Copy-Cat Recipe: Macaroni Grill's Penne Rustica

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When The Other Williams and I worked the 9-5 we used to occasionally slip away for a lunch date and one of our favorite places close by was Macaroni Grill.

Our dish of choice was the sinfully delicious Penne Rustica. We would actually just share one order because it's that rich and filling. It's a cream sauce with shrimp, chicken, and prosciutto. Yea, it's really good.

Canning: Turkey Veggie Soup

Turkeys are going on sale every where right now and not being one to miss a good deal we picked up one at the local supermarket last week. We don't normally cook turkey on Thanksgiving because we go over to my in-laws to eat but we like to grab at least one turkey during this time of year to throw in the freezer or to can.

We try to make several meals out of one turkey or chicken for the two of us. This recipe will make convenient grab and go lunches or a super fast dinner.

We paid around $8 for our turkey and here's what we did with it. The Other Williams cooked the turkey in the oven first. We got:

• 2 turkey breast to slice for several sandwiches
• 3 turkey and gravy dinners for 2. One we ate the other 2 went in the freezer
• 4 quarts of turkey veggie soup with turkey broth
• 2 quarts of yummy turkey broth (click here to see how we make chicken/turkey broth)

Chicken Chow Mein

There's nothing better than a quick stir-fry on a weekday night. This one is right up there with some of the best we've done. We used Ramen Noodles, yes they kind you used to eat in college, as the base in this dish. You don't need the seasoning packet so just toss it.

Stir-fry's are quick and easy to prepare. They might sound a little complicated but they really couldn't be any easier. Most can be prepared in 20 min or less and the stuff you throw in it is limitless!

This one is topped off with some chicken, crunchy and fresh veggies, and some sweet yet savory sauce. It's a beautiful creation. The lime wedges are important here. We like to serve some citrus with heavy stir-fry's or sauces. It really lightens up the dish and gives it a little something special! Give this quick recipe a try next time take-out is looking like a good idea!

Picnic Menu - Italian Compressed Sandwich

For The Other Williams' birthday she requested a trip to Atlanta to visit the High Museum of Art's current exhibit "Picaso to Warhol". The weather couldn't have been more lovely for a picnic so I decided to surprise her with one. We were traveling a bit to get there so I needed something pretty sturdy and this menu did the trick!

I love fun food on picnic's and anything on a stick is fun! I skewered organic grapes onto a bamboo skewer. I also did a caprese salad on a stick by layering small mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes, and basil leaves onto a skewer. I brought along a small container of balsamic vinegar for our dipping pleasure.

The Italian compressed sandwich was amazing and burst with flavor from the pesto, meats, and smoky cheese! This sandwich should be made a day a head but 6-8 hours ahead would be fine also.

The picnic was a hit and the weather was gorgeous as we relaxed in Centennial Park while people watching. We hit the art museum will tummies filled with love! The exhibit was awesome and we made plans to return before summer's heat turned Atlanta into Hotlanta!

Stuffed Zucchini with Sausage

Got zucchini growing like crazy in your garden and you're looking for some different zucchini recipes? This is your answer! If your growing season hasn't started yet, go ahead and print this one out. Believe me, you'll thank me later.

This quick and kid-friendly healthy meal is super delicious! The Other Williams will throw this on the grill and I'm not sure what she does with it but magic happens some how. However you can put these in the oven also.

I never use to be a big sausage lover but boy have times of changed. The tomatoes and sausage together with the zucchini are just stellar!

So hang on to those zucchini coming in and give this one a go!

Spicy Asian-Chicken-Salad Lettuce Cups

This is yet another "Build a Bite" that The Other Williams fixed up for us the other night. And, oh my, it's delicious! Not only is this fun and tasty, it's HEALTHY!!

The Asian spin on the classic chicken salad really makes this different and special. We have a several Asian spices and sauces in our cabinets because The Other Williams loves cooking with these flavors. I highly recommend spending a couple hours just walking through your local Asian food store. And yes, you have one, google it! Its so intriguing to see all the different things they have!

Not in an Asian mood, no problem, just do a classic chicken salad. The Other Williams has a killer recipe for that also >Click here<.

Tips: We couldn't find Bibb and didn't want to do iceburg so we got butter lettuce and it was delicious! We also added tomatoes to the recipe so play with it and throw in what you've got.

This would make an excellent picnic meal!!

