Lazy Sunday Roast Chicken With Lemon And Thyme

In my house, Sunday's are for cooking and baking, and there is nothing better on a cold Sunday evening than a roast chicken.  I love roast chicken because of it's ease of preparation.  It really couldn't be simpler.

I take an organic chicken and salt it inside and out, return it to its plastic bag and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours. Next, I stuff the cavity with bunches of thyme and rosemary, a garlic head, and one lemon, quartered.  Lastly I melt unsalted butter and brush it all over, finishing it off with a small sprinkling of salt and pepper.

One hour and ten minutes later, my gorgeous chicken comes out of it's 410 degree oven perfectly cooked and juicy.  There really is nothing better on a lazy Sunday evening.

The Beginnings Of My Fall Garden Crop

 

My fall crop is up and going in spite of a late start.  The heirloom Swiss Chard above is a Ruby Red variety that I've been quickly braising with butter, garlic, and a little white wine.

 

My lettuce crop has been giving me problems this season.  Above are the only successes thus far, an heirloom Parris Island Romaine which is just ready to harvest.  I've tried three times now to start other heirloom lettuces but once they sprout they die on me.  I've started a new batch so hopefully I'll have some good news in a couple of weeks.

These little ladies above are my heirloom Snow Oregon Sugar Pod Peas.  I'm going to grow them for pea shoots.  I'm delighted that they sprouted and can't wait to cook them up.  Pea shoots are my favorite!  An omelet with sauteed pea shoots and goat cheese is absolutely divine!

My thyme has been growing like crazy!  I keep it in a pot that is protected by this lovely statue.  I'm in full belief that the statue is what makes the thyme so healthy.

And here are the last of my heirloom Brandywine tomatoes.  The plant keeps growing and producing flowers so I'm going to see just how much more I can get from this plant.  Tomato salad, coming right up!

Beef Stew With Barley and Mushrooms

 Now that fall is here it's time for yummy comfort food!  Beef stew is one of my all time favorites and this recipe is truly superb.  I found the recipe over on The Kitchn only I modified it a bit and I think the modifications I made really made a difference.

First, after browning the meat I de-glazed the bottom of the pan with some cognac.  This de-glazing added a really rich complex flavor.  Next, I added carrots to the celery and onions and I also omitted the water and just added beef broth.  Lastly, I added about 1 tablespoon of tomato paste to really round out the flavors.  Below is the original recipe, which I think I'll now use as a basic template for stew.

Beef and Barley Stew with Mushrooms
Makes 6-8 servings
2-3 pound chuck or round beef roast, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, diced
8-10 ounces mushrooms (1 package)
3 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups beef stock
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup barley
salt and pepper

Film the bottom of a large dutch oven with canola oil and set over medium-high heat until the oil is hot. Working in batches, add a single layer of meat to the bottom of the pan. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes until the cubes loosen and are seared golden-brown. Flip the cubes and sear the other sides. When all sides are seared, remove the meat to a clean bowl or plate. Sear the remaining meat in batches. If there is any liquid in the pot after the last batch is finished, pour it over the meat.

Heat one teaspoon of canola oil in the pan and cook the onions with a pinch of salt until they are translucent and brown around the edges. Add the mushrooms and another pinch of salt, and cook until they have released all the moisture and have turned golden-brown. Add the celery and cook until just softened.

Clear a space in the middle of the vegetables and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the thyme and bay leaf, and stir all the seasonings into the veggies.
Pour the wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the wine bubbles. Let the wine reduce down until most of it has evaporated or been absorbed by the veggies.

Add the meat and any drippings back to the pot. Pour in the stocks and top with enough water to cover the meat and veggies about about a half an inch. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low.

Cover the pot and let it simmer for 1 hour. Add the barley and cook for another 45 minutes or so until the barley is cooked and the meat is almost falling apart (check by piercing it with a fork or knife. There should be no resistance and the meat should flake apart with pressure). Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as desired.

Rotelle Pasta with Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes and Pesto

Summer tomatoes are in abundance and so are recipes to devour these delicious Summer treats. This recipe comes from Martha Stewart. It's not really a recipe but rather an idea for a quick dinner.

Lightly tossing cherry tomatoes with big wedges of red onion in olive oil and salt is all it takes to get this dinner started. Broil the tomatoes for five minutes and toss with cooked pasta and a little pesto and you're done. I like to add slices of fresh basil since it's growing almost wild in my garden. Top it all of with a little cheese and dinner is served.

Simple Sauteed Strings Beans with Swiss Chard

Now that I'm finally harvesting my small garden plot, string beans and swiss chard are making a regular appearance at the dinner table.  I saute both in minced garlic and a little kosher salt.  No recipe needed.  Just toss all ingredients in a little olive oil and saute for a couple of minutes.

These images were really fun to shoot, especially because I was really happy with the close up shot of the beans.  I spent a good 5 minutes styling the beans so that they looked effortlessly tossed into the wooden bowl.

Anatomy Of A Killer Tostada!

