Panache Pantry Chicken, Pasta + Giveaway

Have you ever heard of gourmet bread crumbs?  I had not, until the nice people of Panache Pantry sent me some samples.  Panache, a company founded by two at-home moms, have taken bread crumbs to a whole new level, whether it be their classic Sicilian line or their more modern products like Banana Nut Curry or Pumpkin Cajun (which I plan on sprinkling over ice cream as soon as I go buy ice cream).  It's such a brilliant, simple idea, and saves you the time of adding fresh herbs and spices to your boring old bread crumbs.  So far, I've sprinkled the Zucchini Rosemary crumbs over pasta...     

...and the Vintage Sicilian with chicken.  Take boneless, skinless chicken breasts, coat with mayo on both sides, sprinkle with bread crumbs on both sides, season with salt and pepper and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Trust me, if you don't like mayo, you will still love this.  It just makes for SUPER moist chicken.  And the Sicilian bread crumbs add such a depth of flavor.  Easiest dinner ever!

SO, Panache Pantry wants to give one of YOU some samples (any 2 crumbs from their 5 lines, your choice)!  Please "like" Panache Pantry on Facebook, comment below to win, and let me know how you would use these crumbs.  I will pick a winner Monday morning (10/28).  Good luck!    

Pearl Couscous with Roasted Veggies and Pumpkin Seeds

I hereby proclaim it Veggie Week here on Siriously Delicious!!!  (And you will find me use that term loosely, ahem, more on that later...)  After eating every carb and protein in sight in New York City for 2 full weeks, I've been feeling the need to lighten things up.  A bit.  Last night, Carson and I ate like plant-eating dinosaurs and it was a nice change.  This couscous dish accompanied with a simple salad of tomato, avocado and feta was the perfect dinner.  I've always had trouble finding pearl couscous but finally discovered they keep it in the ethnic food aisle.  Go look!  It's so delicious, and kids love it because it more closely resembles pasta.  By "kids" I mean Carson and I, by the way.  You can also find balsamic glaze at most grocery stores, and it is delicious on roasted fall vegetables.  

Please enjoy, like fancy restaurant people say.

Pearl Couscous with Roasted Veggies and Pumpkin Seeds

(Serves 4)

Printable Recipe

2 1/4 cup chicken broth (or water)

2 cups dry pearl couscous

2 cups chopped butternut squash

2 cups chopped brussel sprouts

2 cups chopped mushrooms (I use portobello)

Olive oil

Balsamic glaze 

Salt and pepper

Pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 450.  In a large baking dish, toss chopped vegetables with a generous amount of olive oil and a few drizzles of balsamic glaze.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes, until vegetables are caramelized.

While vegetables are roasting, bring chicken broth to a boil in a medium pot.  Add couscous, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until broth has absorbed.  Fluff couscous with a fork.

Add couscous to pan of roasted veggies and stir.  Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, taste for seasoning and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Double Spinach Pasta Casserole with Pesto and Fontina Cheese

I like to eat things that are healthy and not healthy for me.  Nearly a pound of spinach?  Yes please!  4 eggs plus cream?  Sure, why not!  Veggie pasta?  Definitely!  Gobs of ooey, gooey, cheese?  Why, absolutely!  If you like a good balance in your diet as well, then this recipe is for you.  And if you need to get some green food into your belly, make this ASAP.  I followed this recipe here, but used veggie pasta instead of spinach (also had zucchini in it) and fontina cheese instead of asiago.  I also doubled the recipe and it fed over 10 adults, WITH leftovers.  It was delicious... hearty, bright (the pesto added a lot of depth) and everything you would expect from a healthy/indulgent meal. 

