Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

Wow! This was delicious! My husband went crazy over it!

Ingredients
2-4 grilled chicken breasts, sliced
1/2 - 1 lb penne pasta, cooked al dente
1/2 stick butter
2-3 lemons, juiced
3/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c half & half
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper, to taste
10-15 fresh basil leaves, chopped (you can add more if you like)

Directions
Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside.  In same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add lemon juice. Whisk together. Add cream & half & half. Whisk until hot. Add Parmesan cheese. Whisk until melted. Add salt & pepper. Add hot pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Add pasta & chopped basil. Stir well. Add sliced chicken. Yum!!!


Recipe adapted from Pioneer Women via Pinterest

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

We love grilling!! One benefit of living in the south is we can do it 365 days a year. If you have never had a pork tenderloin here is a very simple but delicious way to try one. Pork tenderloin is by nature very tender but this marinade makes it even more tender. The entire family loved it.

Ingredients
1 lb pork tenderloin
1/2 c olive oil
1/3 c soy sauce
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp dried mustard
3-4 tbsp minced garlic
Black pepper, to taste

Directions
Combine all marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag. Place pork tenderloin in bag and marinate in fridge for 4 hours. Place on hot grill and cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Freezer Directions
Follow all above directions above putting in a freezer bag.  Freeze flat.  Thaw and follow directions to cook.  (I have done this one in the crockpot, as well.)

Lemon & Sage Roasted Chicken

If you have never roasted a whole chicken, this is a easy recipe for you to give it a try. The chicken was moist & full of flavor. The potatoes were yummy.

Ingredients
1/4 c lemon juice

1/4 c plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp minced fresh sage

1 roasting chicken (6 to 7 pounds)

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 medium lemon, cut into wedges

8 medium potatoes, quartered

2 medium onions, quartered

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions
In a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the lemon juice, 1/4 cup oil, garlic and sage. Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Drain and discard marinade. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from the chicken; rub butter under the skin. Fill cavity with lemon wedges. Place chicken breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onions, salt, pepper and remaining oil. Arrange around chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180°. Cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.


Recipe courtesy: Simple & Delicious

Roasted Chicken and Veggies

I just love how my version of roasted chicken turned out. It was tasty and moist. The vegetables were also very good roasted. They all tasted good but we really loved the asparagus and carrots.

Ingredients
1 roasting chicken - can be whole or cut-up
3 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3-4 potatoes
5-6 carrots, cut into chunks
3-4 celery stalks, cut into chunks
1 bunch of asparagus
1 onion, quartered
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice

Directions
Remove chicken from packaging. On the day I made this, I used a whole chicken that was already cut-up because it was on sale. You can use also use a whole chicken. Pat chicken dry. Place chicken on a rack in a foil-lined, shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle lemon juice all over chicken. Rub garlic all over chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Baste occasionally with pan juices. In a large bowl, toss all vegetables with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place vegetables around and on top of chicken. Bake for an additional hour. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Mediterranean Grouper

Another great recipe from my brother. He works so hard to catch all those fish from the Gulf of Mexico so that he can enjoy eating them. We actually worked through the ingredients of this dish together. It's too bad I live too far to get a taste!

Ingredients

Grouper fillets

Mushrooms, sliced

Artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp capers

1/2 c cooking wine

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/2 c Greek olives, chopped

Greek seasoning

Lemons

3 green onions, chopped

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Linguine

Directions

Place olive oil in pan & heat. Lightly season grouper fillets with Greek seasoning & place in pan. Pan fry for several minutes on each side. Set fillets aside & keep warm. To the pan add cooking wine, capers, green onions, Greek olives, garlic, artichokes, mushrooms, and juice of one lemon. Cook on high heat and render down. Cook linguine according to package directions. Stir in Parmesan cheese & parsley into cooked pasta. Cover the top of the pasta with the rendered down "sauce" & place a grouper fillet on the top.

Lukky Chicken Salad

Here is another great recipe from my brother! He creates some tasty things!

Ingredients
2 frozen chicken breast with rib meat, thawed
1/2 oz Jose Cuervo Tequila
1/2 oz lemon juice
2 tbsp capers & juice
1 tbsp garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper
Lettuce
Favorite salad vegetables (i.e. tomato, onions, peppers, celery, carrots, etc.)
Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded



Directions
Mix all ingredients together. Pour over chicken. Marinate chicken breasts for 4 hours. Grill chicken breasts until done. Make your salad. Slice chicken. Add chicken to the top of your salad, sprinkle with cheddar cheese & add your favorite dressing.

Lukky Fish Tacos

This recipe is from my brother. It is his newest creation for fish tacos. I heard from several people that these were the best thing they ever ate. I am upset that we live too far away to sample them. He caught the fresh red snapper just days before he made these. It doesn't get any fresher than that!

Ingredients

Red Snapper

Tiger sauce

Dry fajita seasoning

2 mangoes, chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1/4 c Cilantro, chopped

Juice of 2 lemons

Juice of 2 limes

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tbsp Olive oil

Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Flour tortillas

Directions

Marinate fish in tiger sauce & fajita seasoning.

Make relish using mangoes, red onion, cilantro, lemon juice, lime juice, jalapeno, garlic & olive oil. Chill relish for 2 hours.

Grill fish then chop fish up.

Place some olive oil in a pan and heat tortilla. Add fish, cheese & top with relish. Fold taco & enjoy!

Garden Vegetable & Chicken Skillett

Don't you just love those meals that are quick, easy & all in one pan? I do too! You will enjoy this one-skillet dinner.

Ingredients
1 1/2# boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 tbsp butter
3 c fresh baby spinach
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c uncooked instant brown rice
1 1/4 c water
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions
In a large skillet, saute the chicken, squash, onion & carrot in butter for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Drain. Add spinach, garlic, salt, thyme & pepper. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in rice & water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover & simmer for 10-15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in lemon juice.

Cheese-topped Lemon Chicken Breasts

This was a very simple recipe & tasted great. I served it with Italian Roasted Vegetables.

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp butter
1/4 c lemon juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
3/4 c shredded Colby cheese

Directions

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in butter on both sides over medium heat. Stir in lemon juice and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or until meat juices run clear. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle each chicken breast with cheese. Cover and let stand for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Recipe courtesy: Simple & Delicious

Lemon-Apricot Chicken

Ingredients

1/4 c fat-free cholesterol-free egg product or 2 egg whites
2 tbsp water
1 c Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
1 tbsp grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp garlic powder
6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb)
2/3 c apricot preserves
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Lemon slices, if desired

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. In shallow bowl, beat egg product and water slightly. In another shallow bowl, mix Bisquick mix, lemon peel and garlic powder.
2. Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2 inch thick (see pictures below). Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with Bisquick mixture. Place in pan. Spray chicken with cooking spray (see pictures below).
3. Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Turn; bake 10 minutes longer or until juice is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Note: I knew from the start of this recipe that the cook time is way too long for chicken breaks that were just flattened out. I started with 15 minutes. Turned the chicken & cooked for another 7-8 minutes. Cut chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.
4. In 1-quart saucepan, mix all remaining ingredients except lemon slices. Cook over medium-low heat until hot, stirring frequently. Cut chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch slices; pour sauce over chicken (See picture above). Garnish with lemon slices.

Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker