Grilled Lemon-Rosemary Chicken

Time has just slipped by this week and I almost forgot to post this week's recipe! Again, since it's a holiday weekend, I wanted to share this early so we can all enjoy the long weekend.

I really love this recipe because of the fresh lemon and herbs. It's amazing how much more flavor these ingredients give to the chicken, and it's totally worth the time.

The chicken can marinate for as little as 30 minutes, which fits my needs for a quick dinner perfectly. You can pair just about any vegetable, grilled or otherwise, with the chicken.

If you haven't already decided on a Fourth of July menu, I would highly recommend this because it means less time cooking and more time with loved ones.

I hope you all have a great weekend and a very Happy Fourth of July!

Grilled Lemon-Rosemary Chicken (Serves 4)
1 lemon, zested
Juice from the lemon
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced OR 2 tsp. bottled minced garlic
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (about 1 Tbsp.), roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper 
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
 

1. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a gallon-sized plastic bag.

2. Place chicken breasts in the bag; seal and move the chicken around so the marinade coats it well.

3. Marinade for 30 minutes, but no more than an hour.

4. Preheat your grill to medium. Take the chicken from the bag, discarding the marinade. Grill the chicken about 6 minutes each side.

Sun-Dried Tomato Sausage & Peppers

One of my favorite go-to dinners is chicken sausage. There are many flavors available inspired by Italian, Latin, and American cooking so I'm never bored. And these are often pre-cooked which makes for a super easy supper. This kind of sausage is great all year and you can warm these up in a pan or on the grill in about ten minutes.

Different flavors also mean you can pair the sausages with all kinds of veggies, pasta and grains. I decided to pair this particular sausage with fresh sweet bell peppers and tomatoes. Fresh herbs and garlic really help bring the sausage and veggies together.

Family Recipe: Turkey Burgers

Since this Sunday is Father's Day and I will have a busy weekend, I've decided to move up my weekly recipe. And if you'll allow my somewhat biased opinion, I think these turkey burgers would be a great Father's Day meal. 

They are super easy to prepare, but make sure you chill the formed patties in the fridge before putting them on the grill. They tend to come apart otherwise.

These burgers have become a dinner staple in my house and I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. And a very relaxing, Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Turkey Burgers (makes 5-6 patties depending on your preference)
1 package ground turkey*
1 cup plain bread crumbs or plain panko 
1 egg white
1 can low-sodium chopped green chiles (if you can find Hatch, those are the best!)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp. roasted ground cumin
*My grocery store often packages the ground turkey between 1 lb. and 1.4 lbs. Anything in that range is fine for this recipe.

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands to combine well.

2. Form the mixture into 5-6 patties. Chill in the fridge for 15-20 to keep them from falling apart during cooking.

3. You can cook these in a pan over medium-high heat, cooking 5 minutes each side; or on the grill over medium heat for 6 minutes on each side; or on a Foreman Grill. Serve on a hamburger bun with you favorite toppings.

Optional garnishes: salsa, sour cream, fresh cilantro, grilled onions and peppers.

Perfect Summer Salad

This week's recipe has two parts. My brother discovered I this Citrus-Basil Vinaigrette a few years ago and we created the salad above to pair with it. It's one of my favorites and also one that my family requests at gatherings a lot. I start with mixed baby greens and add sliced hearts of palm, toasted pine nuts, golden raisins, and mandarin orange slices. Dried cranberries, cashews, or strawberries would also be delicious. 

FR: Panko-Crusted Tilapia with Dill Sauce

This week is I wanted to share a fish recipe that's great for any time of the year but especially now during these hot summer days. Paired with fresh veggies and fruit, this makes a satisfying and light meal.

I like mixing Cajun seasoning with the panko to give the fish a kick and the dill sauce cools it all down. If you don't like Cajun seasoning, I would recommend adding some pepper and salt to add flavor to the panko. 

Cooking Light Dinner Inspiration

I was browsing through the Jan/Feb issue of the Cooking Light for some dinner inspiration and happened upon this recipe for Poached Halibut with Lemon-Herb Sauce.

This one will definitely go on our rotation. I adjusted it slightly from the original recipe but the citrus and herbs had a really wonderful flavor. There is one seeded jalapeño in the sauce, but if you like spicy foods I'd recommend adding one more.

