Showing posts with label Delicious Mains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delicious Mains. Show all posts
Creamy Pesto Pasta Chicken makes a fabulous weeknight meal. Not only is it quick and easy to make, but it is incredibly delicious and uses things which most of us have on hand most of the time in our larders and refrigerators.
I don't know about you, but chicken is the one thing that I cook most of the time in my kitchen. It is, to put it simply, my protein of choice. Not only is it fairly affordable, but it is incredibly versatile, and one of my favorite things to cook and to eat!
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I saw this recipe for Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta on Pinterest a few weeks back. Attributed to Julia's Album it immediately caught my eye, with it's bright fresh flavors and colors.
I put it on my list of recipes that I wanted to try. Let it be noted the original recipe made four servings. I have cut that down to two servings and I actually only cooked one serving for myself. No waste here!
With a creamy delicious pesto sauced pasta, garlic roasted cherry tomatoes and asparagus, perfectly cooked tender pieces of chicken and crunchy pine nuts, there is much to love about this quick and easy pasta recipe!
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WHAT YOU NEED TO COOK CREAMY CHICKEN PESTO PASTA
Simple everyday ingredients. There is nothing too out of the ordinary here.
For the roasted tomatoes:
- 5 ounces of cherry tomatoes, halved (about 9 tomatoes)
- 2 large stalks of asparagus, washed and trimmed
- 1 TBS olive oil (I used garlic olive oil by Fody)
- 1 fat clove garlic minced
For the Chicken Pesto Pasta:
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- fine sea salt, black pepper and ground paprika to taste
- 4 ounces (1 cup) of bow tie (Farfalle) pasta (can also use penne or fusilli)
- 1 heaped TBS of basil pesto
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
- 2 TBS lightly toasted pine nuts (optional)
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Because of my IBS I can no longer tolerate eating onions or garlic, at least not often. To infuse the flavor of garlic into the roasted cherry tomatoes I used garlic infused olive oil. It works beautifully.
I used a good store bought basil pesto this time, but I often make my own pesto. You can find my recipe for A Simple Basil Pesto here. Its really good and not all that difficult to make so long as you have access to a foodprocessor.
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Pesto is actually an ingredient that I use often on here. I have quite a few recipes which use this delicious ingredient! Some of my favorites are:
Skillet Chicken and Rigatoni with Pesto - A delicious quick and easy weeknight supper that cooks in one pan! (You could also use leftover cooked chicken and cooked pasta shapes in this.)
Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus - A deliciously different Pasta Salad. Easy to make, quick, colorful and very tasty with fresh spring asparagus and a punchy pesto dressing!
Mini Scone Focaccia Breads - A lot easier and quicker to make than a traditional focaccia bread, these are incredibly moreish and go very well with soups, salads and main courses.
Spinach and Gruyere Tart - A fabulously tasty recipe for a quick and easy to make free form tart that I got many years ago from my good friend Audrey. Its fabulously delicious!
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY CHICKEN PESTO PASTA
This might look complicated but I can assure you that it is very easy to make and if you have everything in place it goes together very quickly!
Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a small baking tray with nonstick foil. Toss the cherry tomatoes with the oil and minced garlic. Spread on the baking tray. Roast for about 10 minutes, add the asparagus spears and roast for a further 10 minutes while you prep the remainder of the dish.
Slice your chicken breast in half horizontally. Season on both sides with the salt, pepper and paprika.
Put the water on for your pasta. (Lightly salted.) Bring to the boil while cooking the chicken.
Heat the oil in a medium sized skillet for the chicken over medium high heat until hot. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. The juices should no longer run pink.
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Remove to a plate and tent lightly with foil to keep warm. Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse, and drain again.
Add the cream and pesto to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in. Add the drained pasta, tossing to coat it well in the sauce. Cut the asparagus spears into 2 inch lengths and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer and heat through.
Slice your chicken breast into thinnish slices. Top the pasta with the sliced chicken breast. Scatter the roasted tomatoes and pine nuts over top. Serve immediately.
