Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Smoked Mozzarella

from www.melskitchencafe.com

*Note: See the asterisk below the recipe for make-ahead directions.

*Serves 6-8

Topping:

3/4 cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1 bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces

12 ounces penne pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

3 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded

8 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.

Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.

Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

*The casserole can be prepared in advance with the following steps: after the broccoli is removed from the boiling water, plunge it into a bowl of ice water and cool completely. Assemble the casserole following the directions in the recipe. After the casserole is spread in the prepared baking pan, let it cool for 5-10 minutes before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to 8 hours. To bake, preheat the oven to 375 and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Gluten-Free Pan Fried Catfish Recipe with Brown Rice and Baby Greens

One of my favorite simple dinners is pan fried catfish. So flavorful. The texture is lovely- flaky, and tender. Here I've made a crumb style coating with three gluten-free flours. The combo of almond meal, coconut flour and brown rice flour creates a light and delicate coating that fries to a crispy golden brown.

Ingredients:

4 (6 to 8-ounce) skinless catfish fillets
1 beaten organic free range egg
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon dried oregano or parsley
1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil, for frying
Lime wedges, for serving
Fresh herb salad greens, for serving
Hot cooked brown rice, seasoned with olive oil and sea salt, for serving

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper, and place it in a warm oven.

Rinse the catfish fillets briefly in cool water and pat dry.

Place the fillets in a shallow baking dish, in a single layer. Pour the beaten egg mixture over the catfish, and make sure each fillet is evenly coated on both sides. Set aside.

In separate shallow dish, whisk together the almond meal, coconut flour, brown rice flour, smoked paprika, dill, oregano, garlic, and sea salt.

Working with one fillet at a time, remove it from the egg mixture and dredge it in the gluten-free flour mixture to coat both sides. Transfer the coated fillet to a clean plate. Repeat for the remaining fillets.

Heat the light olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, carefully add two fillets to the skillet, and fry until the underside is golden and crisp, roughly 4 minutes. Using a thin, flexible spatula, gently turn the fillet over and continue cooking until it is crispy golden brown on the second side, about 3 to 4 minutes more.

Carefully transfer the cooked fillets to a parchment lined baking sheet in a warm oven. Repeat the process with remaining fillets.

Serve the catfish with a crisp, fresh herb salad and hot cooked brown rice. Garnish with fresh lime wedges and snips of fresh dill.

Cook time: 8 min for the catfish

Yield: Serves 4

Artichoke Chicken

This dish was brought to me by Kay Hughes after I had Hannah. I do not make this nearly as often as I should. I like to serve this dish with a side of rice.

6 chicken breasts
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
1 c chicken broth'
1 14 oz. can Italian peeled tomatoes
1 10 oz. can artichoke hearts
8-12 oz heavy cream
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (1/2 tsp dried basil)

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Season with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.

In a large pan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 3-4 minutes on each side, until slightly browned. Drain excess oil. Add onion and chicken broth and simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from the pan. Boil pan juices until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes, artichoke hearts to pan and cook for 1 minute. Add cream and basil and simmer until liquid is reduces to 2 cups, about 6-8 minutes. Season with remaining salt and pepper.

Return chicken to pan and heat together 5 minutes.

Mexican Casserole

Back my work days, we'd have an office pot luck from time to time. This casserole was brought in by one of the executives and I asked for the recipe. I've been making it myself ever since.

1 1/2 c crushed tortilla chips
1 lb shredded chicken
1 16 oz can pinto beans, drained
1 16 oz can red kidney beans, drained
1 16 oz can corn, drained
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
1 c chopped red onion
1 green pepper, diced
1/4 c chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
6 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 in pan. Scatter crushed chips on the bottom of the pan. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, except cheeses and mix well. Scoop half the mixture evenly over the chips. Sprinkle half the amount of each cheese on top. Add the rest of the chicken mixture evenly and top with the rest of the cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream, chopped tomatoes and cilantro.

I use different kinds of salsa and press my garlic. Often I make the chicken mixture the night before.

Taco Chicken Nacho Love (Raeanne's recipe)

Taco Chicken Nacho Love
(I don’t know what it’s really called!)
A friend in Seattle made this for me once, and it has become one of my favorites! I made it for a crowd last weekend at my Son’s birthday party and it was a hit. (you can double the amounts to fit your crowd).

2-3 chicken breasts – boneless, skinless
1 can Mexican stewed tomatoes with juice
1 packet taco seasoning mix
Put that in the crock pot on low for 4 hours (or until the chicken falls apart)
Shred the chicken in the pot, add 1 can black beans – rinsed and drained, and about 2 cups frozen corn. Stir and let it go in the crock pot for at least one more half hour to make sure every thing is warm.
Pile chips in your bowl, top with the chicken love, cheese, sour cream… you name it! It’s awesome and so easy!
Left-overs makes great quesadillas

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Asparagus

Came across this in a magazine... it's definitely a keeper! We had it twice in one week, that's how much we enjoy it!


1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1 pound fresh asparagus, rinsed (snap off woody ends)
1 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 c peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

Make the marinade by whisking together soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, garlic and lemon pepper in a bowl. Reserve 1/2 c of mixture in a separate container.

Place asparagus in a ziplock bag and pour in 1/4 c of the marinade from the bowl. Work the bag until the marinade is distributed evenly. Do the same with the pork tenderloin, using a second ziplock bag and the remaining marinade from the bowl. Let the meat and vegetables marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Prepare grill for medium high heat.

Add peanut butter to reserved marinade and whisk until mixture is smooth.

Grill tenderloin for 3 to 4 minutes each side, rotating a quarter turn at a time, until the temperature registers 145 degrees in the center. Remove meat and let rest for about 5 minutes (the internal temperature will rise to 150 degrees).

Meanwhile, grill asparagus spears two minutes per side.

Slice pork diagonally into 1 to 2 inch slices. It should be juicy and slightly pink inside. Serve meat and asparagus with dipping sauce. Serves 4.

Hannah's Meatloaf

1 beaten egg
1 slice of bread
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon dried minced onions
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoons catsup

In a mixing bowl, crumble slice of bread into little bits. Add egg, apple juice, onion, red pepper, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Add ground beef and mix well, using a spoon at first, then use your hands to mix it really well.

In a shallow baking dish pat mixture into a circle with a 6 inch diameter. Form a 2-inch diameter hole in the middle. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until no pink remains.

Transfer onto a serving plate and spoon catsup over meat.