Penne with Chicken Marengo

Chicken Marengo has a history that dates back to Napoleon's chef who legend has it made this for the General after a battlefield victory. That dish was chicken braised with tomatoes and garlic. This recipe kicks it up a notch with citrus in the sauce. Served over penne this makes a well rounded meal for any solider in your family. 

Penne with Chicken Marengo

Women's Health Magazine

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 8 oz penne
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes in puree
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt

And Action:

1.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and transfer to a warmed serving bowl.

2.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, cover the sun-dried tomatoes with boiling water and soak for 5 minutes. When softened, drain and chop coarsely. Set aside.

3.

Toss the chicken with the flour, thyme, and pepper. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of the broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms are barely softened and have begun to release their juices.

4.

Add the crushed tomatoes (with puree), orange juice, orange zest, sugar, salt, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining broth. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release the browned bits. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and the flavors are blended.

5.

Pour the mixture over the pasta and toss to coat well.

Nutritional Facts per serving

CALORIES

389.9 CAL

FAT

5.8 G

SATURATED FAT

1 G

CHOLESTEROL

32.9 MG

SODIUM

513.8 MG

CARBOHYDRATES

61.6 G

TOTAL SUGARS

9.5 G

DIETARY FIBER

5.4 G

PROTEIN

25.7 G

Spicy Chicken and Pasta

Every Sunday is my weigh in day. Depending on the number returned on the scale determines if I need to step up my diet and exercise or ride out the current plan another week. This past Sunday's weigh in reflected a gain so I spent some time browsing Pinterest for some thinspiration.

Women's Health Magazine published a, 30-Day Bikini Body Meal Plan, and given that Summer is right around the corner and Texas has hit temps close to the 90s I figured this would provide some good direction. I started Day 1 of 30 today... after four failed attempts. Day 1 was a success... 29 left to go.

(Photo from Women's Health Magazine... WTF?! The recipe doesn't mention cheese.)

Tonight's dinner was the Spicy Chicken and Pasta. Very easy to make, super tasty, and filling which is perfect for a weeknight. The name is somewhat deceptive as this is not spicy but has a subtle hint of heat.

Spicy Chicken and Pasta

Adapted from: Women's Health Magazine

Makes 2 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 4 1/2 oz angel hair pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 lb ground chicken - Made my own in the food processor.
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce

And Action:

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken and season with onion powder and chili powder. Saute until cooked through. While browning the chicken cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain. Add the spaghetti sauce to the chicken until heated through and then toss with the pasta. 

Nutritional Facts per serving

CALORIES

464.3 CAL

FAT

10.3 G

SATURATED FAT

1.3 G

CHOLESTEROL

66.7 MG

SODIUM

375.7 MG

CARBOHYDRATES

56.7 G

TOTAL SUGARS

8.8 G

DIETARY FIBER

2.6 G

PROTEIN

35.4 G

Pasta Al Pomodoro

I tend to stay away from ordering pasta at restaurants. These so called chain-Italian restaurants can't get pasta right. It's such a disappointment especially when it's my cheat day of my "diet". Sigh.

Pasta al Pomodoro couldn't be easier to make. The key ingredient in this dish is tomatoes hence it's name, translating to "pasta with tomato". It's best to save making this one until the end of summer when tomatoes are at their best, however, for busy mama on a Spring/work/soccer practice night, a giant can of peeled tomatoes works just fine.

It's important to cook the pasta al dente (about a minute or two less than what is stated on the package) since the noodles will continue to cook once you toss the sauce with them.

Serve with garlic bread, (recipe to follow). Yummy!

Pasta al Pomodoro

Adapted from: Epicurious: Dinner Rush Summer/Fall 2013

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 (28 oz) can peeled tomatoes
• kosher salt
• 12 oz bucatini or spaghetti
• 1/4 cup parmesan or pecorino

And Action:

Puree olive oil, onion powder, garlic, red pepper flakes, peeled tomatoes, and salt in food processor. Pour into a sauce pot and heat over medium until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a large pot. Season with salt, add pasta, and cook stirring occasionally until 2 minutes before tender.

Drain pasta.

Combine pasta and sauce. Remove from heat and add the cheese. Enjoy!

Garlic Bread

Epicurious: Dinner Rush Summer/Fall 2013

Makes 4 to 6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• kosher salt
• 1/2 stick of butter, softened
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 loaf Italian bread - I used French bread.
• 4 tbsp grated Parmesan

And Action:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 tsp salt.

Stir together butter, oil, and garlic paste in a bowl until well combined, stir in parsley.

Halve loaf horizontally and divide butter mixture between halves and spread it in an even layer. 

Divide cheese between halves and spread in an even layer.

