow same directions.

Ingredients:

1 box Jumbo Shells ( you won’t use all but a lot of them break, etc.)

1 lb. Ricotta ( I used Part Skim)

1 lb. Mozzarella Shredded ( I used Part Skim) if you can obtain fresh mozzarella and shred it that would make it even better! whatever works for you

1 cup grated Parmesan ( any kind you like)

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

*marinara sauce or any red sauce I made my own and use my own recipe. If buying sauce and there are some delicious good sauces out there, you’ll need at least 1 jar and maybe a 1 1/2 jars. I make a big batch of sauce and freeze the remainder. It’s nice to have a little extra sauce in case you need it when you re-heat the stuffed shells.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Prepare Pasta , cook for between 12 and 15 minutes, you’ll want them soft but not undercooked at the center. Drain pasta and cool for easy handling.

Combine ricotta, 1/2 of the mozzarella, 1/2 of the Parmesan, parsley and egg in a bowl. Taste for Salt and Pepper.

When shells have cooled down, fill them with rounded spoonfuls of cheese mixture and arrange them seam side down in casserole dish. I used a 9 x 13 Pyrex. Top Shells with remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella and grated cheese. Place shells in very hot oven . You can turn on broiler for last few minutes , it should be slightly browned and bubbly. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Delicious!

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Baked Ziti (my way) with Turkey Bolognese

Posted on December 13, 2012 | 1 comment

Chanukah 021Chanukah 022Chanukah 023Chanukah 041I was having some family for Chanukah but Joel asked if we could make it Italian food instead of the usual Chanukah fare and I must still be in my Roman state of mind so  I agreed and this is how I did it. I started with my Turkey Bolognese sauce. ( Look up Turkey Bolognese on my blog ) . This is much easier than lasagna, and I made Bolognese sauce the day before assembling baked ziti. I also put the Bolognese sauce over some shredded zucchini in addition to baked ziti for those who wanted lighter fare.  Then I followed the rest of the directions for my baked ziti. You can make this meatless by using marinara sauce of your choice.  This is a perfect satisfying Sunday Dinner, and great for a crowd. A cheesy comforting meal if ever there was one.  So here’s to an Italian Chanukah! Happy Chanukah everyone!

Ingredients: for baked ziti

(turkey bolognese is a separate recipe)

1 lb . Ziti or ziti type pasta I actually used tortiglioni noodles

1 15 oz. tub of Whole Milk Ricotta or Part Skim ( not fat free)

1 1/2 lb. Mozzarella Cheese, Grated

1/2 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 whole egg

Turkey Bolognese Sauce or any other sauce you prefer ( I used my recipe and it yielded enough sauce for Baked Ziti and Zucchini)

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, 2 cups of the grated Mozzarella, Parmesan, egg and salt and pepper. Stir ingredients together until just combined.

Cook the pasta and cool it off slightly. I make it al dente because you will be cooking again, don’t overcook the pasta . Pour the pasta into the bowl with cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine. Add the cooled meat sauce and toss to combine.

Spray your casserole dish with Pam and spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your pan first.   Add half the coated pasta to your casserole dish.  Spoon some remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella cheese, Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta, the sauce and the remaining mozzarella. I baked it for about 1/2 hour or until bubbling and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes before serving.

* I do it in 2 layers but you can do it in one big layer and just top with cheese, I just give it more cheese this way. Your call. No wrong or right way with this recipe.

*this recipe will nicely serve 8 – 10 people. I didn’t double it but you can easily.  I served alongside my Italian Salad and shredded zucchini with Bolognese. Perfect!

