Spring Chicken Soup

This is another wonderful recipe from Rachael Ray's Look & Cook, cookbook. So far, each and every recipe I've tried from this book, has been great. Full of flavor, quick and not too involved. Right up my alley.

I made this last month, when we were brutally slapped in the face with the fact that Spring was no where near ready to make and appearance. Cold, miserable and just in need of fresh light flavors, I made this soup. All I can say is that it is the best chicken soup, I've ever had.

The flavors were so wonderful, so bright, so Spring-like. The lemon really brings this plain ole chicken soup to another level. The fresh dill and parsley, just intensify the bright light broth. This soup was loved by the whole family, but by me the most. I claimed any leftovers for lunch the next day!

Spring Chicken Soup
Adapted from Rachael Ray Look & Cook
printable version

2 pieces skinless, boneless chicken breast
2 onions, 1 halved and 1 chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 carrots, chopped or thinly sliced
4 small ribs celery, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth
1/3 pound wide egg noodles
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

In a large saucepan, combine the chicken, halved onion, garlic, bay leaf and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, in a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Remove poached chicken from liquide and add about 2 C of poaching liquids, poured through a strainer, to the soup pot. Dice the poached chicken and add to the soup. Stir in the egg noodles and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the scallions, parsley, dill and lemon peel and juice. Season with salt and pepper.

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Full Plate Thursday
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Shrimp Tacos

Shrimp. Little pink gems of sweet and briny goodness. The more I eat shrimp, the more I'm liking it. And do I dare say it??? Craving it. So when I saw this recipe, floating around on Cooking for Your Family, I decided we should try it. Hubby loves shrimp and we all love tacos, so why not. Plus the sauce has cumin in it. One of the new spices I've fallen in love with. I just love the lemony earthiness it gives a dish.

These were super simple to make. I deterred from the recipe, since I sauteed the shrimp, rather than grill it. I've yet to be able to locate our BBQ skewers, since moving here 2 yrs ago..... So, sauteing seemed to be the best route to go. The shrimp was tender, the sauce added a nice citrus flavor, while the tomatillo salsa was tangy. Hubby was a bit apprehensive when he saw me chopping the cabbage. This man loathes cabbage. OK, that's a bit much, but the only way he will eat cabbage is in coleslaw or sour kraut. When he asked if I was planning on making a slaw for our tacos, I replied that I was not, and that he would just have to suck it up and eat the cabbage as I intended him to. You know what?? He did and he enjoyed it. Not one complaint left his mouth. I'm so proud of him, LOL. Baby steps....baby steps....

Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Submitted by Lou from Real Simple, Meals Made Easy
printable version

1/2 c. sour cream
3 T. mayonnaise
3 T. milk
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-1/2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 limes, quartered
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
8 6-inch corn tortillas
3 c. shredded cabbage
14 - 16 oz. jar green (tomatillo) salsa or pico de gallo

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, and cumin; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the butter and garlic. Heat a grill or broiler.

Rinse the shrimp and pat them dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp and lime wedges on the skewers. Brush the shrimp with the garlic butter. Grill or broil until the shrimp are cooked through and the limes are browned, about 3 minutes per side. Season the shrimp with the salt. Transfer to a plate.

Grill or broil the tortillas until warmed, about 30 seconds per side. Places them between clean towels to keep warm.

To serve, remove the shrimp from the skewers, divide them evenly among the tortillas, and top each with the cabbage, sour cream mixture, and salsa (or pico). Serve the lime wedges on the side.

Number of servings: 4-6

Cindy's notes: I sauteed the shrimp in the garlic butter, squeezing in some lime juice while they were cooking. We also served ours with regular salsa, for an extra bite. The sauce does make quite a bit, but it's great is chicken salad!!

