Pasta salad for people who don’t like pasta salad

You know the stuff I’m talking about. Bought from a grocery store, sopping wet with mayonnaise, making you feel like there’s a serving of vegetables in it because of the occasional slice of olive or 1×1 centimeter piece of red bell pepper. No one is fooled by your fancy tri-colored pasta, Salad!

Now that that’s off my chest, let’s move forward with what we do like. How about something with flavor? That gets better the longer it sits in the fridge. Something that has some fiber and isn’t loaded with fat. Yeah, that sounds like a pretty nice summer meal.

Total time: 1.5 hours
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes for the pasta, assuming that you’re using pre-cooked chicken

2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (approximately 2-3 cups, depending on how much meat you prefer)
4 cups dry whole wheat rotini pasta
1/3 red onion, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 ounces crumbled feta
2 ounces shredded parmesan
2 tablespoons basil pesto
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup Italian dressing
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Small handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

I often use my Italian slow-cooker chicken for this recipe, but you can use any cubed or shredded chicken you like.

Start by cooking your pasta to al dente in a large stockpot full of well salted water. Drain the cooked pasta and rinse well in cold water. While the pasta is cooking, cube your chicken and cut up your vegetables. This recipe would be fantastic with black olives, chopped bell pepper, or even broccoli added in at this point. I just didn’t have these items available. Use your imagination here.

Toss your well drained pasta, vegetables, chicken, and cheeses together in a large bowl. Pour your Italian dressing, olive oil, and pesto over the whole thing and stir well. This is where I’m going to warn you that this recipe needs a lot of salt due to the pasta and the chicken. This recipe has the tendency to be very bland if you don’t add the right amount of salt and pepper. Just add to your tastes.

Add the basil last so that it doesn’t get too beat down with all the stirring. Let this all marinate in the fridge for an hour or two before eating so that the flavors meld.

Epitome of lazy

I had to post this recipe because this chicken works well in the pasta salad recipe I’m about to write, otherwise, I never would let you all in on my deepest, darkest secrets.

Know this, I will take every shortcut imaginable, as long as the flavor doesn’t suffer. I often keep meat frozen, since I buy it in bulk and on sale. So when I decide to use it, it’s never convenient. I don’t like to thaw things in the microwave because once you use this method, you find out that it partially cooks the food and leaves you having to finish cooking it so it doesn’t stay in the temperature danger zone. (Little known fact, thawing meats in the fridge or under running water allows you to change your mind and put the meat back in the freezer if you become tired of waiting. Microwave thawing does not allow this privilege). Often I try to make myself feel better about the time spent waiting for my meat to thaw by placing the frozen meat in a marinade. This discovery happened around the same time I started haphazardly throwing frozen meat in my slow-cooker. I’m sure you can see where this is going…

I often marinate my chicken slated for grilling in pre-made Italian dressing. One day I’m sure I had grand plans to fire up the grill, but then reality struck about what time I would get off work or the weather wasn’t cooperating and I just decided to throw it all in. Probably one of my more enlightened moments.

Total time: 4-6 hours
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 4-6 hours

4-6 frozen chicken breasts
2 tablespoons basil pesto
½ bottle Italian dressing

Get out the slow-cooker. Plug in the slow-cooker. Place ingredients in the slow-cooker while trying to look like you’re doing something important so that your husband will not be able to downplay your role in dinner later.

Cook for 4/6/8 hours on low. I just leave it till I come home from work and the chicken’s internal temperature is 165° F. Sometimes I flip it over at lunch. The time it takes really is more related to the thickness of your chicken, whether it’s frozen or thawed, and how many breasts you’re using. A trick I often use if I’m making a dish that doesn’t fill my rather large slow-cooker is to push a piece of foil down onto the food so that the moisture isn’t able to evaporate and dry out the food. The foil shouldn’t touch the food, just make kind of a tent over it.

If you’re not using this chicken in chicken salad or pasta salad, it is great on its own or served with pasta tossed in pesto.

fancy.

“Blog worthy”

My husband is pretty good at bragging on me, but not enough for me to get a big head, because I’m definitely prone to do that. Knowing this, it may come as a surprise that he literally went on for hours this evening over leftovers… chicken fried rice to be exact. Which was the only choice we had as our fridge was barren. I had spent all day literally doing nothing but preparing for a garage sale and sitting in the yard with coffee and a toddler. I try to act like I have a plan for meals, I really do, but tonight was more the rule than the exception and I just threw it together and thankfully, it really turned out. So much so that the man that has yet to even see my blog deemed the recipe “blog worthy.”

So let’s get down to the nitty gritty, shall we? Still, with the leftover chicken! And because in my mind, fried rice does not equal a meal, I attempted to replicate a spicy edamame dish served at a favorite local sushi place. But we’ll discuss the main dish first.

