PORK ROAST..now this is "home cookin'"..one of mom's specialties... pulled and served over steamed veggies...

pork roast ready for 4 hours in the oven @ 300 degrees...results are best when done in a Le Crueset dutch oven...this happens to be mom's lucky orange oval...

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

I got this recipe from Ellie Krieger off the Food Network and I love it. It's incredibly easy and require little work. And it's low-fat, which you will hopefully seeing a lot more as I am trying to "health-en" it up around here!

Ingredients

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 TB brown sugar

2 TB dry sherry (if you omit this, it's just as good)

2 TB rice vinegar

2 garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press, or minced

1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 pounds skinless chicken thighs (I get boneless and skinless thighs)

2 tsp sesame seeds

Directions

Combine the soy sauce, sugar, sherry, vinegar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and stir until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and add the chicken. Seal the bag and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator, turning once, for 1-4 hours.

Heat the broiler to high. Arrange the chicken on a broiler pan skin side down and broil until brown and crispy, 8-10 minutes. Flip the chicken and broil until almost cooked through, about 8 minutes longer. Sprinkle with seeds and cook until the seeds turn golden brown and the chicken is done, 1-2 minutes longer.

Food Tips

1. Fresh ginger is the best, but it can be annoying because you have to buy a huge piece of it, to only use a tip. Fortunately it freezes great, so just place in a zip lock and throw in the freezer until your next use.

2. If you are not a fan of cooking with wine or sherry (I can't stand it, I've tried so many times and just ended up dry heaving from the smell), it's usually an ingredient that can be omitted, or substituted with whatever broth or stock is most appropriate. Of course, some recipes are "wine based" so you may just want to forget about cooking those completely.

Cheddar Chive Muffins

These were great because they are quite versatile. They have chives in them, which makes them a savory muffin for dinner, but still are just as delicious if you smear honey on them for breakfast. They are also potato based, which makes them so tender and delicious hot out of the oven, sheesh, now I'm craving them again!

1-1/4 cups milk

3/4 cups mashed potato flakes (or pearls)

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1-2/3 cups all purpose flour

3 TB sugar

2 TB minced chives

1 TB dried parsley flakes

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1. In a small saucepan, bring mild to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in potato flakes. Let stand for 2 minutes. Whip with a fork until smooth; cool slightly. Transfer to a large bowl. Beat in the egg, oil and cheese. Combine the flour, sugar, chives, parsley, baking powder and salt; stir into potato mixture just until moistened (batter will be thick).

2. Fill greased muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Cherry Almond Chews

Aren't they pretty? They are such delicious cookies, with a great festive look. If you are at all a fan of coconut, or anything flavored with almond extract (one of my favorite extracts), you will love these cookies.

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 tsp almond extract

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2-1/2 cups flaked coconut

3/4 cups almonds or pecans, chopped (optional, mine were just fine without them)

1 jar maraschino cherries, drained and halved

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in coconut and nuts.

2. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Place a cherry half in the center of each. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

basa (swai) pan seared with toasted almonds

sunday night dinner....pan seared BASA aka SWAI...with sauteed/toasted almonds and fresh cilantro

...this fish is excelent...very clean, light, white fish. i'd say a cross between orange roughy and talapia. easy to cook, easy to thaw (i believe it's from Vietnam, so usually frozen)

my quick & easy method is...spray olive oil in a non stick pan...high heat...slightly spray filet with butter spray....sear the pretty side first, when you see it is a nice golden brown, flip fish, cover and turn off heat...should be done in just a couple mins.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Is there anything more healing and comforting then homemade chicken noodle soup? For me, even making it is a therapeutic process that continues to give aid every year when the weather gets cool. I make a huge pot of it, then live off of it for about a week, I never get sick of it! A lot of people out there have their traditional ways of making it, but for those of you who haven't ventured to make homemade chicken noodle soup, this is how I make mine. Remember, the measurements of the ingredients are rough, so don't be afraid to put in more or less of whatever you want.

