Broiled Parmesan and Lemon Chicken

As a parent, I look forward to milestones like first smile, walking, reading, losing a tooth, etc.  Well, another one is the first time I tell one of my kids to try licking a lemon.  Priceless!  Yes, this may result in trust issues for the rest of my poor children's lives, but I get a good kick out of their little puckered faces.  Muah-ha-ha.  

This chicken had a subtle lemon flavor.  It was great.  The broiled Parmesan mixture on top gave the chicken great flavor, and it was very moist.  It's also ready in about 20 minutes- including prep time!  Oh yeah!  

Broiled Parmesan and Lemon Chicken
source: Melskitchencafe.com

1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 T butter, softened
3 T mayonnaise
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 t dried basil
1/8 t pepper
1/4 t salt
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

 

Preheat the broiler to high.  Place aluminum foil on a cookie sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray.


In a bowl, combine the Parmesan, softened butter, mayonnaise, and lemon juice.  Add the basil, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.


If the chicken breasts are really thick, slice them in half horizontally.  This way, the chicken will cook more evenly.


Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides.  Position the rack a few inches from the heating element.  Broil the chicken for 4-5 minutes on the first side.  Flip it and cook it for 3-4 more minutes or until almost cooked through.  


Remove the cookie sheet and top with the Parmesan mixture.  Broil for another 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is starting to brown and bubble.  Mmm...   Make sure the chicken is cooked through.  It's done!


This is delicious served with lemon cream pasta (I'll post later), bread, and a salad.  It was amazing!

Lemon Brownies

When someone mentions Pizza, pepperoni probably comes to mind.  When someone mentions freakishly big lips, Angelina Jolie probably comes to mind.  When someone mentions stinky- cheese, skunk, musk ox, or cabbage might come to mind.  When someone mentions brownies, deep, chocolatey, gooeyness comes to mind.  Until now... This is mind-blowing people!  Lemon brownies!  I love a good chocolate brownie. However, I also love delicious lemon dessert.  Well, meet the best of both worlds!  A lemon brownie!  This tastes like a lemon bar but has the consistency of a brownie.  I loved it.  I loved it so much that I want to put an exclamation point at the end of every sentence, but I have an issue with overuse of exclamations points.  !!!  

I know these are not your typical brownie since they are lemon, but you've got to try them.  You can even call them yellowies, if you'd like.  Wocka wocka!

 Lemon Brownies
source: www.beckybakes.net

1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 t salt
10 T butter, melted and slightly cool
3 large eggs
1 can sweetened condensed
1/2 t vanilla
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t lemon zest

Glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
3 T fresh lemon juice
1 t packed lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

Add the flour mixture to this and whisk until combined.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.  I baked mine for 33 minutes.

Let the bars cool slightly.

Combine the glaze ingredients until well combined.  Pour over the brownies and cool.

As I'm blogging this, I'm shedding a tiny tear because I took almost the whole pan to my office.  Oh, lemon brownie, how I miss you already!  

Oatmeal Coconut Chewies

Do you ever come across a cookie recipe that you love so much, you want to cry?  No?  Maybe it's just me that gets an emotional attachment to food- cookies in particular.  These are unbelievable.  I seriously made them three times within a two week period because they were that tasty.  The original recipe does not call for white chocolate chips or macadamia nuts, but they would be an amazing addition!  I'd love to try white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts one of these times.  They would knock my socks off!

Everyone that I took these to, chased me down, tackled me, and demanded the recipe before I left the building.  Try them out.  As much as I love chocolate chip cookies, thesejust might be in a tie for my favorite cookie.

Oatmeal Coconut Chewies
source: Melskitchencafe.com

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to cool room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup quick oats
1 c white chocolate chips (optional)
3/4 c chopped macadamia nuts (optional)


Preheat the oven to 350.  Cream the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy- 3 to 6 minutes.

Add the dry ingredients until well combined.

Drop by tablespoonfulls onto cookie sheets.  Bake for 9-11 minutes.  They should be set but not overly browned.  They will still be slightly soft in the center.  Don't overcook them!  They aren't called "Oatmeal Coconut Crunchies!"

Cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes then let them cool on wire racks or wax paper. 

You can thank me later for this one.  :)  Actually- thank Mel from Melskitchencafe.com  The recipe is from her!  Shout out!  I wish I could give her a big, bug hug.  She deserves it.  I love her website and recipes.

Mojo Pork Tenderloin Fajitas with Avocado Salsa

In a very recent post, I mentioned that I didn't want to join Pinterest.  However, I have given in.  I am slightly (cough, cough) addicted.  I could spend hours browsing recipes, DIY projects, and other ideas for my kids.  They have these little sayings alongside vintage pictures.  I saw this one of a mom talking to her son.  It said something like, "I have told you not to use that language!  However, in the right context, it is completely understandable, and you're right... That food did taste like s***."  I was cracking up.  I don't know who comes up with this stuff, but it makes my hours of being up with a baby at night much mroe enjoyable. 

These fajitas will not taste like the above-mentioned adjective.  They were tasty indeed.  The flavor of the grilled pork was wonderful thanks to a citrusy marinade.  The grilled vegetables were a nice touch, and the avocado salsa was the cherry on top.  This is a healthy meal and a unique way to use up pork tenderloin in a different way.

Mojo Pork Tenderloin Fajitas with Avocado Salsa
source: Better Homes and Gardens Grill It! Cookbook

1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c chopped onion
1/3 c lime juice
1/3 c orange juice
1 t cumin
1 t oregano
6 cloves garlic
1 1-pound pork tenderloin

2 lg sweet red peppers, halved and seeded
2 medium onions, cut into thick slices
8 8-inch flour tortillas

1 avocado, diced
1/4 c diced red onion
1/4 c chopped cilantro
2 T lime juice
1/2 to 1 t hot pepper sauce
1/4 t salt

Combine the first seven ingredients in a quart size Ziplock bag and add the pork tenderloin.  Marinate for 8-24 hours in the refrigerator

 Remove pork and reserve marinade.  Brush the red peppers and onion with the reserved marinade.  Discard the rest.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. 

 Grill the meat for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 155 degrees. Tent the meat with foil and let it rest for ten minutes.

 While the meat is resting, grill the peppers and onions for ten minutes total- five minutes on each side.

 Warm the tortillas on the grill for only about 20 seconds per side.

 Slice the meat, pepper, and onions.  Place on a plate with the tortillas.

 Combine the Avocado Salsa ingredients.  This can be done up to four hours in advance. 

Serve the fajitas with the salsa, sour cream, cheese, and whatever other toppings you may like. 

These were wonderful!  The flavor of the pork was fantastic. 

Snickerdoodles

My kids like to have bedtime snacks.  I swear they think that if they don't have one, they will not survive the night.  It's kind of like how if they have to pick up their toys without help, their appendages just might fall off.  Kids are funny.  Anyway, I was tending to the needs of my newest addition, and I told my husband that my daughter wanted yogurt and granola for her bedtime snack.  He looked at me and asked, "How do you make that?"  Befuddled, I looked at him and said, "Seriously? It's yogurt and granola."  We both started laughing.  It's like asking , "Hey... What's in eggs and toast?" "How do you make peaches and cream?"  "Do you happen to know what is in macaroni and cheese?"  Anywho- I got a kick out of that.

On to these morsels of happiness.  If you enjoy snickerdoodles, this is a fantastic recipe.  They come out rather flat, but they are the perfect amount of chewiness.  Man alive- they are tasty!

 Snickerdoodles
Source: America's Test Kitchen Family cookbook

1 3/4 c sugar
1 T cinnamon
2 1/2 c flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
8 T unsalted butter
1/2 c vegetable shortening
2 lg eggs

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl, combine 1/4 c sugar and the cinnamon.  Set aside.

 Whisk together the flour, cream or tartar, baking soda, and salt.

 In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, shortening, and 1 1/2 c sugar until it is light and fluffy- 3 to 6 minutes. 

 Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

 Mix in the flour mixture.

 Beautiful, and delicious, dough- not that I would ever sample cookie dough while making it.

