a New Pasta Recipe-Chicken and Cherry Tomato Pasta Italiano

My dad gave me a whole "mess" of cherry tomatoes (a mess is a LOT for those of you that don't speak country the way my dad does)and they were going to spoil if I didn't use them--so I made this delicious pasta dish last night for supper.  I wish I had taken a photo of it...but did not so you will just have to wait until next time.

This recipe needs a name...so suggest one and I will consider it but for now I will call it...

Chicken and Cherry Tomato Pasta Italiano

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast per person you are serving, cut into bite-size pieces
dried oregano, dried basil, salt, pepper
Cayenne pepper flakes if you desire
spaghetti or pasta of your choice, 4 oz per person you are serving
2 cups of cherry tomatoes (the smaller the better in my opinion), cut large ones in half
6 cloves of garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
Swanson flavor boos packet (this is concentrated chicken broth)
olive oil, butter for sauteing
Real grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, set aside
reserve some pasta water in case you need it to add to your sauce

Cut your chicken breasts into bite size pieces.
Season liberally with salt and pepper, oregano and basil

Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in your saute pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter, allow to melt
Saute chicken until done, i like it to have a little golden color to it
Sprinkle with Cayenne pepper flakes
add garlic and allow to saute
Add flavor boost, stir well to distribute
Add a little pasta water if you need more "sauce"
Add pasta, toss to coat
Plate and top liberally with Parmesan cheese

The cheese really adds to this dish since the sauce is very minimal.

Delicious with a side salad, artisan bread and a good Chianti or chardonnay
Plus, I had this on the table in under 30 minutes!

Garden Bounty

The deer ate all the tomatoes this season but I had an abundance of cayenne peppers (as usual) so I dry them and put them up for use all year long.

 First wash the peppers and dry with a clean towel.  Then I allow them to dehydrate on a paper plate in my kitchen.

Once they are COMPLETELY DRY I remove the stems.  They pop off quite easily but I wear gloves for this step because they are HOT and can irritate my eyes if I touch them after handling the peppers (you have been warned).  Discard the stems.  

Place the whole peppers in the grinder and whirl away.  This part has the tendency to aggravate my asthma with the fine pepper particulate!  (Say that 3 times fast!) 

Here is what they look like after having been ground.  Notice the seeds!

I place them in an old, clean spice container and store them in a cool dry space.  These adds nice kick to pizza, soups and stews.  

Sausage Balls

We had a breakfast tailgate yesterday and in addition to sweet rolls (the kind you make from a cardboard tube...) and blood Mary's we made Sausage Balls.  This is a quick and easy recipe.  It travels well and can be made in minutes freeing you up for game watching!

This is an easy recipe (I made it after Cross Country Practice and had them out of the oven by 10:15am)

Mix the following ingredients

2 cups Bisquick

1 lb. hot (I used Italian) Sausage

1 cup grated (Sharp) cheddar cheese

2 tbs. Milk

Mix well and shape into balls (about the diameter of a quarter)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until golden

I lined a container with a paper towel to absorb any remaining grease and condensation since they were hot out of the oven--and we were off to the game!  Not one of the 55 Sausage Balls came home with us!  Plus we WON 44-7.