Garlic Pesto Chicken with Tomato Cream Pasta

Erin: I think you can tell by now that over in the Guill - McCabe household, pesto is a family favorite. Sam's dad makes his own pesto with basil from his garden so Sam has always been a big fan. When we started dating, the first time he ever cooked for me he made me a pesto chicken pasta. Needless to say, whenever I want to wow Sam, I always make him something pesto-related! I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course!) and it was fabulous. Like, super fabulous. So good I almost cried. The chicken is so flavorful and the sauce is a mix between a tomato and cream based. Ah, I just couldn't get enough!

Ingredients:
1/2 bottle of Lawrys (or generic) Herb and Garlic Marinade
2 large spoonfuls of Pesto
2 boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
2 spoonfuls of pesto
1/2 cup of chicken broth
8 ounces of tomato sauce
1 cup of half and half
8oz of pasta (I used penne)

Directions:
1. The chicken needs to marinate overnight, so the night before, cut chicken into one inch strips. (or if you are like me, you forget the cut it) and then pour lawrys marinade and pesto over chicken.

The Next Day:
1. Pour entire batch of chicken, marinade and all, into skillet and cook chicken fully (the marinade will evaporate/cook down)
2. Heat pot of water and make pasta according to directions
3. Heat olive oil, cook garlic.
4. Add pesto and then simmer in chicken broth until half has cooked down.
5. Add tomato sauce. Then add milk. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add flour to sauce if it needs to be thickened. (I added about 1-2 tablespoons of flour)

Pour sauce over pasta and top with chicken. It is FABULOUS!

Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Ashley, I thought I posted this recipe weeks ago. Guess I never got around to it. I found it on pinterest and everyone really liked it. It was pretty simple to make. Here ya go:

What you will need:
4 tsp olive oil
2 lbs asparagus, cut into
1 inch lengths 2 red bell peppers,
diced 2 tsp lemon zest (I just grate the skin of a lemon)
1/2 tsp salt, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp corn starch
2 tbsp lemon juice
 2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions: 1. Heat 2 tsp of oil in pan over medium heat. Add peppers, asparagus, lemon zest and 1/4 tsp of salt. Stir occasionally. Cook for 6 minutes and then transfer vegetables to a bowl. 2.Add remaining oil and garlic to the pan. Add shrimp and cook for 1 minute. 3. Whisk broth and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth and add to pan with 1/4 tsp salt. Cook until sauce is thick and shrimp is pink. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and combine vegetables. Enjoy!

Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

Erin: Last night I made the most amazing dish, Zucchini Pasta! I found the recipe on pinterest and I was instantly drawn to it because it looked quick, yummy, and healthy! This is one of the most healthy meals I have made in a while but it tastes awesome (and it's great for summer!)

Ingredients:

8 ounces whole wheat linguine (I used spaghetti)

1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 medium  zucchini, cut into long thin strips, (or you can just slice it)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise (I skipped the tomatoes)

TIP: I added some extra rotisserie chicken I had left over and it was delicious! :)

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook or according to the package directions. Remove 1/4 cup of the cooking water, and set it aside. Drain the pasta. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together the yogurt, Parmesan, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, and cook just until wilted, flipping them over occasionally with a spatula. (The zucchini will be soft and somewhat see-through.)
4. Use a spoon or spatula to push the zucchini aside so a space on the bottom of the pan is clear. Add the garlic, and cook for 15 to 30 seconds, until golden but not really brown.
5. Mix the garlic into the zucchini.
6. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
7. Transfer the yogurt mixture to the zucchini mixture, and stir to combine. Add the drained linguine, and toss gently to combine.
8. Add the reserved pasta cooking water a tablespoon at a time, if necessary, to thin it. (I used almost all the water)

Top with shredded parmesan! Yummy!

Chicken Pesto Pizza

Erin: Last weekend, Sam & I were wondering around Chinatown hungover, trying to find a good brunch place. We walked by a cool pizza place I had heard of and decided to check it out. It was amazing! I ordered the Chicken Pesto Pizza and it was one of the BEST meals of my life. It was so good that for the next week I kept dreaming about this pizza. I finally got off my butt and decided I was talented enough to try and recreate the pizza myself, and I did! It's probably not as good as the original, but it does the trick!

Ingredients:
Pizza crust (I use Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust)
A handful of grilled chicken, cut into bite size
Mozzerella (sp?) Cheese
Pesto sauce!

Directions:
1. Heat the oven and bake the pizza crust according to the directions (about 5 minutes)
2. When its done, spead a few heaping spoonfuls of pesto sauce on the crust
3. Top with desired amount of cheese
4. Top with desired amount of chicken
5. Hop in the oven for 15 minutes!

Cheesecake Factory Shrimp Scampi

Erin: I can't believe it's been almost a whole month since the last time I've posted! I don't know what I've been up to. Anyway, I found this copy cat recipe for Cheesecake Factory shrimp scampi and I knew I had to try it. I'm always trying to find good shrimp recipes. Definitely give this one a try!

Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 lb angel hair pasta

1 diced tomato (I skipped the tomato)

6-8 whole garlic clovers

1 shallot, diced

1 cup of dry white win

olive oil

5-7 basil leaves

1 pint heavy whipping cream

For the shrimp

milk (eyeball it)

2 tbls. parmesan cheese (grated)

1/3 cup of flour

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pour enough olive oil in a large sauce pan to cover the bottom, turn to medium high heat. This is the only pot you'll need for the sauce so it should be big. Soak the shrimp in milk and combine the dry ingredients (flour, 2T cheese, salt, pepper). Coat the shrimp with the dry ingredients and let them fry in the olive oil, About 2 minutes per side until golden brown. The Flour that falls off the shrimp will add great flavor and consistency to the sauce. Add more oil as necessary, between batches of shrimp. Dab the shrimp with a paper towel, cover and set aside on range top to keep warm.

2. Add the garlic to the oil, stir for a few minutes, then turn the heat to medium low. Now add the wine and bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat to low and cover, let the wine reduce, about 10-15 minutes

3. In a separate pot, bring water to simmer. (for pasta later)

4. Add the cream, and bring it back to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 more minutes. While it is simmering dice your shallot and tomato, and chiffonade your basil. Now add the Basil, diced tomato, and remaining 2T Parmesan cheese. Stir for a moment then add the fried shrimp, and remove the pan from heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools

5. Bring pasta pot to a boil and add angel hair and cook

6. To plate, pour some sauce on a dish and arrange the shrimp around the bottom (10 or so), then take a ball of the pasta and plate that above the shrimp. garnish with a little parsley.