Pasta Aglio e Olio

My mom used to make something similar to this dish (with spaghetti) all the time when we were kids. Since none of us spoke Italian at the time, we pronounced it as one long word "spaghetti-al-le-olio" in about as American an accent as you can muster. I loved it. But then one day my sister and mom happened to eat this for dinner and then happened to be sick later in the evening...and we never ate it again.

So here's to the return of spaghetti-al-le-olio!

Broccoli Salad

Enter the season of salads. It has been well over 90 for well over two weeks now, and even though my husband finally put our ac in the window, I can't bring myself to cook anything that takes longer than boiling water (I think my husband is hoping to escape forced vegetarianism by cooling our house down to a balmy 78, but he might end up disappointed unless I get a grill in the near future). I did have to briefly turn on the stove today, but it ended up being worth it.

My Auntie K is a pro at broccoli salad. Since she was so good at it, I can't remember my mom ever making it on her own; it was just understood that Auntie would be bringing it to any family gathering hosted during the summer. And believe me, it only lasted a few minutes on the table before my dozens of ravenous cousins snarfed it down. My pickiest sister (who doesn't like anything delicious aside from chocolate) would even occasionally have a bite. 
 

I feel like a bad niece in confessing that being too lazy to dig up my aunt's phone number resulted in this being my very own concoction. But I think I've done a pretty good job replicating the flavor, aside from 1 minor change: I substituted some of the mayo for plain yogurt, but I don't think anyone would be able to tell the difference (I just can't stomach the idea of consuming a whole cup of FAT in one bowl). As far as the salad itself goes, you can pretty much add/omit things as you like. My aunt always added cheddar cheese to her salad, but I did not. I've also had it without almonds or with grapes instead of raisins. Have fun with it!

Divine Chicken Divan

This tasty chicken dish is rich, creamy, and cheesy; it's perfect for a cold winter day when you want some comfort food. I served this dish alongside our Orzo Risotto which was a delicious combination, although a very cheesy combination. So in the future I will lessen the amount of cheese in my Orzo Risotto and serve with a green salad as well.

A few notes: The recipe calls for shallots, which I used, but you could substitute onions. The recipe also calls for Gruyere cheese, which is delicious, but also very pricey, so I substituted some shaved Parmesan cheese instead, and it turned out very well.


Divine Chicken Divan
Recipe (slightly adapted) from Rachel Ray
Pictures by Caroline
Serves 2

2 cups chicken broth
1 or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium shallot, chopped
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound broccoli spears
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese (I substituted Parmesan), shredded

Directions
1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a wide, deep skillet with lid. Add chicken breasts and return to boil. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and poach until almost cooked through. Remove from heat (keeping juices) and slice chicken into 1/2 inch strips.
2. In another medium skillet, saute shallots in oil and butter for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in white wine and reduce by half, about a minute. Ladle in some of the chicken broth, whisking sauce as you do. Stir in cream and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to low. Add chicken strips, coating them in the sauce.
3. Meanwhile, steam broccoli for about 5-6 minutes; just until they are tender.
4. Transfer broccoli to a shallow baking dish. Layer chicken on top of the broccoli and top with the cheese. Put dish in a preheated broiler until cheese is brown, golden, and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.