Wow, did I get lazy last night

And still I managed a home cooked meal. :)

So I covered six chicken breasts (still frozed) in a garlic rub that I got from Pampered chef and threw them in the oven at 350 for 40 min. With about 10 min left on the chicken I started 5 cups of penne noodles boiling. Then I looked around the kitchen for about 10 min for the stupid can opener. Finally found it and put 2 small cans Hunts tomato paste and 2 cans water on a medium heat. I added a tablespoon of dried minced onions, some garlic powder and kosher salt. Then I pulled the chicken out and chopped up 1 and 1/2 of the breasts and added them to the sauce. Noodles were done at this point. I actually had horribly neglected them while searching for the cursed can opener, so they were stuck to the bottom of the pan. Drained them and scraped them and poured the sauce on. (Onions weren't quite done yet. Could have used a few more minutes, I think.) After dinner I chopped up the remaining chicken for use with a future dinner.

Overall, a success. Could have been better with more effort/time put into it.

Easy low-fat white sauce

So this was pretty good for what I was going for. Wanted a flavorful sauce for pasta without a lot of calories. I've made similar sauces, but this was my favorite combination. I was using flour for thickener, but it tended to burn on the bottom.

4 cups milk
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp minced dried onions
pinch dried peppers (for just a very little kick
enough corn starch to thicken it.
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the corn starch with a cup of milk and then combine all the milk together in a medium sauce pan. Slowly heat the milk to a simmer. While it is heating you can add the other ingredients. Make sure to stir constantly until at desired consistency. Add to pasta and toss to coat evenly.

edit: Originally wrote 2 tbsp minced garlic. Wow! That would be something! I like garlic, but that is too much. :)

BBQ Chicken Ramen

So one of our favorite cartoon characters, Naruto, is always talking about how much he loves BBQ pork ramen. I got some chicken tonight, so I figured I could try it with chicken.

BBQ Chicken Ramen

3 Pkgs Ramen noodles (discard spices)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup bbq sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 prebaked chicken breast

Cut chicken breast to little pieces. Prepare ramen like usual, adding salt to water. Drain most of the water from the pan. Add bbq sauce, Worcestershire, and chicken. Mix it all together. Serve and enjoy.

I was worried about this one, but it actually turned out pretty good. The bbq sauce I used was too spicey, however, so that kinda turned the kids off after a few bites. Next time, will try more mild.

Pasta with Greens (Easy!)

I use this recipe ALL THE TIME. I like to use red kale, arugula, collard greens, or whatever greens I have around at the time. If you are using tough greens and want to cook and soften the greens a bit more, put them in the colander and drain the pasta over them before putting everything back into the pot.


Pasta with Greens
Original recipe by E. Samara Watkiss (the friend who introduced me to R. Forrest Ethington)
Adapted for the page by Gretchen Krebs

Here’s an easy and delicious way to use bitter greens or slightly wilted lettuce without sacrificing nutrients. In this dish, the steam from hot pasta barely softens both the texture and taste of leafy greens. This recipe works well with chard, kale, and other bitter greens, as well as lettuces that have recently lost their crisp but have not begun to spoil. All of the ancillary ingredients are optional. Creative and curious chefs might want to try out other additions (such as cucumber or bell peppers) as well.

For four people (or two hungry folks) you will need:

8 oz. dried pasta, any shape
3 to 5 cups leafy greens
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
or 2 to 3 whole tomatoes
1 garlic clove
or about 2 inches of a garlic scape
4 oz. mozzarella cheese

A sprinkle of black pepper
A sprinkle of thyme


Boil or steam the pasta according to your usual methods.

As the pasta cooks, rinse the leafy greens and tear them into bite-sized pieces. Halve the grape or cherry tomatoes or, if you’re using whole tomatoes, chop them into small pieces. Chop, dice, or press the garlic according to your preference. Grate the mozzarella and set it aside.

When the pasta is done, drain it and return the hot pasta to the cooking pot. Immediately stir the tomatoes, garlic, and greens into the hot pasta. Wait just a few minutes as the leafy greens soften and the tomatoes warm up. Just before serving add the black pepper and thyme. Serve topped with grated mozzarella. Enjoy!