Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken

adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-chicken-breasts-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

1/4 cup good olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 lemon, sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and put them on top of the pieces of chicken. Bake for 20-30, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 bunch basil, rolled and cut into ribbons

1 loaf of bread (I used Italian 5 grain bread)

2 garlic cloves, cut in half

EVOO

Salt & Pepper

Crumbled Feta

Directions

Dice tomatoes and put in a bowl. Sprinkle some evoo and a dash of salt and pepper. Put in refriderator until everything is finished. Heat evoo in a saute pan. Cut bread into slices. Once oil is hot add pieces of bread and toast on both sides. Continue until all bread is toasted. Once bread has finished toasted rub with garlic cloves. Top toasted bread with tomatoes, basil, and a sprinkle of feta. Serve.

Shrimp Scampi & Asparagus

Shrimp Scampi

adapted from: Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 pound of shrimp

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons parsley

Salt & Pepper

4 garlic cloves

1 shallot

Juice of 1 lemon

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. In a baking sheet, place shrimp. Season with salt & pepper. In a food processor add softened butter, parsley, garlic cloves, juice of lemon, shallot, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pulse until fully combined. Take a teaspoon and place a teaspoon of butter mixture onto shrimp until butter mixture is all gone. Bake until shrimp is opage and serve with crusty bread.

Asparagus

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus

3 garlic cloves, minced

Parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper

EVOO

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Wash asparagus. Take one stem and gently bend asparagus until it snaps. Cut all asparagus the same length. Place on baking sheet. Put evoo, salt, pepper, and garlic ontop of asparagus. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Bake 15 minutes until asparagus is tender. Serve.

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/barbecued-chinese-chicken-lettuce-wraps-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

2 cups, 4 handfuls, fresh shiitake mushrooms

1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pounds thin cut chicken breast or chicken tenders

2 tablespoons light colored oil, such as vegetable oil or peanut oil

Coarse salt and coarse black pepper

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 inch ginger root, finely chopped or grated, optional

1/2 red bell pepper, diced small

1 small tin, 6 to 8 ounces, sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped

3 scallions, chopped

3 tablespoons hoisin, Chinese barbecue sauce, available on Asian foods aisle of market

1/2 large head iceberg lettuce, core removed, head quartered

Directions

Remove tough stems from mushrooms and brush with damp towel to clean, Slice mushrooms. Chop chicken into small pieces. Preheat a large skillet or wok to high.  Add oil to hot pan. Add chicken to the pan and sear meat by stir frying a minute or 2. Add mushrooms and cook another minute or two. Add salt and pepper to season, then garlic and ginger. Cook a minute more. Add red bell pepper bits, chopped water chestnuts and scallions. Cook another minute, continuing to stir fry mixture. Add hoisin Chinese barbecue sauce and toss to coat the mixture evenly. Transfer the hot chopped barbecued chicken to serving platter and pile the quartered wedges of crisp iceberg lettuce along side. To eat, pile spoonfuls into lettuce leaves, wrapping lettuce around fillings and eat.

Pesto Pasta with the "works"

Ingredients

1 13.5 ounce box of dreamfields penne pasta

2 boneless skinless chicken breast, diced

1/2 of a large red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup button mushrooms, sliced

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 4 ounce can marinated artichoke hearts, drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup basil pesto

2 tablespoons fresh basil

Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Dried Basil

EVOO

Directions

Heat evoo in a large skillet. In a large pot put water. Once water is boiling add salt and pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions. Season chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried basil. Add chicken to skillet. Cook 5-6 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken. Add more evoo to pan. Add red onions, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms to pan. Season with salt ant pepper. Cook 5-6 minutes. Add chicken broth and scrape bottom of pan. Cook until chicken broth is reduced by half. Once pasta is finished and drained add a little evoo to the pasta and toss so pasta does not stick. Add pesto and coat pasta. Add shredded mozzarella, a handful of parmesan cheese, and fresh basil. Toss to coat. Add pasta to large skillet and toss. Sprinkle with a little more parmesan cheese and serve.

Salmon with Feta, Artichoke, Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

2 Salmon Filet's

1 small can of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and diced

1 6 ounce can of crumbled feta

2 plum tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons of diced fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves minced

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons evoo

1 lemon

Salt & Pepper

Directions

Combine 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons evoo, minced garlic, salt & pepper in a large bowl. Add salmon and marinate for at least 1 hour. 

While salmon marinated, make salsa. Combine artichoke hearts, feta, plum tomatoes, parsley, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons evoo, salt & pepper. Toss to combine. Refrigerate till ready to use.

Preheat oven to 475.Place evoo in a large skillet and heat till oil is hot. Once oil is hot add salmon skin side down. Brown on both sides. Place in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, when there is about 5 minutes left of cooking squeeze lemon onto salmon. Once salmon is done place salsa on top and serve.

Heart Shaped, Red Velvet Whoppie Pies

recipe from: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/02/10/red-velvet-whoopie-pies/

Ingredients

For the whoopies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 teaspoons red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk

For the cream cheese filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening and both sugars on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and the red food coloring and beat until just blended. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and remaining ½ cup buttermilk and beat until completely combined. Using a spoon (or a medium cookie scoop, which is what I used), drop a tablespoon of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the cakes spring back when pressed gently. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the filling… In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed. Add the sugar and beat on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla and increase the speed to medium-high; beat until creamy and smooth, about 4 minutes. To assemble: Spread the filling onto the flat side of one cake using a knife of spoon. Alternatively, you can use a pastry bag with a round tip to pipe the filling onto the cake. Top it with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling.

Storing: Assembled whoopie pies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you need to stack layers, place a piece of wax paper between layers. *To make the heart shapes, I used a heart shape whoppie pan from Crate & Barrel.*