Glazed Pork Chops

6 pork chops (boneless or bone-in)

2/3 cup brown sugar

½  teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons sage

2 Tablespoons water

1.  Place pork chops in 9x13 pan.

2.  Mix remaining ingredients, adding more water if necessary to make a glaze that is thin enough to pour.  Pour over pork chops.

3.  Bake at 350º, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes, or until meat tests done.   Check at 20 minutes to see if the meat is properly cooked.  Check every 5 minutes thereafter.  Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the meat, the pan you are using, and how closely you place the pieces together in the pan.  Use a meat thermometer to test internal temperature (160˚).

Chicken Breasts with Lime Sauce

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness (or not)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2-3 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh (or dried) chives
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1. Coat chicken breasts with egg, and dip in bread crumbs. Place on a wire rack, and allow to dry for about 10 minutes.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and fry for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter, and keep warm.
3. Drain grease from the skillet, and squeeze in lime juice and chicken broth. Cook over low heat until it boils. Add butter, and stir until melted. Season with chives and dill. Spoon sauce over chicken, and serve immediately.

EXTRAS:

- Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes

- Makes 4 servings

- Calories: 455, Total Fat: 30g (but should now be less since I lessened the amount of butter by 1/2 to 2/3), Cholesterol: 171mg 

Yummy Rice Cooker Spanish Rice

2 cups long grain rice

1 cup water

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

14 ounces Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, with juice

1/4 cup salsa (I blend mine!)

3/4 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1 1/2 teaspoons dried onions (you can use fresh if you'd like!)

3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/2 cup water

1 small green pepper, diced (optional)

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies (optional)

Directions:

1)  Spray rice cooker with cooking spray.

2)  Add rice, 1 cup water, and all other ingredients.

3)  Stir.

4)  When the cycle is almost completed check the rice. If necessary, add additional 1/2 cup water. The amount you need will depend on what kind of rice you use.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 40 mins

Makes 6-8 servings

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• (Can also add diced onions, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, and/or paprika!)
• 2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

EXTRAS:

- Prep time: 5 min, Cook time: 10 min

- Makes about 8 servings

- Calories: 225 | Total Fat: 12.8g | Cholesterol: 63mg

Sauteed Chicken

Ingredients
1 4-5 lb whole roasting chicken
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Pan Sauce
1/2 shallot, minced
1/2 cup Vermouth or white wine (you can use chicken broth or water with lemon juice as a substitute for this)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp or more cream (optional)
1 squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste



Directions
-Rinse chicken and pat it completely dry -Break down chicken (watch video for a tutorial) into 8 pieces: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts and 2 wings. -Heat a pan on high. Add butter and oil. Once butter is boiling, add chicken pieces to the pan, skin side down. Sear for 2 1/2 minutes then turn each piece and cook on the other side for another 2 1/2 minutes. 5 minutes total. -After 5 minutes, turn the chicken again so it's skin side down, then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. Cook for 15 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes or so so the chicken doesn't stick. -After 15 minutes, season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Remove the breasts to a plate. Cover and cook the dark meat for another 5 minutes. -Remove all chicken to a plate and set aside. -Remove excess grease from pan and place it back on the low heat. Mince 1/2 a shallot and throw it in the pan. Let it cook in the chicken juices for 3-4 minutes before turning the heat to high and adding Vermouth and chicken stock. Let the sauce reduce by half before finishing with lemon squeeze, cream, salt and pepper. 

Yummy Grilled Chicken

Serves: 4

Ingredients
2 free-range chickens, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds each, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chipotle chili powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Roasted Squash Salad (recipe below)
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

Preparation
Rub the chicken halves all over with the olive oil, garlic, and mustard.
In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder and about a tablespoon each of salt and pepper and rub all over the chickens. Push some beneath the skin, being careful not to tear the skin. Refrigerate the chickens for about 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Prepare a clean, well-oiled charcoal or gas grill so that the coals or heat element are medium-hot. Arrange the heating elements or charcoal for indirect grilling.
Put the chickens, skin sides down, on the unheated side of the cooking grate. Cover the grill and cook, turning once, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meat is cooked through, the skin is crisp and well browned, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reads 165°F. Watch carefully and move the chickens back and forth between the hot and cooler parts of the grill, first to crisp the chicken skin and then to cook the birds a little more slowly for a while. Use your judgment for this. This is simply a technique to prevent the birds from charring on the outside. Let the chickens rest for 5 to 10 minutes on a cutting board.
Great with roasted summer squash!

