Nothing Special Chicken and Pasta

Last night I was looking through my "Everyday Pasta" cookbook by Giada de Laurentiis trying to decide what to cook for dinner tonight. I found several pasta dishes that looked good, so I let Russ pick. He went with the Chicken in Lemon Cream with Penne. Since my Mom is out of town we asked Dad to join us for dinner tonight. I never seem to hesitate to cook a new to me dish for company since I always think we'll if it doesn't turn out we could just order pizza. So, tonight was no different. Despite Dad coming I still planned to try the new pasta dish.

To make the chicken and penne you start by cubing the chicken and sprinkling it with herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. It seemed a little weird to me to use a French spice blend in an Italian recipe, but I decided to go with it since most all of Giada's recipes I have tried have been tasty. You then saute the chicken in olive oil. I happen to have some lemon olive oil that Jess and Scott back Russ and me from Italy, so I used that instead. Once the chicken has cooked through you remove it and add the chicken broth, cream (I used half and half), lemon zest, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. This simmers for about 10 minutes. Once it has simmered you add the cooked pasta, chicken, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

While it is hard to go wrong with a cream sauce this dish left us all feeling like it fell short. Russ described it as having no complexity and he is exactly right. While I liked the combination of the cream and lemon flavors the overall flavor was too simple and the chicken added nothing to the overall dish. I thought shrimp would have been better and Dad mentioned that veal would have been good with it. Veal especially would have added some extra flavor and complexity that it was lacking. While not bad it was nothing special. I don't think I'll make this one again as Giada has too many good recipes to repeat one that was not a winner. I guess I should learn my lesson not to try new recipes out on company even if it is family, but I am sure I will do it again however next time Dad comes I am thinking Russ' plank salmon.... Russ rates the dish a 8.

Tonight I also tried a recipe for Blueberry Ice Cream. I love blueberries and eat them by the handful during the summer, so when I ran across a recipe for blueberry ice cream I was sold.

To make the ice cream you boil the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice for about 35 minutes. This mixture is then pureed. Next you scald the cream and half and half. You add 6 egg yolks (beaten) to the cream mixture and then stir in the vanilla. Both pieces then cool in the refrigerator. Once cooled you put them in your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

I followed the recipe with one major exception. While it calls for dry fresh blueberries, I used some of my coveted frozen Mentone blueberries. I also tried to boil the blueberry mixture while I cooked dinner... Between these two factors my blueberry mixture turned into a super thick blueberry cement (as Russ aptly named it). When I added it with the cream mixture to the ice cream maker the blueberries didn't incorporate as they should have since they were too thick. All in all the ice cream had great flavor, but the clumps of blueberry cement left gave it a rough texture. Next time I will use fresh blueberries and not multi task while making it. As much as I love blueberries I would give this recipe another try. Russ rates the ice cream a 9.

Chicken in Lemon Cream with Penne
Giada de Laurentiis "Everyday Pasta"

Serves four to six.

1 pound penne pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, diced into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
Pinch of salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season the cubed chicken breast with the herbes de Provence and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and set aside. Pour off any excess oil from the pan. Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, using a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the cream, lemon zest, and cayenne. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the pasta, chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, chopped parsley, and lemon juice. Toss to coat the pasta and chicken with the sauce and serve.

Blueberry Ice Cream, Ann Hodgman

1 dry pint blueberries (2 1/2 cups) rinsed and picked over
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup half and half
6 large egg yolks, well beaten
1 tsp vanilla

In heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, bring blueberries, lemon juice and sugar to a boil, stirring frequently. Let it continue to boil slowly for 35 minutes. Cool the mixture and puree it in a food processor or blender. Scald the cream and half & half together, lower heat to very low. Beat the egg yolks in a bowl and pour a little jolt of the hot cream into them, whisking constantly, to temper the yolks. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the cream and cook over low heat, stirring, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, transfer into a bowl, stir in vanilla and refrigerate until cold (I left it overnight). In the morning, combine the blueberry and the cream mixture and freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. Makes approximately one very purple quart.

Breakfast and Dessert

Russ and I were both exhausted from yesterday's rib cook off, so the only cooking that went on in our house today was for a late breakfast and a late night dessert. One of the many perks of being married to Russ is that he makes me coffee on the weekday mornings and frequently makes me breakfast on the weekends. He has been getting into making omelets recently. They started out where they tasted wonderful, but looked like a cross between scrambled eggs and an omelet. However, in the past few weeks they not only taste great, but look perfect too!