Ingredients

1 med sized whole chicken, giblets removed

1 box chicken broth

1-2 onions chopped

6-7 carrots peeled and chopped

6-7 stalks of celery chopped

1 bag of frozen egg noodles (if you can't find frozen, use dried egg noodles, or make your own)

1/2 jar of Better then Bouillon, or any chicken bullion base.

(This stuff is so much better for your soup then the grains, or squares of bouillon. It's not hard to find either.)

1-2 tsp black pepper

1-2 TB dried or fresh parsley

Directions

Place whole chicken in large soup pan and cover entirely with water. Boil chicken in pan for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until chicken is completely cooked through. Remove chicken from water and let cool. Reserve water.

If you would like a less fattening soup, let water sit and cool, even overnight if you'd like, and skim off top layer of fat. If you want the fat from the chicken (does make a much more flavorful soup), you can use the water right away.

After chicken has cooled, remove all meat from the bones and cut into bite sized pieces.

Strain water with cheesecloth to remove any chicken bits and place on med heat. Add chicken broth until pan is a little over halfway full (remember, I use the largest pan I have, and I don't always use the entire box of broth). Add carrots, onions and celery. Let simmer until veggies are softened. Add noodles and bouillon. Add bouillon in small amounts and wait a minute or two before adding more, tasting in between. Add enough to your satisfaction. Once noodles are softened, add chicken, parsley and black pepper. Serve hot with a piece of crusty french bread and a Diet Coke (at least, that's how I would enjoy it!)

Roasted Sausages & Pears Recipe

Sometimes the story behind a given dish is complicated. This is one of those recipes, though the recipe is is easy as can be. I'm particularly proud of it because it's rather original and I got a number of compliments on it and even a couple of requests for the recipe. It's spicy fennel flavored Italian sausages roasted with vinegar-marinated pears and onions. The resulting dish has spicy, savory and sweet flavors and can be made for as many or as few people as you like. It's a perfect dish for Fall.

It represents my favorite type of recipe because it takes very little time, few ingredients and techniques but yields something absolutely delicious. I think you could call it foolproof. It can also be varied pretty easily--add other fruit, seasonings, vegetables, or different kinds of sausages. Here are the steps that lead to the recipe:

1. My initial motivation was to make something savory with pears. My mom has a pear tree that went a little crazy this year so I had quite a few pears to use. In Marin County this is not an unusual occurrence.

2. I had a food blogger potluck to attend and I wanted something that would feed a crowd.

3. It was "Eat Local Challenge Month" and I feared the wrath of those who would question the provenance of my offering. The last thing I needed was a blog post blaming me for ruining their day!

4. What could I do to make pears, savory? Vinegar! I have made this recipe twice and it works with port wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. I think you need something rich and dark, don't use supermarket red wine vinegar. Actually avoid supermarket red wine vinegar in general, it's terrible.

5. I wanted everything in the dish to be roasted, but not too saucy. My biggest innovation was to marinate the pears and onions in vinegar, but to roast them on a baking sheet.

6. Success! This recipe worked well the very first go, perhaps because it builds on the success of other recipes. Looking back I can say it was somewhat influenced by Mark Bittman's Sausages and Grapes recipe and also by a Grilled Chicken Sausage and Red Pear Skewer recipe.

Note: I used Fra'Mani Fully Cooked Spicy Italian Sausage I got from Costco. They are completely cooked and very good. If you wanted to use a raw sausage I would cut it into chunks and roast it for 10-15 minutes before adding the fruit.

Roasted Sausages and Pears
for 2 people:

Ingredients

2 fully cooked Italian sausages (but I bet it would be good with Kielbasa too)
2 firm pears, peeled and cored
1/4 cup balsamic or port wine vinegar (you really just need enough to make sure everything is mostly submersed)
1 small onion, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut each pear into 4 - 6 chunks. Place in a very small bowl or plastic bag and add the vinegar to marinate. Allow to marinate at room temperature for about 15 minutes. If you are using an onion, cut it into smaller chunks and break them up into individual pieces and add them to the marinade.

