Skillet Rosemary Chicken

We had this meal with a simple side salad for dinner last night and we (kids & adults) all gobbled it up. My baby girls actually screamed for more chicken, so I definitely count that as a check in the "win" column. Best of all, this entire meal was basically done in one pan--the cast iron skillet. Okay, so I had to boil some potatoes in a different pot, but that was it! Clean up was pretty easy for this delish all-in-one dinner.

Skillet Rosemary Chicken
Adapted from: Food Network via the Minimally Invasive website

Ingredients:
3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
Kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons leaves
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4-6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (6 to 8 ounces each)
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet, place chicken over mushrooms and potatoes and drizzle with any marinade remaining in the bowl and the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.



The Result:
Um, hello crispy, tasty, chicken skin! I'm normally not a fan of skin, but oh my...this version was awesome. The potatoes and mushrooms were pretty phenomenal, as well. The lemon, garlic, and rosemary flavors all married together to make this dish soooooo yummy. It was just the right amount of tangy, garlicky, chicken-y goodness.

Linguine with Clam Sauce

This dish was a revelation...but that just might be all the heavy cream talking. The best part was that it was so easy, and came from fairly humble ingredients (i.e. canned clams and dried pasta). I must admit, before cooking this dish, I wouldn't have thought to use canned clams as an ingredient. They just seemed so unappetizing. However, PW has showed me the error of my ways and this fantastic pasta dish can be extrapolated from the lowly tin of canned and chopped clams. As I mentioned, there was heavy cream (and butter) in this recipe; so it wasn't exactly "healthy", but it was sooooo delicious. The list of ingredients is not very long, and a lot of them are pantry staples. That also makes this awesome pasta dish a very budget-friendly meal. My family loved it, and my almost-5 year old son was sad that there were not any leftovers the next day. This is certainly another cookbook project score for us!

Linguine with Clam Sauce
From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks! cookbook, by: Ree Drummond

Ingredients:
2 – 10 oz cans of clams, drained, juice reserved
3 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped parsley
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
¾ c. white wine
¾ c. heavy cream
Juice of ½ lemon
Linguine or spaghetti
Salt and pepper to taste
lemon slices and grated Parmesan for garnish

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, and set aside.

Melt 1 tbsp of the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
Add the clams and garlic, cook about 3 minutes.

Add the wine and stir, making sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan to incorporate into the sauce. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes, until wine has reduced a bit and it doesn’t smell so “alcohol-y” and the sauce isn't so watery.

Lower the heat. Add lemon juice and the remaining butter. stir through and cook a few more minutes.

Add cream, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through, another 3-4 minutes. Add some of the reserved clam juice if the sauce is too thick, then combine with cooked pasta. Toss to combine and serve immediately with fresh lemon slices and grated Parmesan cheese.



The Result:
We couldn't get enough of this delicious pasta dish. It was completely decadent with minimal effort and expense. Do yourself a favor and make this recipe soon. You won't be disappointed!

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca with Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta

I had almost completely forgotten about this dinner, until I checked my camera. I am so glad I don't erase my food photos until I upload them to my blog. Otherwise, there would be a whole lot of meals that I would neglect to post due to my faulty memory. Anyway, this was a fantastic Sunday night dinner that did not take a whole lot of effort. The polenta was especially fantastic and paired well with the chicken and sauce. I really need to include polenta more in our menu, because we really love it. I must say this goat cheese version was our favorite. Yum!

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca
From: Sandy Gluck, Cooking Light magazine, JANUARY 2011

Ingredients:
4(4-ounce)chicken cutlets
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 8 thin strips
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Lemon wedges (optional)

Directions:
Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Place 3 sage leaves on each cutlet; wrap 2 prosciutto slices around each cutlet, securing sage leaves in place.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Combine broth, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture and the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information:
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cutlet and 2 tablespoons sauce)
Calories:202
Fat:7.5g (sat 1.5g,mono 4.3g,poly 0.9g)
Protein:30.5g
Carbohydrate:2.3g
Fiber:0.2g
Cholesterol:77mg
Iron:1.1mg
Sodium:560mg
Calcium:18mg

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Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta
From: The Pioneer Woman website

Ingredients:
1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
1 teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Butter
4 ounces, weight Goat Cheese

Directions:
Bring 4 1/2 cups water to a boil.

