Last week I wrote about Michael Pollan’s New York Times Magazine article calling on us all to reclaim the art of cooking, particularly the variety promoted by the likes of Julia Child. I love Julia Child — use many of her cookbooks — but also know that the days when parents have the time to make complex dishes on a daily basis are gone.
Pollan’s article fails to recognize that there’s lots of healthy, fresh, “real” cooking that can be done daily, without the athleticism and dramatics he suggests are fundamental to the art. Once in a while recreating a Julia dish is a wonderful exercise, but to say it’s the “best” way of cooking will drive lots of people back to take-out or processed foods. What we need is to create a new paradigm of cooking that uses great, simple ingredients to prepare quick, easy dishes that even people who don’t enjoy cooking can get behind.
This recipe is a good one for a night when you simple cannot fathom a lot of prep. It can be made even simpler by using pre-cut or frozen broccoli florets. The key here is to get the best ingredients you can, since there are so few.
Penne with Lemon Chicken and Broccoli 1 onion, sliced 2 tbsps light olive oil 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks juice of 1 lemon1 lb whole wheat penne, cooked according to package
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
In a deep skillet, cook the onions in the olive oil until soft. Add the chicken and brown all over; cook for a minute or two more, then add the broccoli florets. Add the lemon juice and saute for another few minutes, making sure the chicken is cooked through. Add the penne to the skillet and mix through with the extra-virgin olive oil. Can be served hot or at room temperature.
Related links — more quick, healthy recipes using fresh food from around the web:
- Home-cooked Meals That Are Quicker Than Ordering Out from Chow.com.
- Healthy in a Hurry: Five Farm Fresh Dinners from Eating Well.
- Easy Weeknight Dinners from When Falls the Coliseum; scroll down for the whole series and lots of good ideas.
- Lots of Fast and Fresh recipes from Sunset.com.
Recipe looks great – I do something similar, without the chicken that is a fast, simple and healthy dinner. Adjust the amount of pasta to suit the number of people you are feeding.
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets,
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice
salt
dried chili flakes to taste
parmesan cheese
pasta (spaghetti is best)
Put the water on to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. When there are about 2 minutes of cooking time left for the pasta, toss in the broccoli florets. Meanwhile, lightly sauté the garlic in the olive oil and add the chili flakes – do not brown. When it is ready, drain the pasta and broccoli and return to the pot. Add the sautéd garlic and olive oil to the pasta and broccoli, toss to coat and then add the lemon juice. Toss again, and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.