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I really hope that you will be inspired to cook this delicious pasta recipe. Quick, easy and delicious it has become a firm favorite with me that I know I will cook again and again!
A grating of fresh Parmesan cheese would go wonderfully lightly dusting the top of this tasty dish. I think some warm crusty bread would also go well.
The juices from those delicious roasted cherry tomatoes leak into that rich creamy sauce, creating something that is incredibly tasty! Everything together was quite simply wonderful!
Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
This deliciously creamy chicken pesto pasta is a fabulous choice for a weeknight dinner. Sized perfectly for two, it uses basic every day ingredients. You can use store-bought basil pesto, or make your own from scratch.
Ingredients
For the roasted tomatoes:
- 5 ounces of cherry tomatoes, halved (about 9 tomatoes)
- 2 large stalks of asparagus, washed and trimmed
- 1 TBS olive oil (I used garlic olive oil by Fody)
- 1 fat clove garlic minced
For the Chicken Pesto Pasta
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- fine sea salt, black pepper and ground paprika to taste
- 4 ounces (1 cup) of bow tie (Farfalle) pasta (can also use penne or fusilli)
- 1 heaped TBS of basil pesto
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
- 2 TBS lightly toasted pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a small baking tray with nonstick foil.
- Toss the cherry tomatoes with the oil and minced garlic. Spread on the baking tray. Roast for about 10 minutes, add the asparagus spears and roast for a further 10 minutes while you prep the remainder of the dish.
- Slice your chicken breast in half horizontally. Season on both sides with the salt, pepper and paprika.
- Put the water on for your pasta. (Lightly salted.) Bring to the boil while cooking the chicken.
- Heat the oil in a medium sized skillet for the chicken over medium high heat until hot. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. The juices should no longer run pink.
- Remove to a plate and tent lightly with foil to keep warm.
- Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse, and drain again.
- Add the cream and pesto to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in. Add the drained pasta, tossing to coat it well in the sauce. Cut the asparagus spears into 2 inch lengths and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer and heat through.
- Slice your chicken breast into thinnish slices. Top the pasta with the sliced chicken breast. Scatter the roasted tomatoes and pine nuts over top. Serve immediately.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I can still remember the first time I tried Thai food. We went to a Thai restaurant in Chester with our friends Jo and Colin. For me it was love at first bite!
I thought it was delicious! We all ordered different things and then shared with each other. It was like being at a fabulously tasty mini banquet!
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That's a really happy memory for me. I love Jo and Colin and spending time with them has always been my favorite thing to do. Jo was the housekeeper down at the Manor for the first few years I worked there.
She left there to pursue a career in Chiropody. She and I remain good friends to this day. She and Colin are great people and were very supportive me in the changes I had to make in my life several years ago.
I have been so blessed in being surrounded by good people in my life.
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This recipe I am sharing with you today was adapted from one I found on a blog called Seasons & Suppers. It sounded delicious. I am not sure how authentic it is, but I can tell you it is very tasty!
I did make a few changes to the recipe however. I cut a bit back on the meat and added some vegetables for fiber and color. The last time I cooked something like this someone on my Facebook page said it looked like dog food. I didn't want that to happen again.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THAI PEANUT CHICKEN
It looks like a lot, but it isn't really. Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way.
For the chicken:
- 4- 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 2 large boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized dice
- 1-2 tsp cooking oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- a quantity of loose frozen stir fry vegetables (optional) (you decide how much you want)
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For the sauce:
- 1 tsp ginger paste (or 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp dried ginger powder)
- 1 tsp Asian Chili garlic sauce, plus more, to taste or Sambal Oelek or Sriracha
- 1 TBS soy sauce, low-sodium recommended
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 TBS peanut butter, smooth or crunchy, plus a bit more stirred in at the end, if you like
- 2/3 cup (160ml) full fat coconut milk, make sure you stir or shake it well (you can freeze the remainder of the can to use at a later date)
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To finish:
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
- the juice of 1/2 lime
To serve: (all optional)
- Chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
- Fresh lime wedges for squeezing
- coarsely chopped peanuts
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HOW TO MAKE THAI PEANUT CHICKEN
You will find that if you have all of your ingredients measured and assembled before you start, this simple recipe goes together very quickly!