Add cornmeal to the water in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.

Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, adding salt and extra tablespoons of water as needed.

When polenta is done, stir in butter and goat cheese. Check seasonings, and add salt to taste.



The Result:
As I said, both recipes were pretty darn great. The highlight of our meal was to watch our baby girls eat the polenta. They got it absolutely everywhere; it was hilarious! Seriously--in hair, ears, on the back of the neck, down the clothing, hidden in the high chairs, smeared on faces, crusted on hands--just everywhere. I don't know why it is so amusing to watch our babies make a total mess of their dinner, but it is entertaining nonetheless. Thanks to my two favorite resources, PW and Cooking Light, I will have fond memories of these yummy dishes.

Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi with Lemon Pepper Butter & PW's Crash Hot Potatoes

I typically buy my fish frozen from Trader Joe's or Costco. Frozen fish is not my first choice, but living in Arizona does not afford fresh, local seafood very often. I have found that it is sometimes better to just buy frozen. Thankfully, the frozen fish usually works out pretty well; and my rationale is that frozen fish is better than no fish at all. Anyway, the recipe for the Lemon Pepper Butter was actually on the label of the Trader Joe's frozen mahi mahi that I recently purchased. I did a quick pan-sear on the fish, topped it with this flavorful condiment, and our dinner was complete!!!

Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi with Lemon Pepper Butter

Ingredients:
4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets, thawed from frozen(fresh fish would be better)
olive oil cooking spray
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 stick(2 ounces)of butter, softened
1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tsp of lemon pepper seasoning
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, lemon pepper seasoning, fresh parsley, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Spray tops of fish fillets with cooking spray and sprinkle Lawry's seasoned salt to taste. Once pan is hot, place fish in skillet seasoned-side down. Cook for 3 minutes and flip the fish over, making sure fish has formed a browned crust. Cook for an additional 3 minutes on other side. Add lemon juice to pan and cook for 20 seconds. Remove from heat and place fish on serving plate. Top with a small spoonful of Lemon Pepper Butter and enjoy!

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PW's Crash Hot Potatoes
From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks! website

12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste
Black Pepper To Taste
Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.



The Result:
This meal was really yummy and fairly easy to put together. My son proclaimed that it was his "favorite" dinner and I should make it again tomorrow night. I served our fish with a side of steamed broccoli and Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes (the recipe is above, but use this link for an instructional pictorial). I ended up cutting the potato recipe in half for our little family, and we had plenty of leftovers. This was a really satisfying dinner that hit the spot, and a perfect use for my mahi mahi.

Grilled Lemon Shrimp & Italian Orzo Salad

It is Saturday night, so I am going to keep this post short and sweet. Both of these recipes were winners! Sooooo yummy!

Grilled Lemon Shrimp
Adapted From: America's Test Kitchen Light & Healthy 2010 cookbook

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21-25 count); peeled, deveined, butterflied
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
For the marinade: Combine lemon juice, zest, parsley, oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Measure and reserve 2 Tablespoons of marinade for serving.

For the shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, and them to the bowl with the remaining marinade, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove shrimp from marinade, and thread onto skewers. Sprinkle one side of the shrimp with the sugar. Grill shrimp sugar side down on a preheated grill or grill pan. Cook until lightly charred and then flip to cook on the other side (cook time will depend on grill, anywhere from 1-4 minutes). Cook until second side is no longer translucent. Remove shrimp from the skewers and toss with the reserved 2 tablespoons of marinade. Serve and enjoy!

NOTE: Don't let the shrimp marinate for longer than 15 minutes or the acid from the lemon juice will "cook" the shrimp and turn them rubbery.

Nutrition Info: (Serves 4) Cal: 250; Fat: 10g; Sat fat: 1.5g; Chol: 260 mg; Carb: 5g; Fiber: 0g; Sodium: 550mg

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Italian Orzo Salad
Adapted From: the Taste of Home website(published in Simple & Delicious June/July 2010, p29)

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth
1 package (16 ounces) orzo pasta
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
1-3/4 cups (7 ounces ) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil; add pasta. Return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, parsley, basil, onions and spinach. Drain pasta; add to tomato mixture. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Chill until serving. Just before serving, stir in cheese and pine nuts.

