Chicken Pasta Salad with Green Beans

This salad is so easy to make I almost didn't post it, but decided somebody reading this post might need a really tasty, easy idea for dinner tonight. This salad comes together quickly if you have some leftover chicken to use up, or if you purchase a rotisserie chicken from the deli. I baked a couple of chicken breasts that I had in the fridge. I just salted and peppered them and baked them at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. After they cooled I added them to the salad that I found at Cooking Light. My only changes were to use Farfalle, instead of Penne, tomatoes instead of jarred roasted peppers, and a bit more dressing. This was a great salad on a warm spring evening and I thought it tasted better after it had chilled for an hour. Give it a try if you need a quick meal idea. Enjoy!

Chicken Pasta Salad with Green Beans
Adapted from Cooking Light   (3-4 Servings)

2 cups uncooked pasta-recipe calls for penne, but I used farfalle
2 cups, inch cut fresh green beans-about 1/2 pound
2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken
1/4 cup fresh basil, cut in strips-don't leave this out
2 teaspoons chopped, fresh parsley
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt-I used less, about 1/4 teas.
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small garlic clove, minced

Cook past according to package directions. The last 4 minutes of cooking, add the sliced green beans, so they will cook with the pasta. After 4 minutes, drain the pasta and beans in a colander.Rinse with cold water to make the beans quit cooking and drain well.  combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl. In a large bowl, add the rest of the salad ingredients along with the chicken and the pasta and beans. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix. Can be served immediately, or later after it has chilled. We really enjoyed it cold after a hot day of working outdoors.

Oven-Baked Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

 Fall-off-the-bone tender ribs, slathered with a spicy homemade barbecue sauce, are irresistible. I wanted to cook these babies on the grill last week, but a thunderstorm forced me to cook them indoors in my oven. Sigh~
I had 2 racks of ribs I wanted to cook, but when it started raining, I put 1 rack in the freezer to save for another time. I don't have a dry place to grill when it is stormy. But ribs cooked in the oven are certainly very tasty too. The color is off in my photos, as the sun came out again when it was time to take pictures, so I took them out on my front porch. For some reason, the ribs look almost black, but they were not.

 I use a rub and sprinkle it all over the ribs, cover with plastic wrap, and keep in the refrigerator for a few hours. This time I prepared them in the morning, and cooked them later in the afternoon, for about 3 hours total. Barbecue sauce is applied the last 30-45 minutes of cooking to ensure a spicy, sticky glaze. Baby back ribs are delicious prepared this way, they just won't have the fresh smoked flavor of the outdoor grill. We still love them though. Easy to prepare, you will need about 2 1/2 - 3 hours cooking time. 

Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs
From Lynda's Recipe Box

1 or 2 racks of Baby Back ribs
about 1 tablespoon rub, either your own mix, or a purchased rub-recipe below)
liquid smoke-about 2 teaspoons
Barbecue sauce- I used this homemade version

Directions:
1. Rinse the ribs with cold water. Dry them well with paper towels.

2. Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs. To do that, loosen the membrane at one corner with a paring knife. Using a paper towel, or a kitchen towel, take hold of the membrane and slowly pull it off. For a picture, go here. Rub a little liquid smoke over the ribs. Sprinkle the ribs with the rub. Place on a baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Place in fridge for 8 to 24 hours. ( I have skipped this step before, and cooked the ribs right away, and you will still have really tender ribs. But waiting longer gives the rub flavors longer to penetrate the meat.)

3. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap from the ribs, and allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place ribs fat side up on baking pan. Cover pan well with aluminum foil, or wrap the ribs in foil, either way. Place baking pan with ribs into the oven and bake for
 2-2 1/2 hours.

4. Remove the ribs from the oven. Pull back the foil and insert a paring knife between the bones into the thickest piece of meat. If the knife goes in easily and the meat feels tender, then the ribs are ready for the BBQ sauce. If the ribs need more cooking time, cover with the foil and cook for 30 more minutes.

5. When done, remove the ribs from the oven. Pour off any accumulated juices. Brush BBQ sauce liberally all over the ribs. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Place ribs back in oven, uncovered. Bake for 20-30 minutes, turning the ribs over once, until the sauce is sticky. Baste again if desired and remove from oven. Let ribs rest about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

For an easy rub, I mixed together 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Or use a purchased rub, if desired.

