Chicken Piccata

From "The Dinner Doctor" by Anne Byrn. Tiny chicken tenders are true to their name—tender. And they cook up fast. Doctor them with garlic, lemon juice, bread crumbs, and fresh parsley for a quick weekday piccata that's got a special weekend dinner feel to it. Slicing the tenders into strips before sautéing them will make them cook even faster. Serve this classic but simple recipe with rice or risotto.

To Prep: 8 Minutes
To Cook: 9–12 Minutes

Serves 4


1 cup toasted bread crumbs
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed in a garlic press
1 pound chicken tenders (about 12), rinsed and patted dry
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon drained capers




1. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Season them with salt and pepper and add the garlic. (If you are making your own bread crumbs by pulsing a toasted bun in a food processor, just add the salt, pepper, and a whole clove of garlic to the processor along with the bun.) Dredge the chicken tenders in the bread crumb mixture and set them aside.

2. Place 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add half of the chicken tenders and cook until they are well browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked tenders to a platter. Add the remaining tablespoon each of oil and butter to the skillet and, when the butter has melted, add the remaining tenders and cook them until they are well browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer these tenders to the platter.

3. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the skillet. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and cook until the juices reduce to a glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the hot glaze over the chicken tenders and garnish with the parsley and capers. Serve at once.

Moo Shu Chicken Lettuce Wraps

From "The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook" by Colleen Doyle and Jeanne Besser. Making moo shu at home is a breeze and more healthful when you use lettuce leaves as wrappers instead of the traditional Chinese flour pancakes. Just spoon the chicken mixture into the lettuce "cups."

This dish can also be made with beef, shrimp, or pork. Shiitake or other wild mushrooms can be added as well.

Prep time: 15 minutes or less
Total time: 30 minutes or less

Serves 4


1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into very thin strips
3 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce, or to taste
1 small head Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves separated and core discarded




In a wok or large skillet over high heat, add oil. Add chicken, cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, and scallions and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender.

Add hoisin sauce and stir to combine. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until vegetables and chicken are cooked through. If sauce is too thick, add 1 tablespoon water.

Spoon moo shu into lettuce leaves. Top with a small dollop of hoisin, if desired.

Nutrition Information Per Serving
Calories 185, Calories from Fat 55, Total Fat 6.0 g, Saturated Fat 0.9 g, Trans Fat 0.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.8 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2.9 g, Cholesterol 50 mg, Sodium 230 mg, Total Carbohydrate 12 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Sugars 7 g, Protein 21 g

Moroccan Shrimp

Got this recipe from Fresh Direct who got it from Real Simple magazine. I love that you can add a recipe to your shopping cart and it adds all the ingredients you need. Super helpful! You can add some extra flavor and color to this dish by stirring about 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or scallions into the couscous just before serving.

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Makes 4 servings


1 10-ounce box couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 lemon, halved

Prepare the couscous according to the package directions.* Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper. Cover and cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the bell pepper and raisins and cook for 4 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and heat for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, place the shrimp in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the cumin, cinnamon, and the remaining black pepper. Squeeze the lemon over the shrimp and toss to combine. Add the shrimp (but not the liquid) to the tomato mixture in the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork, divide it among individual plates, and spoon the shrimp mixture over the top.


NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 561 (11% from fat); FAT 7g (sat 1g); PROTEIN 35g; CHOLESTEROL 172mg; SODIUM 670mg; FIBER 8g; CARBOHYDRATE 92g

Spicy Carrot and Parsnip Soup with Shredded Gruyere

I went a little heavy handed with my cave aged gruyere cheese (can you blame me?) But this soup was great! Really could taste the carrot but had some heat to it. Everyone liked it!

