The ideas just keep getting better!
You know, there comes a time in every person’s life when they have to really face the harsh reality that the tolerance level for lactose is only going to get worse. It will never get any better. You take lactaid and allow yourself to think that if only you have a bit of cheese and ice cream here and there, that it will be okay. It never does. You still feel heavy and bloated and always ask yourself why did you do you continue to do this to yourself. Do you know what I mean or am I alone in this? I know I’m not, you guys are just too afraid to admit it.
I’ve made vegan fettuccine Alfredo made with cauliflower sauce as the substitute for Alfredo sauce. That was really good and awesome, but the cauliflower flavor isn’t as smooth and delicate as I like sometimes. I thought of several ways to make a creamy and healthy sauce for pasta that will be a bit smoother and more delicate like I want and I thought, “Why not use…yogurt?” I was very hesitant to use yogurt at first because I didn’t know what would happen to it when you add heat into the equation. Then I thought how I sometimes make oven fried baked chicken and I coat it with yogurt and it comes out just fine. Nevertheless, I went for it. I am so happy I did. My fiance and I loved it! You can’t tell its yogurt at all. All the yogurt does is pacify the craving for a creamy sauce texture. There is no cheese at all! I know yogurt still can contain some diary and by all means, use soy plain yogurt and Gardein’s Chicken-less Chicken strips to make the dish completely vegan. Yogurt doesn’t upset my stomach so that is why I used the regular stuff. It is good, I promise and its a quick meal you can put together for a week night dinner.
Pan Crusted Chicken with Creamy Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 boneless chicken breast
- 2 c. flour
- 3 large eggs, whisked
- 3 c. panko bread crumbs
- 3 tbsp. olive oil, more for drizzling
- 1 lb. fettuccine
- 8 oz. asparagus (frozen and unthawed)
- 8 oz. sweet peas
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (cut into halves)
- 1 1/2 c. plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
- 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Take each chicken breast and place in a Zip Lock bag. Taking a rolling pan, gently beat the chicken breast until it is slightly thin. Once each chicken breast has been beaten, season with salt and pepper on each side.
- In a medium pan, begin to heat up the olive oil on medium heat. Dredge each chicken breast first through the flour, then through the egg wash, and finally through the bread crumbs. Cook each chicken breast for 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Set aside on a plate lined with paper towel to slightly cool and then cut into strips. Leave aside.
- Cook the pasta until al dente. Before draining the pasta reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and return the pasta water back into the pot with pasta and cover with lid. Set aside.
- Rinse out the pan you used to cook the chicken because you are about to use it again. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and cut the asparagus spears into thirds discarding the bottom wooden-like part (leaving only the top part of the asparagus tip and the middle section). Drizzle a little more olive oil into the pan on medium heat. Place the peas, tomatoes, and asparagus pieces into the the pan on medium heat and saute for 5 minutes until cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the veggies into the pot with the pasta. Toss to make sure the veggies are evenly distributed throughout.
- In a medium bowl, add the yogurt, olive oil, basil and oregano leaves, minced garlic, and salt and pepper and whisk thoroughly. Pour the yogurt inside the pot with the pasta (if you would like it more saucey then double the recipe). Toss to make sure the pasta is evenly coated.
- Fork some of the pasta onto a plate and top off with strips of the chicken. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper and serve.
Leave a Reply