Thursday, March 30, 2017

Lemon Charred Chicken Piccata

Ingredients

  • 2 small lemons, cut into thin rounds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 4 garlic cloves, halved
  • 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 3/4-inch thickness
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 teaspoon grated shallot
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated garlic
  • 1 oregano sprig
  • 1 thyme sprig
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

How to Make It

  1. Combine lemon slices, sugar, and garlic in a medium bowl.
  2. Sprinkle chicken with 3/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil; swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Place chicken on a plate. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add lemon mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until lemon slices are lightly browned, turning occasionally. Return lemon mixture to bowl.
  3. Wipe pan with paper towels. Heat pan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Add shallot, 1/2 teaspoon grated garlic, oregano sprig, and thyme sprig; cook 1 minute. Add wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, stock, and flour to pan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 2/3 cup. Remove pan from heat; discard oregano and thyme sprigs. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and capers, stirring until butter melts. Return chicken and any juices to pan; turn to coat with sauce. Top chicken with lemon mixture. Sprinkle with parsley. -Serve and Enjoy!

Monday, March 27, 2017

Strawberry and Watermolon Punch w/ Lime and Tarragon

Ingredients

  • 8 limes
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 24 1/2 cups 1-inch cubed watermelon (from 2 [12-pound] seedless watermelons)
  • 1 cup strawberry puree
  • 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 3 3/4 cups (30 oz.) gin (optional)
  • 4 tarragon sprigs
  • 4 cups sparkling water

How to Make It

  1. Peel limes with a vegetable peeler, avoiding white pith; place rind and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until rind is roughly broken up and mixed with sugar. Transfer to a zip-top plastic bag; add 1/4 cup water, and seal, pressing out any air. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours, massaging as often as you can. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing on solids; discard solids.
  2. Place watermelon, in batches, in a food processor; process until pureed, and pour into a strainer set over a large bowl. Strain, discarding solids. Reserve 14 cups juice. (Save any extra juice for another use.) Place 3 cups watermelon juice in a large ice mold or freezer-safe bowl or in 1-inch ice-cube trays; freeze until solid, about 8 hours.
  3. Mix strawberry puree, vinegar, remaining 11 cups watermelon juice, rind mixture, gin (if desired), and tarragon in a large pitcher. Refrigerate punch 2 hours or overnight.
  4. Break frozen watermelon juice into rough 1-inch cubes. To serve, add sparkling water to punch. Serve immediately in ice-filled glasses with a frozen watermelon cube.
    - This recipes serves up to 30 and is perfect for a easter brunch, Enjoy!

Friday, March 24, 2017

Waffles Benedict

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose baking mix
  • 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 5 large eggs, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 (0.9-oz.) envelope hollandaise sauce mix
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 8 thin prosciutto slices (about 1/4 lb.)
  • Garnish: chopped fresh chives

How to Make It

  1. Stir together baking mix, next 3 ingredients, and 1 egg in a medium bowl until blended. Let batter stand 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, add water to a depth of 3 inches in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and maintain a light simmer. Add vinegar. Break remaining 4 eggs, and slip into water, 1 at a time, as close as possible to surface. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes or to desired degree of doneness. Remove with a slotted spoon. Trim edges, if desired.
  3. Cook batter in a preheated, lightly greased waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions until golden.
  4. Prepare hollandaise sauce according to package directions, adding lemon juice and tarragon.
  5. Stack 2 waffles, and top with 2 prosciutto slices, 1 poached egg, and desired amount of hollandaise sauce. Garnish, if desired.-Serve st room temp. and enjoy!

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Easter Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks


Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
  • 1 cup (4 oz.) freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, divided*
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed
  • 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt
  • Garnish: fresh thyme

How to Make It

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Layer half of sweet potatoes in a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp. thyme and 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining sweet potatoes. (Potatoes will come slightly above the rim of each cup.)
  2. Microwave cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 tsp. thyme at HIGH 1 minute. Pour cream mixture into muffin cups (about 1 Tbsp. per cup).
  3. Bake at 375°, covered with aluminum foil, 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.
  4. Let stand 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around rim of each cup, and lift potato stacks from cups using a spoon or thin spatula. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish, if desired.- Serve at room temp. and Enjoy!

