Grilled Chicken (or salmon) with Lemon Basil Cream Pasta

Had a little time this evening on my "me time" night while Isaac is off at soccer practice and the kids are sleeping.  KG was actually sound asleep at 6:45!  Happy Mommy!! Gotta hurry though... have to grill my chicken for my "not so exciting" dinner tonight of grilled chicken salad... oh and The Bachelorette! 

OK...found the recipe on The Pioneer Woman's Blog.  I changed it to my liking and taste.  It is so delicious.. I have made it twice in a week...once with chicken and once with Salmon. 

Marinate the chicken in a combination of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey and dijon mustard, salt and cracked pepper.  I didn't measure anything but less of the dijon and honey. The Pioneer women says to marinate it 24 hours...I did it for about 6.  The more the better probably!!   Grill the chicken.

Take 1/2 stick butter and melt while squeezing in the juice of three lemons (originally recipe called for four but after making it again I only used three and liked it better). Pour in 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup half and half.... (I did end up adding a bit more half and half at the end)  Throw in some chopped fresh basil (the more the better!!!)  and at least a cup or more of fresh parmesan and or romano cheeses.  Toss sauce with cooked Penne pasta..before straining pasta reserve some pasta water to add once mixing pasta w/ sauce... it will help it stay creamy and not dry out.  I learned this trick a while back... pasta water is key!!  Just pour in a little at a time once pasta is mixed w/ sauce.  Top w/ sliced grilled chicken or a piece of grilled salmon.  Throw in some halved cherry tomatoes.  Serve immediately!  I really think this is important...I always wondered why recipes say that...well because you really do need to eat it RIGHT then!!!  Being a professional hostess...Haha...I often will cook and have some wine...chat...then what happens??? My delicious pasta dish is MUSH! 

With Salmon...I didn't use the same chicken marinade but it would probably be good... I just grilled it in foil w/ olive oil and a little thyme.  Then made some extra lemon basil sauce to pour over top of salmon and served it on the same pasta.  (minus the cherry tomatoes cause Kenzie Grace had ate them ALL!!)

Served with a great salad and some not so great photography!! 

 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 

Fried Okra from VERY local garden...across the street!

OK...so I ate fried okra as a kid but had forgotten how DELICIOUS it is!  So tonight while I was waiting on my dear old friend Chad Phllips to arrive for dinner, Tatum and I had walked across the street to wish our neighbor, Glenn Shearin a Happy Birthday (...and Joe!!  they are my wonderful neighbors that basically have fed my children this summer with fresh vegetables) 

While sittting on their front porch rocking chair they offered us some okra.  We walked back to their garden and then I saw Chad arrive.  I yelled for him to come on over.  So Chad arrived and helped chase Tate as he walked around the garden,  Tatum was polite enough to walk "around their pumpkin patch".  They generously gave us some fresh okra and corn.  The plan was to make the kids some fried okra... but early bedtimes and "NEVER having made it  before" prevented that!  So we put the babies to bed and began our new adventure of fried okra!!!  I googled a recipe from Paula Dean but tweaked it a bit!  "It was a work in progress but we got it right!" -Chap Phillips

Ok...here it is

Cut about a pound okra ( we had not idea how much we had!) about 1/2 inch
mix together a cup of flour and 1/2 cup corn meal
mix together Paula Dean's House seasonings 1 cup salt, 1/4 cup black pepper, 1/4 cup garlic powder  (you will only use some of this OBVIOUSLY!) 
add in 2 tablespoons of house seasoning (NOT teaspoons)
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
mix all seasonings w/ flour

Dip okra in some buttermilk ( I made my own w/ vinegar and Tatum's organic whole milk...which broke my heart to use that expensive milk for this!!!)
Then toss in the flour mixture. 
Place in hot veg. oil... I use a deep frying pan a little less that half full of oil.  Fry until golden brown.  Isaac was all about helping fry!! Unfortunately we overcooked the first batch!!

Sprinkle with some more of the house seasoning and cayenne pepper if needed! 

Chicken Picatta

OK...all my friends who I have given this recipe to LOVE this!!!  It is sooo good and hard to screw it up!  It came from Giada De Laurentiis.  I will tell you what to do in a nut shell!

 Pound your chicken breast A LOT!  Then sprinkle with salt and papper and a bit of garlic powder. Dredge breasts in flour.  Heat butter and olive oil in a non stick pan.  Sautee chicken till slightly brown on both sides.  Set chicken aside...and DO NOT rinse pan! 

Add 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/3 cup lemon juice..fresh is always better and some rinsed capers to the pan scraping up brown bits.  (this amount of sauce will be good for two or three breasts if you don't need extra sauce for pasta)  Bring liquid to a boil and return breasts to pan....turn heat down and simmer covered for a while.  I usually do it at least 20 minutes or more...sometimes as long as 45 minutes.  If you want more sauce just double the amount of broth and lemon juice.  Also, if sauce is not thick enough...which it sometimes isn't if it has not cooked a while...add some flour/water mix or cornstach/water mix. (just a tablespoon or so)

Also, serve this over angel hair pasta  and top with shredded parm. cheese.. BUT it is GREAT with garlic mashed potatoes.  I was so fortunate to gain this taste from Bonefish Grill...grouper picatta...last few times I have been there it wasn't on the menu but I always ask the chef to make it.  SO DELICIOUS!!!  This is WHY I love PICATTA!!!  And what led me to the flavors.  Sub the chicken for grouper and it is awesome!!!!!