1 Organic Chicken

Photo Credit: Squawkfox

A friend of mine posted this blog post from Squawkfox on facebook and it illustrates beautifully how to stretch your meat budget. The Other Williams and I do this same thing but not all in one week. That's a lot of chicken.

1 Organic Chicken, 22 Healthy Meals (5 meals, 22 servings), $49 Bucks

It's definitely worth a look!

Thirsty for more? Check this other post out: 1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks!

Provencal Chicken Burgers with Pizzaladiere Topping

 For New Years Eve we decided to play around with some burgers. We did mini sliders with mini homemade potato chips! All the burgers came out delicious but this one was by far our favorite.

At first, we weren't really expecting much from this little chicken burger but the herbs and topping really give it so much flavor. It's truly delicious! In fact, we've already made a full size version of this burger!

Turkey & Sweet Leek Pie

 

Over the holiday break we spent a lot of time watching our favorite food network and cooking channel shows. One of those favorites is Jamie at Home. We love just about everything this Brit cooks including this delicious Turkey and Sweet Leek Pie.

We cut the recipe in half, then after making the filling we split it again in half. One half of the filling we froze for another dinner and cooked the other half and topped it with the puff pastry. When we want this yummy supper again we'll just pull out the half of filling we froze and top it with the pastry and bake.

The flavor of this meal is really unbelievable. You could easily cut out the turkey for a vegetarian dish or substitute mushrooms, chicken, pork or beef for the turkey. We added mushrooms to the recipe because we had some on hand and need to use them before they went bad. It worked beautifully.

Leeks are also a great winter vegetable. I'm not a big onion person but once sauteed up with the bacon these mild onions turn into sweet deliciousness! This is a great seasonal meal!

Canning and Homemade Chicken Broth

We had a great labor day weekend. We spent most of the time around the house canning but we did make it up to NC to visit two wineries and picnic. Which was a lot of fun. Both were right outside of Charlotte, so not too far of a drive. We visited Owl's Eye and Baker Buffalo Creek vineyards.

We also went up to the Asheville Farmers market to pick up some yummy local produce to can for winter. We canned:

Green Beans

Froze our favorite, Silver Queen, corn. We have only been able to find this corn at the Asheville Farmers market. It's so good and super sweet and crisp.

Canned some homemade Dill Pickles! This was a first for me and was my project. I found a great recipe online. I have to wait 8 long weeks before I can open them and try them though. Hope they turn out good!

Lots of canned tomatoes

The Other Williams tries to make most of our chicken broth. We buy most of our chicken on the bone or as a whole chicken. The Other Williams does the butchering and she freezes the leftover chicken bones. She also has a veggie scraps bag in the freezer so when we have some scraps she tosses them into the freezer bag.

When she thinks she has enough to make a big batch of broth she throws everything into a big pot, covers it with water and boils it for an hour or better. Then she puts the finished broth into mason jars and they go into the freezer. There is no beating the taste of her homemade, made with love, chicken broth!

Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza

So as I mentioned a couple of days ago we are really getting into Grilled Pizza's. Yea, that's right, we're throwing pizza's on the grill and it's amazingly yummy!

Our favorite recipe has been this BBQ Chicken Pizza. I can not begin to describe how good this pizza is. Kids, oh, they will clean their rooms for some of this.

What's also great is you can add to it or take away as you see fit but I wouldn't. This is a tried and true blue recipe. The smoked gouda and cilantro are not to be skipped over. We always use smoked pulled chicken and the flavor combination is just outstanding!

Now call your best gal or guy, light some candles, and make this a date night. Or have the kids get creative with their pizza's. The individual portioned pizza's only add to the fun-factor.

Wine Pairing Suggestion:
Zinfandel, Chianti




Servings: 2

Ingredients:
1/2 Italian dough goodness recipe or store-bought dough
1 pound pulled chicken, smoked/grilled or store bought rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
1 cup shredded smoked gouda cheese
2 med balls of fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Roll out dough to preferred size and thickness. Grill one side on well oiled grate for about two minutes. Move dough often to prevent sticking and burning. Remove dough from grill and place grilled side up onto platters or cook sheet.


Top with 1/2 sauce on grilled side of dough.

Add the rest of the sauce to the pulled chicken and mix well. Top pizza with chicken, cheeses, and cilantro.

Put back onto well oiled grill grate and cook with top down, moving pizza's often, until cheeses are melted.

