Quinoa Salad and the Rolling Pin of Doom

I get on these kicks where I am determined to do something - usually prepare some recipe I found online - and I jump in head first without even thinking about the needed materials, the time frame, the sheer ridiculousness of the idea, and on and on and on.

This was one of those moments. BUT. It was one of the moments when I TOTALLY REDEEMED MYSELF. 

They approve.

I decided, on a whim, to make this recipe: Quinoa Salad with Hazelnuts, Apple, and Dried Cranberries. I found it on the interwebs on FOOD52, and could think of nothing else until I got to the store, purchased the few food items I needed, and got home.

Cook the quinoa. Okay, fine. But first! Rinse the quinoa. Have you ever made quinoa? It is the tiniest little grain-like entity ever, and even my fine mesh strainer was not fine enough to contain them. It took a bit of swishing in a bowl of water, but I finally got them sparkly clean. (Also, it apparently isn't really a grain, it has some kind of bitter coating on it - hence the rinsing - and it is loaded with protein. Worth the hassle, it seems.)

Disclaimer: Many pictures have been staged to protect the innocent.

Chop the parsley - done. Chop the green onions - done. Sautee celery and yellow onion - done.

Roast the hazelnuts.

Hmmm.

Fine. 

What it should have said was, "Roast the SHELLED hazelnuts," because my dipshit self had never cooked/baked with hazelnuts before (unless Nutella counts) and didn't realize that she needed to get the fucking nuts out of the fucking shells before throwing them in the fucking oven.

They took three different trips into the oven before I realized this.

So there I was, sitting on the kitchen floor at eleven o'clock at night whacking a ziplock bag of hazelnuts with a rolling pin. Those fuckers were SUCH bastards. It took a while of trying before I got the movement down, and when they cracked, it was the most satisfying crack.

It didn't get easier from there, however. They went back into the oven, and the recipe promised that the peels would slough off, but THEY DID NOT.

This is a picture of PURE FRUSTRATION.

My perfectionist self did not appreciate that the peels were still there, and went at them with a paring knife until realizing that it was after midnight and perhaps I was a jackass.

But this is the output, and it was awesome:

I forgot to take a picture, so here's the one from Food 52 instead.

Anyway, it was a huge success in that it was delicious, but it was not a success in that I didn't get to bed until one in the goddamned morning and had to get up at six. 

PORK, Bitches

I was at the grocery store, perusing the meat - as you do - and I came across a pork tenderloin.  I have never made one of these bad boys before, and since I had also never purchased one, I have no idea if I got a deal or not. It found its way into my cart

I found a ton of recipes online, but the one I went with was... a Paula Deen recipe.

I KNOW.  I am as shocked as you are.

There was a cream cheese portion of the recipe that I ignored, because it sounded gross.  Also, I don't like cream cheese, so it would have been awkward.

The pictures are weird and the sauce looks gross.  I KNOW.  But I am not kidding when I tell you that this recipe was incredible.

PREHISTORIC SAFARI NIGHT

It was safari night at the dinner table.  PREHISTORIC SAFARI NIGHT.

They died deliciously.

Meatloaf, meatloaf. Double beatloaf. I hate meatloaf.

I know that meatloaf isn't everyone's idea of a good time (Mike: "Call it anything else, and I'll try it."), but I grew up with it and I love it.  My dad was the one to make it in our house - and his version is incredible - but there is no recipe, because he does everything by eye.  A little of this, a little of that... a little more of that.  But his secret (not so secret) ingredient is corn flakes instead of bread or breadcrumbs.   

--FYI, the more I look at the word "meatloaf," the less it looks like a word.

I'm pretty sure that my dad's version was 100% beef, but I was at the good grocery store the other day buying kielbasa because I'm Polish, and I don't think that I need a reason for buying kielbasa, and I noticed the "Meatloaf Mix" on display.  Half beef and half pork, it's the traditional mixture for meatloaf, and I thought that it was worth a try.

I followed my dad's example by adding whatever the hell I wanted, and in whatever amounts I wanted.  I didn't have cornflakes, but I did have Special K, so I used that.  It's a little sweeter than cornflakes, but I figured that it wouldn't be too noticeable.