Friday, March 17, 2017

Best Braised Corned Beef Brisket

Ingredients


  • 1 (5 pound) flat-cut corned beef brisket
  • 1 tablespoon browning sauce (such as Kitchen Bouquet
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oi
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons water

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
  2. Discard any flavoring packet from corned beef. Brush brisket with browning sauce on both sides. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown brisket on both sides in the hot oil, 5 to 8 minutes per side.
  3. Place brisket on a rack set in a roasting pan. Scatter onion and garlic slices over brisket and add water to roasting pan. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
  4. Roast in the preheated oven until meat is tender, about 6 hours.
  5. Serve and enjoy your St. Patty's Day

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Walnut and Rosemary Oven Fried Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 4 (6-ounce) chicken cutlets
  • 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 3/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Cooking spray
  • Rosemary leaves (optional)

How to Make It

  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.
  3. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Combine panko, nuts, and next 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture; discard buttermilk mixture. Dredge chicken in panko mixture.
  4. Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on rack; coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Garnish with rosemary leaves, if desired.- Serve at room temp. and Enjoy!

Monday, March 13, 2017

Beautiful Stuffed Leg of Lamb

Ingredients

  • 1 (5 pound) boneless leg of lamb
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 bunch kale chopped (ribs removed)
  • 6 ounces goat cheese, or more if needed
  • 2 teaspoons pine nuts
  • kitchen twine
  • 1 cup all-purpose wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Directions

  1. Remove plastic netting or twine from around the leg of lamb, if any, and open up the roast on a cutting board. Place the boned side of the roast up. With a sharp paring knife, cut away any excess fatty areas. Use a sharp knife to cut 1/2-inch deep slits in the meat about 2 inches apart, to help the meat lie flat. Cover the meat with a sturdy piece of plastic wrap or a cut-apart food storage bag, and pound the meat with a mallet or the edge of a small plate until the roast is about 3/4 inch thick everywhere, and 10 to 14 inches square.
  2. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  3. Sprinkle the upper side of the meat with salt and pepper, and then spread spinach leaves over the top of the roast to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Break up the goat cheese and sprinkle it evenly over the kale, then sprinkle the pine nuts over the cheese.
  4. Roll the roast up into a tight cylinder, and tie the roast together with kitchen twine at 2 inch intervals. It's okay if a little stuffing protrudes from the sides of the roast.
  5. In a flat dish, mix together the flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, the thyme, and the fennel seeds, and press the tied roast firmly into the flour mixture to coat all sides.
  6. Heat the sesame oil in a heavy oven-proof or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers, and sear all sides of the roast, including the ends, to a golden brown color. Lay the roast into the skillet, place into the preheated oven, and roast to your desired degree of doneness, or an internal temperature of 145 degrees F for medium, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.- Serve this for your Easter dinner and Enjoy!

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Watermelon-Mint Cucumber Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
  • 3 cups chopped English cucumber
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 6 cups chopped frozen watermelon
  • 3 tablespoons agave nectar 
  • 6-8 ice cubes


  1. Place yogurt in a blender. Add cucumber, mint, and lemon juice to blender; process until smooth. Strain cucumber mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Add ice cubes, cucumber mixture, watermelon, and agave nectar to blender; process until smooth.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Easter Lemon-Basil Orzo w/ Parmesan

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup uncooked orzo
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Basil sprigs (optional)

How to Make It

  1. Cook the orzo according to package directions, omitting the salt and fat. Drain.
  2. . While orzo cooks, heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lemon rind and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add orzo, basil, and remaining ingredients; toss well. Garnish with basil, if desired. Serve at room temp. to avoid flare-ups and Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Rosacea Fighting Berry breakfast Pizza's

Ingredients

1 (16.3 oz.) can refrigerated large buttermilk biscuits
2 cups fresh or frozen berries, such as strawberries (sliced), raspberries, blackberries and blueberries
3 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets, or line each with a sheet of parchment paper.
Separate dough into 8 biscuits of equal size. Press each biscuit into a 5 1/2-inch round and place 4 on each baking sheet. Arrange berries on top, leaving a 3/4-inch border around fruit.
Sprinkle sugar on each pizza and bake until dough becomes golden and fruit is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. - Serve at room temp. and Enjoy!

Note: Top with fresh chopped mint or basil for a refreshing taste!