This year, I planted mint in my garden. I didn't know it would grow so easily and so quickly! I wanted to find some new dishes that used mint. This sounded like an interesting recipe, so I made it my own. It ended up being a very fresh, summer meal!
Lemon Mint Chicken
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup flour (I seasoned the flour with salt, pepper, and a little paprika and red pepper...it gave it a nice bite)
1/3 cup margarine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
Combine the chicken pieces, garlic, and onion. Toss with flour and other seasonings. Allow to sit 5 minutes. Melt margarine in skillet over medium high heat. Shake the excess flour from the chicken and add the chicken to the skillet. Cook until golden brown (about 5-7 minutes). Add the lemon juice and mint, reduce heat to medium, cover and steam about 5 minutes. Do not overcook the chicken. Serve over pasta or rice (I used a butter and herb pasta, it turned out to be really good!)
Like I've said before, I'm not a huge fan of seafood, although I do like fish. So, I'm trying to find some different ways to cook fish. I found this recipe online and only tweaked it a little. It makes a great sauce that could be used on many different things...we may try it on steak next week! It is also a VERY quick meal!
Tilapia Parmesan
tilapia filets, 1 pound
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (I used a Parmesan/Romano shredded mix)
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tbsp mayonnaise (I used fat-free!)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic salt
Preheat your oven's broiler on high. Grease a broiling pan or line a pan with foil. In the meantime, mix Parmesan, butter, mayonnaise, and lemon juice together. Season with basil, pepper, onion powder, and garlic salt. Arrange filets in a single layer on pan, broil on top rack for 2-3 minutes. Turn fish over, broil 2 more minutes. Remove fish from oven, spread Parmesan mixture over fish. Broil 2-3 more minutes or until cheese mixture is melted. Be sure not to overcook the fish.
This is a great recipe that I found online and adapted to make my own! It is a great, easy main dish!
Foil-Pack Artichoke Chicken
1 1/2 c rice
1 1/2 c water
2 chicken breasts, trimmed
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 can diced Italian tomatoes, drained
1/4 c Italian dressing (I used Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian...delicious!)
1/8 c pesto
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix rice and water in bowl, spoon into center of foil rectangle. Place 1 chicken breast on top of rice, top with half of the artichokes and tomatoes. Mix dressing and pesto in small bowl, drizzle half over chicken. Bring up the sides of the foil. Double fold the top and sides to seal in moisture. Be sure to leave enough room for air to circulate. Repeat with second chicken breast. Bake 35 minutes in baking dish, allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with salad.
Yes, I know Teragoni is not a real word. But this recipe is a creation of mine and Brent named it "Sausage Teragoni"! It's basically just a spicy sausage pasta dish. It's an easy two pot meal and you can tone down the spicyness if you prefer.
Spicy Sausage Teragoni
1 lb link sausage, diced (I buy Hillshire Farms spicy)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat rigatoni pasta
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can diced Italian tomatoes
1/2 cup balsamic vinegarette dressing
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp minced garlic
oregano and basil
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Brown sausage in skillet with garlic. Once sausage is browned, add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, dressing, and seasonings. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Toss in pasta and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese until cheese is melted. Top with other 1/2 cup cheese. Serve with salad.
This is a great dip to take to parties or tailgates! You can lower the amount of buffalo wing sauce if you like things a little milder.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
3 chicken breasts, boiled or rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 cup ranch dressing
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (I always use Ken's)
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
Mix first four ingredients and 1/2 cup cheddar until blended. Spread in ungreased baking dish, top with remaining cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.
Strangely enough, it's in the 60s today in South Carolina. Although it's mid-May, the cloudy, cool weather tempted me to make some chili for dinner tonight. So here is my Spicy Three Bean Chili creation. Enjoy!
Spicy Three Bean Chili
1 lb ground beef
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can black beans, drained
1 can light red kidney beans, drained
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can water
1 onion, diced
1 clove mince garlic
1 tbsp chili power
1/2 tsp red pepper (if you aren't a big fan of spicy food, cut this down to 1/4 or 1/8 tsp)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Brown ground beef with onion and garlic, drain. Add all ingredients to large soup pot, bring to a boil. Lower heat, simmer at least 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese.
My aunt Gail made these muffins from the Pioneer Woman website for a shower a couple of weeks ago. I just had to find the recipe and try them myself...they are so moist and delicious! Even if you aren't a big fan of pecans, you need to try these muffins!
Pecan Pie Muffins
1/2 c flour
1 c light brown sugar
1 c pecans, finely chopped
2/3 c butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
Mix all dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, beat butter and eggs until smooth. Add to dry ingredients, stir until combined. Drop by spoonfuls into greased muffin tins until cup is about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes about 12 regular sized muffins or 24 mini muffins.