Anyway, here are the leftovers.  How gross does it look?  I'm thinking... pretty gross.  But it was DELICIOUS.

But to be honest?  Mike has a point.  The more I say, "meatloaf," the more disgusting it sounds.  

Heather's Off-the-Cuff Meatloaf

preheat oven to 350 degrees
spray loaf pan with cooking spray

1.5 pounds ground beef or "meatloaf mix"
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 egg
1 cup cornflakes, lightly crushed  (panko breadcrumbs work well here, too)
ketchup - to taste (the more you add, the sweeter it gets)
mustard - to taste
2 tablespoons worchester sauce (or more - I love this shit)
seasoning mix (I use this one)
salt
pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  It's easiest to just use your hands, which is SO GROSS, but they really are your best kitchen tool.  Shape into loaf form and place in the loaf pan.

Cook in oven for at least 1 hour, or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.

I Made a Fucking Pot Roast

Step One:
Stuff that motherfucker with garlic cloves.

Step Two:
Sear on each side for 4-6 minutes a side.

Step Three:
Add water. Reduce heat. Cover.

Step 4:
Cook for three hours, adding water when necessary because that shit will boil down, I'm telling you.

Step 5:
Eat that motherfucker.

Quick and Easy Quesadillas

Mike wanted a quesadilla and I had never made one.  But because I buy rotisserie chickens all the damn time, I had some shredded chicken laying about.  I made a few guesses and threw things in a frying pan. It all worked out, and lunch was on the table in just minutes.

Lovely!

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
shredded cheese - amount chosen by YOU
2 whole wheat tortillas
1 tablespoon olive oil

Add olive oil to a cool frying pan and turn the heat to medium-high.  Assemble the tortillas on  a plate - tortilla, cheese, chicken, cheese, tortilla.  Slide the assembled tortilla into the pan.  Place a sheet of wax paper on top of the tortillas and weigh it down with a heavy bowl or pot. Fry for a minute or two (the cheese should be melted) and flip using the largest spatula in your culinary collection.  Add the wax paper and weight and fry for a minute more.

Slide onto a plate and cut into wedges.  I used a pizza cutter!

This is the specific quesadilla that I made for Mike - he likes things simple.  But nothing is stopping you from adding all manner of items, so have at it!

Spanish Omelette

After taking my mom to an incredible tapas restaurant for her birthday, I have been craving a version of the Spanish omelette we devoured.   CRAVING.  But I couldn't do it!

I couldn't do it because I didn't have a pan that could move from the stovetop to the oven, and I was afraid that even if I covered the handles in foil, they would melt and stink up the house to high heaven.  So I waited.  And craved.

And then I got a 30% coupon to Kohl's and decided that ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH GODDAMMIT.  I bought a cast iron skillet, because I didn't have one and always wanted one, and HOLY SHIT do you know how much work goes into those damn things?  This one was pre-seasoned, which sounds ridiculous and high maintenance, but I had to re-season it anyway because I washed it when I got home. Apparently that is a huge no-no, but I couldn't be fucked to read the fine print so whatever.

Traditionally, Spanish omelettes are made with olive oil, eggs, onions, and potatoes.  You'd think that it would be boring, but it so is not.  In fact, it really doesn't need much else.  I added a few herbs this time around, but only because they were growing on my terrace and were nice and fresh.

(Ha ha!  The wikipedia article says that a variation would be "without onions." Who in the hell would do that?!??!)

Spanish Omelette

6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
fresh thyme and rosemary, chopped (optional)
potatoes - peeled, quartered, and sliced lengthwise
1 large yellow onion
olive oil - and lots of it

Heat 3/4 cup of olive oil in pan.  Add the potatoes and cook until tender - about ten minutes. Add the onions and cook until almost tender/translucent.  Beat the eggs and add the chopped herbs, salt, and pepper.  Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir once.  Leave on heat for about a minute, then transfer to the oven.

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes.

Remove from oven and transfer to a plate to cut and serve.  Can be served hot or cold, by the way.  Both are equally awesome.

