Ah, the best laid plans...
My heart desired nothing more this morning than simplicity: to sit down at my computer, quiet my mind for a moment, and then connect with the writer side of myself and put to paper (or to screen, in this case) my thoughts in order to see what essence or mischievous imp wanted to be unleashed.
But alas, things wouldn't go quite as planned, as our water heater decided to fritz out this morning just a little bit, in turn placing my attention onto it and putting the kibosh on any free-flowing stream-of-consciousness thoughts.
Instead, those thoughts would be replaced by looking frantically for the receipt (and the warranty) from the company that replaced the water heater just a little over a year ago, followed by phoning that company for a repair man; waiting for said repairman; wondering what the cost of this repair would be; and finally waiting for the repairman to finish up and be on his way, but only after adding a few new digits to our credit card balance for the no-longer-under-warranty labor cost.
And now, with all of that said and done, the task at hand is to sit down and write something worth reading.
Now, if today's little glitch would've been the first in a while, then I don't think it'd really be worth mentioning—things break down, things need repair.
Welcome to homeownership, welcome to adulthood.
But today's little hiccup was actually the fourth in a line of home appliances needing repair over the past three or four weeks; and somehow, their fritz-outs have always coincided with a writing day.
Funny how that happens...
Anything else in need of attention?
Speak now or forever hold your peace. Please.
So perhaps I'll take this as a sign for a topic; a push in the direction of giving a little thought to keeping ones “stuff” together when one's surroundings seem like they'd like to come apart, at least a little.
You know, it's funny; even though my irritation has reached a bit of a crescendo with this particular issue-of-the-week, I feel like over the years I developed more of a sense of humor about this type of stuff, and seem to bounce back a bit quicker, and not get too wound up.
Certainly when I calculate what we've spent over the past 3 or so weeks on these various repairs, it's more than the “zero” we would've preferred to have spent; but it is what it is.
But getting back to breathing, and finding my way to connecting to my quieter “inner” self, after dealing with whatever has to be dealt with, has gotten easier, which is nice.
It's actually kind of surprising, and I suppose the blessing in all of this is that now I can see some growth within myself because of these little experiences.
Perhaps mellowing comes with getting older, and maturing more with age.
All I know is that I'm grateful for it, for the bounce-back, and for allowing my desire to connect to something productive and “greater than” rather than focusing on the hiccup and keeping it at the forefront, and potentially chewing on it much longer than it needs to be chewed on.
Seeing these distractions, annoyances, troubles, or difficulties that come at us take a back seat to the more positive and soul-enriching things, is quite refreshing, and needed.
And for me it just means that it's nice to come back to “quiet”, quicker; to take in my surroundings and the light that makes up the beautiful day, and imagine, playfully, a comforting pumpkin and roasted garlic cream pasta dish with sage-rubbed chicken that would be a perfect fit for this autumn season, and giving that more precedence than the bump in my road, or the trouble or distraction.
Because it's better.
It benefits everyone more to put attention on that.
So here's my positive spin on the whole thing: that with so many of these daily-used appliances having gotten some repair and attention recently, they should be good to go for a while again. And that's nice; that's the silver lining.
But if there's anything else that isn't telling me at this very moment that it's about to go a little haywire, then I suppose when it does, maybe after this little examination I can just exhale and say “Ok, here we go again...” and let it just flow on through.
I suppose practice makes things a little easier, even in the area of attitude and outlook.
And I suppose that whatever good it is that can provide us with a quicker bounce-back to a more joyful place within is worth experiencing, isn't it?
Taste what's good and pass it on.
Ingrid
Pumpkin and Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce Fettuccine with Grilled Sage-Rubbed Chicken
by Ingrid Beer
Yield: Serves about 4
Ingredients:
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, slices in half lengthwise to create 4 thinner cutlets
• Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves, plus 1 tablespoon, divided use
• ½ – ¾ package fettuccine (16 ounce package), cooked according to package instructions, and held warm
• Pumpkin & Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce (recipe below)
• Shaved parmesan, for garnish
Preparation:
-Add the chicken cutlets to a medium-sized bowl, and drizzle over a little of the olive oil; add the garlic, a couple of good pinches of salt and black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the chopped sage; using your hands, rub the sage and the seasoning into the chicken, and allow it to marinate for anywhere from 20 minutes to a couple of hours.
