Smoked Paprika Chipotle Chicken with Spirali Pasta and Kale Pesto

Dec 16, 2011 by lovelypantry

Every now and again I tend rebel. I’ve been using recipes because that’s how I learned to cook. But some days I just want to throw caution to the wind and follow my heart and do what comes to mind. And that’s exactly what I did. I gave my friends on Facebook a quick peek at what I prepared. Because I didn’t follow a recipe, I don’t have a fancy name for it so the ingredients will have to do for now.

On my recent grocery shopping trips, I picked up a few items just for fun. White/Black Truffle Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Smoky Paprika Chipotle Seasoning. Both completely out of my comfort zone but I’m all about expanding my horizons. The risk was well worth it. Although I did hold back, just a little.

I used Kale for the “pesto” because I really like the health benefits and it has a nice flavour. However, after smelling the Chipotle seasoning (that bad boy is strong), I opted to leave the cheese and any form of nut from the pesto. Traditional pesto consist of  Basil, Parmesan or Romano Cheese, Olive Oil, Pine Nuts and Garlic. It makes me smile to myself and ask the question – is it still really pesto if it doesn’t have cheese and nuts? Ah well. It tasted great so I’m still calling it pesto. There. I’ll try it with all the ingredients next time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s no need to panic if you didn’t plan dinner tonight. The possibilities are endless…

 

 

 

 

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Almost Lasagna

Oct 31, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

There are some days when I am willing to make Lasagna, and there are days when I wonder why go through all the layering. Don’t get me wrong, we love lasagna. It’s a beautiful thing. This is a recipe that happened one day when I started to make lasagna but never quite made it. You just never know how things will turn out  in my kitchen. This was a great meal!

 

 

Add colourful veggies. Serve and enjoy!

 

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Chicken Parmigiana

Sep 12, 2011 by lovelypantry

I love to make dishes that are tasty and family friendly. They can be as simple or as fussy as I want them to be, since in the end, my efforts will be worth it. I am steadily appreciating the flavour of tomatoes (that’s right, I don’t like them so much) and I’m slowly incorporating them into meals a few times per week. Chicken Parmigiana was something that always looked great but I remember when I tried it some time ago, there was just too much tomato sauce. I decided to try it my way.

I went looking for a sauce that I was comfortable with. I found a Pasta Sauce by a brand called Healthy Choice. There was a limited variety from their line but I went with the Garlic and Fine Herb. It’s the only one that I use now. I’m very happy with it.

 

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs

1 Egg

6 Chicken breast cutlets, seasoned with salt and pepper {If you use whole breasts, you’ll have to thinly slice it length-wise in half to get a nice cutlet.}

1/4 Cup Gratered Parmesan Cheese

1 Cup Tomato Sauce

1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (or if you’re using sliced Mozzarella cheese, 1 slice per piece of chicken)

Olive Oil for browning chicken

 

Directions:

Turn on your broiler to  high.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat a few tablespoons of Olive Oil.

In a shallow dish, add bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

Lightly beat the egg and pour into another shallow dish.

Dip each chicken breast into the egg to coat, then dip into the breadcrumb/cheese mixture. Shake off any excess. Brown each piece of chicken and be sure to do it in batches.

In an oven proof casserole dish, pour in tomato sauce to coat the bottom evenly. Place each piece of cooked chicken into the dish, slightly overlapping.

Sprinkle mozzarella over the chicken (or layer slices across the top of the chicken).

Place in your oven broiler at about 4 inches from the heat source for about 5-8 minutes. Allow the cheese to brown nicely. Serve with Pasta and Salad.

I enjoy this every time I cook it. Hopefully you will too!

 

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food.

 

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Roasted Chicken & Potatoes

Aug 30, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

Have you ever had company over and didn’t have a clue what you were making for dinner? This happened to me recently. I did not plan for company that night, but thankfully had some drumsticks ready to be cooked. I reached in my cupboard and found a cookbook called Easy Chicken 🙂 It had the recipe I needed based on the ingredients I had available. There is though, that nervousness when you try something for the first time and share with friends. Essentially you’re winging it. If you like taking chances and trying recipes for the first time with visitors, well here’s a safe bet. Of course, this is my own version of the recipe.

 

I had no idea how this meal was going to turn out, but based on the ingredients alone and my track record for selecting tasty meals –  I knew it would be good. And it was. I’d prepare this again in a heartbeat.

Enjoy!

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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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