Another Tasty Recipe!

Last night I tried a new recipe for supper – skillet penne with Italian sausage and spinach – it was delicious!  Not only does this recipe taste great, but it doesn’t make a huge mess and you only use one skillet!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (hot or sweet)
3 cloves garlic (minced or pressed through garlic press)
2 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 1/4 cups water
8 ounces penne pasta
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
6 oz. fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in broth, water, penne, tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring often, until penne is tender and liquid has thickened, 15 to 18 minutes.

Stir in spinach, handful at time, and cook until wilted. Off heat, stir in Parmesan and nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

I added some extra cheese to ours last night because we like lots of cheese and I don’t think I used as much spinach or tomatoes as it calls for because Matt isn’t a big fan of those items.  I also served it with garlic bread.

ENJOY!

Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Ziti, & Sun Dried Tomatoes

Matt and I are still going strong on our cooking adventure.  I have lots of great recipes to share, so here goes nothing with the first one!

This recipe is a pasta dish and whoever is responsible for washing the dishes in your house will love it because it only dirties one skillet!

Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch squares
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or olive oil)
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces ziti or penne
2 3/4 cups water
1 2/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 ounces broccoli florets (i used frozen)
1/4 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed & chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until most, but not all, of the pink color has disappeared and the chicken is lightly browned around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.

2.  Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3.  Add the ziti or penne, 2 cups of the water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.

4.  Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining 3/4 cup water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

5.  Uncover and return the heat to high. Stir in the cream, Asiago, and reserved chicken with any accumulated juices and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked and heated through.  Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with more Asiago cheese if desired.

I didn’t add as much broccoli as the recipe calls for because Matt doesn’t like it, but this made probably 3-4 servings.  It was delish!

***Recipe courtesy of www.cooksillustrated.com***

Crunchy Oven Fried Fish

Matt and I have been on a quest to start eating at home more regularly.  We had gotten into a horrible habit of eating out or grabbing fast food almost every single night of the week and not only was it getting expensive, we knew that it was very unhealthy.  We joined an online cookbook and have access to thousands of different recipes from every cuisine imaginable.  We have cooked at home every night since Sunday and five of those recipes were brand new…and quite tasty I might add!

Tonight’s recipe was for a crunchy oven fried fish with homemade bread crumbs.

Ingredients:
4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
table salt & ground pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 small shallot minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup plus 5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 pounds skinless cod fillet (or other thick white fillet of fish) cut into 4 four pieces
Lemon Wedges

Instructions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse bread, melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in food processor until bread is coarsely ground, eight 1-second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. Cool crumbs to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Transfer crumbs to pie plate; toss with parsley and shallot. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
2. Place 1/4 cup flour in second pie plate. In third pie plate, whisk eggs, horseradish (if using), mayonnaise, paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until combined; whisk in remaining 5 tablespoons flour until smooth.
3. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Dry fish thoroughly with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge 1 fillet in flour; shake off excess. Using hands, coat with egg mixture. Coat all sides of fillet with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to fish. Transfer breaded fish to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 fillets.
4. Bake fish until instant-read thermometer inserted into centers of fillets registers 140 degrees, 18 to 25 minutes. Using thin spatula, transfer fillets to individual plates and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

***Recipe courtesy of www.cooksillustrated.com***

We really enjoyed this dish.  I served it with a long grain wild rice and green beans.  After trying several new recipes this week Matt and I have decided to become recipe testers for Cooks Illustrated.  Basically what happens is they email a recipe to us, we cook it, then let them know what we think and what should be changed.  If it turns out good, it has a chance to be featured in one of their cookbooks.  We’re excited!  I’ll share more of our recipes from this week over the next few days.