The weather is starting to sizzle here in Los Angeles. Many warm, lazy Sunday afternoons are ahead of us. On such days the last thing I want to do is slave in our hot, tiny kitchen fixing dinner.

I mean sure, Mike will make me a Margarita to make the heat a bit more bearable, but who in their right mind wants to stand over a stove when they could be relaxing under the patio umbrella reading the NY Times!

What does this have to do with Tostadas, you ask? Plenty. You see, when I think of Tostadas I think of my mom. My mom hated cooking during a heat spell for the very same reasons I do....it sucks. So instead of cooking an elaborate meal, she would make tostadas.

Tostadas are perfect Summer food because there is little cooking involved and tostadas can be topped with just about anything. There is an art form to constructing a killer tostada though....you can't just pile stuff on. So I've devised this guide detailing the anatomy of a killer tostada.

Anatomy of a killer tostada in second part of post...

Layers and Textures

The key to a killer tostada is to layer the flavors and textures so that they contrast and compliment each other. Almost any type of ingredient can be used but there are a few guidelines to follow. Below is a little sketch I made of the anatomy of great tostada.

First Layer - Tortilla

The very first layer is the fried tortilla. Many mainstream grocery stores sell pre-made tostadas but I HIGHLY recommend that you DO NOT purchase these. Most of the pre-made tostadas are not in fact fried tortillas, but rather ground up corn that is then placed in a mold to look like a tortilla.

Besides, all you really need to do is fry a cold tortilla on both sides in some vegetable oil until both sides turn a dark brown. It's important that you allow the tortilla to fully brown because if you don't it will be chewy and not flaky and crunchy.

Home fried tortillas are FAR superior in taste and texture so don't skimp on this step. Remember, this is the foundation of the tostada!

Second Layer - The Mushy Stuff

I think of the second layer on a tostada sort of as the glue. The second layer should be an ingredient that is mushy, easy to spread, but thick enough so the rest of the ingredients can sink in and not fall off.

The classic ingredient for this is refried beans. Take your tostada and spread some refried beans on to it making sure to coat the entire center. I like to leave a little room near the edges so that when you pick up the tostada with your hands you don't get beans all over them.

Other ideas are guacamole, melted cheese, hummus, or any type of spread really.

Third Layer - The Meat

The third layer should be the main ingredient in the tostada. All other layers and ingredients should compliment and be designed around THIS ONE. Most often the third layer is a protein like chicken, beef, pork, etc. But it doesn't literally have to be meat. However, if it isn't meat, make sure you choose an ingredient that is a bit firm and has bite because you want this layer to contrast in texture with the mushy layer.

I often make tuna tostadas using guacamole as my mushy layer...Yum!

Fourth Layer - Refreshing Crunch

The fourth layer is intended to add complexity to the flavors and textures already present. Adding chopped lettuce, cabbage, raw onion rings, etc. can really add a wonderful crunch.

For the tuna and guacamole tostadas, I added marinated red onions to compliment the tuna flavor and they were divine!

Fifth Layer - The Sauce

The last layer is intended to add moisture to prevent the tostada from being too dry. Salsa of course, is the obvious ingredient here but don't be afraid to think outside the box. I often drizzle tostadas with thinned sour cream, or squeeze a bit of lime juice over the whole thing.

As you can see, a killer tostada can be endlessly modified and of course, this anatomy is more of a guideline than it is a rule. Feel free to change and disregard any of these guidelines.

Do you have a favorite recipe for tostadas? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Lentils With Breaded Chicken and Fried Egg

Yum yum chicken dinner. I make this with pre-made lentils and breaded chicken breasts from trader joe's. Super easy and delicious. The egg yolk is runny and mixes with the lentils and chicken and is just scrumptious.

recipe in second part of post...

Ingredients

1 cup cooked green lentils
2 small cooked breaded chicken breasts, I use trader Joe's frozen breaded chicken breasts
1 egg
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Heat lentils until warm. Add minced garlic to lentils and mix. Set aside. Heat breaded chicken breast in olive oil until crispy. Take chicken breast and shred with a fork. Add balsamic vinegar to chicken and allow to marinate for a few minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and fry egg until yolk starts to set. Sprinkle salt and pepper over egg. Add shredded chicken on top of lentils and place fried egg over chicken. Enjoy!

Quick No Cook Asian Inspired Dinner

By Danny

Pork Potstickers with Arugula Salad and Asian Peanut Lime Dressing

Once again, today was a long teaching day for me. Not wanting to spend hours in the kitchen, I racked my brain and came up with this super easy quick dinner. The other night it was WARM ROAST CHICKEN WITH ARUGALA SALAD AND LEMON CAPER VINAIGRETTE, but today I was in the mood for Asian flavors

recipe in second part of post...

