Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Bake

Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Bake
Serves 4

8 chicken legs

1 lemon
1 pound potatoes
10 garlic cloves
4 T olive oil
2-3 T fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
Fresh, coarse ground black pepper
1 1/2 t Sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 F

Put chicken legs into a roasting dish. Cut potatoes and lemon into wedges. Add in the wedges and peeled garlic cloves.

Add in olive oil, coarsely chopped rosemary, salt and pepper, and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.

Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes until tender, fragrant, and beautifully browned.

**Notes from Em**
This recipe was AMAZING and so super easy. Next time I make it I think I'll throw in some cubed butternut squash, and maybe some green beans. I served it with a super simple side salad that had a Tuscan herb vinaigrette on it.

Grilled Tuna Kebabs

From Simply Recipes
Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds tuna, swordfish or sturgeon steaks
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 small onion
6-10 large button mushrooms
2 lemons, cut into wedges
1/2 C olive oil
2 T chopped onion
1 T chopped fresh rosemary
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
2 garlic cloves

Cut all the fish and veggies into similar-sized pieces.

To make the marinade, puree the onion, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil while pureeing, continue to puree until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Coat the fish and veggies in the marinade. Set in the fridge for at least an hour and up to overnight.

When skewing the fish and vegetables, pierce the fish against the grain, and select pieces of veggies that are close to the same size as your fish. This is important because if the pieces are different widths, some things will be charred and others undercooked.

Alternate pieces of fish with pieces of various veggies, leaving a little space between everything. Don't crowd the skewer, or the parts that are touching will cook too slowly.

Prepare the grill for high, direct heat. Clean the grates and wipe them down with a paper towel that has been dipped in vegetable oil. Lay the skewers on the grill. Don't move them until the fish pieces are well browned on one side, about 3-6 minutes. Then using tongs, carefully turn the skewers over and cook them until they are seared on the other side.

Serve hot or at room temperature. Drizzle with lemon juice or serve with lemon wedges.

Foil Packet Chicken with Snow Peas and Carrots

Makes 4 packets
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

18-24 baby carrots
2 C sugar snap peas
1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt and pepper
4 small chicken breasts
2 T hoisin sauce
soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut 4 pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil about 12 inches square (if you don’t have heavy-duty aluminum foil, use two pieces of regular aluminum foil for each packet). In a small bowl, combine garlic and ginger.

Arrange the carrots and peas on the aluminum foil. Sprinkle with the ginger/garlic mixture, and salt and pepper to taste. Brush the chicken on both sides with the hoisin sauce. Top each portion of vegetables with a piece of chicken. Salt lightly. Add 1-2 teaspoons of soy sauce on top of the chicken.

Bring opposite sides of the foil up to meet over the chicken. Fold the edges together in a ¼-inch fold, and then fold over 3 more times. Fold the open edges at either end of the packet together in a ¼-inch fold, and then fold over twice again to seal.

Put the foil packets on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes. Transfer the contents of each packet to a dinner plate and serve.

Grilled Chicken Tuscan Style

Serves 2
From Eating for Life

2 portions chicken breast
1 T olive oil
2 tomatoes, diced
2 T capers, drained and rinsed
1/2 t Mrs. Dash Tomato-Basil-Garlic seasoning
1/4 C fresh basil, sliced, divided
2 portions whole-wheat bread

Preheat grill to high

Place chicken on hot grill and cook for about 6 minutes, turnand grill for about 6 more minutes, until no longer pink in the center.

Whilte the chicken is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add tomatoes and capers; saute until soft, about 10 minutes.

Stir in Mrs. Dash seasoning and half of the sliced basil; saute for 2 more minutes.

Place a portion of chicken on two separate plates on top each with half the tomato and caper mixture; sprinkle with the remaining fresh basil.

Place a portion of whole-wheat bread on each plate. Serve and enjoy!

**Notes from Em**
I didn't have the correct Mrs. Dash seasoning on hand, so I just seasoned the tomatoes with a bit of sun-dried tomato, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion. It was fantastically good.

Chiles Rellenos Made Easy

From Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

1 1/4 C coarsely chopped onion
2 C chopped tomatoes
1/2 C low-sodium salsa verde
1/4 t salt
1/4 C fresh cilantro
4 poblano chiles
1 C shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
2 T goat cheese
3 large egg yolks
3 large egg whites
1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
3 T cornmeal
1/4 C canola oil

Preheat broiler to high.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in chopped tomatoes, salsa verde, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Place tomato mixture in a food processor; add cilantro. Process mixture until smooth. Set aside.

Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 3 inches from heat 8 minutes or until blackened and charred, turning after 6 minutes. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and discard skins. Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile; discard seeds, leaving stems intact. Spoon 1/4 cup Jack cheese and 1 1/2 teaspoons goat cheese in cavity of each chile.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly beat egg yolks in a small bowl. Place egg whites in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg yolks into egg whites. Combine flour and black pepper in a shallow dish. Place cornmeal in another shallow dish. Dredge poblanos in flour mixture, and dip into egg mixture. Dredge in cornmeal.

Heat oil in a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until hot; reduce to medium heat. Add coated poblanos to oil; cook 6 minutes or until crisp, turning to cook on all sides. Place chiles on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with tomato sauce.

Pairs really well with Black Bean & Corn Salad

**Notes from Em**
Chiles Rellenos seem to have a learning curve. I thought they would be really easy, but there are definitely a few things that I learned this time to do differently next time I make them.

1 - Don't cut the chile all the way down. Leave an inch or so uncut at the bottom.
2 - Use toothpicks to hold it closed after you've stuffed the cheese in, otherwise it makes a cheesy mess in your pan.
3 - Do a really THICK dredging in the eggs. This is 90% of your batter, and the batter adds a really fun texture.

Thai Chicken Salad

From Cooking Light
Makes 4 servings

6 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup sliced celery
2/3 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
4 lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coconut milk and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper) in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool for 2 minutes. Pour warm coconut milk mixture over lettuce mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts; serve with lime wedges, if desired. Serve immediately.

~*Veg*n Options*~
I left the chicken off but still felt the need for something 'meaty'. I didn't have any tofu handy, and honestly I'm still afraid of cooking it, so I threw some canellini beans on there, and it was really tasty.

Roasted Vegetable & Ricotta Pizza

From Cooking Light
Makes 1 large pizza, about 6 servings

1 pound refrigerated fresh pizza dough
2 C sliced cremini mushrooms
1 C zucchini, sliced to 1/4 inch
1/4 t black pepper
1 medium yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 medium red onion, cut into thick slices
5 1/2 t olive oil, divided
1 T yellow cornmeal
1/3 C tomato sauce
1 C (4 oz) shredded part-skim mozarella cheese
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1/3 C part-skim ricotta cheese
2 T small fresh basil leaves

Position an oven rack in the lowest setting; place a pizza stone on rack. Preheat oven to 500°.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Let stand, covered, for 30 minutes.

Combine mushrooms and next 4 ingredients (through onion) in a large bowl; drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Toss. Arrange vegetables on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 500° for 15 minutes.

Punch dough down. Sprinkle a lightly floured baking sheet with cornmeal; roll dough out to 15-inch circle on prepared baking sheet. Brush dough with 1 teaspoon oil. Spread sauce over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella over sauce; top with vegetables. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella and red pepper over zucchini mixture. Dollop with ricotta. Slide pizza onto preheated pizza stone. Bake at 500° for 11 minutes or until crust is golden. Sprinkle with basil.

**Notes from Em**
- I added an eggplant, and some halved cherry tomatoes, they were super tasty on this pizza.
- My crust ended up going really soggy in the middle because of how moist all of these veggies were. Next time I think I'll roast them a little bit longer, then cook the pizza without them, just throwing them on for the last few minutes.

Three Envelope Pot Roast

From Real Mom Kitchen via Steph's Kitchen

3 pound beef roast (such as chuck roast)
1 envelope of dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 envelope of dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 envelope of dry brown gravy mix
2 cups water

Put the water in a measuring cup that is larger then the amount of water you are using. Now add and mix all three envelopes of dry salad dressings to the water. Mix until blended completely. Brown the roast (if desired). Add the meat to your cooker. Pour the water, salad dressing mixture over the roast. In the slow cooker cook it on high for about 4 hours on low about 8 hours. Remember to make gravy from the drippings in the crock pot by adding water, beef bullion and thickening using water and cornstarch! It's the best gravy I have ever had and I love love love gravy!

