pasta

Chicken with Zucchini and Red Onions

This is a new combination of loved ingredients. I love the versatility of boneless chicken thighs. I like red onion for its mild but tasty results when lightly cooked. Zucchini is another versatile ingredient. I added lemon zest and juice, lots of crushed garlic and served it with capellini pasta. It is light but flavorful. Great for a midweek supper. I add a vegetable side or more likely a green salad to complete the meal.

NOTES: don’t make it too soupy: add enough broth to steam the veggies a bit. You could use pasta water for this purpose. Use 4 garlic cloves if you enjoy garlic a lot. If the oil is mostly gone after frying the chicken; add an equal amount more of oil and butter; maybe 2 tsp. more for sautéing the veggies. You can use more zucchini and onions if you want. Chose whatever pasta you enjoy although I like a long skinny pasta for this dish.

Chicken with Zucchini and Red Onions

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken thighs

1/3 cup white rice flour mixed with 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

2 Tbsp butter and a Tbsp of mild olive oil

one medium zucchini

a medium red onion or half a big one

3 or 4 garlic cloves

1/2 cup chicken broth

the zest of one lemon and after zesting, juice it

freshly cooked pasta

Veggies cooking

Directions:

I always pound out chicken before sautéing it; tenderizes it and makes it thin so it fries faster. I use 2 pieces of wax paper and a pounding hammer. Do this first; make sure it is no thicker than half an inch. After that do some more prep. I cut the zucchini in half the long way and then across into 1/3-inch-thick half-moons. Peel and slice the onion in half and then cut into thin slices top to bottom and then cut across in half. Try to not get them too thin. Zest the lemon and then juice it. I have an old-fashioned glass lemon/orange juicer.

Heat the butter and oil in a large nonstick frying pan. I have a new ceramic one that is 16 inches in diameter. I still could only fit 2 of them at a time as they get kinda big when you pound them out. Dredge the chicken in flour; add salt too before dredging. Lay two thighs in the hot oil/butter and cook about 3 inches on a side. When you take out the first one add the third thigh. I put the fried chicken into a low oval ceramic baking dish and put it in a 300-degree oven to cook slowly, make sure it reaches 165 degrees. By the time you add the third thigh you can probably turn your oven off. It will still cook on residual heat for a few minutes as you cook the veggies. Add the zucchini to the pan and cook a minute or 2. Add the sliced onion and cook another minute. Add most of the broth. Add the garlic and cook one more minute. The zucchini should be tender but not soggy. Add the zest and the lemon juice. Add the rest of the broth as needed. Add the chicken back to the pan and let cook one more minute. Adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve on pasta of choice. Enjoy!

Pork Meatballs with Puttanesca Sauce

I had a craving for puttanesca sauce with pasta, but I really wanted some protein in the mix. I combined some recipes, and I baked the meatballs in my oven which was much easier than pan frying them. I added lots of black olives and of course, I used gf breadcrumbs in my meatballs. No egg either so that’s a win in these pricy egg days… I made gf penne as I get tired of struggling with long pasta…that worked perfectly for this dish. It is easy to make with regular breadcrumbs and pasta if you don’t need to be gluten free.

Notes: Fresh tomatoes stink in winter so I used a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes; flavor winner! Next summer I will dice up a couple of cups of fresh ripe tomato for this entree, should make it even more yummy. I like small olives; the big ones are too large in a bite of this tasty dish. I put a tsp. of fennel seeds in my meatballs but if you hate fennel substitute in some Italian seasoning. If available, I would definitely top it with fresh basil leaves cut in a fine chiffonade. I sprinkled a bit of dried basil before serving it and topped my plate with a healthy portion of freshly grated parmesan cheese. It was delicious, easy and a keeper recipe!