Balsamic Pasta

It was one of those days... I just wanted something fresh and simple, and I didn't want to spend an hour cooking. This dish combines so many things that I love, and when you add them all together, it's magic.  MAGIC.

Ingredients:
angel hair pasta
grape tomatoes, halved
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
fresh basil leaves
pine nuts, toasted
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Toast the pine nuts.

Heat olive oil in a pan.  Add the shallot and saute for a few minutes.  Add the chopped garlic and keep things moving so that the garlic doesn't burn.  Toss in some salt and pepper, to taste.  Throw in the tomatoes.  Press down on them gently to release the juices.

Add the pasta directly from the pot - if a little water gets in, that's okay. The starch from the pasta in that water will actually help thicken the light sauce.

Plate the pasta and drizzle the balsamic vinegar over.  Tear the basil leaves and sprinkle on top.  Finish with a sprinkle of pine nuts.  

Sprinkle!

Pizza. Deconstructed.

I was craving a BBQ Chicken Pizza the other night, but there was no way that I was changing out of my pajamas and back into real clothes to go to a restaurant or the grocery store, and there was also no way that I wanted to actually spend money of any kind.

It turns out that I had almost everything I needed on hand, which was miraculous, considering that I bought all of those things at random last weekend, but I didn't have pizza crust, nor was I going to make some from scratch.  The laziness was just too much for me. IT ABOUNDED.

But I did have a ton of brown rice.

So I took a chance, warmed it up, and... it was amazing.  AMAZING.

• short grain brown rice, cooked
• 1 cooked chicken thigh, chunked (I grilled mine on my nifty grill pan)
• fresh pineapple chunks
• 1 green onion, diced
• fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• barbeque sauce
• salt and pepper

Assemble and warm in microwave.  Can also be served chilled.  Brilliant!

And I'm sure that most normal people would add cheese, but cheese is the devil.  So I didn't.

Pasta with Asparagus and Peas

I've become absolutely OBSESSED with asparagus lately, and I've been eating it more than once a week.  It's incredibly good and makes my pee smell weird!  So there are many benefits, it turns out!

Again, my photography skills seem to have diminished over time, but I've also heard that there is an art to food photography.  Perhaps I have not yet discovered said art.  Also, I bought a cheap point-and-shoot camera at Target, and I remain convinced that the camera on my phone is actually better.  So, do with that what you will.

Anyway, the recipe!

~pasta, cooked to your desired consistency
~asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into thirds
~small onion, diced
~1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
~olive oil
~pine nuts, toasted

This recipe can easily be made for one for more - all you must do is adjust the amounts.  You can do that!

Add olive oil to a cool pan and turn on the heat to medium.  When oil is hot, add the onions.  Tend to them, but don't smother them with too much attention.  They don't like that.  If they get a little brown here and there, they'll only taste better.  And that doesn't happen when you're constantly stirring.  Once they've cooked for a few minutes, add the minced garlic and turn the heat to low.  If the garlic burns, you're screwed.  It will make everything taste acrid.

Incorporate the garlic and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally.

In a small pan on medium heat, toast the pine nuts.  Now pine nuts?  They LOVE to be coddled.  They are extremely high maintenance and need your constant attention.  If you leave them alone, they will burn.  ON YOUR WATCH.  So stir them and flip them, and once they get a little toasted, take them off the heat and out of the pan to cool.

There are two ways that you can cook the asparagus, and both have delicious results.  You can either add them to the onions as is, and saute them until they are tender, or you can throw them into boiling water for a few minutes before adding them to the onions to cook for a few more minutes.  Up to you!

Once the asparagus is tender, spoon over the pasta and sprinkle with pine nuts.  Voila!

Avocado and Mango Salsa

This is the best picture ever taken.

So the picture does not do this recipe justice.  This salsa is incredible.  IT'S INCREDIBLE, YOU GUYS.

1 mango, diced
2 avocados, diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
cilantro, chopped coarsely (to taste)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small red onion, chopped finely
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

olive oil
juice of one lime
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil (just a few tablespoons), lime juice, and salt and pepper.  Stir carefully to combine.  Serve with tortilla chips, ladle over chicken, whatever!