Total time: (not including cooking the chicken) 40 minutes
Prep: 5-10 minutes depending on how many vegetables you have to chop
Cook: 20 minutes

1 cup dry white rice
2 cups water
1 yellow onion, diced
1 egg
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
Veggies if you like them (carrots, zucchini, peas, celery, corn, water chestnuts would all work here. Anything you can come up with that isn’t too wet.)
4-6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Pepper
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Cook rice however suits you best. I personally use a rice cooker because it’s super easy and some people are just prone to screw up rice, my husband being one of them. Once the rice is cooked, I put it in a fine colander and run it under cold water to cool it off. You could also place it in the fridge if you think ahead further than I. But who are we kidding? The main goal here is to have cold rice as it over cooks if you try to fry it while it’s still warm.

While the rice is cooling, place 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet and sauté the onion and any additional vegetables you choose over medium-high heat until it gets a bit of color. Add the egg and chicken and cook through. At this point, I add an additional 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and then the cold rice and soy sauce. You will need to add more butter if the rice is wanting to stick, but depending on the pan, it will vary. Let the rice sit without stirring so that it starts to get color and fry, turn it over with a spatula every couple of minutes. If your rice completely fills the pan and is too thick, it will just continue to steam. In my case, I fry the rice in two batches so that it’s only about a ½ inch thick in the pan and can get a really good crust on it. Add more butter as you need to. Don’t be scared of the butter. Be one with it. You may chant this to yourself if you feel your cardiologist guilt tripping you on your other shoulder.

Once you’re ready to serve it, you can add more soy sauce depending on the level of salt that you prefer. This is also the time when you would add pepper and toasted sesame seeds if you like them! Also please remember that this recipe is well suited to be made with a variety of proteins. This would be great with beef, extra egg, tofu, just veggies, you name it.

Now for the side dish/main source of protein in this meal. The original recipe Spicy edamame.

Total time: 18 minutes
Prep: 8 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

2 teaspoons kosher salt (less if your edamame is pre-seasoned)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (1-pound) bag frozen edamame, in the pod

Mix the salt, chili powder, garlic, and pepper flakes in a small skillet with the oil over medium heat, stirring until hot and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix in the oregano.

Boil the edamame pods in salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and toss the edamame pods with the chili-salt. Serve warm.

This recipe can also be prepared with the steam in a bag frozen edamame you can find at your local supermarket. Just to make your life even easier.

Can’t eat the same thing twice

Most of the recipes on this site will be scaled down to feed a family of three or four, but there are always exceptions to this rule. Specifically when I’m making basics like whole chickens and roasts that can be turned into many other recipes. I think the hardest task as a cook is to come up with meals on the fly after a long day of work, no pre-planning, and a toddler underfoot. That’s why I’m going to start a category for leftovers.

Our family has an interesting take on this leftover business. We simply cannot stand to keep eating the same thing meal after meal till it’s gone. This may be why our freezer is full of single serve portions of pork roast and even waffles. This “issue” is actually the catalyst for a lot of our favorite recipes’ creations, and it can be yours too if you’re willing to be a little creative and you have a well-stocked kitchen. I will write a post later on what I consider to be my kitchen staples to make pretty much any recipe. However, I must note, please never look at a recipe you’re in the mood to make and write it off because you may not have every ingredient. Ingredients and amounts only really matter when you’re baking something. Everything else is up for debate.

Here’s where this recipe started Chicken and Couscous. Great. I have 20 minutes that my husband is home for lunch and we have a hell of a lot of chicken left over from Chicken in Milk. This will do.

Total time: 20 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes

1 cup dry whole wheat couscous
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
1 lemon, zest and juice
Tandoori powder
Salt and pepper to taste

 

Get couscous started on the stove by boiling stock. Add dry couscous and follow package directions regarding cooking time. Once fluffed and ready, add 1 tablespoon of butter and the lemon juice and zest.

While the couscous is cooking, sauté diced onion in a skillet in 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat until transparent. Toss chicken in tandoori powder or another Middle Eastern seasoning of choice like turmeric and garam masala. Add garlic and seasoned chicken to cooked onion in the skillet and heat through, being careful not to burn the garlic, but getting a bit of color on the chicken which will add flavor. Toss chicken mixture and couscous together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

 

 

Judgy Mcjudgerson

Ever see a recipe and immediately think, “nope.” This was my reaction when I read Jamie Oliver’s recipe for Chicken in Milk. However, I think it’s important to remember as with other times in our lives, that if the majority of people agree on something, they are probably right. None of your friends like your boyfriend? Dump him. Several coworkers ask if you’re sick when you’re not? Probably time for a nap and some lipstick. Overwhelmingly good reviews on a recipe that sounds vile? Better sign me up.