Cut the sausages into 4 - 5 pieces each. Line a baking sheet, preferably rimmed, with aluminum foil and place the pears and onions on the pan. Dunk the sausages into the vinegar to coat them, then place them randomly on the pan as well. Bake for 15 minutes or until pears are soft and sausages are beginning to get crusty.

Serve with a baguette and a spinach salad.

Enjoy!

Riconee

Life just wouldn't be as great without pasta, agreed? My mom used to make this for us all the time, and I love it. It's very similar to lasagna, the biggest difference being that it's made with shells, but it still holds it's own as being a unique and comforting dish.

3 cups medium shells

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/4 cup +2 TB Parm cheese

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion chopped fine

1 16 oz can tomatoes

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp basil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 cups shredded mozzerella

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/4 cup cottage cheese

Cook shells, rinse w/ cold water, let cool and stir in egg and 1/4 cup parm. Brown beef and onions until tender and add tomatoes, paste and spices. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Combine all cheeses and mix together. In 13x9 inch pan, layer shell mixture, half cheese mixture, then half meat mixture. Repeat. Sprinkle top w/ 2TB parm. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.

Oven baked chicken nuggets

It's fun to see what kind of inventions you can come up with when your cupboard is getting bare!

This is one of those times to pull out that notorious bottle of salad dressing that is quickly reaching that horrible date stamped to it's side, marking the end of it's time! I've done this with ranch and honey mustard as well, and it always turns out great! Plus, the kids love them.

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup italian dressing (or whatever dressing sounds good)
1 cup italian breadcrumbs (or plain, I've also used crush cornflakes, or crackers. I've even used Honey Bunches and Oats cereal, it was all great!)

Use two round cake pans, one for your dressing, one for your breadcrumbs. Cut chicken into "nugget" sized pieces. Coat chicken pieces in dressing, and then coat in breadcrumbs. Spread chicken pieces evenly on a sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked completely through. Be sure not to overcook.

Chili

Oh how I love chili, especially in the colder months. It's warm, it's hearty, it's delicious. Chili is one of the best things to make when you're trying to clean out your pantry, or you are low on food. You could really add so many things to chili and it would be great. This is a recipe I saw made on Paula Dean's show, and it's really wonderful, as well as so easy, just be sure to give yourself enough time. I usually use this as my "base" recipe and then add a few things to make it my own. I love to add more veggies like corn and garbanzo beans to give it more color, and nutrients. I also love Worchestershire and dried ground mustard for more richness, and of course, garlic salt!

Ingredients
1 pound mixed ground beef and sausage, browned and drained
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper diced
2 cups chopped celery
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
Ground cumin
Chili powder
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 package chili seasoning mix (I use two!)
Shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped green onions, for garnish
Directions
In a skillet brown ground beef and sausage, drain and set aside.

Spray large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery and saute briefly. Stir in the diced and whole tomatoes. Add cumin and chili powder, to taste, and cook for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the beans, browned meat, and chili seasoning. Partially cover, and let simmer for 4 hours.

ChikaLicious Dessert Bar

I don't think it's possible to go to New York and not have wonderful culinary experiences. It's just that kind of town. When something terrible happens, you can keep your "brown paper packages tied up with string" I will simply call to mind my dream dessert experience at ChikaLicious in the East Village.

I wrote about it years ago, because as someone who is terribly indecisive, the idea of a multi-course dessert menu sounded like a lot of fun. And I love the idea of a dessert only restaurant. Yes, a restaurant. It's much more than a cafe, it's fine service, pretty china, a lovely and relaxing ambiance and heavenly, perfectly balanced and proportioned desserts. It's also intimate, they can accommodate four guests per party, max.