Double Lemon Chicken Breasts with Fresh Tomato Basil Salsa

Serves: 4-8

Ingredients:

Tomato Basil Salsa
5 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
5 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced 
1 tablespoon minced garlic 
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper 

Lemon Chicken
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
8 skinless boneless chicken breast fillets, pounded until 1/2 inch thick
Olive oil for cooking
2 to 3 lemons, halved

Preparation
To make the salsa, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
To prepare the chicken, combine the flour, lemon zest, salt, and pepper on a flat dinner plate. Using a fork, mix together until thoroughly combined.
Wash the chicken breasts and pat them dry. Dredge each fillet in the flour mixture, making sure to coat both sides. Set aside.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil, using just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken fillets in batches the chicken from the pan, squeeze generous amounts of lemon juice over each piece. Serve topped with the basil salsa.

Savory Roasted Potatoes

* found at foodbringsfamiliestogether.blogspot.com *

1/4 spicy brown or dijon mustard(I used spicy brown because that is what I had)'

1/4 cup olive oil

1 T. minced garlic

2 tsp dried crushed rosemary or 1 T. fresh rosemary chopped

1 t. Kosher Salt

1 t. black pepper

2-3lbs potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes(any kind I used regular because that is what I had but new red potatoes would be awesome)

Directions: Heat Oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl whisk everything together except the potatoes. Dump the potatoes in and toss till all potatoes are coated well. Pour onto a greased cookie sheet. Spread in a single layer. Bake for 50-55 minutes, turning potatoes every 20 minutes until desired crispiness is achieved. Serve with grilled meat or we had a vegetarian meal and ate these as the main dish with steamed veggies(broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce

* found at diaryofarecipeaddict.blogspot.com *

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta aisle)

4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)*

3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced

2 Tbs flour

2 C milk

¾ tsp kosher salt

⅛ tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp dry basil

¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)

1 medium lemon

2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped

¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided

¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

* For a vegetarian meal, omit bacon.

Serves 4-6

Chicken Scampi

* found at http://rachelvsthekitchen.blogspot.com/ * 




1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins (or chicken breasts cut into 1" wide strips)


Directions:In a large skillet, heat the butter or margarine and oil over medium high heat, until the butter/margarine melts. Add the parsley, oregano, garlic and salt and mix together in the skillet. Stir in lemon juice and white wine.

Add the chicken and saute for about 3-4 minutes or until chicken turns white on the outside. Lower the heat and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. (Watch the chicken carefully...mine was done in closer to 10 minutes).***Also, you may have to add additional butter/margarine, while the chicken is cooking--I added an extra 1/2 stick***

Serve over pasta or rice. I used one pound of thin spaghetti, because I didn't have any angel hair on hand--this was more than enough for my family of 4.

Hershey's Chewy Chocolate & Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 cup cocoa

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 package (12-oz.) chocolate, peanut butter, or vanilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until well-blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture until well blended. Stir in chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Unbelievably Awesome Barbeque Chicken Pizza

• 
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• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (or olive oil if you don't have any)
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) package pre-baked pizza crust (or make quick dough in the bread machine and bake it for 10 minutes before toppings are added)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced red or white onion
• tomato slices (optional)
• bacon bits  (optional)
• a dash or two of cayenne pepper  (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken breast in the skillet, and top with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Cook 10 minutes, turn, and top with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Continue cooking 10 minutes, until juices run clear. Cool slightly, and cut into chunks.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3. In a small bowl, mix the remaining barbeque sauce and marinara sauce. Spread evenly over the pizza crust. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Arrange cooked chicken chunks and red onion slices over the top. Add any additional toppings you may want.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cilantro, and let sit 10 minutes before slicing.

EXTRAS:

- Makes 6 servings

- Prep time: 15 min, Bake time: about 30 minutes

- Calories: 359 | Total Fat: 11.1g | Cholesterol: 32mg