Your Time to Cook

The Cookbook Bachelor, Robert Blakeslee, shows you how easy it is to prepare chicken pasta salad and a fabulous fruit tart! www.yourtimetocookblog.com

 

Chicken Pasta Salad

This recipe is perfect for the summer and has several variations.

Ingredients

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts

14.5 ounce can chicken broth

2 cups farfalle (bowtie) or rotini pasta, cooked and cooled

20 to 30 snow peas

2 green onions, sliced

¾ cup chopped red bell pepper

½ cup mayonnaise, or salad dressing

 

Brief description:I will talk about how to properly cook pasta, and how to make this dish with several variations while I prepare the dish. The chicken and pasta will already be cooked.

 

Directions

1.     Place the chicken and the broth in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the chicken 20 minutes or until it is no longer pink inside when you cut with the breast with a knife.

2.     Remove the chicken from the broth and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until cool. Cut into bit-size pieces and place in a large bowl.

3.     Chop up the red pepper.

4.     Slice the green onions

5.     Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water while stirring with your hands.

6.     Place the cooled pasta and all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Variations:

Shrimp pasta salad

Substitute 8 ounces peeled cooked medium shrimp (40 to 60 count) for the chicken

 

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Substitute 2 cups sundried tomatoes for the chicken, use Italian dressing instead of mayonnaise, and add ¼ cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese.

 

2 ^nd Segment –Fabulous Fruit Tarts

This recipe has two stages, one making the crust and one for the filling. I will discuss making the crust and have a brief demonstration with the ingredients. The main part of the segment will be making the pastry cream filling and putting the fruit on top. The hosts can help me design the tops with the fruit if they like.

 

Tart crust Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

Pinch salt

½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces

1 egg

¼ teaspoon almond extract

 

Directions

1.     Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl adding the butter last. Cut the butter into the ingredients with a pastry blender, or by stabbing it with a wooden spoon until the mixture resembles a crumbly meal.

2.     Gather the dough in your hands to form a ball of dough. Be careful not to knead or overwork the dough or it will become tough.

1.     Roll the dough out flat until it is a little less than a ¼” thick, and place the dough into your tart pan (or pans).

2.     Use a fork to vent the crust all over the dough, and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown.

 

Pastry Cream Ingredients

3 egg yolks

1 4 cup whole milk

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons Grand Marnier (optional)

 

Directions

1.     Place the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornstarch in a bowl and stir until the mixture becomes a thick yellow paste that is uniform in color

2.     Add the milk and whisk until well blended. Transfer the mixture to a pot over a medium-high heat.

3.     Stirring constantly with a whisk, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Continue to stir, simmer until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat, and let the mixture cool a bit before adding the Grand Marnier (if desired).

 

Fruit topping Ingredients

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 cup fresh blueberries