Linguine with Kale, Pine Nuts and Pecorino

I read the best quote on one of my favorite food sites which I will re-quote here: "the world would be a better place if we could all stop pretending that kale tastes good."  Oh, that makes me chuckle.  I actually do like it, but only if it's in chip form (here), surrounded by avocado (here), or a part of fried rice (here).  I'm not going to munch on the raw leaf and proclaim, "I love kale!"  But here's another way to enjoy the vegetable: in pasta.  Whole wheat pasta!  I am so healthy, who wants to go for a jog?!  (Have fun.)  Inspired by that little food blog above, I combined kale with garlic, panko, toasted pine nuts, pecorino and pasta and it was delicious.  Sprinkled with some good olive oil, served along side fresh tomatoes and avocado (which we ended up eating with the pasta bites) and you've got yourself a meal worthy of bikini season.  Oh it's fall?  Never mind let's get fat.      

*Please excuse the paper plates.  Our dishwasher hasn't been installed yet and I'm lazy.  And thank you for being patient with the kitchen reveal.  I'm trying to find a moment to take a picture when it's clean and there aren't transformers cluttering the counters.  So can you wait 14 more years?

Linguine with Kale, Pine Nuts and Pecorino 

(Serves 4-6)

Printable Recipe

1 box whole wheat linguine

2 T extra virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 cup panko

2 cloves minced garlic,

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 head of kale, finely chopped

Grated pecorino

Salt and pepper 

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic, panko and pine nuts.  Toast, stirring frequently, until golden brown.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside in a small bowl.  Using the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add chopped kale and sauté until it just begins to wilt.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add panko mixture and toss.  Set aside.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then throw in some salt.  Add linguine and cook until al dente.  Remove with slotted spoon (or drain) and add to skillet with kale and panko.  Toss, add a generous amount of pecorino, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve!  

Also, the winner of the new Weelicious Cookbook is... The Lazy Standup!  Please email me, you'll find my contact info at the top : )

Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu

I can't believe how early school starts these days.  Mid-August and summer is over for kids.  What happened to Labor Day buttoning off the season??  I suppose when my kids are grown and bored, I'll be anxious to send them off to school early.  But for now, I'm trying to cling on to every last minute of warm weather and lazy days outside.  Durrrr, except for this meal I made the other night that SCREAMS fall and was absolutely delicious...

I'm a short ribs girl.  If they're on a menu, I will order them.  So when a reader sent me this recipe for a Short Rib Ragu that you throw in the crockpot and forget about, I instantly bookmarked it.  I was trying to wait until fall to make it, but I am not a very patient person when it comes to food.  Listen, whatever month of the year it is, make this recipe.  Very few ingredients, simple as can be, and a total crowd pleaser!  Now go to school.  (Recipe here.)

p.s. If you can't find boneless short ribs like the recipe calls for, use bone-in ones like I did.  The meat will just slide off the bone once it's done cooking and it only adds to the flavor : )

Pesto Quinoa Salad

WHAT UP BLOG?!  Sorry, it's been awhile, I've forgotten how to do this.  I should probably not start by sounding like a tween.  Is that how tweens sound?  I'm a cool mom.  ANYWAY.  I've missed you guys!  Last week, in New York, all I could think about were things I wanted to cook and share with you.  Like this salad we ordered in our hotel room one night.  It was so simple and delicious and I knew it would be easy to recreate and I was right.  I'm usually right, except for when I'm wrong, which is most of the time.  

Pesto Quinoa Salad

(Serves 6-8)

Printable Recipe

2 cups quinoa

4 cups water

2 T olive oil

2 small zucchini, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

3 cups arugula, chopped

1 7oz. store-bought pesto, defrosted

Salt and pepper

In a medium-sized pot, combine water and quinoa and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.  Uncover, fluff with a fork, and remove from heat.  Set aside.  While quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add zucchini and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add arugula and cook for another minute or so.  Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.  In a large bowl, toss quinoa and vegetables and add pesto.  Stir, and season with salt and pepper to taste.    

Rice A Roni Salad

First of all, let me apologize for the lack of posting.  If you're new to this blog, then you are unaware that we are completely remodeling our kitchen.  With that, and summer traveling, it's been difficult to find the time to cook and obsessively bake like I'm used to doing.  But, I promise to wow you with some Fudge Brownie Cookies and maybe homemade ice cream (flavor ideas? anyone?) later on this week.  Thank you for being patient.  I am in love with you.

