Campanelle with Goat Cheese, Rosemary, and Roasted Chicken

Click here for the original recipe with pictures.

Ingredients

1 cup campanelle or other small pasta

Olive oil

½ pint (1 cup) heavy whipping cream

1 ½ teaspoons fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary (you could also sub in Italian seasoning or some other herb)

⅛ of a teaspoon of minced garlic

2 oz goat cheese (you can buy in a 4 oz package and use half)

½ cup shredded roasted chicken

(garlic) salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place a medium to large sauce pan full of water on high heat, and allow it to come to a boil.
2. In the meantime, combine the heavy whipping cream, rosemary, and garlic into a small sauce pan.  Place over medium heat and allow to simmer.  Simmer until the cream is reduced by about half.
3. When the water is boiling, add the pasta, a small amount of olive oil, and a dash of salt.  Cook according to the pasta directions.
4. When the cream has been reduced, add in the goat cheese, and continue cooking until the sauce becomes thick.  Add in (garlic) salt and pepper to taste.
5. When the pasta is done, drain, and return to pan.  Pour the sauce over it, add the chicken, stir together, and place over low heat for two or three minutes while stirring.  Serve immediately.

Shrimp-Pesto Flatbread

Shrimp-Pesto Flatbread

I've made this two times so far. Not sure too much about measurements, but here goes... picture at the bottom

I. Ingredients

Dough:

- 1 pkg active dry yeast

- 3/4 cup warm water

- 1 tbsp honey

- 1.5 cup all-purpose flour

- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 tsp salt

Pesto:

- 3 cups basil

- 4 cloves garlic

- 1/3 cup of pine nuts

- 2/3 cup olive oil (it's quite a bit, but it soaks into the dough while it cooks, so it's def worth it.. put less if you want.. add more if you want)

- Salt&Pepper to taste

- 3/4-1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Toppings:

Red onion ..  fine slices

Shrimp; raw, thawed, deveined .. ~1/2 pound, maybe less

Tomato .. cubed

Bell peppers

Shredded mozza/"Italian blend" cheese

whatever else you want

II. What to do

- pour yeast into a large bowl. mix the warm water with the honey and add to the yeast and let it sit for 5 mins until it gets foamy

- mix the flours in another bowl

- add 1tbsp olive oil and salt to yeast

- add the flour little by little and stir until the dough is a soft, sticky mass. if it gets too dry add a little more water. knead until the dough is smooth and stretchy

- shape dough into a ball and set it in a large bowl and cover. let it rise for an hour. make pesto in the meantime..

- add basil, garlic, and olive oil into a food processor and blend till you're happy. then add the pine nuts and blend a little more but i like to keep some of the nuts whole. add the cheese and salt&pepper.

- preheat oven to 450

- flour work surface and roll out the dough really thin, i usually transfer it to my rectangular cookie pan at this point (you can use a round pizza stone/pan)

- spread the pesto our evenly

- add the toppings evenly. i like to cut the shrimp in half axially so it's not sticking out too much

- cover with cheese

- put in oven for 15 mins or so. shrimp should cook in that time

- share with the person sitting next to you.

- leftovers: make little snacks with leftover dough and pesto. you can make little dough pockets and stuff the pesto in there with ham, oil the dough a bit and put in the toaster oven.

Rohit Kesarwani

Shredded Chicken Survival Guide

SHREDDED CHICKEN SURVIVAL GUIDE

                                       

Make this recipe for shredded chicken- then divide it into single or double serving Ziploc bags or Tupperware containers to store in your freezer. This is an easy, versatile, money-saving staple to keep around for superfast and healthy dinners (see meal suggestions below).  

INGREDIENTS:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fresh or frozen (I buy a 3lb bag of frozen chicken)

½ to 1cup water

Seasoning (OPTIONAL: more seasoning = less versatile chicken.  You can always add seasoning after it’s cooked and shredded.  I usually simply add a drizzle of olive oil and fresh cracked pepper.  Other possible additions: chili powder, rosemary, thyme, onion, garlic; BBQ sauce, marinades or salsa can be used in place of water)

DIRECTIONS:

Add chicken/water/seasoning to crockpot**.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 5-8 hours. 

Drain juices and let chicken cool.  Shred chicken with two forks- it will fall apart easily.  Divide into servings for easy storage and use.

NOTE:  Cook times will vary by crockpot- most will come with recommendations. You can definitely get away with leaving the crockpot on LOW during the day or overnight. 

**If you do not own a crockpot do not despair!  Cover in a large pot with water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.

MEAL SUGGESTIONS:

Tacos: Add some chipotle or taco seasoning prior to reheating chicken.  Serve on corn tortillas with your favorite toppings.  Also great for enchiladas.

Pasta: Zip up an old shelf standby- especially if you keep around a jar of pesto and a can of Italian-style diced tomatoes (drain first!)

Salads: Endless options, especially great with seasonal (aka cheap and local) fruit.  A Fall favorite: Sliced pears with gorgonzola cheese, pecans, and balsamic dressing

Pizza/Flatbread: Top pita or Naan with any additions your heart desires- jarred pesto and drained Italian-style tomatoes are nice options to keep around (again!) 

Wraps: Roll up with BBQ or ranch sauce, tomato, red onion, lettuce and cheese