Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Roasted Leeks, Potatoes and Carrots

Roasted Leeks, Potatoes and Carrots

½ cup oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 leeks, washed, rimmed & cut into 1 inch slices
8 red potatoes quartered
1 pound whole small ready to eat carrots
Salt & Pepper generously

Heat oven to 500˚. Stir together oil & garlic in 2 cup heatproof glass measuring cup. Heat in microwave on high for 2 minutes. Arrange vegetables in single layer in large shallow baking pan. Pour oil mixture over vegetables. Toss & season with salt & pepper. Be sure cut side of potato is facing up. Place in center of oven and cook 20 min.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Tequila Lime Fettuccini

Tequila Lime Fettuccine (California Pizza Kitchen)

1 pound dry spinach fettuccine (or 2 pounds fresh)

½ c chopped fresh cilantro (2 T reserved for garnish/finish)

2 T minced fresh garlic

2 T minced jalapeno pepper

3 T unsalted butter (reserve 1 T per sauté)

½ c chicken stock

2 T gold tequila (apple juice, cooking wine, etc)

2 T freshly squeezed lime juice

3 T soy sauce

1 ¼ pounds chicken breast, diced ¾ inch

¼ medium red onion, very thinly sliced

½ medium red bell pepper, very thinly sliced

½ medium yellow bell pepper, very thinly sliced

½ medium green bell pepper, very thinly sliced

1 ½ c heavy cream (or ½ and ½ for lighter sauce)

Prepare rapidly boiling, salted water to cook past; cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes for dry pasta, approximately 3 minutes for fresh. Pasta may be cooked slightly ahead of time, rinsed and oiled and then “flashed” (reheated) in boiling water or cooked to coincide with the finishing of the sauce/topping.

Cook 1/3 c cilantro, garlic and jalapeno in 2 T butter over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add stock, tequila and lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until reduced to a pastelike consistency; set aside.

Pour soy sauce over diced chicken; set aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile cook onion and peppers, stirring occasionally, with remaining butter over medium heat. When the vegetables have wilted (become limp), add chicken and soy sauce; toss and add reserved tequila/lime paste and cream. Bring the sauce to a boil; boil gently until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick (about 3 minutes). When sauce is done, toss with well-drained spinach fettucine and reserved cilantro.

Serve family style or transfer to serving dishes, evenly distributing chicken and vegetables.