Ingredients

1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
½ lb. parsnips, peeled and chopped
5 cups of vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
sea salt, to taste
1 ounce gruyere cheese (optional)

Instructions
Add chopped carrots, parsnip and quinoa to a large pot. Pour in vegetable broth or water. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for about 20-40 minutes until veggies are tender.
Remove from heat and let stand 3-5 minutes until cooled slightly. Using an immersion blender, blend the contents of the pot until a smooth even consistency is reached. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup in your blender in small batches.
Return to stove top and add remaining ingredients. Serve immediately garnished with shredded gruyere cheese. Enjoy!

Roasted Leg of Lamb

Got this recipe from Jamie Oliver. It came out pretty good! The meat fell right off the bone; however, I checked my lamb at 3 hours and it was done (even though recipe called for 4 hours). I would say after 2 1/2 hours check your lamb periodically with a thermometer for desired doneness.

Ingredients
For the lamb:
1 (2.2-pound) shoulder of lamb
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh rosemary
1 bulb garlic, unpeeled, broken into cloves

Directions
For the lamb:
Preheat your oven to full whack, (450 to 500 degrees F). Slash the fat side of the lamb all over with a sharp knife. Lay half the sprigs of rosemary and half the garlic cloves on the bottom of a high-sided roasting pan, rub the lamb all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place it in the pan on top of the rosemary and garlic, and put the rest of the rosemary and garlic on top of the lamb. Tightly cover the tray with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Turn the oven down immediately to 325 degrees F and cook for 4 hours - it's done if you can pull the meat apart easily with 2 forks.

Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Green Sauce

A place in my hood makes the BEST Peruvian chicken so I thought I'd take a go at it. The recipe was simpler than I initially expected and the outcome was pretty close. The green sauce was thicker than I'm used to but the flavor was identical to what I know. I would recommend you try this!

Ingredients
For the Chicken
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice, from 2 limes
4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sugar
4 pound whole chicken

For the Green Sauce
3 jalapeño chili peppers, seeded if desired (I use about half the seeds for a medium-hot sauce), and roughly chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from one lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

For the Chicken
Combine all of the ingredients except the chicken in a blender or mini food processor, and blend until smooth. Remove the giblets from the inside of the chicken and pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels; place in a bowl, breast side up with the legs facing you. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or your fingers, loosen the skin from the flesh over the breasts and legs, being careful not to tear the skin or push all the way through (you want the marinade to stay inside the bird). Spoon about 2/3 of the marinade evenly underneath the skin, and spread the remaining 1/3 evenly over the skin. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Spray a rack (preferably a v-shape) with non-stick cooking spray and place the chicken on top. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Roast for 20 minutes, until the skin is golden. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees, and continue to roast for about an hour and ten minutes more, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. (Keep an eye on it -- if it's browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.) Tent the chicken with foil and let rest for about 20 minutes. Tilt the chicken over the roasting pan to release the juices, then transfer to a cutting board. Carve the chicken and serve with green sauce.

For the Green Sauce
Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender or food processor and blend into a smooth sauce. With the motor running, open lid and slowly drizzle in olive oil. It will seem very runny at this point but, don't worry, it will thicken up as it sits. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Winter Root Vegetable Mash

Root veggies are perfect to whip up in the winter on a snowy day. This mash is so good, you'll want to have it year round! The crunchy buttery breadcrumb topping really makes it indulgent, but it's not pasta or potatoes and with fake butter - it's not too bad!

For the mash:
3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into similar sized chunks as the parsnips
1 tablespoon horseradish
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon oregano

For the topping:
1 tablespoon butter (real butter)
3 tablespoons I Can't Believe it's Not Butter (fake butter)
1/2 onion, peeled and minced
2 cups panko breadcrumbs

Place the rutabaga and parsnips into a pan of salted boiling water. Lower the heat and cook, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes until quite tender. Drain well. Mash together with a potato masher and then stir in horseradish and oregano. You want a rough texture so don't mash too finely. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pre-heat the oven to 375F. Butter a shallow baking dish. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring until golden brown. Add the Panko and cook, stirring until the crumbs are crisp and golden.

Spread the vegetable mash in the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the crumbs over top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.