Guacamole Dip

 Raise your hand if you like Guacamole! I sure do. I'm addicted to avocados anyway, so when you add in all the other goodies and chips, well, Guacamole is heaven on a chip. Creamy or chunky, I don't care, I'll take it please. My husband doesn't like it at all, but I don't mind. I just don't have to share it! Hehe.
I've had this recipe for many years and have found that you really have to go by taste when making Guacamole Dip. Avocados come in different sizes, as do tomatoes, so following the recipe to a tee is difficult. If you have made this dip before you already know this, but if you are making it for the first time, you have to learn to adjust the recipe to you personal likes. When avocado are large, I use more tomato, when they are small I use less tomato. Just make it yours. Don't use what you don't like. Here's my recipe from the archives.

Guacamole Dip
From Lynda's Recipe Box

2 ripe avocados
1 tomato, diced- I used 1 Roma this time
1/2 of a small onion, diced, or to taste-I only used about 2 tablespoons
1 or 2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced-sometimes I use pickled jalapenos
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste- Don't leave this out; it not only adds flavor, but helps to keep the avocado from turning brown.
1 clove garlic, minced-optional (I don't use)
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
about 2 tablespoons cilantro, optional

Cut the avocados in half length-wise, and using a spoon scoop out each half and put in a bowl. Mash well with a fork. Add the remaing ingredients and stir. Place plastic wrap right on top of the dip to seal out any air. (Guacamole will turn dark as it is exposed to air.) Chill dip well, and serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Try this Fresh Orange Guacamole, for a different twist.

Oven Roasted Carrots

My favorite way to prepare many vegetables is by roasting them in the oven. It gives them a sweetness that they may not have otherwise. Carrots are fantastic roasted, either until they are tender crisp, or even until more tender. The only thing you have to be careful of is not to burn them. Since they have a naturally high sugar content, carrots will burn if roasted too long, or at too high a temperature. If you haven't tried roasting carrots yet, now is the time to try. I think you'll love their great flavor, plus they are so healthy and very reasonably priced. Carrots are a very affordable side dish, which will go with about anything. Here's the easy method.

Oven Roasted Carrots
1 pound carrots, peeled, and sliced about 1/2-3/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley, optional, as a garnish-I like them with fresh parsley the best, but used thyme this time

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place sliced carrots on a baking dish, add the Olive oil, and stir carrots to coat with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven 30 minutes or more, depending on how large you carrots are. I roasted these large carrots about 35 minutes. Check them several times and turn with a spatula. Remove from oven when done. Enjoy!

Homemade Margherita Pizza and an Almost Disaster!

 I have posted this pizza recipe before, but wanted to again so I could make a beautiful Margherita Pizza. But I almost had a calamity instead. I like to bake pizza on my pizza stone because it really makes the crust crisp and delicious, but I was in a hurry the other evening and almost lost my pizza on the oven floor! I use a method of placing the pizza dough on parchment paper and then laying it on the backside of a large baking sheet, where I top the pizza. Then I carefully grab hold of the parchment and guide the pizza onto the pizza stone. Yes, I saw this done on Cook's Country one time, and it really does work, but I was too hurried I guess. Actually my daughter made pizza at her home a couple of weeks ago, and she did drop part of hers down in the ovens elements! So, anyway, my pizza looks a bit messy on the crust for good reason. The next time I make this delicious pizza I'll update the photo with a less messy pizza. Messy or not, it was fantastic tasting though.
I've posted this recipe before; it is from Bobby Flay and I love it still. The dough is so easy to mix up and it is a breeze to work with. Not to mention we love the flavor too. It will make 2 pizzas, so besides my yummy Marherita Pizza, I made a more traditional pizza for my husband. That pizza was made with pepperoni, turkey Italian sausage, green bell pepper, and red onion. It was fantastic as well. Hope you'll give it a try.

Homemade Margherita Pizza
from Bobby Flay in Parade Magazine
Bread flour will give you a crisper crust, but all purpose flour can be used, resulting in a chewier crust.
Makes 2 crusts!

Directions for dough:
3 1/2 - 4 cups of bread flour, or all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 envelope yeast- I use the quick rise
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F.)
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a bowl add 3 1/2 cups of the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast and whisk together. Stir in the water and the olive oil and stir until the dough forms a ball. If too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. If dough is too dry add 1 tablespoon water. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until dough forms a smooth ball. Grease a large bowl with olive oil and place dough in bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. After it has risen, turn dough out and cut in half. Cover and let rest 10minutes.