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On the side~ Week 2 of my Journey to Becoming a Real Woman

Last week was side dish week, for the Real Women of Philadelphia contest. Sometimes I think the sides are the best part of the meal, especially if they involve cheese. And 'Philly' is cheese, so I felt right at home. I was ambitious and was able to get 3 side dishes submitted this week. Now I wish I could just figure out why my camera is so temper mental, so that I can stop having to re film segments. In my Savory Cream Cheese Scone video, my camera decided to stop filming while I was forming the scones. I didn't notice until the next morning, when I tried making my video ready for the competition. Not wanting to have to make 8 more scones I sucked it up and just taped a segment of me apologizing and explaining how I formed the scones and baked them. I'm hoping the flavors and originality will be enough, to make them over see my blunder.

My Creamy Ranch and Bacon Green Beans, went more smoothly. My camera must have been in a good mood that day. Creamy, tangy and full of fresh herbs, the green beans are superb.

This Wednesday, the first 2 finalists, selected from the 1st appetizer round, will be announced. Everyone, over at RWoP, is on pins and needles to see who the first 2 lucky contestants will be heading to Toronto, this summer.

Meal Plan Monday~ April 25

Happy Easter everyone! I hope all of you had as great of a weekend as we did. Friday was rainy, so we snuggled and watched movies all day. Saturday the weather was a bit better, so after coloring our Easter eggs, he headed to the park. Unfortunately, the wind was a bit too harsh and sand was blowing everywhere. So, we opted for a nice walk around the neighbourhood. Sunday the kids enjoyed hunting for eggs, once they woke up. Then we just vegged and snacked on treats, until Brunch. Hubby had to work all weekend, so we opted for Easter Brunch, so he could join us. It was super delicious!!

After Brunch, the kids and I attempted another trip to the park, so they could use their new sand toys, courtesy of the Easter Bunny. We stayed at the park until dinner time, and were lucky enough to meet some friends from school, to play with. It truly was a great Easter, even if it was just the 4 of us.

I have a ton of leftover ham, so many dishes for this week, will include some of that. I will also be filming 1 or 2 entree videos for the Real Women of Philadelphia. Hopefully the filming will go off, without a hitch. So here is what I have planned for the week.

• Pasta Fagioli soup, with homemade rolls
• Ham, Indian Fry bread and green/yellow beans
• Parm shrimp with parm and pea rice (brought over from last week)
• Roast chicken with mashed potatoes and butternut squash
• Philly entree (it's a secret until submitted) with garlic bread and salad
• Pancakes with fresh berries and melon
• Leftovers

Head on over to OrgJunkie.com, for more great meal plans!

My Journey to Becoming a Real Woman...

Of Philadelphia, that is! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have entered the Real Women of Philadelphia contest. If you haven't checked it out, you should. There is a Canadian version (which I've entered) hosted by the lovely Anna Olson (Fresh with Anna Olson- love this show!) and the American version is hosted by the Cream Cheese queen, Miss Paula Dean. It's a great way to get into the kitchen and let your creative juices flowing. It's also a great way to become slightly addicted to cream cheese. And how bad can that be?

My journey started off quite bumpy, and I almost decided to not participate at all. I did not know that the movie files for my new camera, would not be compatible with our movie making software. Then, when I tried converting the movie files, it cut out half of the content, so I was left with a big ole mess. On top of that, a cold that I had caught from Mr.B, turned into laryngitis, and I was unable to talk for a week.

Frustrated and feeling sorry for myself, I was set on quitting and forgetting about the whole thing. Only one problem.... I was miserable knowing I was missing out on a wonderful opportunity. The the voice of reason, or Hubby as I like to call him, reminded me of a second video recorder, that we've never really used. After a quick test, I was glad to see it was compatible with our software. So, though I did not make my previously chosen appetizer recipe, I did make a different one, that is our favorite Date Night Treat. Mexican Pinwheels are a creative twist on Nachos and sure to satisfy any of your party guests, or family.

