There is something so incredibly satisfying about throwing dinner in a pan, popping it in the oven, and less than an hour later you have something so perfectly cooked and flavorful that it just so briefly makes you forget you still haven’t made it to Friday. That’s why I love this dinner so much. It makes creating a weeknight meal seem so simple, you have a hard time finding reasons not to cook at home. This dish is salty, juicy, crispy and will satisfy the veggie and meat and potato lovers alike. I hope this one becomes a staple in your home just as it has in mine! Serves 4 4 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts 1/2 lb yukon gold potatoes chopped in large chunks 1 head of cauliflower broken into florets 1 onion cut into thick slices 1 T capers, drained 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves 1/4 cup plus 2 T olive oil (2 T reserved) 1 tsp garlic salt 1/2 tsp salt Fresh Ground pepper to taste 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the potatoes, cauliflower, and onion on a large rimmed baking sheet where everything can lay in a single layer. You want the vegetables to have room to breathe so they can brown rather than steam. Sprinkle everything with the capers, thyme leaves, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of olive oil (reserving about 2 T). Toss it all together with your hands so everything is coated in oil and seasoned. Place the chicken breasts skin side up on top of all the vegetables and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Pop it in the oven and roast for 40 minutes, toss everything around halfway through the cook time but make sure the chicken ends up back on top, skin side up. Once the 40 minutes is up, remove the tray from the oven, toss everything around one more time, placing the breasts back on top of the veggies and sprinkle everything with the grated Parmesan. Pop it back in the oven to cook for 10 more minutes until the cheese starts to melt and crisp up a bit. Everything should be golden brown and a bit crispy. If the veggies aren't browned enough, set the chicken breasts aside to rest and throw the tray of veggies under a broiler for a few minutes, but watch it carefully! You don't want it to burn! Serve the chicken alongside of the roasted veggies and enjoy!
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This has to be my all time favorite cocktail! If you think you don't like bourbon, I promise you, you will love this drink! Don't take my word for it though, give it a try and see what you think.....I bet you will instantly become a bourbon fan! If I am making this drink for a large group I will juice a bunch of lemons before hand which makes preparing this drink a lot faster. Makes 2 Drinks 3 ounces of Bourbon 1 1/2 ounces of fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1 whole lemon) 1 ounce Maple Syrup 1 large rosemary spring crushed in you hand Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and then fill with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon peel and rosemary spring. Cheers! I don't know why but I have always been intimidated by cooking an entire bird. I don't know if its because I haven't had many good experiences with eating roasted chicken or if the idea of prepping and cooking a bird just sounds exhausting, but the idea has never appealed to me. I was on a mission to change that perception, so after a few attempts I think I can finally say A. that cooking a whole chicken is so stinking easy! and B. roast chicken can be soooo freaking delicious! Serves 4 1 roaster chicken 4-5lbs 2 T honey 2 T olive oil 1 lemon zested and then quartered 1 tsp sumac 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 1 garlic cloves crushed 1/2 onion cut in large chunks Preheat your oven to 450 degree and center the baking rack. Take your chicken out of the packaging and discard the packet that is stuffed inside the bird. Place the bird breast side up in a roasting pan or in my case, I used a cast iron skillet that was large enough to accommodate my roaster chicken. Pat the bird dry with some paper towels and insert the lemon quarters and onion chunks into the cavity of the bird. In a small mixing bowl combine the honey, olive oil, lemon zest, sumac, salt, pepper and garlic. It should come together as a thick marinade. Rub the marinade all over the bird. Place the bird in the oven and cook for ten minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue to cook for 15 minutes then baste the chicken (I use a pastry brush) with the sauce and juices forming in the bottom of the pan. Put the chicken back in the oven and continue to cook another 15 minutes or until a digital thermometer inserted between the thigh and breast registers 165 degrees. Total cook time should be about 40 - 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Then Dig In! My family always fights over the legs! The weather is just starting to get warm and it has me itching for some summer cooking! I decided it was time to break out the grill and pregame! This grilled steak and corn succotash was exactly what I had been missing all winter long! Its what summers are made of! For the Spice Rub Makes about 1/4 cup 1 T Brown Sugar 1 tsp Cumin 1 tsp Garlic Salt 1 tsp Coriander 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice 1 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Cinnamon 1/4 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder Mix all of the spices in an airtight container. Can be stored in the pantry for up to a month For the Steak Serves 2 2 NY strip steaks at room temp ( I usually opt for free range, grass fed, medium thickness) 1 T Olive Oil 2 T Spice Rub Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Rub the olive oil onto the steaks. Sprinkle the dry rub onto the steaks and massage into the meat. You want to cover the whole steak. Let them rest for about 15 minutes with the rub mixture before throwing them on the grill. While they rest start the Succotash. Spray your grill with nonstick cooking spray (I like canola oil spray) and grill the steaks on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes per side depending on your desired degree on doneness. I like a medium rare steak. Take the steaks off the grill and let them rest in a baking dish for 10 minutes, you don't want to lose any of the juice! Slice the steaks and serve over the corn succotash with a spoonful of the steak juice. Top with the avocado slices and serve You can serve this divided between two plates or double the recipe and serve it family style for your guests to serve themselves and enjoy! For the Succotash Serves 2 2 T Olive Oil 1 medium zucchini chopped 1 red bell pepper chopped 1 bag frozen corn kernels 1 bunch of scallions, white and light green parts chopped 1/2 tsp garlic salt 1/2 tsp salt fresh ground pepper to taste 2 tsp sherry vinegar 2 tsp agave nectar 2 T chopped fresh cilantro 1 avocado sliced Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 2 T of olive oil. Saute the zucchini and red pepper over medium heat until they begin to soften and start to brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the corn to the pan and continue to saute for another 5 minutes. Add the scallions, garlic salt, salt, pepper, sherry vinegar, and agave to the corn mixture and continue to cook another 2 minutes, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan as you go. Turn the heat to low and start the steaks. Once the steaks are cooked, let them rest for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off the corn and stir in the cilantro. Hummus is probably one of my favorite snack foods to make. I can indulge without feeling too guilty and this version in particular makes me feel like I'm doing something good for myself since it showcases some healthy and super tasty baby carrots!
For the roasted carrots 1 lb. bag of baby carrots 2 T Olive Oil 2 tsp Cumin 1 tsp Coriander 1 tsp Garlic Salt 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger 1/2 tsp Salt Fresh Ground Pepper to taste Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and dump onto a rimmed baking sheet. Cook for 30 minutes, flipping the carrots once half way through the cook time. For the Hummus Roasted carrots 1 can of chickpeas drained but not rinsed 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon) 1/4 cup Tahini 3 T Sunflower oil 1 T Shoyu Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until it starts to form a paste then turn it on high until it comes together to form a smooth paste. You can add more oil if it seems to thick. Serve on toasted Sourdough and top with greek yogurt and harrisa.....or you can serve it up with a side of veggies and pita, it's up to you! So lets get straight to the point here, if you are going to cook, then you need to keep some items on hand. Building a pantry can be a bit over whelming and expensive! I find that I use a lot of the same ingredients over and over again. Here is a list of what I keep on hand at all times, Ill add more later as I discover new favorites!
Feel free to leave me a comment of some of your favorites!
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