Sometimes, after a long day catering, I just want to make a dinner that is delicious, fast and easy to prepare and, most importantly, easy to clean up.
By using one pot and a few choice ingredients (many of them you already have in your refrigerator and pantry!), you can have dinner on the table in less than twenty minutes.
I promise you that these recipes will be a lot more tasty than take-out food and healthier too.
Menu
Serves 4
Spaghetti, Clams and Spinach
Picadillo
Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce
Spaghetti, Clams and Spinach
1/2 box spaghetti
16 oz. fresh spinach, cleaned
1 can chopped clams (6.5 oz.), drained
1/4 cup artichoke antipasto (available at Trader Joe’s)
3 tblsp. cream cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
1. Bring water in a large pot to a rapid bowl, cook spaghetti for 5 minutes. Add spinach and stir. Cook for 2 more minutes.
2. Drain pasta and cooked spinach. Place clams, artichoke and cream cheese in same pot. Heat and stir until hot.
3. Add pasta and spinach to “clam sauce”. Heat through.
4. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
Picadillo
This traditional dish from Latin America, is easy to make and tastes even better as leftovers.
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
3 Spanish olives, sliced
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 oz. tomato sauce
1 lb. ground beef
1 tblsp. red wine
2 oz. dried raisins
1. Saute the first five ingredients over medium high heat.
2. Add the oregano, olive oil, tomato sauce, garlic salt and saute for 3 minutes more.
3 Add the beef, red wine and raisins and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
4. Serve over white rice.
Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce
1/4 cup Wondra flour Salt & freshly ground pepper
4 boneless chicken breast halves, pound flat
4 tbsps (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 tbsps. chopped shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1. Mix Wondra salt and pepper on plate. Pat chicken dry. Dredge in “flour mixture.”
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy skillet and add chicken. Cook 3 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and keep warm.
3. Melt remaining butter in the skillet. Add shallots, cooking and stirring for one minute. Increase heat to high and add white wine. Bring to a boil.
4. Simmer about 4 minutes. Stir in cream, then mustard. Simmer another minute. Serve sauce poured over chicken.
Alexandra Troy is owner of Culinary Architect Catering, a 33-year old Greenvale-based company, specializing in private, corporate and promotional parties. For more photos and presentation follow Culinary Architect Catering on Facebook.
