Mediterranean Chicken

For my birthday a few years ago, Robert gave me a copy of The Joy of Cooking.  If you are new to cooking or are beginning to build your cooking library or just have never heard of this book you need to buy it.  It is the Bible for all things cooking related.  And like the Bible it is huge, but don’t let the size of the book scare you away.  It is chocked full of great information and recipes.  It goes into details about how to use the techniques described in each recipe and also provides tips about selecting ingredients and more.  I love it.

The recipe I use the most from this blessed cookbook is Mediterranean Chicken.  I love this recipe for several reasons.  One, it’s super easy to make and is done in about 35 minutes including prep and cooking time.  Two, as Robert and I have tried to eat healthier we tend to eat a lot of chicken and this recipe provides enough distinct flavor that it helps avoid monotony.  Three, it just tastes good.  I’ve changed some of the quantities of the ingredients some to match our tastes and preferences, feel free to do the same.

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Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

12 sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil in a jar), thinly sliced

5 kalamata olives, finely chopped

2 Tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp of Olive Oil

Kosher salt

Black Pepper

Aluminum Foil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Slice the tomatoes and basil into thin slivers and place in a small bowl.  Finely chop the olives and add to the bowl along with 3 Tbsp of olive oil.  Stir to blend.  When finished, your relish mixture should look like this:

Tear aluminum foil into four 10-12 inch rectangular pieces (large enough to encompass one chicken breast into a foil packet) and spray one side of each foil piece with PAM or brush with olive oil.  Trim your chicken breasts as desired and salt and pepper both sides.  Place chicken breast in the middle on one of the foil sections.  Spoon about a quarter of the relish onto the top of the chicken breast.

Then, take sides of foil piece and fold into a foil packet firmly sealing the edges of the packet but not suctioning in the chicken breast.  (Keep it a bit loose)  Repeat the process with all three remaining chicken breasts and place on a baking sheet.

Place sheet into oven and bake for 20 minutes. (At this point foil packets should be “puffed” up)  Remove from oven and let sit, unopened for about 5 minutes to prevent being burned by steam when opening foil packets.  Remove chicken breasts from packets and serve with relish remaining on top.  I like to serve this with fresh green vegetables, usually asparagus or green beans, and either cous cous or wild rice.  I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!

Source: Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

Penne, Spinach, and Chicken Salad with Lemon Dressing: Dinner for One

Bunker travels for work about 3 nights a week, therefore, I have quite a few nights alone for dinner. Often times I just eat cereal or a sandwich, but that is not being very nice to myself. Just because I am eating dinner for one does not mean that I should not treat myself to a delicious, and nutrient rich dinner.

This dinner salad was inspired by my favorite salad at Cafe Express. I actually think this version is a bit tastier, and far easier than getting in the car and driving across town for a salad. The combination of the pasta, potatoes, chicken and croutons make this salad a full and satisfying meal. I don't know about you, but a salad with just veggies just will not fill me up enough to be considered a full meal.

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Ingredients for Salad:
1 Cooked Chicken Breast, cut into cubed pieces
1 cup of spinach
1/2 cup of cooked and cubed new potatoes (I put mine in the microwave for about 2 minutes)
1/2 cup of lightly cooked broccoli (I put mine in the microwave for about 1 minute)
1/2 cup of grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup of carrots, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup of croutons

Ingredients for Lemon Dressing:
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of water
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of honey
1 teaspoon of Honey Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:
1. In a large bowl prepare the salad: combine the cooked chicken, spinach, cooked potatoes, cooked broccoli, tomatoes, carrots and croutons.

2. In a smaller bowl prepare the dressing: combine the lemon juice, water, olive oil, honey, Honey Dijon mustard, 2 minced garlic cloves, and salt and pepper.

3. Pour about half of the dressing over the salad.

4. Enjoy by yourself and feel good about giving yourself a yummy dinner that is good for your body and soul!(You can always double the recipe to serve more than one!)

Cort  looking towards the front door, waiting for Shafer to come home from her surgery. Cort really missed her buddy all day :(

Shafer recovering from surgery...she has slept most of the past 2 days, but is recovering nicely. Shafer was spayed, not a big surgery but scary for her mom non-the-less...just happy to have her home!

Classico Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

There are many things I love about summer, and no I am not talking about the Texas heat! What I am talking about are the wide array of fresh vegetables that are in season during the summer months. Many of these vegetables are my favorites and I crave them year round and purchase them at the grocery store whenever they are available. While I may be able to enjoy fresh spinach, bell peppers and tomatoes year round, their flavor is unparalleled when they are enjoyed in their proper season.

I love pasta that includes fresh vegetables, a little oil and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and no sauce. This is especially true with in this pasta dish. The bell peppers and spinach really shine while the cheese adds just a touch of creaminess to round out the palette. Next time you're craving a nice bowl of pasta this summer, you should give this recipe a try, I think you'll find it to taste like summer.

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Classico Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup sliced shallots

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 yellow bell pepper, julienned

2 cups raw spinach, thinly sliced

1/4 cup basil, chiffonade

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

3 1/2 cups water

1/2 pound angel hair pasta

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Salt and pepper the chicken breast halves and place in the oil.

Cook until the chicken is browned, about 3 minutes each side.

Place in a prepared baking dish and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the shallots, bell peppers and spinach and set aside.



Pour the chicken broth and water into a large pot and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, I cooked mine for 5 minutes for al dente.

Drain and reserve some of the pasta liquid.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add the pine nuts.

 Cook until golden brown and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the bell peppers and shallots for about 3 minutes.

 Add the spinach and basil and cook until wilted.

 Add the sun dried tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.

 Remove from the heat and add the chopped chicken, pasta and Parmesan cheese to the skillet.

Toss and mix well until the cheese is melted and incorporated in the pasta. Top with additional Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

 Source: Neiman Marcus Pure and Simple Cookbook