For busy folks, I recommend baking up a large quantity of chicken breasts, one night of the week, and then using them up for weeknight meals. I do this at least once a month and that week will be "chicken monday, tuesday, wednesday and maybe thursday" nights :)
This was tonight's dinner. A quick and easy weeknight meal. I, personally, can sustain on sandwiches alone but the rest of the fam gets a little bored so I need to mix it up. Since I have been working more, I am noticing I'm boiling up pasta more often. I know pasta purists would only buy the white-flour based varieties but I am really loving the whole wheat version. If you were to compare how much more fiber there is in a serving size, you too would not go back to the white stuff for that reason alone. Makes me feel a bit "healthier".
I have also been making this bechamel sauce at least once a week this month. (Maybe not so much "healthier"). I probably "taste" half of it away before I even mix it in with the other ingredients because it is that good. Bonus part: it is ready in the same time your pasta is al dente.
Happy chicken & pasta week!
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Other easy weeknight chicken recipes by
Shine Supper Club:
The Curious Country Cook:
Lemon Pesto Pasta with Chicken
Feed Your Soul:
Chicken Milanese Biscuit Sandwich
In My Element:
Diced Chicken, Broccoli with Whole Wheat Pasta
Living Lou:
Spicy Chicken Skewers
The Partial Ingredients:
Lebanese Chicken Skewers
Sarah B. Weir:
Chicken Braised in Tomato
Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom:
Peanut Sesame Noodles with Chicken
Serena Bakes:
Jalapeno Lime Chicken Alfredo with Cilantro
So says Sarah:
Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders
Sushi and Stilettos:
Easy Pesto Chicken Bake
Sweet 'n' Sourdough:
Baked Mango Chipotle Chicken Tenders
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I really do love pasta but I don't make it often. My hubby is one of those "don't like high carb meals" type of guy and I can't tell you how many times I've fallen into the pasta coma after eating some
. Ok, I will admit that since I do not eat pasta often, when I do, I gorge on it and then suddenly that pasta coma isn't really that big of a surprise, but more of a "what did I expect" moment. Know of any good Pastaholics Anonymous groups?
Alrighty.
On another note, if you happened to be around in the early part of summer on the ole blog, you might recall I had a
large harvest of kale. Being as brilliant as I am, ahem, I froze a lot of that kale back then. And this my friends is where I came up with what to stuff my rigatoni with. (Oh, that sentence just sounded really funny, didn't it?) Alongside a 1/2 tub of cream cheese asking to be used before expiry and one of my pantry staples, the onion, I did a great job coming up with a tasty filling, if I do say so myself.
While my kids would not touch "the noodles with green stuff in it", the hubby and I enjoyed our "normal serving size" portions which in turn did not induce a pasta nap. Also, if you are a mom/dad who sometimes has to make 2 meals at dinner time: the adult dinner and the kid dinner (see "noodles with green stuff" comment above) then you are in luck here. Just save some of that tasty bechamel sauce and cover plain, unstuffed rigatoni and place in the oven to bake alongside the grown up version.
It's a win-win.
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Some people give you an instant "yuck" face when you mention vegetarian food. They get visions of eating raw broccoli or steamed brussel sprouts. I think vegetarian food often gets a bad rap.
I love when I find great vegetarian recipes, like these tasty
Black bean burgers or these mouth- watering
Vegetarian salad rolls.
But, unfortunately, this Orzo Pasta Salad recipe, just didn't reach that level. I was a bit saddened, it just didn't do it for me. Didn't have enough wow to it. It felt like it was really missing something.
Pity I say.
Off to forage for something better.
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Orzo Pasta Salad
serves 6
8 oz. orzo pasta
2 green onions, thinly sliced
8 oz. mushrooms, quartered
1 lb asparagus, chopped into 1/2 pieces
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp whole grain mustard
1-1/2 tsp brown sugar
Cook the orzo pasta, rinse with cold water and set aside.
Cook the green onions in a frying pan for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and asparagus and cook an additional 5-6 minutes. Stir in the peas and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk together the vinegar, oil, mustard and brown sugar in a large bowl until well mixed. Add the vegetables and orzo pasta and mix until well incorporated.
Serve.
Recipe adapted from: Spring Orzo Salad, Vegetarian Times Magazine
I hate when life gets in the way of my blogging ;) And now that the weather is nicer, my kids don't let me sit at my computer very much throughout the day. We'll see how much I am blogging during the summer months! But I must, especially with all the tasty produce coming to fruition in the coming months.
