Chicken Pasta Salad with Lemon & Dill Dressing

This is one of the most easiest recipes I think I have ever put together. In other words, this is a salad and a meal, all in one for a lazy night's dinner. This is also a great recipe for getting rid of any left over roast chicken or fish or even red meat. As I used a thick but moist dressing, the roasted (slightly dried) meat goes well with the recipe. There is one slight word of caution, if you are not a big fan of lemons/limes then this might not be the right salad for you. However, I am confident once you taste this you will fall in love with those little round juicy fruits for the first time!!!

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• Pasta(any kind) - 500 gms(1 lb)
• Leftover rotisserie chicken - 2 whole breast fillets
• 
  
• Dressing:
• Mayonnaise - 1/2 cup
• Plain yogurt - 2 tbsp
• Fresh dill - 2 tbsp, chopped finely
• Lemon juice - juice of 1 lemon
• Salt & pepper - to taste
• Hot sauce - to taste
  
• Sweet pickle relish - 2 tbsp
• Zest of 1 lemon.
  

Methods:

• 1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Make sure you salt the boiling water properly before adding the pasta, as this is the only time that the pasta will absorb any flavour. You can also cook the pasta in chicken or vegetable stock if you have them handy. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set aside. Save a little bit of the pasta water aside.
  
• 2. Meanwhile, de-bone and tear the roast chicken into bite size pieces with your hands.
• 3. In a large enough bowl to hold the salad in, whisk in all the ingredients for the dressing. Before squeezing out the juice of the lemon, zest the rind and also throw it in the dressing.
• 4. Carefully stir in the chicken pieces in the dressing with a spatula. Be gentle enough not to break the chicken pieces in crumbs, since they will be very delicate as they are already cooked.
  
• 5. Stir in the drained pasta to the chicken mixture. If the sauce seems too thick for the pasta to be stirred in, add a bit of the saved pasta water to thin it out a bit.
• 6. Serve the delicious salad warm or even in room temperature.
  

Pasta Cakes

Servings: 2 - 4

Ingredients:

• Macaroni Pasta - 2 cups (raw)
• Eggs - 2
• Cold Milk - 1/2 cup
• Plain flour - 1 cup
• Corn starch - 1 tbsp
• Salt & pepper - taste
• Parsley - 1/2 cup, chopped
  

Methods:

• 1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions in salted water. Drain and set aside to cool.
• 2. In a bowl, beat in all the other ingredients together. Once the macaroni is cooled down, toss them in with the egg mixture.
  
• 3. Take a small non-stick frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil, add one scoop full of the macaroni mixture. Flatten it around the frying pan like a pancake for even distribution. Cover and cook for 3-4 min on medium heat.
  
• 4. After 3 min, turn it over. You will know when its ready to turn, when the edges crisp up as shown in the photo.
  

• 
• 5. After flipping it cook for 4-5 min on the other side, till it crisps up and all the egg-flour batter has cooked through. Do this for the rest of the mixture. The recipe yields 4 cakes (1 inch thick).
• 6. Serve immediately, as it is or with a side of grilled fish or meat. Bon Appétit!

Cream of Chicken Macaroni Soup

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Macaroni - 2 cups (raw)
• Cream of chicken condensed soup - 2 cans
• Chicken breast fillet - 1, boneless, cubed
• Sweet peas - 1 cup
• Carrot - 1 cup, chopped
• Onion - 1 med, chopped
• Black pepper - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste (the canned soup will be salty)
  
• Garlic powder - 1 tsp
• Jalapeno - 1 , chopped
• Parmesan Cheese - 1/2 cup (optional)
• Curly parsley - 1/2 cup, chopped (optional)
  

Methods:

• 1. Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions, drain and set aside.
  
• 2. Chop and prepare the veggies, set aside.
• 3. In a large non-stick pot, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add the chopped up chicken cubes, onion, garlic powder, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Saute on high heat for 3-5 min.
• 4. Add the chopped up veggies. Saute on high heat for 2-3 min till the veggies have softened a bit.