-Place a grill pan over medium-high heat, and once hot, drizzle in a little oil; add the chicken breasts in (work in batches if necessary) and grill until golden-brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side; allow them to rest on a plate for a few minutes, then slice into strips and hold warm.
-To assemble your pasta, add the cooked fettuccine into the warm Pumpkin & Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce, and using tongs, toss to coat the pasta well; add some of the pasta to a bowl and top with some of the sliced chicken, and garnish with some parmesan shavings and a sprinkle of the remaining sage.
Pumpkin & Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce Ingredients:
• 3 heads garlic
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 (15 ounce) cans organic pumpkin (puree)
• 1 ½ tablespoons organic, natural chicken base (I use “Better Than Bouillon”)
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• Pinch salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temp
• ¾ cup half & half, room temp
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Preparation:
-Preheat your oven to 400°.
-Cut the tops off of the heads of garlic; drizzle each with a little oil, plus a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, and wrap each head tightly in a square of foil; roast the garlic heads for 45 minutes.
-Once roasted, unwrap the heads to allow them to cool so that you can handle them; once cooled, squeeze the roasted garlic from the papers, and using your knife or a fork, make a paste out of it; set it aside for a moment.
-Place a large heavy-bottom pan or small pot over medium-low to medium heat, and add in the butter; once melted, add in the pumpkin puree, along with the roasted garlic paste, and stir to combine; allow the mixture become warmed through for a moment or two.
-Next, add in the chicken base, as well as the Italian seasoning, a small pinch of salt and the black pepper, and stir to combine and incorporate.
-Add in the mascarpone cheese, and gently stir that in until it melts into the puree; next, add in the half & half, and stir to blend that in.
-Turn the heat off, and finish the sauce by adding in the grated parmesan, and stir; check your seasoning to see if any additional salt/black pepper is needed.
-Use immediately; or, allow the sauce to cool completely, and then keep in a covered container in the fridge for several days, if making ahead.
Sarah
This sounds wonderful Ingrid!
Sarah
The Cozy Apron
Thanks, Sarah!
ellie | fit for the soul
Oh my gooodness~I seriously can't believe how insanely good this looks!!!! So creamy, savory, and perfect. literally all my fave ingredients in there including the mascarpone. Great job showing the deliciousness that cream is through your gorgeous photography 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Thanks so much, Ellie!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
This is probably the best looking fettuccine I have ever seen. It looks so creamy, delicious and full of flavour.. wish I had a bowl of it to devour now. Saved to recreate , thanks for the recipe!
janet
Love this post! I can relate as we've just gone through one of those weeks! And this recipe...not only looks wonderful, but sounds delicious...I have to give this a try!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Janet, thanks so much for sharing that with me! Here's to getting through things intact, right? 🙂 I truly hope you give this recipe a try, and find some comfort in it. Thank you for coming by!
Liz
Sounds wonderful and different. Thank you.
Karl Jackson
This is the second straight recipe I've tried (The first was from RecipeTinEats) that came out a complete disaster. I followed everything in this recipe EXACTLY, and my sauce came out a thick flavorless paste tasting mildly of pumpkin. I even tried adding more cream, more mascarpone, and more chicken stock. Is there possibly something misprinted in this recipe? I am far from a beginner cook so I have no idea how this could've gone so wrong.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Karl, I'm so sorry to read about your experience. I can assure you that there is no misprint in the recipe; and if you take a look at the photos of the sauce, it is silky and smooth, and far from a "thick, flavorless paste". I was wondering what type of pumpkin you used—was it organic pumpkin, in the puree form? The texture of mine was very silky and smooth, like baby food; I purchased it from Trader Joe's, but you can also find organic pumpkin at Whole Foods or other select markets. You also mentioned that you used (or added) chicken stock; I, however, used chicken base, which is very different. Unfortunately, since I was not there with you, it's impossible for me to know exactly what happened.
