Confetti Chicken and Veggie Pasta

This was a great weeknight dish.  Really tasty and lots of leftovers for lunch later in the week.  I like that you can toss in whatever veggies you have on hand.

Recipe from here.

Veggies & Pasta

16 oz. of Whole Wheat Penne Pasta 
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in 1″ cubes
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ c. Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, long thin slices 
1 c. Broccoli florets
1 c. Asparagus, chopped in 1″ pieces
1 c. Grape tomatoes

Cook your pasta and let it drain. Sprinkle the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook chicken until done and golden on all sides. Remove and let rest in a large bowl.

Add the remaining olive oil and begin sauteing the onions for 2 min. Add in the garlic and bell pepper and saute another 2 mins. Then toss in any other woody veggies  (broccoli, asparagus) saving the tomatoes until the very end.

When everything is cooked, combine the veggies with the chicken in your big bowl. Now its time for the sauce!

Spicy Cream Sauce

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour 
2 c. half & half
1/4 tsp. of red pepper flakes
1 c. Parmesan cheese 

In the same pan you cooked the chicken and veggies in, melt the butter over medium heat. Toss in the flour and stir, cooking 1-2 minutes.  

Slowly add in the half and half while stirring to prevent any clumps from forming.  Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and allow to simmer until you see boiling action.  Stir periodically.

When your sauce begins to thicken and bubble, turn off the heat and add in your cheese. Stir until melted.

To assemble everything I like to add the pasta first so it gets nice and coated with sauce and then pour the rest of the goodies in. (see photo above). This makes enough for 4 people.

Lemon and Dill Chicken

This dish is low fat and healthy but it doesn't taste that way!  It's also a super easy sauce so if you're a novice at doing sauces, this is a good one to test drive.

What You Need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (1-1 1/4 pounds)

Salt   pepper, to taste

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil, divided

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons flour

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided

1 tablespoon lemon juice

What You Do:
Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth, flour, 1 tablespoon dill and lemon juice in a measuring cup and add to pan. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan; reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over the chicken. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill.

Original recipe from here.

Cajun Halibut with Praline Sauce Over Dirty Rice

We branched out of recipe repertoire big time and boy did it pay off!  The recipe was a little complicated in that it had a few moving parts between the rice, the sauce and grilling the fish but overall it was an easy enough dish to make and it was delicious!

I saw the recipe on where else...Pinterest and it looked yummy so I decided to try it out.  Only thing is (in case you, like me, don't already know this)...halibut is PRICEY.  Ours was $29.99 per pound.  It was more expensive than the Kobe beef at our market.  But, it was delish.  That said, I think any mild, white, flaky fish would work.  Mahi might be a good cost effective option.

The recipe we used is from here but I also copied it below.

INGREDIENTS

For the dirty rice:
1 link Italian sausage, casing removed
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup diced onion
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup long grain white rice
1½ cups low-sodium chicken or veggie broth
Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
½ cup chopped scallions

For the praline sauce:
½ cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
Pinch of coarse salt
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. whiskey (or apple juice)

For the fish:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tbsp. fresh thyme
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4 halibut fillets (about 6 oz. each)

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the grill to medium-high.
• To make the dirty rice, crumble the sausage into a skillet or large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook until starting to brown, 2-3 minutes.  Stir in the olive oil, onion, bell pepper and garlic.  Cook until just softened, 2-3 minutes more.  Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute.  Mix in the broth.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper.  Stir in the scallions.  Fluff with a fork and serve.
• While the rice is cooking, make the praline sauce.  Toast the pecans in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.  Transfer the pecans to a plate and set aside.  Return the pan to medium heat.  Combine the sugar and water, bring to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the toasted pecans and salt, and cook 1-2 minutes more.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and whiskey until smooth.  The sauce may thicken upon standing, but can be rewarmed over low heat.
• To prepare the fish, combine the oil, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to blend.  Pat the mixture over both sides of the fish.
• Oil the grates of the grill.  Grill until the fish is cooked through and the fillets release easily, about 3 minutes per side.  Serve over the dirty rice and topped with the warm praline sauce.

Elizabeth Bauer Design

I first read about Elizabeth Bauer design over on one of my favorite blogs, The Zhush.  The Zhush also happens to be one of my favorite online shopping sites to get great gifts (check out the online store here).

I love Elizabeth's mix of traditional with the more modern and always sophisticated.  It gives all of her spaces a collected-over-time, lived in feel.  Just my style.

See all of Elizabeth's work on her site here.

Scenes from the Abode

Can't believe it is August...where has the summer gone?

Here are a few scenes from the Abode as of late.  Happy Friday!  xx

Not the biggest harvest we've ever had but some tasty Roma tomatoes nonetheless.

Lane had a baby!

George Washington FINALLY napping.

From the garden.  Love the color of these roses.

One of the most lovely wedding invitations I've ever received...

Figs from our neighbor...

...and absolutely MASSIVE squash and zucchini from my sweet co-worker.