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Lemony Chicken and Zucchini with Almond Herb Pesto

The original recipe called the pesto a salsa. That just didn't make sense to us because it was really a herb pesto that topped this yummy chicken. We love having an herb garden that we can grab from whenever we need fresh herbs. There is something to be said about picking an herb, fresh and alive, and eating it right away. The flavor taste so much better when its from your yard.

This dish is full of flavor. The pesto and lemon marinade are the forefront of this delicious and healthy dish. We really enjoyed all the flavors and hope you will also!

Serves: 6

Pesto:
* 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 2 tablespoons chopped almonds, toasted
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
* 3 tablespoons capers, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 garlic clove, minced

Chicken:
* Juice from 1 lemon
* 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 6 small zucchini, cut into slices length-wise (about 1 1/4 pounds)
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. To prepare pesto, combine first 12 ingredients; set aside.

To prepare chicken, marinate chicken for 4 hours or over night in lemon juice. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place on grill rack; grill until done, turning once. Serve topped with pesto.

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Similar Recipes:
Summer Tilapia Marinade
Fresh Herb Sauce
Basil Pesto

Chicken Broccoli Stir-fry

Terri just whipped out a favorite at our house. This Chicken Broccoli Stir-fry is delicious and fast. We have this pretty regularly during the warmer weather. The flavors are good and it's not too out there or too asian to turn you off. Kids would enjoy this also.

While discussing the recipe Terr informed me that she has been cooking this recipe for over 15 years! The recipe actually came from a cook book that came with her first electric wok. The thing is so old, it's yellowed and stained. I literally had to type the recipe word for word.

I love our Asian inspired dishes here. We got a two person set when we were visiting China of the World Showcase in Disney's Epcot. We fell in love with this set and have been using it a lot with our Asian dishes. Here you see a side of pot stickers with dipping sauce and some edamame in the bowl.

So here's an old school recipe for you. We love it and it's definitely good eats!

Vegetarian Option: leave out the chicken and replace it with tofu or extra veggies.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

* 2 Whole chicken breast, boned, skinned, and diced
* 3 tbsp soy sauce
* 1 tbsp veg oil
* 4 cups broccoli or 1 20oz package of frozen broccoli
* 1 cup chicken broth
* dash of garlic powder
* 6-8 mushrooms, sliced
* 1 tbsp lemon juice
* 1 tbsp cornstarch

Directions

1) In small bowl, combine chicken, soy sauce, and veg oil.

2) Place broccoli and ½ cup of chicken broth in wok. Set heat control to med. Cook 5 mins; stir-fry once every minute. Push up the side.

3) Increase heat to hi. Add chicken mixture and garlic powder. Stir-fry with 2 wooden spoons for 3 mins. Push up the side.

4) Add mushrooms and stir-fry 1 minute. combine all ingredients in wok.

5) Combine lemon juice and cornstarch with remaining ½ cup chicken broth. Stir into wok mixture and heat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low for serving.

Service over brown rice or noodles.

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Chicken with Southwestern Salsa

This is really delicious and fast. We had this last week for dinner and although the rub could use a little more flavor (next time we'll marinate it in lemon juice overnight) the salsa made up for any flavor missing in the rub. I actually had the leftover salsa for lunch the next day and it was still great!

For a vegetarian dish, skip the chicken and head straight for the salsa!


Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 3/4 cup salsa)

Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
* 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 1/2 cup prechopped onion
* 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
* 1/3 cup chopped plum tomato
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole kernel corn, drained

Preparation
1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, salt, black pepper, and red pepper; sprinkle mixture evenly over chicken. Add chicken to pan; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.

2. While chicken cooks, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl; add remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, remaining 1/4 teaspoon coriander, tomato, and remaining ingredients to onion mixture, tossing well. Serve with chicken.

Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

For our Solstice dinner I've been preparing this amazing stuffing for two years now. It's really the best stuffing/dressing I've ever tasted. You MUST try it. I make a full recipe and save the leftovers for other dinners. There are just so many yummy things in this stuffing you can't go wrong. If you actually stuff a bird follow the directions below. I've never stuffed the bird, so we make it in an oven-safe dish, cook it for 45 minutes on 400, and reduce the stock to 1/2 cup.

• 1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread
• 3 3/4 cups cubed white bread
• 1 pound ground turkey sausage
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup turkey stock
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.
   
   
2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
   
   
3. Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to loosely fill.

Allrecipes

Braised Chicken with Chickpeas

This dinner is incredibly delicious and healthy. We always cut the recipe in half because 8 servings is a little much. This leaves us two lunches to take to work the next day. We love cooking this in the winter because it's just warm, yummy, comfort food. You can use canned beans but we'd recommend the dried beans. The texture is so much better with dried beans. Hope you enjoy!