Karl Jackson
I used boullion powder mixed with hot water. And the pumpkin puree I used was organic. I believe it was Amy's brand. I just wanted to make sure there was not an error in the recipe before I try this again. Thanks!
Samantha
Made this for dinner tonight, and as you can't buy canned pumpkin puree here in australia i had to make my own, and let me tell you, it was SO worth it, it is my new favorite way to eat pumpkin, pasta and chicken. So beautiful and creamy, packed with flavor. Thank you for sharing the recipe!! 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Samantha, that is sweet music to my ears! So glad you found it worth making the pumpkin puree from scratch, which, of course, can be time consuming; so to have you share that this recipe is now a new favorite way for you to eat this combo of ingredients means a lot! Thank you for taking a moment to share your experience with me all the way from Australia! 🙂
Jess
Could this sauce be frozen??
The Cozy Apron
Hi Jess! Yes, you could certainly freeze this sauce, just as you might any other. When you're ready to cook with it, just allow for it to de-frost or thaw in the fridge for a couple of days, then warm in the pan. Check your seasoning (salt/pepper) just in case you need a pinch more after the thaw.
Paige
Made this for my husband tonight and it is AMAZING! Silky and delicious, thank you so much for posting it!!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Paige, I'm thrilled to read that—thanks for sharing! Glad you both enjoyed; it's precious that you prepared this, with love, for you hubby. 🙂
Cindy Neu
Made for dinner and used zoodles. More vegetables for enjoying!
The Cozy Apron
Cindy, the more veggies, the better! That's great—way to use "zoodles"! Thanks for your comments.
Marsha
I have been wanting to make this for months. Last night was the big night and I was not disappointed. Oh my gosh, my husband and I loved it. I used fresh sage picked from the garden. I mixed up the chicken and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 2 hours it was so flavorful and tender. I really appreciated the tip on slicing the breast in half length ways. I have never thought of doing that I always pound them out thin. Your way was so much better thanks. The sauce was amazing! Silky deliciousness. This is a keeper for sure. We had left over sauce since there were only two of us and we are going to try it as the base for a harvest pumpkin pizza. Thanks so much for posting your recipe it is out of this world!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Marsha, I'm thrilled to read that! So glad you both enjoyed this so much. And fresh picked sage form YOUR garden?! Must've been delicious! 🙂 I love that you had a bit of that sauce leftover—perfect idea to use for a fall-inspired pizza sauce. Thanks so much for sharing!
laura
Hi, I wanted to make this as a vegetarian skipping the chicken but wanted to include sage. Do you have recommendation on how to incorporate into sauce? Would dried be ok? thanks
The Cozy Apron
Hi Laura, that'd be great! You can certainly use dried sage, but I'd actually go with the fresh and just sprinkle it in at the end, maybe about a tablespoon. Hope that helps!
Frances
I realize this is an old post but I came across this recipe and can't wait to try it. I'm researching recipes I can freeze and use during my maternity leave. My question is, can this recipe be made vegetarian? My husband is a vegetarian and I try to adapt recipes so we both can enjoy them. Do you know if a "vegetable base" exists rather than a chicken base? Can't wait to try this out!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Frances, this absolutely can be made vegetarian! There is, indeed, a "veggie" base in the "Better Than Bouillon " line, several non-meat bases, actually. I would recommend one called "No Chicken" base, which tastes amazing & is a great savory sub for this recipe. Best wishes on your soon-to-be new arrival, and I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Sarah
I threw a pie pumpkin in my instant pot for 10 minutes and made my own purée. So tasty and simple. Thank you!
The Cozy Apron
Sarah, that sounds perfect! Way to make things that much more homemade, and fresh. So glad you enjoyed the recipe, and thanks for sharing your experience!
Kimiko
Hello, can this recipe be used with non organic pumpkin purée? And if I cannot find base, is there an alternative I can use??
The Cozy Apron
Hi Kimiko, you certainly do not have to use organic, just make sure it is pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. And if you can't find the base, just leave it out; you will most likely need to add some salt.