Spicy Grilled Chicken, "Fettucine Alfredo" & Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Today was warm here -- 77 degrees this afternoon, so I decided it would be a perfect evening to grill out.  I lightly sprayed both sides of boneless chicken breasts with olive oil and then sprinkled both sides with another one of my "Penzeys Spices".  This was one of their combinations called "Forward".  The ingredients in it are: Special Extra Bold black pepper, onion, paprika, garlic, tumeric and extracts of celery, rosemary, black pepper, thyme, basil & paprika.  It was spicy but not overly so.  For our veggie, I made roasted brussel sprouts which are so easy to do.  I cut the ends off of fresh brussel sprouts, then cut them in half and spread out on a foil lined cookie sheet and drizzled with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkled with Celtic salt and freshly ground black pepper and then tossed them around to evenly coat and roasted in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes (tossing/stirring around after 10 minutes).  It can take more or less time depending on how large your sprouts are -- mine were small so they took about 17-18 minutes.  I had 2 medium-large yellow squash in the fridge that I wanted to do something different with so I decided to do a mini-experiment with turning them into a side dish of "Fettucine Alfredo".  I like trying some of these new ventures out on a smaller scale at first -- that way if they totally bomb, you haven't wasted a lot of your time and ingredients.  I must say -- it turned out awesome!  Typically, I am not a fan of "Alfredo" dishes because I don't like lots of heavy sauces on things -- I'm kind of weird like that about gravy too.  I posted the super simple recipe that I "made up as I went" this evening below.  The amount I made below is just 2 servings since it is only 2 of us for dinner tonight.   I snapped a few photos as well for you to see.  Enjoy!

P.S. -- Don't cry for me Argentina -- thinking that poor GGC burned her brussel sprouts -- I purposely roast them until dark -- and one more thing -- the little loose leaves that fall off and get really dark (like as in the last shade of brown before it turns to black) are some of my favorite parts of these roasted sprouts -- they become nutty and crispy and "chip-like" in texture...I think I just thought of another recipe..."BS chips"...LOL.   I actually may give those a try and tear those little suckers apart one day and make some.  P.S.S. -- Tomorrow is Friday -- YAYYYYYYYYY!!!

Voila!

BOOM!

TA-DA!

"Fettucine" Alfredo

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium-large yellow summer squash (julienned into little matchsticks)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup half-n-half or light cream
1 tablespoon cream cheese (brick style)
4 - 5 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded (or Parmesan)
Dash of sea salt
Few good grinds of black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a small-medium non-stick skillet, melt butter on low-medium heat; add half-n-half or cream and simmer until it just begins to bubble very gently (do not boil).  Add shredded Parmigiano Reggiano (or Parmesan) stirring gently until it begins to melt; add cream cheese and continue stirring until melted and thickened (the sauce should thickly coat the back of a spoon).  Add dash of sea salt and black pepper, to taste.

In another non-stick skillet, heat pan on medium heat; add olive oil and julienned squash; tossing and lightly sauteing for about 3 to 5 minutes until squash just begins to wilt/soften a bit.  Do not over cook the squash or make it mushy at all -- it should have texture.  Mix lightly cooked squash with the Alfredo sauce and serve topped with additional shredded cheese, if desired.