Put halves, cheese side up, on a large baking sheet. Cover bread with a large piece of foil, tenting it slightly on the top and tucking it under the bread.

Bake 15 minutes.

Remove foil and turn oven to broil. Broil bread until golden, about 2 minutes. 

Capellini with Pine Nuts, Sundried Tomatoes, and Chicken

There is no need for a high fat cream or butter sauce with this pasta because it is packed full of flavor from sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, and basil. Your waistline will thank you.

(Photo from Prevention)

Capellini with Pine Nuts, Sundried Tomatoes, and Chicken

Prevention

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 4 oz whole wheat capellini or angel hair pasta
• 3 oz sundried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 oz chicken breast tenderloins, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 gloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

And Action:

Prepare pasta per package directions without adding salt. 

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat while pasta cooks. Season chicken with salt. Add chicken, garlic, and red-pepper flakes to skillet. Cook, stirring, until garlic turns golden, 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook 2 to 3 minutes until chicken is completely cooked.

Drain pasta, add to skillet, and toss. Add basil and toss. Divide pasta equally among 4 bowls and sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of pine nuts. Top with more basil, if desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 387

Protein: 22g

Carbohydrates: 36g

Fiber: 6g

Fat: 19g

Saturated Fat: 2g

Cholesterol: 33mg

Sodium: 562mg

Tuscan Chicken Pasta

My brain has been in another place lately and the blog gets neglected when I need time to clear my head. This isn't an update on running around upstairs, instead, a delicious weeknight dinner that comes together quickly. The best part were the leftovers. The flavors had time to develop overnight and made for a tasty take your lunch to work option. 

(Image from Women's Health by Joe Schmeizer)

Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Women's Health

Makes 2 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 oz whole wheat penne
• 2 chicken cutlets, cut into bite sized pieces
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 cup canellini beans, rinsed
• 2 tbsp diced roasted red peppers - If roasted red bell peppers aren't your thing then feel free to substitute sundried tomatoes.
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan

And Action:

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. While the pasta is boiling, season the chicken on each side with a pinch of salt and pepper, and sear it in a skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes a side. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the oil, garlic, rosemary, beans, red pepper, and spinach to the skillet. Cook, turning frequently, until the spinach wilts (1 to 2 minutes). Slice the chicken and drain the pasta; toss them with the bean mixture. Spoon the pasta into two bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of parmesan.

Nutritional Facts per serving

CALORIES

405.2 CAL

FAT

6.3 G

SATURATED FAT

1.7 G

CHOLESTEROL

72.8 MG

SODIUM

633 MG

CARBOHYDRATES

46.4 G

TOTAL SUGARS

1.7 G

DIETARY FIBER

8.9 G

PROTEIN

39.5 G

Ricotta Pasta with Sausage

Saturday was Game Day! Game Day is a holiday in our household. Our day revolves around football and all things Steeler Nation. Don't you dare walk into our home without wearing your badge of honor. Black and Gold or get the hell out. Okay. That's not exactly how it is. You can get away wearing whatever you want as long as it's not our opponents gear.

Case in point, Mr. Sideline Chef's mother came by for a visit and since she does not follow sports and we enjoy her company we cut her some slack and welcomed her into the craze that becomes Game Day. Before her arrival I made the executive decision that I would prepare a meal for all of us but with Mr. Sideline Chef's help. After pulling out a cookbook and reading a few titles and a few "Not feelin' that," we finally settled on a recipe for Ricotta Pasta with Sausage.

Off to the supermarket dressed in head to toe Steeler's gear we made our purchases and raced home to get the meal ready before his mom's arrival. Just as the pasta was being tossed into the ricotta cheese, butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano mixture his mom knocked at the door.

We were able to sit down and enjoy our meal before kickoff. I'm sure she was overwhelmed with the f-bombs being dropped and the hollering at people who can't hear us. She kindly excused herself after thanking us for a delicious meal and a full belly and stepped back into the real world as she exited our home... where life doesn't revolve around football and all things Steeler Nation.

This pasta was so hearty and comforting and made for a perfect meal for Game Day. It's quick and easy to prepare and the clean up was a breeze. I've had macaroni and cheese a number of times but have never had a "mac n cheese" like this with ricotta cheese. I didn't even know if I would like the ricotta cheese. Let me tell you... it's a winning combination with the sweet Italian sausage... although... I would recommend using hot Italian sausage for more of a flavor boost and a kick.

Ricotta Pasta with Sausage

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

This is the most I have EVER paid for a single ingredient... $14.99 for 13 oz

• 1 lb penne or ziti rigate
• salt
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped - I only ended up using half the onion since Mr. Sideline Chef doesn't prefer to have a lot of onion in his dishes and I second guessed myself. I think it would have been delicious with the full amount.
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• generous handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped - I used dried parsley.
• black pepper
• 20 fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn - I used dried basil leaves since that's what I had on hand.
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage

And Action:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta and salt the water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Place the ricotta, butter, and Parmigiano or Romano in a large bowl.

