Basil Pesto Time at Our House

In August at our house, the basil in our pots is overflowing. Time to harvest and make pesto. I freeze the pesto for a quick dinner in fall and winter. I cut up chicken,asparagus, mushrooms and onions which I saute and top our pesto tossed farfalle with . Yummy !



                            Basil Pesto

Ingredients:
        2 cups fresh basil leaves tightly packed
        1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
        1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
        1/4 cup toasted Pine nuts( you can substitute walnuts)
        1/4 cup chicken stock
        3 cloves of garlic, chopped
        1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
        1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
       Place ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

Use to top any pasta shape you like. Add a sauted protein of your choice, then enjoy. Dinner in 20 minutes.         

Firecracker Chicken

This recipe is super spicy. We love it but if it has too much " fire" adjust the amount of dried red pepper flakes.


INGREDIENTS:

1) 1 pound boneless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
2) 1/3 cup cornstarch
3) 2 eggs,beaten
4) 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5)1/2 cup Sriracha Sauce
6)1/2 cup dark brown sugar
7) 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
8)1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
9) 1 bunch chopped green onions


PREPARATION:

1) Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
2) Spray 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray
3) Salt and Pepper chicken to taste
4) Place cornstarch in large Ziploc bag
5) Add chicken to bag and shake until chicken is evenly coated
6) Dip the coated chicken in the beaten egg (this is a very messy process)
7)Heat the EVOO in a large skillet
8) Add the egg coated chicken to the hot oil, in batches until they are a golden brown
9) Place the cooked chicken in the sprayed pan in a single layer
10) In a small bowl, stir together Sriracha sauce,brown sugar,rice vinegar and red pepper flakes
11) Pour mixture over the chicken making sure pieces of chicken are coated
12) Bake for 35 minutes , top with green onions and serve

This chicken recipe will serve 2, maybe 4, depending on "fire" tolerance

Parmesan Pasta With Chicken and Red Pepper Flakes

This recipe is for Melinda.It has become a fan favorite at the Clague household
and is fast and easy.

INGREDIENTS:
               
 1 pound boneless breast of chicken,cut into 1 inch cubes
 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
 3 cloves of garlic,diced
 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
 8 ounces of farfalle pasta
 1 bunch of green onions chopped(use up to light green part of onion)
 Salt and Pepper

PREPARATION:

1) In a medium bowl,combine 1/3 cup olive oil(save the teaspoon for later)1/4 cup Parmesan cheese garlic,brown sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. Stir in cubes of chicken and mix until chicken is coated. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2) Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the farfalle. Add 2 tablespoons of salt,if desired.
3) Heat a large skillet on medium high, add the chicken with marinade and saute for about 10
    minutes.
4) Simultaneously, cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente, or about 10 minutes
5) Drain pasta, add the remaining teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and the remaining 1/4 cup
    of cheese.
6) Add the pasta to the skillet mixture and toss to combine
7) Serve immediately with chopped green onions