Grams Made Capellini with Shrimp, Peppers and Salami

When I first started cooking a few years ago, my daughter, Katy, gave me a subscription to Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine. It's an excellent resource for a rookie cook and I learned a lot of great techniques and terminology from this magazine. It's still one of my favorite magazines. It's the only magazine that I save and go back to over and over again. None of the recipes have more than 10 ingredients and most of them have 8 or fewer. The recipes are also arranged seasonally, so they don't call for ingredients that are not readily available. This recipe came from one of the first issues I received.

Capellini with Shrimp, Peppers and Salami was one of the first recipes that became part of my regular repertoire. Grandad loves it and it's one of the few things he actually asks me to make from time-to-time. Make sure that you buy Genoa Salami (instead of hard salami) because most of the seasoning in this dish comes from the salami.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 bell peppers, mixed colors (ribs and seeds removed) thinly sliced lengthwise
1 pound large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami, cut into strips
1/4 cup pepperoncini, stems removed, thinly sliced crosswise
8 ounces capellini pasta (angel-hair)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add bell peppers, and cook, tossing, until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook, tossing until opaque throughout 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in salami and pepperoncini; season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta until al dente; drain and return to pot. Serve pasta topped with shrimp mixture and pan juices.

Grams Made Chicken Spaghetti

When Grams was growing up, my mom used to make a dish she called Chicken Spaghetti.  It's an understatement to say I was not fond of it.  I hated it so much that I pretty much refused to eat it.  Since then, just the mention of Chicken Spaghetti makes my appetite disappear.  I'm 55 years old and I haven't eaten Chicken Spaghetti in at least 40 years.  That's how much I didn't like it. 

Last week at my book club, the hostess announced that she made Chicken Spaghetti.  I was kind of stricken with fear at the thought of eating it.  I really didn't expect to like it, but it was delicious.  I liked it so much that I came home, looked up the recipe, and made it myself just two days later. 

This is a Paula Deen recipe.  Her recipe called for 3 1/2 cups of cooked chicken and a teaspoon of salt.  I used a rotisserie chicken and I omitted the salt.  Be aware that this makes 10-12 generous servings.  This is going to be my new "go to" dish for pot luck dinners. 

2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup (reduced sodium)
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of chicken soup (reduced sodium)
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 (4.25-ounce) can chopped black olives, drained
1 (4-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
½ cup sour cream
1 rotisserie chicken, de-boned and torn into small pieces
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (16-ounce) package angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions
¾ cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

If your skillet is big enough add broth, soups, tomatoes, olives, mushrooms and sour cream. Stir in chicken and cheese. Add pasta, tossing gently to coat. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.  (If your skillet is not big enough, use a big mixing bowl.)

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over casserole. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.