**Notes From Em**
For some reason I really struggled to get a good, moist, crock-pot pot roast, until I found this recipe. It's AMAZING every time, and so ridiculously simple. If you want to add potatoes, carrots and onion to your pot roast, and I recommend you do, just cut them up into fairly large pieces, and toss them in about 2 hours before you are ready to eat. You can use a turkey baster to get some of the gravy on your veggies when you put them in. It's impractical to try and 'stir' a pot roast.

Chicken Pot Pie

From Williams-Sonoma
Serves 4-6

1 C sliced peeled carrots
1 C shelled fresh peas or thawed frozen peas
1 C corn kernels
2 T unsalted butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, about 1 1/2 lbs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 T chopped shallot
1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C chicken stock
1/2 C dry white wine
1/2 C half-n-half
1 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 t water
Basic Pie Dough rolled into a 9-inch round

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Bring a saucepan three-fourth full of lightly salted water to a boil. Using a pasta insert or large sieve, immerse the carrots and peas in the water and boil until crisp tender, 3-5 minutes. Lift out, drain, and transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the corn, boiling for 1 minute. Set aside.

In a large frying pan with a lid over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the chicken and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the shallot and cook, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Stir in the stock, wine, half-n-n half, and parsley and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce eh heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the carrots, peas, and corn. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish. Brush some of the egg yolk mixture in a 1-inch border around the edge of the pie dough round. Place the round, egg side down, over the filling and press the dough to the rim of the dish. Trim off any overhanging dough and brush the surface lightly with the remaining egg yolk mixture. Cut a few slits in the center of the top with the tip of a knife.

Place the dish on a baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

**Notes from Em**

I substitute the vegetables around also using peas and green beans. So long as you have a total of 3 cups, and it's a veg that won't mush (like zucchini) you should be fine to use just about
anything.

When adding the liquids into your chicken/butter/flour mixture, do it really slowly like when you're making a roux. This will help to make sure the sauce gets nice and thick.

Carne Asada

This is a 3 piece meal that I put together a couple of weeks ago, and with the warming up weather, it was INREDIBLY satisfying. It was also really nice to be able to cook outside instead of heating up the house.

2 pounds carne asada
2 avocado
8-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 limes
handful of cilantro, chopped
1 C white rice
1/2 packet Sazon seasoning
4 tortillas

Cook rice according to package directions, adding the Sazon seasoning to the boiling water.

Preheat the grill to 350F.

Slice open the avocado's and remove the pit. Spoon out the fruit, roughly dice it, and place it in a serving bowl. Add cherry tomatoes, juice of 1 lime, some cilantro, and then season to taste with salt and garlic powder.

If the carne asada comes unseasoned, then season as you desire. Cook the meat on the hot grill for approximately 3 minutes on each side.

Once everything is done, serve the rice, guacamole, and steak. If you want, you can also put this in a tortilla.

Super Easy Roast Chicken

The more pregnant I get (I'm 38 weeks right now) the less motivation I have to make spectacular dinners. It's just too much effort to stand up for that long. My desire for really tasty dinners however, has no decreased. So I decided to try my hand at a roast chicken. It's one of those meals that has always been intimidating to me for some reason, but this was really simple, super tasty, pretty healthy, and involved about 10 minutes total prep time for the entire meal.

1 whole chicken
2 T butter
Salt
Pepper
Marjoram
Savory
Stuffing mix - chicken flavored
Canned green beans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using several paper towels, pat the chicken until it is dry. With your hands rub the chicken with butter, then sprinkle generously with all of the seasonings. Put in a roasting pan (or 9x13) and place in oven. Cook 20-25 minutes per pound of chicken until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180F.

Once the chicken is done, cook the stuffing according to its package direction, and heat the green beans.

**The 'official' pattern for carving a chicken is as follows: First remove the back legs and thighs. Next remove the wings. Finally remove the breast, and slice as desired. Once you've done that, you'll have to essentially 'clean' the rest of the chicken by hand. These small pieces are really good in soups etc.

Steak, Sweet Potatoes, and Wild Rice Pilaf

My husbands birthday was yesterday, and as I expected he requested to have steak for dinner. He would be content with eating just a steak, but my stomach needs something more than just meat. So here's the meal that I put together for us, and his parents.

Ribeye Steak
White and Wild Rice Pilaf
Spinach Salad
Baked Sweet Potato
Chocolate Satin Pie

For the sweet potato bake at 450 F for 45. When they're done, slice it open lengthwise and top it with a little butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.