23/4/2009



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Peanut Butter Brownies

This is another recipe from the wonderful Smitten Kitchen. This was one of those recipes where, when I first saw it, I thought, “Why are these not in my oven RIGHT NOW?!” If you’ve ever read this blog before, you know that I am kind of obsessed with the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Naturally, I had to make these.

Peanut Butter Brownies

For brownies
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)

For ganache
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Make brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter parchment.

Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, then add peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour until just combined.

Mix in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) then spread batter in baking pan, smoothing top. (It will be thick, almost like cookie batter.)

Bake until brownies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center come out with some crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes. NOTE: Make sure to watch these. I put mine in for 40 minutes and ran upstairs to get some things done before the brownies were finished cooking. When the timer went off, they were way too close to being burned for my taste—still fine, but just darker than I’d like. If your oven isn’t the greatest (like mine), don’t leave them unattended for the last 10-15 minutes or so.


Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make ganache: Put chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl.

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute.

Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms.

Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

I apologize for not having photos of this process, but it all happens rather quickly. It’s ridiculously easy though, so don’t worry.

I waited 15 minutes and my ganache wasn’t set yet (it’s pretty hot and humid here today, so that probably had something to do with it) but I had to slice them and dig in anyway.


Oh man, these were tasty! I wish the peanut butter flavor was more apparent, though. That’s one thing I would have changed if I had known ahead of time. Also, this isn’t exactly a Weight Watchers recipe, so feel free to substitute margarine instead of butter and low-fat peanut butter instead of full-fat, like I did. Every little bit helps, right? There’s no subsitute for heavy cream though, so just grin and bear it. Just don’t drink a gallon of it, though. :)

These are basically slightly peanut-buttery blonde brownies with ganache topping, and they’re fantastic. If you prefer a stronger peanut butter flavor (like me), feel free to experiment and play around with it! They’ll be delicious, I promise.

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09/4/2009



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Thai Chicken

This recipe is from She Simmers via The Crepes of Wrath. I’ve been really busy with school and overall just burnt out lately, so cooking is more of a nuisance than a treat for me. Therefore, I’ve been eating poorly and surviving on Lean Pockets and cereal, which is not good at all. When I read this recipe, I realized I had all the ingredients already and it was so simple that I pretty much had no excuse not to make it. So I did—and it was good!

Khao Na Gai or Thai Chicken in Brown Sauce Over Rice

2 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup water
ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked rice, for serving

1. Mix all the ingredients, except the chicken and vegetable oil, together in a bowl. Begin to cook your rice according to instructions.


This is everything but the water. Looks tasty, right? Haha. It will be, I promise!



All mixed up and ready to go!

2. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a medium nonstick pan or wok. Saute the chicken until almost cooked through.

Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet and stir. Continue to cook until the chicken is completely cooked and the sauce has thickened. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water, a tablespoon at a time.

3. Pour the warm chicken and its sauce over steamed rice.



This is a really hearty, savory dish with a nice garlicky kick. It’s super filling, too! I wouldn’t suggest going out and buying all the ingredients (if you don’t already have them) unless you intend to do a lot of Asian-inspired cuisine, but if you love Oriental dishes, go for it! This dish was super easy to make and really satisfying. Enjoy!

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02/4/2009



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Chocolate and Peanut Butter Spreads

I’ve had a busy week. It’s been nonstop homework for the past seven days, and today I just wanted to make something quick, tasty, and sweet to start off my weekend. It’s also been raining nonstop all day and for me, rainy days are perfect days for baking. I was browsing The Pioneer Woman Cooks a long while back and bookmarked this recipe, but didn’t remember it until now. And ohhh man, I’m glad I did.

These “cookies”—which are probably more accurately described as cookie bars—are just stupid easy. You probably couldn’t mess them up if you tried. Probably the best thing about this recipe is it requires one bowl. You don’t even need a mixer! How amazing is that?! Also, they’re just plain yummy.

