Category: PROTEINS

PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY & THYME CHICKEN

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PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY & THYME CHICKEN
6-7 pound chicken
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cups baby carrots
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 small onion, cut into eighths
4 cloves garlic, minced

  • Preheat oven to 325˚.
  • Generously grease baking dish.
  • Scatter onions, carrots and garlic along the bottom.
  • In a small food processor pulse 3/4 of all the leaves together until well blended.
  • Add butter until well blended.
  • Working from the large cavity end of the bird, use your fingers to loosen the skin form the meat.
  • Using a rubber spatula, place 2/3 of the butter mixture under the skin on both sides of the breast bone.
  • Spread the remaining butter over the outside of the bird.
  • Generously sprinkle the entire bird with salt and pepper.
  • Sprinkle with remaining herbs.
  • Roast 1 1/2 hours or until desired temperature.
  • Remove from pan and let rest 15-20 minutes.
  • Strain vegetables and make gravy with drippings if desired.
  • Carve and serve.

STUFFED MEATBALLS & ROASTED VEGGIE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

STUFFED MEATBALLS & 
ROASTED VEGGIE SPAGHETTI SAUCE
  • I start with whatever vegetables I have in the vegetable bin. Today was Roma tomatoes, celery stalks, green onions and snap peas.
  • Then I drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper over it all and bake it for an hour at 400 degrees.
  • I started the sauce with a can of Contadina tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Better than Beef Bouillon paste, 2 cups orange juice and a V8. This truly was a clean out the fridge day.
  • When done roasting add the vegetables to the sauce and set to simmer all day. The vegetables will continue to cook down into a uniform consistency with the sauce. Salt & pepper taste.


For the meatballs:
1 pound hamburger
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 large slices sourdough bread, crumbled
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheeseAlign Center
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
1 bunch green onions, finely minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
mozzarella cheese, about 4 ounces, cut into 1 inch cubes

  • Crumble bread into a large bowl.
  • Toss in Parmesan cheese, parsley, green onions and garlic.
  • Add meat and with your hands mix extremely well until you have a uniform mixture.
  • Roll meatballs around a Parmesan cheese cube.
  • Chill Meatballs until sauce is done.
  • Just before the sauce is finished, brown meatballs.**
  • Add the meatballs to the sauce and bring to a medium high simmer until meatballs are cooked though, about 20 minutes.
  • Prepare pasta and Parmesan Cheese Bread while meatballs are cooking.
  • Enjoy

**If you prefer you can add the meatballs directly to the sauce and SLOW simmer for a couple hours instead of browning.


Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie Recipe from Dawn’s Daily Life
9 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons milk
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and cook over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat; drain fat. Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce to taste, salt, pepper, green beans and corn. In a separate bowl, mix flour with the 3 tablespoons water and stir into beef mixture. Pour this mixture into a casserole dish. Stir all together well. Drain the potatoes, mash and spread over the beef mixture. Place 2 to 3 vent holes through the mashed potatoes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Brush the milk over the potatoes for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Modifications:
-I added 2 cloves of garlic, 1 onion and 1 green pepper to this recipe.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and cut up about 10 potatoes and put them on to boil
Slice up a green pepper.

Coarsely chop 2 garlic cloves and slice up an onion.

Brown about 1 1/2lbs of lean ground beef.

Add the garlic, onion and green pepper.

Add 1 small can of tomato sauce.

Drain and rinse a can of corn and a can of green beans and added it to the mixture.

Add 7 or 8 good shakes of worcestershire.
While that mixture is cooking, measure out 2T of all-purpose flour and 3T of water. Mix it together and then mix it into the pan.

Grease a 9×13 baking dish and put the mixture in it.
Drain the potatoes and then added a tad of butter.  Mash.

Once mashed up, I scoop the potatoes over the meat mixture and poke 4 holes in it.
Popped it into the oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
With a few minutes left to go, I measured out 3 tablespoons of milk and started to brush it on the potatoes. That was too much of a pain so I just drizzled it all over the top.
Here’s what you’ll end up with:

Review:
I almost just made the mashed potatoes on the side and served it that way but I really wanted to try to stay as close to the recipe as possible. I’m glad I did!
I added the garlic, onion and green peppers and it did add a lot of flavor. In hindsight, though, I think I should have left out the green peppers. The texture was pretty close to that of the green beans and while it wasn’t bad, it just didn’t add a lot to it.
If you aren’t going to be all critical about the authenticity of what you put in the dish, I think you could really add anything you wanted–mushrooms, ground turkey, beans, etc.
I’d say to definitely give this recipe a try. It was easy and tasty!
Hope you enjoy!
April

