Yesterday we worked outside for hours finishing the limestone gravel, paver stones, and curbing in the moon garden area. All that rock work wore both of us out and made us ravenous. Charlie had taken a small package of organic boneless skinless chicken breasts out of the freezer several days before and we had to use it before it spoiled. I can assure you, we were both approaching “too tired to even chew, never mind cook anything” state of mind. It needed to be quick and no waiting around for the oven.

I thought to try something with an Irish Garlic and Herb Stick of butter I had picked up at the store the week before. Pasta sounded like a nice change, so maybe create from that? I rummanged around in the freezer until I saw a bag of pasta of some variety and thought yes that will do. It was the first one I could find. Turns out it was a Four Cheese Stuffed Ravioli which would do nicely.

Here is what we threw together and decided it was fabulous. We will be trying this one again soon. We thought you might like to try something new also. Enjoy!

Lavender Garlic Herb Chicken with Four Cheese Ravioli

Ingredients:
2-3 Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 Tablespoon Olive oil

6 Garlic Cloves

1.5-2 Teaspoon Culinary Lavender Buds

1 8-10 oz Package Fresh Four Cheese Ravioli

1 oz Garlic Herb Butter

1 Heaped Tablespoon Flour

1 Teaspoon Coleman’s Mustard Powder

16 Ounces Goat Milk

1/3 cup water

4 ounces Shredded Italian Cheese Blend

Cut chicken into small bite size pieces.  Coarsely chop 6 garlic cloves and sautee together in 1 Tablespoon Olive oil in a cast iron skillet on stove stop.  Once chicken and garlic is browned add 1/3 cup of water, sprinkle in the lavender, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. When chicken is tender and starting to fall apart it is time to boil the water for the pasta and make the sauce. Do both at same time.  You need the pasta to be ready just as sauce is finished. 

Now to make the sauce. Slowly melt 1 oz Garlic Herb butter in a sauce pan stirring continuously.  Add 1 Heaped Tablespoon flour and 1 teaspoon Coleman’s mustard powder to the melted butter along with 2 ounce of the milk to get consistency away from a paste and more towards a sauce. Stir continuously. Once lumps are out of flour and sauce is smooth, add the rest of the milk slowly as you continue stirring. Slowly heat sauce as you continuously stir. Heat without boiling and stir until sauce starts to thicken. When the sauce starts to thicken, add 2 ounces of the shredded cheese. And stir while cheese melts. Stir! Stir! Stir!

During the sauce making, boil the water and cook the pasta according to instructions. Drain pasta and set aside if finished before sauce. If sauce finishes before pasta is ready, remove sauce from heat and continue stirring or else sauce will develop a skin and go lumpy. The trick is to finish sauce and pasta at the same time.

Put drained pasta and sauce into the cast iron skillet with the chicken and stir together to let flavours meld. Sauce will continue to thicken as you cook it so dish up quickly and enjoy. Sprinkle the remaining 2 ounces of cheese on each dish before serving.

We found this served two adults because we were super famished after working outside all day in the rocks and the lavender garden. Perhaps you can make your version go a bit further.