sorry guys!

May is super busy at work for me so I haven’t had time to make dinners or write about them. thankfully, it’s almost over and I’ll be able to get back into things in a couple weeks. I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend! (or a regular weekend if you’re not from the US) 

Penne Arrabbiata

Arrabbiata means angry in Italian. So that means this dish has some spice, uh oh. No spicy peppers for me, please! I ended up making two versions of the sauce, one without the pepper for me, and one with the pepper for Chris. Also, back again with the arugula. I didn’t like it in the last dish, but this time it’s cooked so I had to see if that made a difference. Cooking the arugula into the sauce and mixing it with everything in the bowl, made it hardly noticeable at all. If you’re not a huge fan of greens, like me, it’s a great way to sneak in some veggies.

 

Ingredients:
6oz penne
1 red onion
2oz pancetta
1 chili pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 small can diced tomatoes
1 roma tomato
2oz arugula
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp sugar

Directions:
1. Prep the veggies. Halve, peel, and dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Core, seed, and dice the tomato. Mince the chili pepper. *Be sure to wash hands, cutting board, and knife after the chili pepper*
2.Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne to the water and cook for 9-11 minutes until al dente. Drain.
3. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan ove medium heat. Add the panchetta and cook for 2-3 minutes, until slightly crispy. Add the onion and as much chili pepper as you like. Cook, tossing for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper as necessary.
4. Add the roma tomato, the diced tomatoes, and sugar to the pan. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes until thickened.
5. Add the drained penne and the arugula to the sauce and toss for 1-2 minutes.
6. Portion into a bowl or onto a plate, and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Crispy Chicken Milanese

Chris decided to do another week of Hello Fresh meals so get ready for a few more posts about them. I wasn’t really sure about the salad for this one. I’m not a huge fan of salad to begin with, but this one is arugula, tomatoes, and squash. Those don’t exactly seem like my kinds of food. But the rule is, I have to try it. The chicken was super good, and the sour cream really kept the chicken moist. As expected, I didn’t like the salad. Chris wasn’t a huge fan of it either. If we make the chicken again, we would definitely pick something else to serve as a side.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
4 oz heirloom tomatoes
1 shallot
1 yellow squash
1 lemon
1/2 cup panko
4 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 oz arugula
olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Halve the tomatoes. Halve, peel, and chop 1 tablespoon shallot. Halve the lemon, and cut one half into wedges.
2. Slice the squash into 1/4 inch rounds. Place the squash on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden brown.
3. Butterfly the chicken breasts. Season each breast with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Coat each breast with sour cream. Place the panko in a shallow dish, and coat the chicken in the panko on all sides.
4. Heat some oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side, until cooke through. Thinly slice the chicken into strips.
5. In a large bowl, combine the shallot, juice of the lemon half (not in wedges), and a large drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in the arugula and tomatoes.
6. Plate the salad, and top with the squash. Place a sliced chicken breast on top, and serve with a lemon wedge.