 |
| It had been smoky in MT all week - the one day it was not we went back to Lake Como for my photo shoot. |
Whew. I made it through September. Between some family members with health issues, a memorial service for Grandma and the accompanying travel (both a physical trip to western MT and back, and a trip down memory lane complete with laughs and tears) and family time, training/on-boarding 2 new hires, the joys of quarter-end even though I am not in production anymore, a shake up at work that will funnel more responsibility my way - I am TIRED, y'all!
"But what else did you do, Hallie?" I finished a few more books, blogged a couple times (including this one), walked some (including a hike in the mountains which made my heart happy), a few more delicious recipes tried. I may be behind in just about everything but I am still moving forward, which is all I can ask for some days.
Book 24 - The Art of Memoir
The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr was a book club selection. It is not your typical discussion book but did give us a chance to talk about memoirs in general, our likes and dislikes, why people write memoirs, what makes a good memoir. I happen to like memoirs and have often thought about writing one (though I don't think I want to actually publish it ever), and I enjoyed the book. I have read at least 2 of Karr's memoirs, and liked her insight and instruction. It read a bit like a college course syllabus or class lecture notes, which appears to be what it is based on (she teaches courses on memoir writing), but made me want to seek out some of the other books she discusses, and, yes, try my hand at my own memoir. I'll let you each pick out your own pseudonym if I do publish - haha!
Recipe 24 - BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad
I love that cooled pasta is considered a salad. That means it's healthy, right? Just like a giant taco salad served in that delicious fried shell.
This is one of the few recipes that I forgot to take a photo of. Imagine, if you will, a pasta salad with chunks of chicken, crispy bacon, fresh corn and a creamy BBQ dressing - that image may be kind of what it looked like. The recipe I used was from Closet Cooking, though I apparently thought I was making a different recipe and had some purchased some ingredients that are not in this recipe and did not purchase others that were. I plan to try THAT recipe another time. Here's a link to the original and then see below for how I ended up making it (my notes in parentheses). We liked it and would make it again - it was quick and easy. How many times have I said that about a recipe? A lot. It reminds me of an old joke - If it's true that you are what you eat then I must be fast, easy, or cheap. Man, I crack myself up.
Ingredients
1 pound pasta (Any shape will do but I like one that will hold a little bit of dressing in it, like farfalle or rotini. I believe I used whole wheat pasta. You can also use gluten-free pasta if that is your thing.)
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 ounces bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces (optional but why in the world would you not include bacon?? You can also just crumble it after cooking crisp, instead of cutting into pieces.)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used about 1.5 cups of rotisserie chicken cut into chunks)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup red bell pepper (I did not add this for 2 reasons - I did not have any and I cannot eat red pepper)
1 cup corn (fresh off the cob is best but frozen or canned/drained will do in a pinch)
1 cup black beans (Did not add for 2 reasons - I didn't have any and someone won't eat beans)
1/2 cup red onion, diced (not added, see black beans for reasons)
1/3 cup BBQ sauce (next time, I think I would bump this up to 1/2 C. It may have been the pasta I used but it seemed a little dry to me)
1/3 cup mayonnaise (same as BBQ sauce)
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional - I used because we like cilantro and it blended well with the other flavors. Feel free to leave it out if you are one of those who doesn't like it.)
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced (not added, see black beans)
Directions
Cook the pasta as directed on the package. Drain then mix with olive oil and let cool, mixing every 5 minutes. The oil and mixing helps prevent it from sticking together while it cools.
Cook the bacon until crispy and set aside on paper towels to drain. (if you did not chop before cooking, wait until it is cool and then crumble)
Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, and grill (or pan fry), over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes per side, before setting aside to cool, and slicing into bite sized pieces. (Chop your pre-cooked purchased rotisserie chicken if you are slightly lazy, like me. I think this would be more delicious with grilled chicken though.)
Assemble salad with the pasta, bacon, chicken, bell pepper, corn, beans, and onion. (or whatever ingredients you actually have - see also options below)
Mix the BBQ sauce and mayo to make the dressing.
Toss the salad and dressing along with the cilantro and green onions and enjoy!
(I didn't do any of the following options but think the avocado would be delicious. Or the ranch. Or the cheese. And who doesn't love crunchy corn chips - just add at time of serving if you don't want them to get a little soggy.)
Option: Season the chicken with your favorite chicken seasoning instead of the salt and pepper. (I think Justice or Southwest seasoning from Penzey's would be delightful.)
Tip: Cook the chicken and bacon the day before.
Option: Add diced avocado!
Option: Add diced tomatoes!
Option: Add 1 packet ranch seasoning to the dressing! (Or add: 1/2 teaspoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon chives, 1/2 teaspoon dill, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder)
Option: Add shredded cheddar cheese!
Option: Top with crunchy corn chips!
Fifty for 50 Tally
Books completed – 32 (7 more in progress)
Recipes tried – 31
Blog posts published– 24
Miles walked in September - 34.2
Miles walked year-to-date – 430.78
Scrap book pages completed –27
Hats donated – 20
Hours volunteered – 25
No comments:
Post a Comment