Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

Hello friends (is anyone really there or do I just imagine you are there?)!!! I can't believe a new year is here! I love the freshness and newness the beginning of a new year brings! I love the motivation I have to be a better person. I love setting goals for myself and love it even more when I have accomplished those goals! One of my goals this year is to post AT LEAST once a week. I have been terrible the past few months and hope to be better this coming year.

I saw this recipe on another food blog that I love called For the Love of Cooking. I have made several dishes or at least used several recipes from this blog as a base for something else. I have yet to be disappointed! This dish is absolutely delicious! My husband and I could not get enough of it! The flavor of the prosciutto is incredible with the tender chicken breast. It has a slightly smokey and salty flavor, but not over powering at all. The recipe originally called for 2 sage leaves per chicken breast, but my sage plant was covered with snow and not looking quite appetizing to use, so I simply left it out. I simply pounded the chicken breast, seasoned it with salt and pepper and then wrapped 1 large piece of prosciutto around each breast and seared it in a frying pan. I also roasted some asparagus and threw together a simple side dish of parmesan olive oil cous cous, and also tossed some acorn squash with olive oil, garlic and balsamic vinegar and roasted it. It was Heavenly. Seriously. I was impressed with how quickly this meal was to throw together too! If you have not tried prosciutto before, this is a good recipe to try. I am positive you will like it!

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

3 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin

salt and pepper for seasoning

9 fresh sage leaves

6 slices of prosciutto

3 tsp. olive oil

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. corn starch

fresh parsley chopped

fresh lemon wedges (for serving)

Pound chicken breasts to about 1/2 inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Place 3 sage leaves on each breast and wrap with 2 slices of prosciutto. Heat 3 tsp. oil in a frying pan and heat over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add chicken and cook until golden brown; flip the chicken over and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until chicken is done. Let the meat sit aside on a platter to rest.

Combine the chicken broth, lemon juice and cornstarch together in a small bowl and whisk until well combine. Place the slkillet over medium high heat. Add the lemon juice mixture to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken breast and serve.

Cranberry Chutney

I apologize for not having a picture to share with you. Trust me, this stuff is definitely picture worthy. The problem is that both times I have made it, it has been completely consumed before I realized I hadn't taken a picture! Yes, it is THAT good!!! I was a bit skeptical when I was making this. I didn't know if the falvors were going to blend well together. They do. And very well might I add. This chutney is good not only with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, with a roll and peas on the side. This is delicious on a wrap, with tortilla chips, on bread and I am sure many other things. It would be delicious as a topping on some crackers with a light spreading of cream cheese. Truly the possibilities are endless. It is easy to throw together and takes almost no effort at all. Try it. It is SO much better than regular cranberry sauce!!!

Cranberry Chutney
1 12oz. bag fresh cranberries
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced
1 Tbsp. fresh garlic, grated or finely minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
1/2 cup raisons
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Place everything into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and let the mixture simmer until it is thickened-about 15 minutes.

Garlic, Lemon and Caper Pasta with Grilled Salmon

This dish has quickly become a favorite at our house. First because it is so delicious and second because it is quick (and extremely cheap)!!! I first made this recipe a year ago and just recently pulled it out again to make. I was craving salmon and some kind of light pasta. This was just what I needed! Plus, my husband absolutely loves this dish! It is light and healthy from the olive oil and lemon dressing, but it also packs a delicious punch of flavor from the fresh basil, lemon zest and tangy, salty capers. If you have never had capers before, you are in for a treat. Too many of them is overwhelming, but a sprinkling adds just the right amount of salty, tangy flavor. We like to top ours with paramesan cheese. This pasta is very versatile too! It pairs well with shrimp (which we had in addition to the salmon), grilled chicken or grilled steak. If you are looking for a avegetarian option, it is also quite tastey with some white beans tossed in. With a side of garlic or cheese bread and a green salad, your stomach will thank you!

Garlic, Lemon and Caper Pasta with Grilled Salmon

1 clove garlic, peeled and grated or minced finely
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. capers (drained)
1/4 cup fresh basil torn or sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti

Mix ingredients together and set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. In a large bowl, combine the dressing ingredients with the pasta and toss.

Salmon fillets (however many you need)
Lemon pepper
salt
pepper

Season the salmon with lemon pepper, a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place under broiler or grill until fish begins to flake. Serve salmon on top of a bed of pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve.

