Note: The ingredients this recipe calls for are all items I keep in my fridge, freezer and pantry. I will list plenty of alternatives if you do not have certain items.
· ¼ of a box of angel hair pasta
· 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
· 1 ear of fresh corn
· 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of homemade chili powder
o 1 teaspoon of paprika
o 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
o 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
o 1 teaspoon of oregano
o 2 teaspoons of garlic power (NOT GARLIC SALT)
· ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
· ½ cup of cherry tomatoes
· 1 fresh lemon
· 1 fresh lime
· Salt and pepper
· Fresh Parsley for Garnish
Fresh Summertime Dinner for Two in 20 Minutes... Ready? I got the original recipe out of the Better Homes and Gardens magazine. My version is much better so that's what I am going to share with you today.
Start with two boneless skinless chicken breasts. I buy these in bulk because they freeze well and thaw easily. When you buy in bulk make sure you separate your portions to your family’s size as soon as you get home. Most of the time there are 10 breasts in a large package, 5 dinners or more for my house of two. Freezer safe Ziploc bags are the best and doesn’t freezer burn your chicken. I prefer the Pilgrims Pride brand (has a blue label)of chicken over Tyson or generic because the breasts are usually larger and can be cut in half for lunch the next day or pounded for more portions in case someone pops in unexpectedly. When I cook chicken I always make sure I trim off any extra fat (white stuff on the pink meat) as well as any veins (can be white and rubbery tube sometimes with blood). Once your chicken is prepped first things first is seasoning. No matter what I cook, I season with freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt. If you don’t have a pepper grinder McCormick has a great Coarse Ground Black Pepper you can buy in small or large quantities. I prefer coarse kosher salt because I can see how much salt I am putting in my dish with the larger size grains. Morton has a 3 pound box that I keep at all times, it’s cheap and will last you forever. If you don’t have kosher salt on hand regular table salt will do the trick but only use a pinch and make sure you season from about a foot above your meat so you don’t get a bunch of salt in one place. Season both sides of your chicken lightly and set aside.
Chili powder is common to me when store bought so I make my own with the ingredients listed above. Which you should put together in a snack sized Ziploc bag and shake up now. If you like store bought chili powder, have at it! But it’s kind of special to say you made your own and it puts a little bit of a nicer touch to your dish. Take your chicken and sprinkle with half a tablespoon on each breast, both sides. Set aside…
Now, start your pasta water boiling. You need a big, deep pasta pot so your pasta has room to move and grow. When the water reaches a boil, pour a palm full of salt in the water to season it. After a few more minutes of boiling with the salt, cook your pasta according to package instructions. I like really good brand pasta, Bertolli or better, it just cooks up so much better. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water, set aside. Yes, you can set pasta aside it only takes some scorching hot water out of the tap to make it warm and soft again.
There are many ways you can cook your chicken for this dish… grill, roast, bake etc. My favorite way to cook chicken is in a sauté pan on the stove. A little bit of olive oil in a hot pan keeps the chicken crispy on the outside and moist in the middle. Many people have reserves about chicken because of salmonella but don’t be scared, it’s easier than beef. If you need some help buy a digital thermometer at Wal-Mart, $9 will save you tons of panic and it has many other uses other than meat. Homemade candy perhaps…? That’s later; let’s get back to our chicken. In a 6 to 9 inch sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and let the pan get nice and hot on high heat. The oil might pop so watch out. EVOO is the best oil to cook with; it’s flagrant and good for you when not cooked. I keep a 25 ounce bottle in my kitchen at all times. EVOO can be pricey but it’s defiantly worth it, I usually buy the mid-high grade brand. It’s all I cook with anymore except for when making desserts. Ok, your pan and EVOO should be hot by now and you should turn the heat down to medium. Add your chicken to the pan and cook 4-5 minutes on each side making sure you only turn it once! This will keep it nice and moist. If you use a digital thermometer 165-170 degrees is perfect for poultry. Remove from heat and resist the cut as it will make your chicken dry.
The corn in this dish is great! Easy ways to do corn- keep it in the husks, wrap it in a plastic Wal-Mart bag and microwave it for 5-6 minutes. Perfection! With a large knife cut the from the cob, if you can’t get fresh corn, frozen corn is great but steer clear from canned if you can.
To make the dressing for the pasta while the corn is cooking- in a bowl or screw top jar combine the remaining EVOO, and 1 teaspoon of chili powder and stir. Take your lemon and lime and roll with your hands on a flat surface to release the juices. Then cut them in half, squeeze all of lemon and half of lime juice in EVOO-chili powder mix (without any seeds) and stir. Save the other half of the lime for your dish and garnish.
Cut your tomatoes in halves and finely chop your parsley and it’s time to plate! On two plates divide your chicken breast, pasta (again reheat with hot tap water if necessary), tomatoes and corn then drizzle the dressing over the pasta and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Finally, splash both dishes with the last half of lime and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper one more time. All done!
