This is a supper easy and quick meal. Especially useful for using up left over chicken. While we prefer broccoli. Peas, or spinach, could be substituted.
This meal can be prepared in 45 minutes or less from start to finish. Add a salad, garlic toast, and a glass of wine. for a full meal with a touch of elegance.
Precook the 1 1/2 cups of dry Penne Pasta in an adequate amount of lightly salted water, and 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil.
At the same time steam or microwave frozen Broccoli florets until tender.
Slice or roughly cube the precooked chicken breast.
Start oven at 375°F
On the stove top, In a seasoned and liberally coated (shortening or oil) cast iron skillet, melt the butter. add 2 generous splashes of hot pasta water, and bouillon paste. Whisk until uniform.
Do not add any salt. The Bouillon and Pasta water will probably provide all that is needed.
To the skillet butter bouillon water mix, add the steamed broccoli and sliced precooked chicken. Mix and turn until everything is coated.
Strain the "al dente" hot cooked pasta. Discard the water. Add the strained cooked pasta to the skillet mixture. Mix and fold over to mix the pasta in.
Sprinkle the cheese over the skillet mixture.
Place the uncovered skillet mixture into the 375°F Oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve Hot with a sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper if desired. Goes good with a salad and garlic toast.
Recipe Notes
This could easily be adapted to bake in a Dutch Oven using Charcoal.
Recipe & Photo Submitted by: Rick Beach
Enough for 2 pieces of freshly Grilled Salmon (Salt & Pepper to taste) Great on grilled Swordfish too. Multiply as needed.
Using a Non Stick frying/saute pan heat oil on medium high
Add and quickly saute the Celery and Garlic (stir constantly to avoid burning-Don't let Garlic turn dark)
Add all the remaining ingredients except the Grated Parmesan Cheese & Chopped Basil leaves
Hold the Parmesan Cheese & Chopped Basil leaves until the end.
Continue cooking the tomato ingredients on medium high heat, constantly stirring and folding over until liquid is gone. Blackened in places is perfect....but don't over do it. Cook all the liquid out of the mixture until it is thick enough to pile and not flatten out or leach liquid.
Just prior to serving on freshly grilled salmon, add the Grated Parmesan Cheese & Chopped Fresh Basil. Keep over heat and stir into the mixture for about 1 minute to wilt the chopped Basil. Immediately pile a generous portion on each serving of freshly grilled Salmon. Top with a fresh sprig of Basil
Make cross cut knife cuts about 1/4 the way through the filets, cutting the slice at 45°
Place the fillet in a flat glass dish. Mix all the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl (Holding the lemon slices in reserve to grill). Pour half the mixture on the fillet and rub it into the cut marks. Get some of the garlic and dill into those cuts. Then pour the remaining mixture over the fillet and gently lift the fillet to allow the bottom to get coated with the Olive oil mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and Marinate in the fridge a minimum of 1 hour.
Preheat your grill as previously mentioned.
Place the marinated Fillet on the water soaked Cedar planks. Place the planks in the center of the grill and cover. At 10 minutes, check and spray soak any part of the plank that may have flared up. Check again at 15. At the total of 15 minutes your fillet may be done. Mine takes 20 minutes. Don't forget to start grilling your lemon slices about 5 minutes before done time. Flip the lemon slices once to get grill marks on both sides.
Those with a cooler grill may take longer. Don't overcook! There should be juice that starts bubbling out the top of the fillet. When that juice turns white (meaning the top heat cooked the juice bubbling out) the fillet is normally cooked to perfection. But again...you may have to try this once for yourself before attempting to impress your friends. Know your grill. They will remember the taste and ask you when you will be doing this one again!
The last 5 minutes of cook time brush the lemon slices with olive oil. Place on hot grill to get good grill marks. Serve as a garnish with the final grilled salmon
Optionally Top with our favorite Sun Dried Tomato and Basil topping.
Send us some pictures of yours, or let us know how you like this recipe! Thanks and happy grilling!
We served chips with this dip as an appetizer with rewarmed Stuffed Peppers. This dip recipe is simple and fast. Blend it up in a food processor and immediately serve. Keep a couple cans of white beans handy for unannounced guests. It could be made with the fresh Cilantro. You could substitute the fresh cilantro with dried cilantro, parsley flakes, or dried chopped chives. But I think you will sacrifice some of the flavor.
Recipe courtesy of Rick Beach
This is a great side dish. Or for use in other recipes that call for "Spanish Rice"
Add an addition of 1lb ground beef (browned) to be used as a main dish.
This recipe makes about 3 to 4 Cups of Spanish Rice.
Heat oil in deep skillet. Saute uncooked rice, onion, bell pepper, until rice is brown and onions tender. Add minced garlic toward the end. Stir in and don't burn the garlic.
Stir in water, & tomatoes. Stir in all seasonings. Simmer for about 30 minutes covered. Or until rice is cooked and liquid absorbed.
Recipe Notes
To use the basic Spanish Rice recipe as a main dish. Add 1 lb of browned ground beef, browned ground chicken, or browned ground turkey.
