FTF Kitchen: Grilled Chicken & Creamy Pesto Rotini with Cayenne & Chocolate Beauty Peppers

By Malcolm Pannell – FaceThyFear® (FTF Proof™)

Intro:

Welcome to FTF Kitchen — where every recipe is a piece of the journey. This isn’t just about food; it’s about facing your fears, feeding your soul, and sharing what you grow. That’s the FTF spirit — turning life’s challenges into inspiration, one plate at a time.

The Story

It’s 81 degrees in Savannah, Georgia tonight. The air hangs warm and heavy, carrying basil, peppers, and charcoal. My front porch — my porch altar — glows under the light. Hanging baskets sway. Basil lifts leaf-hands toward the sky. Green cayenne's dangle in clusters, almost ready to blush red. Chocolate beauty bell peppers sit fat and glossy, holding the sweetness of a summer I worked hard to earn.

I trimmed the plants earlier and checked my lil pepper farm — something I planted almost by accident that became sacred. This is where I pray with my hands in the soil, burn incense, run the diffuser, and keep my healing alive.

The grill crackles. Chicken hits hot grates — Brazilian seasoning, woodfire garlic, paprika. That sound used to be drowned out by chaos. I still pass one old coworker’s liquor store and wonder. I remember him drinking and snorting on the clock, passing out in office chairs. Truth is — I used to be him. I don’t know how I never hurt anyone or myself. God’s grace.

Mr. 7 still checks in. We talk recovery. The other day I grabbed the wrong glass and accidentally sipped whiskey. Spat it out on instinct. Not going back. Tonight I’m cooking a plate that builds me. This meal — and this life — are proof.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 2 chicken breasts

• 1 tsp Brazilian seasoning

• 1 tsp woodfire garlic seasoning

• ½ tsp paprika

• Olive oil

For the pasta

• Rotini pasta (2–3 servings)

• 2–3 tbsp pesto

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• 1 cup milk

• ¾ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

• 1 chocolate beauty bell pepper, diced

• 1–2 cayenne peppers, thinly sliced (green is normal — cayennes start green and ripen red; green = fresher, sharper heat, red = sweeter, deeper heat)

• Fresh basil, chopped (from the porch altar)

• Olive oil or butter

• Optional: red pepper flakes (I added some and it slapped)

Instructions

1) Grill the chicken

1. Pat dry and drizzle with olive oil.

2. Season with Brazilian, woodfire garlic, and paprika — no extra salt.

3. Grill over medium-high, 5–7 min per side to 165°F internal.

4. Rest before slicing. (For storage, dice and toss into the pasta so it soaks up flavor overnight.)

2) Make the pasta & sauce

1. Boil rotini in unsalted water until al dente; reserve ½ cup pasta water.

2. Sauté diced chocolate beauty bell pepper + cayenne in olive oil 3–4 min.

3. Add minced garlic; cook 30–45 sec (don’t brown).

4. Milk & cheese — go slow: lower to medium‑low; warm milk 2–3 min until steaming (no boil). Add cheese gradually, stirring 3–4 min until smooth. If it thickens fast or looks tight, add a splash of pasta water to loosen — keep it silky.

5. Kill the heat. Stir in pesto + chopped basil. Add red pepper flakes if you like more fire.

6. Toss in pasta; coat evenly.

3) Plate it

• Spoon pasta into a warm bowl.

• Top with sliced grilled chicken (or toss the diced chicken through for every-bite flavor).

• Garnish with basil and a few cayenne rings.

How This Recipe Helps Me

Cooking this brings a peace I never had before. It replaces any drug. I throw on jazz or lo‑fi, light incense or run my diffuser, and let that calm settle in. It’s a ritual that feeds my soul as much as my body — one more step from the old life, deeper into the FTF journey.

Share Your Story & Recipes

I want to hear from you. If you’ve got a recovery story, a porch garden win, or a recipe that heals — send it. Email me, hit my Facebook, or text if you know me. Let’s build this table together.

FTF Kitchen Sign‑Off

Face your fear, feed your soul, and pass the plate.

© 2025 Malcolm Pannell / FaceThyFear® (FTF Proof™) – All Rights Reserved

All names, trademarks, and creative works (FaceThyFear®, FTF Proof™, Liqesha™, Snowbella™, FTF Kitchen™, Porch Altar™) are the exclusive property of Malcolm Pannell. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. For more, visit ftfnow.net