Pillowy clouds of ricotta cheese, butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and brown the sausage before adding the onions. Cook the onions for 5 minutes. Add the parsley and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Drain the pasta. Add to the bowl with the cheeses. Toss to melt the butter and evenly coat the pasta with cheeses, then season with salt and pepper. Top the pasta with the basil and season with a little bit of salt. Toss and serve at the table.

Bel Aria Chicken and Pasta

Looks like we are riding the roller coaster of ups and downs that we call Rachael Ray's recipes. Tonight was a down compared to Sunday night's Chicken Francese with Wilted Spinach. The ingredients list sounded like a meal that both Mr. Sideline Chef and I would enjoy.

As I was laying out the ingredients I just wasn't getting that "I'm so excited to make this my taste buds are in overdrive" feeling. I had thought about just calling it a night and having Mr. Sideline Chef run to Taco Bell and pick me up a fresco bean burrito with guacamole. After eating this I really wish I would have gone with that idea.

Rachael Ray had put in a side note on this recipe about how this is her take on a dish prepared at an opera cafe in New York City, Caffe Taci. If I was deciding on whether or not to visit their cafe off of her take on their dish I would most definitely have to pass.

Bite-sized chicken pieces are browned in a pool of olive oil and butter and once cooked set aside until after the mushrooms get done browning. To the mushrooms hot peppers are added and a splash of their juice. Dry white wine was added to create a sauce with the addition of the starchy water from the pasta. The rigatoni is added to the skillet and it is tossed with the Parmesan cheese blend and parsley. Served alongside a piece of crusty Italian bread and a three-color salad, insalata tre colore.

Mr. Sideline Chef and I agree that this dish was like eating the hot peppers straight out of the jar because none of the flavors from the chicken or garlic sauteed mushrooms came through. What a disappointment. The highlight of the meal was the salad that Mr. Sideline Chef wouldn't eat because the dressing didn't sound like something he wouldn't like, because it wasn't ranch dressing, and then dipping my bread in the dressing that settled to the bottom of my salad bowl.


 One thing that bothers me more than her hit or miss recipes is that the serving sizes are for men of the Pittsburgh Steelers stature. If you're a calorie counter I'm sure you wouldn't even want to see how many calories are in a serving. Sure wasn't worth eating rabbit food the whole day to save my calories for this.

If you think you'd have better success or an inventive way to recreate this by all means knock yourself out!

Bel Aria Chicken and Pasta

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings

Stars of the Show: These stars must be on the "D List" with Kathy Griffin.

• salt
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins, cut into large bite-sized pieces
• black pepper
• 1/2 pound cremini (baby portobello) mushroom caps, thinly sliced, or 4 portobello caps, gills scraped out, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 Italian hot red cherry peppers, drained and chopped, plus a splash of the pickling juices from the jar - They did not have these in our local market so I just substituted it with Tabasco hot peppers.
• 1/2 cup dry white wine - I used sauvignon blanc.
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to pass at the table
• handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• crusty Italian bread

And Action: I should have stopped before I began.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt it and add the rigatoni. Heads up... you'll need two ladles full of the cooking water to be added to the sauce just before the pasta is drained.

While the pasta is boiling, heat a big, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 1/2 tbsp of butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the chicken to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and brown for 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate. It will finish cooking through when added back to the sauce later. (My chicken cooked completely through after the 6 minutes.)

Return the pan to the heat and add another tbsp of olive oil, the remaining butter, then the mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Salt and pepper the mushrooms after they brown. (If you salt them when they are first added to the skillet, the salt will draw out the liquids and slow the browning process.) Add the hot peppers and a splash of the pickling liquid to the pan. Add the white wine and scrape up the pan drippings with a wooden spoon. Cook the wine down for a minute, then place the chicken back into the pan and cook for a couple more minutes.

Before draining the pasta add 2 ladles of the starchy water to the skillet. The starchy water will help the sauce form and adhere to the pasta. (This seems like a joke since this doesn't even have a sauce that adheres to the pasta.) Add the drained rigatoni to the skillet. Turn off the heat and toss the chicken, mushrooms, and pasta together for a minute or two sprinkling in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with the crusty Italian bread and if you choose the Three-Color Salad. (Recipe to come tomorrow.)

Just a reminder: You only have 2 days left to enter the Gorton's / Ortega Giveaway! All you need to do is click HERE and leave a comment and your email address. So simple and who doesn't love free?