 With wet hands, take about 2 T in your hand and roll into a ball. 

 Plop the dough into the cinnamon sugar mixture and roll it around to coat completely.

 Place them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. 

 Bake them 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.  As you can see, they puff out quite a bit. 

 Serve with a glass of milk for some happy campers. 

Yum.

Beef Tacos (my new favorite!)

While I was growing up, my mom always made these delicious tacos.  They were simple but amazing.  She just browned some ground beef and seasoned it a little with salt and pepper.  Then, she took corn tortillas and fried them in oil for just a few seconds to soften them.  She served the tacos with sour cream, cheese, and Macayo taco sauce.  They don't sound like much, but they are a greasy, delicious mess of a taco.  My brother makes them and calls them "white folk tacos."  He and his girlfriend were hanging out with her family, and she said, "Let's have white folk tacos for lunch."  Everyone looked at her like she was crazy and asked what they were.  She explained it to them, and then my brother explained to her that he made up the name "white folk tacos."  

I hate to say it, but I like these tacos better than the white folk tacos.  Hopefully, I don't get ostracized from the family. The taco meat recipe had quite a few surprising ingredients, but I have come to realize that I should never doubt America's Test Kitchen!  They know their stuff.  The taco shells take some time to make, and you may weave a tapestry of obscenities while making them, but they are worth every second!   I crave these stupid little tacos more than a pregnant woman craves pickles.

Beef Tacos
source: America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook pg. 391

1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 T chili powder (the meat was a little spicy for the kids using 2 T)
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1/2 t oregano
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c smooth canned tomato sauce
1/2 c chicken broth (preferably low sodium)
2 t cider vinegar
1 t light brown sugar
taco shells ( I made my own- see below)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until softened, about five minutes.  Add the garlic, spices, and 1 t of salt.  Cook for about 30 seconds or until it is fragrant.

Add the ground beef, breaking it up as you stir and cook it until it's no longer pink.  Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, vinegar, and sugar.  Stir until it's thickened, about ten minutes.

Here's a blurry picture of what you'll get.  Don't be fooled by the different ingredients.  It is amazing taco meat!  I will never use a seasoning packet again- ever!

 Here is a finished product of the mini taco shells I made.

 I used the small 4 or 5 inch tortillas because I wanted mini taco shells in the hopes that the kids would try them.  :)  I loved the small taco shells, but my husband likes it better when I use the bigger tortillas since it's easier to load up the taco.

Preheat oil over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.  Test the oil by dipping a little of a tortilla in the oil.  If it sizzles, it's ready.

Using some metal tongs, hold one end of the tortilla.  Dip the bottom half of the tortilla into the oil and hold it in place with another metal utensil.  The bigger and wider, the better.  Hold it in place until the bottom is golden brown and stiff.

 Repeat with the other side.  Place the taco shells upside down on a paper towel-lined plate.  As a side note, this taco shells are a downright pain in the rear end to make!  I'm not going to sugar coat it at all.  However, they are so delicious, that I will make them again and again.  They taste so much fresher than the store bought shells- those things are atrocious.

 Get an array of taco toppings on a plate.  We used sour cream, cheese, lettuce, chopped tomato, green onions, and cilantro.

 Put some of that delicious meat at the bottom.

 Add some cheese shreddings.

 Add a little lettuce.

 Add sour cream.

 Top with tomato, cilantro, and green onions.

 Yum!

 I'm telling you- These tacos are amazing!

Honey Sesame Chicken

This week I was attending a graduation for a school which shall be unnamed.  It was more a promotion ceremony for 8th graders.  Anywho:  Here is a list of some of the things I saw (all 8th graders)

• A skin tight little black dress that went about an inch below the booty cheeks.
• An open-back dress showing a back full of tattoos
• A girl dressed in Hogwarts garb wearing a toy light saber on her belt (I kid you not!)
• A nose and lip ring on the same girl
• Four different colored hair (think cotton candy colors- bright pink, purple, blue)
• Enough cleavage to make even Dolly Parton jealous

I couldn't believe my eyes!  I was a pretty unique kid in high school, but even this is way beyond what I would dream of doing.  

