LifeAsMom is celebrating the chicken this week, so stop by and check out some fowl recipes. Ha. HaHa. Get it? Fowl recipes.
One thing being a food network junkie will get you is a whole bunch of new recipes to wow your palate with. And it makes you think bigger than you did as a kid. Before catching Giada’s show a handful of times I had the misconception that pasta sauce was either red or white. Little did I know that with some veggies, chicken stock and pasta water you can make some pretty amazing pasta dishes. This is the first time I did the pasta, goat cheese pasta with mushrooms and spinach and it turned out pretty good. I love the tangy creamy contrast of the cheese with the pasta, mmm. Little boo helped me shop this week and spotted a low display of giant portabellas on sale. He eagerly selected two large ones.
This pasta dish a great way to use up left over chicken, you can really stretch a breast (for family of 4) or the pickings from roaster chicken in a pasta dish. I don’t mind left overs, but I like to optimize my cooking time by re-creating a new dish using something already prepared on night two. For example tonight I wilted a huge head of spinach, I knew it was too much for the pasta dish, and instead of cooking half, I cooked it all, pureed half and put it in the fridge. I’ll add the spinach into spaghetti sauce which I have in the freezer for tomorrow night. That way I won’t forget about the fresh spinach in the fridge, pretending like I’m going to add it into a salad only to find it mushy in the fridge next week.
Mushrooms are one of the newer “hot” health foods. They are packed with antioxidants and something called beta-glucan. According to Dave Grotto in 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, beta-glucans can enhance the immune system by helping it recognize and devour abnormal cells that cause disease. Big boo picked out all the pasta and chicken bits and left the rest. When I asked him to eat his veggies, this was the dialog:
Big Boo: But I don’t like mushrooms
Me: You haven’t tried them yet, how do you know?
Big Boo: They’re black.
Me: Oh, you think you don’t like black food, that’s why you don’t want to taste them.
Big Boo: Uh huh.
Me: I get it. You don’t like to eat black food.
Little Boo: Mama, what mushrooms do for your body?
Me: Let me get the book and see. (I explain beta glucans)
Big Boo: (makes a bizarre face) Did you see my face?
Me: Yes. What did that mean?
Big Boo: It said I loved it.
Me: Loved what?
Big Boo: the Mushroom.
Me: You ate a mushroom? A black mushroom? And your head didn’t explode? Awesome. Sllluuuup.
Big Boo: What was that?
Me: That was a beta-glucan devouring a yucky cell in your body trying to make you sick.
Kid Appeal Tip Do your kids protest at certain colors, textures, categories of food? Try to hear what is disconcerting to them about the food. It may well be that they have a misconception about the food (black food tastes bad), and once you acknowledge their concern they may realize on their own with absolutely no lecture from you their thinking is off, and give it a go. Avoid labeling a food as a “food they don’t like.” Instead refer to it as a food they haven’t decided to try yet (because it’s black, it’s yucky, it smells weird). Keep offering it. The label, food-they-haven’t-decided-to-try-yet, gives them permission to try it later. Ask them to try it, if they decline, they will have another opportunity later.
Pasta with Chicken, Veggies and Goat Cheese (Inspired by technique learned on Giada's show, but not by a particular recipe seen there)
1 TBS oil
1 large onion diced
2 TBS butter
3 cloves minced garlic
½ bunch of fresh spinach (or a half bag of baby spinach)
1-2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (dark meat works too)
2 large portabella mushrooms, sliced in bite sized pieces
½ box of cooked whole wheat pasta (I used shells)
1 4oz package of fresh goat cheese
3-5 ladles of pasta water
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat oil in skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add butter and mushrooms until mushrooms cook down. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to directions. Add minced garlic and spinach and heat until spinach wilts. Add 3-5 ladles of pasta water to the pan, you’ll end up with a mushroom broth. The starch in the water thickens the sauce a little. Using half chicken stock for the liquid will add flavor, although the dish doesn’t need it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce and stir to coat the pasta. You won’t see much sauce left, the pasta absorbs most of it. If using bagged baby spinach you may want to hold off and add the spinach when you add the pasta, the heat from the sauce/pasta will be enough to wilt the spinach. Remove the goat cheese from the wrapper and try to cut it/spoon it into chunks. Add ½ the chunks to the pan, then transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish the pasta in the bowl with the other half of the cheese.
This dish is so versatile. Leaving the onion, garlic, pasta water intact, I often make this with whatever fresh veggie is on sale or in season. Broccoli, squash, tomatoes, green beans, asparagus, etc. This is great with bacon crumbles on top, but I rarely go to the trouble to fry bacon for dinner. It can be a meatless meal too, skip the chicken if you want to serve it on meatless Monday. If you stir the cheese in when the pasta is still hot it will melt and coat the pasta. I don’t like to serve it this way because it makes the dish look unappealing, but I mix it up on my plate so I get a bit of tangy creamy goat cheese in every bite.
And for those of you using up greens every week from your CSA or organic veggie co-op, goat cheese is great with sautéed/wilted greens. Just cook greens, add goat cheese chunks and stir. The tangy creamy of the cheese cuts some of the bitter flavor of the greens. I got this delish idea from my co-op group leader.
This pasta dish a great way to use up left over chicken, you can really stretch a breast (for family of 4) or the pickings from roaster chicken in a pasta dish. I don’t mind left overs, but I like to optimize my cooking time by re-creating a new dish using something already prepared on night two. For example tonight I wilted a huge head of spinach, I knew it was too much for the pasta dish, and instead of cooking half, I cooked it all, pureed half and put it in the fridge. I’ll add the spinach into spaghetti sauce which I have in the freezer for tomorrow night. That way I won’t forget about the fresh spinach in the fridge, pretending like I’m going to add it into a salad only to find it mushy in the fridge next week.
