I was going to make this up for supper tonight until I heard the
remarkably loud sound of running water. I thought Someone was messing
around with the water faucets outside and decided that wasn't likely.
Shortening an off-topic story, the water softener sprung a high pressure
leak that left water all over hell and gone in the laundry area of the
basement. If I were neater and didn't have clean clothes in varying
stages of disarray, not so much would have gotten wet. Everything did
and we've spent the last 3 hours cleaning up the mess. I am mindful
that it could have been *so* much worse. Blech! Everything's getting a
quick wash‹‹again. Feh.

So, this is not going to be for tonight's supper after all. My initial
thought about this was that I wouldn't use so much chicken and would
plan for one meal and maybe lunch for one. Then I got to thinking that
I might as well make the whole thing and have two meals (three?). I
thought about freezing some of it.

That's my question‹do you see anything here that would weigh against
freezing for future enjoyment. Or should I just plan to eat it a couple
nights apart?

I plan to do it tomorrow. And I plan to use evaporated 2% milk instead
of the heavy cream. Shoot me. And I won't use nearly that much
Parmesan cheese -- half a cup at most; maybe less.

Angel Hair Pasta with Mushrooms and Artichokes

Recipe By: Posted to r.f.c. by Barb Schaller, 3-19-2010, who got it from
some website Alex knows when.

Serving Size: 4? 6?

1 lb. Fresh angel hair pasta
1 cup Fresh shitake mushrooms thinly sliced
4 cloves Garlic minced
1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
4 Chicken breasts skinned boned, cut into
1-inch pieces
1 cup Flour
14 ounces Canned artichoke hearts drained and
quartered
1/2 cup Sweet vermouth
1 cup Chicken broth
1/8 cup Fresh lemon juice
1 cup Heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese Grated
1 teaspoon Dried tarragon


Cook pasta, drain well. Set aside, and keep warm.

Cook mushrooms and garlic in oil in a large skillet over medium-high
heat, stirring constantly, until tender. Remove mushrooms and garlic,
reserving oil in skillet; set vegetables aside, and keep warm.

Dredge chicken in flour; brown chicken in oil in skillet over medium
heat. Remove chicken, reserving drippings in skillet; set chicken
aside, and keep warm.

Add artichoke hearts to drippings; cook over medium-high heat, stirring
constantly, until golden. Remove artichoke hearts, reserving drippings
in skillet; set artichokes aside, and keep warm.


Add vermouth to drippings in skillet; cook over high heat, deglazing
pan by scraping particles that cling to bottom. Add chicken broth and
lemon juice, and simmer 1 minute. Add mushrooms, garlic, chicken and
artichoke hearts.

Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese; bring just to a boil. Reduce heat,
and simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly. Place pasta on a large
serving platter, and top with chicken mixture.

Sprinkle with tarragon, and serve immediately.






Notes:



Notes: From some web site.





--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller
Gumbo 3-11-2010

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> That's my question‹do you see anything here that would weigh against
> freezing for future enjoyment. Or should I just plan to eat it a couple
> nights apart?
>
> I plan to do it tomorrow. And I plan to use evaporated 2% milk instead
> of the heavy cream. Shoot me. And I won't use nearly that much
> Parmesan cheese -- half a cup at most; maybe less.
>
> Angel Hair Pasta with Mushrooms and Artichokes

While I would never have thought to do so myself, I guess its worth a
try? I mean, Michalena's frozen dinners from the freezer section of the
market seem to know how to freeze pasta, right? Make sure it's nice a
saucy.... sauce can cover many sins in texture on thawing.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> I was going to make this up for supper tonight until I heard the
> remarkably loud sound of running water. I thought Someone was messing
> around with the water faucets outside and decided that wasn't likely.
> Shortening an off-topic story, the water softener sprung a high pressure
> leak that left water all over hell and gone in the laundry area of the
> basement. If I were neater and didn't have clean clothes in varying
> stages of disarray, not so much would have gotten wet. Everything did
> and we've spent the last 3 hours cleaning up the mess. I am mindful
> that it could have been *so* much worse. Blech! Everything's getting a
> quick wash‹‹again. Feh.
>
> So, this is not going to be for tonight's supper after all. My initial
> thought about this was that I wouldn't use so much chicken and would
> plan for one meal and maybe lunch for one. Then I got to thinking that
> I might as well make the whole thing and have two meals (three?). I
> thought about freezing some of it.
>
<snip>

We freeze pasta dishes all the time without a problem. Go for it!