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We're not big pasta eaters around here. I remember when I used to have pasta crashes after eating a big bowl of pasta. I'd be so sleepy, to the point that I would go take a nap, that I realized that I needed to cut back on it some. I'm usually ok if I eat small amounts and make sure I eat it mixed with some protein and vegetables but I definitely avoid pasta straight up. Though it's so hard because pasta is so yummy!
Another thing I changed years ago is that I buy whole wheat pasta. It's very rare I buy the white stuff anymore though I agree the texture is not the same. I like that there is a big difference in fiber content and I'm sure there is a lot more nutrients in the whole wheat version too.
We all really enjoyed this. I was inspired from a creamy vodka sauce recipe from the Kitchenaid book. However, I didn't have vodka on hand so I tried brandy and added chicken and mushrooms. It's a definite make again and again.
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chicken and mushrooms pasta in a brandy cream sauce
serves 4
6 ounces of uncooked bowtie pasta
2 tbsp butter
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
6 tbsp brandy
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup parmeson cheese
2 tbsp chives
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Melt butter over medium heat and add garlic and mushrooms. Saute for several minutes until mushrooms are cooked. Add diced chicken and mix.
Add brandy and simmer for several minutes. Stir in cream and salt. Simmer for several minutes until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
Add sauce and chives to pasta and toss. Serve.
We don't eat a lot of pasta around here but how can you not eat want to slurp this up?
Spaghetti, cheese, bacon, eggs... mmmmmmm.... I can feel the notch on my belt needing expanding.
Does it count as healthy if it's whole wheat spaghetti?
Yeah... I didn't think so :)
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spaghetti carbonara
serves 4
12 oz spaghetti
6 salami, cut up in small pieces (typically use bacon or pancetta)
4 egg
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
Cook spaghetti as per directions on box. Drain, leave in colander.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Cook diced salami for about 5 minutes or until slightly crisp in the pot used for boiling the spaghetti.
Return spaghetti to the pot as well as the egg/parmeson mixture. Toss for about 30 seconds or until pasta is coated and eggs are slightly set.
Recipe adapted from: Spaghetti Carbonara, Food Network Site.
When I used to sit down with a plate a food, I would eat the food I like the best, last. I never really realized that I did it until maybe the last year or so. Least favorite food first, eating patiently until I got to the yummiest part. I guess that's why dessert is served after a meal... you have to wait for the good stuff.
Macaroni and cheese. Loved by children and adults. We really enjoyed this recipe, especially the crunchy seasoned crumb and cheese topping. I saved that part for last ;-)
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macaroni and cheese
serves 8
10 oz. elbow macaroni
2 tbsp butter (or margarine)
2 tbsp white flour
2-1/2 cups milk
2-1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
Cook macaroni as per package.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add milk and cook 6 minutes or until thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in 1.5 cups of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over noodles and combine.
Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with seasoned bread crumbs and remaining cheese.
Bake for 45 minutes at 400F (or until top is crispy and beggining to brown). Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe adapted from: Macaroni and Cheese, Vegetarian Times Magazine, March 2007 issue.
I promised I'd have a recipe using pesto this week and,
of course, pesto and pasta seem to go hand in hand!
I'm a big fan of vegetables so I try to incorportae them in almost every meal. My kids, they pick out the "red" (red pepper) but they'll usually eat most of their vegetables. Except they have both sworn off cauliflower. I don't really blame them, but that's probably because it's one of my less liked vegies too. I mean I'll eat it but not with great pleasure. (I've managed to never eat a brussel sprout, so that's why cauliflower is on the bottom of the list. However, I feel I should at least try it but the smell offends me. I feel I may give it a try this year yet. We'll see!)
Very yummy, no complaints. 2 thumbs up.
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An aside: To the few readers I have, I was wondering... any of you watching Hell's Kitchen? I finished watching last season's for the first time and am now hooked to the new season. Any thoughts? Love the show? Hate the show? I really like Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmare's too. I'm amazed by how many poorly run restaurants there are out there! Everyone and their dog thinks they can run a restaurant! Poor Chef Ramsay, I swear, he's going to have a heart attack. I'm amazed he hasn't already!