• 5. Lower the heat to medium. Add the 2 cans of the condensed soup with 3 cups of hot water. Stir to combine. Simmer on medium heat for 8 - 10 min, uncovered, until the soup thickens a bit. Remember to stir in occasionally to avoid any lumps at the bottom.
  
• 6. Stir in the cooked macaroni. Stir to combine. Check for seasoning, if required add some more black pepper and salt. Check the soup for your desired consistency off thickness. I like it quite thick rather than runny. Stir in the parsley and turn the heat off and let it rest for 10 min before serving
• 7. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
  

Fettuccine with Ricotta-Parmesan Sauce

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Fettuccine - 1 lb (450 gm)
• Broccoli Florets - 2 cups, steamed
  
• Tomato puree - 1 lb can
• Ricotta Cheese - 1 cup
• Parmesan Cheese - 1.5 cups
• Italian Seasoning - 1.5 tsp
• Jarred Capers - 1 tbsp, drained of the liquid
• Garlic Cloves - 2, minced
  
• Salt & pepper - to taste

Methods:

• 1. Steam the broccoli florets with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cover with a plastic wrap, set aside.
• 2. In a large non-stick pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, add the garlic and the capers. Saute for a min to infuse the oil with the garlic. Be careful when adding the capers, as it will sizzle if not properly drained from it preserving liquid.
• 3. Add the tomato puree, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. In a bowl mix in the Ricotta cheese with 1 cup of hot water. Stir it in the tomato sauce and simmer on med heat for about 10-15 min.
• 4. Meanwhile cook the fettuccine according to the package instructions, drain and set aside.
• 5. Once the sauce has simmered down and thickened, add the pasta to the sauce. Add 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese and the broccoli florets. Stir to combine. Turn the heat off.
• 6. Serve the fettuccine in individual serving bowls topped with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bon Appétit!

Pasta Shells in Roasted Garlic Sauce

Servings 4

Ingredients:

• Pasta shells - 1 lb(450 gm)
• Garlic cloves - 1 whole bulb
• Tomatoes - 3-4, cubed
  
• Onion - 1 med, cubed
• Parmesan Cheese - 1/2 cup
• Shredded Italian cheese blend - 1 cup, (blend of Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, etc)
• Sweet pea - 1/2 cup, steamed (optional)
• Italian/ flat-leaf parsley - 1/2 cup, chopped
  
• Chicken Bouillon cubes - 2 (you can alternatively use 2 cups of broth)
• Salt & pepper - to taste
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Methods:

• 1. In a baking sheet, arrange the chopped tomatoes and onions. Drizzle some olive oil on them and season with salt and pepper.
• 2. Put the whole bulb of the garlic, skin-on, in a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Loosely fold the foil and place it in the tray with the tomatoes.
  
• 3. Roast in the oven for 20-30 min, on 200F (400C), until the tomatoes and onions are crisp on the edges. No need to peal the tomatoes.
• 4. Peel the garlic cloves. Once roasted the peel comes of very easily. Place the tomatoes, onions, garlic with 1 cup of water in a blender and blend. You are looking for a coarse texture rather than smooth.
• 5. In a large non-stick pot heat 1 cup of water with the 2 bouillon cubes and stir until melted. Add the puree from the blender. Stir to combine, and simmer on low-med heat until it thickens up and reaches a sticky consistency.
• 6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta shells according to the package instructions. Drain and add them to the garlic sauce. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning.
• 7. Add the peas* (if using), parsley and the Italian cheese blend. Stir to combine everything. Turn the heat off.
• 8. Serve on serving bowls and top with the Parmesan cheese before serving. Bon Appétit!

Hints:
* You can use any other steamed vegetables with this dish.
** I like to add 1 tsp of sugar when simmering the sauce for a little sweetness. However you can add or skip it upon your choice.