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Another Pasta e Fagioli Recipe, with meat

Posted on November 3, 2012 | 1 comment

This is another version of Pasta e Fagioli . It contains pancetta.  Hurricane Sandy is about to touch down in NY and I figured this was as good a time as any to make this. I’ve always made my Pasta Fagioli the traditional way with carrots , onions and celery, a basic mirepoix. This recipe gives it a different base flavor, and you can also use canned cannellini beans for those of you who don’t want to fuss with the beans.  This soup is hearty and delicious, and is worth a try for sure. I use canned beans when I am in a rush and don’t have time to soak  the beans.   You’ll need an immersion blender or regular blender to blend. This soup was amazingly delicious. I didn’t blend it completely just for a few minutes so there were still a few beans and pieces of pancetta. This was amazingly delicious, and I ended up having to throw away the 2 containers in my fridge because we lost power and I was worried about the pancetta in it going bad. In retrospect I think it would have been fine. Oh well, it was delicious and I will definitely will be making it again soon.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

4 ounces pancetta

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans if canned rinsed and drained

2 tbsp. tomato paste

8 cups chicken broth (2 quarts)

1 cup of mini pasta ( you can add up to 1 1/2 cups of mini pasta, like ditalini or mini farfalla would be nice) the more pasta you add the more like pasta and less like soup it becomes. I did add an extra 1/4 cup because there was just a small amount left in the box.

*1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (Use at your own discretion. This is a very little bit. I like the heat so I go a bit heavier, but how much you use depends on your crowd. People can always add a bit more at the table, too.) Totally optional

*Grated Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

*fresh basil for garnish (optional)

2 – 3 leaves fresh basil, cut up

Directions:

Heat a heavy stock pot on medium high heat until hot. Add olive oil and pancetta, saute for a minute or so. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so. Lower heat to a simmer and add tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and beans, then bring to a gentle boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes, I simmered for an hour. House smelled amazing. I had my doubts about this soup while I was cooking it but couldn’t have been more wrong, it’s awesome. Now I have 2 quarts of it left over !

Cool it down, and get out your immersion blender stick or blender, and start to puree until it is slightly chunky, not completely pureed. Bring soup mixture to a boil. Taste for salt and pepper, and if you’re adding it add red pepper flakes now. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

Serve in bowls with grated cheese and a sprinkling of fresh basil if you like.

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What I made for Dinner – Turkey Bolognese

Posted on October 22, 2012 | 1 comment

I must say Pasta is probably my most favorite food to eat. Bolognese sauce is one of my most favorites. Today I decided not to go to my usual Bolognese which is delicious but very heavy and rich. I went with a lighter approach today using Turkey and Chicken Sausage because I couldn’t find italian turkey sausage and didn’t feel like hunting it down, and the chicken sausage worked just fine. I did use dark meat turkey because it is much more flavorful, it is ideal but if you really don’t want to use the dark meat use 1/2 white and 1/2 dark or all white meat . The only negative to this sauce is that it really needs 3- 4 hours for the sauce to cook down. The longer the sauce cooks the more flavorful it will be.  This sauce would probably serve 4 nicely with 1 lb. of pasta. You can easily double it and freeze the leftover sauce. So nice to have it in the freezer and just have to make the pasta and you have a wonderful homemade meal. I have now started serving the sauce over shredded zucchini and spaghetti squash.  It is so delicious and you may feel a little bit better eating it over zucchini or spaghetti squash than noodles.  Pasta or Vegetable it’s pretty awesome. Look on my blog for Zucchini Bolognese Recipe for how to recipe, posted 12/20/2012.

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons Olive Oil, plus more if necessary

1 lb. Italian style Turkey or Chicken Sausage, removed from casings. You can also mix in hot or sweet Italian pork sausage if you don’t mind using the pork.

1 pound ground Turkey ( I used dark meat )

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and finely diced ( app. 2 cups)

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 28 oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes with their juice

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 box. Rigatoni ( or any other macaroni you like ) or spaghetti or if you like use *shredded zucchini or *spaghetti squash ( see notes)

Grated Parmesan Cheese for serving

Directions:

