Creamy Pasta with Peas

This is the other of the two recipes I tried this week and really liked. I didn't realize it until now, but they are both from the Martha Stewart site. I find that site to have a ton of easy-to-make recipes, and it's a good source for family dinners. If I want to go a little fancier or use some more exotic ingredients, I will try other sites or one of my cookbooks, but for quick and easy the Martha Stewart recipes are really useful.

This particular recipe actually calls for a "kid" version and an "adult" version, with the former omitting the pine nuts and arugula. Why?!? My kids eat both of those things, and they do so because I've never made kid versions of any dish. They eat what the grownups eat at dinner, and as a result they don't need to have a kid version of this or any dish. To me, making kid versions of recipes just creates a false need for kid versions; any kid can eat things like pine nuts and arugula if you just expose them to it. But enough of my soapbox: here's the recipe (which my kids loved, by the way)

Creamy Pasta with Peas

(MarthaStewart.com)

serves 4

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 lb farfalle pasta
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen green peas
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 bunch (5 ounces) arugula, tough stems removed, chopped
  
  
• -- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; add peas 1 minute before end of cooking. Drain; return pasta and peas to pot.
• 
  
• -- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine cream and chicken broth; simmer until thickened slightly, 7 minutes. Stir in Parmesan until melted.
• 
  
• -- Toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add to reserved pasta along with arugula; season with pepper. Toss to combine, and serve immediately.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Couscous

I can't believe it's been a year since I've last posted a recipe. It's not that I haven't been cooking -- I've actually found some great recipes and made some tasty dishes. I just haven't been "feeling it" with regard to blogging my recipes. Perhaps it's that back-to-school time of year, or the fact that I tried two new recipes this week that I thought were keepers, but I am feeling inspired today to post them. Both are great for weeknights because they don't take a lot of time or ingredients. I'll post the recipe for the roasted chicken thighs here, and the other one in a separate post.

This recipe for roasted chicken thighs is my own version of a recipe that I found on the Martha Stewart Everyday Food site. In her recipe, she cooks the couscous in water which is something I find in a lot of her recipes. I don't see the point in cooking things like rice or quinoa or couscous in water when using broth will give a dish so much more flavor. So, I made that change in the recipe; I also added carrots and different spices. I think this is one of those recipes that offers a lot of versatility. You could really spice it up with cayenne or curry powder. In the fall, it might be a great way to use root veggies like parsnips or some different kinds of squashes.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Couscous
(inspired by Martha Stewart Everyday Food)
serves 4-6

• 8 chicken thighs
• cumin
• paprika
• 2 zucchini (about 1 pound total), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
• 1 -2 arge carrots cut into rounds
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
  
  -- Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in upper third.
• -- Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika and cumin; place, skin side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes.
• -- Remove sheet from oven, and turn chicken, skin side up. Scatter zucchini and carrots around chicken, and season with salt and pepper; toss with pan juices. Return sheet to oven, and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes more.
• -- Meanwhile, bring 1 1/4 cups chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in couscous.
• -- Cover, and let stand until all the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in parsley, vinegar, roasted vegetables, and 2 tablespoons pan juices; season with salt and pepper.
• -- Serve chicken with vegetables and couscous.