Confident that I somewhat knew what I was doing, I was on a roll. I quickly decided on my next recipe, which would be a side dish recipe, since appetizer week was over. I went with our favorite, Creamy Dill Potatoes. With one slight change, the addition of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. I really have to say they are 100% more delicious, with the addition of the cream cheese. The slight tangy creaminess just brings them up to the level of AMAZINGNESS.

Since posting my 2 videos, my days have been filled with thoughts of other creations featuring cream cheese. I see ingredients and think of how I could add cream cheese to them, to make something wonderful. It's becoming a slight obsession, since I'm finding myself dreaming about cream cheese and being in cooking contests, LOL. All I can say is that I am so glad I listened to the voice of reason, AKA Hubby, since I'm enjoying this competition so much. It helps that the community of ladies participating in the contest along with me, are so wonderful, considerate and encouraging. So stay tuned for more updates on My Journey to Becoming a Real Woman!

Peeps Bird Nest Treats

One of my favorite Easter candies are Peeps. I remember when I was about 6, the Easter Bunny had left Peeps, in my Mom's chicken shaped cookie jar, which resided on our kitchen counter. I was so excited and I think that was the moment I fell in love with these tender, chewy, sugary marshmallow chicks. Of course now, they seem to be making Peeps for any occasion, but the chicks still remain my favorites.

I wanted to share my love for them with the kids, so I decided to make them some bird nests treats, complete with a cute little chick on top. They were so excited when I showed them the finished product. Queenie ate 2, sneaking one while I was throwing things into the recycle boxes, on our front stoop. That's how good they are. The colorful jelly bean eggs, just add a great cuteness factor, no one can resist.

Peeps Bird Nest Treats
printable version

1 Pkg white Wilton Melting rounds
1/2 C peanut butter chips
1-8oz pkg chow mein noodles (the orange crunchy kind)
1 Pkg favorite color Peeps chicks
20-30 colorful jelly beans

In a large pot, melt the white chocolate with the peanut butter chips, over low heat. Once melted, add the chow mein noodles, stirring carefully; not to break them up too much. Take spoonfuls of chocolate covered noodles and place them on a baking sheet, lined with wax paper. Arrange noodles into nest shapes. Place 1 chick onto each nest and place a few jelly beans around the bottom of the chick. Cool in the freezer for 5 minutes, until set.

This post linked to

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Tasty Tuesday (33 Shades of Green)

Full Plate Thursday
It's a Keeper Thursday
Foodie Friday
Friday Favorites
Fat Camp Friday
Friday Potluck
Sweets for a Saturday
Seaside Simplicity

Grilled Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Did you know it was National Grilled Cheese month? Yup, a whole month to celebrate the warm cheesy ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich. I thought this was the perfect reason to try a killer grilled cheese sandwich, I had seen in Food Network Magazine. As soon as I saw that it contained macaroni and cheese, I knew I had to make it for Hubby and I. The BBQ pulled pork and caramelized onion, only reinforced my need to make it.

Let me tell you, it's quite a sandwich. It was really heavy and I only managed to eat half of mine. That's how monstrous it was. But it was SO GOOD! It was creamy, tangy and a bit sweet. Just writing about it, is making me want one. Definitely a man's sandwich, but too good for anyone to resist.

I made my pulled pork in the crock pot and simmered it in my homemade BBQ sauce. Then I thickened some of the sauce to mix back into the pork. For the mac'n'cheese, I used good ole Kraft Dinner. Faster and easier than making my own, although I'm sure this would be super good with my home made 3 Cheese and Bacon Mac.

Grilled Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork Sandwiches
CindyJ from Food Network Magazine
printable version

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 cups prepared macaroni and cheese, warmed
2 onions, thinly sliced Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 cups prepared pulled pork
8 slices buttermilk or white bread
12 slices sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)

Put 6 tablespoons butter and the mayonnaise in the bowl of a stand mixer; beat with the paddle attachment until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.