The menu offers plenty of "a la carte" options, but I recommend the three course menu, with or without wine. These days with fine plated desserts hovering around $10, the prix fixe price of $12 feels like a bargain. Everyone who comes in seems to prefer sitting at the bar to watch everything being made, but I liked my little table for two and the unrushed service. The refreshing amuse was lemon sorbet in a white chocolate mousse. Cool, clean flavors reminded me of a most sophisticated lemon flavored orangesicle. Just lovely.


Next my "main course" a recommendation of the owner was the quince steamed pudding in a creme anglaise and Asian pear salad. This was the lightest fluffiest steamed pudding I ever ate, not stodgy or heavy or wet.


Portions are just right. The menu ends with coconut covered marshmallows, truffles and shortbread topped with lemon curd and a single pistachio.

The delicate shortbread was so good I picked up a package to take home. ChikaLicious thank you for being are everything I imagined you'd be!

ChikaLicious Dessert Bar
203 E 10th St
New York, NY
212-995-9511
Daily 3pm to 10:45pm

PUMPKIN-OATMEAL PROTEIN PANCAKES...just add fresh berries and SF maple syrup...

cooling...

75 cal. 11 pro. 5 carb. 0 fat

PROTEIN BREAKFAST SQUARES
pumpkin, oatmeal, cranberry, walnut and protein powder....
obviously, i made this one up....

clean, healthy, YUMMMM....

Shin Yeh 欣叶 ............ Taiwanese Fine Cuisine

I was lucky to be introduced to Shin Yeh in Taipei, Taiwan, just 2 years back. Shin Yeh is a fine diner for Taiwanese cuisine. The restaurant is in a building right across the SOGO in Taipei. The restaurant clientele were mostly 30ish and above. It is also a place for business dining. That was when I had eaten my first fine Taiwanese cuisine.

I am glad that Shin Yeh have decided to venture into Singapore. Shin Yeh Singapore is brought in by the Tung Lok group. The spacious restaurant is situated on the second floor of Liang Court. Some tables beside the window provides the Singapore River view. Some sections of the restaurant can be isolated for private dining. The restaurant is opened till 2am.

.......... interior of the restaurant

This Saturday evening we decided to pay a visit to Shin Yeh as one of my friend who is joining me told me that he was not feeling well. Not well enough for an East Coast Parkway weekend jog but well enough for a hearty dinner which is not too "heaty". Well for Chinese, Teochew/Taiwanese porridge becomes part of the consideration when we want food that is not "heaty". However, the dishes that comes along with the porridge disregards the "heaty" consideration for my friend. You'll see what I mean when I present the dishes that we have ordered.

The worthy dishes that goes with the free flow porridge with sweet potato.

Salty Pork Patties with egg yolk

This salty dish goes well with the porridge.

I'll drizzle the porridge with the sauce for this dish.

Poached Savoury Duck in Boullion 咸水鸭

This cold dish is one of the more popular dishes here.

Its cool and light without the chilli sauce.

Taiwanese oyster omelette
It taste different from the ones we have in our hawker center.
Let you be the judge on whether the Taiwanese or the Singaporean one is better.

"Tiger bite pig" bun 虎咬猪" 

An interesting name but I think this is the highlight of my dinner.

The bun is wrapped with fatty pork, preserved vegetables and 

grounded peanuts. I had this in the original Taipei restaurant and thinks 

that the fillings here is not as generous and the bun is slightly smaller.

Chicken Roulade

Lamb with Special Sauce

When this dish came, we were told to eat fast as

the lamb will not be as tender when it becomes cold.

The sauce taste good but most importantly

the chef manage to remove the smell of the lamb.

I have forgotten some of the Chinese names for the above dishes but............ do you think the above dishes are heaty?

Apart from the enjoyable meal, mostly due to our foursome of good munching company, I feel that the service needs some polishing. Shin Yeh is new, I should provide a little discount on this for now. After all, my experience with a one month old Il Lido also isn't something impressive. 

And one more thing just for gossips ............. is char siew a Taiwanese dish? Well, it's in the menu ;)

Cost : about S$35 per person.

