Friday, March 19, 2010

Rachael Ray is my hero!

Well, as many people know I was NEVER a good cook, nor did I ever even ENJOY the thought of cooking. Cooking to me was always a chore that got devoured in 5 minutes, leaving you with a heap of dishes to clean and the rest of a meal to save and eat over and over again until it was gone. Okay, so some of that is still true but I have found myself enjoying it for the first time in our marriage. You really can't blame me...if you know Joshua, you know he is a fabulous cook (especially with anything Italian), and he enjoys the whole cooking thing! So, I always let him do his thing in the kitchen. Well, with grad school and mounds of studying going on now, he has NO time. So, me being the stay-at-home Mom had to step up to the plate, and learn how to make some food!

My mom gave me some Rachael Ray magazines (which some day I will subscribe to and receive regularly), which inspired me to cook. A lot of her recipes are using things you may already have around the house, or that you can go out and buy fairly inexpensively. Now, some of her recipes are NOT, so you have to be smart, and look for things. But anyways, a lot of her recipes you can make in 30 minutes or less...and she makes it look so easy. Here is one of her recipes, that is cheap, healthy, and easy to change around if you want to make it healthier, or simpler, or even more extravagant...AND the whole meal can be made and ready to eat in 30 minutes. FABULOUS. My husband talks about this meal all the time since it is so easy to make, and yummy! Try it out!

Chicken Pasta
4 servings
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken (or whatever kind of chicken you have, to shred. If you have to cook it, it will add a few extra steps and time to the preparation.)
1 cup frozen baby peas (You can use regular peas!)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional - I don't use it)
12 ounces of wagon wheels or other short pasta (like penne pasta)
1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1 tbsp. of butter
Salt

1. In large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and heat through. Stir in the peas, broth, garlic and cayenne and simmer until the broth has reduced slightly, about two minutes. Keep warm over low heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta for 5 minutes. Drain and add to the chicken. Stir in the 1/2 cup of cheese and butter and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente, about 3 minutes. Season with salt, if necessary, and serve with additional parmesan.

You can probably make this even more healthy by using whole wheat pasta or low-fat cheese. I haven't tried that yet, but you never know! Hope you enjoy this easy, yummy meal! Thanks, Rachael!

Oh and remind me to post a yummy BBQ chicken pizza recipe I made for a weight watchers friend...that was SO yummy! That's right...pizza on a diet...and it was fabulous.

2 comments:

The Hoovers said...

I love that you are loving cooking for the first time! Kyle wishes I loved it a little less! Pick up a copy of Everyday Food magazine if you want another magazine that has fantastic recipes, tips, etc. I love it!

Deidre said...

Rachel Ray is one of my absolute favorites!

Will need to try this recipe as well!