Heat the oil over medium high in a medium sized skillet. Add the chicken pieces. Cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink. Add the vegetables if using. Sprinkle with the spices and salt.
Whisk together the chili sauce, ginger paste, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Stir into the chicken and vegetables to combine.
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Stir in the coconut milk and peanut butter. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes to blend the flavors and make sure the chicken is really cooked through.
Taste and adjust seasoning as required. You may also stir in an additional TBS of peanut butter if you desire and like more of a peanut flavor.
Serve hot and spooned over rice or noodles and garnished as desired.
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This made for a really quick and delicious supper. You can easily double everything to feed more people. I really loved the addition of the vegetables. They added color, fiber and crunch.
I served this with some white basmati. For the smaller family you can buy small pouches of cooked basmati rice which has only two to three servings in them. (Depending on appetites.) I find them to be very handy. Its not easy to cook rice for one or two people, and I hate waste.
All in all I really enjoyed this and it is something I would make again. I thought you would enjoy it too. I didn't sprinkle any chopped coriander on it at the end, but I did use some chopped peanuts and lime juice. Delicious!!
Quick & Easy Thai Peanut Chicken
Yield: 3
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
This quick and easy recipe is incredibly versatile and delicious! I like to serve it with Basmati rice, but it is also good with noodles. If you have everything ready and assembled before you start, this goes together very quickly!
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4- 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 2 large boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized dice
- 1-2 tsp cooking oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- a quantity of loose frozen stir fry vegetables (optional) (you decide how much you want)
For the sauce:
- 1 tsp ginger paste (or 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp dried ginger powder)
- 1 tsp Asian Chili garlic sauce, plus more, to taste or Sambal Oelek or Sriracha
- 1 TBS soy sauce, low-sodium recommended
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 TBS peanut butter, smooth or crunchy, plus a bit more stirred in at the end, if you like
- 2/3 cup (160ml) full fat coconut milk, make sure you stir or shake it well (You can freeze the remainder of the can to use at a later date)
To finish:
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
- the juice of 1/2 lime
To serve: (all optional)
- Chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
- Fresh lime wedges for squeezing
- coarsely chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium high in a medium sized skillet. Add the chicken pieces. Cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink. Add the vegetables if using. Sprinkle with the spices and salt.
- Whisk together the chili sauce, ginger paste, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Stir into the chicken and vegetables to combine.
- Stir in the coconut milk and peanut butter. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes to blend the flavors and make sure the chicken is really cooked through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as required. You may also stir in an additional TBS of peanut butter if you desire and like more of a peanut flavor.
- Serve hot and spooned over rice or noodles and garnished as desired.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I had some leftover chicken in the refrigerator the other day and I decided I wanted to make a casserole with it. I have quite a few chicken casseroles on here, but I was wanting to try something a little bit different.
I found a recipe for Chicken Amandine in a cookbook I have entitled Grandma's Favorites, by Taste of Home.
I love the old Taste of Home Recipes. I used to subscribe to the magazine when it first came out and I used to have quite a few of their earlier cookbooks.
I ended up leaving them in the UK thinking I could replace them when I got to Canada. Unfortunately I have not been able to as they are no longer available. I wish that I had brought them with me now.
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Hindsight is 20/20. I have bought the magazine a few times since my return and I have to say I found it to be very disappointing compared to what it used to be. It has gone way down hill in my opinion.
I did buy this cookbook however and I loosely based the casserole recipe I am sharing today on one which I found in this book. I say loosely because I did not have the exact ingredients called for in the original recipe, and so I substituted what I did have for them with, I might add, very delicious results!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN AMANDINE
Simple store cupboard ingredients and some leftover chicken. This is such an easy and forgiving casserole.
