Lemon Pasta with Blackened Chicken

It was pasta night again and this recipe was a hit. Blackened seasoning is a tasty spin on a boring salt and pepper chicken. Lemon pasta compliments already delicious tasting chicken.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons blackened seasoning
1 pound whole grain pasta of any type (penne, curly)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons +  2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano
1/4 cup peas (optional)
1 large roasted red bell pepper, skinned and cut into strips (optional)

Method:

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, until al dente and drain the water.

Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and apply blackened spice both sides to the chicken. Heat a pan over medium high and add 2 tablespoons of oil to it. Add chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked through and browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and cover with a aluminum foil for 10 minutes. Then slice the chicken.

In a separate pan, add the garlic and red pepper flakes to a saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute until fragrant, around 2 minutes. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, stir well and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta, peas, roasted red bell pepper, combine all together and turn the heat off. Sprinkle in parmesan cheese and mix all together. Add fresh parsley at the end. Plate the pasta and top the pasta with chicken pieces.

Tips and More:

• Make sure to rest the chicken before slicing in order to sear in the juices.
• Plan for tomorrow's lunch. Make 4 blackened chicken breasts instead of 2. 2 for pasta and save 2 for tomorrow. Thinly slice the chicken breast, add these pieces to a mayo or mustard spread whole grain bread. Add fresh tomato, lettuce, red onion and enjoy deli style sandwich.
• Lemon Pasta tastes great by itself. The other version instead of chicken would be Lemon Pasta Shrimp. Saute 1/4 cup finely minced shallots for couple of minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic, red pepper flakes to the pan, add 1/2 a pound of peeled and deveined shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink. The rest of the procedure is the same.
• If you don't want to buy blackened chicken just for this one recipe, you can make it yourself. It a combination of spices and herbs that you find in your own pantry. 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon ground dried thyme, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano. You can store this in a air tight container.

Pasta with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

We love pasta! Pasta is always a winner dinner, whether you are feeding a crowd or just have it for dinner on a weekday. The following recipe serves 6 people.

Ingredients:
5 - 6 walnuts (optional)
3 large red bell peppers
up to 1 pound penne pasta (I used eating right whole grain pasta - 13.25 oz)
1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream or whole milk
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic finely minced
1 small onion finely chopped
couple of pinches of red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup spinach (optional)
1/2 cup peas (optional)
8 asparagus - woody ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (optional)
1/2 - 1 cup grated parmesan reggiano (depending on how much cheesy you want the dish)
shaved parmesan for garnish (optional)
salt

Method:
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the peppers on the baking sheet and char them under the broiler for 20 minutes turning 3 times in between, or until all the skin of pepper is charred. Place the peppers in a ziploc or place them in a bowl and cover them with plastic wrap and allow the peppers to steam for 5 to 10 minutes. This will loose the skin and it will be very easy to peel the skin. Skin the peppers, remove seeds, inner membrane (ribs), stem and keep the peppers aside.

Heat a small pan on medium and toast the walnuts. Puree the peppers, walnuts and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a blender or a mixer and keep the sauce aside. Bring a pot of water to boil to cook the pasta. When the water is boiling, add handful of salt (it is your only chance to season the pasta) and cook for about 8 - 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dante. Drain the water, mix in grated parmesam cheese and keep the pasta aside.

Meanwhile, heat another pot or skillet on medium, add olive oil, chopped onions and saute for 5 minutes or until the onion just begins to soften. Throw in the minced garlic and stir. Add the red bell pepper puree, crushed tomatoes. Cook the sauce for about 5 minutes and add cream, pepper, red pepper flakes, asparagus, peas, spinach and stir well on medium heat for another 2 - 3 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more salt if necessary. Finally add the pasta and stir well so that all the pasta is coated well with the sauce. Take the pasta into a serving bowl and shave parmesan on the top. Yum yum yum !!

Tips and More:

• You can use regular pasta if you want. But remember, by replacing regular pasta with whole grain pasta will give you more fiber, protien and you will get your serving of whole grains as well. Whole grain pasta taste nuttier than a regular pasta but tastes equally delicious.
• I used walnuts instead of pine nuts in this recipe. But if you have pine nuts at hand, use them and they would be perfect for this recipe. 2 tablespoons of pine nuts is what all you need.
• Kids would love this recipe. Its a great way to make them eat their vegetable. Add more vegetable like broccoli, carrots etc. for more veggies.
• I used broiler to char the red bell peppers. Although fired up grill or the open flame on your cook top are equally effective. What you are looking for is this

 

• Lining a baking sheet with aluminum foil will avoid cleaning process. However, charring the peppers on a grill or on a cook top will leave them a little messier.
• I used penne pasta because they will hold the sauce inside them along with coating the sauce. If you don't have penne in your pantry, then any kind of short pasta should do.