Peanut Dressing/Dip

I don't remember where I found the original recipe for this dressing/dip, but I've modified it enough so that I feel comfortable calling it my own. You guys, it's pretty awesome. I've used it as a dressing for an Asian noodle salad, as a dip for veggies, and as a marinade for chicken.

This is a quality picture, right?

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
  
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  
• splash soy sauce
  
• 1 tsp sesame oil
  
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
  
• 1/2 tsp lime zest
  
• juice of 1/2 lime
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 2/3 cup canola oil
  

In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients but the canola oil. When thoroughly combined, leave the blender/processor on low and slowly steam in the canola oil so that it incorporates completely.

For garnishes or additions on a salad or noodles or whatnot, you should definitely consider using the following:

1/4 cup scallions
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Poor Lazy Person Pasta

Ever have one of those days? You know, a day when you realize that all that exists in your freezer are your boyfriend's Lean Cuisines and a bottle of vodka? All you can find in the fridge is one bottle of Guinness and a half of a shriveled lemon, and the pantry consists of canned beans and microwave popcorn.

Today was one of those days.

Luckily, I was sort of prepared. I almost always have a few produce items on hand, so I was able to throw this dish together. And it was lovely.

Lazy Person Pasta

-Pasta that you discovered in the back of the pantry
-1 semi-shriveled onion that you left on the counter for several weeks, diced
-2 cloves garlic, also shriveled, diced
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-salt & pepper
-1/2 pint of grape tomatoes that have been sitting on the counter for three weeks
-10-15 leaves of basil that you stole from your sister-in-law's garden last night

Pine nuts would have been good here if I had some. Alas. Anyway:

~Cook pasta according to package directions.

~Heat the oil on medium heat and add the onion. Add freshly ground salt and pepper. Saute for several minutes and add the garlic. Saute together until the onions are translucent.

~Cut the grape tomatoes in half lengthwise and add to the pan. Stir them in and cover pan with foil. Lower the heat to low/simmer. Allow to steam for 7-8 minutes.

~Chiffonade the basil by layering the leaves on top of one another, rolling into a cigar shape, and thinly slicing to make a confetti of basil.

~Add the basil to each dish just before serving.

Chickpea Salad

Warning - This is pretty much the perfect recipe. You will want to make it ALL THE TIME and it is super good for you. Enjoy!

Also, I HAVE NOT A PHOTO of this dish, so you are going to have to TRUST ME.

Seriously, trust me. It's amazing.

And away we go!

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 scallions, chopped
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries*
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix well.

Serve with crostini or as a salad. Or eat it out of the container with the fridge door open. Because THAT'S HOW GOOD IT IS YOU GUYS I SWEAR.

*Note: The original recipe calls for pomegranate seeds, which are generally only available in the winter. I substituted dried cranberries, and the result is tart and sweet. That said, I can't wait until pomegranates are in season...

Green Beans with Eggs, Cilantro, and Pine Nuts

My latest issue of Food & Wine magazine had a ton of recipes I wanted to try, but this one was at the top of my list. It's amazing how the different ingredients complement each other. It's traditionally served cold, but I tried it when it was still warm. And it was wonderful.

There were a few alterations to my dish - mostly I omitted the spicy stuff and used pine nuts instead of walnuts. Because I didn't have walnuts.

1 pound green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Cook green beans in boiling, salted water for six minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

Melt the butter into the vegetable oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Pour in the eggs and scramble over medium heat to your desired done-ness.

Mix the eggs with the beans. Toss with chopped garlic, cilantro, and pine nuts. Serve warm or chilled.

Starchy Goodness

A great side for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, these potatoes are crispy, delicious, and super easy to make.

3-pound bag small redskin potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

-Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

-Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and gently pour onto a large baking sheet.

-Roast for 40 minutes, stirring/flipping potatoes occasionally. Serve warm.