Now, the topping on these cookies is made from semi-sweet chocolate chips in the recipe. Halfway through baking, I realized I didn’t have any chocolate chips (I always have chocolate chips!). So, I improvised, and I think my solution tasted better than just straight chocolate chips (if I do say so myself).

I used about a cup of whipped chocolate frosting mixed with about 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter. I love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, so it tastes heavenly! You could also use 6 oz. of chocolate chips and 2 oz. of peanut butter chips, or any combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Posted below is my modified recipe.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Spreads

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup margarine
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whipped chocolate frosting
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
(OR 6 to 8 ounces chocolate chips to make the original version)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together brown sugar and margarine.


Make sure it’s nice and soft or you won’t be able to mix it with the brown sugar.

Add egg and mix together.

Add flour, salt, and vanilla, and mix together well.

Spread dough onto cookie sheet to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2-inch.

Make it look like something vaguely rectangular. I won’t lie, this step was super fun.



It should be about that thickness, and as even as possible.



Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until slightly brown.

For my version, mix your frosting and peanut butter together with a fork, then just spread it on evenly. Make sure you do this when it’s right out of the oven, it makes it get all soft and melty and easy to spread.

(Chocolate chip instructions: Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Return to oven for 1 minute. Remove and spread melted chips over the top.)



Cut into squares with a knife or pizza cutter and enjoy!

These are the easiest, fastest, most delicious cookies ever. They taste like a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, but in a soft, moist bar form. The crunchier edges are great too—more like an actual cookie. You probably have all the ingredients already, so go make these!

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26/3/2009



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Cheesy Baked Tortellini

Today, while eating lunch before class, I turned on the Food Network. “Everyday Italian” was on, and Giada was making this amazing-looking baked pasta dish. I only caught the tail end, but I had to know what she was making. I went to FoodNetwork.com and searched for it, and lo and behold, I found this recipe for Cheesy Baked Tortellini.

I stopped by the store after class to get the ingredients and it was so worth it. Do be aware that this isn’t a cheap recipe—good cheese is pricy, and this recipe uses quite a bit of good cheese. So maybe this is a special-occasion-type recipe. No matter what, though, it’s incredibly delicious and it’s pretty easy too. I will definitely be making this again, especially since I have a lot of leftover cheese!

Cheesy Baked Tortellini

  • Olive oil
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 pound purchased cheese tortellini
  • 2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.

Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend.

Mascarpone comes in a little tub like this—it’s a really great creamy cheese, sort of like ricotta but a lot creamier and with a little sweetness. It’s also great for using in Italian cheesecake.

Pretty, right? I couldn’t find fresh thyme and I didn’t feel like buying ground thyme when I know I would barely use it, so I used oregano, which I love. Oregano is a great substitute for thyme if you aren’t a fan of it. When using dried, ground herbs instead of fresh ones, use a little less because the flavor is more concentrated. I only used about a teaspoon of oregano. Use fresh herbs if you got ‘em though!

Whisk to combine as much as you can, but don’t worry about those little chunks of mascarpone cheese. They’ll melt when you add in the hot tortellini.

Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat.

In case you’re completely grocery-store-layout-inept like me, you can find these things in the refrigerated section by the milk and cheese (it’s right with the ricotta cheese). There, I just saved you 10 minutes of searching…10 minutes that I can’t get back… :( Also, these came in 9-oz. packages, but there are 16 oz. in a pound (the recipe amount)…so I just took a scant handful out of one package, put it in a Ziploc baggie, and saved it for later.

Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella (cut into thin slices) and Parmesan.

The smoked mozarrella may require a little searching. It was buried in my grocery store’s GIANT cheese island, and it was the last package of the stuff they had. It really makes the dish though, so definitely don’t substitute regular mozzarella! I loved the smoky flavor it had while still maintaining the creaminess of regular mozarrella.

Don’t be skimpy with the cheese. You paid good money for it, after all. The smoked mozzarella slices should be a little less than a quarter-inch thick, I’d say. They create a delicious, melty, smoky crust on top. Mmm.

Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.

Top with some grated parmesan and serve!

