Grilled Chicken Heaven

April 28, 2016April 28, 2016Leave a comment

The grill has been busy at my house. It’s really the only way I want to cook right now. The weather has been so nice, and I have a feeling this Arkansas summer is going to be a hot one.

So I’ve been soaking up spring air and enjoying cooking outside. And it has been delightful.

So let me tell you about this chicken. It doesn’t look like much, but it packs a huge flavor punch.

Citrus Chicken with Basil Parmesan Drizzle and Sautéed Summer Squash

What you need:

Four chicken cutlets
One lemon
One lime
Five garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Olive oil
Basil
Parmesan cheese
Two yellow squash
One onion
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Put the chicken cutlets in a plastic storage bag. Squeeze the lemon and lime over the chicken. Add in some olive oil to give the juice a little substance. Roughly chop the garlic and add to the chicken mixture. Salt and pepper liberally. Let sit six hours in the fridge.

Bring chicken to room temperature. I usually put it on the counter will I peep everything else and heat the grill. This helps the meat cook evenly, and it gives it good grill marks.

Grilled over medium heat until the chicken is cooked completely, about 10-12 minutes.

Combine a handful of fresh basil and roughly chop it. Add in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder to paste. Blend until smooth.

Add in a little Parmesan cheese and blend again. Do this until you get a sauce-like consistency. Don’t add too much salt because Parmesan cheese is fairly salty.

Cook the squash and onion in olive oil until cooked through. I like it to kinda fall apart. No crunch to the veggies. It gets sweet and delicious.

Drizzle the sauce on the chicken while it’s warm from the grill.

Everything is a walk in the park.

So simple. So fresh. The basil was the first batch to be pulled from the garden, and it didn’t disappoint.

I see a lot of citrus chicken in my future summer dinners. And I’m totally ok with that.

Feels Like Grillin’ Weather

April 10, 2016April 10, 2016Leave a comment

This spring weather has me feeling good. Warm and breezy. So we’ve been doing a lot of grilling.

Chicken drumsticks. Steaks. But Wednesday night’s dinner is moving into the weekly rotation.

I love a good pork chop. And a grilled pork chop is the bee’s knees.

After a quick mile and a half run, I whipped up a delightful supper.

Grilled Pork Chops with Brown Rice and Sautéed Broccoli and Cherry Tomatoes

What you need:

Pork chops
Fresh broccoli
Cherry tomatoes
Brown rice
Butter
Salt and pepper
Sweet and Smoky seasoning

Prepare the pork chops by covering the meat in a Sweet and Smoky rub from the grocery store, or make your own rub. Massage the run into the pork chops. Wrap each seasoned chop in plastic wrap for at least 3 hours. I marinaded mine all day.

Before grilling, set the pork chops out on the counter so they get to room temperature, usually one hour. This ensures even grilling.

Heat the grill to medium heat. Cook the pork chops for about 5-7 minutes on each side. Remove from grill, and let it rest for 15 before cutting.

While the pork chops cook, cook the brown rice. I used a quick cooking brown rice so it cut down on time.

Sauté the broccoli in a little olive oil and season lightly with lemon pepper. To help steam the broccoli, add a couple tablespoons of water and cover.

Once the broccoli is a vibrant shade of green, add a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes start to get wrinkly and burst.

Slice the pork chops into strips or bite sized pieces. Or leave it whole. Whatever tickles your fancy.

Mix in a couple spoonfuls of good butter to the brown rice. Season with salt and pepper. Top the rice with the broccoli and tomato mixture.

Enjoy every single bite.

Simple and delicious. Low effort for a weeknight meal. And it is packed full of flavor.

Crockpots Save Lives

March 15, 2016Leave a comment

I love the ease of using a crockpot to prepare meals. Talk about a time saver.

Just set it and forget it.

Yesterday morning I put a roast in the crockpot with baby carrots and chunks of onion. When I got home last night, the roast was so tender it fell apart, and the carrots and onion were caramelized.

So I whipped up a batch of mashed baby red potatoes with a little Kerrygold butter and a splash of heavy whipping cream.

Too much goodness in this bowl. And so easy.

What you need:

Roast
Onion soup mix
Red wine
Beef consume
Onion
Carrots
Baby red potatoes
Heavy whipping cream
Kerrygold butter
Salt and pepper

Start by seasoning the roast with salt and pepper. Seer it in a hot pan until a crust forms on all the sides. Deglaze the pan with red wine.

Put roast and all the wine from the pan in the crockpot. Add in the onion soup mix, carrots, onions and beef consume.

Turn crockpot on to low and cook for 8-10 hours.

For the mashed potatoes, cut up the baby red potatoes into chunks. Leave the skin on. Boil for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Drain off excess water. Return potatoes back to warm pan. Add in a generous pat of butter and a splash of whipping cream. Mash them up. Add salt and pepper to taste. I usually add a little more butter and cream to make the potatoes extra tasty.

Layer the potatoes with the roast, carrots and onion. Be sure to spoon over lots of the juice because it has all the flavor goodness.
So easy. Super delicious. Always a crowd pleaser.

This is Supper

February 25, 20161 Comment

I’ve been eating a ton of junk food. The more junk food I eat, the more I want junk food. They should call it funk food.

Let me just tell you about the past couple days. Chick-Fil-A. Chinese food. Tropical Smoothie…twice.

This has been going on for at least three weeks. And I can totally tell. I’m lethargic. And cranky. And all I want to do is stuff my face full of Oreos. It’s stupid.

In my defense, it’s been a really busy week. But that’s no excuse. I can do better. My priorities are out of whack.

So I tried to fix it with supper tonight. I channeled the mantra my mom preached to me while sitting at the dinner table when I was a little girl.

This. Is. Supper.

She’d say this because I had a tendency to not eat whatever she cooked for supper, and then I’d ask for cereal or scrambled eggs or little green peas at 10’o clock at night.

I made a turkey sandwich on a whole wheat English muffin. I topped it with cheese, greens and a bit of ranch dressing. There was also a side of baby carrots.

And that is supper.

Not fast food. Not junk food. Just a light meal to help get me on the right track.

The Ultimate Chicken Sandwich

January 31, 2016January 31, 2016Leave a comment

How do you master the art of the perfect chicken sandwich?

I’ll tell you the truth. I’ve never tried to make one. So many restaurants make delicious chicken sandwiches, I’ve never felt the need to make one of my own.

Until today.

The ultimate chicken sandwich was born. And you’ll never want another fast food substitute again.

What you’ll need:

Thin-cut chicken cutlets
Bacon
Pepper jack cheese
Buns
Lettuce
Tomato
Avocado
Ranch seasoning
Smidge of butter

Fry some slices of bacon. Get it crispy.

While the bacon cooks, prep your chicken and coat it in ranch seasoning. I used about half a packet, maybe less. But sure to give it a coat of black pepper, too.

Sauté the chicken in the bacon grease. Yep, in the bacon grease. You’ll like it. I promise.

Turn on the broiler, and butter the hamburger buns. Broil until butter is melted and buns are toasted.

Once the chicken is cooked completely, place a few slices of bacon on the chicken and top it with a slice of pepper jack cheese. Put a lid on your pan so the cheese can get melty.

Assemble the sandwich. I topped my chicken, bacon and pepper jack cheese sandwich with shredded lettuce, thinly sliced tomatoes and fresh avocado.

I made some fried potatoes to serve as my Southern “French fries.”

Nobody at the table complained.

It’s a messy, delicious sandwich. You won’t be sorry you made it.