Pork Meatballs with Puttanesca Sauce.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped a bit smaller than a regular chop

2 garlic cloves, I ran them through my garlic press

1/4-1/2 tsp. chili pepper flakes

3 anchovy fillets or 2-3 inches of anchovy paste

3-4 Tbsp. capers, drained

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 Tbsp. tomato paste (I heaped it rather full)

1 14.4 ounce can diced tomatoes and the juice in the can

25-30 black olives (at least half a can small olives)

Meatballs:

1 pound ground pork

1/3-1/2 cup gf bread crumbs

1/3 c milk

2 cloves of garlic, pressed in a garlic press

1 tsp fennel seeds toasted a bit and cooled

To serve: fresh basil leaves torn or chiffonaded or 1/4 inch dried basil and lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Directions: Start the sauce and then while it cooks make your meatballs. In a large saucepan heat olive oil and cook onion with a 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt until getting soft. (You can start dumping all the meatball ingredients into a large bowl while the onions cook.) Add garlic, chili flakes, anchovies, capers oregano, tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and turn the heat to low; simmer for 20 minutes. Gently stir it a few times as it simmers. While it cooks make 4-6 oz. penne or other pasta shape. Be careful not to overcook. Add olives and meatballs to sauce when sauce is at 20 minutes, add pasta, Gently stir to combine. Top with fresh basil leaves or a quarter tsp dried basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Meatballs; Put a sheet of parchment paper in a sheet pan, heat oven to 400 degrees. First, put the bread crumbs and milk in a large bowl, let stand 3-5 minutes. Add pork and rest of ingredients. Mix well and form into 1- 1 1/4 inch meatballs. Set spaced out on baking sheet. Bake for 19-20 minutes; must reach 160 degrees, I like 165.

Butternut Squash, Pancetta and Chard Pasta

This colorful pasta dish is pretty healthy and very tasty. Not too tricky either. I have enjoyed it many times in the years. It makes 4 satisfying servings.

It showcases roasted cubes of butternut squash and tender melt-in-your-mouth Swiss chard. My amounts are somewhat approximate.  I used gf fettuccine noodles. Don’t overcook them! You could buy pre-peeled and cubed squash to save time. I used some I grew this fall and honestly it didn’t take long to peel and cube it. I suggest you roast the cubes from a whole squash and use as much as you think works for you. Valley Farms has great fresh Swiss chard; that’s where I get mine if I don’t grow it myself.  I have made this recipe with thick cut bacon, if that is what you have; go for it.  I got a package of chopped pancetta at Giant for a decent price. It will keep a few days in the fridge.

Butternut, Pancetta and Chard Pasta

Ingredients:

1 bunch Swiss chard, I like the red or white stemmed variety, rinsed off

3-4 tbsp. EVOL

1 cup or so of diced red onion; one decent sized one

1 lg garlic clove minced

1 medium butternut squash; peeled, seeded and cubed; at least a pound in weight

4 oz pancetta, diced

10-12 oz dried gf fettucine noodles.

Good quality Parmesan cheese to grate on plated entree

Directions:

Roast the squash; heat the oven to 400 degrees, spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray; spread the cubed squash, drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp of EVOL and ½ tsp. kosher or sea salt, bake at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes; turn cubes every 20 minutes with a metal spatula to help them cook evenly, a bit of crunch is nice! Start the rest of the recipe as they approach doneness or bake the squash a day before if that works for you. Have done it both ways. Crunchier if made right before serving

Heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta while you make the chard.  Chop it into 1 inch lengths; set the chopped leaves aside separately from the lower stem bits. Heat the EVOL in a large frying pan or smallish wok. Add the stems and cook 2-3 minutes, add garlic, stir, add the onion; cook 3-5 minutes until softening. Add rest of chard in 2-3 handfuls letting it cook down for a minute before stirring and adding the next third. Then push the veggies up the sides or to the edges and add the pancetta. Push the veggies gently back around and over the pancetta. Cook 2-3 minutes until the pancetta is hot and the chard is soft.  Meanwhile you have cooked the pasta to al dente. Add it to the pan with the chard, stir, add the roasted squash cubes. Stir. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top; none of that pre-grated crappy cheese please! Enjoy!

swiss chard pasta plated

Not sure where I found this recipe, but it is a keeper; we generally enjoy it in the fall as chard and squash are fall harvest vegetables.