Recipe from The Betty Crocker Cookbook

Peanut Chicken with Rice Noodles

I had a bunch of random ingredients in the fridge, and as I am practicing the whole "quit wasting food, you idiot" approach to cooking, I devised a nice little recipe in my head.

I've been craving Thai food lately, so the meal was going to take an Eastern route. To start, I brewed up a nice peanut sauce:

1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
fresh grated ginger (about an inch)
1 teaspoon chili oil (more or less, to your liking)(my liking is none)

Bring peanut sauce to a boil and then let it simmer. Now for the main ingredients!

1 package rice noodles (12 ounces)
3 cups shredded chicken (from a rotisserie chicken, if you'd like)
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups edamame, shelled
2 green onions, chopped
4 ounces bean sprouts
crushed peanuts
lime

Bring water to a boil for the rice noodles. Follow the directions for these, as they cook in just a few minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Next, cook broccoli florets in boiling water for a minute or less, depending on how crisp you'd like the broccoli. Cook shelled edamame in a separate pot fo boiling water. Chop up the cilantro and green onions.

Once the peanut sauce has reduced to a thickness of your liking, pour into a deep pan or wok. Add the cooked rice noodles, chicken, and vegetables. Toss together well. Add the chopped cilantro and mix in. Everything should be coated with the peanut sauce.

To serve, squeeze fresh lime juice over top and sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and crushed peanuts.

Saying, "No Thank You" to Mayo

For my first Thanksgiving at home in six years, I had one dish to make. One. And wouldn't you know, I managed to screw it up.

Well, I didn't screw up the dish, but I definitely slept in TWO hours too late, thereby ruining the super special timeline I had created in my head:

8:00 - Wake up, shower, dress
9:00 - Make recipe
11:00 - Leave for Mike's

The most annoying thing? I didn't even stay up that late. On the biggest bar night of the year, I was... cuddled in blankets on the couch. I had made a nice little dinner for myself, and I wasn't budging. Also, I easily fell into the "I am a complete retard" routine by watching an episode of House (which I have never watched before) that had me bawling great, big elephant tears and then rounded out the night with West Side Story on TCM. What the hell is wrong with me?

So I woke up at 10, barely leaving time to shower, let alone make the damn dish. I sheepishly called Mike and explained my (completely expected on his part) lateness, and that I would be there by noon, instead of 11:30...

...knowing full well that I probably wouldn't get there until after noon, because I had all manner of things to chop up, but I was hopeful.

But right, the one dish I agreed to make for Thanksgiving dinner. My dad requested broccoli salad. Fine. I had never tried it, but I had a vague idea of the recipe. I started my search for recipe inspiration on the Food Network's site, and the first dish on the list (and the highest-rated, sweet God) was this one by Paula Deen.

Now. If you watch the Food Network, you know that Paula Deen is not one for counting calories. The woman has simply never met a stick of butter she didn't like. Her broccoli salad recipe called for tubs of mayonnaise and God knows what else (the preliminary ingredients listing read, "vegetables, sugar, broccoli." So... huh?), and there was just no way I was cooking up that bowl of heart disease. My dad was already going to be eating thousands of calories that evening, so I figured I would try to make something a little more healthy and less artery-clogging.

I don't know why I didn't check 101 Cookbooks first, as the recipes I've made from that site have all been amazing. Sure enough, there was a broccoli salad recipe, and it looked fantastic.

Plus, I was taking half of the dish to Mike's parents' house, and while I didn't want to mess with tradition, the recipe looked too good to skip.

I went shopping for food on Tuesday night, anxious to avoid the insanity of Wednesday. I am really glad that I did, and Kroger almost pulled out the win. If it hadn't been for the lack of shallots and almond butter and the three Jonas Brothers wannabe boys following me around the store (seriously, skinny jeans? STOP IT), it would have been a perfect shopping experience.

(I think they wanted to ask me to buy them beer. Look nerds, if I wouldn't buy for my underage brother, what are your chances? Yeah, I was not a cool sister.)

Thursday morning, in a panic, I scrambled to finish each part of the recipe. I'm not a huge broccoli eater in my dad-to-day world, so preparing it is just something I guessed at. I'm sure that I ended up wasting a ton of it, but I got over it pretty quickly at the time.