IT’S TASTE & CREATE TIME – CHICKEN BREASTS IN LEMON SAGE SAUCE

Taste and Create was started as a food event by Nicole from For the Love of Food.  The whole purpose of Taste and Create was, and has been, and continues to be to create a community of bloggers who test each others’ recipes and share links. The participants of the event are paired together and try a new recipe from one another’s blog.
This month I was paired with Corina from SEARCHING FOR SPICE. I love being paired with someone I’ve never been paired with before I inevitably learn sooooooo much, and find great new recipes.  I chose her CHICKEN BREASTS IN LEMON SAGE SAUCE recipe which she adapted from The book Fantastico by Gino D’Acampo.  I chose it because it looked sooooooo good and I had some sage that was left from when I made the PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY & THYME CHICKEN.  I converted the metrics for my use.
Ingredients – Serves 2
2 chicken breasts
1 lemon, juiced and divided
1 tablespoon flour
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon fennel (optional)
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon sage
Salt
Black pepper
Olive oil
  • Make a paste with the flour, garlic and lemon juice.   
  • Coat the chicken with the paste and leave for half an hour.
  • Put a little olive oil in a sauce pan.   
  • Scrape the paste off the chicken and keep for the next step.   I forgot to scrape off the paste, but it worked well as a coating and hubby enjoyed it so I guess you could do it either way.  Fortunately my pan wasn’t too hot that it burned and all worked out well.
  • Add the chicken and the fennel seeds to the pan and fry the chicken on each side.  I also omitted the fennel seeds – thought I had some, but didn’t after all.
  • If the paste is quite thick, thin it with a little water or stock then add it to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon. Since I messed up above, I did add a little stock (thought about using wine, but didn’t want to mess with her recipe since it smelled perfect).
  • Then add the rest of the stock, sage, salt and pepper. 
  • Bring to the boil then lower to a very gentle simmer for about 20 minutes.  
  • Mix the egg yolk with a little lemon juice.    
  • Remove the chicken from the pan.   
  • Stir in the lemon juice.  Keep stirring as it thickens, but don’t let it boil.
  • Serve the sauce over the chicken with rice or potatoes and vegetables.

KIWI ORANGE GLAZED CHICKEN with SCALLION RICE PILAF


KIWI ORANGE GLAZED CHICKEN with SCALLION RICE PILAF
1 roasting chicken (6-7 pounds)
3 oranges
1/4 cup honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, sliced and divided

1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon roasted corriander, ground
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees˚.  
  • Quarter 1 orange, set aside.
  • Grate 1/2 teaspoon zest and juice remaining oranges to 1/2 cup.
  • In a small saucepan bring juice, honey and zest to a slow boil.
  • Cook about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat.
  • Thinly slice scallions.
  • Place chicken in roasting pan.
  • Fill cavity with orange quarters and scallion slices.
  • In a small food processor combine oil, salt, pepper, garlic, ginger and corriander until well blended.
  • Rub over chicken.
  • Roast 1 hour 45 minutes.
  • Brush reserved honey mixture all over chicken.
  • Roast another 15-20 minutes or until 180˚.
  • Meanwhile prepare rice according to package directions.
  • Add remaining salt.
  • Stir in sliced scallions, cashews and parsley.

PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY & THYME CHICKEN

PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY & THYME CHICKEN
6-7 pound chicken
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cups baby carrots
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 small onion, cut into eighths
4 cloves garlic, minced

  • Preheat oven to 325˚.
  • Generously grease baking dish.
  • Scatter onions, carrots and garlic along the bottom.
  • In a small food processor pulse 3/4 of all the leaves together until well blended.
  • Add butter until well blended.
  • Working from the large cavity end of the bird, use your fingers to loosen the skin form the meat.
  • Using a rubber spatula, place 2/3 of the butter mixture under the skin on both sides of the breast bone.
  • Spread the remaining butter over the outside of the bird.
  • Generously sprinkle the entire bird with salt and pepper.
  • Sprinkle with remaining herbs.
  • Roast 1 1/2 hours or until desired temperature.
  • Remove from pan and let rest 15-20 minutes.
  • Strain vegetables and make gravy with drippings if desired.
  • Carve and serve.

ITALIAN LEMON BUTTER CHICKEN

I found this recipe at ALLrecipes and it was amazing!!  I did make a few changes for my family’s likes so go check out the original recipe.

ITALIAN LEMON BUTTER CHICKEN

Lemon Butter Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup white wine*
  • Juice of 2 large lemons
  • 5 tablespoons heavy cream❉
  • 1 cup butter, chilled❉
  • salt and pepper to taste

Chicken and Pasta:
1/2 pound dry farfalle (bow tie) pasta
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces bacon
6 ounces mushrooms, sliced
6 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and halved
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

  1. To make the sauce, pour the wine and lemon juice into a saucepan over medium heat. Cook at a low boil until the liquid is reduced by 1/3. Stir in cream, and simmer until it thickens. Gradually add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time to the sauce, stirring until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and keep warm.
  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
  3. To make the chicken, heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. In a bowl, stir together flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat chicken with flour mixture. Without crowding, carefully place chicken in hot oil. (If necessary, cook in batches.) Fry until cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to paper towels. Stir the bacon, mushrooms and artichokes into the oil; cook until the mushrooms are soft.
  4. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size strips, and return them to the skillet. Stir half of the lemon butter sauce into the chicken mixture.
  5. To serve, place pasta in a large bowl. Stir the chicken mixture into the pasta. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Stir in additional lemon butter sauce as desired. Toss well, and garnish with parsley. 

