5-7…Farfalle with mixed veggies and chicken

Tonight was a “clean out the fridge” night, and this resulted in a counter filled with a variety of veggies.  It didn’t take too long to come up with a way to use them all,.  The secret?   PASTA…everything goes with this food of the gods.

  

INGREDIENTS:

Farfalle pasta

Boneless, skinless, chicken thighs

Zucchini

Kale

White mushrooms

Bok Choy

Asparagus

Olive oil

Garlic, shallots

Dry basil and oregano

Sweet vermouth

Sun dried cherry tomatoes

PROCESS:

Brown the chicken in olive oil, remove, and set aside.  De=glaze pan with the wine and add to the chicken.

Saute the garlic and shallots in oil for several minutes before adding the mushrooms and zucchini, cover and cook over low-medium heat,

Blanch the greens for 3-4 minutes in boiling water, drain, and add to the pan, along with the chicken, asparagus, and tomatoes.  Caver and cook over low heat.

When the pasta is ready add it to the pan, mix well, and serve with grated cheese.

COMMENTS:

This was better than I expected, and I think will be even better as leftovers tomorrow.  The sun dried tomatoes was a good addition to the mix.

BACK TO SQUARE ONE

Or...square 48x48.

After a few adjustments suggested by the in-house art critic the piece is finished...I think.  No, it is done, finished, completed, caput!  (is that even a word?)

Oasis...acrylic...48x48"   detail below

Not one to rest on my laurels, the next canvas is already in progress.

 
WIP...acrylic...16x40

5-4…Fusilli with chicken, mushrooms, and broccoli

I’m currently making an effort to use up the miscellaneous ingredients that tend to accumulate in the freezer over time, meats, seafood, and frozen leftovers.  Last night I uncovered two chicken breasts, which led to the following concoction.

INGREDIENTS:

Fusilli

Chicken breasts, boneless

Portobello mushrooms

Broccoli florets

Garlic

Olive oil

Red pepper flakes

Dried oregano and basil

Fresh dill

Dry red wine

PROCESS:

After seasoning the chicken, brown in olive oil, remove, and set aside.  Deglaze pan with wine and add to the chicken.

 Sauté the garlic in olive oil and add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the pan.  About 5-7 minutes before the pasta is ready, add the broccoli to the pan.

Add the pasta to the pan, mix well, and serve with your preferred grated cheese.

COMMENTS:

The timing that I've mentioned is very flexible, and the mixed "sauce" can be made ahead of time and reheated when the pasta is ready.  The two key elements are: 1. be sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked, and 2. cook the broccoli last to preserve the fresh green color.

5-3…Fettucine with Kale

Our CSA friends provided us with a large bag of fresh kale today and I knew immediately what we would be having for dinner tonight.

INGREDIENTS:

Fettucine

Kale, coarsely chopped

Olive oil

Garlic

Green onions

Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

Sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil until soft. While cooking the kale in boiling water for 4-5 minutes.  Drain the kale well then add it to the pan with the olive oil and garlic and continue cooking for about 10 minutes; the time depends upon whether you prefer the kale crunchy or “cooked down”.  (I went for crunchy.)

In the meantime cook the pasta in the same boiling water, drain, and add to the pan with the kale.  Mix well, add some pasta water if needed, drizzle with olive oil, and serve with your favorite graded cheese.  We are currently enjoying Gran Padana which I purchase online from ditalia.com.

COMMENTS:

My original plan was to add bacon to the dish but I completely forgot about it.  We decided it was not needed. 

THE SHAPE OF WORK

My plan for this current series of paintings is to move to a different shape and size canvas with each painting.  Currently on the easel is a 48x48' canvas; the square shape lends itself to large sky landscapes, although I seem to find a way to do that regardless of the shape of the canvas.  I enjoy working with a square canvas, almost as much as I do with the horizontal ones (24x48 or 16x40).  The most challenging, and often the most fun, is the extremely horizontal 12x48'.  (I work only on pre-stretched canvases - have no interest in stretching my own)  The one shape I have not been able to handle is the extreme vertical.

48x48...in progress...the next step - work on the foreground, then render the focal point of interest, once I decide what that will be and where it will sit on the horizon.  I don't always have these things worked out before I start; I like having the painting show me the way.  It's great when it does, and very frustrating when it doesn't.

Here are 2 details from yesterday's painting, Dark Sky:

DARK SKY

Dark Sky...Acrylic...24x36

 I will keep it out where I can look at it for the next week or so before deciding whether or not it is finished.  I've already started work on the next piece, in my head while I lay awake at 3:30 this morning.  It is amazing how much work I get done just lying there.

ONE YEAR OF PASTA...

has quietly come to an end with David and I sharing a dish of Penne with sausage, mushrooms, and whit e beans.  (Patience was working and would join us later.)



The Pasta Quest began May first, one year ago, and during that time I recorded 198 dishes, and estimate another 30 to 40 that were not logged in.  I also gained 5 pounds!

Although the project is officially over I will continue to post recipes when I have something new to share.  In the meantime I will begin to review the results of last year and try to organize everything into a form that could eventually become a book.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this year long project, especially the feedback from so many of you.

 Good food, good wine, and good friends...what more can one ask for.