From the Kitchen :: Grilled Chicken and Roasted Asparagus Pasta Salad

Summer is coming!  Actually, today when we walked outside at 10:00 this morning, it felt like summer. Humid, sticky, and hot; that's Georgia for you :)

We always do more grilling during the summer months, and we have really enjoyed our garden that we've had the past three summers.  Moving away is going to be hard for lots of reasons, and missing the garden is going to be one of them.

This pasta salad is a great alternative to the mayonnaise versions that I usually make {like this one, yummy but not as healthy}.  A friend made it for us at the end of March and she shared her recipe with me because Bradley was asking me to make it.  Do you try to cook the dishes your husband requests?  I recommend it...

Asparagus has been on sale for the past month, but I think it might be coming off of its peak now, so during the summer, you could certainly swap out the asparagus for some roasted zucchini or yellow squash.  Sauteed mushrooms or grape tomatoes would also make a nice addition.  Just keep it colorful and fresh!



Grilled Chicken and Roasted Asparagus Pasta Salad

Italian dressing or Balsamic vinaigrette
6 chicken breast halves

1 lb. penne pasta
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil

1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 lb. fresh asparagus*
olive oil
salt and pepper

1 cup fresh basil {measure, then finely chop}, optional

Marinate chicken in Italian dressing or balsamic vinaigrette approximately 8 hours.  Grill chicken.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.  Mix next seven inrgedients and stir into pasta.

Lay asparagus on cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.

Mix chicken, pasta and vegetables.  Add fresh basil, if desired, and toss.  Refrigerate until ready to eat. Stir gently before serving.



source:  my friend, Jenny

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

A few weeks ago our church held a cook-off for a ladies' event.  Everyone who participated had to choose a recipe from the church cookbook, but it couldn't be their own recipe, make the dish, and then we all gathered at the church to eat and vote.  It was a really fun idea that helped to raise some money by selling cookbooks, and I came away knowing which recipes I liked from the cookbook.

I made this pasta dish and it was really good!  It's best served straight from the stove, though, so probably not the greatest thing to take to a potluck.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage links
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and sliced {I used green, since I had some from the garden}
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 T. tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine {I used the cooking variety}
1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. rigatoni pasta
Garnish: freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausages and cook until brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes.  Remove the sausage from the pan.

 Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the bell peppers, onions, salt and pepper; cook until golden, 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, then add the Marsala, tomatoes with their juice and red pepper flakes.  Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the brown bits.  Bring to a simmer.

 Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each.  Return the sausages to the pan.  Simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook al dente, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain pasta and add to the thickened sauce; toss to combine.  Spoon into individual bowls and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.  Serves 4 to 6.

source: A Taste of Redeemer, page 179

Cajun Meatloaf

I recently purchased a cookbook from our women's group at church and it has not disappointed.  One of the recipes inspired me to create this version of meatloaf and it is delicious.

There's something about meatloaf that brings back wonderful childhood memories, but I can never make meatloaf like my mom's.  Perhaps it's due to the fact that no measuring is involved.


This meatloaf has some of the traditional ingredients my mom uses, but with a bit of a Cajun twist.

Just think of a gumbo:  sauteed veggies, tomato, Cajun seasoning, but it all comes together as a meatloaf instead.

I did discover that meatloaf is not photogenic.  Maybe it has something to do with my beginner level photography skills, but the photographs of the final product do not do the taste justice.

If you're looking for a new twist to your mom's meatloaf, this is the recipe for you.  Serve it up with some mashed potatoes and veggies, or even some macaroni and cheese and you'll be feeling the comforts of home within minutes.

Cajun Meatloaf

2 T butter
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons blackened cajun seasoning {mine was purchased at Fresh Market, but I'm sure any brand would do}
1/2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup ketchup
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup rolled oats

Glaze Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place butter in a medium sized skillet and melt over medium heat.  Add onion and pepper and saute until tender.  Add all the seasonings and cook for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the milk and ketchup; cook for about 2 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf.  Let cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, mix cooked sauce mixture, ground beef, egg and oats.  Stir to combine.  Form into a loaf and place in a greased baking dish.  Bake for one hour.

In a small bowl combine ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce to form a glaze topping.  Spread on top of baked meatloaf.  Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes, until bubbly.


source: adapted from A Taste of Redeemer cookbook

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad with Garlic Dill Mayonnaise

Pasta salads are one of my favorite summer meals.  You really can't go wrong throwing any fresh vegetable, a little meat, some pasta and some sort of dressing into a bowl.  My husband, however, is a pasta salad snob.  This means we don't normally eat any type of pasta salad in our house.  So, I save these dishes for potlucks and ladies' nights, where I think most people will enjoy it.  I needed a dish to take to a get together last weekend, and I really didn't want to go to the store.  There was a box of pasta in the pantry, fresh veggies and herbs in my garden, and some chicken in the freezer.  Perfect!  After a little research on sprucing up plain mayonnaise, I had something that I liked.  Best part?  My pasta salad snob husband likes it too.

If you read down through the recipe, you'll see that I have 50 cherry tomatoes listed as an ingredient.  It's not necessary to use exactly 50 tomatoes.  I just happened to count them as I was cutting them and tossing them in the bowl.  Feel free to add more garlic, too; I didn't want it to overpower the salad, but if you love garlic, add in another clove or two.

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad with Garlic Dill Mayonnaise


1 lb. pasta, cooked
2 green peppers, diced
50 cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber, chopped
2 grilled chicken breasts, sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl gently combine cooked pasta, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber and chicken.  In a separate bowl mix together mayonnaise, garlic and dill.  Stir the mayonnaise gently into the pasta mixture until well dispersed.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve chilled.

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