- 1 pouch ready cooked rice (I like the one which is a mix of long grain and wild rice, with garlic)
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) cubed cooked chicken
- 1 cup (150g) frozen stir fry vegetables, thawed
- 1/2 can undiluted cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup (35g) flaked almonds, divided
- 1 TBS dark soy sauce
- 1 TBS hoisin sauce
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 strip of streaky bacon, cooked and crumbled
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The ready cooked rice in the pouch I used was Uncle Ben's and there is about 2 cups of cooked rice in each package. This one was a mix of whole grain and wild rice with garlic. I thought the garlic would work well with the other ingredients.
It is such a time saver not having to stop and cook rice. I also love the nuttiness of the wild rice.
The original recipe called for frozen green beans, thawed. I had those in the freezer, but I also had some frozen stir fry vegetables, containing carrots, peppers, broccoli, mushrooms and onions. I thought they would be a lot more exciting and colorful.
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You do only need 1/2 the tin of soup. You can pop the other half tin into a freezer container and freeze it, or you can make a simple sauce in it's place using 1 TBS each of butter and flour, along with 1/2 cup chicken stock and 1/2 cup of milk. This will give you approximately 1 cup of sauce.
Just melt the butter and then whisk in the flour. Cook for a minute, then whisk in the stock and milk and cook, whisking constantly over medium high heat until it bubbles and thickens.
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The Hoisin Sauce and the dark soy sauce are my own additions. I do another casserole which uses them and I knew the flavors would work well here with all of the other ingredients.
You can leave them out if you want to, but I have to say they add a really nice touch. Also the almonds add a bit of nutty crunch. Yum!!!
And the bacon on top? Well I have yet to hear anyone say leave off the bacon when it comes to anything. Everyone loves bacon and it works beautifully here.
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HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN AMANDINE
Nothing could be simpler to make. Its a matter of stir, pour, cover and bake. Uncover and bake some more.
Nothing could be easier. A child could easily put this together.
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Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 1 liter/quart casserole dish.
Combine the chicken, rice, thawed vegetables, undiluted soup, 1/2 of the almonds, pepper, soy sauce and hoisin sauce together in a bowl, mixing everything together well.
Spread in the casserole dish.
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Sprinkle the remaining almonds on top along with the bacon. Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
Uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer. When done it should be heated through and bubbling around the edges.
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Like I said, I am not stranger to the chicken casserole. It is something we have often around here. I have never met a chicken casserole I didn't like. Some of my favorites are:
Grandma's Chinese Chicken Casserole - with chicken and celery, chow mein noodles and cashews. What's not to love!
Creamy Parmesan Chicken Casserole - chicken, rice and vegetables in a creamy Parmesan sauce.
Chicken and Dumpling Casserole - built for two this tasty dish boasts a creamy chicken and gravy base topped with tender dumplings. Its a real favorite!
Chicken Noodle Casserole - Another family favorite. Pasta twists, broccoli, cauliflower and chicken in a delicious creamy base. Yummilicious!
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This Chicken Amandine was really nice. I loved the crunch from the almonds and the colors of the different vegetables. The garlicky rice was a great fit as well.
This went down beautifully with some crusty bread and a salad on the side. I will make this again, maybe even for company next time!
Chicken Amandine
Yield: 4
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 40 Min
A quick and easy to throw together casserole with a slight oriental flair. Delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 pouch ready cooked rice (I like the one which is a mix of long grain and wild rice, with garlic)
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) cubed cooked chicken
- 1 cup (150g) frozen stir fry vegetables, thawed
- 1/2 can undiluted cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup (35g) flaked almonds, divided
- 1 TBS dark soy sauce
- 1 TBS hoisin sauce
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 strip of streaky bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 1 liter/quart casserole dish.
- Combine the chicken, rice, thawed vegetables, undiluted soup, 1/2 of the almonds, pepper, soy sauce and hoisin sauce together in a bowl, mixing everything together well. Spread in the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining almonds on top along with the bacon.
- Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer.
- When done it should be heated through and bubbling around the edges.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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