Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Pasta

Call us crazy...

Fair warning...you will probably think so after reading this.

MGG and I like to take time for lots of little getaways. Something that is weekend doable, not quite too far from LA and worth the drive. We just want to get a mental break and relax...

Needing a much deserved break we were looking for somewhere different to go and landed our sites on Palm Springs, CA. Here comes the crazy part. If you don't know anything about Palm Springs well, it's located in the dessert.

In the middle of nowhere really. So hello? it's summertime right? What were we thinking of? Going to stay in the dessert in the middle of summer with temps of 115 degrees. Yikes! Crazy huh!

Well really it wasn't all that bad, and we did go to relax. We ended up staying at the JW Marriott Dessert Springs Resort and Spa in Palm Dessert and it was just wonderful. They have a lake that's pretty large. They offer boat rides around the lake and will shuttle you across the lake to your dinner reservation. Way cool! The grounds were really nice and we got to try several of the restaurants and bars. The food was amazing at The Rockwood Grill which overlooked the lake and the pools. MGG had a Beet Salad that was almost too pretty to eat. It was outstanding, and it even had homemade goat cheese which was just the icing on the cake. I had the Rotisserie Chicken Salad which I loved. It was a southwestern take on a salad with cilantro chipotle dressing that was killer!

So we relaxed by the pool, took in some sites and shopping and then sadly, had to return home. That's the sad part about short weekend getaways...not wanting to go home. Off we drove back to LA and back to reality.

We made it home is record time and once again, I decided to turn to a quick weeknight meal for our dinner. With what I had on hand I whipped up a wonderful dish I call Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Pasta. It's actually a riff off of my recipe for Mediterranean Lemon Chicken. I loved the sauce so much that I just made it again, but created a pasta dish with different veggies and chicken and put it all together with the wonderful lemon sauce.

You are gonna love this sauce and this quick and easy dish. MGG practically inhaled it, which is always a good sign. He even asked for seconds! Make sure to try this one, it's a keeper!



Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Pasta

serves 4-6

8 oz of linguine
3 T olive oil
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
8 oz of sliced mushrooms
1 large zucchini, cut in half and sliced
2 T flour
1 14.5 oz can low sodium chicken broth
1 t lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
1 t fresh thyme, chopped
salt & pepper
Fresh grated Parmesan

Cook linguine in boiling water according to package directions.  Meanwhile heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add chicken pieces and cooks until just browned.  Add tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.  Cook until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.  

Drain pasta and keep warm.  Add flour to the skillet and cook 1 minute, stirring into vegetables.  Add the chicken broth, lemon zest, juice, and thyme to skillet.  Bring to a boil and allow to cook 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens.  Add pasta to skillet and stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper to taste.  Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

  

Beth's Downtown Club

I have always loved a good sandwich, especially for lunch on the weekend.

MGG and I invited some friends over this weekend to hang out by the pool and have lunch alfresco.
Even though it's majorly hot outside sitting by the pool, taking the occasional dip seems to make things better.

So for a casual get together I decided to make a favorite sandwich of mine from way back.  The Club Sandwich has been around forever, but you don't seem to see it too often. A few weeks ago I saw one on the menu at Corner Bakery and it reminded me of how much I really love this sandwich. All the layers, textures, and flavors just work.  So I set out to my own version of their Uptown Club by using my favorite meats and ingredients.  

Buy the freshest ingredients you can find, great bread, and thinly sliced deli meat.  This makes for a fabulous tasting sandwich.  Served along with a big bowl of various fruits, potato salad, and some ice tea or beer and you are set. All our guests enjoyed the meal.  I even got a "This is the best sandwich ever!" compliment.  Don't you love that?

But don't take my word for it. Judge for yourself.

Enjoy!



Beth's Downtown Club

makes 1 sandwich

2 slices of bacon
3 slices of country bread
1 large lettuce leaf
2 oz deli thin sliced turkey
2 slice swiss cheese
2 slice of tomato, thinly sliced
2 oz deli thin sliced ham
3 slices of avocado
mayo
mustard

Cook your bacon in a skillet over medium heat, until brown and crisp, turning once.  Remove from skillet to a paper towel and set aside.  Toast your slices of bread until golden brown.  On one slice of bread spread one side with mayo.  Add the lettuce, sliced turkey and top with bacon pieces.  

On the next slice of toasted bread add mustard to one side of the bread.  Place the bread mustard side up on the sandwich.  Add the cheese and tomato slices, sliced ham and avocado.  With the last piece of bread spread mayo on one side and place that mayo side down on the sandwich.  Cut in half on the diagonal and serve.

Old Fashioned Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - Lightened Version

In honor of National Ice Cream Month I've made two different homemade ice creams!

Two basic flavors that can't be beat...vanilla and chocolate.

Today I'm sharing with you the vanilla recipe.  This is an old, old recipe that I got from my mom.  It originally came from her cousin Maxine.  The note on the index card said, "One of the best vanilla ice creams" so I had to try this out.  

This ice cream is Philadelphia Style ice cream, which contains no eggs, and doesn't involve cooking the mixture. This style is quick and easy to make.  You'll have the mixture made in no time which means....ice cream that much faster! Don't you love that?

I decided to lighten this recipe up a little bit by using fat free half and half and using a sugar substitute blend. To give it more pizzazz I used ground Tahitian vanilla bean which imparted flecks of vanilla throughout the ice cream.  It turned out so pretty! 

The overall results were that this ice cream is a winner! Creamy and smooth, both MGG and I love it.  I could hardly wait for it to set up in the freezer.  I really wanted to just dip my face in the bowl and eat it but I refrained myself.  It really is that good.

So try this version and let me know what you think.  You can always substitute full fat half and half and all sugar in equivalent amounts to obtain luscious results.

Enjoy!


Old Fashioned Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - Lightened Version

2 cups whole milk
2 cups fat-free half and half
3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons Splenda Blend)
2 teaspoons vanilla, vanilla paste, or ground vanilla bean

In a medium bowl whisk all ingredients together until sugar dissolves.  Pour into a bowl of an ice cream freezer.  Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.  Trans

fer to an airtight container.  Cover tightly and freeze several hours until set.