Bow Tie Pasta with Asian Chicken-Four Thumbs UP!

My kids are picky eaters. Dinnertime has been evolving into a nightly struggle as I try to cook meals that they will eat. Compounding the problem is the usual reluctance they have about trying anything new. Its a catch 22, and the outcome for the last year or two has been that I have thrown up my hands and basically stopped cooking. Dinner has mainly been comprised of whatever simple, easy thing I pull out of the freezer at the last minute, and many nights I can be found preparing two or three different items-mac and cheese for the boys, grilled cheese for me and D, PB&J for Morgan and Chip fends for himself.

But that is changing. I enjoy cooking, and having everyone sit together at the table, and I REALLY enjoy getting compliments on my meals. I even like to do my menu planning for the week and I LOVE to grocery shop using coupons. It's satisfying because I get such a feeling of accomplishment, and well-being, and I really feel like a great mom when I have a well-rounded meal on the table each night. Maybe I'm channeling one of those 1950's TV moms, but I'm a dork like that.

So last night I made a new recipe. I was a bit hesitant because I got it from the Internet and didn't have a single recommendation, but it looked tasty and simple, and the ingredients were things I already had on hand.

So here we go:

1 lb. bow tie pasta
4 TBS. soy sauce
2 TBS honey
2 TBS. lime juice
3 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 small red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
4 TBS chopped fresh parsley



I didn't have red bell peppers, so I substituted green. I think red would have been better, and I'm thinking that next time I'll add some frozen green baby peas. The red and green together would make a very Christmassy presentation!

To begin, stir the soy sauce, honey, lime juice and mustard in a bowl until the honey is dissolved. Add the chicken pieces and turn until coated with the marinade.


Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Transfer the chicken and marinade to a large, non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes.



Remove from heat and pour in the chicken broth.

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain thoroughly in a colander. return the pasta to the pot, add contents of the skillet and the sliced peppers.



Heat to simmering over low heat. Toss the pasta once or twice, add table pepper to taste and divide among serving bowls. Sprinkle each serving with the chopped fresh parsley (which I forgot to add!).



Check out T, he loves it!


In fact ALL FOUR of my kids loved it. Yea me!


In case you are wondering where I got this FAB recipe and want to find more like it: go to HEB.com, click on the Mealtime tab at the top, and then on Meal Planner. I frequently use this to make my shopping list for the week.

And click here for the link straight to the recipe.

I'd love to hear from anyone else who makes it. Comments are always appreciated!