006: cranberry pineapple chicken pasta salad

this is an all inclusive dish: fruit, protein, and pasta! and delicious to boot. as usual, i do this on a per serving basis, given that i do most of my cooking for one. for me, this made one dinner and one lunch as leftovers. cook time was about half an hour.



equipment:
3 qt sauce pan
knife
measuring cups and spoons


ingredients:
1 c. pasta (i used rotini)
1/2 t. rosemary
1 T. olive oil
1 chicken breast (1/4 lb.)
1/2 c. chopped pineapple
1/2 c. dried cranberries (craisins)
1/2 c. parmesean or swiss cheese


steps:
1.) cook pasta according to instructions on box. add half (1/4 t.) of the rosemary to the water. when cooked and drained, pour olive oil over top and stir it in to cooked pasta (this is to keep it from sticking). chill.

2.) poach chicken breast, adding the other half (1/4 t.) of the rosemary to the water. when done, cut into bite sized pieces. add to pasta, and chill.

3.) cut pineapple into bite sized pieces. add pineapple, cranberries, and cheese to chicken and pasta when the chicken is cool. serve.


time: 30 minutes
difficulty: 2 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦◊◊ (3 stars out of 5)
suggestions for variation: add pieces of cooked bacon to the pasta salad. use crushed red pepper instead of rosemary, leave out the craisins, and sprinkle chili powder over the top.



enjoy!
-kl

b: cutting pineapple

ok, so we've all seen them (and possibly taken pictures with them), but let's face it: most of us have no idea what to do with a pineapple once it's bought. well, here is a short tutorial for the easiest way that i have found to cut a pineapple.



1.) remove the top frilly part of the pineapple (just twist or cut it off), and slice the pineapple from the top down into quarters.




2.) lay each quarter down on its side (spiny part down), and slice the hard middle part off of the top of the pineapple. do this for all 4 quarters.




3.) with the spiny side still down, make vertical slices about 3/4" apart. then, if you want, you can make one slice lengthwise down the middle. this will create smaller, more bite-sized pieces.




4.) finally, slice along the bottom to separate the pieces from the spine. you're done! now wasn't that easier than trying to "skin" or peel it? happy eating!
-kl

004: plátanos fritos (fried bananas)

this is another popular spanish dish, and is typically served as a dessert, though it could also be a snack or side as well. it is super easy, and pretty darn scrumptious. *NOTE: i have this recipe set up on a per banana basis, though you could feasibly expand it to pretty much any number of bananas you want. a note, though: only prepare as many as you can eat, as they do not store well.* prep time is about 5 minutes, and cook time is less than 10.



equipment:
skillet
knife
1/4 c. measuring cup
small bowl
spatula


ingredients:
1 T. margarine or butter
banana (still slightly green--barely ripe)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. orange juice


steps:
1.) melt margarine or butter in skillet while cutting banana into 1/3" chip like pieces.

2.) add banana chips to melted margarine or butter.

3.) let simmer for 3 minutes, flipping once. mix brown sugar and orange juice in separate bowl and add to banana in skillet.

4.) let simmer 5-10 minutes or until mixture is caramelized. serve hot.


time: 15 minutes
difficulty: 1 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦♦♦ (5 stars out of 5)
serving suggestions: serve with any or all of the following: drizzled in honey; sprinkled with cinnamon; sprinkled with nutmeg
suggestions for variations: try with pears, pineapple, even oranges. be creative!


enjoy!
-kl