Tasty Tuesday

For one of my bridal showers, my friend Katie gave me this fabulous cookbook that she had also received from her mother when she became engaged. It's the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook:Bridal Edition and it has everything a new bride needs to know to keep her man fed and happy :) Or at the very least, it has complete instructions on how to prepare and cook just about everything in the world - including detailed charts on cooking times for various meats which comes in handy for a new cook like me. Anyways, I finally sat down and read the book cover to cover and no joke, it was one of the best reads (this is coming from a girl who hates cookbooks - I'd much rather search for recipes online). I joked with Katie that just about every page was folded over, indicating some new recipe I was eager to try. I decided to tackle one of the easier recipes first. And since I'm in a carb mood these days, I started with the Pasta section of course. This was a super easy and delicious recipe... and I have hope that the rest of those folded over pages will be as equally delicious.

Lemon Chicken Pasta Toss

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients
2 cups dried multigrain penne (6 ounces)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots*
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons capers, drained*
3 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

*we skipped both of these because of Dave's strong dislike for tiny little shallots and capers invading his food

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to hot saucepan; cover and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss together chicken and flour until chicken is lightly coated. In a large skillet cook and stir chicken in 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil to skillet. Add garlic (and shallot if using); cook and stir about 1 minute or until tender. Carefully stir in broth, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes or until reduced to about 2/3 cup. Stir in chicken, capers, and parsley; heat through.

4. Toss pasta with chicken mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Add some fresh, seasonable vegetables and fresh bread on the side and you've got yourself a delicious meal! I really should start taking pictures of my finished products... although, sometimes they don't look as good as the pictures in the cookbooks. I suppose as long as they taste delicious that's all that matters, right :)