Nutrition Facts: Yield: 12 servings. 2/3 cup equals 288 calories, 12 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 630 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein.





The Result:
Not the best photos, but this meal was delicious!!! My only advice is to stick to the 15 minute marinating time, or your shrimp will not turn out right. Other than that, both these recipes are fantastic!

Lemon Blueberry Bread

Over the weekend, the husband went grocery shopping and found blueberries on sale at our local market. He bought two containers, in which we used the first one right away to make an Ellie Krieger coffee cake (see link below). We were going to make a second coffee cake with the other container, only to find we used most of the coffee cake ingredients up in the first application. To avoid another trip to the store, I decided to surf around and find an alternate blueberry recipe. I found this Lemon Blueberry Bread on allrecipes.com, but I had to tweak a few ingredients to accommodate what we had on hand. Below is my amended recipe that is in the oven right now. I will let you know how it turns out!

First, here is the Ellie Krieger recipe:

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Okay, here is my adapted recipe:

Lemon Blueberry Bread
Adapted From: Allrecipes.com,By: ChezSpice

Ingredients:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup fresh blueberries
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For Glaze:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon of lemon extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, 1 cup sugar, lemon extract, vanilla extract, lemon juice and eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture alternately with milk. Fold in the walnuts and blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Remove bread from pan and drizzle with glaze. Cool on a wire rack.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com



The Result:
I was losing light in my kitchen, so the edges of my bread look darker in the photo than they actually were in real life. (Read: I didn't burn the bread.) With that said, this bread was sooooo delicious! I love the combo of blueberries and lemon!!! It is moist and flavorful, without being too overpoweringly tart...just perfectly yummy! This is a keeper recipe, for sure.

Chicken Oreganato

I am avoiding the grocery store like the plague, so I decided to switch around my meal plan so we could eat stuff we already have on hand tonight. This recipe looks yummy and simple. I am not sure what I will serve with it, probably some sort of starch component and a green veggie. This promises to be easy and delicious.

Chicken Oreganato
From: Meal Planning 101
*Original Recipe from Teresa @ Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Zest of lemon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the chicken thighs and then pat dry. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and place skin side down in a greased 9x13 baking dish. In a resealable glass jar or container, add the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, close tightly and shake well. Pour half the lemon oil over the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with 1 tsp of oregano and place in the oven.

Once they have baked for 15 minutes, flip the chicken over, drizzle with the remaining lemon oil and sprinkle on the remaining tsp of oregano. Place back in the oven for 15-20 minutes. To get a nice golden color on the skin, broil for a couple minutes at the end of the baking time.

Serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze more delicious lemony goodness on them at the table.



The Result:
This is the type of recipe that I just L-O-V-E! It was super-simple to put together, and it turned out really, really, really good. The chicken had great flavor, the texture of the meat was juicy, and the skin was perfectly crisp. Yum! I think the whole dish took less than 10 minutes to put together, and 1/2 hour total cook time. I did end up turning on the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the skin (probably about 3-4 minutes tops), and it worked beautifully. We served this chicken with a side of whole wheat couscous and some steamed green beans. Lastly, we spooned some of the pan juices over both the chicken and the couscous. It was sooooo tasty! This dish will become a go-to favorite that we will make again and again!!!

Grilled Lemon Parsley Chicken Breasts

I love grilled food. I simply cannot get enough of the grill flavor during the summertime. The family and I have an afternoon of swimming planned, and I thought this would be the perfect dinner to go with an afternoon by the pool (even though it is way too hot to eat outside). I am especially looking forward to trying this easy marinade, since I have heard positive things about it. My friend, Claire tried this chicken out last week with good results, so I am hoping to duplicate her efforts. This is another recipe from the Cook's Illustrated Summer Grilling issue. I am not sure what I am going to serve with it, but probably the standard veggies/salad and a starchy side dish.

Grilled Lemon Parsley Chicken Breasts
From: Cook's Illustrated Summer Grilling

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
table salt
fresh ground black pepper
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons water
4 (8 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
1. Whisk together mustard, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, parsley, 1/4 teaspoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoons pepper in small bowl; set aside.

