Chicken Thighs & Wheelies Pasta
with Summer Tomato Sauce
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
¾ pound Wheelies pasta
4 cloves garlic
1 beefsteak tomato
½ pound multicolored cherry tomatoes
1 large bunch of basil
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chicken and pasta spice blend (yellow mustard powder, onion powder, dried lemon peel and dried thyme)
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Core and large dice the beefsteak tomato. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Pick the basil leaves off the stems; discard the stems.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season on both sides with salt, pepper and the spice blend. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken. Cook 4-6 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan. Set the cooked chicken aside in a warm place.
Heat the pan of reserved fond on medium until hot. Add the garlic; season with salt and pepper. (If the pan seems dry, add up to 2 teaspoons of olive oil.) Cook, stirring occasionally, 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Add the beefsteak tomato; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 12-14 minutes, or until slightly thickened and saucy.
While the sauce cooks, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook 7-9 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserving ¾ cup of the pasta cooking water, thoroughly drain the cooked pasta.
To the pan of sauce, add the cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, butter, Parmesan cheese, half the basil (tearing just before adding) and ½ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently to coat the pasta, 2-3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining pasta cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Remove from heat.
Cut two pieces of the cooked chicken in half. Divide the finished pasta and chicken between four dishes. Garnish with the remaining basil (tearing just before adding).
Pork Chops & Summer Vegetable Rice
with Heirloom Tomato & Peach Salsa
4 boneless, center-cut pork chops
1 cup long grain white rice
6 ounces green beans
3 cloves garlic
1 ear of corn
1 peach
1 red onion
¾ pound heirloom tomato
1 large bunch cilantro
2 ounces queso fresco
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon pork and rice spice blend (chipotle powder, ground cumin, dried Mexican oregano and dried thyme)
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Trim off and discard the stem ends of the green beans; cut the green beans into ¼-inch pieces. Peel and mince the garlic. Remove and discard the husks and silks of the corn. Cut the corn kernels off the cob; discard the cob. Peel and small dice the onion. Crumble the queso fresco. Core and medium dice the tomato. Pit and medium dice the peach. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems; discard the stems and finely chop the leaves.
In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the green beans, garlic, corn, half the onion and half the spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes, or until slightly softened and fragrant.
Stir the rice, a big pinch of salt and 2 cups of water into the pot of vegetables. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 14-16 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat. Add the queso fresco and half the vinegar; stir to thoroughly combine. Transfer to a serving dish.
While the rice cooks, pat the pork chops dry with paper towels; season on both sides with salt, pepper and the remaining spice blend. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned pork chops. Cook 2-4 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside in a warm place.
While the pork chops cook, in a medium bowl, combine the tomato, peach, remaining vinegar, ⅔ of the cilantro and as much of the remaining onion as you'd like. Stir to thoroughly combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Top the cooked pork chops with a few spoonfuls of the salsa. Garnish the pork chops and summer vegetable rice with the remaining cilantro. Serve with the remaining salsa on the side.
Spiced Meatballs
with Garlic Toasts & Summer Squash Salad
10 ounces ground beef
1 small baguette
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
1 summer squash
1 large bunch mint
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ounce Castelvetrano olives
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon meatball spice blend (crushed Aleppo pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, mustard powder and dried lemon peel)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Slice the baguette into 1-inch-thick pieces on an angle. Peel the garlic. Mince one clove; using the side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste (or use a zester). Leave the remaining clove whole. Using a peeler, remove the lemon rind, avoiding the pith; mince to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Cut off and discard the stem of the squash; cut into 3-inch-long sticks. Pick the mint off the stems; discard the stems. Using the side of your knife, smash the olives; remove and discard the pits, then roughly chop.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, garlic paste, spice blend, half the Parmesan cheese and half the mint (roughly chopping just before adding). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix until just combined. Using your hands, form the mixture into 12-14 equal-sized meatballs.
In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs. Cook, turning occasionally, 5-7 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, 1-2 minutes or until dark red. Add ¾ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and spooning the sauce over the meatballs, 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced in volume by about half and the meatballs are cooked through. Remove from heat.
While the meatballs cook, in a medium bowl, combine the squash, lemon zest, olives, remaining mint (roughly chopping just before adding) and the juice of all four lemon wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper to taste.
While the meatballs continue to cook, place the baguette slices on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in a single, even layer and toast in the oven 4-6 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, carefully rub both cut sides of each toasted baguette slice with the whole garlic clove; discard the garlic clove.
Divide the cooked meatballs and sauce between two dishes. Top with the squash salad and remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve with the garlic toasts on the side.
NAN Dining Guide Kitchen Talk on 08/14/2015