*a dry blush works well also.
❉I didn’t want to use so much butter so substituted 3/4 cup buttermilk this time and was pleased with the results.

LEMON BUTTER CHICKEN

I found this recipe at ALLrecipes and it was amazing!!  I did make a few changes for my family’s likes so go check out the original recipe.

LEMON BUTTER CHICKEN

Lemon Butter Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup white wine*
  • Juice of 2 large lemons
  • 5 tablespoons heavy cream❉
  • 1 cup butter, chilled❉
  • salt and pepper to taste

Chicken and Pasta:
1/2 pound dry farfalle (bow tie) pasta
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces bacon – OPTIONAL
6 ounces mushrooms, sliced – OPTIONAL
6 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and halved – OPTIONAL
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

  1. To make the sauce, pour the wine and lemon juice into a saucepan over medium heat. Cook at a low boil until the liquid is reduced by 1/3. Stir in cream, and simmer until it thickens. (TONIGHT DIDN’T WANT TO THICKEN!) Gradually add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time to the sauce, stirring until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and keep warm.
  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside. (TONIGHT I MADE RICE – A GREAT SUBSTITUTE)
  3. To make the chicken, heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. In a bowl, stir together flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat chicken with flour mixture. Without crowding, carefully place chicken in hot oil. (If necessary, cook in batches.) Fry until cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to paper towels. OPTIONAL – Stir the bacon, mushrooms and artichokes into the oil; cook until the mushrooms are soft.
  4. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size strips, and return them to the skillet. Stir half of the lemon butter sauce into the chicken mixture.
  5. To serve, place pasta in a large bowl. Stir the chicken mixture into the pasta. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Stir in additional lemon butter sauce as desired. Toss well, and garnish with parsley. 

*a dry blush works well also.
❉I didn’t want to use so much butter so substituted 3/4 cup buttermilk this time and was pleased with the results.

MARVELOUS MINI-MEATLOAVES

I found tonight’s main dish on a blog, Gourmet Meals for Less, and I knew that Scott liked meatloaf so I thought I would give it a try. 

Marvelous Mini Meatloaves–
makes 12 meatloaves

l pound extra-lean ground beef (1.69)
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Chicken flavored stuffing mix (use the cheapest you can find)
1 cup water

and choose from your favorite of the following combinations:

1 teaspoon italian seasoning, spaghetti sauce, shredded mozzarella
2 teaspoon chili powder, chunky salsa, mexi-cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder, bbq sauce, cheddar cheese

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 375°. 
  • Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and preferred seasoning until well blended.  
  • Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. 
  • Make indentation in center of each with back of spoon; fill each evenly with spoonful of preferred sauce.
  • Bake 30-40 min. or until meatloaves are done (160°F). 
  • Top each meatloaf with sprinkle of cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted. 
  • Let stand 10 min.

Make Ahead and Freeze:  Bake meatloaves as directed. Remove from muffin cups; cool completely. Place in single layer on baking sheet; freeze 1 hour. Transfer to airtight container. Store in freezer up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator, and then reheat in 375°F-oven 20 min. or until heated through.

Here’s what you’ll need: 
(we went with the Italian Seasoning, spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese)
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
  • Put the hamburger meat in a bowl and add the stuffing.
  • Add 7-8 good dashes of Italian seasoning and 1 cup of water.  Mix together. 
  • Spray a muffin pan with Pam and then stuff each pan with the meat.

  • Push a little hole in the middle of each. 
  • Scoop in 1 Tbsp of spaghetti sauce in each (if you are making the Italian-style).
  • Bake for 40 minutes.

  • Once the meat is cooked through, pull out and add cheese to the top.  Put back in for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Here’s what you’ll end up with:

This is the type of meal, too, in which if some of the people in your family like Mexican and some like Italian then it would be easy to make 6 of each.  Plus, I love how the recipe tells you how to make ahead and freeze, too.

If I could have changed one thing, I think next time I won’t get a chicken flavored stuffing.  I think, instead, I would look to see what other varieties there were.  For me, there was still just a hint of the taste of stuffing instead of traditional crumbled up crackers or I guess you could even use just bread crumbs as a binding.
Either way, we will definitely be having this meal again!

Hope you enjoy!
April

CHILE LIME CHICKEN PATTIES with LIME REMOULADE SAUCE

Good morning everyone! We had these little yummies this past week and hubby is already asking for them again so I think they were a hit!

CHILE LIME CHICKEN PATTIES with LIME REMOULADE SAUCE
2 cups rotisserie chicken. chopped small
2 tablespoons chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, fresh
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 cup Panko crumbs, divided in half
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg, lightly beaten
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons Franks Chile hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons butter

SAUCE
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Several drops Franks Chile Hot Sauce

  • Process chicken until just ground, or choppy VERY fine.
  • In a large bowl mix together chicken, celery, parsley, green onions, 1/2 cup Panko crumbs, mayonnaise, egg, lime juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.
  • Form into 6-8 patties and coat with remaining Panko crumbs.
  • In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat.  Cook patties slowly until browned, about 10 minutes, turning halfway through.
  • For the sauce, whisk together all ingredients until well blended and smooth.
  • Serve with lime wedges if desired.