Girls Night!

 

(great photo from http://godofscrumprecipes.tumbler.com)

Ah, Girls Night. The one time a week I get to really indulge! Good friends, good food, and (sometimes) time away from my home and family when I can just kick back and be me. Of course, when I host, I don't get away from my home and family, but it's still more fun than the average week night! Plus, I get to try and share NEW recipes! Three in all, last week...a new record! Blame Pinterest. Anyway, here's what I made:

Spinach-Artichoke French Bread Pizza (adapted from Rachel Ray)

1 baguette, quartered or "eight-thed"
2 Tbl butter
2 Tbl olive oil
one onion, finely chopped
1-2 tsp. dried minced garlic (or 2 cloves, finely chopped)
salt and pepper
3 Tbl flour
1 1/2 cups milk
one 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
one 8-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange bread slices on baking sheet.  In a medium skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. 

 

 Whisk in the flour for one minute, then whisk in the milk.

 

 

Pull the spinach apart and add to the sauce.  Fold in the artichokes and cook until heated through.  Stir in the parmesan and mozzarella; season with salt and remove from heat.  Spread the spinach and artichoke mixture on the bread and bake 10-12 minutes. Mmmmm!

 

 

These were originally intended as an appetizer, but we ate them with our pasta (see below).

 

Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs and Lemon Marinated Chicken (and Cherry Tomatoes) a/k/a "Summer Pasta"
(adapted from the Goddess of Scrumptious Recipes)

500 grams spaghetti pasta (cooked al dente)
1 pound chicken breast fillets (sliced into 1 inch chunks)

For the chicken marinade:
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)

Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinade for 20 minutes (if making this dish in pronto) or over night (if making this dish the next day… much better).  Saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.

For the garlic gravy:
½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced, or 2-3 tsp. dried, minced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup parsley, chopped (to sprinkle/finish the pasta)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups whole cherry tomatoes

Place sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.  Saute garlic until fragrant and soft.  Add the flour and cook for a minute.  Add chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened then add the chopped basil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss with the cooked spaghetti.  Add the cherry tomatoes and finish the dish with the chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese (serve extra on the side).

 

Such an awesome summer pasta dish! I am definitely making it again! The garlic gravy was delicious, and the marinated chicken was out of this world! Yum, yum, yum!

 

And, of course, we had a tasty dessert! Girls night is the only time my girlfriends and I routinely make dessert for after dinner. This quick, easy treat was a big hit:

Strawberry Brownie Bites (taken from www.foodnetwork.com)

one box brownie mix, prepared with egg, oil and water using package directions
strawberries, quartered (I'm thinkin' red raspberries would be great too!)

Pour prepared brownie batter into greased mini muffin tins. Top with quartered strawberries and bake 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!