Sorry about the leak and glad you were home to catch it. Years ago when
I was living in PA, a pipe broke in the basement while I was away on a
cruise. Fortunately I had a sump pump that kept things from becoming a
major disaster... but it was a real mess.

George L

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> Shortening an off-topic story, the water softener sprung a high pressure
> leak that left water all over hell and gone in the laundry area of the
> basement.

My sympathy.

>
> So, this is not going to be for tonight's supper after all. My initial
> thought about this was that I wouldn't use so much chicken and would
> plan for one meal and maybe lunch for one. Then I got to thinking that
> I might as well make the whole thing and have two meals (three?). I
> thought about freezing some of it.
>
> That's my question‹do you see anything here that would weigh against
> freezing for future enjoyment. Or should I just plan to eat it a couple
> nights apart?

Recipe snipped.

Won't the sauce break if you freeze and thaw it? Will HWMBO eat it?
(It DOES contain cheese, after all...)

I think I'd vote for make it all, eat for two dinner meals.

BTW, it has snowed like a demon here all day today (more in te mts.) so
be prepared for a storm about Sunday or so.

gloria p

"Melba's Jammin'" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...

> I might as well make the whole thing and have two meals (three?). I >
> thought about freezing some of it.
>
> That's my question > freezing for future enjoyment. Or should I just plan
> to eat it a couple > nights apart?

I may just shoot you. Evaporated milk instead of cream sounds just awful in
a delicate chicken dish. I can taste that stuff from a block away. Why not
use light/table cream instead?

You will not be happy if you freeze this pasta. All pasta tends to go mushy
in the freezer, but angel hair is so fine it may disappear to gum. If you
want to freeze it, use a much sturdier pasta like rigatoni, elbows, penne,
etc.

Why cut half the cheese? I think BTW it is time to quit the volume
measurements for Parmigiano, because if you grate using a Microplane, half a
cup is almost nothing, whereas if the grate is the old fashioned grate or
the FP, it's quite a lot more. I now say 1 ounce, (which is roughly 1"
cube) or 25 g or similar because then I know it won''t matter how the cheese
is grated.

I would freeze the chicken and sauce. I'd make some fresh pasta
when I was ready to eat it.

Tara

In article >,
Tara > wrote:

> I would freeze the chicken and sauce. I'd make some fresh pasta
> when I was ready to eat it.
>
> Tara

Sure. Freezing the pasta was never in my plan. But you didn't know
that. Thanks, Tara. :-0)


--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller
Gumbo 3-11-2010

In article >,
"Giusi" > wrote:

> "Melba's Jammin'" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> ...
>
> > I might as well make the whole thing and have two meals (three?). I >
> > thought about freezing some of it.
> >
> > That's my question > freezing for future enjoyment. Or should I just plan
> > to eat it a couple > nights apart?
>
> I may just shoot you. Evaporated milk instead of cream sounds just awful in
> a delicate chicken dish. I can taste that stuff from a block away. Why not
> use light/table cream instead?

All RIGHT, then! LOL! Half and half is certainly an option. I often
use evaporated milk in "cream" soups. <ducks and runs>
>
> You will not be happy if you freeze this pasta. All pasta tends to go mushy
> in the freezer, but angel hair is so fine it may disappear to gum. If you
> want to freeze it, use a much sturdier pasta like rigatoni, elbows, penne,
> etc.

I should have mentioned my intention to freeze the sauce only. The idea
of freezing pasta (except for macaroni in a hotdish) sounds icky to me.
Not to worry about that.

>
> Why cut half the cheese?

Because Someone I feed regularly doesn't "do" cheese for fear of death
by cholesterol levels. (The levels are fine, btw, but you can't be too
careful.)

I think BTW it is time to quit the volume
> measurements for Parmigiano, because if you grate using a Microplane, half a
> cup is almost nothing, whereas if the grate is the old fashioned grate or
> the FP, it's quite a lot more. I now say 1 ounce, (which is roughly 1"
> cube) or 25 g or similar because then I know it won''t matter how the cheese
> is grated.

I prefer a weight measurement, myself.