Address : 177 River Valley Road, #02-19 Liang Court Shopping Centre

Country : Singapore

Website : http://www.shinyeh.com.sg/

Tea Time at Jones the Grocer ............... for your relaxing afternoon

It is not too crowded on Dempsey hill on a lazy Sunday afternoon. My wife and I decided to barge into this place for tea. Apart from being the premium Australian food store, Jones the Grocer have a good selection of tea for the lazy afternoon. There is even a day bed outside the side entrance for curling up and lazing in the sun.

Inside, away from the glare of the afternoon sun, the groceries are located along the walls of the big, well lit store. The open bar kitchen is situated right in the middle of the grocery. Tables for meals are set around the bar kitchen. when you walk in through the side door, you'll see a good number of Jamie Oliver cook books greeting you into the store. The atmosphere was relaxing and we hopped onto a couple of the bar stools and chill out at the bar.



.......... looking at the side entrance from my bar stool



............. the cupcakes that drew my wife's attention



.......... the scones that drew my attention



What we had for tea

.......... A scone set. The butter that they serve here is good. I asked for 2 extra cubes of the butter.




.......... Marshmellow Cupcake



.......... French Earl Grey Tea



.......... Mango Peach Smoothie

Cost : S$20.90 for what we had mentioned above

Address : 9 Dempsey Road, #01-12, Dempsey Hill

Country : Singapore

Website : http://www.jonesthegrocer.com/index.php?pageID=9811&merchant_id=0

Forlino ............... a Michelin star food experience

Head Chef Osvaldo uprooted his family and his one Michellin star restaurant from Piedmont, Italy to head the kitchen in Forlino, right beside the merlion. The chance fell upon me to pay a visit when we are celebrating our good friend's birthday.




If you really want a good view of the Merlion and the Marina Bay, skip the private dining room, just take a seat in the common dining area. The private dining rooms have full view of the Marina Bay and the still constructing Integrated Resorts. The Merlion and the Esplanade are pretty much blocked. You have to imagine the full expense of the view when all constructions are done. What a sight to behold .......... hold this thought and wait for 2 years.

The private room have warm lights and the service is good as the service staff is always at your side to wait on you. They noticed that I was having a camera and was trying to capture everything in sight and they actually accommodated me by turning the intensity of the light in the room and ask if it's good enough for my photography onslaught.

On a request from the birthday girl, the service manager brought us to the meat room (not the inside but only the outside peering in) where the imported hams were stored and sliced. The meat room is at the waiting room where the ceiling to floor windows allow a view of the Fullerton hotel and the sharpest chicane of the F1 route at Anderson bridge.

We ordered a list of food in the menu but I'll only comment on those that I've tried.

The complimentaries

.......... focacia bread before the meal



............. duck pate



............... little sweet bites after the main meal, together with desert.

Appetizer :

1) Piatto di Salumi e Formaggi dalla Nostra Cantina - Home Cured Meat & Cheese Platter (S$25) : This is an appetizer with servings of their best cuts in the restaurant coupled with some cheese. The salty pork lard among the cuts is tasty.

Mains :

2) Stufato di Capriolo al Barolo con Crostone di Polenta - Aged Venison Braised in “Barolo” Wine (S$42) : This taste like a lamb stew that I had somewhere, but of course the meat is different and this venison is definitely much tender.

3) Gnocchi di Patate al Sugo di Salsiccia Fatta in Casa - Potato Gnocchi with Homemade Pork Sausage (S$32) : The potato gnocchi that looked like marshmellows, is a tangy carbo-food. I got a feeling that not all people will appreciate the gnocchi if you only like your marshmellows sweet ........ I liked it though ....... that's why it's in here. The gravy and sausage is tasty. In this case, I was rewarded for being adventurous. How many of you would ike savoury marshmellows?

Deserts :

4) Crostatina di Lamponi Gratinata allo Zabaglione di Moscato d’Asti - Raspberry Tarte with “Moscato d’Asti” Wine Zabaglione (S$18) : The raspberry provides the fruitiness to compliment the sweetness of the tart. Good stuff. Luckily not many ask to share this ......... I had almost all the goodness of this tart to myself!