Sauteed Mahi Mahi Steaks with Lemon-Herb Sauce (adapted from the above Cooking Light recipe) Serves 4
3 tsp. olive oil
1 chopped seeded jalapeño, seeded and cored
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 one large lemon)
4 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro
4 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
3 lemon sections, chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
1 parsley sprig
1 cilantro sprig
4 mahi mahi steaks

1. Mix first 8 ingredients together in a bowl.

2. In a non-stick pan, heat 2 tsp. olive oil. Add the green onions, parsley and cilantro sprigs and let them infuse the oil. Sprinkle the mahi mahi steaks with salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes each side or until fish flakes easily.

3. Serve steaks with the sauce.

FR: Carrot-Spinach Casserole

This week's Family Recipe is a delicious and rich Carrot-Spinach Casserole. Layers of rich green spinach, sweet carrots and onions, and a rich cheese sauce are topped with plain bread crumbs and baked until bubbly.

This was one of my grandma's go-to sides during the holidays, and after tasting all those layers together, I have to agree that the only time I'd serve this decadent side is Christmas. I was able to put this together in about an hour total, and this would be easy to assemble a day ahead and bake just before serving. If you do this, cover with aluminum foil, refrigerate, and uncover to bake.

Carrot-Spinach Casserole (Serves 6-8)
1 1/2 cups fresh carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10-ounce) package frozen leaf spinach
3 Tbsp. margarine
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs or panko

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain well.

3. Put carrots and onions in a medium-sized pan on medium-high heat. Cover with water and cook until the veggies are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Take off heat and drain any excess water.

4. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour, tablespoon by tablespoon, whisking well after each one.

5. Slowly add milk, whisking well to avoid lumps. Whisk in salt.

6. Whisk constantly until thick, about 20 minutes.

7. Take off heat and whisk in cheddar cheese. Add black pepper to taste.

8. In a greased 1-quart casserole dish, layer half of the spinach, half the carrots and onions, and half the cheese sauce. Repeat layers and top with bread crumbs.

9. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until bubbly.

Family Recipe: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

 

My dad and I have been on a cookie binge this month, and so far we've been eating through our stash of ready to bake cookies. This week I decided that instead of baking another just okay batch of cookies, I would make some homemade goodies.

I pulled this recipe out of my grandparents' recipe box and after a little tweaking, I suddenly had five dozen super-moist cookies flavored with spices and chock full of plump, sweet raisins. Yum!

Family Recipe: Italian Sausage Soup

For those that cook regularly, soup is the perfect easy meal. With one pot and about an hour, you can create a satisfying and (usually) healthy meal. This recipe is very popular in my house because it has really great flavor without being high in fat, salt, or carbs.

It's been adapted from a very good Cooking Light recipe. To try and manage the carbs and sodium we eat, I've taken out the pasta and canned Italian-seasoned tomatoes from the original recipe and substituted fresh tomatoes and white beans.

Italian sausage provides plenty of flavor and if you use the hot style, a nice hit of spiciness. As a result, the only other seasoning we add is Italian seasoning blend.

Italian Sausage Soup Revised  (6-8 servings)

16 ounces hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage*
1 teaspoon minced garlic, fresh or jarred
2 pints grape tomatoes, cut into eighths
1 can Great Northern beans, drained
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 bag of baby spinach leaves (you can add the whole bag if you like)
1 cup loosley packed fresh basil (you can put in whole or roughly chop the basil)
Olive oil
Garnish: shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese
*You can also do half sweet sausage and half hot sausage. For the batch I photographed, I used Publix brand hot Italian sausage and Johnsonville brand Sweet Italian Sausage with Sweet Basil.

1. Heat a soup pot over med-high heat. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Using a small knife, open the casing on the sausage links and remove the filling. Brown sausage in the soup pot, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks.

2. Drain fat from the meat. Tip: I find that a lot of fat still remains on the sausage even when you let it drain for a while. Rinse the meat with cold water and you will remove even more.

3. Saute the garlic for one minute in the soup pot. Add the tomatoes. Let them cook down for about 6 minutes until they start to soften.

4. Add the meat, chicken broth, beans, and Italian Seasoning. Stir to blend.

5. Bring soup to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes to let tomatoes break down a little more and let the flavors blend.

6. A few minutes before serving, add the spinach and basil. Mix into the soup and let the greens wilt for a minute or two and serve with Parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired.