Garlic Lemon Thyme Chicken & Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

What You'll Need for the Chicken:

- 1 lb Think Sliced Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts

- The Juice of 2 Lemons

- The zest of 1 Lemon

- 3 or 4 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme (or 1 tsp of dried thyme)

- 3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

-2 TBS Olive Oil

- 1/4 cup Low Sodium Chicken or vegetable broth (if you don't have this on hand you can use water)

Mix lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme leaves, garlic and olive oil in a shallow dish.  Add chicken and marinate at room temperature for at least ten minutes (turning half way through).  If you want to marinate it longer you can put everything in a large zip lock and marinate in your fridge for up to a day.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Place chicken breasts in the skillet and cook for three minutes.  Flip chicken over and cook for another three minutes.  By now the skillet should have some brown bits stuck to the bottom.  Add the chicken broth and simmer for another three minutes scraping the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. 

What You'll Need for the Brussels Sprouts:

- Desired amount of Brussels Sprouts

- Just enough Olive oil to toss and coat the Brussels Sprouts (a few tablespoons is enough for about a pound)

- Garlic Salt

- Pepper

Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut off the ends of the Brussels Sprouts and remove any yellow or brown leaves.  Slice in half.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil and drizzle with olive oil (use a large enough baking sheet that your be able spread the Brussels Sprouts out in one layer).  Place Brussels Sprouts on baking sheet and toss with your hands to coat them in olive oil.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.  Place in preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until the sprouts have browned nicely.

Optional - You can squeeze a little lemon juice over the top before you eat them to add a little zing ;)

*The rice in the picture is just a while grain rice pilaf I found in the Natural Foods section of my grocery store.

Southwest Style Lettuce Wraps

What You'll Need:

- 1 lb Lean Ground Turkey

- 1 TBS Ground Cumin

- 1 Tsp Garlic Salt

- 1 Tsp Ground Pepper

- 1 Cup Salsa of your choice

- 1 (15 oz.) Can of Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

- 1 Cup Frozen Corn

- 1 Head of Butter Lettuce

- 1 Avocado (diced)
- 1 Lime (cut into wedges)
- Cilantro (optional)

Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Add ground turkey.  As Turkey browns add cumin, garlic salt and pepper.  Break up the turkey as it browns and mix the seasonings in.  Once the turkey is browned drain any excess fat from the pan.  Add salsa, corn, and black beans to turkey and stir often.  Reduce heat and let simmer for five to ten minutes. 

Use lettuce leaves as a wrap by filling a lettuce leaf with the turkey mixture.  Top with diced avocado and cilantro.  Squeeze a lime wedge over the top and enjoy!

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Another yummy recipe from foodnetwork.com :)  Here's a link to the original recipe...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/summer-chopped-salad-with-ranch-dressing-recipe/index.html

I made my cocktail sauce with three tablespoons of lemon juice (instead of three teaspoons) and two tablespoons of prepared horseradish (instead of three tablespoons).  If you like shrimp cocktail you will love this cocktail sauce.  You can serve the shrimp hot from the oven, room temperature, or chilled.  I made the cocktail sauce first and put it in the fridge to chill while I made the shrimp.

Mexican Sloppy Joe's

1 lb lean ground beef

3 TBS onion diced small
1 ½ cup tomato sauce
1 packet taco seasoning
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS Ketchup
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
8 hamburger buns
1 avocado (optional)
Cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheese (optional)

Place ground beef and diced onions in a large skillet. Cook over medium high heat until the meat is browned and the onions are translucent. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Add packet of taco seasoning and stir well. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. Stir well. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for ten minutes.
Serve on hamburger buns (cheese, avocado, sour cream, and cilantro are optional).

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus extra for pre-coating the fish

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/3 cup beer

8 ounces tilapia fillet, cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips

2 teaspoons canola oil

4 tortillas, warmed

pico de gallo (or salsa of your choice)

cilantro

shredded cabbage

diced avocado

chipotle lime aioli (recipe follows)

Combine 3 TBS flour, cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cayenne in a medium bowl. Whisk in beer to create a batter.

