Breaded Garlic Chicken in Lemon-Butter Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup seasoned flour (1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper)

5 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 Tbls parsley flakes or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbls freshly squeezed lemon juice, from about 1 lemon

3 eggs

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbls olive oil

5 Tbls butter

Place the seasoned flour in a large gallon-size ziploc bag. Set aside. In a shallow pie plate, beat the eggs until mixed and add the Parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Let it begin to heat and sizzle while you prepare the chicken but be careful not to let the butter burn and turn brown.

Put the four chicken breasts in the bag with the seasoned flour, close the bag, and shake to coat the chicken in the flour. One by one, take the chicken out of the bag and dip into the egg/Parmesan mixture. Place the chicken carefully in the skillet with the hot oil/butter. Repeat with the other chicken breasts. Let the chicken cook on the first side, without moving or flipping the chicken, for 1-2 minutes until a nice, golden crust has formed. Carefully, using a wide spatula, flip the chicken and let it continue to cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side until it is golden brown. The chicken will flip easiest if it has had time to sizzle and cook to form a nice crust.

Remove the chicken to a 9X13-inch pan. Set aside while you make the sauce.

In the same skillet that you browned the chicken, melt the remaining four tablespoons butter. Add the minced garlic, lemon juice, and parsley. Simmer the sauce for 1-2 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits that were on the bottom of the skillet.

Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over noodles, rice or potatoes.

(Source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/09/breaded-garlic-chicken-in-lemon-butter-sauce.html)

Cheeseball

This little lump of cheese deliciousness is good for any occasion, really. We were invited to a friend's house for a Mother's Day dinner party, of which the men were in charge; Dickson was assigned to bring an appetizer, so I did some research, gave him a few options that sounded good, and he took it from there. Everyone at the dinner party raved about it (first about how enormous it was, but later they were glad it was so big, because it was totally gone by the time we went home).

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened (you can use light cream cheese)
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions
1/4 c. finely chopped bell pepper
2 tsp. seasoning salt
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained very well (you may want to press in a fine-mesh strainer)
1/2 c. pecan pieces, chopped (you can also use pecan “chips”)

 

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except pecans. Mix well. No matter how good my intentions, I always end up mixing it with my hands sooner or later. When thoroughly mixed, shape into a ball and roll in crushed pecans. Chill thoroughly. Serve with crackers and/or vegetables.

 

(Source: Our Best Bites: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/12/holiday-and-any-other-day-cheeseball/)

Mahi Mahi Lettuce Wraps

1 mango, diced

2 plum tomatoes, diced

1 red onion, diced

1/2 jalapenos, diced

3 Tbls chopped cilantro leaves

2 limes, juiced

Salt and pepper

2 mahi mahi fillets

Olive oil, as needed

Lettuce leaves (recommended butter or romaine)

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Combine the mango, tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice in a medium mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Season the fish with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Grill for roughly 3 to 4 minutes per side, until just opaque in the center. Set aside to cool.

When slightly cool, chop into large chunks. Add to the reserved salsa and fold carefully as to not break up the fish. Add mixture to the middle of the lettuce leaves and roll.

(Source: Food Network/Paula Deen: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/mahi-mahi-lettuce-wraps-recipe/index.html)

Zucchini Ribbon Pasta w/Creamy Lemon Basil Sauce

½ lb (or 8 oz) fettuccine
1 medium zucchini
2 tsp olive oil, divided
10 ounces grape tomatoes (about 2 cups)
kosher salt
black pepper
3-4 cloves finely minced garlic
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 ounces fat-free cream cheese
1 cup very loosely packed basil, chopped
1 Tbls fresh squeezed lemon juice, more if desired

Prepare a pot of water and cook pasta according to package instructions.  Cut ends off zucchini and slice along the long direction, cutting the zucchini into about ⅛ inch slices.  Cut each of those slices into long pieces, about the same size as the fettuccine.  Set zucchini aside.

Heat a medium size skillet to medium heat.  When hot, add 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Add tomatoes and give them a little sprinkle of kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3-4 minutes. Just until they start to burst and look blistered.  Remove tomatoes from pan and place in a small dish, covered, and set aside.

Add another 1 teaspoon olive oil to the empty pan and add garlic.  Stir constantly on medium-low heat for about 30-60 seconds.  Add chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer and use a spatula to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.  Simmer for 1-2 minutes and then reduce heat to low.

Place cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and soften for 20-30 seconds, until it can be easily stirred smooth.  Ladle in a couple spoonfuls of the chicken broth mixture into the cream cheese and stir to combine.  Once the mixture is smooth, add it to the pan with the remaining broth mixture and whisk until smooth and creamy. Add chopped basil and lemon juice and stir to combine.  Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.  (Lemon lovers can also squeeze in extra lemon juice at this point.)

When pasta is just about done, add zucchini strips to pot (so they’re cooking with the pasta).  Boil for about 2 minutes, or until tender.  Drain zucchini and pasta and combine with sauce.  Gently toss in tomatoes, or simply add them on top of each serving. Garnish with additional basil if desired.

(Source: Our Best Bites: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/07/zucchini-ribbon-pasta-with-light-creamy-lemon-basil-sauce/)