Grilled Chicken Lemon Basil Pasta

Complete food boredom drives me to my cookbooks, favorite blogs and websites to look for inspiration. Food boredom is described as a lack of ideas and creativity in the kitchen, often linked to an increased level of take out and fast food in my diet.

I went searching last weekend, in attempts to add some life to my dinner routine. I came across a simple recipe that was posted on the Pioneer Women's website. http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/grilled-chicken-with-lemon-basil-pasta/

I made the recipe as follows, with my own twist. I added canned artichoke hearts that I grilled lightly. Yummy!

Grilled Chicken and Artichoke Hearts with Lemon Basil Cream Pasta

2 lbs chicken breast - marinated in balsamic vinager with extra garlic powder and Italian seasoning blend

10-15 Basil Leaves

1 cup half n half

1 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp Butter

1 cup shredded Parmesan

4 lemons juiced

1lb penne pasta

16 oz can artichoke hearts

extra basil to garnish, used the blossom tops.

1. Marinate chicken breast for at least 2 hour or overnight.


2. Grill chicken and wrap in foil to keep warm.

1. Oil artichokes and season with salt and pepper. Carefully grill and be aware they are slippery. Do not over cook as they will fall apart.







2. Boil pasta to al dente. Drain and reserve one cup of pasta water.


3. In same pot, melt butter. Add cream, half n half, and parmesan. Stir until melted and blended well.


4. Add lemon juice. Mix well.


5. Add pasta to sauce in pot. Loosen sauce with extra pasta water if needed.
6. Serve pasta with chicken sliced on top. Garnish with the basil.

Enjoy!

Dill Pickles

Living in a house with a man who truly hates pickles and most anything vinegary is difficult. especially when you, yourself, love pickles, mustard and things with a tang. I have slowly intensified the vinegar in hi life, usually hidden in a marinade or sauce.

So, in my quest of canning, I decided to make the basic Dill Pickle.

I bought about 4 pounds of fresh small cucumbers from Shepperd Farm in Carpinteria. Thanks Kjessie for the berries too. I "borrowed" a few fresh springs of dill from friends Leslie and her mom Karen's garden.

I then went on what was a search of a lifetime. Who knew that finding pickling spices would take me to four different big box stores...argh!!! I spent far too much on what will ensure that I continue to make pickles for a few seasons to come.

So, last night I started by washing the cucumbers and saoking them in cold water and a cup or so of salt. I awoke this morning and rinsed the cucs. I removed both the stem and flower end of each cucumber. I discarded the soft and funky looking cucumbers. I removed dicolored or damaged areas.

I stuffed my pint jars with my dill sprigs and added a clove of garlic and sprinkle of the pickling spices to each jar. I filled the jars with my sliced cucumber spears. I left a few smaller cucumbers whole.

I started a pot of 1 part white vineger and three parts water. I added one cup of salt for this ratio. I added a teaspoon of the pickling spice. The mixture was brought to a boil.

Once the mixture boiled, I filled each jar. I lidded and boiling water bath canned the jars. Once the boiling process was complete, I left the jars to cool.

Now to wait 3-6 weeks to sample the pickles. I hope I can wait!!!

Yogurt Blueberry Muffins

I bought a small blueberry bush last year. I added peat moss to the soil, to raise th acidity of the soil. The first year, nearly all of the leaves fell from the plant. i thought I had lost the plant. This year, the plant looked healthy and the plant even sprouted a few flowers. But, again no friut and the plant looks less than healthy. In anguish, and frustration, I went to the farmers market and purchased a few baskets of lovely blueberries.

What to make...

Blueberry Muffins.

I searhced the web and came across a simple blueberry muffin recipe. I adapted the recipe to my own pantry and came up with what I think is a very supple and delicate muffin. One of the changes I made was to add 1 egg white to lighten the batter. The recipe is light and fluffy and filled with berries.

Yogurt Blueberry Muffins

• 3 Cups flour



• 1Tbsp baking powder



• 1/2 tsp baking soda



• 1/2 tsp salt



• 1/4 cup unsalted sweet cream butter (1 stick)



• 1 cup sugar and 3 Tbs sugar to sprinkle



• 2 eggs
  


• 1 egg white


• 1 1/2 cup white sugar



• 1 tsp lemon juice and or lemon zest






• 2 cups blueberries (dust with flour - 1 Tbsp)
  

Process

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.



2. Place oevn rack in middle of oven.



3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.



4. In a large bowl, cream the butter.



5. Add sugar to butter and cream until fluffy.




6. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until creamy.





7. Add lemon and or lemon zest and mix throughout.




8. Beat in half of the dry ingredients.




9. Mix yogurt in until smooth.



10. Mix in remaining dry ingredients. DO NOT OVER MIX!


11. Stir in blueberries until evenly distributed.


12. Portion batter into 18-24 paper filled muffin tins.


13. Sprinkle each muffin with a small amount of sugar.


14. Alternatives: Brush muffin with olive oil and sprinkle with brown sugar before baking. Be cauious as it can burn due to oil.


15. Bake muffins for 25-30 Minutes until light brown. test with a toothpick to ensure doneness. let rest for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy with butter or save till you need a yummy snack!
    