Spread the macaroni and cheese in an 8-inch-square baking dish to about 3/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 45 minutes. Cut the macaroni and cheese into squares that are slightly smaller than the bread slices.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the barbecue sauce and pulled pork in a saucepan over low heat and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

Generously spread the butter-mayonnaise mixture on one side of each bread slice. Flip over half of the bread slices; layer 1 slice of cheddar, 1 macaroni-and-cheese square and another slice of cheddar on each. Top each with one-quarter of the pulled pork and caramelized onions and another slice of cheddar. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered-side up.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Working in batches, cook the sandwiches until the cheese melts and the bread is golden, about 5 minutes per side.

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Meal Plan Monday~ April 18

Happy Monday!! What crazy weather we've had. It snowed off and on all
day, Sunday. With rain and snow all weekend, we had to occupy
ourselves inside. Many forts and movies later, it turned out to be a
pretty nice weekend.

I sure hope this morning is not a precursor to the rest of the week. Hubby messed up the time on our alarm clock, while setting the alarm last night. As a result, we all woke up 45 minutes later than planned. Thankfully the kids were very cooperative this morning and we managed to get ready and out the door, to school, in 40 minutes.

This week will be a typical week for us, except for Wed. I have my 6 month
check up with my Ostomy surgeon, in Toronto. Since Hubby will be off, we'll take
the kids and make a day out of it. Also, Easter is this weekend and Hubby unfortunately has to work. So, it seems that a Holiday lunch is becoming a tradition. Hear is what the tentative plan is

• Orange Balsamic glazed chicken (new recipe) with savory scones
• Country Beef Dinner (new recipe) with homemade rolls
• Ham, mashed potatoes, rolls, Parmesan broccoli (Easter)
• Parmesan Shrimp with Parmesan and pea rice
• Pierogies with a salad
• Out (we'll grab something in Toronto)
• Leftovers

Head on over to OrgJunkie.com, for tons of other great meal plans!

Tuna Melts

As much as I like tuna fish sandwiches, I've never had a tuna melt. I always thought they were similar to creamed tuna, so never was really interested. The other day, while discussing lunch, Hubby suggested making some. So, I decided to look into it and was pleasantly surprised that they are basically open faced, tuna sandwiches with cheese; heated in the oven. Sounded super yummy to me.

I used our usual tuna salad recipe and added some tomato, American and Jack cheeses. Really Yummy!! The tuna paired so nicely with the cheeses and slightly warm tomato. I loved the crunch of the bread as well. Hubby was extremely pleased with the result and we've decided to try it with a nice tart Swiss cheese next time.

Tuna Melts
printable version

2 cans chunk light tuna
3 Tbs Miracle Whip
1 green onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
a few shakes of season salt
pepper
4 large tomato slices
4 slices of American cheese
12 small slices of Monterey Jack cheese
4 thick slices of your favorite sandwich bread (I used Ancient Grain bread)

Preheat oven to broil.

In a bowl mix the tuna, with the Miracle Whip, green onion, celery, seasoned salt and some fresh ground pepper. Place slices of bread in oven, to toast slightly. Remove bread from oven and place one slice of American cheese on each slice of bread. Top each slice with a quarter of the tuna salad. Top the tuna with 1 tomato slice and season with pepper. Place Monterey Jack cheese on top and return the sandwiches to the broiler. Cook until the cheese bubbles slightly.

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Scallion Cheddar Scones

Sorry I haven't been posting as much this past week. I've decided to join the Real Women of Philadelphia contest and was busy creating and testing recipes. I was a bit disappointed that I was unable to post my first video, due to using the wrong type of camera, for my movie maker software. I'd re shoot it, but have been afflicted with laryngitis, just to make things that much more frustrating. So, I've decided to rest up, file my recipe away for week 5 of the contest and focus on developing a side dish recipe sure to knock their socks off! Now onto scones...

I found this wonderful recipe over on the King Arthur Flour website. I was looking for something yummy, to pair with soup and this recipe caught my eye. I love that it uses ingredients found in most kitchens. And cheese.... well we all know how my family feels about that, LOL. Scones may seem very intimidating, but are quite very simple to make. The dough comes together in just a few minutes and they don't really have to be perfectly shaped. I like rustic looking scones, which is good, since I seem to have an ongoing issue about making a perfect circle, LOL.