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large heavy pan over medium high heat. ( I use my Le Creuset ) Add the sausage meat and break it up as it cooks, turning now and then, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside, add the ground turkey to the pan along with a good pinch of salt and a few fresh grind of pepper. Cook the meat stirring here and there, for 10 minutes as well, till meat is nicely browned. I remove and put in bowl with the sausage which was set aside. Add another 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and add the onions and garlic. Cook until onion breaks down and gets soft, another good 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice along with 1/2 cup of water. ( You may need more water as you go) Add the sausage and ground turkey, stir the sauce well. Bring the sauce to a boil, season to taste with salt and pepper and turn the heat to low. Cover almost completely with a lid (allowing a little steam to escape) and gently simmer for 4 hours. You may want to add splashes of water if sauce is drying out. After 2 hours I added the 1/3 cup of Tomato Paste, and replace lid and continue simmering for 2 more hours. I added water as it cooked, you’ll have to judge for yourself how much water you add. I added 1/4 cup at a time.

When the sauce is ready for serving, bring a large pot of water and prepare pasta according to package directions.

serve with sauce over the rigatoni ( or any pasta you like) with a nice grating of Parmesan.

Yum!

*so many stores now sell zucchini already shredded and it’s dry and ready to go. The only problem with doing it yourself is that you must get the extra moisture out.

*Spaghetti Squash – just have the store cut it in half because it’s a tough one to cut at home. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and scoop out the seeds. Spray a rimmed baking sheet and turn squash open side down on baking sheet and cook till soft, probably 45 minutes or so. Remove from oven and with a fork remove the inside of the squash into a bowl, it comes out like very thin spaghetti.

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Shrimp, Spinach, Tomatoes and Pasta

Posted on August 27, 2012 | 1 comment

I love the recipe with Chicken, Spinach , Tomatoes and Pasta so much that I decided to make it with Shrimp. It turned out as delicious as I imagined it would. My daughter and grandsons are out here visiting, and I wanted to make a special dinner for her first night. I didn’t feel like making chicken again, so I made the basic recipe but changed it around a little bit for the shrimp. How can this be bad??  With cooking you can mix and match and screw around with the recipes, more or less seasonings, etc. With baking you really can’t, when you start substituting it gets very dicey and I don’t recommend doing it unless you’re just screwing around in the kitchen. There is nothing worse than going to the effort and expense of baking and having to scrap the whole cake because you tried to change an ingredient.  Usually with baking , I follow the directions carefully and try new ingredients before I will make them for any one else.   With cooking you can be more flexible and be a bit more daring. There is definitley room for error with cooking but not with baking. Baking is much more precise a science. Heed the advice and have fun with this recipe. This is what I did.

Ingredients:

2 boxes Cherry Tomatoes or little grape type tomatoes. During the summer you may want to use some of those beautiful fresh tomatoes either from your garden or from the farm stand. In the winter months stick with the small cherry types. I was able to obtain some fresh cherry tomatoes grown locally and they were sweet and delicious.

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Butter ( unsalted)

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

3/4 cup Chicken Broth

3/4 cup white wine ( I use whatever I have open) if no white wine in house double up on chicken broth

Shrimp , we used Ocean Garden brand or any Mexican White Shrimp shell on whites under 10 – 15 size.  Use whatever you like but I highly recommend this brand. I used enough for the three of us about 5 pieces each ( they are nice size) and cooked up the rest for shrimp cocktail for the next day. Joel recommends using Mexican White Ocean caught shrimp. The under 10 size means there are under 10 to a pound. These are the perfect size for shrimp cocktail and many dishes. They are rather costly though. Ask your seafood person for help , you’d be surprised how a little knowledge goes a long way in this area. We buy it by the box (5 lb.) and it comes frozen in a block. It gets defrosted, cleaned and deveined. You can also go into your local fish store and buy 1 lb. of shrimp about 10 – 15 to a lb. and have them clean it and devein it. We prefer the shrimp from Mexico or Equador, ask for white shrimp from Central or South America.

1 bag baby spinach

*crushed red pepper if you like a little heat ( totally optional)

1 lb. of spaghetti , I used perciatelli type of pasta. Use whatever type you like.

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside. I like to keep a cup of the pasta water in case I need a bit more liquid for finishing the sauce. I always do this.

