Lemon Herb Chicken

Chicken is one of the most versatile proteins to add to a meal. It can be prepared in so many delicious ways that it's hard sometimes to decide where to start. I was searching Pinterest a few weeks ago for some new chicken recipes when I stumbled onto: Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lemon and Herbs. I made it for the first time the very day that I found it... and it was goooooooood! Very juicy and tender and light. Pairs great with my Sautéed Spinach and Herb Roasted Potatoes. This will be a great addition to your recipe collection. It's simple and easy and so very tasty... so check it out!

2-4 Foster Farms Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsps finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 Tbsps lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Prepare the chicken by cutting off excess fat or gristle and rinsing. Pound each piece with the flat side of a mallet between a folded piece of plastic wrap to avoid splattering.

Prepare spices, salt, pepper and garlic.

Put chicken in a freezer bag of appropriate size for how many chicken breasts you have. Pour the spices mixture over the chicken. Squeeze in the lemon juice and then add the oil. Massage the marinade onto the chicken to ensure it is evenly coated. Put in the refrigerator to rest.

The marinade should stay on as long as possible. I've done as little as 2 hours and as much as 3-4 days (with slightly frozen chicken to start with). At least overnight would be ideal. The longer you can let it set, the better it will be. Pull the chicken out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before ready to cook. Heat the skillet. You can add a spoonful of marinade to know when the skillet is hot enough. Add chicken to the skillet and cook on both sides until browned and cooked through.

Pair this chicken with your favorite sides and enjoy!

Oatmeal Cake

What is oatmeal cake, you ask? One of the best desserts you will every try. It is moist and tender with this amazing flavor. I don't know who originally created the cake. My recipe came to me via my mother who got it from my paternal grandmother. The recipe is handwritten out in the old style of recipes. I love it. I don't have too many recipes from my grandmother. As a matter of fact, I think this is the only one. I also have two or three quilts that she made, but that's a different topic. Back to the cake...

This cake really is delicious. There's a little butter and oatmeal, and the usual cast of cake characters. But instead of icing, this cake is topped with butter, sugar, condensed milk, vanilla, pecans and coconut. You will love this cake; I promise. Check it out!

1 cup oats 
1 1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup self rising flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease and flour or spray with baking spray a 9x13x2 baking pan. Boil water; in a large bowl combine oats and water. Add to this 1/2 cup (1 stick) of margarine cut into small pieces. Stir and let rest for 20 minutes.

Add sugar and brown sugar, and stir until combined.

Add eggs, one at a time, and combine after each addition.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Sift dry ingredients into wet, and stir until combined.

Pour into pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While cake is baking, gather ingredients for the icing and begin making it. I think the topping is one of the best parts of this cake, so I make  1 1/2 servings of it.

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans
1 cup angel coconut

To begin with, I really love this topping. I think it's much better using one and a half or twice the original recipe. That being said, whichever amount you decide to make, in a large enough pot to accommodate the ingredients, combine the margarine, sugar and condensed milk. Bring to a slow boil and allow to thicken.

Once mixture has thickened, remove from heat and vanilla, pecans and coconut. Pour over cake while the cake is still warm.

Broil the cake in the oven until the topping is lightly toasted and golden brown. Watch it carefully; it can go from not toasted to very toasted very quickly... ask me how I know this. lol

Allow the cake to cool, cut yourself a slice, and enjoy!!!

Sauteed Spinach

I have tried repeatedly to find a way to sauté fresh spinach in a way that tastes good. It's actually been a little harder than it seems like it should. I used fresh garlic, and that was ok, but it was missing something. So I tried garlic powder. I tried that several times in different ways, but it still wasn't quite what I was looking for. It finally hit me a couple of weeks ago to try garlic salt... and I finally got it right. This was quite tasty. I added just a little butter to it (which most of it rolled off), and it was really good! With the garlic salt, I got the garlic and the salt, so I didn't have to add any extra salt. If you like spinach, then you really should try this recipe!

Bag of spinach
1-2 Tbsps grapeseed oil
1-2 Tbsps butter or margarine
about 1 tsp garlic salt

Heat 1-2 Tbsps of grapeseed oil in a large soup pot.

Add the spinach and sauté until it begins to wilt. Use tongs to move around the spinach. Add a Tbsp or so of butter or margarine and about 1 tsp of garlic salt.

Mix until butter is melted and coats all of the spinach. Let the butter and grapeseed oil drip off before serving.

Roulade

So, I've been a picky eater since I was a kid. There are a number of things I refused to eat, and some that I still do. One of those things is mustard. I'm just not a fan. Even so, I have two recipes that use mustard, and I love them both. This roulade recipe is one of those recipes; the other is ham. This roulade also has a bunch of diced onion and lightly cooked bacon... and I love it in this recipe. This roulade is a recipe that my mom made for years while I was growing up, and there is so much flavor and goodness in this recipe. I don't know where she got the recipe from, but here is how you make it.

Thinly sliced beef (the pack I get usually has 7-9 slices)
One pack of bacon (12 ounces is pretty good)
One small diced onion
Spicy brown mustard (about a 1/4 cup or so)
Season all salt
Black pepper

Lay out the beef one piece at a time. Layer 1-2 slices of bacon on it. Then slather a thin coating of spicy brown mustard.

Sprinkle with season all salt and black pepper, and then sprinkle a layer of onion.

Start at one end and carefully roll the beef up.

Secure with a toothpick. Prepare each slice of beef as above.

Heat a little olive oil in your skillet, and cook on each side.

Roll beef as necessary cooking all sides until all beef is cooked.

Pair the roulade with these delicious German Fried Potatoes for a bacon-filled meal and a side of Sautéed Spinach, and you'll have an amazing meal.