Monthly Archives: September 2015

Chicken & Roasted Red Peppers with Pasta

Peg had a meal out the other night that was good, but didn’t hit the mark. Thinking I could come up with something better…

2 chicken breasts, 3/4″ dice
2 Italian sausages, 1/2″ slice
1/2 small onion, finely diced
2 t minced garlic, about 1 clove
2 T vegetable oil
2 roasted red peppers ( I roasted my own, or use a medium jar of them) 1/2″ dice
2 oz sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted, 1/4″ slice
1 small jar of artichoke hearts, halved
1 C water
1/2 C light cream
3/4 C grated parmesan cheese
1/2 # dried pasta, or 1 # fresh pasta

In a large pot, heat salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta until tender.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and saute the onion until tender.
Add the garlic and chicken breasts, saute until chicken and sausage are browned.
Add the peppers, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts and saute five minutes.
Add water to saucepan and stir, deglazing the skillet in the process.
After most of the water has evaporated, lower the heat.
Sprinkle the cheese over the skillet’s contents, add the cream, and stir until cheese and cream are well incorporated.

Serve over pasta. Have a salad.

Nota bene – Peggy actually liked this dish, although it didn’t meet her dream expectations. I thought it was a little “busy” what with the tomatoes and peppers AND artichoke hearts. I might try simplifying it by dropping the tomatoes and artichokes, upping the peppers, and lightening it a bit by cutting back on the cheese and substituting yogurt or sour cream.

Back to la cuchina.

Potato Leek Soup with Chicken

Serves 2

3 leeks
2 potatoes
1 medium onion
1 T minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 chicken breast
salt
pepper
adobo seasoning (I like Goya – they have several flavors)
2 T chicken base
1/2 C light cream (optional – maybe low-fat yogurt?)
1 Qt water
2 T vegetable oil

Chicken breast was diced 3/4″, seasoned with adobo, and
sauteed.
Onions were coarsely chopped, leeks (white part only) halved, sliced, and washed. Potatoes were diced 1/2″.
Saute onions, leeks, and garlic until just soft.
Add potatoes, chicken base, and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.
Puree with hand blender, add cream, blend well.
Add chicken, serve.

Washing the leeks is key. I forgot that step in my last batch of potato leek soup, and well, the leftovers went down the drain. It wasn’t worth chewing through the grit in the leeks.