I will, however, dream about making this chicken time and time again.  Loved it!  I found the recipe on pinterest, although I don't have my own account.  I'm afraid I would neglect my children to make sure I met the pinning quota to keep up with my friends that have it down to a science.  I do think that it's an awesome place to find delicious recipes like this one.  I loved the sauce on the chicken.  I wish I had some green onions to sprinkle atop.  Next time!

PS- Due to the fact that I have a new baby, I only have a picture of the finished product.  It's pretty simple though.  Let me know if you have questions!

Honey Sesame Chicken
source: http://www.grumpyshoneybunch.com/2010/04/are-you-seeing-pattern-here-lately.html

12 oz chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 T soy sauce
1 T cooking wine (I used dry white wine)
1/2 T sesame oil
1 t sugar
2 T flour
1 T cornstarch
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

sauce:
1 T sweet chili sauce (found in the Asian section in the grocery store)
2 T ketchup
1 T honey
1 T oyster sauce
2 T soy sauce
1/4 c water

1 T sesame seeds
1 green onion, chopped

Combine the soy sauce, cooking wine, sesame oil, and sugar in a Ziplock bag or other container.  Add the cut-up chicken and marinate for an hour.

Mix flour and cornstarch in another bag.  Once the chicken is done marinating, drain it.  Add the drained chicken into the bag with the flour and cornstarch.  Shake to coat evenly.

Fry in hot oil.  I preheated my oil over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.  Fry the chicken pieces until they are golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel.

For the sauce, add the chili sauce, ketchup, honey, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and water in a medium saucepan.  Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.  Then, lower it to a simmer and cook until it thickens.  Add the chicken pieces into the pan and toss to evenly coat.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

I served with fried rice and sweet and sour grilled shrimp (recipe coming soon!)

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

I went to Koh'ls today with my five week old, and this grandma wearing a white cotton co-ordinate outfit with floral arrangments on it came up behind me and wascarrying on about how little and cute she was.  Once I told her that the baby's name was Scarlet she said,  "Oh- I just saw Scarlet 'Yohansen' in "We Bought a Zoo.  She was fantastic!"  Then she starts on with a Marco Polo exchange with her husband who was wandering somewhere around in the men's sock department.  She called, "Lenny!  Where are you, Lenny?" I heard a distant reply, "Shirley?  Where are ya, Shirley?"  This continued on about five times back and forth until they finally found each other.  I had to laugh.  Then, she asked him where he got the socks from that he was carrying around.  He responded, "I don't remember."  "How can you not remember?!"  "Honestly, Shirley, you really expect me to remember?"  I wanted to follow these two around all day.

After a successful trip to Kohl's to get some pants, I came home and made this quick and easy meal.  I craved shrimp nonstop when I was pregnant, but I wasn't supposed to eat it.  I was thrilled to finally get to make something with shrimp.  I found this recipe on Melskitchencafe.com, and I loved it!  I love every stinkin' recipe I have tried from her website.  Mel, I salute you!  This recipe is not knock-you-to-the-floor delicious, but it is wonderful.  I loved the light butter-garlic-parsley sauce.  I served it with some Heat-before-you-eat Le Brea Focaccia rolls and a salad.  Delicioso! 

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
source: Melskitchencafe.com 
4 servings

Canola/vegetable oil
salt
3 T butter
2 1/2 T olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails trimmed (I used the frozen precooked ones and just trimmed off the tails)
1/4 t freshly cracked pepper
3/4 t salt
3 T chopped parsley
zest from one lemon
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 t red pepper flakes
6 oz linguine

Boil salted water and add a little olive oil.  Cook the linguine as directed on the package.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan with the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and saute for about one minute.

 Add the shrimp, salt, and pepper.  Saute for a couple minutes until the shrimp is cooked through.  If it is fresh, cook it until the shrimp turns pink, about five minutes.  If it is frozen and thawed, cook about three minutes or until heated through.

 Zest the lemon.

 Once the shrimp is cooked, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.

 Once the pasta is done, drain it.  Put it back in the pot and add the shrimp mixture.  Toss to combine. 

There you have it!