Cavey’s Chicken Ziti

Been so long sice I answered the bell for a new recipe, I’m feeling a lot like Ferris Bueller … “Caveman? Caveman? Caveman?”. But, I am coming out of my self-imposed hiatus with a true winner – my baked chicken ziti. Super easy to make; incredibly delicious; freezable for future meals; and, with Fall setting in, it is a meal that will stick to any Neanderthal’s ribs. What else could you want? For those that replied, “You to make it for me.”, dinner is at 6:30pm. 😉

INGREDIENTS

6 Cups Cavey’s Italian Sauce
1 Pound Ziti
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
6-7 Slices Provolone Cheese
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1.5 TBS Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1.5 TBS Dried Italian Herbs
1 TBS Minced Garlic
1 TBS Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Prepare 6 ups worth of Cavey’s Italian Sauce and set aside. Shred mozzarella cheese and set aside.

Cook the Ziti according to directions on package. Be sure to cook it “a la denté” … slightly underdone, as it will continue to cooking when we get to the baking stage. Drain well.
NOTE: If you can’t find Ziti, Penné, Rigatoni, or other short pasta tubes will work just fine.

Return Ziti to pot, add 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup of the Italian sauce, and gently stir in evenly. Set aside.

Cut chicken into large bite-sized pieces. In a large skillet, warm olive oil, quickly sauté garlic, add chicken, Italian herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until almost done.
NOTE: Don’t overcook or it will get dry during baking.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup of the Italian sauce and continue to sauté for another minute. Then, remove from heat and set aside.
HINT: Once you have your sauce simmering, most of the remaining steps above can be done simultaneously. It’s a real time saver!

Take a large, deep baking dish butter it well. Place a layer of half the pasta evenly into the dish. Evenly distribute half the cooked chicken and cover with half the remaining sauce. Completely cover with slices of Provolone cheese.

Now, evenly distribute the remainder of the pasta, chicken and sauce (in that order). Cover with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Preheat oven to 350°, cover baking dish, and place into oven for 20 minutes. Then, uncover baking dish and place back into the oven for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven when cheese begins to bubble and the edges are golden brown. Let stand for 5-10 minutes (Yes, I realize it’s difficult to not just dig in. But, you need to let it set up).

Spoon into plates and serve with garlic bread and a salad. YUMMMMMMMMM!

HINT: For a vegetarian version, just remove the chicken from the equation, or add Gardein meatless chicken strips, instead.
HINT #2: This is a great dish to make ahead of time. You can either refrigerate it unbaked for up to 3 days, or freeze unbaked for up to 3 months. Just be sure to cover it well.

Prep Time = 45 minutes
Cooking Time = 30 minutes
Serves 6-8

©2017 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Homegrown Lunch

BLTT (Bacon Lettuce Tomato & Turkey) with homegrown tomato and lettuce. YUMMMMMMM!
(Can’t see it on the backside, but there’s a homemade spicy dill pickle on the plate, too!)

©2014 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Today’s Bounty

I know it has been a while since I posted anything here … I’ve been a very bad Caveboy! 😉 Though, I do have some new recipes to post up here in the very near future. In the meantime, thought I’d share what we picked out of the garden this morning. Believe it or not, this was actually a “slow” day!

Freshly picked Serrano Peppers, Sweet 100, Husky Red, Celebrity, and Better Boy tomatoes.

©2013 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Garden Bounty

Just picked from the Cave garden:  Heirloom Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, and Red Bell Pepper (picked early).  Is there anything better than the flavor of fresh home-grown veggies?

©2011 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Mangocado Salsa

This ain’t your Mama’s Mango Salsa … that is, if she ever even made it! Delicious on fish, with tortilla chips, or just by the spoonful!! 😉 Best of all, this is super easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

1 Large Mango
1 Large Avocado
1 Medium Tomato
1/2 Medium Sweet or White Onion
1 Teaspoon Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Lime, juiced

RECIPE

Dice mango, avocado, tomato and onion.

Place diced ingredients into medium sized bowl. Add cilantro, cumin seeds, and lime juice.

Gently stir all ingredients together until mixed well.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This is great as a side dish, appetizer, or just munching it solo! Served here with fresh grilled Sockeye Salmon (I bet you can’t guess what the next recipe will be! :lol:)

Prep Time = 15 minutes
Cook Time = n/a
Serves 6-8

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Gnarly Cali Combo Burgers

Mission: Take Poppa Mike’s Legendary Gnarly Burgers to the next level.
Mission Status: Accomplished!