Cut fish lengthwise into inch wide strips. Dust fish with a little flour (this will help the batter to stay on the fish). Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat until the oil begins to ripple. Dip the fish in the batter coating all sides. Place the coated fish in the skillet and cook for three minutes on each side. Remove to plate. Assemble tacos by placing some chipotle lime aioli on a tortilla. Top with shredded cabbage. Place the fish on top of the cabbage. Top with pico de gallo, diced avocado, and cilantro.

Chipotle Lime Aioli

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons mayo

zest and juice of one lime

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Whisk together ingredients and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to let flavors blend.

Tea Time

Savory Bacon Cheddar Scones

3 cups Bisquick

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk (plus a few tablespoons more to brush on top of the scones before baking)

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

2 scallions, sliced thin

6 slices of pepper bacon, cooked/cooled/chopped

shredded parm (optional)

Mix together the ingredients in the order they are listed.  You'll end up with a soft dough.  Form this into a ball.  Press the ball of dough flat until you have a circle that's about an inch thick.  Use a knife or a pizza cutter to cut the circle into wedges.  Place the wedges of dough on a greased baking sheet (or you can use parchment paper).  Brush each wedge with a little milk and sprinkle with shredded parm.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 

Chicken Salad BLAT Tea Sandwiches

4 slices wheat bread

2 chicen breast, cooked and shredded (see below)
1/4 cup diced tomatoes (I cut grape tomatoes into quarters)
4 slices of pepper bacon, cooked/cooled, and chopped
1/4 cup diced avocado
1/2 cup mayo

Juice and zest from half a lemon
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp whole grain or dijon mustard
lettuce
You can use any cooked chicken for these sandwiches. If you have leftover roasted chicken or grilled chicken you can shred it up and use it for this sandwich (as long as it isn't seasoned in a way that would clash with the cranberries). I like to cut up a carrot, celery stalk, and an onion and put them in a pot with a bay leaf and a chicken breast (and some fresh thyme if I have it). Then I add water to cover everything and bring it to a low boil. When the chicken is cooked through I remove it from the liquid, shred it, and put it in the fridge. Once it's cooled I add the tomato, and bacon. In a small bowl mix together the mayo, lemon juice, lemon zst, seasonings, and mustard until blended well.  Add the seasoned mayo to the chicken mixture a few tablespoons at a time.  Add as much or as little as you like for your chicken salad.  Place the chicken salad on white bread with lettuce.  Add diced avocado and top with another slice of bread.  Cut off crusts and cut into finger sandwiches.
 
 
Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

I posted a recipe for this chicken salad a while back.  To make them as tea sandwiches just cut off the crust and cut them into small squares or triangles.  Here's a link to the recipe I posted before...

http://justdishin.blogspot.com/2010/02/cranberry-walnut-chicken-salad-sandwich.html

Cucumber & Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches

These are too simple to really write a recipe for ;)  All you do is spread cream cheese on two slices of white bread.  Top one slice with thin slices of cucumber.  Put the other slice of bread with cream cheese on top.  Trim the crusts off of the bread, and cut into small triangles.

Salmon BLT with Lemon Aioli

Why a salmon BLT?  Because you can't go wrong with bacon :)  It makes everything better...even things that are already yummy on thrir own.

12 oz salmon filet

4 slices of pepper bacon, cooked until crispy

cajun seasoning

pepper

butter lettuce (you can use whatever lettuce you like or have on hand)

one tomato

Lemon Aioli (recipe below)

4 slices of sourdough bread, lightly toasted

For this sandwich I made the salmon using my Blackened Cajun Salmon recipe.  Once the salmon is cooked allow it to cool for about five minutes.  Then remove the skin by sliding a spatula or a knife between the salmon and the skin. 

Toast four slices of sourdough bread.  Spread the lemon aioli on one side of each slice.  Top two slices with lettuce, salmon, bacon, tomato, and another slice of bread. 

Lemon Aioli

1/2 cup mayo

Juice and zest from half a lemon

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp cajun seasoning

1 tsp chili powder

1 dash hot sauce (if you want a little heat)

Whisk all of the ingredients together and set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  This makes a great sandwich spread or a dip for veggies and/or seafood.