For the omelet this morning he used chopped green pepper, onion, and cheese for the filling. He uses whatever we have around which is usually a mix of veggies. However, he has made a few more gourmet omelets that include leftover salmon and feta or leftover steak with peppers and onions. Today's omelet was wonderful and a great, late breakfast! Russ rates the omelet a 8.

The only other "cooking" that took place today is that I made some frozen yogurt. This is a recipe I found online that is adapted from David Lebovitz's book "The Perfect Scoop". This may be one I need to get sometime soon... The one I tried is for Coconut Pinkcherry Yogurt. Russ and I have a bunch of cherries in the fridge, so I decided to put them to good use. I have not made frozen yogurt before, but found it to be fairly simple just involving lots of stages and waiting. You first strain whole milk yogurt in the fridge for 6 hours. Then you put together the mixture and let it cool in the fridge for 1 hour. Then you follow your ice cream maker's instructions for the remainder.

We ended up trying it out as a late night snack! It was very yummy and smooth. We both thought it could have been a little sweeter, but I think this may have been that some of the cherries were a little tart. Russ liked this better than the pineapple sorbet, but I like the pineapple better. We put the leftover back in the freezer and it was very frozen the next day and didn't have the creamy texture it had when it was first made. Russ actually liked the more frozen texture better. Russ rates the cherry frozen yogurt a 8.

Coconut Pinkcherry Yogurt

Adapted from "The Perfect Scoop", David Lebovitz

Makes about 1 quart

3 cups strained yogurt* or Greek-style yogurt

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cherries, pits removed and roughly chopped

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Mix together the yogurt, sugar, almond extract, cherries, and coconut milk. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

*To make 1 cup of strained yogurt, line a mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth, then scrape 16 ounces or 2 cups of plain whole-milk yogurt into the cheesecloth. Gather the ends and fold them over the yogurt, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Successful Sorbet

This weekend was a big weekend, but not for cooking or baking. Cash had his first spend the night company, Hugo. Jess and Scott have been out of town and we kept Hugo Saturday and Sunday. The boys had tons of fun playing together and by Sunday night they were worn out! It was also a big weekend because Allen and Russ got back to their beer brewing. They brewed a couple times last year and picked this Sunday since not much was going on and the weather was perfect to sit outside and brew. The only cooking I did was making pineapple sorbet from a recipe I found on another foodie blog. It was very yummy and easy!

Russ and I got an ice cream maker as a wedding gift and while we hadn’t registered for one we ended up keeping it thinking it would be fun to have around. I made one attempt at making ice cream in it, but I didn’t read the manual in advance to know that I should have frozen the bucket ahead of time. So, the ice cream did not turn out. Now we leave the bucket in the freezer so that it is ready.

To make the pineapple sorbet I bought a fresh pineapple that had already been peeled and cored. It saved some time and made it even easier to prepare. You cut up the pineapple and cook it with the water and sugar. This mixture gets put in the blender with the other ingredients and once blended it goes in the refrigerator to cool. Once cooled it goes in the ice cream maker for about 25 minutes and then into the freezer to harden. After it has been in the freezer for at least two hours it is ready.

Russ and I both really liked it along with Seth and Allen who tried some when they stopped by this weekend. I also sent some up to Mentone with Mom and Dad who loved it. Mom called to tell me that she rates it a 9! It had a light, refreshing texture and flavor that will be great for the hot days of the summer. I definitely think we will use this same recipe again, but we plan to try different fruits in it to vary it up a bit. I think I’ll try a mango or peach version next! Russ rates the pineapple sorbet a 9 too!

Pineapple Sorbet
Servings: 10

Ingredients:
1 medium pineapple (cubed)
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 lime (juice)
2 tbsp. rum
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Cut the crown (aka the leaves) and the base off the fruit — what remains should be barrel shaped. Quarter the barrel shaped fruit and then use your knife to cut the core (the woody center) away. Place flat on a board and then run your knife between the fruit and the skin. Slice up the remaining fruit into small pieces.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, add the sliced pineapple, the sugar and the water. Cook for about 15 min. or until the liquid begins to be viscous or the pineapple begins to fall apart.
3. Transfer the mix to a blender. Add the salt, lime juice and rum, and blend (or “blitz,” if that’s your vernacular) for 30 seconds, or until the pineapple is completely broken up. Transfer to the refrigerator and let cool for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
4. Churn your mixture in an ice cream maker according to instructions. Once firm, transfer to the freezer and let finish setting for approximately two hours. Enjoy.