Tonight is Chicken Night!

I like to develop my own recipes and try new ones too, but there are times when my kids just want a simple familiar dish. As a friend of my mine said once, “My kids don’t eat the food they show in gourmet the magazines”.  Because of that, I often cook roasted and grilled meats that can be eaten with kid’s favorite side dishes (i.e.: pasta, potatoes). To be honest, I like when my family asks for our “old time favorites” because they easy and fast to prepare. If you are in the same shoes, I have a recipe that your family will enjoy:

Skillet Chicken:

Ingredients:

1/8 cup (1oz) of lemon juice

¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon of ground paprika

½ teaspoon of garlic powder

½ teaspoon of onion powder

½ teaspoon of chicken flavor bouillon

3 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt to taste

1 pound of chicken breast tenderloin, skinless

½ teaspoon of vegetable oil

Place the first eight ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to blend. Pour over chicken breast. Gently fold with a wooden spoon to ensure all the chicken is evenly coated. Put the wooden spoon aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook over medium-low heat, turning it only once. Let it cook for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Check and adjust the seasoning. Serve it warm.

Side dish suggestion:

Baked Tomatoes

Variation: If you cut the raw chicken breast into smaller pieces, it will make a great appetizer that can be served with yogurt dipping sauce

The belly rules the mind.  ~Spanish Proverb

Delectable Mushrooms!

Mushrooms can be part of a healthy diet. Some types of mushrooms are claimed to be cancer-fighters and they contain no fat or cholesterol. In my opinion, the qualities of mushrooms go way beyond its healthy benefits. They are also flavorful, easy to prepare and very versatile! I would like to share with you one of my very favorite recipes. It can definitely be the star of your next dinner party:


Provence Baked Mushrooms

Ingredients:
2 large Portabella mushroom caps
3 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup of fresh parsley, chopped
¾ cup of red wine
¼ teaspoon of paprika
¼ teaspoon of dried thyme (optional)
½ teaspoon of dried oregano
1/8 cup of cognac
Sea salt, to taste
1/3 cup of olive oil

Place mushroom caps in a baking sheet. Place all other ingredients but parsley in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour it over mushroom caps and let marinate at room temperature for one hour. Heat the oven to 3550F. Bake mushrooms uncovered for 15 minutes, sprinkle parsley and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes. Serve immediately with remaining cooking juices. It is a flavorsome complement to roasted or grilled meat.

If you need a mouth-watering appetizer for a bridal or cocktail party, replace the large mushroom for 8oz of baby Portabella mushroom caps. Bake it for 5 minutes and then add the parsley. Bake for another 4 to 5 minutes. Serve it with thin sliced toast. I recommend sea salt bagel crisps or lightly toasted French baguette. It is to die for!!!


“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are”. Adelle Davis

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes!

Tomatoes are often added to salads, used in sauces and stews but their potential doesn’t end there. Tomatoes are native from South America but North America’s love affair with the tomato is undeniable. This plump red-delicious fruit, often mistaken for a vegetable, can be cooked in virtually anyway. I have a suggestion of how you turn tomatoes into an appetizing, simple and easy side dish:

Baked tomatoes:

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 medium size tomatoes, cored
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon of ground thyme
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat to 375F. Place olive oil, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Heat a large skillet. Cut tomatoes in half through the middle of the tomatoes. Brush each half with the seasoned olive oil and place it face down in the heated pan. Cook over high heat for about 6 to 8 minutes without turning.

Transfer tomatoes to a baking sheet using a spatula. Place them face up. Season it with salt with necessary. Drizzle remaining olive oil over tomatoes. Sprinkle parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm with grilled or roasted meat.


“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” Adelle Davis

The Cheesiest the Better!

I am a cheese lover so it doesn’t surprise me it has been consumed since Ancient times. Nobody knows for sure when and where cheese was invented but it could have been more 7000 years ago. It is even mentioned in the early pages of the Bible. Presently, there are thousands different types of cheese and I wish I could try them all!

What could be more satisfying and fortifying than cheese? Could it be the best food in the world? I think it is delicious and I may not be the only one. The “Reblochon” cheese was invented secretly by tenant framers that didn’t want to share all of their great cheese with their lords. It used to be made with a second milking not declared to the land owners. Who can blame them? The most recent statistics show that many Americans share the same passion for cheese. The consumption of cheese in the U.S. has almost double since 1982.  If you are one of these cheese lovers, I have a recipe for you that I hope you will like:

Baked Salmon with Cream Cheese Sauce:

Ingredients:

12 ounce salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

1 Tbsp. of olive oil

¼ cup of lemon juice

½ cup of milk

1 cup of reduced fat cream cheese

2 tea spoons of dill

1 tea spoon of onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Place salmon, skin side down, on a non-stick baking sheet and season fillets with salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. Cover it with foil. Bake salmon covered for 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover it and bake it until it is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

While salmon bakes, add milk and cream to cheese to a heavy sauce pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until smooth. Stir in dill and onion powder. Season it with salt and pepper if you like.

Serve salmon topped with cream cheese sauce.

Enjoy it!