Oooyee Gooyee Baked Macaroni

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Macaroni - 1 lb(450 gm)
• Minced/ground Beef - 1 lb (450 gm)
• Canned Tomato puree - 2 lb can (1 kg)
• Parmesan cheese - 1/2 cup
• Shredded Italian cheese blend (provolone, mozzarella, romano, asiago, fontina) - 2 cup
• Onion - 1 lrg, chopped finely
• Celery - 1/2 cup, chopped finely
• Capsicum - 1, chopped finely
  
• Ginger root - 1 inch, grated finely
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Nutmeg powder - 1/2 tsp
• Sugar - 2 tsp (optional)
  
• Black pepper - 1 tsp
  
• Salt - to taste
• Italian/flat leaf parsley - 1 cup, chopped
  

Methods:

• 1. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add the ginger, saute to infuse the oil with the ginger. Add the minced beef, salt and pepper. Saute till the meat turns brown.
  
• 2. Add the chopped onions, celery, capsicum and saute for 3-4 min, till the vegetables soften a little.
  
• 3. Add the tomato puree, nutmeg, chili powder and 2 cups of hot water. Simmer, covered, on medium heat for 30-35 min, stirring occasionally to avoid any burns at the bottom.
  
• 4. Once the sauce has thickened and reduced by 1 cup of the added water, add the dry macaroni to the sauce. Stir to combine. The sauce at this stage should still be quite thin for the macaroni to absorb the flavours. If it seems too thick then add 1/2 cup of hot water. Check for seasoning, simmer on medium heat for about 15 min.
  
• 5. Meanwhile preheat you oven to 375F (190C) . Spray a oven proof casserole dish with some oil spray, pour the entire contents of the sauce-macaroni. Carefully stir in, the sugar, 1 cup of the mixed Italian cheese blend and the Parmesan cheese.
• 6. Bake for 30 min. Take the dish out of the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of the mixed cheese blend on top of the macaroni and bake for 10-15 more min, or till the cheese melt and starts to bubble.
  
• 7. Let it rest for 5-10 min and then serve topped with the chopped parsley.
  

Rotini with Roast Vegetables & Chicken

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Rotini Pasta - 1 lb
• Chicken breast fillet* - 1, boneless, cut into bite size pieces
• Carrots - 2, cut into 1 inch pieces (to yield 1 cup)
  
• Green beans - 1 cup, cut into 1 inch pieces
• Grape tomatoes - 1/2 pint (1 cup)
  
• Baby potatoes - 1 cup, peeled (and halved if bigger than bite size)
• Green pepper - 1, cut into bite size pieces
• Parmesan cheese - 1 cup
• Chicken Bouillon - 1 cube
• Salt & Pepper - to taste
  

Methods:

• 1. Prepare all the vegetables by washing and cutting them. In half cup of water mix in the chicken bouillon. In a roasting tray arranged the vegetables, toss them with the broth mixture, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
  
• 2. In a piece of aluminum foil, place the chicken breast, season with salt , pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Fold to make a pouch. You can place it in the same tray with the vegetables or use a separate tray.
  
• 3. Preheat your oven to 400F (200C) and bake/roast the chicken and the vegetable for about 30 min. When the skin of the veg turn a little crispy you will know they are done.
• 4. Meanwhile, cook your pasta** according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• 5. Once the veg and the chicken are done, remove the foil wrapping of the chicken and cut it into bite size pieces. Be careful, since it will be quite hot. Use a fork to hold it in place while you cut it.
  
• 6. In a big serving bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the veg and chicken together. Stir in 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. The heat from the pasta will melt the cheese and create a sticky consistency.
• 7. Serve the Rotini in individual bowls with a sprinkle of the remaining Parmesan cheese.
  

Hints:
* For a vegetarian version, you can skip the chicken altogether. Also, use any type of vegetables that you like. Pumpkin, butternut squash, zucchini, broccoli, asparagus are also my favorites for roasting.
** Make sure to salt the water as this is the only time to flavour the pasta. You can also cook your pasta in broth rather than water to give it a extra boost of flavour.