Enjoy and let me know how it went!
· ¼ of a box of angel hair pasta
· 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
· 1 ear of fresh corn
· 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of homemade chili powder
o 1 teaspoon of paprika
o 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
o 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
o 1 teaspoon of oregano
o 2 teaspoons of garlic power (NOT GARLIC SALT)
· ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
· ½ cup of cherry tomatoes
· 1 fresh lemon
· 1 fresh lime
· Salt and pepper
· Fresh Parsley for Garnish
Fresh Summertime Dinner for Two in 20 Minutes... Ready? I got the original recipe out of the Better Homes and Gardens magazine. My version is much better so that's what I am going to share with you today.
Start with two boneless skinless chicken breasts. I buy these in bulk because they freeze well and thaw easily. When you buy in bulk make sure you separate your portions to your family’s size as soon as you get home. Most of the time there are 10 breasts in a large package, 5 dinners or more for my house of two. Freezer safe Ziploc bags are the best and doesn’t freezer burn your chicken. I prefer the Pilgrims Pride brand (has a blue label)of chicken over Tyson or generic because the breasts are usually larger and can be cut in half for lunch the next day or pounded for more portions in case someone pops in unexpectedly. When I cook chicken I always make sure I trim off any extra fat (white stuff on the pink meat) as well as any veins (can be white and rubbery tube sometimes with blood). Once your chicken is prepped first things first is seasoning. No matter what I cook, I season with freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt. If you don’t have a pepper grinder McCormick has a great Coarse Ground Black Pepper you can buy in small or large quantities. I prefer coarse kosher salt because I can see how much salt I am putting in my dish with the larger size grains. Morton has a 3 pound box that I keep at all times, it’s cheap and will last you forever. If you don’t have kosher salt on hand regular table salt will do the trick but only use a pinch and make sure you season from about a foot above your meat so you don’t get a bunch of salt in one place. Season both sides of your chicken lightly and set aside.
Chili powder is common to me when store bought so I make my own with the ingredients listed above. Which you should put together in a snack sized Ziploc bag and shake up now. If you like store bought chili powder, have at it! But it’s kind of special to say you made your own and it puts a little bit of a nicer touch to your dish. Take your chicken and sprinkle with half a tablespoon on each breast, both sides. Set aside…
Now, start your pasta water boiling. You need a big, deep pasta pot so your pasta has room to move and grow. When the water reaches a boil, pour a palm full of salt in the water to season it. After a few more minutes of boiling with the salt, cook your pasta according to package instructions. I like really good brand pasta, Bertolli or better, it just cooks up so much better. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water, set aside. Yes, you can set pasta aside it only takes some scorching hot water out of the tap to make it warm and soft again.
There are many ways you can cook your chicken for this dish… grill, roast, bake etc. My favorite way to cook chicken is in a sauté pan on the stove. A little bit of olive oil in a hot pan keeps the chicken crispy on the outside and moist in the middle. Many people have reserves about chicken because of salmonella but don’t be scared, it’s easier than beef. If you need some help buy a digital thermometer at Wal-Mart, $9 will save you tons of panic and it has many other uses other than meat. Homemade candy perhaps…? That’s later; let’s get back to our chicken. In a 6 to 9 inch sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and let the pan get nice and hot on high heat. The oil might pop so watch out. EVOO is the best oil to cook with; it’s flagrant and good for you when not cooked. I keep a 25 ounce bottle in my kitchen at all times. EVOO can be pricey but it’s defiantly worth it, I usually buy the mid-high grade brand. It’s all I cook with anymore except for when making desserts. Ok, your pan and EVOO should be hot by now and you should turn the heat down to medium. Add your chicken to the pan and cook 4-5 minutes on each side making sure you only turn it once! This will keep it nice and moist. If you use a digital thermometer 165-170 degrees is perfect for poultry. Remove from heat and resist the cut as it will make your chicken dry.
The corn in this dish is great! Easy ways to do corn- keep it in the husks, wrap it in a plastic Wal-Mart bag and microwave it for 5-6 minutes. Perfection! With a large knife cut the from the cob, if you can’t get fresh corn, frozen corn is great but steer clear from canned if you can.
To make the dressing for the pasta while the corn is cooking- in a bowl or screw top jar combine the remaining EVOO, and 1 teaspoon of chili powder and stir. Take your lemon and lime and roll with your hands on a flat surface to release the juices. Then cut them in half, squeeze all of lemon and half of lime juice in EVOO-chili powder mix (without any seeds) and stir. Save the other half of the lime for your dish and garnish.
Cut your tomatoes in halves and finely chop your parsley and it’s time to plate! On two plates divide your chicken breast, pasta (again reheat with hot tap water if necessary), tomatoes and corn then drizzle the dressing over the pasta and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Finally, splash both dishes with the last half of lime and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper one more time. All done!
Enjoy and let me know how it went!
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