Sacchettini & Spinach

Aug 1, 2011 by lovelypantry

Oh how I wish I could say that I made this from scratch. However, I`m prone to pick up frozen pasta occasionally. There are so many to choose from and the varieties are so visually appealing. On a recent trip to the supermarket, I picked up a packet of Chicken and Bacon Sacchettini. These little pasta are beautiful and they taste great too. I simply followed the cooking instructions on the packet and served it over a bed of steamed spinach. The final touch was just a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Now that`s what I call an easy mid-week meal! Sensible portions with well planned sides, wont break the scale.

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Braised Chicken in Butternut Squash Sauce

May 24, 2011 by lovelypantry

The original recipe used Bell Pepper but I used Butternut Squash because that’s what I had in my pantry at the time. Fair trade, I’d say. This is a favourite recipe of mine.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1-2 Tbsp Cornstarch

2 1/2 Lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 Cup roughly diced onion

3/4 Cup diced celery

1 Butternut Squash, diced

2 Cloves garlic

2 Cups chicken stock

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

2 Bay leaves

Coarse salt and ground black pepper – to taste

2 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter

 

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat.

Toss chicken thighs in cornstarch, just to coat, shaking off excess. Add chicken thighs to pot (in batches) and sear on both sides until brown (3 minutes per side). Set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion and celery, sauteing until translucent (approximately 5 minutes). Add squash and garlic and saute 2 minutes.

Add stock, thyme, bay leaves and bring to a simmer.

Return chicken thighs to the pot. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes to an hour, until chicken is cooked through and the squash is tender.

Remove chicken thighs and bay leaves and puree sauce until smooth with an immersion blender. Strain. Return sauce and chicken to the pot and bring to just below a simmer. Season and stir in butter to enrich the sauce, if desired.

Serve over rice or whole wheat spaghetti.

Enjoy!

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Herbed Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup

May 23, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

I got this recipe from the back of the Chicken Broth carton. Recipes are just everywhere!

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup uncooked dry broad Egg Noodles

3 (approx 3/4lb) Boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 Box (900ml) Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1 1/2 Cup sliced celery

1 1/2 Cup half-moon sliced carrots

2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Salt & Pepper to season the chicken before cooking.

 

Instructions:

Cook noodles according to package directions – al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat large heavy-bottomed soup pot, lightly coated with cooking spray, at medium heat. Add chicken and cook until browned about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken. Add broth, celery and carrots. Heat to a boil. Cut or tear chicken into chunks.

Stir in the chicken, noodles, lemon juice, garlic and oregano leaves. Reduce heat to low.

Simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley (and pepper, if desired) and serve.

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Chicken Meatballs & Spinach Pesto Linguine

May 22, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

I love a good meatball. I found a recipe by Sunny Anderson (Cooking for Real) and gave it a try. WIN!

Ingredients:

1 lb Lean ground chicken

3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 Egg, whisked

3 Tblsp unseasoned whole-wheat breadcrumbs

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tsp Hungarian or Hot Paprika

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1 Tsp Chopped fresh oregano leaves, about 1 small sprig

1 Tblsp chopped fresh Thyme leaves, about 5 sprigs

1 Tsp Brown Sugar

1 Lemon, zested

1 Tblsp Unsalted Butter

1 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

 

Directions:

In a large bowl, gently mix the chicken, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, onion powder, oregano, thyme, brown sugar, lemon zest, 2 pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Form into mini-meatballs, slightly smaller that a golf ball. It should make 28-30 meatballs. Place them on a sheet of parchment paper.

Warm the butter and oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Transfer the meatballs to the pan and do not disturb for 3 minutes in order to brown well. Turn, cooking another 3 minutes without disturbing. Keep cooking until browned and cooked on all sides, but still juicy and plump with a spring to the touch. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb some of the oil. Serve atop Spinach Pesto Linguine, if desired.

 

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