INGREDIENTS

1 Poppa Mike’s Legendary Gnarly Burger Patty
1 Hot Dog (any brand is fine … as long as it’s Hebrew National)
1 Hamburger Bun
1 Slice Cheese
1 Slice Fresh Tomato
1 Slice Sweet Onion
1/4 Avocado, sliced

RECIPE

Prepare one Poppa Mike’s Legendary Gnarly Burger patty.

The great thing about these burgers is that if you make too many, and if you aren’t having a dozen hungry people over you will make too many, you can freeze them and throw them directly onto the grill another time. Hence, the use of some hockey-puck-hard burgers here.

Throw burger onto the grill and cook as usual. Just before you flip your burger, put the hot dog on the grill.

Just before the hot dog is completely done, butterfly-cut it lengthwise. Place onto grill, center-side down.

Place cheese onto burger (any type is fine, but there is something to be said about the flavor combo the good old American slice gives this burger). As cheese begins to melt, cut dog in half crosswise. Place hot dog halves side by side on top of cheese and leave on grill until cheese is sufficiently melted.

Place combo burger onto bun prepared with avocado, tomato, and onion slices. Add condiments to taste.

SIDE NOTE: Chances are, when you are having a BBQ with burgers and dogs, you are going to have, at least, one of each. So, why not combine them into one great sandwich? You won’t miss the extra bun, and the flavor combination will make you wonder why you haven’t tried this before. The only downside is that everyone who is having a plain burger or dog will want a bite!

Prep Time = 15 minutes
Cook Time = 10-12 minutes
Serves 1

©2009 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Caveraeli Salad

Our culinary journey to the Middle East continues with a Cali-Caveman’s take on the classic Israeli Salad. The great thing about this recipe is that it compliments many Western dishes, as well. A tasty, delicious, refreshing salad that works especially well in the warm weather months.

INGREDIENTS

1 Medium Cucumber
1 Medium Tomato
3/4 Medium Avocado
1/4 Sweet Onion
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Italian Flat Leaf Parsely, minced
1/4 Tsp Celery Seeds
Juice from 1/3 to 1/2 Fresh Myers Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Dice cucumber, tomato and onion.
HINT: Traditionally, this recipe calls for Roma Tomatoes. However, you really can use whatever variety you wish. For this dish, I went with Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes for their color as well as their flavor.

Chop onions and mince parsley.

Place all the above into a large mixing bowl.

Seed lemon and then squeeze juice over ingredients. Add Olive oil and Celery Seeds.

Gently toss salad until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. Plate with Hummus, Tahina Sauce, Baba Ghanouj, Falafel, Kabobs, Pita Bread, or any other regional dish. Or, add some Grilled Shrimp and turn it into an entree. This salad is so versatile … and so gooooood!

SIDE NOTE: As a teenager, I actually lived on the traditional version of this salad and Chicken Schnitzel for three months and got quite burned out on it. It took me years before I could even think about being in the same room with this salad! When I finally decided to give it another chance, I knew I had to give it a different spin if I was going to eat it on any type of semi-regular basis. This recipe was the result. By the way, I still can’t bring myself to come face to face with Schnitzel.

Prep Time = 15 Minutes
Cooking Time = n/a
Serves 4

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

BTA Turkey Sandwich

No, BTA doesn’t stand for Bacon, Tomato, Avocado. Though, the latter two are part of this sub sandwich. Rather, it stands for Better Than Average … which it is! 😉

INGREDIENTS

1/4 Pound Sliced Turkey
1-2 Slices of Cheese
1/4 Avocado, ripened
1 Lettuce Leaf
2-3 Slices of Tomato
1-2 Slices of Sweet Onion, shaved
1 Tbsp. Mayonnaise (or other condiments)
1 tsp. Olive Oil
2 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 tsp. World Spice Merchants Italian Herbs or TSS Italian Herbs & Cheese
1 Sandwich Roll

RECIPE

Slice your roll lengthwise, making sure not to cut all the way through the crust on one side.
HINT #1: Believe it or not, the choice of roll is one of the most important steps in making this sandwich rock. Fortunately, our local market has a bakery that makes incredible sub rolls.
Spread your condiments evenly on both halves of the roll. I use lite-mayo to try and make it a little healthier. But, you can use regular mayo, pesto-mayo, mustard, 1000 Island, etc., or any combination thereof.
On the bottom half of the roll evenly place your turkey slices. Then add your cheese slices.
NOTE: I usually use Swiss Cheese, but we were out of everything except for the kids’ String Cheese. So, I just pulled it apart and used that. Any of your favorite hard or semi-hard cheeses will work well.
Next, add your lettuce leaf, tomato slices and shaved onion. On the top half of the roll lay your avocado slices. Sprinkle the Italian herbs over the sandwich. Then, drizzle your oil and vinegar over the sandwich.

