Fettucine with Pesto and Easy Chicken

Last night I was in the mood to make something new and different. After a search through my favorite cookbook with pictures and a quick trip to the store, a new family favorite was born. I wish I had known before how easy it is to make pesto!

12 oz uncooked fettuccine
3 cups (1 oz) loosley packed fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, place basil, cheese, walnuts, oil, garlic, salt and pepper in food processor or blender; process until well blended. (Sauce will thin out over hot pasta.) Place hot past in a large bowl; add sauce. Toss until well coated. Serve immediatly.

Along with the pasta I made some super easy chicken. I tossed a few chicken breasts into a skillet with a little EVOO and poured some Italian dressing on top of each one. I browned them and cooked them covered on medium heat for a few minutes...until they were done. It turned out really yummy and combined well with the Pesto flavors.
Happy cooking.

Appetizers

My friend Karyn just emailed these appetizer recipes to me to help me with my Book Club Hosting next week. I need Old Testamentish food and we thought maybe these were close enough. Enjoy. I love the first one.
Appetizers

Marinated Cheese

8 - 9 ounce block sharp ¼ tsp black pepper
Cheddar cheese 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
8 oz pkg. cream cheese ¼ cup chopped green onions
3-4 coves garlic, crushed 1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup white wine vinegar

Combine all but the cheese and mix well. Cut cheese blocks in half lengthwise, then slice into ¼ inch slices. Alternate cream cheese and Cheddar cheese in shallow covered container. Pour marinade over all and leave for several hours or overnight. Serve with crackers.

Stuffed Mushrooms (Julie Manning recipe)

1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage 2 boxes mushrooms,
1 8oz pkg cream cheese stems removed
1 bunch green onions
Tops only, chopped

Fry sausage and drain well. While warm, stir in cream cheese and green onions. Stuff the mushrooms. Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes.


Spinach -Artichoke Dip

1 cup mayonnaise 1 can diced green chilies (4 oz)
1 ¼ cup cheese (1/2 Parmesean 1 can artichoke hearts
Plus other cheese such as packed in water and quartered
Cheddar or Jack (I chop them small)
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach Pita bread or chips

Cook spinach according to directions and drain well (squeeze excess water out by hand). In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, cheeses, spinach and chilies. Mix together well, then fold in artichoke hearts. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 or until bubbly and heated through. Serve with pita bread or chips.

French Bread, Italian Bread and French toast

Okay, please excuse my laziness for not typing all of this up, but I figured you could get it just as easily on the link sent to me by my gourmet cook friend. I cannot wait to try it as I have heard raves about it from lots of my other friends. Hope you enjoy. Here is what she had to say about it, along with the link.

Here is the link for that bread recipe. It's a good one, I've made it so many times and it always turns out great. Just don't try it on a humid day. To make the Italian version, after I rolled out the dough I brushed it with about a half stick of melted butter and then generously spread powdered garlic, Italian seasoning and extra oregano. The recipe as is makes two loaves. Here is the link for the recipe: http://marenmadsen.blogspot.com/2009/03/bread-of-month-french-plus-bonus-recipe.html