Home Chef recipes: Pasta, pork and pound cake

For pesto:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend well. Season with salt/pepper to taste.

For pasta:
Prepare whole wheat penne according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup starchy cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat a large sauce pan to medium-high heat and spray with non-stick spray. Season cubed chicken with salt and pepper before adding to pan. Cook until chicken is browned, about 7 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Add swiss chard to the pan along with 2 tbs reserved cooking water. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits leftover from the chicken. Cover and let steam for 2 minutes.

Add basil pesto to the chard and cook until warmed. Add more of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen the pesto and create a sauce. Stir in chicken and pasta before serving.

Heat gas grill to 400 degrees. Heat kitchen oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry Italian dressing with 1/3 cup Canola oil.

Lightly brush pork chops, sausage, onion and pepper rounds with Italian dressing oil (if using fresh plum tomatoes brush with oil on both sides).

Grill chops and sausage first until both sides are lightly charred, slice each sausage into 3 pieces and place in long oven proof casserole dish lined with foil.

Grill peppers and onions until lightly charred and layer over pork chops and sausages (If using fresh plum tomatoes lightly grill until charred and layer over peppers and onions).

Pour can of plum tomatoes including juice over all the chops, sausage and vegetables.

Cover casserole tightly with foil and place in oven for 30-40 minutes.

Remove from oven, keep covered and let sit for 10 minutes.

Remove foil, sprinkle with fresh basil and sage.

Serve immediately. Serving size 1-2 pork chops with piece(s) of sweet sausage, several onion and pepper rings and tomatoes.

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease, flour and line the bottom of two 8 ½ x 4 ¼ x 2 ½ -inch load pans with waxed paper.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and the lime zest.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, the butter milk and extracts. Add the flour and the buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for approximately 45 minutes, checking at 15 minute intervals.

Cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack, then remove from pans and cool completely.

For drizzle:
Bring milk to a boil in a large sauce pan. With mixer on low, slowly ladle 1/3 of milk into egg mixture to bring the temperature of the eggs up.

Whisking constantly pour egg/milk mixture into remaining milk in saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a whisk until mixture thickens and just begins to boil.

Remove from heat and mix in the butter, vanilla and the cream.

Strain into a bowl using a fine mesh sieve and a rubber spatula. Add lime zest.

Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold or drizzle over prepared slices of cake and top with fresh berries and fine lime curls.