2. Whisk together remaining tablespoon lemon juice, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, remaining teaspoons of sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, garlic, and water in medium bowl. Place marinade and chicken in gallon-size zipper-lock bag and toss to coat; press out as much air as possible and seal bag. Refrigerate 30 minutes, flipping bag after 15 minutes.

3. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until coal are fully ignited and partially covered with thin layer of ash, about 20 minutes. Build modified 2 level fire by arranging all coals over half of grill, leaving the other half empty. Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean. Dip wad of paper towels in oil, holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill is ready when you can hold your hand 5" above grate for 5 minutes.

4. Remove chicken from bag, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Place chicken on cooler side of grill, smooth-side down, with thicker side facing coals. Cover with disposable 9x13" aluminum pan and cook until bottom of chicken just begins to develop light rill marks and is no longer translucent, 6-9 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and rotate so that thinner side faces coals. Cover with disposable pan and continue to cook until chicken is opaque and firm to touch and instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 140 degrees, 6-9 minutes longer.

5. Move chicken to hotter side of grill and cook,uncovered, until dark grill marks appear, 1-2 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and cook until dark grill marks appear and instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees, 1-2 minutes linger. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let rest, tented with foil, 5 minutes. Slice each breast on bias into 1/4" thick slices and transfer to individual plates.

6. Drizzle with reserved sauce to serve.

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On gas grill: Turn all burners to high and heat with lid down until very hot, about 15 minutes. Scrape grill grate with grill brush to clean. Dip wad of paper towels in oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Leave primary burner turned to high and turn off other burners. Proceed with recipe, grilling with lid down and omitting disposable pan. Increase browning time by 1-2 minutes.



The Result:
This chicken was sooooooo freakin' yummy! The grilling instructions were easy to follow, and the chicken cooked perfectly. The marinade and sauce made the chicken just sing...so very bright and fresh-tasting. It made the chicken both succulent and savory, with just the perfect hit of lemony goodness! Yum! Yum! Yum! I served some corn on the cob, salad, and a small baked potato, for side items. All were really tasty with our grilled chicken. Overall, this was a delicious and satisfying dinner! I am sure that we will be having this chicken again very soon.

On another note, I am pretty happy with all the dishes I have tried from Cook's Illustrated. So far, it has been an awesome resource for both technique and recipes. With each dish I try, I am falling more and more in love with the magazine! I will definitely be getting a subscription.

Jen's Lemonade

I just made some fresh lemonade and realized that I have never posted the recipe. This is a perfect drink for a hot day!

Jen's Lemonade

Ingredients:
8 cups of cold water
1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 cups of lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
4 halves of lemons (I use the already squeezed, zested ones that are already smooshed)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. Stir well to combine and serve over ice.

Jen's Roasted Shrimp & Broccoli Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce Surprise

So, I have been crazy busy. Apparently, blog neglect is the first symptom of a crazy schedule. I don't know if the new week will be any quieter, but I am hoping to at least stay caught up. That's the dream, anyway. I am going to plan some easy dinners, so I can keep my head above water. That should help, and I think I am now up to date on my meal posts. Whew!

Yesterday, I was out all day and forgot to thaw out a protein item for our dinner. Yikes! At 5 pm, I made a quick decision to use shrimp since I knew they could be thawed/cooked relatively quickly. I wanted an all in one type of dish, and what better way to get that then to throw some shrimp into some pasta with a veggie of some sort. I spied some lemons sitting out on my counter; which helped me formulate an idea. Pasta, shrimp, broccoli...in a lemon cream sauce. Eureka!!! I did not use a recipe, but instead made one up on the fly. I did not write it down as I was cooking, so I will just recreate it now. As with my curry dish a few night's ago, this was definitely one of my surprise concoctions. I really did not have a clear idea of where I was going or how I was going to get there. Thankfully, all worked out well. This pasta dish turned out super-yummy! This will become a dish that I make again, especially since it came together fairly quickly (only 1/2 hour to 45 minutes max; including thaw time).

Jen's Roasted Shrimp & Broccoli Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce Surprise

Ingredients:
1 lb. of fresh or frozen raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
pasta of your choice (I used pappardelle)
2 heads of broccoli, florets only
6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 of a large white or yellow onion, diced finely
2 Tablespoons of capers, drained
1 Tablespoon of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of dry white wine
2 medium sized lemons, juiced
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup of sour cream
1-2 cups half and half
1 cup of water or chicken broth
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
2 Tablespoons of flour
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta.