These were really delicious. Light and pillowy soft; studded with nice sharp salty cheddar and slightly sweet green onion. I would have liked to taste the Dijon a bit more, so I think I'll be playing around with these in the future. The perfect dipper, as my family like to call them.

Scallion Cheddar Scones
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
printable version

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Round Table Pastry Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
2 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup cream or sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup (4 oz.) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 scallions, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Rub in the butter with your fingers.

Mix together the eggs, cream, and mustard. Add this to the dry ingredients. Stir in the grated cheese and the scallions. Mix just until combined. This is the consistency of drop-cookie dough.

Liberally flour the counter and your hands. Pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 10 triangular scones. Place on a well-greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and a cake tester inserted into a scone comes out dry. Yield: Ten scones.

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Foodie Friday

Ratatouille with Chickpeas

My kids have really been into the movie Ratatouille lately. I think we've watched it almost everyday for the last month. So imaging how excited I was to find this recipe in one of my issues of Canadian Parent Magazine. I knew that with the popularity of the movie, I might have a chance getting the kids to eat vegetables they normally reject. The were super excited when I told them we were having Ratatouille for dinner.

This recipe is super simple, yet so full of flavor. The tart tomato and pepper, with the soft zuchinni and buttery chickpeas was superb. I must say this was one of my favorite meatless meals to date. I served it with some grilled flat bread that I had brushed with garlic oil and sprinkled with coarse sea salt. Wonderful!! To my amazement Queenie was crazy for this dish. She kept asking what each vegetable was and ate them all with great enthusiasm. Mr.B still wasn't thrilled with the zuchinni, but I think that's more of a texture thing. Complete and total success in my books and a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies.

**The recipe originally called for 4 C frozen Italian-style vegetables. I altered the recipe to show my use of fresh vegetables.**

Ratatouille with Chickpeas
Adapted from Canadian Parent Magazine
printable version

3 Tbs olive oil
1 C zucchini, cut into half moon slices
1 C broccoli florets
1 C red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 C carrots, peeled and cut into thin disks
2 C seasoned diced tomatoes, with their juice
1 28 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
1/4 C fresh parlsey, chopped


Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil. Add carrots and broccoli and cook for about 4 minutes. Add zuchinni and red pepper, stirring to combine. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, until zucchini begins to soften. Add tomatoes, chickpeas and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer until carrots are tender. Stir in parsley, before serving.

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Tuesday Night Super Club

Delicious Dishes
Garden Variety Wednesday
Recipe Round Up (Gooseberry Patch)

Peanut Butter and Banana Wraps

I've recently found a great site, via Facebook, for great recipes using General Mills products. Some of you may have heard about General Mills Life Made Delicious, from my friend Brenda, over at Brenda's Canadian Kitchen. It really is a great site to look for simple, yummy and healthy recipes. I've been browsing it for snack ideas for the kids and we've enjoyed many recipes I've found. This is one of them.

When it comes to snack time, I'm pretty picky as to what the kids get. I don't mind an indulgent snack here or there, but prefer that they don't fill up with empty calorie snack. You can add fun ingredients to healthy food, to make it more treat like, as is done with this recipe. Adding chocolate chips to the mix, excites the kids to want and try these healthy wraps. And who can resist the combination of peanut butter, bananas and chocolate?

The kids always love when snack time allows them to creat their own snacks. They proudly spread, mix, stir and are super anxious to eat their creations. The crunchy peanut butter and chocolate chips added great texture to the soft bananas. This was a total hit with the kids and let's face it, with me too!