Check out the recipe at 101 Cookbooks.

Finally, to my friends in DC, I hope that you all had wonderful Thanksgivings! I know that we had an amazing tradition going, and I hope that you all took as much from it as I did. I loved cooking for you guys each year, and I really missed you yesterday. I love my family and Mike's, and while I was over the moon happy that I got to spend the holiday with them, I missed my DC family. From the upside-down turkey to the shots of fat, I will never forget how much fun we had together. Love Actually forever!

Potatoes. Twice-like. Eat!

Just so you know, I'm not taking credit for this side-dish recipe (I found it online at some point). It's freaking awesome. When I had access to fresh herbs (i.e., my neighbor's herb garden), I made them for myself at least once a week. And after I made them for my dad's birthday, my parents flipped out and make them pretty often as well.

Twice Baked Potatoes

smallish redskin potatoes, similar in size
olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh or dried herbs like rosemary and thyme, chopped finely
(If you use dried herbs remember that they have more power than fresh - don't use too much!)

Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil. Place each of the potatoes on the sheet like so:


Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit.

Using a potato masher, smash the potatoes once or twice - flatten them out to about the size of a cookie.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and chopped herbs. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for twenty minutes (or longer if you want them crispier).

Mmmm... crispy.

They are SO GOOD. And you won't miss the butter. Besides, olive oil is better for you anyway.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

My brother got married this weekend, and I can't wait to tell you about it, but I made a great dinner tonight, and I needed to share it with you immediately. It's not the most beautiful looking plate of food, but trust me on this one. Because it's freaking awesome.

Years ago, I fell in love with a dish at The Cheesecake Factory, a chicken pesto pasta with mushrooms, pine nuts, and sun-dried tomatoes. It had a cream-based sauce, and though the portion was huge enough to feed me for days, it was still too fattening and too rich to make me feel good about myself.

(I'm not really that hard on myself, but I knew that there was a way to create a similar dish without sacrificing too much of my health. Besides, dairy makes my tummy mad.)

I've been really good about eating the many things that I've frozen in the last few months, like tortilla soup, pasta sauce, and , and I was needing something fresh. On a rainy day, comfort food seemed the only thing to hit the spot. I shredded about half of a rotisserie chicken, but I'm sure that sliced chicken breast would work just as well. Additionally, I lovepestos of all kinds, but I find that using both basil and spinach works well - it results in a slightly more mild pesto.

Pesto Chicken Pasta

For the pasta:
1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 package baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced into half moons
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
olive oil
8 ounces dry pasta, medium shells

olive oil and pine nuts, for garnish

For the pesto:
1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed tightly
1 cup fresh spinach leaves, packed tightly
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh grated parmesan

Remove about half of the chicken from a small rotisserie chicken and shred with your fingers or two forks. Set aside. You can freeze the remainder of the chicken for up to a month.

In a small pan, toast the pine nuts until golden. Set aside.

In a deep pan, drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Turn the heat to medium. Add sliced onions and mushrooms. Toss to coat in oil and reduce heat to low. Add a little salt. Cover, stirring occasionally.

In a food processor (or blender), blend the basil, spinach, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, and a little salt and pepper. When chopped finely, let the food processor run and slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture. When the pesto starts to pull away from the blade and stick to the side, it's about ready. Scrape the sides and pulse the blade a few times to make sure that everything is incorporated. Set aside.

Add the shredded chicken to the onions and mushrooms. Mix thoroughly and cover, keeping the heat low.

Bring water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. When cooked, turn off heat, but do not drain. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta to the chicken mixture. It's okay if it's not fully drained. Next, spoon the pesto atop the pasta. Slowly mix together, adding some of the pasta water a little at a time. In all, you'll add 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of water, depending on the consistency of the sauce you desire.

Lastly, mix in the tomatoes - you want them to be warm, but not runny. For each serving, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle pine nuts on top. You could add a little more parmesan, too, if you're into that sort of thing.

Have a glass of wine! Chardonnay, I would think.