Chicken Pasta‏ with Roasted Eggplant

January 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Who doesn’t love a great bowl of pasta?  I wanted to be able to make a pasta dish that was not only good but healthy.  I believe I’ve found the perfect balance.  This recipe was developed out of frustration, when I was trying to make stuffed chicken with spinach and ricotta cheese. I didn’t have any toothpicks in the house and tried my hardest to keep the stuffing together, with no success.  I decided to move to plan B, and turn it into a pasta dish.

One of the ingredients listed in this recipe is saffron. I would’ve never thought to add saffron, but I had just received a spice shipment from my mother, who lives in area near many Middle Eastern/Indian shops. They sell high quality saffron at a discounted rate.  What’s fascinating about this spice is that its obtained from a flower, Crocus Sativus, that only produces three threads per flower. More than 75,000 flowers are needed to obtain a pound.  This is the reason why this spice carries a heavy price tag.  No worries if you don’t have saffron, the dish will still be very good with the addition of cream and roasted garlic!

Ingredients

  • 3-4 chicken breast (cubed)
  • 1 lb spaghetti
  • 2 onions
  • 1 red pepper sliced
  • 1 medium eggplant (cubed)
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
  • 4-5 garlic cloves
  • 1 can of tomato sauce
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • ¼ cup of heavy cream
  • bag of spinach
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon saffron (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Mix in a large bowl the below ingredients with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes on 375.

1 Onion Sliced
1 Red Pepper Sliced
1 cubed Eggplant
1 pint of cherry tomatoes

Be sure to roast the garlic in the oven with the vegetables by placing in an aluminum foil packet with a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  When the garlic is cooked through (15-20 minutes), mash into a paste.

In a pot bring together the chicken and chopped onion with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and saffron.  Let this cook with the lid on for 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.  There should be a nice amount of liquid that builds up at the bottom of the pot.

Add tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes with the roasted garlic (smashed into a paste) with 1/2 teaspoon of salt & 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cover and cook for 20  to 25 minutes on medium heat.

Add cream and wait a few minutes before adding your roasted vegetables and spinach.  The last step is to add the spaghetti.  Don’t forget your favorite cheese to top of this wonderful meal.  Enjoy!

 

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Shrimp Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Capers

December 23, 2012 by 2 Comments

This dish is my go to meal when I don’t feel like cooking or just don’t have the time.  One of the biggest challenges that I hear from working mothers, and fathers is managing work and home life.  Providing our families with a home cooked meal is something we all work hard to do.  I can hear my single girl/guy friends saying “What about us”, yes, you too can enjoy this fab meal, and the leftovers taste even better the next day.

I’ve combined pasta with one of my all time favorites “Sun-dried tomatoes” and capers; the added lemon compliments the shrimp nicely.  A few tips:  I personally like to rinse the capers in a small colander to control the amount of salt in my dish.  When it comes to the sun-dried tomatoes, unless they are packed in oil, they need to be re-hydrated before use.  This is done by setting the tomatoes in a bowl of boiling water, and letting them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.  The biggest time saver is buying shrimp that has been peeled and deveined.  If its on sale do not pass this up.  Hope this becomes one of your go to dishes, like its been for me!

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup white wine or broth
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 pound of pasta
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 4 garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup capers
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Heat a pan on low to medium heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil, shallots and garlic.  Let this cook for 5 minutes, until the shallots become translucent.  To keep the garlic from burning, stir continuously or be sure to keep an eye on your mixture.  Another option is to wait until the last minute to add the garlic to the pan with the shallots.  Add the sun-dried tomatoes, capers, white wine (or broth) and lemon juice to the pan.  Stir to combine all ingredients.  After 2-3 minutes or once you see the liquid start to simmer, add the shrimp and season with salt/pepper to taste.  Be sure to spread your mixture in an even layer in the pan.  Saute until the shrimp turns pink, no more than 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often.  Turn off your heat, add remaining olive oil, butter and cooked pasta.  Toss well, and serve.

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