With the debut of my first you tube (Yes, you can thank me for only making it 26 seconds long.  Click here if you dare.) I complained that I was a wee bit nervous and cold sober.  The recipe I was tackling right afterwards called for white wine, so by second 27 I had opened a Pulchella 2007 Paso Robles Chardonnay to go with:

Kamut Spirals with Chicken-Artichoke Wine Sauce (My cryptic commentary follows the recipe.)

Kamut(kuh-MOOT) gets its name from the ancient Egyptian word for “wheat.”Its grains are up to three times larger and boast up to 40 percent moreprotein than standard wheat grains. Kamut is also high in lipids, aminoacids, vitamins, and minerals.

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

1 (12-ounce) package kamut spirals
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans artichoke quarters, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Chopped fresh basil (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Heatoil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté2 minutes or until browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add wine, salt,pepper, and artichokes; simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is thickenedand chicken is done. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and 1/3 cupbasil. Place sauce and pasta in a large bowl; stir gently to combine.Garnish with chopped basil, if desired.
CALORIES 434 (19% from fat); FAT 9.2g (sat2.7g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.2g); IRON 4.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 72mg; CALCIUM 156mg;CARBOHYDRATE 49g; SODIUM 629mg; PROTEIN 40.1g; FIBER 4.7g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

I don’t know what Kamut is even after reading this recipe.  Didn’t see it in my local Ralphs and figured it was way too much healthy “wheat” for my family.  Do we have a store in Santa Clarita that sells Egyptian pasta?  If we did would I bother?  I used regular spiral pasta and it was fine.  If you find the Kamut, and use it, let me know how it turns out.

The THIRTY ounces of artichokes sounded like a lot, as did the 1/3 cup of chopped basil.  I halved the pasta but forgot to half the rest of it.  So I now have a Ziploc bag of cooked chicken and artichokes in my freezer.  Think I’ll remember to add the basil and cheese when I defrost to serve again?  Not likely…

The sauce never did thicken so I added more wine and more cheese at the end.  No idea what I did wrong in the sauce…but it actually ended up being very tasty with unique flavors both mild and surprising.  

The oaky Pulchella Chard worked well in the dish and with the dish.  But since I used so much in the recipe, and while cooking, and to get over the shock of putting up my first you tube, you guessed it, we chased the remainder of the meal with an 18 year old Glenlivet single malt Scotch.