Clean and devein shrimp.  Thank goodness Joel does this for me, but you can ask them in your seafood dept. or fish store to do this they usually will,  it takes a lot of the work out of it.

Cut small tomatoes in 1/2, if you are using larger tomatoes just chop up.  Heat olive oil over medium high heat, turn heat down to low and add garlic for about a minute. Pour in wine and broth , raise the heat and allow the liquid to come to a boil. Allow the liquid to boil for a few minutes and it will reduce , cooking liquid should reduce by at least 1/2. Lower to a simmer and add tomatoes, I let them cook for a while, probably 1/2 hour or so for this sauce. The tomatoes will release their liquid a bit, and soften up .  Sprinkle some kosher salt and pepper now on tomatoes.  ( about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt) and a few grinds of the black pepper ( to taste) Let tomatoes simmer, while you cook shrimp. You can always turn heat off, and just turn back on when you’ll add the shrimp.

I pat shrimp dry on some paper towels, and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.

In another smaller frying pan, I add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over low – medium heat. When oil is hot , I add shrimp , I just quickly sear the shrimp about 3 minutes each side. Then I add shrimp to my tomatoes and simmer for a few more minutes. I add the pasta right in to my large skillet, and mix in pasta with the shrimp and tomatoes. Right before serving , I add in the bag of baby spinach and let it wilt, and that’s it! Plate it up! Delicious! Vegetable, Protein and Starch all in one bowl! Yum

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Bucatini al’Amatriciana

Posted on July 23, 2012 | 4 comments

Amatrice is a small town in Italy outside of Rome and this dish is named for it. This dish is intended to be made with guanciale , which is a pig jowl and it tastes like a porkier version of bacon or pancetta. I use pancetta, which now comes pre-diced in packages making for a very easy time. I also keep packages of the diced pancetta in my freezer, they defrost very quickly which makes them a perfect dinner ingredient.  I also use bucatini pasta which is thick and ropey with a hole like a straw. I wouldn’t wear white while eating this it’s a messy one. Super easy and delicious. I made it tonite with my marinated flank steak. I also used 2 containers of grape tomatoes, but you can easily substitute with 1 large  can of San Marzano tomatoes ( crushed )The cherry/grape tomatoes give it a lighter sauce, and I prefer it especially in the summer months.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 – 6 oz. diced pancetta ( or 1/4 lb. glacial)

1/2 yellow onion chopped finely

2 garlic cloves , minced

2 containers of tomatoes halved ( I used grape tomatoes , I love them )

*1 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( we like spicy) use your own discretion , can always add at the table

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese, or any kind of Parmesan Cheese

1 lb. bucatini ( you can obviously use 1/2 pound and save any leftover sauce to freeze for another time) any thick spaghetti will do but I love this one in this recipe. Perciatelli is another good choice.

Directions:

In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring constantly. I like my pancetta crispy, but just get it golden brown, about 5 – 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove pancetta into a separate bowl. Add onions to olive oil till translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes , I do this off the heat. I then add all the tomatoes, some kosher salt ( to taste) and some black pepper and add back in the pancetta. I also add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the tomatoes till they start to break down and form a sauce. Taste for salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for at least 45 minutes , up to an hour for perfect sauce.

Cook Pasta according to package directions, tender but still firm to the bite. Before draining pasta take out about 1 cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl, I add a little of the pasta water and then I add the sauce. Toss gently and serve. I served with Parmesan Cheese .

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Chicken Pesto

Posted on July 14, 2012 | 1 comment

 

Pesto after being frozen

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Chicken Pesto fresh off the grill

A few weeks ago I made some fresh Pesto Sauce for Pasta, I successfully froze the remainder with a thin coating of oil. It came out of the freezer perfectly and I used it as a marinade for some chicken cutlets and it turned out to be so delicious that it is one of my new favorite ways to cook chicken this summer. I love Pesto made with fresh basil, cheese, butter and all those good ingredients why not use it on the chicken? Give it a try, make some pesto and use it for a marinade for chicken and for pasta. And remember if you’re freezing it just put a thin coat of olive oil on top, when it defrosts the oil just seeps into the pesto without disturbing it at all.