Herb Salmon with Spinach Mashed Potato

Does Salmon need any introduction? Its one of the healthiest food source available to us. Rich in Omega3s, high in protein content and what not. This is not to say that it will not be delicious. Try this and it will surely end up in your list of favorite recipes. The following recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:
For Fish -
2 6-8 oz fresh Salmon fillets
1 teaspoon fresh Dill (or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Spice Mix - 1 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon chili powder (little or adjust to your spice level)

For Spinach Mashed Potato -
2 large yukon gold potatoes - peeled and chopped medium pieces
3 cups (tightly packed) fresh spinach
salt
pepper
3 cloves garlic finely minced
pinch of dried rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1/2 tablespoon butter
splash of milk (I used 2% milk, you can use half n half for more creamier mashed potato)
1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock

Method:
Add the potatoes to a microwave safe bowl, add splash of water, close with a lid and put it on high in the microwave for 6 minutes, tossing half way through. Repeat the same process for spinach but, don't add water and cook the spinach in microwave until just wilted, which will take around 3 minutes. While you cook the potatoes, rub the spice mix to the salmon fillets. Also pat fresh dill on both sides of the fish and keep the fish aside.

Heat a pan (for salmon) over medium heat. Add olive oil to the pan and when the oil is hot, add the fish and let it cook for a couple of minutes on each side (just until the fish is cooked). In another pot add butter, garlic and rosemary and take it onto the stove over medium heat. By doing this, the garlic slowly takes the heat and won't burn. Once the garlic starts to turn light golden brown, add the potatoes, milk, chicken stock and mash it with a wooden spoon or masher. Squeeze out the excess water in spinach and add it to the mashed potato. Add some salt and pepper and mix well.

Serve the fish with mashed potato and enjoy! 

Tips and More:

• If you want sauce with your fish and mashed potato, after you take out the fish from the pan on to a plate, add 1/4 cup white wine, 1/2 juice of lemon and 1/4 tablespoon butter. Stir for 30 seconds or just until the quantity is reduced to half. Pour the sauce onto the fish for light citrusy taste. 
• You can also add parsley to the sauce for more flavor.
• Serve with sauteed asparagus for more veggies on your plate.

Vegetable Soup

Whats better than a hot bowl of chunky soup. This is best way to eat your vegetables. Kids will love this recipe. The following recipe serves 6.

Ingredients:
5 medium size carrots
1 large tomato
2 medium size zucchini
5 celery stalks
1 cup peas
1 teaspoon tomato paste
3 cups spinach
1 medium size onion
32 fl oz chicken stock (1 box)
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 bay leaf
5-6 garlic cloves minced finely
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can garbanzo peas - strained and run water thoroughly
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Method:
Heat a big pot on medium high. Add olive oil to the pot. When the oil is hot, add the onions and salt, carrots, celery, zucchini, (garlic, rosemary, parsley and bay leaf - all at once) and tomatoes one after the other with 3 minutes of interval for each ingredient except for the one in brackets. Occasionally stir the vegetables during that interval. Once the tomatoes start to sweat a bit, add chicken stock, water, crushed tomatoes, garbanzo beans and tomato paste and bring it to boil. Once the mixture starts to bubble, add spinach and peas and let it cook for another 1 or 2 minute. Pull out the bay leaf before you serve.

Tips and More:

• Chop and drop. Since it is a one pot meal, the best way to save time is to chop the vegetables when needed instead of preparing them ahead of time (chop onions and add to pot, while onions are cooking, chop carrots, add it to pan and so on).
• Again, instead of garbanzo beans, you can add roasted chicken breast pieces for non vegetarian version of this soup. 
• Add a teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese to each bowl of soup for extra flavor.
• Serve the soup with you favorite bread from your local bakery. Rub a piece of raw garlic on the bread (you can also use roasted garlic cloves), sprinkle it with a teaspoon of parmesan cheese and pop the bread under broiler for a couple of minutes until the cheese is melted and the edges are little browned. By adding bread, you are getting your starch/carbs for that meal.
• If you don't have either the tomato paste or the crushed tomatoes, thats ok too. You could use one of these ingredients. If are using just one of these, use around 3 tablespoons of tomato paste or 16oz crushed tomatoes.

Vegetable Pasta

Pasta really fills you up and is good for you. Whole wheat pasta has more fiber than regular pasta and that is even better. I made this recipe on a week night with in no time. The recipe turned out to be really delicious that my husband and I couldn't stop eating :) The following recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
10oz whole wheat spaghetti pasta
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion - chopped
16oz can crushed tomatoes
2 medium size zucchini - cut into thin match sticks
1 cup frozen peas
8 - 10 broccoli stems
3 cloves of garlic - finely minced
1/2 cup half and half
1 large red bell pepper - cut into strips
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken stock (vegetarians can use vegetable stock or water is fine too)
salt to taste - around one teaspoon
1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
chili flakes - 1/2 teaspoon (optional or adjust to your spice level)

Method: 
Bring a big pot of water to boil and season the water with salt (this is your only chance to season the pasta), add the pasta and cook until aldente(almost cooked but still has a bite to it).

Heat a pan over medium high heat and add olive oil. Saute the onions for about 4 minutes or until the onions start to turn translucent. Add zucchini and saute for another 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, basil, red bell pepper, broccoli and saute for another 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and chicken stock.  Turn the heat up to high and let the veggies cook for 3 minute until the mixture is thick enough for a sauce. Stir in the milk (half and half) and peas and let the mixture cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finally add the cooked pasta and cheese and mix it well for 30 seconds. Bon Appetit :)

Tips and More:

• Cut your cooking time by10 minutes. While you cook your sauce, try to cook the pasta too, not one after the other.
• You can really be so versatile with this dish. When I cooked this dish, the vegetables I used were the ones I got in my fridge that day. But you can use carrots, mushrooms, corn etc. Add parsley for more flavor or replace basil with parsley
• You can also add chicken for additional protein (pasta has protein in it).