Swiss Chard and Chicken Enchiladas and Blue Margarita

A few weeks ago, I found that I wanted to make a recipe that I came across earlier this spring, in attempts to make better use of some of the produce that I had chosen at my weekly CSA - Shepard Farm shepherdfarmscsa.com. They have a wonderful selection of greens, vegetables, beans, strawberries, garlic onions and other lovely goodies. I had picked up a bunch of Rainbow Swiss Chard, which came in yellow, red, pink and magenta stalks, with lovely green tops. I searched and searched my favorite websites and came across the following recipe. The recipe is called Chicken Enchiladas "Swiss Chard". I made a few alterations to my recipe and they were as follows.

I started with the same basic ingredients as the base recipe but my recipe is as follows:

1 16oz can Red Enchilada Sauce (you could use green)

1 bunch Rainbow Swiss Chard 6-8 stalks

1 Small Leak

1 Cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken (leftovers are the best)

4-6 Taco Size Flour Tortillas, warmed over flame to make pliable

1-2 tsp olive oil

1 8oz package shredded cheese, I used a blend of monterey jack and cheddar

Steps

Step 1 - Chop chard into small strips, seperating the stalks from the leaves

Step 2 - Chop leak (white or light green only) into small pieces

Step 3 - Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Step 4 - Saute the leaks and the chard stalks in the olive oil, when they appear transulent, add the chard leaves and cook until tender, remove from heat.

Step 5 - Add chicken to the chard/leak mix, blend well

Step 6 - Assemble. Place a few tsps of enchilada sauce into a 8x8 pan. Take warmed torilla and add chicken mix and a nice sprinkle of cheese and roll. Place rolled enchilada in pan. Continue until pan is filled. 4-6 enchiladas.

Step 7 - Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Top with cheese. Step 8 - Bake. Bake pan covered with foil for 15 minutes. Uncover and make for an additional 12-18 minutes until bubbly and browned.

Step 9. - Serve. Serve with a little bit of cilantro and a helping of Magic Spanish Rice (recipe to follow) and a blue margarita (also to follow).

The surprising thing about these enchiladas is that although they have a nice serving of vegetables, you can not really notice, as the chard is mild and blends well with the other ingredients. The chard is also tender and adds a nice texture to the enchiladas. I also like the flour tortilla, as it almost melts into the ingrednients to create a nice layer of flavors and textures.

Blue Margarita

1 Shot Silver Tequila

1 Shot Blue Cuaraco

Ice

2 Shots Lemon or Lime Juice

splash lemon lime soda

Shake till frothy. Pour in glass and add ice to keep chilled. Serve with salt if you'd like.

creative therapy

I often wonder why i never went to school to become a chef, artist, or something that would allow me to be creative during my work week. I instead went with the more logical part of my brain and went to school and obtain a BA in Environmental Analaysis and Design and will finish my MA in Urban and Regional Planning this fall. I work as a planner for a great city, love the people I work with and love helping people. Therefore, I am very happy with my choice.

But...on occassion, most weeks, I need something, something to resolve the feeling of unease, a feeling of incomplete, a feeling...like I need to have a nice therapy session. My therapy has become the creativity of my youth.

I have recently started to really focus on my photography, both as a hobby and a second profession. I love creating images FOR others and not just myself. I love the act of sharing something I have developed and worked to create that can be loved and shared by others.

I found that as a child I created to gain the approval of my family and friends. I now find that I am my own critic and my own solice. I am my own best and worst enemy.

Creating, whether cooking, painting or photographing, takes me far away. I can drift and let my brain focus on something less serious, something more fun. ART!!! EMOTION!!! LIFE!!!

In the garden...

In the garden, i find that I can grow both a tasty tomato or two, but also a sense of relaxation and peace that I usually only find when I am completely in nature. In my garden, I have a small planter box and a few potted plants. My garden is small but fruitful. At right is my first red fruit. He was hiding way in the back. Must be why the birds haven't seen him yet!!!

Last year, my first year, I had far too many tomatoes and unfortunately, many went to waste. This year, I have chosen to choose fewer plants, but have chosen mostly heirlooms and a few hearty breeds of roma and sandwich tomatoes. My plants are strong, many have small fruits, some quite large.

I also have a nice herb garden. I have common sage, mexican sage, cuban oregano (smells like something illegal), black basil, sweet basil, thai basil, oregano, margarom, rosebary, thyme, and a few more that don't come to mind. Pictures at right is Mexican Sage!

I have a few fruit trees, which have not yet proved to be so "fruitful". I have grafted apple tree, which has three types of apples on it. Only one branch, has fruited well this year and I hope they stay through the summer and ripen. Last year, all but a few had bugs or fell in a wind storm. I also have a blood orange tree, meyer lemon "bush", a traditional lemon, and two necterine bushes. Oh, and I shouldn't forget the lone pomagranite tree I planted in the front yard. The problem with the placement of this plant comes from the neat little bloom which is bright red. I think the neighborhood kids find it interesting and steal it away before the fruit can set. oh well. :)

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

The simplicity of vanilla is one of my favorite flavors. As a child, a scoop of french vanilla ice cream was often the one of choice. As you get older, we all choose to be more adventurous and try new and more bold flavors.

But in planning my two year olds second birthday, I decided to find a base flavor for his birthday cake. My partner Chris, said he liked cakes with strawberries, like strawberry shortcake. I thought I would find a cake that I could add strawberries to the filling.

After a bit of searching, I came across a great recipe for Double Vanilla Bean Cupcakes. The recipe can be found here: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/double_vanilla_cupcakes/ compliments of http://www.vanillagarlic.com/ . I made the recipe as described, except I added a full vanilla bean to the batter rather than just a half bean. The cupcakes were great! They were light and fluffy, most likely due to using egg whites. The frosting is simple and topped with sliced strawberries was just right.