Chicken & Penne

All cooked together in the same pan - about 20 min start to finish.

Ingredients: [tsp = teaspoon, Tbs = tablespoon]

• 2 frozen Costco or fresh chicken breasts
  
• 1-2 Tbs sesame, canola or peanut oil
  
• 1-2 Tbs fresh-ground pepper (or however much you like)
• 1-2 Tbs thyme
• 1/2-1c water
• 1/4-1/2c white wine (optional)
• 1-2 Tbs lemon juice
• 1-1 1/2 cups penne pasta, or as much as will fit around the chicken, level in the pan - it shouldn't pile over/above the chicken.
  
• 1 Tbs reduced chicken stock or 1/2 bouillon cube
• 1-2 Tbs capers
• 1-2 Tbs olive oil
  

1. Get a large skillet w/ a lid - preheat for a few minutes on med/med-high. When the pan is hot, use 1-2Tbs high-smoke-point oil like sesame, canola or peanut (olive oil burns too easily, add it at the end).
2. Brown the chicken, about 3 min per side or long enough to get some color - cook until almost done (season however you like - I used pepper & thyme - salt came from added stock later but if not using stock or bouillon, season chicken with salt).
3. Add a small amt. of liquid to the pan if it's starting to burn (lemon juice, water, and/or white wine or combo of all three) - just enough to keep the pan from burning but not too much to inhibit caramelization.
4. Before chicken is fully cooked, add about 1 cup water, 1/2 c white wine and if you like, 1Tb concentrated chicken stock or a half cube of non-MSG bouillon - it adds good flavah.
5. Bring liquid to boil.
6. Add a few handfuls of penne to surround chicken in the pan - not too much, making sure pasta is just covered (or almost) by liquid in the pan.
7. Pop on the lid & turn it down to low & simmer for as long as the package says to cook the penne (it won't be enough - read on).
8. When the timer goes off, check the penne - it should still be slightly undone. Using forks, shred the chicken in the pan then give it all a good stir. Check the amount of liquid - add a little water if the pan's looking dry (about 1/4 cup or so). If you want to add in vegetables, now's the time to do it - chopped asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, red & yellow peppers - whatever you like. (David hates vegetables, so I cook/add mine separately.)
9. Pop the lid back on for about 5 minutes.
10. When the penne's done, take off heat & finish with capers & 1-2Tb olive oil and a pinch of the fresh herbs you started with. Taste for seasoning & add salt at the end if necessary.

Serve with fresh ground pepper and parmigiano-reggianoif you eat that sort of dairy.

Can be made & refrigerated for a cold chicken pasta salad. For cold salad, add fresh seasonal vegetables & a little extra olive oil when tossing to serve.

One-Pot Dinner & Rice

It cooks while you play games! Or work out! Or dance for the cats!

Ingredients: [tsp = teaspoon, Tbs = tablespoon]

• 2 frozen Costco chicken breasts (or fresh - whatever you have)
  
• 1-2 stalks celery
  
• 2-3 carrots
  
• 3-4 sm/med potatoes
  
• spray oil
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1-2 tsp pepper (or however much you like)
• 1-2 Tbs thyme
  
• 1-2 Tbs rosemary
• 1 Tbs turmeric
• 1/4-1/2 c water
  
• 1/4 c white wine
  
• 1-2 Tbs lemon juice
  
• 1-2 Tbs reduced chicken stock or 1 bouillon cube

First, get a pot. Seriously. Get an oven-ready, dutch oven type pot. I use a Le Creuset oven-lovin pot. The oven does all the work. Prep time is about 15-20 min.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray oil on the bottom & sides of the pot.
3. Put the pot on the stove, large burner, set to High. Let it preheat 3-5 minutes - careful to not let it burn.
4. Grab the frozen chicken, celery, carrots and potatoes.
5. While the pot is heating up, wash/scrub the vegetables.
6. When the pot is hot, throw in two frozen chicken breasts, flat side down.
7. While the chicken is getting some color, roughly chop up the carrots, celery & potatoes. The frozen chicken will be thawing as it cooks, creating some liquid in the pot that should keep the pot from burning too quickly, but don't let it get away from you.
8. Turn the chicken breasts over and keep an eye on the bottom of the pot - you want some color in there, but don't let it burn. If it's starting to burn, pour in a little water, lemon juice or white wine (or a blend of all three).
9. While the chicken is browning on the other side, turn on the kettle to boil some water or use hot tap water and unwrap the bouillon cube - crumble up the bouillon cube and leave it on the wrapper on the counter.
10. With the chicken browned a little & some color in the pot, pour in the wine and lemon juice and turn off the stove.
11. Using tongs, pick up the chicken and scatter the carrots & celery underneath, onto the bottom of the pot. Pour in enough hot water to cover the vegetables.
12. Into the liquid, add the crumbled bouillon and turmeric.
13. Sprinkle the herbs and pepper onto the chicken.
14. Put the chopped potatoes on top of the chicken, sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Spray the potatoes with spray oil and put the lid on.
15 Put the pot in the oven and let it do its thing for 40-45 minutes.

When it's done, use two large forks to shred the chicken, or you can stab it with a fork and eat it like a chickencicle - your call. Serve with the potatoes, carrots & celery, and spoon the juice from the pot over the chicken. Can be served over jasmine rice, too.

Jasmin rice, ifin you want that...

• 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed well
• 1 & 1/2 cups water
• heavy duty saucepan, lubed with spray oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp butter
  

1. Rinse the rice in the colander until the water runs clear.
2. Put the rinsed rice and water into the saucepan.
3. Put the saucepan on the stove, small burner, set to High.
4. Add the salt and butter.
5. When the water just starts to boil - 3-5 minutes later - give it all a good stir to blend the salt & butter with the rice - put the lid on the pot, turn the burner to Low and set the timer for 20 minutes.
6. When 20 minutes is up, take the rice off the heat and let it sit another 15-20 minutes - don't take off the lid - just take it off heat and let it finish steaming.
7. To serve, use a large fork to gently pull the rice out of the pot & into the dish.
8. Store any leftovers in the fridge - reheat by adding a scant bit of water to the dish, heat for about 1 minute in the nuker.