Lemon and Basil Grilled Chicken and Lemon Cream Pasta

The end of the school year is coming!  Though we are wrapping everything up at school, the kids are just as crazy as normal, if not more so.  We have a field trip tomorrow, Memorial Day weekend, and then Water Day on the last day of school.  And as everything happens they get more and more excited about what's coming.

Their excitement is contagious, but I am pooped at the end of the day.  Thus easy and simple dinners are my favorite dinners to make right now.  I'm loving our grill because clean up is easy and cooking is fast!

And marinating is the best thing ever.  You throw lemon and oil and herbs in a bag the night before and the flavors sink into the meat--chicken in this case.  The marinating does all the work for you, and you're rewarded with flavorful and delicious lemon and basil grilled chicken.

The lemon cream pasta is one of my favorite side dishes.  It's simple, easy and full of lemon flavors.  With the tang of parmesan cheese, delicious lemon juice, and topped with fresh herbs the lemon cream pasta is perfect as a side dish for grilled chicken, or anything really.

Lemon and Basil Marinated Chicken
author: Happy Food Happy Home
makes 4 chicken breasts

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 large lemons or 2 small)
lemon zest from 1/2 a lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
a pinch of salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
fresh basil for garnish

1. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, zest, basil, black pepper, and salt in a glass measuring cup.  
2. Place the chicken and the marinade in a large zip-top bag.  Massage everything around to fully coat the chicken in the marinade.
3. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight or for at least 2 hours.  The longer you marinate the yummier it will be.
4. Heat your grill to medium heat.  Grill the chicken until it is cooked through.
5. Remove from the grill and garnish with fresh basil leaves. 

Note- No grill?  Just cook the chicken over medium heat in a cast iron skillet or bake at 350 degrees until cooked through.  

Lemon Cream Pasta

author: Happy Food Happy Home

serves 4

1/2 a pound dry pasta

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)

black pepper to taste

fresh herbs for garnish

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Heat cream in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium low heat until warm but not boiling.
3. Add the grated parmesan work in two batches.  Whisk together until the cheese dissolves.  
4. Whisk in the pepper and lemon juice.  
5. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water.
6. Add the pasta to the sauce.  Stir to combine.  If the sauce is runny cook down for about 2 minutes until it sticks to the pasta.  If it is too thick add reserved pasta water to thin.  
7. At this point you can either mix the herbs into the pasta and sauce, or use them as garnish on top. 

Notes-I used about 3 tablespoons of fresh basil in our pasta.  It was really good!

The lemon and basil grilled chicken and the lemon cream pasta are a delicious spring dinner.  And they're easy to throw together and fast to cook.  Because the marinade does all the work the grilled chicken comes out juicy and full of lemon flavors.  Make this dinner to enjoy the nice spring weather we are having!

Chicken and Spring Vegetable Alfredo

Spring has sprung.  With dandelions, thunderstorms, and big giant rainbows! As I was sitting on the couch last night I caught a glimpse of the rainbow and dashed outside.  Little did I know it was probably the biggest rainbow I've ever seen; a complete arch from one end to the other, with a tiny double rainbow on either end. So then I had to stand in the middle of the street to take pictures.  The neighbors were probably laughing at me, Dustin definitely was.

Spring has sprung in our dinners too! Vegetables and lemon flavors galore. Dinner last night combined a creamy sauce, juicy chicken, and delicious bright spring vegetables.  Asparagus, leeks, and peas are pretty much my favorite vegetables, and I love being able to use them all at once.  Combined with chicken, pasta, and Alfredo this pasta dish was warm, filling, and full of spring flavors.

I love Alfredo sauce, but hate when everything is drenched in it. The Alfredo sauce here is bright with the addition of lemon zest and lots of pepper, and it gently coats the pasta and vegetables.  It's more of a supporting sauce for the vegetables, and it really brings out their flavors.  The chicken and spring vegetable Alfredo was a great spring dinner.

