Tasty Tuesday

As I mentioned is the last post, Tuesdays are set aside for recipes.  

One of my favorites comes from Creme de Colorado, a cookbook my mother gave me when I got married.  It's easy peasy and versatile enough to substitute/add/subtract whatever your heart desires.

Chicken Scampi
4-6 servings

What you'll need:

half cup of butter
quarter cup of olive oil
quarter cup finely chopped green onions
one tablespoon of minced garlic
juice of one lemon or generous splash of white wine
two pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into half-inch pieces
one teaspoon of salt
half a teaspoon of ground black pepper
quarter cup of fresh minced parsley
one tomato, chopped

pasta, gnocchi, rice, quinoa, egg noodles, or whatever you want to serve the scampi over

What to do:

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and butter together.  Sauté the green onions and garlic for about a minute, then add lemon juice or wine, the chicken pieces, salt, pepper, and parsley.  Continue cooking, stirring continuously for 5-8 minutes until the chicken is done.  Turn off the heat and add the chopped tomatoes, stirring them into the mix so that they warm through.  Serve over pasta, rice, etc.

Notes:
I love adding seasonal veggies to this dish, tossing in a cup of sliced zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, or make it vegan by omitting the butter and using chopped fresh cauliflower instead of chicken.  My mom likes to omit the butter and cut down the amount of olive oil to make it low fat, or using chicken broth instead of oil for sautéing.  It is really easy to tweak to suit your personal preferences.  And it's blessedly quick to throw together.  From prep to finished product, I doubt you'll spend 30 minutes making it happen, and it's free of processed junk.  Well, depending on the base grain you choose, of course.  It pairs beautifully with dry-ish white wines and spring greens tossed salad.  

Want a painfully easy vinaigrette for the salad?  Whisk together a half-tablespoon of seasoned salt (I prefer Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Salt), a quarter cup of olive oil, and an eighth cup of your vinegar of choice (balsamic or raw apple cider vinegar are our favorites).  Taste it and adjust the oil/vinegar/spice ratio to suit your personal tastes.