Thanks, Judith.


--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller
Gumbo 3-11-2010

"Melba's Jammin'" > ha scritto nel messaggio
news:barbschaller-
> "Giusi" > wrote:

> I should have mentioned my intention to freeze the sauce only. The idea >
> of freezing pasta (except for macaroni in a hotdish) sounds icky to me.
> Not to worry about that.
>
>>
>> Why cut half the cheese?
>
> Because Someone I feed regularly doesn't "do" cheese for fear of death >
> by cholesterol levels. (The levels are fine, btw, but you can't be too >
> careful.)

Oh you can, you certainly can. All examples that spring to mind are not for
family hour, but... I think that a great cheese addition often makes smaller
portions more satisfying because, well, it's gooder.

Ok, this all sounds better now and I think I will be able to sleep.
Having girlfriends to Sunday lunch tomorrow to celebrate spring. I am
making cheesecake, which only one of them had even heard about. Good old
Philadelphia was on sale, and so was Fage Total Greek yogurt.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article >,
> Tara > wrote:
>
>> I would freeze the chicken and sauce. I'd make some fresh pasta
>> when I was ready to eat it.
>>
>> Tara
>
> Sure. Freezing the pasta was never in my plan. But you didn't know
> that. Thanks, Tara. :-0)

Ah, I'm happy to hear that too
I'm always baffled when people bother to do that when making it fresh is
so easy? Same with rice.

In article >,
"Giusi" > wrote:

> "Melba's Jammin'" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> news:barbschaller-
> > "Giusi" > wrote:
>
> > I should have mentioned my intention to freeze the sauce only. The idea >
> > of freezing pasta (except for macaroni in a hotdish) sounds icky to me.
> > Not to worry about that.
> >
> >>
> >> Why cut half the cheese?
> >
> > Because Someone I feed regularly doesn't "do" cheese for fear of death >
> > by cholesterol levels. (The levels are fine, btw, but you can't be too >
> > careful.)
>
> Oh you can, you certainly can. All examples that spring to mind are not for
> family hour, but... I think that a great cheese addition often makes smaller
> portions more satisfying because, well, it's gooder.
>
> Ok, this all sounds better now and I think I will be able to sleep.

Praise Alex! Whew!

> Having girlfriends to Sunday lunch tomorrow to celebrate spring. I am
> making cheesecake, which only one of them had even heard about. Good old
> Philadelphia was on sale, and so was Fage Total Greek yogurt.

Sounds good. What will you serve with it? Any sort of topping? Coffee?


--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller
Gumbo 3-11-2010

"Melba's Jammin'" ha scritto nel messaggio
> "Giusi" > wrote:

>> Having girlfriends to Sunday lunch tomorrow to celebrate spring. I am >>
>> making cheesecake, which only one of them had even heard about. Good old
>> Philadelphia was on sale, and so was Fage Total Greek yogurt.
>
> Sounds good. What will you serve with it? Any sort of topping? Coffee?

The rest of the meal is heavy, so the cheesecake is plain. It is the only
one they will ever have tasted, so they might as well taste it, sì? I
didn't make my old recipe because it serves 16, but made a simpler recipe I
cut off the back of a Honey Graham's crumb box. Saod crumbs disappeared
maybe six years ago, but I've found some fatfree cookies here that work OK.
It serves 8, so it's the lunch then the neighbors. Nothing to disturb the
diet tomorrow. Espresso is always offered and sometimes accepted after a
meal here, but not with dessert, after it.

We're trying a new Sicilian artichoke risotto, very zippy. Then stinco di
maiale (uncured pork hocks) cooked in beer. A variety of vegetables cook
under the pork, like carrots, leeks and eggplant. A turkey breast wrapped
in pancetta with rosemary and rotisseried. Tiny roasted potatoes I bought
on weekend trip. I grew up in Maine and never knew potatoes could taste so
good.
Then the cheesecake. Introducing America, one dish at a time.

On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:15:04 -0400, Goomba >
wrote:

>I'm always baffled when people bother to do that when making it fresh is
>so easy? Same with rice.

I do freeze rice when I have any leftover. The Chinese restaurant
always delivers a big container of plain white rice with our order. We
usually already ordered fried rice, so the plain white rice goes in
the freezer. It's easy to pull out for a quick dinner.

Tara