I am going to re-post my recipe from my BFF Susan, it is her recipe for Pesto which I still think is the best tasting pesto. It’s creamy and tasty and never fails me. For my dinner party I used 4 lbs. of cutlets , but when I made it for just us, I used 1 lb. which is enough for 3 people.

Ingredients:

Thin chicken cutlets , I prefer the thin kind for this but if you prefer the thicker ones, it’s fine.  How much chicken you will use depends on how many people. The recipe for pesto will yield enough for a lot of chicken ( I used 4 lbs. of cutlets) I marinated my chicken for my party for most of the day. At least 6 hours in refrigerator and took it out an hour before I cooked it, you never want to cook cold meat right out of the fridge plus the marinade needs to come to room temperature. I used plastic bags to marinade the chicken. I love those hefty ziploc bags, they’re the best for this. 2 large bags held 2 lbs. each. When I take it out of baggies, I place in a large baking sheet and sprinkle ever so lightly with a little kosher salt.  It is listed on my blog as Yummy Pesto, if you want to look up original recipe.

I cooked the chicken on the outside grill and it was really delicious, just 3-4 minutes per side, these were thin cutlets and you don’t want to over cook them.

Pesto Sauce:

2 cups fresh basil

1/2 cup Romano Cheese ( grated)

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese ( grated)

1/2 cup Pignolli Nuts ( and as I’ve discovered Walnuts work just as well)

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 – 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cloves garlic

Freshly Ground Black Pepper ( a few grinds)

Put all ingredients into the food processor except for the olive oil, slowly add that through the top as it starts to mix. Voila! Perfection! a few minutes later you have this delicious Pesto, perfect for Pasta and perfect as a marinade.

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Orzo Salad – and a delicious red wine vinaigrette

Posted on July 13, 2012 | 1 comment

Fresh Basil from the garden

This is a wonderful recipe I am passing on, the original was from Giada de Laurentis and I’ve since doctored it up to suit my tastes.  Upon going to prepare recipe I realized that I didn’t have any garbanzo beans so I substituted red kidney beans.  Feel free to add and subtract ingredients and  do whatever you like with this delightful recipe.  Sometimes you feel like pasta but not really and this is it.   It is perfect at room temperature. What I mostly like about this recipe is that you can use what you have in the pantry and in the house. I have to say the mint and the basil gave it a wonderful fresh flavor and I wouldn’t omit them.  Super Fresh! The vinaigrette is delicious and fresh tasting as well, so give it a try. It also cooks up very quickly which is always a plus for me.

Ingredients: 

4 cups chicken broth ( to keep it vegetarian just use vegetable broth) I like the broth rather than plain water . It adds extra flavor to the orzo.

1 1/2 cups orzo

1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed , I used 1 can of Red Kidney Beans because I wanted to make recipe and didn’t have Garbanzo Beans, it was just fine. Any type of bean is fine.

1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, if you can get those great little yellow ones do so. Halve the tomatoes. Use red and yellow. So pretty!

*app. 3/4 cup chopped red onion — If you don’t like onion you can omit it or add a little less

1/2 – 3/4 lb. feta cheese ( sometimes I use crumbled and sometimes I cube it) makes no difference ( I love the cheese but you can omit)

*1/2 bag frozen green peas ( also optional) didn’t use this time–optional

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

3/4  to 1 cup of the Red Wine Vinaigrette dressing ( listed below) but you’ll use as much or as little as you like

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Directions for the Orzo:

Bring broth to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until orzo is tender but still firm, stirring frequently, about 7 – 10 minutes. Drain the orzo as you would pasta in a colander. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss and let the orzo cool down. Set aside to cool completely.

When orzo is cooled down, toss the orzo with the bean, tomatoes, onion, basil , mint and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste with additional salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

Red Wine Vinaigrette Ingredients:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in the blender. While machine is running , slowly add in the olive oil. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper if desired.

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