Fancy Friday Night Dinner

I love going out to dinner, but since I'm currently unemployed we don't go out as much as we used to. But, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a fancy dinner at home - with multiple courses! This was a huge splurge diet wise, but I enjoyed every bite. We ate at a very leisurely pace, considering I cooked each course right before it was served. Probably it took us 3 hours to finish eating. It was wonderful.

Appetizer - Charcuterie (shar - coot - errr-eee)
Charcuterie is defined as cured meats. In Italian restaurants this is usually an antipasto

3 different meats like salami, ham and prociutto - about 4oz each, sliced
1 type of cheese like muenster, sharp cheddar - about 4 oz, sliced
Pickles
crackers or mini toasts
whole grain mustard

Arrange the ingredients in separate sections on a nice serving platter.

Salad
5 romaine leaves chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
1 carrot chopped
Dressing - I used the Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinegarette
Fresh ground black pepper

Main Course - Lemon Chicken Pappardelle
3/4 lb chicken breasts marinated in dill and lemon juice
1 package of Trader Joe's Lemon Pappardelle
1 small zucchini chopped into half moon
1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
1 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
2 tsp parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chicken stock

Salt, pepper

Spray a large frying pan with non-stick spray, heat over medium heat and add the chopped zucchini. Cook for about 3 minutes or until slightly cooked. Meanwhile heat a large pot of water for the pasta. Remove the zucchini from the pan and add the chicken. Cook the chicken until its fully cooked. Remove from the pan, keeping all the nice chicken juices in the pan. At this point the water should be boiling - add the pasta to the boiling water and stir. Add the frying pan back over the heat - add the butter and flour and stir around until you don't notice any lumps. Next add the chicken stock, salt and pepper and cook until bubbly. This should create a nice sauce. Add the tomatoes to the sauce and let cook for a minute. At this point the pasta should be cooked. Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce and tomatoes. Slice the chicken and add with the zucchini back into the pan. Stir all this around until well coated with the sauce. Plate and top with some parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper.

The main course only seems complicated, but was really easy. Just take your time. You can even cook the pasta before the rest of the dish, so you're only focused on one component at a time.