Peanut Butter and Banana Wraps
Adapted from GM Life Made Delicious
printable version

1/2 cup (125 mL) creamy peanut butter or soynut butter
1/2 pkg (8 large) Old El Paso* Flour Tortillas
1/4 cup (50 mL) honey
2 small bananas, sliced
1/4 cup (50 mL) miniature semisweet chocolate chips, optional

Spread 2 tablespoons of the peanut butter evenly over each tortilla. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the honey over each tortilla. Top with banana slices and chocolate chips.
Roll up tortillas. Secure with toothpicks

Cindy's notes: We used whole wheat tortillas and regular sized chcolate chips, which I had chopped.

Meal Plan Monday~ April 11th

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had as great a weekend as we did. Saturday turned out to be just gorgeous, weather wise. The kids and I took advantage of it and spent the morning at the park with our neighbors. Then after lunch, we indulged in the first ice creams of the year, from the ice cream truck. We ended our day by grilling out and snuggling on the couch to watch our new favorite movie, Tangled.

This week is going to be a bit hectic. We have a few appointments and I have a project in the works, so that will keep me occupied in the kitchen. We didn't really stick to the menu last week, so I'll be rolling over some meals this week. Once again, I'll be using whatever I have in the freezer/pantry.

• Rosemary chicken, with mashed citrus sweet potatoes(new recipe) and broccoli
• Spaghetti and meatballs, with garlic bread and a salad
• Mac'n'Cheese (boxed) with hot dogs and peas
• Orange Balsamic Glazed Chicken (new recipe) with cheese and bacon biscuits (new recipe)
• Country Beef Dinner (new recipe) with homemade rolls
• Blueberry waffles with fresh strawberries and melon slices
• Leftovers

Head on over to orgjunkie.com for more great meal plans!

Lemon and Dill Chicken

With the warm and sunny weather, I've been trying to cook with fresher, lighter ingredients. Nothing screams Spring, or Summer to me like fresh herbs and citrus. I was totally excited to find this easy, yet delicious recipe on the Eating Well website. It involves two of my favorite flavors; lemon and dill.

This chicken was wonderful. The sauce was creamy, without the use of cream. Tart, salty with a nice dill flavor. I served this over rice, which I'd cooked with chopped broccoli and butter. The rice soaked up the sauce, becoming a wonderful side dish. The kids went wild over this. They've recently found a love for anything lemon. Even fresh lemon slices can't make it past them, without being eaten, LOL. This is truely a wonderful Spring like dish!

Lemon and Dill Chicken
Adapted from EatingWell
printable version

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (1-1 1/4 pounds)
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth, flour, 1 tablespoon dill and lemon juice in a measuring cup and add to pan. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan; reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over the chicken. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill.

Nutrition

Per serving : 173 Calories; 6 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 64 mg Cholesterol; 3 g Carbohydrates; 24 g Protein; 0 g Fiber; 236 mg Sodium; 219 mg Potassium

This post linked to

Tasty Tuesday (33 Shades of Green)

Full Plate Thursday

Tip Day Thursday
Fat Camp Friday
Foodie Friday
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Cheesy Chicken

I recently subscribed to Canadian Family Magazine, through Mr.B's school magazine fundraiser. It really is a good magazine and I recommend it, to anyone with children. My favorite part of the magazine, however, is the food section. It gives ideas to help picky eaters, great time saving recipes and in this particular issue, freezable recipes. Since I'm lucky enough, to be a Stay at home Mom, I don't really need freezable recipes. I did want to try these yummy recipes though. So, I simply skipped the freezing part and went straight to the cooking part, of the recipe.

This chicken was super tasty. It had a nice crispy crust, even though I didn't use Panko bread crumbs. (I still can't find any here and to be honest, I've stopped looking, LOL) The chicken was juicy with a nice crisp salty crust. I had to make a few substitutions though, since ingredients were used up and not written on the 'need to get' list. I won't say WHO used them up.... I'll just say they vanished. So, I ended up using balsamic vinegar and finely grated sharp cheddar. Despite the substitutions, they turned out great and everyone loved them.