If shrimp is frozen, place in colander under stream of running water, tossing ever minute or so until thawed (this takes approximately 5 minutes total). Dry thawed shrimp well with paper towels, and place on a baking sheet. Season shrimp liberally with salt and pepper. Pour approximately 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over shrimp. Toss seasoned shrimp with clean hands on baking sheet, making sure all shrimp is evenly coated. Roast in oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on how large the shrimp are. Be careful not to overcook. Once shrimp are roasted, remove from baking sheet to a platter and set aside.

On the same baking sheet, place broccoli florets and season with salt and pepper. Again, coat with approximately 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, then toss seasoned florets with oil by using clean hands. Make sure all florets are evenly coated. Roast broccoli in oven for 15-25 minutes, or until florets are slightly browned at the tops, and still crisp. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to packaged directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When pan is ready, add onions and a big pinch of salt. Saute onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Do not burn garlic. Add red pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Add white wine and lemon juice and let it reduce by half. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water (or chicken broth), half and half, and sour cream. Stir to combine, making sure dairy items do not curdle. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Sauce should be watery at this point.

In a microwaveable bowl, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Once melted, add flour and mix until paste is formed. Whisk into sauce for thickener. Repeat if necessary, until desired sauce consistency is achieved. Once sauce ready, adjust seasoning if needed. Add in roasted broccoli, roasted shrimp, capers,lemon zest, and chopped parsley. Stir to combine. Melt in last 2 Tablespoons of butter. Serve over cooked pasta.

Jen's Notes:
All measurements are approximate.



The Result:
Keeper!!! This was delish!

Chicken Piccata

I love Chicken Piccata, but for some reason I have never made it at home. I really don't know why, since it is a relatively simple dish to master. Moreover, it is made with ingredients I generally have on hand and it is a quick-cooking dish. I think I just forgot about it...which is criminal, I know.

I found a basic, classic version on Simply Recipes, however I think I might tweak it a bit so I get a lot of sauce. The best part about Chicken Piccata is the sauce. I dream about it! I think I will serve my chicken on a bead of spaghetti noodles, so the noodles can soak up all the saucy, yummy, goodness. Also, we will need something green...so green beans will most likely be our side dish. I will indicate my changes in my notes below the recipe. This looks so easy and delicious, I can't wait to make this tonight.

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pound total)
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup flour
Salt and pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chicken stock or dry white wine
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup brined capers
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Directions:
Cut the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. If the breast pieces you are working with are large, you may want to cut them each into two pieces. If the pieces are still thick after butterflying, put them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat hammer to 1/4-inch thickness.

Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan. Rinse the chicken pieces in water. Dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated.

Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces, do not crowd the pan. Brown well on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve to a plate. Cook the other breasts in the same manner, remove from pan. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.

Add the chicken stock (or white wine), lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce the sauce by half. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Plate the chicken and serve with the sauce poured over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4.
Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com

Jen's Notes:
I don't have chicken breasts, but I do have chicken tenders. By using tenders as a substitute, I can just pass on the whole butterflying/pounding process. They are already pretty thin. Next, I think I will add at least 3 cloves of garlic into the dish right before I add the stock/white wine. My theory is that everything is better with garlic. Since I am after a saucy version, I will probably add both white wine and chicken stock. I will also need to bump up the amount of lemon juice to balance the flavors. I am out of fresh parsley, but I do have some chives. I understand it is a different taste profile, but they will have to work in a pinch. Plus, some fresh herbs are better than no fresh herbs. Again, I will serve this over thin spaghetti noodles. Yum!!!! I am really excited about this dish!!!!



The Result:
Well, I am typing this on my shiny, sleek, beautiful, new laptop. That's right. No more losing emails. No more losing documents...such as RECIPES! No more losing photos. Sigh. I heart my new laptop! I was so excited to play with my new computer, I decided to change my blog background with it. I wanted something more appropriate for spring. Do you like it??? Do you?????? No pressure. Anyway, on to dinner...