Mushrooms are one of the newer “hot” health foods. They are packed with antioxidants and something called beta-glucan. According to Dave Grotto in 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, beta-glucans can enhance the immune system by helping it recognize and devour abnormal cells that cause disease. Big boo picked out all the pasta and chicken bits and left the rest. When I asked him to eat his veggies, this was the dialog:
Big Boo: But I don’t like mushrooms
Me: You haven’t tried them yet, how do you know?
Big Boo: They’re black.
Me: Oh, you think you don’t like black food, that’s why you don’t want to taste them.
Big Boo: Uh huh.
Me: I get it. You don’t like to eat black food.
Little Boo: Mama, what mushrooms do for your body?
Me: Let me get the book and see. (I explain beta glucans)
Big Boo: (makes a bizarre face) Did you see my face?
Me: Yes. What did that mean?
Big Boo: It said I loved it.
Me: Loved what?
Big Boo: the Mushroom.
Me: You ate a mushroom? A black mushroom? And your head didn’t explode? Awesome. Sllluuuup.
Big Boo: What was that?
Me: That was a beta-glucan devouring a yucky cell in your body trying to make you sick.
Kid Appeal Tip Do your kids protest at certain colors, textures, categories of food? Try to hear what is disconcerting to them about the food. It may well be that they have a misconception about the food (black food tastes bad), and once you acknowledge their concern they may realize on their own with absolutely no lecture from you their thinking is off, and give it a go. Avoid labeling a food as a “food they don’t like.” Instead refer to it as a food they haven’t decided to try yet (because it’s black, it’s yucky, it smells weird). Keep offering it. The label, food-they-haven’t-decided-to-try-yet, gives them permission to try it later. Ask them to try it, if they decline, they will have another opportunity later.
Pasta with Chicken, Veggies and Goat Cheese (Inspired by technique learned on Giada's show, but not by a particular recipe seen there)
1 TBS oil
1 large onion diced
2 TBS butter
3 cloves minced garlic
½ bunch of fresh spinach (or a half bag of baby spinach)
1-2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (dark meat works too)
2 large portabella mushrooms, sliced in bite sized pieces
½ box of cooked whole wheat pasta (I used shells)
1 4oz package of fresh goat cheese
3-5 ladles of pasta water
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat oil in skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add butter and mushrooms until mushrooms cook down. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to directions. Add minced garlic and spinach and heat until spinach wilts. Add 3-5 ladles of pasta water to the pan, you’ll end up with a mushroom broth. The starch in the water thickens the sauce a little. Using half chicken stock for the liquid will add flavor, although the dish doesn’t need it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce and stir to coat the pasta. You won’t see much sauce left, the pasta absorbs most of it. If using bagged baby spinach you may want to hold off and add the spinach when you add the pasta, the heat from the sauce/pasta will be enough to wilt the spinach. Remove the goat cheese from the wrapper and try to cut it/spoon it into chunks. Add ½ the chunks to the pan, then transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish the pasta in the bowl with the other half of the cheese.
This dish is so versatile. Leaving the onion, garlic, pasta water intact, I often make this with whatever fresh veggie is on sale or in season. Broccoli, squash, tomatoes, green beans, asparagus, etc. This is great with bacon crumbles on top, but I rarely go to the trouble to fry bacon for dinner. It can be a meatless meal too, skip the chicken if you want to serve it on meatless Monday. If you stir the cheese in when the pasta is still hot it will melt and coat the pasta. I don’t like to serve it this way because it makes the dish look unappealing, but I mix it up on my plate so I get a bit of tangy creamy goat cheese in every bite.
And for those of you using up greens every week from your CSA or organic veggie co-op, goat cheese is great with sautéed/wilted greens. Just cook greens, add goat cheese chunks and stir. The tangy creamy of the cheese cuts some of the bitter flavor of the greens. I got this delish idea from my co-op group leader.
Update: I just noticed a link to a recipe I posted on the forum from Joy In My Kitchen for pasta, chicken, mushroom, cheese combination. This recipe was not conciously in my head when I put together this dish, but the combo of ingredients must have been inspired by reading this recipe. How funny is that? Yet another yummy pasta chicken dish to tempt your tastebuds!
Would your kiddo vote no-way or yes-please to mushrooms?
Would your kiddo vote no-way or yes-please to mushrooms?
I love goat cheese, mushrooms and spinach. Looks like a great recipe to me! My boys are at camp this week so hubby and I have been eating lots of salads (from our garden) topped w/ everything from panko-crusted goat cheese (slice goat cheese log into rounds, dip in beaten egg, dip in panko, saute in olive oil until lightly browned and crispy) to strawberries. So good.
ReplyDeleteliz-panko crusted goat cheese sounds amazing. i used to make a salad i ate in france with a toasted round of goat cheese on top of arugula and mustard vinaigrette,mmmmm. i'm guessing your guys are at sleep away camp. the boos are in day camp which ends tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThis post was awesome! I'd love to highlight on the Mushroom Channel if that's okay with you?
ReplyDeletemushroom, yes, feel free to highlight on the mushroom channel, thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great recipe, Jenna! I work with Chavrie fresh goat cheese and this will be a hit with all the goat cheese lovers around here!
ReplyDeleteComo to visit our wall about Pasta with chicken in Facebook, fell free to place you link
ReplyDeletePasta With Chicken