Cookin' Up Some Love

Woodstove cookery.



Fried chicken, rice, chunky mashed potatoes and corn I made for Zach and Tater













I don't cook every night, but I do plan all the meals through grocery shopping, deciding which night we're going to eat out, or by whipping something up. Basically, I do feel the meal planning thing is my responsibility in the marriage. This is mostly because I am home earlier than Zach, and I'm also the hungrier one most of the time. I do think it's important to cook at home for a few reasons. 1.) It ends up saving you money in the long run. 2.) It helps create more of an attachment to a home, and adds stability to your life. 3.) You can fix what you want the way that you like it.

So this post will be dedicated to posting two of my favorite pasta recipes. :) These recipes will NOT help you lose weight!  But they are tasty!  These recipes will also be counted as today's project of the day.

1.) Chicken and Pasta in a White Wine Sauce:
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup white wine (Riesling is what I used)
Diced tomatoes (you can used canned or fresh, just make sure if it's canned, they're drained).
Some oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil (as much or as little as you want)
Garlic (powdered or cloves)
Pasta of some sort (any sort...though I use angel hair)
Salt and pepper

Pre-cook chicken in the oven (best if marinated beforehand, but optional) until done, then cut chicken into bite size pieces. Combine chicken in large skillet with water, olive oil, garlic, and spices. Add tomatoes, wine, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Make pasta while the sauce simmers. When pasta is done, dish it onto a plate and ladle the sauce on top. Good with croissant rolls and the rest of the wine.

2.) Basil Pesto Sauce (My husband's favorite!)
I have used this sauce on pasta and on chicken. It would also be a good dipping sauce for any kind of potatoes.
Ingredients:
3 cups fresh basil
3/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic (optional)
1 and 1/2 or 2 cups olive oil

You can add a little water, to make it smoother, but that is up to you.
Place ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Put into a pot on the stove and bring it to a boil, then immediately simmer until your pasta or chicken is done.



Yummy Basil Pesto Pasta!  Zachary's favorite!