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 chicken leg or thigh and 3/4 cup bean mixture)

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1), divided
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 chicken drumsticks, skinned (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 4 chicken thighs, skinned (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 can whole tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup Homemade Chicken Stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon wedges (optional)
  

Preparation
Sort and wash chickpeas; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above chickpeas; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain chickpeas.

Place 1 1/2 cup chickpeas, 4 cups water, 1/2 cup onion, garlic, and bay leaf in pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until beans are just tender. Drain chickpea mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Set chickpea mixture aside.

Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.

Add remaining 1/2 cup onion to pan. Sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates.

Add can of tomato, Homemade Chicken Stock, and reserved cooking liquid to pan. Add chickpea mixture, and bring to a boil. Place chicken on top of chickpeas, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until chicken is done and chickpeas are tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007

Chicken Scampi

This recipe is what my lovely wife cooked up for us last night. Although the reviews were mixed I thought it was extremely tasty. The jasmine rice was just the prefect combo with this warm dish. It very much reminded me of Indian food. If you want less spice/warmth cut down the Worcestershire sauce. Also reserve some lemons to squeeze over the dish as your eating. It really contrasts beautifully with the warm chicken and sauce.

• 5 (4 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 cups cooked Jasmine Rice
  

1. Combine chicken with ground pepper, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, oregano, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and wine in a shallow bowl. Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours (overnight is best).
   
   
2. Preheat broiler. Remove chicken from marinade (save marinade) and place in a shallow pan. Broil 8 inches from heat, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink inside (about 15 minutes).
   
   
3. In a small saucepan, bring marinade to a boil. Pour over chicken, toss and serve over rice. Yummy!
   

Chicken Salad

Terri had a leftover cooked chicken that we really needed to do something with this week in the freezer. So my brilliant wife came up with chicken salad. This Chicken Salad recipe really knocked our socks off. It was so tasty and I've really been enjoying my lunches this week! The pineapple is a different twist on the traditional grapes although next time we'll add the grapes also. Over all two big thumbs up!

Ingredients

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 4 eggs
* 1 red apple, diced
* 3 green onions, chopped
* 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
* 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, juice reserved
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* Fajita seasoning to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add chicken and cook until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink inside, approximately 20 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.

2. Meanwhile, place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and slice.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, sliced eggs, apple, onions, relish, mayonnaise, celery, pineapple (with just a little juice for flavor), cilantro, pecans and fajita seasoning to taste.

Rachel’s Fall Drive Soup

I came up with this recipe really quickly on the Friday before our annual Fall foliage drive. It was super yummy and easy to make and totally delicious!

1lb Italian Chicken or Pork Sausage
½ Onion, chopped
3 Garlic, minced
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
1 cup yummy white wine
3 cups broth
2 Sweet potatoes, diced
2 Carrots, diced
2 can green beans
2 cup Cabbage, chopped
1 large can of Tomatoes
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Italian Seasoning, to taste

1. Brown Sausages and remove.

2. Deglaze pot with 1 cup of good white wine. Add onion, garlic, and celery until soft. Simmer 5 minutes and scrape pan.

3. Add broth, sweet potatoes, and carrots, cooked sausage, green beans, cabbage, tomatoes, tomato paste and seasoning.

4. Simmer another 30-45 minutes. Adding water as needed.

5. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Chicken Shawarma

This was really delicious! The chicken was so warm and cozy tasting. It definitely has that comfort food feeling/taste. We used the small mini pitas and piled the veggies high. We served this with our wonderful stand by, tabbouleh and it was yummy and filling. The sauce really makes everything lighten and brighten up. Excellent dinner or lunch.

Yield

4 servings

Ingredients

Chicken:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 16 (3-inch) strips

Sauce:

1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt (such as Fage)

2 tablespoons tahini

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

Remaining ingredients:

Cooking spray

4 (6-inch) pitas

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce

8 (1/4-inch-thick) tomato slices

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. To prepare chicken, combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. (we did this overnight and it worked very nicely)

3. To prepare sauce, combine yogurt and next 4 ingredients (through 1 garlic clove), stirring with a whisk.

4. Thread 2 chicken strips onto each of 8 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until done.

5. Place pitas on grill rack; grill 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Place 1 pita on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup lettuce and 2 tomato slices. Top each serving with 4 chicken pieces; drizzle each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce.