Mexican-Style Chicken with Penne

Yah, you know how I said I was going to learn to bake bread this week? Hasn't happened. What HAS happened is lots and lots of ice cream. (I blame Mr. Lebovitz.) Lest you think I've fallen into the arms of my boyfriend, Ice Cream, in my spouse's absence, I'd like to say that I meant to make Guinness ice cream for the Super Bowl, but it didn't happen... and since I already had my ice cream maker attachment in the freezer... I thought I'd take advantage of it. :)

I've made the executive decision to wait to photograph and share with you until my husband comes home. Otherwise, I might eat all the evidence. And it would be soooo worth it. (Should you feel the need for ice cream made at home, I can't suggest the Peanut Butter or Roasted Banana flavors enough.) To top them off, I'll make DL's Classic Hot Fudge later in the week. :)

Anyway, enough about ice cream - let's talk about Mexican-Style Chicken with Penne, shall we? This dish has made me a chicken thigh convert. I'd always shunned them, because thighs are dark and weird and usually hard to get to. I'm lazy, therefore, I like chicken breasts, right? Not anymore. The thigh meat was so tender and delicious, I considered reserving all the leftovers for my repeated weekday lunches. I didn't, though, I shared with Dave, cause thats the nice wife I am. (But I won't tell if you choose to hoard this.) This meal fed two adults, with seconds, and two lunches each.

The only changes I made were to add extra corn, an extra chipotle or two, and some extra spoonfuls of adobo. Those quantities are really up to you and your personal love/hate of smokey spiciness.

The whole thing came together really quickly and in a way that felt like cheating. Meaning, how is it that in almost no time at all, this amazing dinner ready for us to fall in love with? Science is crazy, sure, but this is magic. The cheese and cilantro are key, so even if you have to use a different cheese, don't leave it out.

*Edit: O yah! Pop over to Joey's site, 80 Breakfasts, for the HHDD #17: Pizza Roundup and your chance to vote!

Mexican-Style Chicken with Penne
c/o Food and Wine Magazine, February 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/mexican-style-chicken-with-penne

Adding a small amount of canned chipotle chiles in adobo (available at most supermarkets) makes a basic tomato sauce smoky and complex. Finishing the dish with queso blanco and chopped cilantro leaves intensifies the Latin flavor.

3/4 pound penne rigate
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large garlic clove, minced
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 large chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and minced, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/4 pound queso blanco or mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (1 1/3 cups)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente. Drain the penne.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add it to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until the onion is softened and the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, chipotle and adobo sauce and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper and cook until the corn is heated through, about 1 minute.

Add the penne and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the sauce and toss to coat. Add 1 cup of the queso blanco and toss. Transfer the pasta to bowls, sprinkle with the remaining queso blanco and the cilantro and serve.

See the recipe...

Ice Cream Fight!!!

Since we had already-made frozen bolognese for dinner, and I planned it that way, I saved the gelato and ice cream I made over the weekend for tonight's post. Yay ice cream!

I'd gotten David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop early last week and I couldn't wait to stuff my ice cream attachment thingamabob into my too-small freezer. I made the bases Friday and Saturday night, and whirred them Saturday and Sunday mornings, respectively.

We had 5 (sigh, only 5) chocolate chip cookies left from Thursday (relax, I took half to work Friday), so I made two ice cream sandwiches with the gelato. Next time, I'll plan a little better and I'll skip sharing with the co-workers! (sorry!) :)

Gianduja translated to me, just based on ingredients, into chocolate hazelnut. (Which is my fav. flavor from the gelato bar at Whole Foods), so it was an easy first choice. Next time, I'll follow David's suggestion and I'll mix in some chocolate swirls. I might also work hazelnuts into the mix. Yanno, just get crazy.

I know what you must be thinking next - goat cheese? Really? And I can happily tell you, its good. It is! It's like a tangy cheesecake ice cream. It freezes a little more solidly, so thaw it a bit before you try to dig into it. I'm going to try to keep it around to this weekend, when I make my mom a blueberry pie... I think the pie and the goat cheese ice cream could be friends, don't you?


Gianduja Gelato
From: The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments
By David Lebovitz
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Scoop-Sorbets-Granitas-Accompaniments/dp/1580088082/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3962652-3548104?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179016241&sr=8-1

1 ½ cups (185 g) hazelnuts, toasted
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
¾ (150 g) sugar
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
4 ounces (115 g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
5 large egg yolk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Rub the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to remove as much of the papery skins as possible, then finely chop them in a food processor or blender.

Warm the milk with 1 cup (250ml) of the cream, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Once warm, remove from the heat and add the chopped hazelnuts. Cover and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Put the milk chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Heat the remaining 1 cup (250ml) cream in a medium sauce pan until it just begins to boil. Pour it over the milk chocolate pieces and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set a mesh strainer over the top.

Pour the hazelnut infused milk through a strainer into a medium saucepan, squeezing the nuts firmly with your hands to extract as much of the flavorful liquid as possible. Discard the hazelnuts.

Rewarm the hazelnut-infused mixture. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm hazelnut mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over a medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through a strainer and stir it into the milk chocolate mixture. Add the vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in a refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

And:

Goat Cheese Ice Cream
From: The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments
By David Lebovitz
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Scoop-Sorbets-Granitas-Accompaniments/dp/1580088082/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3962652-3548104?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179016241&sr=8-1

1 ½ cups (375 ml) whole milk
2/3 cup (130 g) sugar
8 ounces (230 g) fresh goat cheese
6 egg yolks

Warm the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. While the milk is warming, crumble the goat cheese into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the goat cheese. Keep stirring until the cheese is melted, then stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

See the recipe...