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Menu Plan for Spring II: Week 8, Day 3
Warm Spring Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken
Fresh Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar
Cooking time: 30 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
Primavera is Italian for spring - this is a spring pasta salad.
Warm Chicken Pasta Salad with Spring Vegetables
Total time: 30 minutes
I have always disagreed with most 'Pasta Primavera' as they are meant to celebrate spring but insist on using summer vegetables: tomatoes and peppers. This is my version, using only spring vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 6oz (180gr) green asparagus
- 4oz (120gr) snow peas, mangetout, pea pods
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup fava beans you'll need about 1lb (500gr) of pods to start with, substitute edamame
- 4 green garlic, sliced, including green tops substitute 4 green onions
- 1 tbs oil
- 2 tbs fresh, snipped chives substitute 2 tbs dried - add to vinaigrette
- 1 1/4 cups (3.5oz, 100gr) farfalle pasta
- Vinaigrette:
- 1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
- 1 1/2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbs good olive oil
- Grilled Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Marinade:
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbs olive oil
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. When done, drain well.
- Mix marinade and pour over chicken. Let marinate for 15 - 30 minutes.
- Heat a sauce pan of water to boiling.
- Roll cut the asparagus into 1" (2.5cm) lengths.
- Trim the snow peas.
- Remove fava beans from the pods.
- Blanch vegetables, one type at a time, in boiling water: asparagus for 3 minutes, snow peas for 2 minutes and fava beans for 2 minutes.
- Remove each from water and put into cold water.
- Shell fava beans (see notes).
- Cook chicken on barbecue grill, 10 - 15 minutes, or until done or can be sautéed in skillet for about the same amount of time.
- Remove and slice.
- Whisk together mustard and vinegar for vinaigrette.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly.
- To Assemble:
- Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add green garlic or onion, asparagus and snow peas. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, until hot and starting to brown.
- Add drained pasta and toss to heat through.
- Put into a large bowl, add fava beans, chives and sliced chicken.
- Pour vinaigrette over and toss well to combine.
- Serve.
Notes:
Roll cut: Cut the end off at an angle, roll 1/4 turn and slice at the same angle, roll 1/4 and slice, etc. This gives you interesting looking pieces with lots of surface. It's normally used on round vegetables: carrots, asparagus, etc.
Peel fava beans: They peel like peas: break open the pod and take the beans out. Don't bother with any really tiny ones. After blanching they will have a whitish outer shell. Just squeeze lightly and the inner, bright green bean will pop out. It may split in half... that's okay.
Fresh Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar
Total time: 10 minutes
Really: Strawberries and Balsamic vinegar go very well together. As do strawberries and pepper...
Ingredients:
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries
- 1 tbs sugar
- 1 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
- Rinse strawberries.
- With your fingers, pull the stem end and leaves off.
- Cut in half or quarters if very large.
- Combine vinegar and sugar in medium bowl.
- Add strawberries and toss to coat.
- Refrigerate 15 - 30 minutes.
- Serve.
Cooking Schedule:
30 minutes for menu |
Remove asparagus from cold water, drain |
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