Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce

Ingredients :

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound chicken (chicken breast or tenders)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano, basil - combined)
• 5 medium tomatoes, chopped in large cubes
• 1 cup cooked spinach
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 (maximum 1/2 teaspoon) crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 bacon strips, COOKED, DRAINED OF FAT, AND CHOPPED
• 1 and 1/3 cups half and half
• 1 and 1/3 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 10 oz penne pasta (for gluten-free version, use gluten-free brown-rice penne, such as Tinkyada)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving

Source : juliasalbum.com

Cooking Tips : 

Cooking Secrets That Will Turn You Into A Master Chef

Cooking is a skill that can always get better. Even professional cooks could learn some new advice, in order to assist them in the kitchen, and make the experience more fun. Cooks who are new to the kitchen should also learn tips that help to make cooking simpler. Read the following advice to learn more about how to cook.

Remember, the smaller the item, the higher the baking temperature. Small cookies will bake on a higher temp than a full cake would. Make sure to double check your recipe to find out the exact temperature it needs to be. You don't want to prepare a perfect item only to have it burn or be under cooked.

Easy measuring cup clean up. Many baking recipes call for sticky ingredients such as butter, honey, syrup or peanut butter. Instead of having to wash out a gooey mess every time you need to reuse the measuring cup, spray the inside of the cup with non-stick cooking spray. The ingredients will slide right out and you can reuse the measuring cup right away!

Garlic is one of the more pungent odors that you will ever experience, and you will want to have tricks to get rid of it as soon as possible. Here is a suggestion, after you cook something with garlic, rub your hands on the base of your stainless steel sink for a minute to eliminate the pungent odor off of your skin.

Always bring your steaks to room temperature before cooking them. A steak that is still cold in the center will not cook as evenly as one that is brought up to room temperature. Usually taking them out one hour in advance will get them to the proper temperature at cooking time.

An easy way to experiment with combining savory flavors in the kitchen and not spend a lot of money in food waste, is to turn your ideas into an omelet. Eggs, especially egg whites, are fairly flavor-free and provide a great "canvas" on which to "paint" the ingredients you want and then combining into a dish. Small batches of scrambled eggs that you can fold your ingredients into, will also give a neutral background for your flavor taste tests.

Cooked turkey freezes beautifully, as does stuffing. When making a big holiday meal, be sure and make plenty so you not only have enough for turkey sandwiches, but to enjoy another turkey dinner in a month or two, without all of the work. Use a spare 9" X 13" pan that you line and divide with aluminum foil into two or three compartments. Cut some turkey for one compartment, add some stuffing in another and if you would like, leftover mashed potatoes can be put in the third compartment. Drizzle some gravy over everything you desire, cover with aluminum foil and freeze. When ready to enjoy turkey again, or perhaps when pressed for time and out of ideas for dinner, grab the pan from the freezer and place in the oven at 350 degrees. Remove the foil from the top of the pan after 45 minutes, bake uncovered for another 15 to 20 minutes and enjoy!

If you are having a big party, one of the worst things that you can do is to put dressing on the salad. Since the salad will sit out for a long time, it will probably get soggy after a while. Instead, leave an assortment of dressings out for people to choose.

Shelling pecans can be really challenging. Make it easier by soaking them in a cup of water and put the cup into the microwave for 5-6 minutes. It is always possible to soak the pecans into boiling water to get the same effect. Hot water makes the shell softer and easier to crack.

You should use applesauce when baking if you want to cut back on the amount of calories the baked good contains. The applesauce will not change the texture or flavor of the baked good. It will cut back on the number of calories that are in the baked good. It will also add fiber to the food.

When making a dish that needs to contain garlic, purchase the best and most fresh garlic you can. Fresh garlic has a sweeter, less pungent taste when compared to stale garlic. You can identify fresh garlic by its lack of bruising and firm skin.

Marinate meat in a bag. A lot of recipes call for meat to be marinated in a dish for a few hours, turning occasionally. This can be frustrating, as the meat is never completely coated by the marinade. A better way is to throw the meat and marinade in a ziploc bag, remove as much air as possible, and shake well to coat the meat. Place it in the fridge and simply flip the bag occasionally.

Preparing macaroni can be more difficult than you think, so be sure to use and follow this guide to assist you. The mac and cheese never fails to turn out wonderfully when you do it right. Then the smooth cheese sauce melts evenly over the noodles. When serving the macaroni with cheese, a good faced spoon works best. Sprinkle some pepper on top for added spice, and enjoy!

Save your leftover sauces, and freeze them into ice cube trays. When you're looking for a quick meal, the sauce cubes are easily tossed into a frying or sauce pan to reheat. By keeping the frozen sauce in smaller pieces, the sauce thaws and heats quickly, and your family thinks you spent all day making a homemade meal for them!

You can cut the fat in your cooking by following a few simple steps. You should invest in good non stick cook ware so you do not have to use as much shortening or oil when you are cooking in the pans. Also measure the shortening that you are going to use, people tend to use too much.

Even veteran cooks should always be willing to learn new cooking techniques that will make their experience in the kitchen simpler and more enjoyable. New cooks should prepare for failure and be confident in their successes. Try these tips to see how much they help you with your cooking. You will enjoy being in the kitchen much more.