Ben's Day Wednesday

A little chicken with your cream, Sir?

Posted on by Liz

This week, what I should have gotten a picture of was Ben combing through his cookbook. People often ask what his reading skills are, and I would have to say they are variable. When it comes to reading words like McDonalds or Don Patrons, he is like a laser beam. Restaurant menu items? No problem. Taking the state PASA test at school? Not so much. He scrutinizes the weekly menu I post on the fridge, and begins lobbying Sunday if he feels there is something substandard that has made its way to the menu. Some variation of the following conversation takes place at least weekly in our house.

Ben: Creepy food? Really?

Me: No Ben, we’re having crepes. Thin pancakes.

Ben: Thin pancakes? Why are they creepy?

Me: They’re not. They’re just thin pancakes.

Ben: That doesn’t make sense.

When he found the fabulous picture of the “Tuscan Garlic Chicken and Linguine” in Chad and Donna Elick’s The Simple Kitchen, he said, “Yes. Mom, I found it. This is the one.” If memory serves, that is how Oprah identified Obama before his election. I don’t think Ben read the ingredients, but he seemed fairly confident that we would be consuming large portions of cream. We did, and it was good.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken and Linguine

1 tsp salt, plus more for pasta water

1 lb linguine pasta

3 tbsp olive oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup white wine

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1/8 tsp dried sage

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

6 oz spinach

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

  1. Cook pasta in salted water until it’s al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water and drain.
  2. Meanwhile, heat skillet over medium-high heat, and add olive oil. After adding salt and pepper to both sides of chicken, place in skillet and cook until deep golden brown, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and place it on a plate.
  3. Add the garlic, bell peppers and red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook until the peppers are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and the remaining seasonings, boiling for about 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and the Parmesan cheese. Stir and melt about a minute, adding pasta water if needed to thin the sauce. Sprinkle in the spinach and add the pasta.
  4. Serve pasta topped with chicken and parsley.
Chef Ben adds olive oil to the pan.
We’re still working on carrot peeling. This poor little thing didn’t stand a chance. Note the carrot ratio in the salad picture below. Slim.
Ben adds wine to the peppers.
Chef Ben takes a break from the main dish to juice a lemon for the salad.
Chef Ben adds cream to the pepper mixture.
Next, comes the Parmesan.
I’ve heard about photo filters but don’t really understand them. If I were a techie, I’d make a chicken thigh filter, so the thighs that really are cooked through would look as if they are.
The jicama carrot apple salad was a hit too; so virtuous after the gallon or so of cream in the main dish.

Jicama Apple Carrot Salad

1 jicama, peeled and julienned

1 apple, julienned

1 carrot, julienned

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tsp honey

1-2 tbsp oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp parsley, minced

Combine lemon juice, honey, oil, salt, pepper and parsley, whisking in bowl. Add and toss in jicama, carrot, apple and parsley.

As Ben likes to say, “Bon appetit!”

4 thoughts on “A little chicken with your cream, Sir?”

    1. We liked it. If we weren’t such enthusiastic eaters, there might be some leftovers for me to bring in to work for you to try!

  2. We are trying this for a day-late Valentine’s dinner. The pictures of the pasta caught Rachid’s attention; he and his nephew Ben share a fondness for hearty fare. I insisted that we include the salad as well, our first foray in jimica.

    1. I’m eager to hear how it turned out for you.I loved the jicama salad. It looks like a turnip or celery root on the outside, but once you get the peel off, the inside is super crisp, like a honeycrisp apple. Its taste is very mild, a little like an apple or pear. What did you think? Ben wishes you a belated happy Valentine’s Day!

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