Lemon-Garlic Chicken

Sorry, no picture. 

Just looks like a nice piece of grilled chicken.

I like this recipe because it so easy and you only have to marinate the chicken for 1 hour.

It has a nice sweet, lemony flavor.

I got the recipe from the BeachBody cookbook for the P90X diet and for being "health" food, it's good.  I modify it a little to make it even easier.

Enjoy!

Lemon-Garlic Chicken

1/4 cup fresh or bottled lemon juice

2 T. molasses

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced (you can chop the cloves, but I have found you get more garlic flavor if you mince)

2-3 chicken breasts

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a nonreactive dish and add chicken.  Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour turning occasionally.  

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Grill chicken until no longer pink.  Baste with marinade if you want a more lemony-garlic flavor.

Pesto Sauce

As you can see we had a very green meal.

Perfect for St. Paddy's Day if you are thinking ahead.

This is just grilled asparagus, my fav veggie, wild rice blend, chicken with a pesto sauce.

The pesto sauce is so good.

I posted a different pesto sauce earlier, and I'm not sure which one I like better.  This one is more nutty tasting because you have to toast the pine nuts, where the other is more basil-ly.  

So you be the judge!  

This sauce is great on chicken, talapia, pizza, pasta or just with veggies.

Pesto Sauce

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 cups fresh basil, packed

2 T. garlic, chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

3 T. water or apple juice (it's suppose to be white wine)

3 T. lemon juice

1/4 c chicken broth

1/4 t. salt

Heat skillet over medium-high heat and toast nuts, turning until golden brown.  (Don't let them burn, which happens as soon as you turn your back!)

In a food processor or blender, puree basil, toasted nuts and garlic.  Add Parmesan cheese, water, lemon juice, and chicken broth and process until desired consistency.  Add salt to taste. 

Red Pepper Soup

Aren't they lovely?

(I'm talking about my cookie sheet, haha, just kidding)

Red peppers, so beautiful and so delicious.

And so pricey.

So save this recipe for when red peppers are on sale, a special occasion, or if you feel like you can splurge.

I did. For Valentine's Day we had this wonderful Red Pepper Soup.

To roast the peppers follow these directions from allrecipes.com. The most important step is letting them sit for 20 minutes in the sealed container to steam. The skins came right off, no problem.

Red Pepper Soup

1 cup chicken broth or 1/2 c. apple juice + 1 c. chicken broth (it should be white wine, but I didn't have any, the apple juice will add a sweeter flavor)

1/2 onion, finely chopped

3 roasted red peppers

1 cup celery, chopped

1/2 T. garlic, minced

1 plum tomato, chopped

2 T. tomato paste (not sauce, paste)

1 cup chicken broth

1 T. dried thyme

1/8 t. pepper

1/8 t. ground cumin

salt to taste

Heat chicken broth (or apple juice) in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, red peppers, and celery. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for 2 more minutes, adding more chicken broth if necessary. (I didn't need to)

Add tomato, tomato paste, and broth; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Puree soup in a food processor or blender in batches. Return to the pan, add seasonings and heat through.

Makes about 6 cups.

This soup also freezes really well.

Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup

Don't know what to do with the potato in-ards that we scooped out of the potato skins last week?

Make Baked Potato Soup.

It's creamy and delish.

Not very healthy, but it has all the goodness of life inside so I won't tell if you don't tell.

This soup is awesome with cornbread.

Baked Potato Soup

2 large baking potatoes (I add in more because I like lots of chunks of potato)

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

3 cups milk

1/2 t. salt

2 green onions

1/2 cup + 2 T. cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 t. pepper

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Wash potatoes and prick several times with a fork. Bake at 400 for 1 hour or until done. Let cool. Cut potatoes lengthwise, scoop out pulp and set aside. Discard skins, (or make potato skins, haha).

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and is bubbly.

Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, 1 T. green onion, 1/4 cup bacon, and 1/2 cup cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated and stir in sour cream.