The great thing about this dish is that it’s versatile. You can use whatever kind of stuffed pasta you want, really. If you’re a meat fan, used some sausage-stuffed tortellini. You can use some spinach-stuffed tortellini, ravioli, whatever. You can also use your favorite tomato sauce—if you want to use a meat-based one, go for it. If you want to make your own, go for it. You can change up the herbs, the cheeses, anything—go crazy!

Let me tell you, people—this stuff was so freakin’ good. With the four college kids in our house, it was gone within minutes. Double the recipe for some great leftovers! Enjoy!

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19/3/2009



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Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen while I was looking for a recipe to make today. She calls them brownie roll-out cookies, but mentions in passing that they’d be good for ice cream sandwiches. As soon as I read that, there was no stopping me. I had to make them! Surprise—I did. And they are awesome.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Whisk dry flour, salt and baking powder in bowl and set aside.

Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa in mixer.

Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until smooth. NOTE: My mixer isn’t the best for heavy doughs, so I had to incorporate the last bit of the flour mixture by hand. Use wet or floured hands if you do this. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.

Roll out cookie dough on floured surface. Cut into desired shapes, brushing extra deposits of flour off the top. NOTE: Use larger cookie cutters! Small ones will make your cookies tiny and crunchy, and that’s no fun. Mine were probably 3.5ish inches in diameter. Use any shapes you like. Also, don’t worry if your dough’s surface is a little floury going into the oven, because it will most likely bake off. I found that I didn’t need a whole lot of flour though—but I was rolling on a cloth surface.

This is about the thickness you want—between 1/8 and 1/4 inch. It’ll make for really yummy, chewy cookies. If you want crunchy cookies, go thinner.

At this point, I also sprinkled the tops with granulated sugar just for kicks. You could also do this with turbinado sugar if you have some to make them really pretty.

Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes (the former for 1/8-inch thick cookies, the latter for 1/4-inch cookies) until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

These cookies are awesome. Soft, chewy, and chocolatey. They’re perfect all on their own.

But you know what makes them even better?

Ice cream! But isn’t that true of most things? Use a cookie scoop to put a dollop of vanilla ice cream on the underside of one cookie, then smush it down with a knife and top it with the other cookie. They don’t have to be perfect, because it won’t be sitting on your plate for more than a few seconds before you gobble it up!

Make sure your ice cream isn’t rock hard before doing this! Mine was, so I heated it up in the microwave for about five seconds. But then I lollygagged for too long and it got melty, but that was just fine by me. Still delicious.

If you want to make these in advance for a party or guests, just make the cookies and put them aside. When you’re ready to serve, top with ice cream. So simple and so good!

Enjoy!

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17/3/2009



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Irish Cream Cake

Happy St. Patty’s Day, everyone! Yesterday, I made a cake to celebrate the occasion. It’s a Bailey’s Irish Cream cake. It came out wonderfully and it was and continues to be delicious. Thing is—my battery in my good camera wasn’t charged, and I had to take pictures with my less-awesome camera…which is fine, but that camera has some serious issues with dim lighting and does not offer you the option to change the settings to remedy that. To make a long story short, the pictures came out horribly, so I won’t be posting them.

However, I don’t want you guys to miss out on this awesome cake. Therefore, I’m directing you to this post at Noble Pig, a wonderful food blog which you should already be reading anyway. When I saw the recipe posted there the other day, I just had to make it. Also, she has some fantastic pictures of the process and finished product for you to enjoy. So head on over!

About the cake: The Bailey’s flavor is subtle, but just right. I pretty much hate the taste of alcohol and therefore avoid using it in recipes, but I had a feeling I would love this cake, and I did. The pecans aren’t a make-or-break deal, so don’t add them if you don’t like ‘em or if you’re allergic or whatever. However, they add a beautiful toasty, crunchy contrast to the sweet cake, and I’d highly recommend adding them if possible. The cake is really simple to put together (it uses a cake mix and boxed Jell-O!), but it looks really impressive, so it’s a great dessert for guests and such. Now go get bakin’!

P.S. I will also try to make a post at the regular time, on Thursday, with adequate pictures. I just had to share this cake with you on St. Patrick’s Day!