Ok on to business... I am from the Midwest, where anything can qualify as a "salad."  Fruit + Jello?  Salad.  Macaroni + Lunch Meat?  Salad.  Rice A Roni + red pepper, green onion, water chestnuts, artichoke hearts and mayo?  Salad.  While I'm not really a fan of the former two, the latter is delicious.  A great, easy side for a summer BBQ.  And you can pretend you're dieting by eating SALAD.

Prepare Chicken flavored Rice A Roni as directed on box.  Let cool.  In a large bowl, add 1 diced red pepper, 3 chopped green onion stalks, 1 can sliced water chestnuts (roughly chopped), and half a can of artichoke hearts (also roughly chopped).  Add half of the juice from the artichoke hearts and 1/2 cup mayo.  Stir in Rice A Roni, and season to taste.  I like to add some red pepper flakes as well.  

Olive Tapenade Spaghetti

I have been pretty creative this week when it comes to dinner.  You can send my medal via mail.  I accept cookies.  The other night, I took pasta and olive tapenade and created dinner!  Make pasta and then scoop in some olive tapenade.  Oh, and then throw in some toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese.  Salty, crunchy, cheesy... again, you can give your mail carrier pigeon my award... he knows where I live.  BUT!  I'm going to bake next week.  More than once.  So stay tuned... and have a nice weekend, why don't you?!      

Fiesta Food

It appears I have made a lot of Mexican dishes over the years.  Mucho, if you por favor.  

Sorry, I took French.  But here are some ideas for your weekend fiesta...

Albondigas

Soup Azteca

Arroz con Pollo

Roasted Chicken Tacos

Ground Beef Tacos

Baked Tostada

Spanish Beans

Guacamole

Margarita Cupcakes

Mexican Chocolate Brownies

1,000 Layer Lasagna

CELEBRATION!  KABLAM!  BOOM!  CHEESE!  ONE THOUSAND!!!  

When you opened this post, fireworks were supposed to go off inside of your house.  Did they?  Ugggh, Blogspot, what's wrong with you?!?  I get no 'wow factor' for 1,000 posts??  I guess they'll be sending me one thousand dollars at a later date.  They probably need my address.  Anyway.  

Welcome to my 1,000th post.  I'm glad you're here.  If you weren't here, I would be writing these words to myself, and to those tiny creatures that live inside computers and make the Internet work.  If you weren't here, well, then I just put 1,000 pieces of food in my belly for no reason at all.  But you are here!  So I bought you candles!  And I made you the best lasagna I've ever tasted!  Thank you for being here, never leave.  Let's put another '0' on that lasagna one day... one day, when the Internet can fly and I need an actual forklift to exit my house.  

This recipe couldn't have been more perfect to celebrate my 1,000 post.  There's obviously the name, but then there's the deliciousness.  However, I definitely made it the "Sirious" way (aka: I cheated, I made it easy, I didn't follow directions).  The recipe calls for paper-thin homemade noodles.  I bought sheets of pasta vs. making my own (Italian deli's will sell them, or even a restaurant might), and I didn't run them through a pasta maker to thin them out.  I didn't even flatten them with a rolling pin.  They looked thin enough to me, so I just went with it...  

     

The beauty of this recipe is how simple it is.  Just a few ingredients, so I decided not to skimp on quality.  I bought fresh mozzarella, used my favorite olive oil that I usually reserve for dipping in bread, really good canned tomatoes, meyer lemon zest and obviously fresh pasta.  The result tastes relatively light, lacking meat or heavy ricotta.  It gets crispy in the corners and caramely and bubbly, it's seasoned perfectly (I added oregano to the top once it came out of the oven), the lemon zest and red pepper flakes brighten it and add a subtle kick, and the fresh, salty cheese... I'm going to cry it's so good.    

Here's to 1,000 more.  Food!!!