Add extra milk, if necessary, for desired consistency.

Serve with remaining green onions, bacon and cheese.

Barros Pizza

If you live or visit the Phoenix area, you must plan a stop to Barros Pizza.

This is the best GF pizza I have had at a restaurant.

Their toppings and sauces are so good, and they use the fresh mozzarella cheese.

You will not be disappointed.

Another great thing, they will make the pizza a half-and-half, so you can try two flavors, something that other GF pizza places don't do.

As with other GF pizza places, you can only get a small and it's a little more $$ than the regulars, but that is to be expected.

For your gluten-eating friends, they will not be disappointed either. My husband claims this to be the best pizza he's ever had.

This is the barbecue chicken and the Barros Special (pepperoni, ham, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, green peppers).

Both excellent.

I have tried the Hawaiian and the Vegetarian.

I think it's a toss up between the Barros Special and the Hawaiian to which one is my fav.

Give it a try! You'll love it!

Sweet and Savory Pork Sandwiches

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law from Houston.

If you are craving real Texas barbeque, look no further.

This is a really easy, really tasty recipe.

You can use a 2 1/2 lb boneless pork loin roast and shed the meat when cooked or 2 1/2 lbs of boneless country-style pork ribs. Whichever you prefer. I used the roast and made sandwiches. I'm sure the ribs are really tasty as well.

I used a Kinnickinik GF Hamburger Bun and toasted it so it wouldn't get soggy so fast.

Use your favorite b-b-que sauce, I used Bulls-eye Original (yes, it's GF).

Use however much meat you want. I only made half the recipe, just adjust the recipe according to your needs.

Sweet and Savory Ribs/Sandwiches

1 lg. onion, sliced and separated into rings

2 1/2 lbs boneless country style pork ribs, or a 2 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin roast.

1 bottle (18oz) barbeque sauce

1/4 c. spicy brown mustard or honey mustard

1/2 c. maple syrup

1 t. garlic salt

1/2 t. pepper

Place onion in the bottom of your crockpot. Top with meat. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender.

Potato Skins

I know this recipe is coming after the SuperBowl, but this is what I made for the big bash,

and they turned out delish!

(I actually had a lot of help from Paul, so maybe I shouldn't take all the credit)

I had a recipe for potato skins where you deep-fry the skins then stuffed with the bacon and cheese with a sour cream dipping sauce on the side. Those are good, but not as good as these.

I found the recipe in the Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook, but Ree Drummond. (Which is an excellent cookbook, there's lots of GF stuff and pictures of each step. I would highly, highly recommend.)

Anyway. These skins are baked, not deep fried so you can feel a little better about yourself for eating 4, 5, 10 of them!

So good, they will be a hit at your next appetizer party!

PW's Potato Skins

8 slices thick-cut bacon

8 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean

canola oil

kosher salt

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup sour cream

4 green onions, sliced

Preheat the oven to 400.

Wash the potatoes and rub the skins liberally with canola oil. Place on a baking pan and bake for 45 mins-1 hour, until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Meanwhile, fry up the bacon and chop into bits.

If you have time, grate the cheese and store in the fridge.

When potatoes are done, slice in half lengthwise. (it's a good idea to let them cool slightly, the insides are very, very hot...good thing Paul did this step. No burned fingers for me!)

With a cookie scoop or spoon, scrape out the inner flesh of the potatoes, leaving a small margin of potato in the skins.

Brush both sides of the potatoes with canola. Salt both sides.

Place the skins cut side down on the pan and return to the oven.

Bake for 7 minutes, then flip the skins to the other side. Bake for 7 more minutes or until the skins are crispy.

Grate the cheese, chop the bacon and slice the onions if you haven't yet.

Sprinkle cheese into each potato skin. Then sprinkle with bacon and return to the oven, just until the cheese melts.

Just before serving, spoon in some sour cream and sprinkle with green onions.

Then dig in!