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12/3/2009



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Baked Mac N' Cheese

I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t like mac n’ cheese. Whether it’s from a box or a casserole dish, it always hits the spot—at least for me. I am kind of a cheese fanatic. The strange thing is, I realized the other day that I’ve never made mac n’ cheese from scratch. I love baked mac n’ cheese but I’ve never made it myself. Huh. So, I scoured all my favorite cooking blogs for the best-looking recipe I could find, and I happened upon it at Smitten Kitchen (one of my favorite blogs EVER). It’s Martha Stewart’s recipe, and it just looked and sounded so amazing that I just had to make it. And oh man, was it worth it.

Before you get all excited, you should probably know that this is kind of a pricy recipe to make (for mac n’ cheese, anyway). You’ll probably spend at least $10 on the cheese alone (gruyere and sharp white cheddar), depending on the quality of the cheese. So, if you’re broke or a poor college student, you’d probably better stick to Kraft for now and spend your money on your gas bill so you can continue to use the stove.

With that said, if you’ve got some spare cash and you want some really, really good comfort food, make this recipe.

I halved the recipe below because there’s only 2 of us, and we’ll still have enough for at least one more serving each. I also used margarine and 2% milk and it turned out just fine, so don’t be afraid to try to make this recipe a smidgen healthier…but this ain’t no Weight Watchers recipe.

Baked Mac N’ Cheese
From The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook via Smitten Kitchen

Serves 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

This stuff is so delicious. I wanted mine really browned on top, so the bread crumbs are a little too crispy, but it tasted just fine. Also they looked a lot less crispy in real life. I will definitely make this again sometime in the future, but I have to work on digesting the first round first. ;)

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05/3/2009



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Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cookies

I found this recipe on The Adventures of SuperWife (which is a great blog and you should all read it) and she got it from somewhere else from somewhere else and so on. These cookies were really yummy. SuperWife used a vegan recipe, and while I’m all for veganism, I did not have the vegan ingredients on hand, so I substituted regular ingredients (margarine and eggs instead of Earth Balance and egg substitute). Shame on me, I know. But I had such a hankerin’ for these cookies the moment I saw them, I had to make them right away and a trip to the store was NOT in the cards!

As you may have deduced, I love chocolate and I love peanut butter, and I really love chocolate and peanut butter together. Thus, these cookies are a godsend!

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cookies

Cookie Dough:

1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine or Earth Balance, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Eggs or egg replacer equal to two eggs

Cookie Filling:

3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 confectioners sugar

In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda; blend well.

In large bowl, beat sugar, brown sugar, margarine, and 1/4 cup peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and eggs; beat well.

Stir in flour mixture until blended and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine filling ingredients and blend well. Roll into one-inch balls.

NOTE: As you can see below, my peanut butter filling turned out rather crumbly. I don’t know whether it was because I was using reduced-fat peanut butter or if it was the fault of my mixer—you’d probably be better off just using a wooden spoon and your hands to mix. Even though mine came out crumbly, it came together really nicely in ball form. Didn’t spread at ALL in the oven though, which is a shame but doesn’t harm anything except the appearance of the cookies.

For each cookie, with floured hands, shape about 1 tablespoon cookie dough around one peanut butter ball, covering completely. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Try to flatten each cookie slightly with the flat bottom of a glass, but not too much! Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. Cool on wire racks.


For aesthetic purposes, my hand is not floured in this photo. Immediately after I felt how sticky the dough was, though, I dunked my hand in a bag o’ flour. Without it, I would have made SUCH a mess. As you’ll see below, some of your cookies may get a floury appearance. That is just fine, and it won’t show after you bake them!

I had enough peanut butter filling for 16 cookies, and enough chocolate batter for about 18. I was pretty generous with the chocolate batter around each peanut butter ball, and pretty stingy with the peanut butter balls themselves, too. Next time I make these I might make about 1/4 cup more peanut butter filling. I made 16 fairly big cookies.

Warning: You WILL need a glass of milk with these.

