Quick Easy Pasta

Tradition in our house is that every Sunday we enjoy pasta. I make a fresh pot of red sauce, salad and good hearty bread to dip into salt & peppered olive oil. It is delicious and easy.

This past Sunday, I went to take out of the freezer what I thought to be sauce, only to open the container and see that it was yogurt! I did not have sauce to serve on Sunday! What was I to do??

No worries...I made a quick easy pasta with tomatoes, basil, beans, garlic and onion....a few shaves of Romano cheese and we had dinner!

The Recipe:

1 box Linguini (or any pasta you like)
1 can Cannelinni Beans (White Kidney Beans), drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
5 fresh plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Olive oil
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. Parsley, dried or fresh
5 large leaves fresh basil, chopped

In pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions. Reserve about a cup of the water for pasta bowl.

Meanwhile, in fry pan, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add canned diced tomatoes and all spices. Cook for 10 minutes. Add beans. Heat through. When pasta is done, add reserved liquid to serving bowl. Add drained pasta. Top with frypan ingredients and toss in fresh tomatoes. Top with a couple of basil leaves and shaved Romano cheese.

                                                      

Chicken Chili

The days of fall are slowly turning into winter. The leaves are almost off the trees and soon, November will become gray and dreary and cold.

One recipe that is very versitle and freezes like a dream is a staple in our house (and big fall party).  This recipe only takes 30 minutes to make and tastes better the next day. Add a simple green salad and bread of your choice and you have a nice hearty meal that will warm you up on those cold days!

Recipe:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
1-2 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Boneless Chicken breast halves, cut in bite-size pieces
1 15oz. can White Kidney Beans (Cannelini)
1 15oz. can Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans)
1 15oz. can Great Northern Beans
1 4oz. can Chopped Green Chilles
1 Chicken bullion cube
2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 Small can Shoepeg Corn
1 lime
Salt & Pepper

Ok...to make the chili:

In a medium size sauce pot, put in olive oil ( lately I use Fillipo Berrio Extra Virgin Olive Oil), chopped onion, minced garlic, cut chicken and 2tsp. ground cumin. Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked, stirring occassionally so not to stick to the bottom.

Once chicken is cooked, add all the canned beans (do not rinse the beans! Add the whole can contents). I use whatever beans are on sale at the store; even the generic store brands. I find that these taste the same no matter what you use (unlike Black Beans where you can tell the difference between brands). Add can of chopped Chilles, bullion cube, salt & pepper.

Now for the corn: I prefer to use Green Giant Shoepeg corn in the small can. It is sweet and crisp and adds a very nice flavor to the chili. It can be pricey but it is the best one. I have used regular corn in a pinch and it works fine too.

Last but not least, roll your lime on the counter or cutting board. Place under your palm and put slight pressure as you roll it back and forth. This will loosen up the pulp in the fruit and make it easier to squeeze the juice out. (hint: this works with all the citrus fruits!) Slice lime in half and squeeze each into the chili. Stir all ingredients together.

Bring Pot to a gentle boil and then turn heat down to simmer.  Cook for 30 minutes. You can serve this with shredded Monterey Jack Cheese and red hot sauce if you want.