I also like to add pickle slices to my sandwich (not pictured because I forgot them until just before my first bite, and I was too lazy and hungry to re-shoot it ;)). You can also throw any of your other favorite veggies on there including cucumbers, mushrooms, peppers (marinated Red Peppers work really well), etc. Be creative … a sandwich is only limited by your imagination!
Enjoy with some chips, pasta salad, side salad, mac salad, etc. Served here with Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips (again, trying to be a little healthier).
HINT #2: To make closing this sandwich up easier, and to be able to slice it easily, take a large sharp knife and lay it against the ingredients on the bottom half of the sandwich firmly enough to hold everything in place without squishing them. Simultaneously, fold the top half over the knife, and then smoothly slide the knife out of the sandwich.

Prep Time = 5 minutes
Cook Time = n/a
Serves 1

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Freezer Food Fest #8 & #9

It’s official! We’re moving!! So, I have been given a “request” by the Cavewoman to empty the freezer before we hit the road. The pressure is on!

Freezer Food Fest #8

Some folks may call this cheating. I call it full disclosure. I was forced, by overwhelming Cave-family demand, to use the same recipe on two consecutive editions of Freezer Food Fest. That’s right! The Garlic Shrimp in Creamy Tomato Sauce used on the Florentyna’s linguini in F3 #8 was such a hit, it was brought out for an encore performance in the 9th installment on some of their Ravioli. The family even wanted a do-over of the Sauteed Yellow Squash that went so well next to the Black Linguini.
I admit it, I “caved” under the pressure. But, who am I to deny my family their deepest desires. Besides, shrimp and yellow squash were on major sale at our local Vons. 😉 So, just two nights removed from one version of this meal, we went for another go of it. Though, I just had to throw in a twist. Instead of the linguini from our first rendition, I went with a pair of Ravioli choices: Black & White Striped Lobster Ravioli and some Portobello Mushroom Raviloli.

Freezer Food Fest #9

At first, the Cavekids were a bit uncertain about the shroom version. However, after their hesitant beginnings, they were mowing them down almost as fast at the Lobster filled versions they were annihilating like a fryer chicken in a Piranha tank.
While I was quite pleased about their love for this dish, it was their reaction to the squash that has blown me away. The Cavegirl was heard to say, “I looooooove squash!”. Caveboy was too busy chewing to say anything intelligible.
I guess I kind of killed two proverbial birds with one stone here. Two different pasta genres with the same gravy. I am not aware of any Freezer Food Fest rules that prevent me from using the same recipe on more than one dish. I wasn’t cheating, being lazy (though, that is my nature ;)), or forcing my family into a redux. Just responding to popular demand, and happy to be taking two more steps in this icy odyssey.

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Garlic Shrimp in Creamy Tomato Sauce

This a warm, savory dish that the whole family will devour!

INGREDIENTS

3/4 Pound Raw Shrimp
1 15 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
3 Tbsp. Sour Cream
4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp. Fresh Chopped Basil
1 Large Tomato
1/2 tsp Red Crushed Pepper
Salt & Pepper to tatse

RECIPE

Rinse and drain shrimp. Remove tails, shells, and veins. Re-rinse and drain. Cover and refrigerate until ready for cooking.

Mince garlic, chop tomatoes and basil. Set aside.

In a sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil. When ready add 1 tablespoon each of garlic and basil. Saute for about one minute.

Reduce flame and add tomato sauce.

When warmed, whisk in sour cream. Add red crushed pepper. Salt & pepper to taste. Allow to simmer on very low flame.
HINT: I like to substitute garlic salt for the plain variety.

While sauce continues to warm, add remaining oil to a large skillet and saute remaining garlic about one minute. Add shrimp to pan and saute until just cooked.

Reduce flame to very low and stir in sauce. Reduce slightly.

Just before serving, gently fold tomatoes into sauce. Just long enough to warm the tomatoes.

Serve over your favorite pasta. Pictured here over Florentyna’s Black Linguini along with a side of Sauteed Yellow Squash.

I was going to show you a couple of pictures of the Cavekids enjoying this dish. But, nothing attests to their overwhelming approval of this recipe better than this ;):

Prep Time = 15 minutes
Cook Time = 15 minutes
Serves 4-6

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.