Pizza Sauce Directions:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 of an onion
2 cloves garlic,minced or pressed
pinch of red chili flakes
28 ounce can of good quality whole, canned tomatoes
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil, or 2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes until it is soft; add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the whole tomatoes, but crush them, and stir in the herbs and sugar. Cook about 20 minutes until thickened; remove from heat. This sauce can be made a day ahead of when you need it. It's great time saver to have the sauce done when you are ready to make the pizza.

To make a Margherita Pizza, you'll also need an 8 ounce ball of fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven on the middle rack and then turn oven on. Preheat the stone for 25-30 minutes).
Take 1/2 half of the pizza dough and roll it out with a rolling pin into about a 12-14 inch crust. I've also tried making a pizza that was almost too large for my stone, which caused a mess, so go smaller than you pizza pan or stone. A 12-13 inch crust is perfect for my 15 inch stone. If you are using a pizza pan, just roll the dough to fit your pan. Smooth some sauce over the dough. Cut the ball of fresh mozzarella into thin slices and place around the pizza. Place pizza in oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until cheese it bubbly. Remove from oven,  and add some leaves of fresh basil to the top of the pizza. You can use whole leaves, or a chiffonade of basil leaves.
Bake remaining pizza. Enjoy!

Chicken with Orzo, Asparagus, and Parmesan

 This tasty meal is a quick cooking dish that will be ready to be put on the table in very short time, as long as you have everything prepped. You have well seasoned chicken breasts, with tender orzo and asparagus that has been flavored with thyme, lemon and Parmesan cheese. It really is a very good weeknight meal for two people. I've made this Chicken with Orzo a couple of times now, so my husband and I both enjoy it The recipe is one of  Cook's Illustrated, and has it's share of touches that are to make this dish more flavorful. After it cooks, you are supposed to mix more oil, lemon zest and garlic and drizzle over the finished dish. I have omitted that step, because fresh garlic doesn't agree with me. I added the extra garlic instead earlier in the cooking. The chicken breasts are dredged in flour and sauteed in the skillet just until brown, and then it is transferred to the oven to finish cooking. This time I omitted coating the chicken with flour, but the chicken didn't have as much flavor, so back to the flour next time.

Chicken with Orzo, Asparagus, and Parmesan
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated  - Serves 2
(Israeli Couscous can be substituted for the orzo, if desired)

1/4 cup flour
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts-about 5 to 6 ounces each
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and black pepper
3/4 cup orzo
3 tablespoons finely diced red onion -Cook's used a diced shallot
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
8 ounces asparagus, tough ends trimmed, and cut into 1 inch lengths
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place flour in a dish. Pat the chicken breast dry with a paper towel. Season well with salt and black pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off excess.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non stick 10 inch skillet, over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a baking pan and place in the oven to finish cooking, about 5-10 minutes.
4. As chicken bakes, add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the skillet along with the orzo.  Toast the orzo until golden about 2 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, and lemon zest to the skillet and stir about 30seconds until fragrant.
5. Pour the chicken broth in pan and scape up any brown bits. Stir over low heat for about 4 minutes. Add the asparagus, stir and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook until asparagus is crisp tender and orzo is al dente, 4-6 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Remove pan from heat. Stir the lemon juice and the Parmesan cheese into the orzo. Divide between 2 plates and top with the chicken. Garnish with fresh thyme and lemon zest if desired. Enjoy!

"Key" Lime Pie

 Cool, creamy, tart and extremely delicious; that's how I describe this wonderful pie. But don't be deceived, I didn't use real Key limes, because I couldn't get them. Every time I've looked for them lately, the supermarkets in my town were out. So I gave in and bought Persian limes. I have no patience is what it boils down to. If I can't find what I want, I find a substitute.

 However, this pie was still awesome. From the crisp graham cracker crust to the cool filling, I slowly savored each bite. My husband, on the other hand, wasn't as enamored with this pie as I was. That just left more for me! This pie was more tart than a real Key Lime Pie, so I'm going to continue my search for the real thing. Real Key Limes are a bit sweeter I think, than the Persian limes. I'll update this post after I've made the "real" thing.

"Key" Lime Pie
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons sugar

Filling:
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice- Key limes if you can find them
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon sugar- won't need this if using Key limes

Topping:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Press into a 9 inch pie plate, and bake for about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack and cool completely.
2. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, sugar, if using, and the lime juice. Pour into cooled, prepared crust.
3. Return the pie to the oven, and bake until the center is set but still quivers when the pan is nudged, about 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely.
4. Before serving, combine the cream and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar in a large bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Serve with the pie.
Note: The pie cuts more cleanly if it is cooled in the refrigerator.
 Enjoy!