Spaghetti Meatballs

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti - 1 lb
• Canned Crushed Tomato - 1 lb (450gm)
• White Vinegar - 2 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 tbsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Ground Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
  
• Green Beans - 1 cup, cut in 1 inch pieces.
• Onion - 1 lrg, finely chopped
• Parmesan cheese - 1 cup, grated
• Italian/flat leaf parsley - 1 cup, finely chopped
• 
  
• For the meatballs:
• Ground Beef - 1 lb
• Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Jalapeno - 1, finely diced
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Methods:

• 1. Mix everything together for the meatballs. Form into balls, 1 lb beef should make about 20 balls. Cover and refrigerated for about 1/2 hour- 2 hours max, for the ingredients to settle together.
  
• 2. Meanwhile, in a large pot heat 3 tbsp of oil, add the onions and saute till translucent.
• 3. Add the canned tomato, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine and simmer on low-med heat for about 10 min, stirring occasionally.
• 4. Add 2 cups of hot water, cover and simmer on low-med heat for 20 min.
• 5. Meanwhile, take the meatballs out of the refrigerator and saute them on a non-stick pan for about 3-5 min, turning the meatballs to brown all over. You do not need to add any oil to the pan, since the meatballs, as soon as they hit the heated pan, will release the fat content and that will the allow enough lubricant for the meatballs to be sauteed.

• 6. Brown the meatballs in batches, so that it will not release too much juice to be stewed. You are not looking for the meatballs to be fully cooked. They need to be sauteed just to create that charred up look. Once all the meatballs have been browned all over, transfer them to the tomato sauce.
  
• 7. After adding the meatballs, cover and simmer the tomato sauce on low heat for about 30 min to let the meatballs finish cooking. Add 1 cup of water if the sauces tend to thickened too much. Stir the sauce occasionally to avoid lumping.
  
• 8. Add the spaghetti and the green beans to the meatball sauce. Stir to combine, simmer on low-med heat for about 15-20 min, or till the spaghetti and the beans are cooked through.
• 9. Serve the spaghetti with 5 meatballs for each serving, topped with a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese and the chopped parsley.
  

Spaghetti alla Bolognese

Spaghetti alla Bolognese, or the Bolognese sauce is a meat and tomato based sauce, named after Bologna, Italy. The traditional Bolognese sauce uses a variety of ingredients such as carrots, celery, panchetta, and red wine, along with the ground meat and tomato paste. In my version I have not used them, instead I added olives and some herbs (which are usually skipped in the traditional version)

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti - 1 lb (450 gm)
• Canned Tomato - 1 lb jar
  
• Minced Beef - 1 lb (450 gm) (you can also use chicken or turkey mince)
• Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
  
• Canned Pitted Olives - 1, drained, roughly chopped
• Onion - 1 large, diced
• Garlic cloves - 1 tsp, minced
• Dried chili flakes - 1 tbsp or to taste (depending on heat preference)
• Grated Parmesan cheese - 1/2 cup
  
• Italian seasoning or dried oregano - 1 tsp
• Salt & pepper - to taste
  

Methods:

• 1. First prepare the soffritto*. In a large non-stick pan, heat 3 tbsp of oil . Add the chopped onions, saute till translucent. Add the garlic and saute a bit more.
• 2. Add the minced beef and some salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Saute till the meat has changed colour to brown.
• 3. Add the soy sauce, olives, Italian seasoning or the dried oregano, chili flakes and saute for 3-5 min.
• 4. Add the canned tomato and a cup of hot water and simmer on low heat for about 10 min**, or till the colour changes to a deep red and the sauce reduces down to a thicker consistency.
  
• 5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta following the packages instructions, till al dente. Drain.
• 6. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and simmer for 15 min on medium heat, so that the pasta will absorb the sauce flavours and the sauce will thicken and stick to the pasta.
  
