Shortcut Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

How was everyone's weekend?!  Ours was pretty good.  Well.  Besides the fact that we froze our butts off on Saturday.  Seriously, 40F?! 

And I know what you're thinking, if it was so cold, why were you outside Peggy?  Well, it was Thunder Over Louisville this past Saturday.  What exactly is that?  Well, it's one of the biggest fireworks shows in the United States and the masses gather outside for an all day event (tons of street food, an air show, a Bats baseball game, FIREWORKS, etc.).  It's definitely great people-watching material.  Seriously... the people of Kentucky really come out.  We won't get too into it, but just sayin'.  Entertainment is everywhere.

I took a video of the fireworks finale (it's kind of shaky because I was FREEZING) but I'll post it tomorrow to give you guys a taste of what the fireworks are like.

Anyway, about this meal.  I remember when I was a kid, my mom would make "alfredo" using a can of Campbell's Cream of (insert whatever you want here: chicken, mushroom, celery, etc.)  Not an authentic "alfredo" by any means, but I think most moms took this shortcut every now and then.  Am I right? 

So I decided to bust this out to remember what this was like.  And I made a few changes, just to jazz it up and it came out pretty tasty.  I definitely prefer an actual homemade alfredo to this, but it's definitely a quick fix that hits the spot in a hurry!

Ingredients:

12 oz. package of penne pasta
1 large broccoli head, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lb. of chicken (you could really use any part here, breasts, thighs, drumsticks - I had drumsticks in the freezer so I just skinned and boned them, and then cut them into cubes), cut into cubes/strips
10 & 3/4 oz. can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Mine took about 10-12 minutes for a nice al dente.  Add broccoli to pasta during last 4-5 minutes of boiling.  Drain pasta and broccoli well and return to pot.

In a large skillet, melt butter under medium high heat.  Add chicken pieces and cook until browned and cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the chicken part that you use).

Mix in soup, milk, parmesan, and cayenne.  Season mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour mixture into pot with penne and broccoli and bring mixture to a boil, about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.   

Serve pasta hot and top with additional shredded Parmesan, if desired.

See... easy right?  It's good for a quick meal.  I'm not ashamed to use those condensed soups.  I mean, there's just some things from childhood you just can't give up, right?

Have a great Monday guys!  Be back tomorrow for some firework action!

Yellow Squash & Zucchini Bowties

Well, after an uneventful lamb dinner on Tuesday night, I knew I had to make up for it yesterday. I mean, I've only cooked with lamb about 3 times, and each time it just seems like I flop. I can't get rid of that game-y taste and it just doesn't end up being a winner, so I think I'm going to retire the lamb cooking, for now at least. So sticking to what I'm good at, I decided on a pasta dish. I've never really been let down by pasta, and this was no exception either.


Ingredients:

1 large zucchini, cut into 1 & 1/2 inch sticks
3 small yellow squash, sliced and quartered
12 basil leaves, chopped
handful of pine nuts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and fresh black pepper to taste
1 box bowtie pasta
1 cup parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup white wine, like a chardonnay

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

While waiting for the water, you can start on the rest of the components of the dish. In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium-high heat. Stir constantly so the nuts do not burn, and they should be good in about 2-3 minutes.

I really liked the pine nuts, they gave a nice added crunch and texture to the dish!

Then in a large fry pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil. Melt butter and then add your veggies. I had so much that I did it in 2 batches, 5 minutes each batch.

You want the veggies to start to get soft and slightly browned. Season with salt to taste, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.

When water comes to a boil, add a large pinch of salt and pasta to water. Cook until tender. Drain the pasta and reserve in the pot.

In the same fry pan you used for the veggies, melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and add garlic. Stir until fragrant. Add white wine and then add back in the zucchini, squash, and pine nuts. Mix together.

Add the zucchini/squash mixture, along with the chopped basil, to the bowties. Make sure everything is mixed well and then add in your parmesan cheese. This will melt and kind of make a light sauce.

Plate the pasta and top with additional parmesan cheese, if desired, and freshly ground black pepper.

This was a great meal. We both cleaned our plates in a matter of minutes. Definitely a meal that didn't leave you bloated either. I'm pretty sure it's pretty healthy too. So there's pluses all around with this one! Enjoy!

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

If you're reading the title, most of you are like, aglio e olio what?!?! Don't be deterred by the fancy name, it's pretty much a simple rustic Italian dish. Quite easy, but timing is crucial! So make sure you have everything ready!

Recipe is from Rouxbe.com, an online cooking school that offers a free tutorial video everyday. So I highly recommend checking it out!

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt
1 package spaghetti pasta
1/2 cup cooking water from pasta
4 fresh basil leaves
parmesan cheese, to taste

Preheat your oven to your lowest setting. You won't actually be cooking any food in there, but instead warming up your plates. Pasta gets cold very quickly, so if you ever wondered why you always get a "hot plate" at most restaurants, it's to prevent food from getting cold before you can eat it! Cool huh?

Anyway, heat up a pot of COLD water and bring to a boil for the pasta. While you're waiting for that, slice the garlic up thinly and get your red pepper flakes ready.


In a large pan, add half of the olive oil, the garlic, and the pepper flakes. Do not turn the heat on just yet. Just let the ingredients mingle with eachother.

When pasta water is at a boil, add salt and stir. Add the spaghetti to the water and stir until you make sure the pasta will not stick.

While the pasta is cooking, turn the garlic on to medium heat. Spread it out enough so that it evenly cooks, but not too far apart, as it will burn easily. As soon as you hear the garlic sizzling, remove it from the heat and let sit while the pasta continues to cook.

Place your plates in the oven to get warm. I put mine right on the rack and they were fine. Just be careful when taking them out because they will be quite hot.

When your pasta reaches al dente, drain the pasta and remember to reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water! Once the pasta is drained, add it into the pan with the garlic.


Turn the heat back on to medium and add in cooking water. Toss to coat pasta and stir until pasta water is entirely evaporated. Add salt to taste and tear some fresh basil leaves on top and toss to coat.

Turn off the heat and then add remaining olive oil and add as much parmesan cheese as you would like. I added about 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

Serve pasta on warm plates and top with additional parmesan or basil leaves! Enjoy!