Garlic Herb Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta

Hi Philosophers!

I have a few recipes to share with you this week.  I've been cooking a lot more lately, in an effort to save money and eat healthier.  Cooking is therapeutic for me.  It calms me and centers me, much in the same way that being out in nature or gardening does.  There is something about using your hands to create something... 

I have a few guidelines for myself when I'm planning my meals.  First, I love food, so it has to taste good.  A lot of my meals are "bad" meals turned healthy.  Italian is my favorite food, so this is essential.  Second, I use mainly high quality ingredients that are natural and come from the earth.  I do my best to avoid processed and packaged food, but sometimes I do use them as long as the ingredients are minimal and easy to pronounce (if you can pronounce it then it is less likely to be a man-made chemical).  Third, the easier and less expensive it is to make, the better.

Now, there is something you should know about the way I cook:  I make a lot of it up as I go along.  I've been cooking since I was a little one at my mom's side, and now I cook quite a bit for my boyfriend and I, so a lot of my cooking is intuitive.  I don't necessarily measure things.  I add as I go along.  I have an idea of where the meal is going, but I don't really know exactly how it will end up.  Sometimes I mess up and have an inedible dinner, but I usually learn something valuable with those experiences.  A lot of times, my boyfriend, Owen, will taste the food as I'm cooking and throw in a few ingredients of his own.  Some of my best dinners are collaborations between him and I, including this one.  And he is very honest, so if he has a smile on his face when he's eating, I can guarantee you're going to love the meal, too.  All of my recipes are Owen Approved!

This meal is absolutely delicious.  Three men ate this dinner and they were all silent as they stuffed their face.  That's how I know you are going to love it.  This is a simple and fresh meal.  Chicken is the main ingredient, but I also marinaded a filet of salmon.  You can use chicken or fish with this marinade.  This is the perfect meal to eat outside on a warm summer night.  In fact, throw the meat on the grill to make it even better!

Bon appetit, Philosophers!

Monica

Garlic Herb Chicken

with Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients



4 or 5 Chicken Breasts (I threw a filet of salmon in there too)

1 Packet GrillMates Garlic, Herb & Wine

2-3 Cups Pinot Grigio

A Lot of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Multi-Grain Angel Hair Pasta

2 Tomatoes

12 Cloves of Garlic

1 1/2 C. Sliced Portabello Mushrooms

Italian Seasoning to Taste

Salt to Taste

Juice from 2 Slices of Lemon

How To

1. Defrost your chicken and/or fish.  Preheat your oven to broil.

2. Mix marinade according to package directions.

3. Place meat in a shallow dish and cover with marinade.  Set aside in fridge for about 30 minutes.

4. Boil a pot of water on the stove.  Add about a 1/2 T. of salt to the pot to season the noodles.  Once the water is boiling, add enough pasta to feed the number of people you are cooking for.  I find that a handful of angel hair that is the diameter of a half dollar will feed 2-3 people.  I made enough for 4 people (3 of whom are hungry men).

5.  Add twice this amount (I went back and made a second batch because it wasn't enough) of extra virgin olive oil to your pan on medium high heat.

6.  Add about 2 cups of pinot grigio to the pan (it will look like twice this amount).

7. Use a garlic press to add the garlic to the pan.

8. Add sliced mushrooms to the pan, stir and cover.  Stir about every other minute.

9. While the mushrooms sautee in the pan, check the consistency of the noodles as they are boiling.  I like my noodles slightly limp, but still firm.  I hate mushy noodles.  Drain them if they are ready.

10. Place your meat in a glass baking dish and cover with the remaining marinade.  My oven is not working quite right, so the time that I broil mine will be a little longer than you will broil yours.  I set the timer for 15 minutes and then keep checking back.  I want the meat to be blackened on top.  The olive oil in the marinade makes the meat nice and juicy.  If you take it out of the oven at the perfect time, your meat will be juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.  To die for amazing deliciousness.

11. While your meat is cooking, let's finish the pasta.  Return the angel hair pasta to the pot and add the mushrooms and their sauce to the noodles.

12. Dice the 2 tomatoes and add the fresh tomatoes to the pot.

13.  Now season the pasta to your tastes.  I added about 2 T. of Italion Seasoning, 2 more T. of extra virgin olive oil, about 2 tsp. of salt, and the juice from 2 slices of lemon.  I mixed it all together and had a party in my mouth when I tasted it.

And the finished product.....

My plate, with salmon and chicken, even though I only had room for the salmon and saved the chicken for later.  Soooooo good!

Owen's manly portion.