Easy Meal Ideas: The thighs have it

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Easy Meal Ideas From Janet's Kitchen Pasta Shells with Chicken, Mushrooms & Capers This may be more work than you want to do on a Monday night. If so, tuck this recipe away for another time. It's a luscious dish, owing to boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which I adore. Lots of flavor there. For those of you who haven't cooked with dried mushrooms, this is a great recipe to get you started. Pasta Shells with Chicken, Mushrooms &Capers 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in      1-1/4 cups warm water for 30 minutes 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced 1 large shallot, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs      (3 to 4 thighs), cut into bite-size pieces Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup dry white wine 6 to 8 ounces dried pasta shells or farfalle Splash of sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed Grated Romano cheese for serving (optional) Strain porcini, reserving the soaking liquid. Squeeze them dry, chop them into small pieces, and set aside. Strain the soaking liquid though a fine sieve or a paper coffee filter; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for cooking the pasta. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons. of the butter. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook briskly, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and most of their liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the shallot, garlic, rosemary, and the drained, chopped porcini.   Cook, stirring briskly, until the shallot is soft, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and the reserved porcini soaking liquid; bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until just tender. Drain the pasta, leaving drops of water clinging to it, and add it to the skillet. Add the vinegar and capers; heat gently for a few minutes to let the pasta drink up the juices. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and taste for salt and pepper. Serve warm with the grated Romano, if you like Serves 3. From Fine Cooking		Tip of the day. Three ounces of dried pasta is usually good for one adult serving.      Deal of the day. Got a deal? To have your deal featured in tampabay.com's Easy Meals newsletter, contact Maryann Balbo at mbalbo@tampabay.com or call 727-892-2237.       On Sale This Week. Got a deal? To have your deal featured in tampabay.com's Easy Meals newsletter, contact Maryann Balbo at mbalbo@tampabay.com or call 727-892-2237.   Janet Keeler , who cooks in a kitchen she hates for a job she loves, has been food editor of the Tampa Bay Times since 2000. The paper's Taste section has been honored three times in the past decade by the Association of Food Journalists. Janet is the author of "Cookielicious: 150 Fabulous Recipe to Bake & Share" (Seaside Publishing, 2010) and is an adjunct journalism instructor at the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg.

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