Herb Chicken and Pasta

Someone asked me if they could serve this over rice. And you could but I prefer the pasta for three reasons

1) I LOVE pasta

2) Pasta cooks faster

3) I can can send it to Presto Pasta Night!
(Being hosted next week at Once Upon a Feast)

You can add more mushrooms if you want or just slice them. I chop them fine because I love the flavor they add but can't stand the texture of cooked mushrooms.

6 cloves garlic
4 large breast boneless-skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, sliced paper thin
6 button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 apple, peeled and cored
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. marjoram
Generous sprinkle Freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp. white sugar
6 c. chicken stock
1/3 c. flour
Olive oil

Toss the garlic with the olive oil. Roast at 400 for 40 minutes or until golden. mash or chop and set aside.

Slice the chicken horizontal so it is about 1/2 inch thick. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Cook on both sides, until golden broth. Remove from pan and keep warm.

In the pan add the mushrooms and cook a few minutes until dark. Add the onion and cook about 3 minutes longer. Add the apple and then the chicken stock stirring to lift the browned bit from the bottom of the pan. Add the oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, black peppers, granulated garlic, soy sauce, sugar and roasted garlic. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Combine the flour and enough water to make a thin paste. Stir into pan and cook until thick. Taste and adjust the salt with chicken bouillon instead of plain salt.

Remove the apple and return the chicken to the pan, heat through.

Serve over pasta with a generous sprinkle of Romano cheese.

Roasted Chicken Soup with Homemade noodles

The broth is a little darker than traditional chicken noodle soup because I deglaze the roasting pan and use the drippings

I'm sending this to Presto Pasta Night being hosted over at Chez Cayenne this week.

Part One:
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
olive oil
McCormick Fried Chicken Seasoning

Heat oven to 4oo. Remove all the inedible parts from the chicken. Take a really sharp knife and cut the breast in half lengthwise so it is an even thickness all over. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning on both sides. Place in a glass dish and bake until cooked through, turn once about halfway through cooking, about 30 minutes total?.

Part Two:
2 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. cold water

Mi the flour and salt. Beat in the eggs until it forms coarse crumbs. Mix in the water. Then remove the dough from mixer and knead a couple times. Roll really thin and cut into noodles. I use a pizza cutter for this. Separate the noodles and let them dry for about 30 minutes, thats about how long it takes to start the chicken and then the vegetables anyway.

Dont be tempted to speed up the drying by putting them in a low oven. It makes the noodles really tough.

Part Three:

2 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
olive oil
12 cups water
Enough chicken bouillon to compensate for the water
(the amount depends on the brand you use)
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme

Saute the onion, celery and carrots until the onion is tender. Add the fresh herbs, water and bouillon. Simmer until the carrots are tender. Add the noodles and simmer, very gently, until the pasta is tender. Chop the roasted chicken and add it to the soup. Add a ladle full of hot broth to the pan you roasted the chicken in to deglaze, stir until all the tasty browned bits are up and add to the soup pot. Taste and add salt or pepper to taste.



Sauteed vegetables with the fresh herbs



Looking for a simplified version?
1 large can chicken broth
1 can chicken
8 oz pasta
1 c. frozen mixed veggies

Combine all and simmer until pasta is cooked.
Takes about 15 minutes.

Mujadara

Orzo is a rice shaped barley pasta that is perfect in this hearty, tasty, and lightly spiced Middle Eastern dish. It makes a great meal in itself alongside a green vegetable or as a side dish in a Middle Eastern dinner. This dish is lightly seasoned so you really get the right flavor without the spices being so overwhelming you cant taste anything else. As one diner at my table said, "it's not what I was expecting, but its still really good"









While it may look like a long time to be cooking, the onions take almost an hour, its not really active time. Once you add the sugar you leave them to cook, just stirring every 10 minutes or if they start to crackle. It also looks like a LOT of onions, and it is, but they cook down quite a bit.

You can make it with other grains too in place of the orzo, such as barley, quinoa, or brown rice, you just have to adjust the cooking time. In the past when i have used brown rice I just boil the pot of water and then cooked the rice for 20 minutes before adding the lentils to the same pot.

I'm linking up again to Presto Pasta Night being hosted over at Girlichef this week. Check out the round ups, always something (usually most everything) looks delicious





6 - 8 large onions, sliced
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 cloves fresh minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 1/4 c. brown Lentils
1 1/2 c. Orzo

1/4 bundle Fresh Parsley, chopped

Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, and cook over low heat until translucent. Add the sugar and continue to cook over low heat until caramelized, about 45 - 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils in 3 cup water until soft enough to eat, immediately drain. Return to pan and add 4 cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer until tender. Drain and add seasonings and then toss with onions.

Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top and serve.

Banana Muffins

1 stick butter, softened
8 over ripe bananas, peeled
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. agave
3 eggs
2 tsp. real vanilla extract
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. all purpose white flour
3/4 c. oats
2 t. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. apple pie spice
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream butter until smooth. Add the bananas whole and beat until mostly mashed.

Add the sugars and agave, then the eggs.

Beat in the vanilla, soda, salt, and spice until well mixed.

Add the oats, then the whole wheat, and lastly the white flour.

Fold in the walnuts if using

Let batter sit for 30 minutes. Fill muffin tins and bake at 360 for 20 - 30 minutes.

Makes 3 dozen



These muffins are great by themselves, but even better drizzled with penuche frosting.