Nights at Home + Pasta Primavera

I've been loving life post-Labor Day. I always say that the summer is so fantastic and fun, but I'm definitely a homebody by nature. When I don't have enough time at home to keep my life in order, I end up feeling scattered and stressed out. Lately, my apartment has been tidy, I've had dinner on the table before 8:00 and I've gotten to just spend time hanging out with Shaun. I'm liking it a lot.

 

Last night was another one of these nights. Admittedly, we're still dealing with our little terrace visitor.

 

She is still hanging around. Apparently our neighbor who rescued her hasn't found a home yet. We've been feeding her and playing with her. She is so friendly and truly so adorable. We're now on the hunt to find her a really good home. Unfortunately Shaun and I made the decision that we just cannot keep her, but we will do everything possible to take care of her until then and find her the best home we can.

Like I mentioned, we are not cat people. But I've almost changed my mind after meeting this kitten. She (we're no biologists, but are fairly certain she's a girl) just wants to be around people and wants to be loved! If you are in the area and are in the market for a sweet kitten, please send me a message. If I don't find a home for her by the end of the week, I plan to take her to the vet on Saturday for a check up. But she does seem healthy and playful!

 

Shaun is totally smitten with this kitten (and this is a good shot to show you how small she is).

Aside from that, we spent the night hanging on the couch watching Castle and How I Met Your Mother. Castle was so good! Anyone watch?

We also whipped up a little veggie pasta with Ronzoni Garden Delight. I sauteed some zucchini, mushrooms and red pepper. Topped with parmesean cheese, this was an easy, healthy dinner that we will definitely be enjoying again and again!

 

Pasta Primavera
1 lb pasta
1 zucchini, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 pkg button mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
dried thyme
dried parsley
1/2 C parmigiano reggiano
1/2 C+ reserved pasta water

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sautee for 30 seconds. Add vegetables and sautee until soft. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and parsley.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package. When finished drain about 2 cups of the water into a glass measuring cup. Drain the rest through a strainer. Move the pasta back to original pot or a serving dish. Add vegetables, 1/2 C reserved pasta water and parmigiano reggiano. Add more water or parmigiano reggiano to taste. Serve and enjoy!

So fresh and yum-inducing.

So that's what I've been doing with my nights. And I've been liking it! Have a great day friends!

Questions of the Day:

Are you a homebody?

What do you do on slow evenings?

Do you want to adopt this cutie pie kitten? :)

Skillet Roasted Chicken + Potato Wedges

Sometimes the simplest dinners are the best ones.

In taste and in ease.

The only ones better than that?

The dinners that seem like they are complicated but are in fact a breeze. The ones in which your husband/roommate/friend/mother thinks that you slaved over a complicated dish and in which you merely toss your hair over your shoulder and claim how it was oh, nothing!

A dinner that's delicious, simple and will get bonus points for seemingly a lot of work? Um, why would I ever cook anything other than this dish?

To prepare for our 5K on Sunday morning, not to mention the terrential downpours curbing our desire to leave our apartment, Shaun and I decided to have a nice dinner at home. Possibly in front of the television.

I had been wanting to test out some more recipes from my giant America's Test Kitchen Cookbook (you may see another fab recipe here) and when I came across a recipe for roasted chicken and potatoes - which claimed to only take 30 minutes, no less - I just had to give it a try. Roasted chicken? Good. Potato wedges? Good. 30 minute timeline? Goooood. This dinner came together in a snap and had Shaun already planning how soon I could make it again. It combines simple ingredients and cooking methods, but packs a ton of flavor and texture. A perfect any-night kind of meal.

Skillet Roasted Chicken + Potato Wedges
*Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Cookbook
2 bone-in, split chicken breasts with skin on*
5 medium red potatoes, cut into small wedges
5 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Special equipment: meat thermometer**

With a rack at the lowest possibly position in your oven, preheat it to 450 degrees. Remove the chicken from its packaging, pat dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil. Once it is extremely hot (sprinkle just a drop or 2 of water in the oil - if it sizzles, it's ready!), place the chicken skin side down in the pan. Cook about 5 minutes over medium heat until the skin is golden brown.

Meanwhile, get the potatoes ready.

Place the wedges in a microwave-safe bowl. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes, stopping midway through to shake the bowl around.

Transfer the chicken to a baking dish with the meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat. Roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the thermometer reads 160-165. Once the potatoes are tender, transfer to the now-empty skillet (do not clean the skillet out first!), and sautee about 10 minutes until the wedges start to brown and crisp.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk 3 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper together. Serve over the chicken and potatoes.

*Yes, I highly recommend using this kind of chicken, not a skinless boneless breast. Even if you plan to discard the skin, it will keep the chicken juicy and moist through the roasting process. Otherwise it will end up dry and unflavorful. No one wants that.

**I purchased a no-frills probe thermometer at Bed Bath & Beyond for about $4. Do it. It's worth every penny and will save you (and your meat) from being hacked into so that you can see if the chicken is cooked through. The thermometer doesn't lie. If it says 160+ degrees, your chicken is done.

So there you have it. My super duper easy peasy new favorite dinner. And one that I will be making again soon. Oh and next time I'll be sure to include something green on our plates too. Some roasted asparagus or Brussels sprouts, perhaps? And I'm pretty sure this would work just as well with sweet potatoes instead of white, if you prefer. So what do you think? Have you made any simple dinners that look like you slaved away over it?

Grown Up English Muffin Pizzas

Sometimes it's not so fun to be a grown up.

So many responsibilities. So many bills. So many days of work.

Sometimes I wish I could just be a kid again. Would that be so bad?

Sometimes I even think the food was better back then. In fact, I still enjoy a solid peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch from time to time. Though now I eat natural peanut butter instead of Jif; Polaner all fruit instead of sugary jam; and 100 calorie sandwich thins instead of Wonder bread.

Oh how times have changed.

I needed a super quick fix in the kitchen on Tuesday night (someone didn't do the grocery shopping this past weekend...and by someone I mean me). I have zumba and pilates after work which goes until 9 so typically we will whip up a quick pizza, using fresh, whole wheat dough from the grocery store.

But someone didn't buy it this week. So I had a great idea. What if we just went old school and got our pizza on via English muffin? I'll be honest...I didn't have high hopes for this one friends.

But oh how wrong I was. Shaun turned these little throw-together pizzas into a fantastic and easy dinner. I proclaimed them THE BEST DINNER EVER! (via reververating microphone). 

Ok, I didn't quite go that far. But I did mention that these would take the place in my heart as my new favorite weeknight dinner! A dinner to be added to our weekly repetoire for sure. By making these English muffin pizzas a little more grown up, this dish went from eh to mmmm in an instant.

Grown Up English Muffin Pizzas
whole wheat English muffins
tomato sauce (jarred or quick recipe below)
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
dried oregano
for the sauce:
olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 C tomato sauce (e.g., Red Pack)
3 tbsp parmesean cheese
basil olive oil or dried basil
kosher salt
pepper

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Half the muffins and toast in a toaster. Top with sauce*, a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and oregano. Lay on a wire rack set over a sheet pan and bake for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and gooey. Sprinkle with oregano. Dig in.

*If you want to whip up Shaun's easy sauce, here's the recipe. In a small sauce pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and saute the minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the tomato sauce and mix well. Add the basil or basil oil and parmesean cheese. Let simmer for a few minutes so flavors meld together. Use while warm.

So there you have it. Perhaps the easiest dinner of all time and one of my new favorites. Perhaps being a grown up isn't so bad after all...

So what do you think? Do you ever dabble in foods that you loved as a kid (circa my pb&j habit)? What's your quickest weeknight meal?