Thursday, April 30, 2009

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
4 boneless skinless Chicken breasts
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 medium Red Onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons Lime Juice
1 Hass Avocado pitted and cut into chunks

1. In a small bowl combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and Cayenne. Rub on chicken.

2. In a large skillet, heat EVOO over a medium heat. Add chicken and cook 8-10 minutes, until done.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold in avocado. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over chicken.

---Review---

This is a go to meal for B and I. Usually we serve it with Mac and Cheese, but in an effort to eat better, we served it this time with a spring salad (I say Balsamic Vinaigrette is best) and pasta (with lots of spices that B added randomly). 

This is a good spring time recipe. I think it would go great on a porch with a Sangria.

Balsamic Chicken with Pesto Gravy and Bitter Greens


2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
4 tablespoons EVOO
Salt and Black Pepper
4 small chicken breasts
6 cups of Arugula, washed and dried
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup store bought Pesto
Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings for show

1. Combine vinegar, 2 tablespoons EVOO and Salt and Pepper to taste. Coat chicken.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes on each side.

3. While chicken is cooking, in a large bowl combine the arugula, lemon juice, remaining EVOO. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Remove chicken from pan and put on a cutting board. Add the butter to the skillet, when it is melted add flour and cook for a minute or so. Whisk in chicken stock and cream. Bring to a simmer to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in pesto.

5. Cut chicken and arrange on a dinner plate. Pour on pesto gravy, then top with arugula and cheese shavings.

---Review---

Awesome.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Wednesday Night Dinner: Turkey Chili



This week, we had guacamole and chips, salad, and turkey chili. My picture would look prettier if I had remembered to take a picture before I dug into my first bowl, but I didn't. So this picture is actually my second bowl. I combined a recipe I found online and one I borrowed from a friend and this is what I came up with. It wasn't quite thick enough, actually, but I thought it tasted alright. I should hope I thought it tasted alright, I have enough leftover for at least two meals. Here's the recipe.

Recipe:
1 large diced yellow onion
ground turkey
garlic (I used two cloves)
four cans of beans (I went with two black, one pinto, one kidney)
3 cans of diced tomatoes (my friend's recipe only called for two, and the recipe I found online may have only called for one, but Whitney and I decided we needed more tomatoes)
ground black pepper
chili powder
cumin
salt (optional)

Saute onion and garlic for a few minutes, then add ground turkey. Season with chili powder, cumin, and black pepper. After turkey browns, add beans and tomatoes. Cook until boils, then simmer. Taste and season as necessary during cooking process. I think after it boiled, I tasted it and seasoned it and then let it simmer and may have added a little salt during the simmering process. We let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
Garnish with sour cream and chopped green onions.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Wednesday Night Dinner: Roasted Chicken, Potatoes, and Veggies



We had a small group for dinner this week, just the girls. I've got a new job, and less time to cook, so I picked up a roasted chicken from the store this week, made Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes, steamed some broccoli, and threw together a salad with romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, a carrot, and feta. It was delicious.