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spaghetti with pesto and vegetables
makes 4
454 g (1 lb) whole wheat spaghetti (or adjust for you preference for 4 people)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, sliced thinly
1 sweet red pepper, sliced thinly
1 small zuchinni, sliced thinly
1 - 1.5 cups of pesto sauce
parmeson cheese
Boil spaghetti as per directions on package.
Saute onions & carrots with oil of choice in hot pan for a minute. Add red peppers and zuchinni and stirfry for another minute or two.
Add pesto sauce and spaghetti (and any of the pasta water if needed to water down). Mix to distribute sauce.
Plate and dust with parmeson cheese.
Another recipe back from the fall! We had lots and lots of tomatoes, from our own garden and also
tomatoes from my parents. I always get stressed when they are all getting too ripe and you have to use them all up before they spoil. I hate wasting food. I think it's wrong.
So, I thought I'd try my hand at tomato sauce. And any tomato sauce that has roasted vegetables and bacon in it is begging to be made! ROAST VEGETABLES! BACON! I kid you not. It was quite delicious.
But, I still think I'd buy the canned stuff. Takes less time using a can opener. But, if you got big ole bummer crop of tomatoes, it's well worth the effort :)
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oven-roasted tomato sauce
serves 4
2 pounds tomatoes, quartered
1-1/2 cup chopped red onions
4 slices raw bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1-1/2 tsp each dried basil and oregano
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each black pepper & crushed red pepper flakes
12 oz uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Spray a roasting pan with non-stick spray. Add tomatoes, onions, bacon and garlic. Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes at 400F. Remove from oven and add vinegar, basil and oregano. Stir well and return to ove for 15 more minutes.
Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender or food processer. Work in batches if necessary and puree until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and add tomato paste, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes.
Spoon sauce over prepared pasta and sprinkle with parmeson cheese.
Recipe from: Lawrence of Arrabbiata, Crazy Plates Cookbook.
I've been running around like a chicken with my head chopped off. Did you hear that? Yup, that was me head, rolling down the kitchen "alley" and into a set of rolling "pins".
I'm wearing a lot of hats lately (on my chopped head of course) and I'm getting a wee bit tired of it. I'm hoping it slows down but unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be happening. No end in sight until maybe January. boo hoo.
So when this happens, it's hard to think about food. But we gotta eat, so that's when I pull out some frozen chinese food I bought at that huge bulk grocery store and make some sides. Like these noodles.
Quite frankly, I can not remember if I sauted the noodles with garlic and onions first before I added the sauce (
I made this a short while ago - remember, my brain isn't intact with my typing fingers). But, really, you can go either way. (
Plus, I can't tell by looking at the picture either! grumble, grumble).
Hoisin sauce and peanut butter are like best friends and they really dance well on the tastebuds. And, oh so easy to make.
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noodles in hoisin/peanut butter sauce
Equal parts hoisin sauce and peanut butter
Water
noodles of your choice: udon, shanghai, etc.
sesame seeds
Mix together equal portions of hoisin sauce and peanut butter. Dilute it down with some water to thin it down and make it more saucy.
Prepare noodles as per package, mix with the sauce and top with sesame seeds.
Voila!
I really like tortellini and ravioli's but I usually don't like the price tag associated with the fresh pastas at the market. Compared to dry pasta, it hurts the pocket book. You pay more and get so little! But every once in a while, I do splurge and get them. It is such a nice change.
But now, I found a better alternative...
dried tortellini. The ones pictured above are cheese filled tortellini and they come dried, just like other pastas and you just have to boil them up. What a novel idea! Also, the price range for them are somewhere between dry and fresh pasta. Double bonus!
I tend to like very easy meal recipes. Also, whenever I make chicken, I make extra (remember my
bacon stuffed chicken breast from monday?) and then use it up in a different recipe so to cut down preparation time. Just had to dice it up this time. Smart idea huh?
And the taste, very yummy. I couldn't stop myself from coming back for more. You've been warned :)
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mushroom chicken tortellini
yields 4 servings
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
1 cup of milk or cream
1 cup of parmeson cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
2 cooked and diced chicken breast
240 g (or 4 servings worth) of cooked tortellini
Saute the onions and garlic in the butter for a few minutes. Add mushrooms for a few more minutes.
Add the milk, parmeson, salt and pepper and warm up. Add the diced chicken.
Toss with cooked tortellini and serve.
