Lemon Chicken Penne

What you'll need:

1 Pound dry penne
2 Chicken cutlets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Cook penne in boiling salted water until al dente.

2. Drain pasta well

3. Season chicken with salt and black pepper

4. Cook in preheated grill pan over medium-high heat until golden and completely cooked.

5. Remove chicken to plate and cut into fingers.

6. Add garlic and red pepper to pan with olive oil. Saute until aromatic.

7. Add cooked pasta and turn off heat.

8. Stir pasta and garlic, olive oil, and red pepper.

9. Pour pasta mixture into large bowl. Add in chicken and season with salt and pepper.

10. Add lemon juice and mix.

11. Top with cheese and serve.

I made this dish because I wanted to bring my husband some dinner at work. I needed to find something that could be transported easily, wasn't too complicated to eat, and would work well reheated. This worked perfectly.

Chili

What you'll need:

1 small green pepper (to taste)
1 small-medium onion (to taste)
2 cloves freshly minced garlic
2 pounds ground beef/turkey
1/4-1/3 cup chili powder
2 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
2 tablespoons olive oil


1. Brown meat with olive oil, pepper, onion, and garlic.

2. Add tomatoes and chili powder and stir until well integrated.

3. Add in Kidney beans and mix gently.

4. Heat until boiling then turn down the heat and allow to simmer for at least half an hour.

5. Serve hot.

Also good in the crock pot:
After Step 1, put tomatoes and chili powder in crock pot. Stir until integrated then add kidney beans and stir gently. Cook on higher heat until boiling then turn down and simmer for at least 3 hours.

Potential garnishes:
Sour cream, tortilla chips, corn bread, hot sauce, cheddar cheese, etc.


We made this a few weekends ago when we had a few friends over. A friend had bought some habanero chili and corn bread, but I'm not a fan of the spicier foods, so I wanted to make something milder for myself. Another one of our friends doesn't eat red meat so I made this chili with ground turkey for the first time. It was awesome!

Cheddar Chive Burgers

This is a fun spin on an American classic

What you'll need:
1 pound ground beef
4 ounces cheddar cheese
Chives
Bar-B-Que sauce
Hamburger buns

1. Cut the cheese into very small cubes/strips

2. Cut the chives, to taste (I use 2-3 shoots), into small slices.

3. Mix the ground beef, cheese, and chives until thoroughly integrated.

4. Divide the mixture into four parts.

5. Form the mixture into thick patties.

6. Cook the hamburgers. I prefer them on the grill, but they are really good pan-cooked as well.

7. Put the hamburgers onto a bun and add a bit of Bar-B-Que sauce.

8. Eat and enjoy.