This dish was awesome. It earned rave reviews! I served it with a broad, Italian green bean and pappardelle noodles. My son went nuts for the noodles alone. Then, I shaved some Parmesan cheese and sprinkled my chives over the top. Ummmmm....fabulous!!! Usually the husband takes leftovers for lunch the next day, but I begged him to leave this for me (don't worry...there is still one more serving of Beef and Lentil Soup for him to take). To show my appreciation for him being such a good sport, I packed his lunch for him and included a couple surprise goodies. That should ease the suffering of having the same soup two days in a row so I can have this Chicken Piccata. Overall, this is a total keeper. We loved every bite of it!!!

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Well, this is my last whole chicken. I had bought a few and froze them at the end of October, and I am sad that this is the last one from that bargain bonanza. Whenever I see a smokin' sale on these babies I try and stock up. I love cooking whole chickens, because we end up getting at least 2-3 meals, and a good supply of homemade chicken stock, from one chicken. Also, what is easier than marinating a whole bird and then throwing it on the grill???? (You don't have to answer that...I know it's easy!) This is a Ina recipe that I tweaked to my liking. Actually, I tweaked the cooking method. Really, it is a fusion between a Rick Bayless cooking method and a Barefoot Contessa marinade. What can I say, most of my good ideas are borrowed. This is a super-simple way to prepare this dish, in which the chicken comes out perfectly cooked every time.

I am not sure what I am going to make with this dish, probably the standard frozen veggies and baked (microwaved) potatoes. I am really not interested in fussing over dinner tonight, so I think I will keep it easy. Here is the link to my original post for this recipe (see below). I am kinda looking forward to a low-key meal tonight.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

My house smells really fresh and bright from mixing up the lemon marinade earlier today. I love the smell and flavor of fresh lemons. This is going to be really good!!!



The Result:
Crispy skin, juicy chicken....ummmmmmm.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Today is the day! Finally, my chicken is thawed! Hooray!!! I am so darn excited...it has been a long time coming. My life (at least my dinner plans) have revolved around this momentous occasion for days and it's finally here! Woo-Hoo!

That is enough celebrating...I am tired of using exclamation points.

As you know, this recipe was slotted for earlier this week, but it just wasn't in the cards. Once dinner is over tonight, I am going to finally have room in the fridge again.

This is another one from my Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook. It is literally just a whole grilled chicken with a lemon/rosemary marinade. Simple and yummy. The cooking method is similar to my Rick Bayless grilled whole chicken recipe; where as you cut the back bone out and flatten the chicken on the grill. I think I am going to stick with Rick's method (Ina's is a little more cumbersome) and just use the marinade directions. I am intrigued at what grilled lemons are going to do for the dish, so that will be a little surprise.
After we put the little one to bed tonight, I will use the leftover chicken parts to make chicken stock (which is probably more exciting than the chicken recipe itself). I am not sure what I am going to make as side dishes, but you can probably count on my new favorite salad, a veggie, and a starch of some sort. I love a well-balanced meal.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:
(3 1/2-pound) chicken, flattened
Kosher salt
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved


Directions:
Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a small measuring cup. Place the chicken in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold it flat. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning it in the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken 2 or 3 times while marinating.

When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on 1 side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread most of the coals across half of the grill. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the opposite side of the grill and place the dish you used for marinating on top of the chicken to weight it. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight again with the dish, and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.
Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.



The Result:
This chicken was totally worth the wait. It was so, so juicy and flavorful! It earns my highest rating...fan-freakin'-tastic! The marinade was one of the best I have ever had on a chicken. It was not overpoweringly lemony, just fresh and zippy. It tasted like summertime. It was so good!

I used 1/2 teaspoon of dried, chopped rosemary because I could not find fresh rosemary for a decent price this time around. Also, our cooking method varies from the recipe. We just cooked it on the grill for 45 minutes, breast-side up, without flipping. We have a three burner gas grill, so we turn the two outer burners on medium and leave the middle one off. Then, we put the chicken in the middle of the grill (over the off burner) and the chicken cooks perfectly every time. We let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting, too. It is great. I think if you did follow the recipe, it would turn out just as delicious.
We served my yummy new favorite salad, small baked (microwaved) potatoes, and glazed carrots for side dishes. Simple and delicious!!! I will definitely make this chicken again.

The best part about this whole chicken adventure is that my chicken stock is bubbling away on the stove. Sigh. I am a happy girl!