Entertaining Pasta

Since we bought our house, my husband and I have had fun inviting friends over for dinner. When we first moved in, my cooking skills were still in the developmental stage, so I searched for a couple of easy entertaining recipes. This pasta dish became an old standby in no time. It's very easy to make, it's delicious and the ingredients are a little different than a typical "spaghetti and meatballs" kind of dish. It also holds a special place in my heart as the only dish I've fixed that might have caused someone bodily harm. I thought it might be a good treat for my sister-in-law's birthday a couple years ago. Turns out she's allergic to artichokes--luckily, she saw me adding the artichokes prior to the meal and a major crisis (and trip to the hospital) was averted.

Mediterranean Pasta in Minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, sliced diagonally
1 (8 1/2-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes, julienned (1 cup)
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 pound fresh angel hair pasta
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 (8 1/2-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water, quartered and drained (1 cup)
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted (1/4 pound)
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil water for pasta in a pasta pot, fitted with a strainer. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken strips until no longer pink -- about 3 minutes each side. Add sun-dried tomatoes and garlic to skillet. Saute for 2 minutes. In the meantime, add the fresh pasta to boiling water, cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.

Now add the basil, artichoke hearts, olives and feta cheese to the skillet. Saute 1 minute then stir in the cream. Strain the pasta and transfer to a large pasta bowl. Add the chicken saute to the pasta and toss. Season with oregano, salt and pepper before serving.

Tyler Florence, Food 911, Food Network

Pumpkin Time!

Pumpkin: it's one key reason I enjoy fall. I adore pumpkin pie. Pumpkin cake, cookies, soup will also keep me happy. I found this recipe for Pumpkin Bread in the November issue of Cooking Light magazine. This recipe calls for raisins or currants, but I chose to omit them entirely. While this makes a tasty loaf of bread to eat any time of day, it also makes a great gift for neighbors, co-workers or anyone else you've got in mind. Happy baking!

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine canola oil, eggs, and pumpkin in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in currants.

Spoon batter into 2 (9 x 5-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool loaves in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool loaves completely. Yield: 2 loaves, 16 servings per loaf (serving size: 1 slice)

Nutrition per serving: Calories 150; Fat 5.2g

More freezer-friendly foods

My husband and I love chili just about any time of year. Of course it’s best on a really cold winter night (in my opinion), but I think we could probably eat it just about any time of year. Ina Garten’s recipe for chicken chili is a nice twist on a chili recipe. I really like it because it freezes well.

This recipe makes a large batch, so I typically reduce it by half to serve just the two of us. For freezing, I will divide the final chili it between two containers.

I use chopped tomatoes, as opposed to crushing the whole tomatoes by hand. If you’re truly in a time crunch, a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store can be substituted for the roasted chicken breasts.


Chicken Chili

8 cups chopped yellow onions
¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for chicken
¼ cup minced garlic
4 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
4 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
4 28-ounce cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
8 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Freshly ground black pepper

For serving
Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream

Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne and salt. Cook for one minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into ¾-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

From Barefoot Contessa Parties!, Ina Garten, (Clarkson Potter, 2001)

Chicken Wings

I love chicken wings. One of my favorite places to eat wings, Buffalo Wild Wings, serves them with about a dozen different sauces to choose from. But my favorite chicken wing is just the traditional, buffalo-style wing. Rachael Ray has a good recipe for a buffalo chicken sandwich and it's super easy to make. When I can't get out for wings, this sandwich is an acceptable substitute. Her suggested accompaniment is a twice baked potato and it is yummy!

Hot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

4 pieces, 6 ounces each, boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1 /3 palm full
1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/3 palm full
A drizzle extra-virgin olive oil

Sauce for chicken:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup, 4 ounces, cayenne pepper sauce, preferred brand Frank's Red Hot

Bib or leaf lettuce leaves
4 crusty rolls, split
2 cups sour cream
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 pound blue cheese, crumbled
Small red onion, thinly sliced
8 ribs celery, cut into sticks
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into sticks

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika and chili powder. Drizzle breast with a little extra virgin olive oil to coat. Pan grill chicken breasts 5 minutes on each side.

Heat a metal or oven safe glass bowl over low heat and melt butter in the bowl. Add hot sauce to the butter and combine. When the chicken breasts are done, remove from pan and add to the bowl and coat evenly with hot sauce mixture.

Place chicken breasts on bun bottoms and top with crisp lettuce. Combine sour cream, scallions and blue cheese and slather bun tops with blue cheese sour cream. Affix bun tops on sandwiches and serve with remaining sauce for dipping your veggies. Arrange Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches on dinner plates with red onion, celery and carrot sticks.

From Rachael Ray, 30-Minute Meals, Food Network

Double Stuffed Potatoes with the Works

2 large Russet potatoes, cleaned and pricked with a fork several times each
Drizzle olive oil or vegetable oil
2 slices center cut bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and coarse black pepper

Preheat a small nonstick pan over medium high heat. Rub potatoes with a drizzle of oil. Place potatoes on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 12 minutes, rotating once. While potatoes cook, add chopped bacon to hot skillet and brown until bits are crisp. Add scallions and cook scallions together with bacon 1 minute more. Transfer bacon bits and green onions to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Allow potatoes to cool enough to be handled, 5 minutes.

Preheat broiler to high. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh into a small bowl. Smash potato flesh together with sour cream until combined using a potato masher. Stir in cheddar cheese, bacon and scallions and season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Scoop filling back into potato skins and place on a cookie sheet. Place potatoes in oven and brown under broiler, 6 inches from heat 5 minutes.

From Rachael Ray, 30-Minute Meals, Food Network