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26/2/2009



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Crispy Mini Quesadillas

So Pranas showed me how he makes quesadillas a while ago, and they were so delicious that we made them again the other night. He usually makes them with only cheese, but I put my own spin on mine, and you can put your own spin on yours—add your favorite fillings and go crazy. The crispy tortilla shell and the soft, cheesy filling make an awesome combination, and they’re super easy and quick too!

Crispy Mini-Quesadillas
Servings: Up to you—make however many you want! I was filled up after about 2 and a half quesadillas. The amounts below make six quesadillas.

Essentials:

6 mini flour tortillas
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1/2 cup refried beans (as much or as little as you want—that’s just a ballpark)
1/2 cup shredded cheese, we used 2% Mexican blend (as much or as little as you want)

Other Toppings:

Whatever your little heart desires. You could use beef instead of chicken, or make them meatless. I added sliced green onions to mine, and Pranas likes hot sauce on his. Use your favorite toppings or whatever you have lying around the kitchen!

1) Season your raw chicken with salt and pepper, then saute’ your chicken slices with some nonstick cooking spray or a little bit of vegetable or canola oil until they’re nice and brown and cooked through.

2) While your chicken cooks, prepare your quesadillas. Spread a thin (or thick, depending on your tastes) layer of refried beans on all or half of each mini tortilla.

3) When your chicken is done, distribute it evenly among your quesadillas. Then add the other toppings of your choice and fold in half. Don’t make them too stuffed or you’ll have a mess in your frying pan later! It’s easiest to only put your toppings on half of the tortilla to make for easy folding.

4) Heat your vegetable oil in a large skillet for about 30 seconds, then add a few of your quesadillas to the pan. Use tongs to peek on the underside until you determine they’re brown enough, then flip them over with the tongs and let the other side brown until done. Make ‘em as crispy as you want! Tip: Hold the tongs on the open end of the quesadilla, otherwise your tortillas may spill their guts.

5) Repeat with your remaining quesadillas. If there’s excess oil on them when you take them out of the pan, pat them down with a paper towel, then serve with all your standards—sour cream, salsa, guacamole, whatever you like or have lying around!

These are super tasty and super easy, and the best part is how customizable they are. You can make them exactly to your taste and experiment every time you make them. Enjoy!

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19/2/2009



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Chicken, Broccoli, and Garlic Pasta

So it’s been a long week this week, and it was a really long day today. I wanted to whip something up that would be delicious and filling, but wouldn’t require a whole lot of effort or a trip to the store. I found a really simple recipe for pasta and modified it to fit my needs, and it turned out awesome.

I guarantee you that even if your cooking repertoire includes nothing more advanced than boxed mac n’ cheese, you can’t screw up this recipe. It’s so quick and easy, but also surprisingly flavorful and very filling.

Note: This recipe makes 2 large servings. You can really easily double, halve, triple, whatever—do what you gotta do!

Chicken, Broccoli, and Garlic Pasta
Makes 2 large servings

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets (add as much or as little as you want, or substitute your favorite vegetable)
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick—I used Blue Bonnet light and it worked perfectly)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 lb. pasta of your choice (I used spaghetti)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup of parmesan cheese (or as much/little as you want)

1) Saute the chicken cubes in olive oil until cooked through and nicely browned.


These are about half done. My chicken took about 10 minutes altogether to cook through, and I let it brown a bit more after it was done. When done, take out of the pan and set aside.

2) While saute’ing your chicken, cook your pasta. When done, set aside.

3) Steam your broccoli. I used frozen broccoli florets and they took about 3 minutes in the microwave. Drain and set aside.

4) Melt butter with garlic in pan, then add your chicken and broccoli, stirring to coat.


Mmm, buttery garlic goodness.

5) Now add in your pasta and toss everything together. You can either add all of your cheese at this point, or serve the pasta with the cheese sprinkled on top. Your choice. I did a little bit of both.

Seriously guys, this pasta was so good. It was really garlicky, which is awesome in my book. So simple and quick to throw together—it’s a perfect weeknight dinner after a long day!

It’s also really pretty, which is always a plus. :)

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