Sunday, November 23, 2008

Chicken with Creamy Bacon Penne, and an “Oh Deer” moment

It’s true what they say, it doesn’t rain but it pours. Not only am I still having problems with my arm, but last week, Mick hit a deer on his way to work. He was driving on a two-lane highway, with a 55-MPH speed limit, when the deer ran right out in front of him and stopped. He had no chance to brake, or swerve to avoid it. The deer went right across the bonnet (hood).

The result:
Damage to Mick – zero
Damage to car – bad, but repairable
Damage to deer – terminal.

At first glance, the car doesn’t look too bad, but one headlight is smashed, the bonnet (hood) is dented and warped, and the side panel is cracked and hanging loose. But at least Mick was only shaken, not stirred, and that’s the main thing. Still, one cannot help but wonder, what else is going to go wrong?

On a brighter note, my latest article for Oklahoma Living Magazine can be found here:

http://www.ok-living.coop/Feature_3.php

The article is about a recent visit to a local arts center called, Hungry Holler, home of renowned artists, Jan and Marc Meng. Jan is a self confessed gourdphile, who creates beautiful works of art from homegrown gourds. The article shows some of her work on exhibit in their small rustic gallery. If you’d like to see more, check out their web site at: http://www.hungryholler.com/

Marc is known as the Zen Spoonmaster as he lovingly handcrafts cooking utensils from woods such as maple, wild cherry and walnut. Each spoon he creates is totally unique and will last a lifetime. Also the spatulas are made for right and left handed cooks.


I have begun my own collection as you can see below, and will be adding to it on my next visit. Why not treat yourselves this Christmas? You’ll be glad you did, these spoons are a pleasure to work with.




Anyway, without further ado, on with the recipe.

This is another recipe from the BBC Good Food magazine, so kindly sent to me by Beth at: http://jamandclottedcream.blogspot.com/

I did make a few alterations to the recipe, the main one being I didn’t cook the bacon with the chicken. American bacon is of poor quality compared to British bacon, and cooking the two together would have resulted in a lot of bacon grease. Also the quantities of wine and cream seemed a bit stingy, so I increased those. The result was fabulous. Mick absolutely loved this dish, and pronounced it a definite keeper.

Chicken with Creamy Bacon Penne



Serves 2

Ingredients:

5 slices thick bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil, and a little drizzle
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup heavy cream
8-ounces penne pasta
Black pepper, to taste

Directions:
  • Boil pasta for 5 minutes, drain into a colander, drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent it sticking together.
  • In a large skillet, over a medium high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside on paper towels to drain. Drain bacon grease from pan, but don’t wipe or clean pan.
  • In same skillet, heat olive oil over a medium heat, and cook chicken for about 5 minutes each side.
  • Pour in wine and allow to bubble until half the wine has evaporated.
  • Add peas, cream, penne, and bacon to skillet, and season well with fresh ground black pepper. Do not add salt as the bacon already creates a salty taste.
  • Cover pan and cook for a further 5 minutes, until chicken is thoroughly cooked and all other ingredients are heated.

Serve immediately. Yum!












12 comments:

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

So glad that Mick is ok! Think of it being fortunate that he didn't get hurt...nothing else will happen as you have had enough. Great recipe and I love the spoons. Hope your arm is better soon.

Pam said...

Hey there! I must have missed this post before. Anyway, I think I have one of his spoons. If he displayed at Paseo Arts Festival in OKC a few years ago, then I'm sure I do!!! Hope you are getting better!

Paula said...

Oh Jan, I'm so sorry your arm is still acting up. And how awful and scary that accident must have been for your hubby. They say that trouble comes in 3's, so between you, the cat, and your hubby I'd say you're good to go now!

Loved your article! I really enjoyed both your writing style and the subject matter. I followed the link to their site, too. I couldn't find anything on the spoons (bummer -- they look amazing!).

Now, onto your recipe ... YUM! I love this! I like how you increased both the cream and wine, and penne is such a great pasta shape. Yum, yum, YUM!

Beth (jamandcream) said...

This is a favourite in our house too!

Jennifer said...

Jan, that looks delicious and I NEED some of those utensils thanks for featuring them!

The Blonde Duck said...

The chicken is wonderful! I'm glad Mick is ok! It's always a shame when a poor deer wanders astray...

The Blonde Duck said...

The chicken is wonderful! I'm glad Mick is ok! It's always a shame when a poor deer wanders astray...

The Blonde Duck said...

The chicken is wonderful! I'm glad Mick is ok! It's always a shame when a poor deer wanders astray...

Lakeland Jo said...

sorry to hear about the Deer incident, sorry to hear that your arm is still sore, and sorry to here that you are having a bad run generally. I am sure you are on the up now though. Take care

Emily said...

Oh gosh, that pasta looks good.

Sorry he hit a deer! That's so scary. I'm scared that's going to happen to me. There are so many deer in this area.

Pam said...

Poor Mick I am so glad he wasn't hurt. No more bad is coming your way - only good things! ;-)

I read your article - you are a very talented writer Jan. The gourds are so cool and those spoons are beautiful. I'll be showing my husband that website for Christmas ideas.

On to the recipe. Beautiful. I could eat way to much of that pasta - love the sauce.

Hope the arm is doing better. Happy Thanksgiving!

Raquel said...

That recipe looks fab. I clicked on that site - but cannot find a link for the spoons. Would love to have one. Much love, Raquel XO