So the story goes that I went to the store with shopping list in hand and chicken thawing in the fridge. All I needed to complete the recipe was terribly over-priced fresh sage (when will I finally plant some?!) and lemons. It was all too easy. My husband saw the ingredients for this particular dish and he was just as concerned as I was, however, more inclined to show his fear as he does with any new cooking ventures.

I plowed ahead and made a few changes to the original recipe. I am a huge fan of Old Bay seasoning, so I coated the chicken in it before browning in the butter. I also omitted the cinnamon stick suggested in the original recipe as the last time I added cinnamon to chicken was when I made homemade pho and it was terrifying. Aside from that, I did leave the lid on for half the cooking time to reduce the need for basting and used a larger chicken than suggested just because it was what I had on hand. This is the perfect last minute chicken dish as it is as moist as a crockpot chicken without the cooking time, but as flavorful as a roasted chicken without all the prep because of those damn vegetables. This chicken is never dry, and the sauce lends itself to being sopped up with crusty French bread.

What I’m trying to say here is, make this. Don’t worry. The masses are right.

Total Time: 1 hr 45 min
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 1 hr 40 min

1 (3 pound-5 pound) whole chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper or Old Bay Seasoning
1 stick of butter
1 good handful fresh sage, leaves picked
2 lemons, zest only
6 garlic cloves, minced
4-5 cups of whole milk

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Place butter in a Dutch oven with a tight fitting, oven proof lid. Season chicken well with Old Bay or salt and pepper, depending on your preference. Melt butter over medium-high heat and place seasoned chicken in, browning on all sides to crisp the skin and give it a good flavor. Remove chicken to a clean plate and drain out most of the butter in the bottom of the pan. Don’t be too particular here as the butter and browned bits in the pan will lend your sauce a nice flavor.

Put your chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Place the lid on the pot for the first 45-60 minutes of cooking to prevent having to baste the chicken. Remove the lid towards the end of cooking to help thicken the sauce. The sauce will appear curdled due to the lemon and milk combinations, but don’t be alarmed, this in no way affects the flavor of the sauce. Bring the chicken to an internal temperature of 180° F in the thickest part of the meat and not against the bone. Take the temperature in several places on the chicken to ensure that it is thoroughly cooked.

Enjoy!

pot pie is a term I use loosely

My goal with a recipe is to try to improve it based on what I believe to be wrong with it. Very rarely do I come across a recipe and leave it totally alone, and I want you to do the same. I want you to use any recipe I post here as a jumping off point for what sounds good to you and your family.

The first thing we need to get out of the way is pot pie crust. Too thin and that slime they call a crust at the bottom of the pan? What the hell is that? I never eat it, and let me tell you something, crust is the fastest way to this southern girl’s heart. What I’ve developed instead is a kind of thick chicken stew that you bake a biscuit on top of and then brown in the oven before serving. It’s magic, I wouldn’t lead you astray.

Here’s the recipe I use! Add and subtract as you see fit.

Total time: 45 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes

2 cups cooked chicken (you can either use what you’ve peeled off a rotisserie chicken or some chicken breasts you’ve roasted in the oven – just drizzle breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper and cook at 350° F on a cookie sheet until they’re 165° F in the center. I prefer to use skin on and bone in here for flavor. And for the love of all that is good and holy, never boil or microwave chicken.)
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup all purpose flour
6 T butter
2.5 cups chicken stock (homemade is best and I will share how to make it later)
2 t bullion
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrot sticks, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and finely minced
Frozen biscuits (the type you buy in the bag works best here)

Heat butter in a rather large stock pot and add diced onion. Cook on medium heat while stirring frequently until onion becomes transparent. Sprinkle flour slowly over onions until all the butter is soaked up and the flour has made a paste. Continue stirring and cooking for one minute to get rid of that raw flour taste. Slowly add stock while whisking flour  so that no lumps are formed. After all the stock is incorporated, add the carrots, celery, chicken, rosemary, bullion, salt and pepper to taste. Bring up to simmering.

While the stew is simmering, get out as many biscuits as will fill the top of your baking dish or just one per bowl if you’re doing individual servings as pictured. Heat oven to 375° F and place biscuits 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Cook just until biscuits are thawed.

Once your stew is thickened, turn off the heat and transfer either to oven proof bowls or a baking dish. Slide the biscuits one at a time on top of the stew already inside the baking dish. Place stew with biscuits on top inside oven and bake just until the biscuits are a nice golden brown. The timing of this will depend upon how done the biscuits were before you placed them on top of the stew.

Remove from the oven and enjoy!