J. Rusolo Ward

What a crazy day!  I woke up at 1 AM to find my son had the chills and a high temperature.  Since he’s prone to seizures, we took him to the ER.  Four hours, a bunch of medicine and x-rays later, we were told he has pneumonia.  Not something that you want to hear, but at least it can be treated.

He’s resting at my side.

We must have had about two hours of sleep last night.

Keeping in mind that people eat an additional 385 calories of fatty food when they don’t get enough sleep, I decided to try something new.  We had fruit and buttered bread for breakfast.  Then, instead of having a small lunch and a normal sized dinner, I made a huge lunch.  Hopefully, it will stop us from snacking.  Dinner will be something light – I haven’t decided what yet.

I “created” a dish based on my grandmother’s cappelletti (it’s a hat shaped pasta referenced in Vale House) stuffing.  I thought I’d share it.

PASTA WITH CHICKEN AND PROSCIUTTO

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts cut into cubes (I use Coleman’s organic chicken – it’s more expensive, but when I buy the non-organic chicken, I find it’s more fatty, and it shrinks in size)
• 1 t of fresh sage, chopped
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• Rind of one lemon, grated
• Juice of one lemon
• Ground Nutmeg to taste (I use about 1 and ½ tsp)
• Black pepper to taste
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 6 oz. prosciutto, chopped
• ½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (the pre-sliced one has cellulose in it, besides, my mother always grated her own cheese, as did my grandmother, so who am I to break with tradition?)
• Pasta of your choice.

Directions:

1. Cook pasta as directed on package (if you’re making this for someone who is on a gluten-free diet, just substitute white rice).
2. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  When it’s warm – you can smell the oil when it’s ready, mmm so yummy.  Add the chicken and pepper.  Sauté for about 5 minutes, until chicken is white.  Stir in lemon rind, nutmeg, and sage.  Stir in egg.  Pour in the wine, broth, and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil, scrapping bottom of pan.  Continue cooking until liquid reduces.  Add prosciutto.
3. When pasta is done, strain it, add it to the chicken mixture, stir in cheese.  Remove from heat and serve warm.  This recipe served 5 (my little guy isn’t up to solid food), with leftovers.

I put salt in the pasta water, but I don’t add it to anything else.  There is already enough flavor.

I served the pasta with a salad of fresh cucumber and sweet peppers.  Why that combo?  The kids like it.  I made a simple dressing of chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley, 1 t extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp lemon rind, and fresh grated black pepper.

There was watermelon for dessert.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are good for the liver.

I use a lot of dishes and pots when I cook.  Having all the ingredients measured out before I start cooking keeps me from forgetting an ingredient, or scrambling around to find it causing me to leave the food unattended.  I had the foresight when I was first married to make a deal with my husband – whoever cooked didn’t have to cleanup.  Dishes are for him and the kids to worry about.  If you like cooking, I recommend a similar arrangement.  You’re welcome.

In case you’re wondering, no one has been snacking.

Buon appetito!