• 7. Turn of the heat, and stir in 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese before serving.

Hints:
*Soffritto means the base of any dish, where cooking the aromatics, such as onion, garlic, celery, etc, are cooked in oil or sauteed slowly.
**The longer you cook the sauce the better it tastes, so if you have time, simmer it on low heat for about 2-4 hours. The richness of the taste difference will amaze you. However my version is for a busy or an impatient cook (which I tend to be when I am starving)
***If you like, make extra amount and refrigerate, as I do since the left-overs taste even better the following day.

Stir Fried Spaghetti

I came up with this dish one day, when I wanted to have some Asian inspired stir-fried noodles, and had to do good with whatever ingredients I had available that will be close to it. The result was far away from any Asian noodles, but still it was sooooooooooooo yummy that I had to share.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti - 1 lb (450 gm)
• Chicken breast fillet - 1, deboned and cut into thin strips
• Baby Spinach Leaves - 2 cups
• Fresh Roma tomato - 2 large, each cut into 8 cubes
• Breakfast beef sausage patties - 4, cut into bite size cubes.
• Garlic powder - 1 tsp
• Salt & Pepper - to taste
  

Methods:

• Place the cut-up tomatoes on a baking dish, sprinkle some oilve oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper on top, and broil/grill for 5- 10 min, untill they shrivel up. You can also use roast tomatoes instead, if you like.
  
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti as instructed on the package. Drain.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a non stick-pan, add the chicken, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Saute till they are cooked through and browned a bit.
  
• Add the sausage pieces and saute for 3-5 more min, till they crisp up.
• Add the pasta and stir fry with the chicken and sausages for few more min (3-5).
• Just before taking it off the heat, stir in the roast tomatoes and the spinach. Turn of the heat and stir to mix everything up evenly. The residue heat will wilt the spinach down.
  
• Serve and enjoy.
  

Penne with Bok Choy and Left-over Roast Chicken

I came up with this dish when I had a load of left-over rotisserie chicken(breast fillets specifically, which tends to get dry the following day) that I did not feel like eating as it is. Not wanting to waste the chicken, I wanted to use it in a dish with the least amount of work needed without sacrificing great taste, and the result is this.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Penne Pasta - 1 lb (any type of pasta can be used, I used penne since my hubby loves it)
  
• Left-over Roast Chicken Breast Fillet* - 1 big/2 small (1/2 lb), deboned and cut into bite size pieces.
• Cream Cheese - 1 cup or 1 8oz block (fat-free cheese can also be used for a lighter version)
• Milk - 1 cup
• Baby Bok Choy - 1 lb, cleaned and leaves separated, if they are too big then just cut into 2inch long pieces.
• Italian Parcely - 1/2 cup, chopped
• Parmesan Cheese - 1/2 cup
• Salt & pepper

Methods:

• Cook the pasta in salted water till al dente.
• Drain and set aside, storing a cup of the cooking liquid.
• Heat a little bit oil in a big non-stick pan. Add the bokchoy, saute till translucent but should still be brightly green in colour. You are looking for a crispy texture.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the chicken, and saute for about 5 min, till the chicken is heated through.
• Toss the cooked pasta in with the chicken and bokchoy. Saute for few min.
• Remove the pan from over the heat, stir in the milk and the cream cheese.
• Add the the saved pasta cooking liquid, return the pan over the heat.
• Simmer on low heat for about 5-7 min, until the sauce thickens and gets a sticky consistency, while stirring softly to melt the cheese into the pasta.
• Turn off the heat and top it with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve warm.**

Hints:
* You can also substitute the rotisserie chicken with plain cooked (steamed/boiled) chicken. If taking this option, cut the raw chicken breast fillets into bite size pieces. Cook in 1 cup of water with salt and pepper to taste. Drain and cool. Then follow the above steps.
**For decoration purposes, you can alternatively serve the pasta in serving plates first and then top each individual plate with a bit of Parmesan cheese and parsley.