Anytime I make a dish with noodles, I think about Kung Fu Panda. I guess it’s because that movie came out when my youngest son was four years old, so I figure I have watched the first one at least one million, five hundred and seventy-five times, on a conservative estimate. It’s so ingrained in me that I watched part 4 that just came out this year by myself, because my son is 19 and no longer can watch a full length movie as youtube clips have broken his attention span down to 5 minutes or less for any media content.
In the movie, as I’m sure you know (how could you not), the secret ingredient Po’s dad used in his noodles was – nothing. Life lesson here, kids, pay attention. The secret ingredient is you. Believe in yourself, and anything is possible. Here’s where I might add some hard work and dedication is also in order. You don’t want to sign up for an MMA contest just because you believe in yourself. Take at least one lesson…then see how it goes. Good luck.
My noodles do have a secret ingredient. They aren’t noodles at all, at least not in the traditional sense. No flour based pasta for me, not when I can replace all those simple carbs and starches with the fiber and minerals using Heart of Palm noodles. Besides the nutritional benefit, they are fool proof to cook.
No longer will you have to worry about mushy flop noodles, because it’s impossible to overcook Heart of Palm noodles. They are built for abuse. As Harry Connick Jr said in Independence Day “Kick the tires and light the fires, big daddy!”
Great, now I’m thinking about a different film. It’s a problem, I know. What I’m saying is throw those bad boys in a giant stock pot with some chicken stock and set the spurs to it, and no matter how long you cook it, it only improves with time under heat.
A “pasta’ dish that already starts with a heaping serving of healthy veggies can only improve with more thrown in the pot. I went colorful here, red and green bell peppers, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, yellow onion, and fresh garlic. You can never go wrong eating the rainbow, unless it’s in a package that says “Skittles” on it.
My pasta Kung Fu was righteous with this dish. It might be my new favorite dinner, and it also makes me think of my favorite movie from my favorite time. Back when there was no better place to be than on the couch with a happy four year old that thought I was as big a hero as a rotund panda.
Double Chicken Heart of Palm Pasta Carbonara
Ingredients:
3 packages Heart of Palm Linguine noodles, drained and rinsed
3-4 pasture raised slow growth chicken breasts, diced
1 package nitrate and sugar free andouille chicken sausage, sliced
1 red and green bell pepper, sliced thin
1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
1 bunch organic asparagus
1 package shiitake mushrooms
3-4 cloves garlic, diced fine
4 ounces grass fed cream cheese
3/4 cup grass fed half and half
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp sea salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder
32 oz low sodium chicken stock
3 slices cooked no nitrate or sugar added bacon, crumbled
Instructions:
Drain and rinse the noodles. Place them in a large stock pot with the chicken stock and set to boil, then simmer until all the other food is cooked:
Slice and prep the veggies:
Slice the chicken sausage into bite size pieces, spray with a bit of non-stick avocado oil, and place in an air fryer. Dice and cook the chicken breasts with the spices until completely cooked through. Air fry the sausage for 10 – 12 minutes while the chicken breasts cook. Add the diced garlic to the chicken and cook for 1 more minute, then move both the sausage and the chicken to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm:
Cut the ends off the asparagus and dry roast in the oven on a cast iron griddle if you have one, 10 minutes per side at 400 degrees. While they are cooking, sauté the cut veggies in the same skillet used for the chicken with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper:
Drain the veggies after they are done and add to the covered bowl with the chicken. Melt the cream cheese in that same skillet, then whisk in the half and half until smooth. Add the shredded Parmsean and melt until smooth.
Drain the pasta well and mix the cream, then add the chicken and veggies, stirring to combine. When the asparagus is done, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt and pepper on them. Serve as a side dish or even better, cut them into bite size pieces and throw them in the noodles as well. Crumble the cooked bacon into the pot, stir, serve, and enjoy:
See the list of all the Shirtless Chef recipes at www.mysaline.com/shirtless.
