Chicken Spaghetti with Lemon Butter Sauce

"With enough butter anything is good...."

-Julia Child

A short story I have written a while back.... 

Tactile Sensation

Her old aching limbs needed earnestly a fresh air walk. She locked the door and went out to relax in the fresh breeze for a while. She had a small shaded trail guarded by big green trees in her apartment complex, which she felt the only treasure remained in this concrete world. The air was no fresher to inhale, but still the trees worked as the catalysts to strain out the pollution and spread the freshness in the area. Burden of thoughts leaned down her head and her eyes aimlessly followed the path and suddenly got stuck on a feather. A feather with a colour of yellow and black and the length might be a palm long. She knew this bird, but didn’t know its name. She often saw it from her kitchen window, humming in the trees, flying from one branch to the other. Her heart suddenly felt with joy and the 9 year old child jumped out of her and picked up the feather in no time. Her life within a fraction of moment dated 50 years back when she was a desperate feather collector and was awarded the first prize in her school project for her feather collection. She rested her body on a lonely bench on the side of the trail and felt her pounding heart, which was though little bit exhausted with the brisk walk, much more excited about getting a suddenly found treasure. Her wrinkled and trembling fingers touched the soft surface of the feather. The delicate and smoothness of the feather just injected a weird kind of sensation in her whole body and it went straight and hit her heart. She felt a different kind of happiness and relaxation. A different kind of excitement started to run through her blood. She was holding the feather with the utmost care she could give it to. She didn’t want to distort the shape of the feather or any of its barbs. Her aged limbs were trying to gather all the power to give it the full comfort. The touch sensation of the feather infused new life in her senescent body. Again, it took her to the moment when she first held her daughter in her arms. The little bundle of joy made her whole life blessed. Though she was young enough at that time, her hands were trembling too then. Her heart was beating fast with a fear that might be her touch would hurt her little soft baby. Today she was feeling the same first time motherhood experience after so many years just after touching the feather. Her heart swelled with happiness and the joy flooded down her cheeks just alike what she felt that moment when she first had her baby in her arms. The two ages suddenly commixed with a new age and all her burdened soul, her burdened age energised with a new light of power to live life. She touched the feather in her cheek and closed her eyes, she felt like touching her newborn baby. She sensed the same joy and ecstasy. Her charged body headed towards home. Now her hands or limbs were not trembling nor were her limbs aching any more. She went straight to her room and grabbed for a secure place to keep the feather. The mere feather was not a mere feather to her anymore. It’s the source of power to live and sense the precious moments once again. Her excitement could not wait for a moment to share about her treasure and the tactile sensation with her husband, who would be back any moment from his job and her grown up married daughter who calls every day at night.

Now let us move to the recipe:

Ingredients

{Yields 3- 4 adults}

Spaghetti - a bunch that a fist can hold

Boneless Chicken - 200 grm

Garlic - 1 tbspn (chopped)

Butter - 3 tbspn heaped ( or less - See notes)

Lemon Juice - 2 tbspn

Salt, Sugar and black pepper as per taste

Spring onion (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup

Method

1.  Boil the Spaghetti with salt till it's tender. Strain the excess water and reserve. 

2. Heat the butter in non-stick pan. Add garlic and cook till it is light brown. Add lemon juice ad give a quick stir.

3. Add the boneless chicken cut in cubes and saute for a while. Add salt, sugar and pepper as per your taste. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

4. Add the spaghetti. Fold nicely with with chicken. Cook for a couple of minutes more and then add the chopped spring onion and serve.

Notes:

I made this dish when I was expecting my second daughter. I was craving for only butter and lemon. I could eat chicken only if it was cooked with lots of butter, drizzle with lemon juice or cream. So when you will make this dish adjust the butter portion with olive oil (If you want to avoid too much butter). But to be honest the taste of the dish actually lies in the amount of butter gets used as Julia Child has said - "With enough butter, anything is good..."

PS. It is a simple adaptation of Lemon Butter sauce inspired from many recipes based on it.

Bon Appétit

This recipe is off to the KFB Online event where the featured blogger of the week is Chitrangada who blogs at colorandspices is conducting the event.

Spaghetti tossed in Pasta Sauce with Baked Meatballs

It’s a very quick post on one of my dear readers' request. I made this dish a long back. Posted the picture of it on the Silence Sings's FB page and totally forgotten to blog on it and share the recipe. It was only for her when she requested me to post the recipe and then  I came out of my forgetful memory. I felt so happy at the same time too to have such readers who follow my each recipes with so much care. She has requested me two recipes (both I posted the picture but forgotten to blog) will be coming soon. So let us move to the Spaghetti tossed in Pasta Sauce with Baked Meatballs recipe which very easy to make, takes very less time. Very filling and at the same time very healthy too.  When we talk about Spaghetti it definitely takes us to Italy. Being one of the main ingredients of Italian Cuisine it has become spread all over the world and very common in most kitchen too. Spaghetti is one of the most common and favourite pastas in my kitchen and to my family. And you can make so many versions with this too. I will be coming up soon with a very easy cheesy spaghetti dish that I prepared yesterday for dinner. Till then enjoy this version. So here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

(Yields 3 persons)

For the Meatball:

Chicken Keema/ Minced Chicken: 200gm (apprx)

Pasta Sauce: 2 tbspn

Salt & Sugar as per taste.

Spaghetti: 200gm

Pasta Sauce: 4 tbspn

Garlic: 1 tbspn (Chopped)

Spring Onion: 1/2 cup chopped (optional)

Salt as per taste

Olive oil: 1 tbspn

Method:

1. Add all the ingredients with the chicken keema/ Minced Chicken.
2. Take a oven proof tray. Line it with aluminum foil and grease the foil with oil. (See notes)
3. Make small balls out the chicken mixture and bake at 210 degree C for 10 mnts. Then turn the balls and bake for another 10 mnts. Take them out and reserve.
4. While the meatballs are baking boil the spaghetti with little bit of salt. Take them off the flame till they are nicely done. Strain the excess water and reserve.
5. Take a Kodai/ deep dense pan. Heat oil. Add the garlic. Let them turn brown then add the meatballs. Fry for a while then add the spaghetti and the remaining pasta sauce. Fry till they are well mixed. Taste if more salt and sugar is needed. Add the spring onion and cooked for a minute. Your dish dish is ready to serve.

Note:

1. Whenever you bake or grill  meat on a tray always line with aluminium foil. It will make your work easier to avoid the cleaning of the greasy burnt trays. Just peel off the foil and trash after the dish gets cooked.

2. For me marinating the minced chicken with pasta sauce came out wonderful and very tasty at the same time very easy too. But you can always add loads of spices and more sauces to enhance the taste more spicy. 
3. I have baked it in Microwave Conventional Oven. I didn't pre- heated the oven but baked directly to the given temperature.

Don't miss another exotic version from my friend Deepa. Find out her version HERE.