HINT:  I buy the large jar of capers from Costco.  It only costs about 8 dollars and will last forever!!!  Isaac complains when I buy it but I KNOW it saves us money with all the chicken picatta I make!! Even Kenzie Grace loved this when she was only 2 years old! 

Margaritas

My good friend Tiffany gave me this recipe and I think she got it from Southern Living Magazine.  It came in VERY handy when I was in dire need for a drink after Kenzie Grace's 4th birthday party a few weeks ago!!  I will roughly tell you the recipe. 

A shot of tequila (always use the good stuff!), shot of orange liquor (grand marnier or triple sec.), shot (or more) or lime juice...fresh squeezed would be best, tablespoon of honey and a splash (or two) of orange juice. And SALT is KEY!! 

 I realize that MANY of you know how to make a margarita!  However, I was thrilled to learn that I could make one without the marg. mix that is sooooooo full of sugar!  So just passing it along in hopes to inspire someone to make a MARGARITA!!!  My favorite drink!  Cheers!

Oh and I type this while having an ice cold Bud 55..which by the way is delicious if you haven't tried it!  I put Tatum and bed and told Isaac I was about to post a new blog and he said, "Why don't you blog about how much of a mess this house is!"  Haha!!!  For those of you that know us..you know it is not a mess...just some toys around.  Off to clean it up!!!

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

I LOVE anything stuffed inside chicken!  The key is to pound the chicken breast. If you do not have a pounder..invest in one!!  I think I got mine at Harris Teeter.  Pound the chicken, then salt and pepper it.  Take cooked spinach (fresh or frozen...I have found it doesn't really matter) and blue cheese and mix in  bowl. I also throw in some parm. cheese as well.   I do not measure (depends how many breasts you are making) but use equal amounts. I also cooked some bacon and crumbled it in.  Spread mixture onto breasts. The roll up the chicken and secure with a toothpick.  Heat butter and olive oil in a pan.  Then roll the chicken in flour and sautee until lightly brown all around chicken in butter and olive oil. 

Then bake on 350 for about 30minutes.  I use the finger test.  If it feels firm, it's done...mushy..not!  It is so hard for me to give recipes because I just never measure and hardly ever time things! 

SOOOOO Yummy!  Probably good for low carbers.  A little flour never hurt anyone!

Addicted to BASIL

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I am addicted to BASIL! 
(and wine probably!  Haha...Kidding)  I have been on  a recent basil kick.  It started with tomato pie..then led to tomatoes with basil and pesto/balsamic.  That led to grilled chicken with thyme/basil angel hair pasta.  Now the creamy lemon basil pasta.  Oh...and probably addicted to lemon and CHEESE also!!! 

Tomato Pie

I got this recipe from my good friend Chad Phillips who in turn got it from his dad. Over the years there was some debate on whether or not you need to blanch the tomatoes (which means boil briefly and peel off the skin)  but over the years and tweaking the recipe myself I have come to realize that you do not have to do this.  I simply cut the tomatoes in bite size pieces and strain them in a strainer with sprinkled Lowry's season salt (an Owen Phillip's Staple).  Then layer tomatoes and basil in a cooked pie shell

Then take a mixture of mayo ( I use light Dukes) and cheeses ( I never measure but usually use sharp ched. and mix in parm. and mozz.)  Dollap around the mixture on top of basil/tom. layer and then layer again.  Top off with cheeses.  Bake at 350 for approx. 30 min.  You do NOT want cheeses to get browned.  And it helps to let it sit a few minutes before cutting. 

I have a passion for food...that's all

Raised in Raleigh, now living in Jamestown with my family- husband Isaac (whos taste buds have expanded since marrying me), daughter Kenzie Grace, 4 years old and son Tatum, 1 year old. 

My inspiration is my family and friends- my taste buds fuel my inspiration and I love to try new things, then of course add my own flare. Growing up, I never really liked cooking but I did manage to learn a few of my recipes from my Mom. However, what resonated with me from my Mom as I grew up was the Cardinal Kitchen Rule - 'Clean as you go.' In retrospect, I am so glad I didn't forget that but I hear my Mom saying I hardly ever follow it. Thankfully Isaac and I are good counterparts...I like to cook and he doesn't mind the cleaning. 

 

Sometimes, I go to restaurants or gain a yummy recipe from a friend that I never want to forget, so I memorize the flavor on my tounge and try to replicate. Often times I just find something online to use as a 'base recipe' and then of course, add my own flare and flavors. Fortunately this allows me to make better food at home and we do not have to spend the money. 

If you are already a friend of mine, you know I love to have company, cook for you and share with you my love for food and cooking.  In fact my best friend, Beth Castelda and I get together frequently to try new recipes and cook together.  She is also so generously helping with this blog...because I am COOKING and so ADHD!!  Haha!!

I am beginning a collection of my favorites, to share with you in an effort to pay it forward, so you if you want, you can share with your family.

Cheers!  

Jennifer (and Beth co-editor)