Tag Archives: arugula

5 Ingredients or Less: Garlic Chicken & Arugula Pasta

Posted on 04/19/2012 by | 8 Comments

Know what I just love?

Recipes that use very few ingredients yet exceed expectations once they reach your dinner plate.

Much like this Garlic Chicken & Arugula Pasta.

Made simply with some fresh chopped (1) garlic and (2) arugula.

A few (3) whole wheat penne pasta noodles.

And some sweet, succulent (4) boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Which, when slightly browned and topped with the fresh garlic during the last minute of cooking, create the most fantastic smells in your kitchen.

And an even better flavor.

The chicken is then simply shredded and tossed with the fresh arugula,

Cooked pasta, any leftover cooking liquid/garlic from the chicken,

 

And finished with a sprinkling of zesty (5) red pepper flakes.

Who said delicious had to be complicated?

Not I :)

Serve this simple dish with a light, crisp white wine.  Just do it, don’t ask questions! ;)

But for real, I was totally taken aback by how well the two paired together… and would highly recommend it.

So much so that I may even consider adding the white wine into the cooking mix next time around, but that’s just not as fun now is it? :P

And p.s. if you do make this, please consider using the chicken thighs vs. an average chicken breast, as I really don’t think the same flavor and velvety texture would be achieved with the chicken thigh’s leaner counterpart…

But, then again, who am I to judge?

Enjoy! :D

5 Ingredients or Less: Garlic Chicken Arugula Pasta
Serves 2-3

  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 cups whole wheat penne (uncooked)
  • 1 bunch fresh arugula, rinsed & chopped
  • red pepper flakes (to taste)

Olive oil, sea salt, black pepper.

1. Boil penne according to direction.

2. While pasta boils, heat a pan over medium and add a half tablespoon or so of olive oil. Once oil is hot, add chicken thighs. Cook until lightly browned on each side, seasoning with salt and pepper, flipping midway through (7-10 minutes total). During the last minute of cooking add chopped garlic and give the chicken a final flip.

3. Drain pasta & set aside. Remove chicken from heat and shred using the 2-fork method. Reserve any of the extra garlic pieces/juice that remain in the pan.

4. Add chicken, arugula and any leftover garlic/juice to the same pot used to boil pasta. Allow to heat through over medium for a minute or two, until arugula slightly wilts. Then add cooked pasta and red pepper flakes, warm for another minute and serve!

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In the Kitchen With: Spicy Harissa

Posted on 04/04/2012 by | 10 Comments

With a busy schedule and a few select quality ingredients on hand, this past weekend was one for simple no-cook recipes…

Like this!

Arugula.

Did you know I “didn’t like this stuff” until just recently…

Yea.

Not exactly sure what planet I was living on when I came up with that one.

Orzo. Round two.

And simple-to-serve cannellini beans.

Freshly chopped arugula… 

Layered with steaming hot orzo…

And tossed gently so as to wilt the greens and cook them slightly.

Followed by some cannellini beans…

And seriously what could be considered one of my favorite foods ever that I about shrieked with joy over finding at our local Whole Foods.

Sadly, this is not a joke.

Cava Mezze harissa

Remember this “best meal of 2012” during my recent visit to Cava Mezze while visiting my bestie in D.C.?

Remember me raving about the harissa that they served with fresh, warm pita to start the meal?

Yea. This stuff. Find it. Buy it. And get ready to be amazed.

Seriously.SO.GOOD. :)

And what a great way to make a simple pasta salad into something super special!

Tomatoes, garlic, crushed red pepper, spices, olive oil.

Flavor.PUNCH.

Finish with just a bit of olive oil before really giving it a good toss.

Then voila! 

Serve this cold, at room temp or even give it a quick heat in the microwave for a warm meal – do what ya want – it’s great any way! (I tried them all ;) )

Have you ever had harissa before?

Spicy Harissa Orzo Arugula Salad
Serves 5-6

  • 1.5 cups orzo (uncooked)
  • 1 bunch arugula, washed & chopped
  • 15 oz. can cannelini beans, drained & rinsed
  • 4-5 tblsp harissa
  • 2-3 tblsp olive oil

1. Boil orzo according to directions.  While pasta boils, wash/chop arugula and rinse/drain beans.

2. Once pasta is done, drain. Add arugula to a large bowl and top with hot pasta, giving a good toss. Then add beans, harissa and olive oil, stirring until everything is incorporated evenly.

Serve!  Cool, room temp or heated up if you want :D

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