Creamy Chicken Alfredo

It's been raining and cloudy here in The South for the last week or so and even though the temps are still in the 80s and the humidity is as thick as ever, if I stay inside and just look out the window, I can almost convince myself that Fall has arrived.  The weatherman says that maybe next week we'll get some cooler, fall-like temperatures;  we'll see if he's right.

For now though, just the idea that Fall is on its way with football games, Halloween, and the changing leaves...my brain automatically switches over from summer-food to comfort food, no matter what the weather is like outside.

I made this Creamy Chicken Alfredo the other night--after a long day of grey skies and stormy weather...and it definitely settled itself into the yummy-fall-day-comfort-food category.  I'm ashamed to admit that I'd never made homemade Alfredo-sauce before...for some reason the possibility of it separating and having a grainy texture had always been intimidating to me.  But this recipe was super quick----I had it on the table in about 35 minutes--and it tasted great with no separating.  Not bad for a new recipe.  I doubled the Alfredo sauce and put the extra sauce over noodles and served with steamed broccoli.

T-Man's Review: Can we have this again tomorrow?

Creamy Chicken Alfredo (adapted from Easy to Bake, Easy to Make)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves (about 4 ounces each) (next time I'll pound these flat a little too so they cook more evenly)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided (or use butter for a richer flavor)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used fresh shredded Parmesan because that's what I had)
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place flour in a shallow dish or pie plate.  Sprinkle chicken with salt; dredge chicken in flour until coated.  Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil (or butter) in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot.  Add chicken; cook, turning once, until golden, 2-4 minutes per side.  Remove chicken from skillet; place in a 9x13-inch baking dish.

2. Heat remaining olive oil (or butter) in same skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add garlic and onion; cook until garlic is fragrant and onion is tender, 1-2 minutes.  Increase heat to medium-high; add whipping cream, Parmesan and pepper.  Cook until sauce is bubbly and slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.  Spoon sauce over chicken in dish.

3. Bake chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of chicken registers 180 degrees, 8-12 minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley.

Marinated Zucchini with Bow Ties

This dish showcases the glorious tastes of summer vegetables. You could add diced cooked or grilled chicken or even some pepperoni to make it an entree. I think some cheese (parmesan, pecorino-romano) would be good in this salad as well.  My friend, Garnet, brought this to a barbecue; I thought it was delicious and got her recipe. Enjoy!


Marinated Zucchini with Bow Ties

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 medium sized zucchini, sliced into bite size pieces
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 lbs cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil (more or less to taste)
3 Tbs. wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 box bow tie pasta (I like the mini ones. But big ones work too.)
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
Heat 2 Tbs. olive oil in frying pan. Add garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and zucchini. Toss to coat, then cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer zucchini into large stainless steel or glass bowl and stir in tomatoes, basil, vinegar, remaining salt, and pepper. Cook pasta as directed. Drain and toss in with marinated zucchini and 1/4 cup olive oil.