Chicken Farfalle Pomodoro

I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty this dish was. I'm not sure why I doubted it, because all of the ingredients are things that I love... chicken, pasta, tomatoes, spinach... how can you go wrong? I was worried it would be a bit bland, but the flavor combination was great! I think the charred tomatoes tossed in olive oil really sealed the deal for me. It was a nice, light, summery meal (which paired quite perfectly with a glass of chardonnay). Reminded me of enjoying a cool summer evening on a back porch with a slight breeze in the air... 

The recipe came from one of my favorite Pampered Chef cookbooks. Make it Fresh, Make it Healthy has SO many great, easy recipes that are good for you! Most of us probably eat way too much processed food, fast food, etc. It is very refreshing to use fresh ingredients and know that this delicious food that you are eating is actually healthy for you! One thing I loved about this recipe (besides how yummy it was), was the fact that it filled me up and yet I didn't feel stuffed and about to explode. I finished my serving and felt satisfied. 


It was quite easy to make. It only took me 29 minutes from start to finish (including dealing with our fire alarm going off - I swear I didn't burn anything!!). I do not own a Grill Pan, so I cooked our chicken on our George Foreman grill. I kept a close eye on the tomatoes while they were being broiled. You don't want them to explode, but you do want them to get a little charred. They are in the oven for such a short period of time that it was no problem to just watch them during the second round of broiling in order to take them out at just the right time.


The recipe is pretty self-explanatory and easy to follow, not to mention delicious! I hope you try it at some point this summer!




Chicken Farfalle Pomodoro
Pampered Chef Make it Fresh, Make it Healthy
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2011.


Prep time: 15 mintues Total time:35 minutes Yield: 4 servings


6 oz uncooked multi-grain farfalle pasta (2 cups)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper, divided
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano leaves
3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves


1. Preheat broiler on HIGH. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and oil; drain and keep warm. Heat Grill Pan over medium heat 5 minutes. Lightly spray pan with olive oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Season chicken with 1/8 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp of the black pepper. Place chicken into pan and top with Grill Press. Cook 5 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 165°F in thickest part of chicken and grill marks appear. Remove chicken from pan and dice with Chef's Knife.
2. Meanwhile, place tomatoes on Medium Sheet Pan; lightly spray with olive oil. Place pan 2-4 in. from heating element. Broil 2-3 minutes. Using Oven Mitt, carefully shake pan to turn tomatoes. Return pan to broiler; broil an additional 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes are slightly charred and just beginning to burst. Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack.
3. In Stainless (6-qt./6-L) Mixing Bowl, combine tomatoes, oil, garlic pressed with Garlic Press, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and remaining 1/4 tsp black pepper; mash gently with Nylon Masher. Add pasta, chicken, basil and oregano; toss to coat. Add spinach; toss gently. Serve immediately.
 

Taco Ring

Hello! Welcome to my food blog! I decided to start off this website with one of my favorite things to eat. I have always been a huge fan of tacos, but this was my first time making the Taco Ring. Although the picture makes it look a bit complicated, it was actually relatively easy to put together! I even finished everything within the recommended prep time and cook time (which hardly ever happens for me).

This recipe calls for 3/4 pound lean (90%) ground beef. I substitute ground beef with ground turkey every chance I get. Tonight I used 93/7 lean ground turkey, but if you want to cut even more calories, go with the 99% fat free ground turkey. I often use that when I make spaghetti and it's delicious! However, ground turkey comes in 16oz packages (the recipe calls for 3/4 pound), so you will have some meat left over. Oh well, ground turkey sandwiches for lunch tomorrow! Another substitution I used was baby spinach leaves instead of lettuce - pretty yummy!

The most difficult part of the recipe was when it came time to pull the points of the crescent roll dough over the filling and tuck it under the wider parts of the dough. I rolled out each triangle as I put the circle together, which helped make the points a little longer. As long as you are careful and take your time, the tucking wasn't too bad. I'm sure it would get a lot easier the more you do it!

The bake time is 20-25 minutes. For my oven (a standard apartment oven), 20 minutes was just right. Those 20 minutes provided plenty of time to prepare the vegetables, or that part could be done ahead of time if desired. I unfortunately don't have the V-Shaped Cutter, so simply using a knife to cut little edges around the bell pepper sufficed. In my opinion, this is purely for presentation. If you are trying to impress someone, then the edged bell pepper full of salsa looks great! Otherwise, it might not be worth the time and effort. :-) I bought olives that were already sliced to save some time, and if you don't have a Food Chopper then just simply dice up the onion. (The Food Chopper is a wonderful tool to own though!)

The sour cream is optional. My husband is not a fan, so we left that part out. He says, "Why would you want sour cream?" Good point. I still think it is delicious!  Now your Taco Ring is ready to go, and quite delicious! It took me 55 minutes from beginning to end, so it may not be the best meal if you are crunched for time. I would say it is definitely worth it to make at least once!

Taco Ring
The Pampered Chef Main Dishes
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2000.

Prep time: 30 minutes  Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

3/4 pound lean (90%) ground beef
1 package (1-1.25 ounces) taco seasoning mix
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons water
2 packages (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 medium green bell pepper
1 cup salsa
3 cups lettuce, shredded
1 medium tomato
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives
sour cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook ground beef in Large Skillet over medium heat 7-9 minutes or until beef is no longer pink; drain. Remove pan from heat. Stir in taco seasoning mix, cheese and water.
2. Unroll crescent dough; separate into triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle on Classic Round Stone with wide ends overlapping in center and points toward outside. (There should be a 5-inch diameter opening in center.) Using Medium Scoop, scoop meat mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. (Filling will not be completely covered.) Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Using V-Shaped Cutter, cut off top of bell pepper. Discard top, membranes and seeds. Fill pepper with salsa. Shred lettuce and chop tomato using Utility Knife. Chop onion using Food Chopper. Slice olives using Egg Slicer Plus. Place bell pepper in center of ring; arrange lettuce, tomato, onion and olives around pepper. Using Easy Accent Decorator, garnish with sour cream, if desired. To serve, cut with Slice 'N Serve.