5) Cialde con Gelato al Miele e Salsa ai Frutti di Bosco - Summer Berries with Honey Ice-cream and Crispy Pancake (S$18) : The summer berries is a mixed of sour berries and have the scoop of sweet honey ice cream a compliment. I stole some bites of this from my wife. Overall, it's more sour than sweet which is what she likes.

Cost : about S$75 per person (only the birthday gal drank a glass of wine).

Address : One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Road, #02-06. Singapore 049213

For reservations : +65 6877 6995

Website : http://www.forlino.com/

Grilled Sandwiches

I would just like to remind everyone that I am not a food photographer, I kind of suck at it actually. Hopefully in the far future I can pick up some mad camera skills, as well as a mad new camera.

I am a sandwich fanatic, I LOVE them, and the bigger and more outrageous they are, the better! One of the things on my wish list is a panini press, because I love gooey hot sandwiches, the kind full of melty cheese, spicy meats, and yummy veggies. Mmmm. But, since I don't have a panini press yet, I've had to be a little creative with my sandwiches. And they aren't bad at all!

1. My favorite bread for the grilled sandwich is french bread, that I usually hollow out. That way the bulk of your sandwich isn't lost in a world of bread, and your sandwich comes out crustier.

2. I spread mayo and mustard on each side, as well as a red wine vinegar, or italian dressing for an extra zing. Then I load full of toppings such as ham, salami, pepperoni, turkey, red onion, tomato, baby spinach, cheddar and provolone cheese.

3. Carefully put sandwich together and cut in half if necessary. Place sandwich on skillet, preferably a long electric skillet if you have one. Press sandwich together and use a second skillet or heavy pan to set on top of sandwich to keep firmly pressed.

4. Once one side is brown, warm and crispy, flip, and cook opposite side. Be sure that cheeses are melted and veggies have wilted.

5. Slice and serve immediately.

If you aren't as interested in having a crispy sandwich, you can wrap it in foil and bake it in the oven at 375 for about twenty minutes. Keep it wrapped in foil and it will stay warm for a while, for things like picnics!

Grilled Chicken and Pesto Farfalle

Oh be still my beating heart! I knew when I saw this recipe that I was going to HAVE to make it. I LOVE pesto, and just when I thought nothing could beat the homeade stuff (I'm pretty proud of my pesto), I found a brand at the grocery store that was pretty dang good! Now I have a little left over to spread over my bread, mix in with my eggs, or just eat off with a spoon (no I would never do that...or would I!). Anyway, it's Buittoni, and it's in the refrigerator section, often with their specialty foods. If you are a pesto lover, you will love this recipe.

This recipe comes from Cooking Light and makes a TON. Even when halving it, I still ended up with about two servings leftover. Just thought you should know! :-)

Ingredients

1 3/4 pounds skinless. boneless chicken breast halves

1 tsp salt divided

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper divided

Cooking spray

20 ounces uncooked farfalle (bowtie pasta)

1 TB butter

3 garlic cloves minced

1 1/2 cups 1 % low-fat milk, divided

2 TB all purpose flour

1 (3.5 ounce) jar pesto-about 1/3 cup (I used quite a bit more!)

3/4 half and half (get fat free, it's just as good)

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

4 cups halved grape tomatoes (about two pints)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Prepare grill to medium high heat.
2. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes, or until done, turning after 6 minutes. Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch pieces; keep warm
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Place pasta in a large bowl.
4. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Combine 1/2 cup milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in pesto. Gradually add remaining 1 cup milk and half-and-half, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 8 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Add 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, remaining 3/4 tsp salt, remaining 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1 cup cheese; stir until cheese melts.
5. Add chicken and sauce to pasta, tossing well to coat. Add tomatoes and basil; toss gently. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Serve immediately. Yield: 10 servings.