Here’s dinner for tomorrow night!
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Plaza chicken
1 lb. spaghetti
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs or tenders
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. beef broth
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. butter (divided)
2 C heavy cream or Half/Half
Ingredients for seasoning:
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. adobo (found in Spanish section)
In a large bowl, coat chicken evenly with all seasonings, set aside. In large skillet, melt only half the butter over medium-high heat, add minced garlic, olive oil, beef broth and seasoned chicken, flipping to slightly brown both sides – heat until fully cooked through.
Pour half/half or cream, cornstarch and remaining butter into skillet and mix lightly until cornstarch is fully incorporated. Add remaining butter and mix until melted. Reduce heat and let simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. In a large pot of salted water, boil pasta until ‘al dente’ – drain well. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta, slightly tossing to coat.
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Roasted vegetables
1 medium eggplant quartered and sliced into 1/2-in. pieces
1 large carrot sliced into 1/2-in. pieces on the diagonal
2 medium red onions cut into 1/2-in. strips
1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2-in. strips
1 yellow bell pepper cut into 1/2-in. strips
2 medium, 1 large beet root, peeled, quartered and sliced into 1/2-in. pieces
1 butternut squash peeled, quartered and sliced into 1-in. pieces
15 Brussels sprouts cut in half or whole
1 zucchini sliced into 1/2-in. rounds
For dressing:
1/2 C good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, not overly sweet
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh Italian basil
5 garlic cloves pressed
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
To sprinkle on top:
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt plus more to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large 15×21-in. baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. If you are using smaller baking sheets you will need to roast vegetables in two batches or on two baking sheets. Prepare dressing by whisking olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, basil, thyme, garlic, pepper and salt in a small bowl until well combined. Place vegetables in a large bowl, big enough to accommodate all veggies and still have some space left to allow tossing. Pour dressing all over vegetables and toss well to coat veggies with an even layer of dressing.
Transfer vegetables onto baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle additional salt and pepper on top. Bake on top rack for about 35 minutes (slightly firmer) to 45 minutes (slightly softer and creamier). Start checking at 30 minutes as different ovens bake differently. Serve roasted vegetables immediately.
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Carol Bundt cake
For Cake:
2 C granulated sugar
1 C canola oil
4 large eggs
2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 C shredded carrots
1 C chopped pecans
For Filling:
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
For Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp. milk
2 C powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan generously with baking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for cake, mixing until well combined. Batter will be very thick! Set aside.
For filling, beat cream cheese with sugar, vanilla and egg until smooth and creamy. Set aside. To assemble, fill bottom of sprayed Bundt pan with about 3/4 of batter. Spoon cream cheese into pan, being careful not to let it touch sides of pan. Spoon remaining batter over cream cheese layer. It’s OK if it doesn’t cover completely. Bake cake in a preheated oven for 60-65 minutes. Cake will be browned and will pull away from pan when done. Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
For frosting, beat cream cheese, milk and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy. Pour frosting into a large Ziploc bag and snip off corner. Pipe onto cake, generously. Sprinkle immediately with chopped pecans.
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A parent’s thought – Those moments when you hope your child’s sass will serve to lead a company and not a gang in prison!
If you would like to share a recipe with me, just send it to the J-T or email it to me.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)