Chicken Pasta Salad

This is a recent find, and what drew me to it is that it does not have a mayonnaise-based dressing. It is light and refreshing, and very tasty. The original recipe can be found here, at Two Peas and Their Pod. This can be served as a Main Dish, or as a Side Dish.

 

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For the Dressing (see note below)

1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 cloves grlic, minced

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Pasta Salad

1 pound penne pasta, or something else, similar

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, that have been cooked and chopped

6 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped

2 1/2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (at the time, I only had dried basil on hand)

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

extra basil and Parmesan cheese for garnishing

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, drain, and transfer to a large serving bowl.

2. Prepare the dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, hone, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl, and whisk until well-combined. 

3. Add the cooked chicken and bacon, tomatoes, green onions, Parmesan cheese, and the basil to the pasta. Pour the dressing over on top and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper, and additional basil and parmesan cheese, if desired.

Note

I added some additional lemon zest, lemon juice and honey to boost the flavor even more. 

Lemon Pasta

I have seen this type of recipe for years, but have never made it until just recently. I didn't realize until after I started making this that this particular recipe did not call for heavy cream,  so I added some at the end. Once I find another recipe for one that actually includes cream, I will post it here.  Meanwhile, this is fairly typical of what I've seen out there. It is very tasty, and is certainly not overpowered by the lemon. 

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8 ounces of uncooked spaghetti
4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste (fresh lemon juice as opposed to bottled, makes all the difference in the world)

1/4 cup heavy cream, optional - may use more if desired

sea salt and pepper, to taste

chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves, for garnish

1. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions, cooking until al dente. Remove some of the pasta water to add to the sauce, at least a cup's worth and set aside. 

2. A few minutes before your pasta is done cooking, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until the butter foams. Reduce the heat to low and add the lemon zest and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat if your pasta is still cooking. 

3. When the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta and using tongs, transfer the pasta to the skillet and stir it into the butter mixture. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss the pasta until a sauce forms and lightly coats the pasta. Add half of the Parmesan cheese and toss to incorporate. Add in the lemon juice and cook and stir over low heat until the sauce is smooth. If it is clumpy, add more of the reserved pasta water, as needed. 

5. At this point, if desired, add about 1/4 cup of heavy cream and stir the pasta until the cream has heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, adding more lemon juice if it is needed. Garnish with additional lemon zest, and the parsley or basil leaves, if using. Top with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. 

This can be served with cooked chicken, however you want to prepare that, and a crusty bread. 

Chicken Fajita Pasta

Chicken Fajita Pasta is recipe that I found recently on Kevin and Amanda website. This one is also another favorite of ours. You can find it here.  I like to use the Gemelli pasta shape, but any narrow pasta will work well too, such as penne, ziti, rotini, etc. The pasta is cooked in the skillet in the sauce, and is meant to be served warm. 

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2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 envelope (3 tablespoons) taco or fajita seasoning mix, store bought or homemade (see note below)

2 cups diced onion 

2 cups diced bell peppers (2-3 peppers) use a mix of green, red, and orange for better color

3-4 cloves garlic, minced (I don't add, since I don't like garlic)

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies

8 ounces (about 3 cups) pasta (your choice - see note above in the description) - uncooked

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with half of the taco seasoning mix. In a large skillet, heat 1tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully add the chicken pieces in a single layer and cook without stirring until the underside is  browned, about 1-2 minutes. You may want to do this in two batches, so the chicken can brown properly. Turn the chicken over, and continue cooking until the other side is browned and cooked through. This may take a total of 5-6 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate and set aside. 

2. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and add the onions and bell peppers and saute until halfway done. (You are only going to cook them until tender crisp overall, but get a start on them. Add the remaining taco seasoning mix and continue to cook until the vegetables are slightly blackened and are tender crisp. Turn heat down to low and add the garlic, stirring for about 30 seconds. Remove the vegetables to the plate with the chicken. 

3. In the same skillet, add the broth, whipping cream, Ro-Tel tomatoes. uncooked pasta. and salt. Stir well. cover skillet and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the pasta is tender and liquid has mostly absorbed. Add the chicken and pasta back in and stir until everything has heated through. 

4. Serve with a crusty bread of your choice. 

Mongolian Beef with Noodles

This recipe is one of our new-found favorites and I've made it numerous times, already. It can be put together rather quickly and does not require a whole lot of special ingredients. I found the recipe on Cooktop Cove, here.)

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1 pound ground beef (I use the 80/20 blend)

salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces wide egg noodles

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger (I usually use about 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger powder as that is what I usually have on hand. Fresh should be very good, though.)

2 cloves garlic, minced (I use just a sprinkling of garlic powder)

1 tablespoon sesame oil (I'm not a big fan of sesame oil, so I add 2 teaspoons of vegetable or canola oil)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (This is a bit too spicy for me, so I only add 1/4 teaspoon)

sliced green onions, optional

sesame seeds for garnish, optional

chopped fresh (or dried) parsley for garnish, optional

1. Cook the egg noodles according to package directions, then drain the water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, brown the hamburger until browned and drain the grease. Add the

3. Add the minced ginger and garlic to the skillet and saute for about 2 minutes.

4. In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, beef broth, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. Whisk together until everything is well combined. Cook mixture over medium-low heat until it has thickened, stirring frequently. This can also be done in the skillet with the ground beef mixture, but I prefer to do it in a small saucepan. Add the sauce mixture to the skillet and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. 

5. Add the cooked noodles and stir until everything is well combined. 

6. Stir in the optional green onions (allowing to cook for a couple of minutes) and top with sesame seeds and parsley.