Chicken and Spring Vegetable Alfredo

author: Happy Food Happy Home

serves: 2-3--can easily double

2 chicken breasts, cubed into bite size pieces

salt and pepper

2 big glugs olive oil

½ pound of asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 leek, thinly sliced

½ cup peas

½ pound pasta

1 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon lemon zest

¾ cup parmesan cheese

salt and a lot of pepper

green onions or chives for topping

1. Heat olive oil in a high sided skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. 
2. Salt and pepper the chicken cubes.  Add to the dutch oven and cook until browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate or bowl.
3. Rinse the sliced leek thoroughly to remove any grit.  Add the leek to the dutch oven and soften.  Add extra oil if needed.  Remove pot from heat.
4. Blanch the asparagus in salted water for 2-3 minutes until crisp tender.
5. Start cooking the pasta in salted water.
6. Prepare the sauce.  Heat cream over medium heat until slightly thickened-about 5 minutes.
7. Add lemon zest, a generous amount of pepper, and a pinch of salt.
8. Add the parmesan cheese and butter and stir the sauce until it is smooth.
9. In the dutch oven with the leeks combine the chicken, drained pasta, peas, asparagus, and sauce.  Heat for about 5 minutes until the peas are cooked and everything is warmed through.
10. Serve in bowls topped with more parmesan cheese and chopped green onions. 

What delicious spring foods are you cooking?  Are you as obsessed with asparagus as I am? Please say yes...

Tomato and Red Wine Braised Beef with Balsamic Vinegar and Herbs

Braising beef is like magic.  It goes into the oven big and tough, and comes out shredded and delicious.  I often call it 'melting'--but then people look at me weird.

And how it tastes!! The flavors meld together, the beef is tender and has absorbed all the fat, flavor, and juices.

I made this beef for our New Year's Eve Dinner party.  It's perfect for feeding a crowd, and any leftovers you have can be turned into lots of other things! I'll have more ideas for using your braised beef later in the week.

Because of the red wine and balsamic this beef leans towards and Italian flavor profile, so it's perfect for being served over pasta.  But the flavors don't scream, so you can serve it over polenta, or in sandwiches too.

Tomato and Red Wine Braised Beef with Herbs
author: Happy Food Happy Home
recipe adapted from Braised Beef from The Kitchn
serves 8-10

5-6 pound chuck roast
lots of salt and pepper
1-3 tablespoons veggie oil
2 large onions
10 cloves of garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 32 ounce can diced tomatoes
3 stems rosemary (about 2 tsp)
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cups red wine (I used 1 cup cabernet sauvignon and 1 cup of a blended bold red wine)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Prep your veggies.  Dice onions and chop garlic.   
3. Cut your chuck roast into 4 pieces. Season with salt and pepper on all the sides of all the pieces.  Add lots of salt and pepper --there's a lot of meat to season. 
4. Add 2 chunks of your roast to the dutch oven. Brown thoroughly on all sides--about 15 minutes for all sides. The meat's crust should be dark brown--this is what creates the flavor!  Remove the seared pieces to a plate.   Repeat with other 2 pieces.
5. Turn the heat to low.  Add diced onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes.  Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes until onions are softened.  
6. Add tomatoes, rosemary and thyme to pot.  Increase heat to medium and bring the tomatoes to a simmer.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape any fond (brown yummy meat bits) off the bottom of the pot.  
7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
8. Add the wine and bring the pot back to a simmer.  Turn off the heat and add the balsamic vinegar.  
9. Nestle the chunks of meat back down into the liquid.  Add the lid onto the pot and place into oven.
10. Cook in oven for 4 hours.  Check halfway through.  You may need to readjust the chunks back into the liquid.  
11. After 4 hours taste for tenderness and seasoning.  I added extra salt and pepper (probably 1/2 tsp each).  
12. Use two forks to shred the meat.  Stir it all together combining the meat and the juices together. 
13. Throw the pot of braised beef into your fridge overnight. This allows the flavors to come together, the meat to rest and reabsorb juices and fat, and gives you a pot of deliciousness to look forward to tomorrow. 
14. An hour and a half before dinner heat your oven to 300 degrees.  Put your braised beef back into the oven.  Stir the meat about 30-40 minutes into the rewarming time.  
15. Serve the braised beef over pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes!  Feel free to grate Parmesan cheese over the top. 

We at our braised beef with rotini and a salad.  It was really really good, and Dustin and I both wanted to eat more! We made ourselves stop because we didn't want to scare our friends.  

The tomato and wine braised beef was a great dish to cook for a dinner party because everything was done and cleaned up 24 hours before our guests arrived.  It was a tasty make ahead dinner party meal.  And all of our friends loved it too!