Chicken pesto pasta

So I just made a totally yummy Chicken pasta that I thought I would share.

1 pound wheat farfalle pasta
1 pound chicken breast
1/3 cup olive oil
about 4 ounces (or a good bunch) Arugula (reserve 20 leaves for garnish)
1/2 cup packed italian parsley
1/2 cup good, freshly grated parmesean reggiano
1/2 cup chopped and lightly toasted walnuts
4 cloves garlic
1 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/3 cup (or to taste) feta cheese
1/2 tsp salt
25 grinds pepper (to taste)


Cook chicken breast in olive oil (salted and peppered). We don't have a grill right now, so I just do this on the stove top. Put aside and let cool.

Turn oven to 350 degrees and toast chopped walnuts for about 5 minutes, or until they get a bit crisper.

Boil salted water. Add pasta. Cook about 10 minutes. Strain, lightly toss with olive oil and put in fridge.

Lightly chop garlic. Combine parmesean, garlic, chopped walnuts, arugula, parsley, salt and pepper in Cuisinart. Blend til finely mixed (6 seconds?). Turn on Cuisinart again and slowly start drizzling good tasty olive oil to create a pesto. Add more olive oil if needed to reach desired consistency. You don't want it to clump together, but become a smooth creamy texture. No more than 1/2 cup. Set aside pesto.

slice tomatoes in half and roughly chop olives. Slice chicken into 1 inch by half inch chunks.

Once pasta is cooled, add pesto. I didn't use ALL of the pesto made, but you can add the amount you like, to taste. Once mixed in, add feta, tomatoes, olives and chicken. Add 20ish arugula leaves for garnish throughout.

Enjoy!

Den Deli: Feels like home

We went to the Den Deli today, at long last. Sushi Den now occupies 3 of 4 corners on South Pearl, and it is a welcome addition. With the same quality fresh fish as Sushi Den, but devoid of the long lines and over-crowding. The menu consists of rice bowls, noodle bowls and sandwiches. At the deli counter you can also grab some pre-rolled sushi, a variety of salads and desserts.

I ordered the poke bowl, or tuna bowl. A deliciously light, marinated and cubed tuna with small bits of bell peppers and pickled daikon laid over rice and topped with kaiware sprouts. The meal also came with a bowl of miso and cost $10.95. Not bad when you consider you aren't paying for wait staff (although we still did leave a small tip). The food was as close as I've come to eating lunch in Japan as almost anything I've found in the United States. I highly recommend it.

Taylor had a kobe cheesesteak sandwich with carmalized onion and wasabi mayo, served with a side of french fries. Not your usual Den fare, but he was pleased with it nonetheless. The french fries, particularly, were good. The bread, however did leave something to be desired. But let's be honest...who besides Taylor goes to a japanese restaurant and orders a cheesesteak....

If you are interested in some excellent Japanese food for lunch, this is totally the spot. Next to try the noodle dishes and see whether they can rival Bones.