Chicken with Tortellini and Pesto

Another favorite in our house, Pesto and Pasta. I usually use a store-bought Pesto from WholeFoods Market. Why go through all the fuss in making fresh Pesto when you can get a good one for 6 bucks? Fresh pastas and pre-made Pesto are ubiquitous nowadays. People just love their pasta or carbs. What the heck, we love it too. We have pasta atleast once a week. My hubby never used to like Pesto but on our recent trip to Italy, our host Vincenzo prepared a pasta dish with Pesto for lunch and it was "Delicioso!" I've always tried to convince my hubby to eat Pesto and thanks to Vincenzo for converting my hubby. Now, it's a staple in our house. That's the importance of travelling, you expose yourself to different cuisines and ingredients that you don't normally have back home. But he'll never ever eat anchovies. He still puts them on my plate.

This dish is so easy to prepare especially when i'm too lazy to cook and do all the prep. All I have to do is boil water, cook the pasta, drain and add pesto, salt & pepper. While the chicken is just seared in butter. I also saute sliced baby Portabella mushrooms after searing the chicken, less clean up. For the boiled Broccoli, I blanch it first before cooking the pasta in the same water, that way I only use 1 pot. Then reheat the Broccoli in the microwave before serving.

Chicken with Tortellini and Pesto

2 Chicken breasts

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Salt & Pepper

Flour for dredging

1 Package Buitoni Cheese-stuffed Tortellini pasta

4 oz Store bought Pesto

Olive oil, some

Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

8 oz Sliced Mushrooms

3 tbsp Unsalted Butter

Boil water in a pot. Add salt and a little oil. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain in a colander and return to the pot. Add 4 oz. Pesto, add olive oil if too dry. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.

Clean chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder. Dredge in flour. Heat 2 tbsp butter. Sear chicken breast atleast 7 minutes on each side or depending on the thickness. Set aside on a plate. In the same pan, add 1 tbsp butter, saute the mushrooms, season with salt & pepper.

Sake Marinated Flank Steak

This is one of my favorite marinades for flank steak. I had served this many times and they all love it. You could really taste the sake plus the sweetness from the brown sugar. I found the recipe online and made some changes like I always do. Not all recipes you get online are accurate and to make it really mine, I have to alter some of the ingredients or the measurements. Oftentimes, I would just get an idea from several recipes, compare them and maybe combine the ingredients. If they turn out good, then it's a keeper. Guess, that's how some cookbook authors develop recipes by doing tests or experiments.
Anyway, I like to serve this with any stir fry Asian vegetables and steamed rice. I don't have to make a separate sauce coz the juice from the meat is more than enough to moisten and flavor the rice. I love the grill flavor and char on the outer part. It's just one of my favorite comfort foods.

Sake Marinated Flank Steak

5 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp Ginger, minced
1/2 C Soy sauce
1 C Sake, dry
1/4 C Brown sugar
2 T Balsamic Vinegar
Some Salt and Pepper
3.5 lbs. Flank steak, 1.5 inch thick

Blend all together and marinate meat preferably overnight. Take out of the marinade and pat it dry. Grill for 7-8 mins. on each side for medium.