Lemon Herb Rotini with Sun Dried Tomatoes

It was cold and windy today and after an afternoon trip to the museum that got us home at nearly 6pm, I thought I needed something quick and hearty. Isn't that the order for the day throughout winter? Anyway, I had been to the grocery store earlier that day and picked up some sun dried tomatoes, so I was eager to use those. This was the result!


Lemon Herb Rotini with Sun Dried Tomatoes
8 oz. whole wheat rotini
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 T olive oil
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, juice and zest
6-8 pieces of sun dried tomato


Prepare the rotini according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium high heat, spray with cooking spray, sprinkle chicken chunks with kosher salt and brown chicken. Remove from heat and set aside once cooked through.


Drain the pasta when it finishes cooking and return to the same pot. Over low heat, add the olive oil and herbs and stir to combine. Zest the entire lemon into the pot and squeeze all of the juice from the lemon into the pot. Season with salt and pepper. 


Meanwhile, place the sun dried tomatoes in a microwave safe bowl and cover with water. Microwave about 2 minutes to soften them. Cut them into strips and add to the pot of pasta. Add the browned chicken and toss altogether to coat. Add more olive oil if needed for moisture. Serve immediately.  

Smoky Black Bean Stew

Dinner got a late start tonight, so no time to thaw chicken or anything...and I had not planned ahead for tonight's meal either (sometimes this is rare, and sometimes it is not...I go in phases). Anyway, I decided to whip up a black bean stew. I have never made black bean stew, specifically...always a bean chili and vegetable soup, etc, etc...tonight was the night turns out. I practiced a heavy hand with the cumin and coriander, which why I called it smoky. 

Smokey Black Bean Stew

2 T olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic

1 cup water

2 T, heaping, ground cumin

2 T, heaping, ground coriander

3 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

Salt and pepper to taste

1 T cornstarch + 2 oz. water

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat and add onion; sautee until tender and just starting to brown. Meanwhile, combine 1/3 of the black beans, 1 clove of garlic, a pinch of salt and the water in a food processor and blend well.

Reduce heat to medium low and grate in the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and sautee about 30 seconds, then add the cumin and coriander and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the remaining black beans and the can of diced tomatoes (if you prefer smaller chunks of tomato as we do, drain the juice into the pot, then chop the tomatoes smaller before adding them in). Combine all ingredients well and season with salt and pepper. 

In a small bowl, make a slurry out of the cornstarch and water until smooth, then add to the stew, stir well and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 20 minutes, or longer if you have time, until thick. The longer you simmer, the softer the beans will be. Serve with sour cream, lime zest and a lime wedge, and tortilla chips. 

(I would normally have used chicken stock instead of water in a recipe like this, but I didn't have any...the water worked fine, but I think the stock would add a lot of flavor and body to the stew)

Chicken, Olive & Red Pepper Pasta

The impetus for tonight's meal was that my husband had to work late, then came home to inform me he had not gotten to eat lunch, so I thought I needed to make a big pasta dish that was healthy, but that could 1) be prepared quickly and 2) be available for easy seconds. I have to say that my vision for this dish at conception was a thick hearty sauce, but it turned out thinner and more chunky...in retrospect I should have used a can of crushed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes, and I also wish I had more time for the sauce to simmer and reduce, thus making it thicker...maybe next time. It was still tasty and plentiful...

Chicken, Olive & Red Pepper Pasta

3 T olive oil, divided

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 cloves garlic, grated

1 cup pitted black olives, sliced

1 cup red peppers, sliced

Salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup cooking sherry

1 14. oz. can petite diced tomatoes with juice (again, I would use crushed tomatoes next time)

2-3 tablespoons of tomato sauce (I only used this to try and thicken the sauce, and I would have used tomato paste if I had any, but again the crushed tomatoes would probably eliminate the need for this altogether)

1/2 lb. whole wheat rotini pasta (penne would be good too)

Season the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper and drizzle of olive oil, then heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to coat the pan, then add the chicken and sear on each side until brown and caramelized (it's okay if the center is still a bit pink, as it will cook in the sauce later). Set chicken aside once seared and let it rest on a cutting board (at least 5 minutes).

Meanwhile, heat another skillet over low heat and add the remaining olive oil. Grate in the garlic cloves and stir; add the olives and red peppers, season with salt and pepper and toss a few times in the pan, keeping the heat low (as to not burn the garlic). Once the pan starts to sizzle a bit, de-glaze the pan with the sherry and let cook for a few minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Combine well and bring the sauce up to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer.

While the sauce simmers and thickens, bring a pot of salted water up to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Keep an eye on the sauce and stir every once in a while. Right as the pasta finishes, slice the chicken breasts and add to the sauce and toss to coat and heat through. Drain the pasta, remove sauce from heat and serve over pasta.  

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Today is my husband's birthday, so of course there is a red velvet cupcake mandate. These are a family favorite, and the classic cream cheese icing combination is unparalleled in my opinion. Admittedly, this is not a healthy treat, but all thing in moderation, right? The trick is to send all of the leftovers to work the next day!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 T cocoa powder

2 T red food coloring

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup whole milk (less fat would probably be fine too)

2 eggs

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp white vinegar

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together and set aside (this time I used half cake flour half regular flour b/c I ran out and it turned out fine, but usually I use all cake flour). Make a paste in a small bowl with the cocoa and red food coloring. Cream the sugar and oil; add eggs. Add the coca paste to sugar mixture and mix; then add the almond extract and milk until incorporated. Slowly add the sifted flour mixture until moistened (I do all of this on a low speed of my stand mixer). Fold in the vinegar with a spatula.

Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Fill 24 muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely and ice/decorate with cream cheese icing (recipe follows).

Cream Cheese Icing

1 stick butter, softened

1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp almond extract

Cream all ingredients with a mixer until smooth and creamy. Ice!