Chili Rubbed Pork

I can't believe it has been so long since my last post! I have been so busy the past couple of months! I need to do a better job of posting.

This is a great recipe to get back in the swing of things. My husband and I were at Costco and saw these delicious looking pork sirloin tip roasts. Four of them came in a package for only $12.00! What a great price! This is the first of the three roasts that I made. It was every bit as delicious as I had hoped! I used a very simple spice rub to spread all over the roast. I served it with buttermilk mashed Yukon mashed potatotes and some peas. My husband and I both enjoyed this meal.....A LOT!!! The pork was some of the most tender meat I have ever had. The spice rub added a delicious and flavorful touch to the roast. Don't be scared by the addition of cinnamon in the rub. You can't actually taste the cinnamon itself-rather it enhances the rest of the flavors in the rub. This rub also makes delicious steak or chicken tacos too!

Chili Spice Rub
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp . salt
2 cloves garlic minced
pinch of cayenne (optional)

Combine ingredients and rub into meat or roast. Cook roast according to package directions.

Beef Stroganoff

I am no expert when it comes to beef stroganoff. I haven't had this meal in years....at least 16 years or so. I guess that is because I haven't eaten red meat for almost that long. Recently, steak has been sounding so good. I decided to make this dish because it was really good when my mom made it all those years ago. This particular version included portobello mushrooms rather than the usual button mushrooms. Also, I remember my mom adding either katsup or tomato paste to the sour cream...I can't remember which, I just know that one of those tomato products was an ingredient and it added to the richness of the creamy sauce. This recipe also included thyme which added somewhat of an earthy flavor. My husband was a huge fan of this dish and ate it three nights in a row! I could only eat it one night, not because it wasn't good, but because I couldn't eat the red meat more than one night. But I enjoyed it very much the night I ate it! I served this dish with a green salad, roasted broccoli and a piece of garlic toast.

Beef Stroganoff

2 tsp. plus one Tbsp. canola oil

1 pound flank steak, trimmed

1 clove garlic, grated

4 large portobello mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 large onion, sliced

3/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. fresh craked black pepper

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 14oz. can reduced sodium beef broth

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 cupsour cream

4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or chives, chopped

Heat 2 tsp. oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add grated garlic and steak and cook until browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. cut lengthwise into 2 long pieces then crosswise, across the grain, into 1/4 inch thick slices. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are very tender and lightly browned, 8-12 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to coat. stir in broth and vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking until the mixture is thickened, about three minutes. Stir in sour cream, chives or parsley, sliced steak and any juices that have accumulated. Bring to a simmer and cook stirring until heated through, 1 or 2 minutes more.

Ginger Lime Chicken

I know this is picture may be a little more on the "less than appetizing" side, but believe me, this is some of the most flavorful chicken I have ever had. It gets a special punch of flavor from lime juice, ginger, garlic and curry powder, and to me, you can't go wrong with that combination. I have had this recipe marked in my Every Day Food cookbook for a while now and finally got around to making it...too many recipes but too little time. Besides, there are only two of us in our home right now, and we can only eat so much! Anyway, you should give this recipe a try. It is a great change from your ordinary everyday chicken. I served this with a light couscous salad, grilled pita bread and a salad.

Ginger and Lime Grilled Chicken

1 Tbsp. Finely grated peeled ginger

1 clove garlic, minced or grated (not in the original recipe but I had to add it)

2 tsp. curry powder

4 scallions, minced (I didn't have any so I didn't use)

Coarse ground salt and pepper

8 bone in skin on chicken thighs (I used bonelees skinless chicken breast)

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Heat broiler with rack set 4 inches from the heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients besides chicken. Arrange the chicken on the bakaing sheet and season with salt and pepper. Pour the wet mixture over the chickne and rub it in. Make sure to rub under the skin if using chicken thighs. Broil for about 5-7 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and the meat is tender but no longer pink. Serve chicken with pan juices.

Mixed Berry Salad with Grilled Chicken

This salad has "summer time meal" written all over it. It is a delicious combination of fresh strawberries, plump blueberries, dry roasted almonds, and juicy grilled chicken on top of fresh mixed greens and dressed in a balsamic ranch dressing. It isn't much of a recipe, but it sure does taste good on a hot summer day! We had this salad with a delicious piece of grilled garlic bread on the side It made for a satisfying but light meal.