Chicken al Pomodoro with Zucchini Pappardelle

I was going to name this "Pollo al Pomodoro with Zucchini Pappardelle" but I didn't want to throw you people off...  In reality, I was just trying to be fancy so that I could really celebrate this amazing meal!!  In Italian, al pomodoro means "tomato sauce" and pappardelle is a flat, Italian pasta.  So - what this recipe is for is chicken which I cooked in a tomato sauce and served with "pasta" that I made by shaving little Italian zucchinis!  This dinner was made in under 30 minutes and tasted like a million bucks!  SO GOOD!  Here's how you can make it yourself:

Chicken al Pomodoro with Zucchini Pappardelle
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
3-4 chicken breasts
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine (tonight's pick 2007 Mission Hill Pinot Blanc)
2 cups chopped assorted tomatoes (I used about a cup of grape tomatoes and then some field tomatoes)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
salt & pepper
fresh parmesan

Pappardelle Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
3-4 little Italian zucchinis
salt & pepper

Method:
In a large skillet that has a tight fitting lid, 1 tbsp olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.  Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Brown the breasts on each side for about 4 minutes per side. 

Chop the garlic and tomatoes.  When the chicken is browned, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, but be careful not to burn!  Add the wine and crank the heat to bring this up to a boil.  Cook until liquid has reduced thickened, then toss in your tomatoes.  Reduce heat to medium,  put a lid on it and cook for 10 minutes.

Using a wide vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini  to make "noodles."

In a smaller non-stick pan, heat oil and garlic over medium heat.  When the timer for the chicken is up, remove the lid and season the tomato sauce to your taste.  Add about half of the chopped herbs and stir to combine, allowing the herbs to wilt slightly.

At this point, toss the zucchini pappardelle into the garlic/oil and season a little bit - careful not too much salt b/c it will draw out too much liquid!  Only cook the zucchini for about 2 minutes - that's all you need!!

If you can believe it, dinner is ready!!  Plate up the zucchini noodles and top with some sauce and a chicken breast.  Top with more of the herbs and some parmesan cheese.  OMG delicious - I'll be making this one again soon fo sho!!  

OH! One other thing! The zucchini pappardelle is also a great option for those on gluten-free diets!!

Ham Asparagus & Swiss Quinoa Quiche

This week I was lucky to come across quinoa flour at the Leduc Bulk Barn!  No more lame attempts to grind whole quinoa in the food processor!!

I was going to do some baking with the quinoa flour this afternoon, but opted to go out for a pedicure instead.  When I got home, I flipped thru my faveski cook book Quinoa 365 and got some inspiration from their recipe titled "Vegetable Cheddar Quiche" - I used different flavours and ingredients based on what I had in the fridge, and what came out was awesome!!  The funny thing about quinoa is that it stinks before you cook it, then turns into something completely different after baking (at least that's what I've noticed with all my quinoa baking recipes).

Anyways, check out this quiche - something that you could totally fool around with and use your fave flavours - the crust is really unique - it's rich and buttery, but a bit crumbly around the edges. 

Ham Asparagus & Swiss Quinoa Quiche
Crust Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup butter, melted & slightly cooled
1 tbsp water

Filling Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup chopped asparagus (discard woody ends)
3 shallots, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup grated swiss cheese
1/2 cup shaved Black Forest ham, chopped into "ribbons"
5 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp quinoa flour
1 tbsp dijon mustard
salt & pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter in microwave for about 30 seconds and let cool slightly.  Add quinoa flour and mix well.  Add the water and form a little dough ball.  Grease a 9 inch baking dish with butter and press the dough into the dish, then set aside.

In a medium frying pan, melt butter and saute shallots, garlic & asparagus until tender, about 7-8 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, dijon, salt & pepper, making sure that there are no little flour balls floating around.  Fold in the cheese.

Once the vegetables are tender, remove from heat and layer in the prepared pie crust.  Sprinkle with the shredded ham then top with the egg/cheese mixture.

Put into the oven and bake for 45 minutes.  When time is up, remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Refrigerate leftovers and enjoy for brunch the next day or pack up in a lunch.