Cheesy Chicken
Adapted from Canadian Family Magazine
printable version

2 Tbs Dijon
2 egg
1 tsp white wine vinegar
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pounded to an even thickness)
1 C panko bread crumbs
1/2 C finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbs olive oil

Whisk egg, mustard and vinegar in a bowl and add chicken, tossing to coat well. In a shallow dish combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, basil and pepper. Let excess egg mixture drip from the chicken and dredge in bread crumbs, pressing to coat completely.

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat; add chicken and cook until lightly golden crisp, about 3 minutes per side. (Work in batches if skillet is too small.) Transfer cooked chicken to rack and let cool.

TO FREEZE Place in baking dish and cover with a layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil; freeze. Prior to serving, defrost in refrigerator overnight.

TO REHEAT Remove wrapping and bake in a preheated 400˚F oven until chicken is crisp, about 10-12 minutes.

Cindy's notes: Since I had no intention of freezing these, I transfered my oven safe skillet to the oven, and followed the reheat step. I also used balsamic vinegar, sharp cheddar and homemade bread crumbs, instead of those listed in the ingredients.

This post linked to

Delicious Dishes

Tuesday Night Supper Club

Hearth and Soul

Made from Scratch Tuesday

Tempt my Tummy Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday

Meal Plan Monday~ April 4

Happy Monday! We had a great weekend, with plenty of sunshine and
tolerable temperatures. The kids and I enjoyed plenty of time outdoors
and made our first trip to the park.

The next few weeks, I'll be doing a freezer/pantry challenge. We really need to
get our bills paid, from Christmas, so I will only be buying fresh
produce, milk and eggs. The rest of our meals will come from the
freezer and what we have on hand in the pantry. I must say, it'll
still be some pretty good eats. In no particular order

• PW Sour Cream Noodle Bake (new recipe) and a salad
• Grilled mac & cheese with pulled pork sandwiches (new recipes) and sweet potato fries
• Parmesan shrimp with pea and Parm rice
• Waffles and fruit salad
• Corn dogs, fries and broccoli
• Ribs, baked potatoes and bean salad
• Leftovers

Head on over to OrgJunkie.com for more great meal plans!

Lion House Rolls

One of my friends recently had to go to Salt Lake City, Utah, for a business trip. While there his co workers decided to take him out to their favorite restaurant; The Lion House Restaurant. They said that they were super famous for their rolls. I swear, my friend could not stop talking about these, for weeks, after he returned. Being curious by nature, I looked them up and was glad to see many recipes out there on the Internet.

These are a bit tedious to make and are so original because of there shape. Rolled like a crescent, but not shaped like one. So, make sure you have most of the day to make these. As, for them being famous; I can totally understand why, since they are so fluffy, moist and pillowy soft. Dinner roll HEAVEN!

Lion House Dinner Rolls
printable version

2 c. warm water
2/3 c. nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)
2 Tb yeast
¼ c. sugar
2 tsp salt
1/3 c. butter or shortening
1 egg
5 to 5 ½ c. all purpose or bread flour


Combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg and 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand.) Add about ½ c. flour and mix again, by hand or mixer. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff. (A soft dough will produce a lighter roll. Add only enough flour to make a manageable dough.) Place dough in a greased bowl; turn to coat. Cover and let rise until double in size.

Turn dough over on floured surface so that it is floured on both sides. Gently flatten to 1 inch thick, then roll into a 18x8 inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. Cut dough in half the long way, to make two 4 inch strips. Cut dough every two inches to make 18 rectangles of dough, about 2 inches x 4 inches each. (Sometimes when I roll out the dough it turns out larger than 18x8, in which case I just add another column when cutting the rolls; the point is, you should cut the dough into rectangles roughly 2x4 inches.) Starting with the short (2 inch) end, roll the dough up and place on greased baking pans with the short end down. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Bake at 375° for 15 to 18 minutes or until browned. Brush with melted butter while hot. Makes 1 to 1 ½ dozen rolls.

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