I’m in San Francisco right now, after the California Chili Cook-Off in Lodi. (More about that in another post.) Last night, Sarah, our chef-daughter, cooked dinner. Originally she planned to go to the grocery store, but ultimately decided to clear out her refrigerator. Needless to say, her made-up dish using leftovers and odds and ends turned out to be better than anything I could have cooked. The dish combines chicken and pork chop (left over from my chili cook-off venture) with pasta in a simple but delicious sauce seasoned with herbs de Santa Fe*. The side dish was a tomato and burrata salad with an herb vinaigrette. It was a delicious dinner with very little fuss.
* Herbs de Santa Fe is a mix of lavender, rosemary, thyme, savory, fennel seed, basil, and marjoram. You could substitute Italian seasoning.
Impromptu pasta
Here’s the impromptu pasta recipe:
RECIPE
Impromptu Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons schmaltz (rendered chicken fat)
- 2 pork chops, cubed
- cooked chicken (breast and thigh), cubed
- herbs de Santa Fe*
- 1 pint hard apple cider
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- kale, chopped
- button mushrooms, sliced
- red onion, diced
- pasta cooked al dente, drained
- salt and pepper
- Parmesan
Method
- Heat the schmaltz in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and chicken, browning lightly. Stir in the herbs and hard cider and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a very slow boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add lemon juice to taste.
- Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add the kale, mushrooms, and red onion. Sauté until cooked through. Set aside.
- When the cider has reduced, stir in the sautéed kale, mushrooms, and red onion. Add enough pasta to suit your taste. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. Top with freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.
From the Family Table 