By the Cookbooks

      I love chicken, pasta and zucchini, so any dish with all three in one makes me a very happy person. This also adds leeks, which I am not familiar with.     Ingredients      1 tsp of kosher salt     1/4 cup olive oil     1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch strips     2 medium leeks     1 lb of spaghetti     1 lb of zucchini, cut into 1 1/2 thick matchsticks     Pinch of crushed red pepper     1/4 cup of basil     1/4 cup of Italian parsley     1/2 cup of grated Grana Padano Directions     Bring a large pot of water to a boil.     In a large skillet add 2 tbs of olive oil over medium-high heat.     Season the chicken with salt and cook in oil. Toss for about 2-3 minutes until chicken is done cooking. Remove chicken from skillet.     Lower heat to medium and add two more table...

    We all know the Pixar movie. The little rat running around helping a chef make the best version of this dish. I remember seeing it in theaters. So when I saw I had a version of the dish in my cookbooks, I had to try it! Ingredients     3/4 cup of olive oil, divided     3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks     1 small celery root, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks     3 stalks of celery, cut into 1 inch chunks     3 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks     1 lb of sunchokes, peeled and halved     1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks (only need 1 lb)     3 small onions, cut into 6 wedges each through the root end     2 tsp kosher salt     Ground black pepper     4 anchovy fillets, chopped     4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled     8 fresh sage leaves     3 tbs of tomato paste ...

     I love pasta, and I love mixing up how I serve pasta. I'm normally not a big spaghetti fan, might have to do with how Giada pronounces it on Food Network, not sure, but I really wanted to try this sauce.      This recipe also has pancetta in it, which is my favorite addition to a good pasta dish. Ingredients     1 lb of spaghetti     2 tbs of olive oil     4 ounces of pancetta, chopped     4 large eggs     1/2 cup of grated Parmesan     Salt and pepper for seasoning     3 tbs of parsley Directions     Cook spaghetti according to packaging.      Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, and add oil and pancetta.     Brown pancetta for about 3 to 4 minutes.     Meanwhile, mix together eggs and Parmesan. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper.     Drain the excess grease off of pancetta.     Add...

    I am all about soup. The more soups I can try, the better, and this soup was brand new to my pallet.    This recipe is an overnight recipe, so be prepared for that. Ingredients    1 lb of dried great northern beans    4 cups of low sodium chicken broth    1 lb of thick cut bacon    1 onion, finely diced    2 large carrots, finely diced    2 celery stalks, finely diced    4 garlic cloves, salted    2 tbs of tomato paste    2 bay leaves    3 roma tomatoes Directions    1. Put the pound of beans in a large bowl, and cover them with at least 2 inches of water. Let them soak overnight.    2. Drain the beans and place them in a large pot.    3. Add the broth and 4 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.    4.  Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet. Once done, set bac...

     Sheet pan dinners are wonderful. Its the protein and sides all taken care of in one dish and its just a beautiful thing when you want to be a little lazier.      There's so many sheet pan chicken dinners, that its nice to see one that mixes it up a little bit and have a good marinate. Ingredients     1 cup of olive oil     1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar     5 garlic cloves, minced     1 tsp of dried parsley flakes     1 tsp of dried basil     1 tsp of kosher salt     1 tsp of black pepper     4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts     5 or 6 roma tomatoes     1 lb of green beans     2 tbs of fresh parsley Directions     In a bowl or pitcher, mix oil, vinegar and garlic.     Add dried parsley, basil, salt and pepper.     Put chicken in a large plastic zipper bag and pour half the mixture over it. ...

    I've started a new cookbook! This time I'm going into Pioneer Woman's Come and Get It! book.     I got this book for Christmas, and easily found dozens of recipes I want to try. Fun fact about my culinary history, when I was first out on my own trying to learn how to cook, I remember watching a Pioneer Woman episode, seeing a recipe I knew I could make and successfully made it.     That recipe was egg in the hole, this one is veggie tortellini soup. Ingredients    8 cups of vegetable or chicken broth Pre-cream mixture    1 6 oz can of tomato paste    1 10 ounce package of frozen mixed veggies    1 9 oz package of fresh cheese tortellini    1/2 cup of heavy cream    1/2 tsp of parsley flakes    1/2 tsp of dried basil Directions     In  a medium pot, bring the broth of a simmer, over medium heat.     Add the tomato paste, and stir until it is...