Penne Casserole with Chicken, Mozzarella, and Red Pepper Flakes

 

This dish can be prepared for family and friend get togethers and is always a favorite. You can enjoy the fun while this dish bakes into a cheesy spicy dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 pound Penne

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound chicken tenders cut in 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/2 cup chopped orange or yellow pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 14.5 ounce petite diced tomatoes

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup chicken stock

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook penne per package directions, drain and set aside

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat

Saute` chicken, onion, peppers until chicken is no longer pink

Add seasonings and simmer for about 3 minutes

Using a blender, pulse together petite diced tomatoes and tomato paste until combined

Add tomato mixture and chicken stock to chicken mixture and simmer for about 10 minutes

Add precooked penne to pan and stir completely

In a 2 quart baking dish, add 1/2 of mixture from skillet and cover with 1/2 of mozzarella

Layer second half of mixture over the mozzarella and then cover with remaining mozzarella

Cover and bake for about 30 minutes

Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

Bake uncovered for another 25 minutes until Parmesan forms a yummy crust

Serves 4

 

 

A New Cookbook BY Gabbie Krivonak

 

 After a pandemic and many rewrites my new cookbook has been published and is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and at fine bookstores. I have dedicated this book to my six grandchildren in hopes the will love cooking as much as I do.

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     
 

Lady Camellia Tea Shop

As some of you know, I am on a quest to find the best  afternoon tea in the DMV.I compare them to our high tea at the Savoy in London last year (see previous post). Lady Camellia is my latest try with my lovely sister-in-law Karen.

First, getting a reservation was very difficult. To have a chance at a weekend reservation at a reasonable time, you need to call at least three weeks in advance and pay up front. We went on a Thursday afternoon and saw why it was so difficult. The tea shop only had 8 or 9 tables. It was smack in the middle of Georgetown off of Wisconsin Avenue and it is not well marked. It is on the first floor of one of the row houses so popular in the Georgetown section of DC. There is parking directly across the street for a fee of $16.


Once we were seated, the single server came over and explained the menu. The menu was mix and match.There were 6 choices of tea from a light tea at $19 to the full high tea for $38 per person.We chose the full tea at $32 per person because it included three types of tea sandwiches which made it closer to the Savoy tea.

The tea was absolutely delicious. Both Karen and I were amazed at the rich flavor. The sandwiches were egg salad, cucumber, brie and apple, and smoked salmon. Of the 4, the brie and apple was the only one that was fresh and tasty. The scones were ok, but the croissants were not very tasty. The pastries were also just ok.

Service was very slow, but we could not figure out why. There were two tables filled and we were one of them.

All in all, Lady Camellia did not deliver the kind of tea I was expecting. It does not compare well with the Savoy, or the Black Market Bistro, which is still my DMV favorite.

Chicken Cacciatore Ardente

I am always trying to take familiar recipes and add some spice to them. This is one of those. Ardente in Italian means fiery. See what you think.

Ingredients:

8 boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded to 1/4 inch
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Salt and pepper for chicken breasts 
2 tablespoons olive oil     
1 large onion chopped
1 large red bell pepper chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 28oz. can of petite diced tomatoes  
3/4 cup chicken stock
11/2 teaspoons dried oregano
11/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation:

Sprinkle salt and pepper on prepared boneless chicken breasts
Dredge chicken breasts in all purpose flour
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil on high temperature until heated but not smoking
Saute chicken breasts on both sides until golden brown
Remove chicken breasts from pan to oven safe platter
Keep chicken in oven at 300 degrees until sauce is complete
Add onion, red pepper, and garlic to pan and cook for about 5 minutes
Add tomatoes, stock, and oregano, and red pepper flakes to pan and cook on medium heat until sauce is reduced by 1/2
Taste sauce and correct with salt and pepper to taste
Remove chicken from oven and pour sauce over chicken
Sprinkle with chopped basil and serve

Serves 4