I am addicted to Italian pasta with marinara and cream, but I thought I’d try something a little lighter for spring. This Sesame Ginger Chicken Pasta dish is exactly what I was looking for, and surprisingly easy for a weeknight dinner with minimal chopping. I evaluate the ease of a dish based on chopping because I HATE to chop lol. If you’re looking for something easy, yet so so good and different, you should definitely try this dish.

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 (16 ounce) package rotini pasta
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped green onion

Directions

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, and pepper. Shake well and set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain pasta, and rinse under cold water until cool. Transfer to a large bowl.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame seeds, and cook stirring frequently until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside.

In the hot skillet, cook chicken until browned and juices run clear. Remove skillet from heat. Shake dressing again and pour it over chicken in the hot skillet. Mix in sesame seeds and green onions and set aside until pasta is done.

Gently mix in pasta and cilantro, and toss to coat evenly.

recipe – altered from allrecipes.com

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I found this recipe for Lemon Ricotta Pancakes at The Cheesecake Factory website and it is amazing! The ricotta cheese makes the pancakes smooth and rich, and there is just a hint of lemon flavor. This recipe is such a nice twist on traditional basic pancakes.

Growing up, I made my mom breakfast in bed every year for mother’s day. Before I could cook, breakfast was a bowl of cereal on a tray with a vase, a flower that I’d picked from the yard, and a handmade card. Years later, it was scrambled eggs and eventually pancakes. If your kids are old enough to cook, you should pass this recipe to them as a hint hint!

Makes: 8 Pancakes

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoons Kosher salt
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest (minced)
2-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir all of the ingredients together until evenly combined. Set aside.

Pour the buttermilk into another mixing bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla and oil into the bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, sugar and lemon zest into the bowl with the buttermilk. Using a wire whisk, gently stir the ingredients together until evenly combined. Add the flour mix into the bowl with the buttermilk and ricotta cheese. Continue to fold the ingredients together until evenly combined with a few small lumps remaining in the batter. Do not over mix the batter.

Heat 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable oil on a griddle or in a large non-stick pan over low heat. Using a 4 ounce ladle, pour the batter onto the griddle or into the non-stick pan, forming one pancake that is 6″ in diameter. Cook the pancakes for approximately 2-1/2 minutes or until the edges begin to dry and puff up with little air bubbles will start appearing over the top surface of the pancakes. Flip each pancake over and continue to cook for another 1-1/2 minutes or until done.

Do you have any Mother’s Day traditions at your house? I’d love to hear all about them.

recipe – The Cheesecake Factory

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Friday’s Fab Five – Weekly Inspiration Board

Friday’s Fab Five – Weekly Inspiration Board