Recipe makes one serving

Ingredients

3 or 4 Frozen Pork Potstickers, I use TRADER JOES BRAND
1 cup Arugula

Dressing

Because I made this while I was starving, I totally forgot to write down the exact ingredients for the dressing. The amounts below are approximated, so feel free to adjust accordingly, or if you have a favorite asian peanut dressing, use it in place of this one.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Siracha sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch of salt

Directions

Heat frozen potstickers in microwave for a minute. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a sautee pan and add potstickers from microwave. Fry potstickers until crisp and hot. Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl. Place arugala inside of bowl with the dressing and mix. Plate the salad on a plate and place the crisp potstickers on top of the salad. Done!

Quick No-Cook Chicken Dinner

By Danny

Warm Roast Chicken With Arugala Salad and Lemon Caper Vinaigrette

When I get home from teaching the last thing I want to do is cook an elaborate meal. I also don't want to eat crap, so I've experimented with TEQUILA LIME CHICKEN TACOS using GROCERY STORE ROAST CHICKEN, but I wasn't really in the mood for that today...

Full recipe in the second part of post...

I've recently been reading Nancy Silverton's book, "A Twist Of The Wrist: Quick Flavorful Meals With Ingredients From Jars, Cans, Bags, and Boxes", which has tons of delicious recipes that can be made in a snap, and so I decided to come up with my own quick, no-cook chicken dinner. This recipe is great because most of the ingredients are already in my PANTRY and it really whips up in minutes! It was surprisingly delicious!

Recipe below makes one serving

Ingredients

1 cup cooked roast chicken, lightly heated...you want the chicken to be warm, not hot
2 cups arugala
1 slice toasted sourdough bread

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon drained capers
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Warm chicken in microwave so that it's thoroughly warm but not hot. Toast slice of sourdough. Mix all ingredients for vinaigrette in separate bowl until emulsified and well combined. You can adjust the amounts of salt, garlic, and lemon juice depending on your taste. Toss Arugula in bowl with dressing so that it is well coated. Place slice of bread on plate. Pile chicken on top, and add arugula salad on top. Voila! Enjoy!

Turkey Chili Recipe

Low Fat Turkey Chili

This is a super easy and healthy turkey chili recipe. I'm a big fan of comfort food. The Martha Stewart MACARONI AND CHEESE recipe I made for Thanksgiving is still one of my favorites, but this recipe is definitely an old standby for when I'm in the mood for yummy comfort food. This chili has great flavor from the added dark beer and plenty of kick from the peppers!

Turkey Chili recipe in the second part of the post...

Ingredients

• 2 cans of Diced Tomatoes
• 2 cans of Crushed Tomatoes
• 3 cans of red kidney beans
• 1 whole small onion
• 3 cloves of Garlic
• 1 large Chipotle Pepper
• 1 tablespoon of the sauce from the Chipotle peppers
• 2 tablespoons of canned green peppers
• 2 Jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 ½ tablespons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 package of ground Turkey, about 2 lbs.
• Half a large container of Chicken Stock
• 1 Guiness beer

Directions

Heat a bit of oil in the bottom of large sauce or stock pot. Lightly brown turkey until it is nice and brown, but not totally cooked. Dump remaining ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until beans are tender and liquid has reduced and thickened. If liquid is not reducing, uncover and continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with diced onions, sour cream, or cheese!

Easy Chicken And Dumplings Recipe

Perfect Comfort Food

Chicken and dumplings stew is quintessential comfort food. Dont get me wrong, I love CLASSIC MACARONI AND CHEESE, but sometimes a nice stew does the job like no other! This dish is perfect for these cold winter nights. I make a big pot of this and have it for dinner the rest of the week! This is an extremely easy recipe to make, so give it a try!

Chicken and Dumplings recipe in the second part of post...

This recipe is adapted from Elise's recipe over at Simply Recipes

Ingredients

Stew

• 5 cups of prepared chicken stock
• 1 whole chicken, in parts (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts)
• 3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 boiling onions, peeled and halved
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, or chicken fat from the cooked chicken
• 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp dry sherry or vermouth (optional)
• 1 Tbsp of heavy cream (optional
• 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• Ground black or white pepper

Dumplings

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons cake flour (can sub all-purpose flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup minced fresh herb leaves such as parsley, chives, and tarragon (optional)

Directions

Poach the chicken in the stock.
Add skinless chicken parts (legs, thighs, breasts), 2 bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt to the stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat; continue to simmer, partially covered, until broth is flavorful and chicken parts are just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken parts from the pan and set aside. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones in 2-inch chunks or strips. Place a strainer over a large bowl and pour the broth through it, straining out the solids from the broth. Discard the solids. Skim and reserve the chicken fat from broth (a fat separator works great for this task) and set aside 5 cups of broth, reserving extra for another use.

While chicken is cooking, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add (optional) chopped fresh herbs. Add melted butter and milk to the dry ingredients. Gently mix with a spoon until mixture just comes together. (Note: do not overmix! or your dumplings will turn out too dense.) Set aside.

Heat reserved chicken fat (or butter) in the pan you had used to make the stock over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and thyme; cook, whisking constantly, until flour turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add sherry or vermouth, then slowly add the reserved 5 cups of chicken stock; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vegetables, simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and optional cream; return to a strong simmer. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Drop dumpling batter into the simmering stew by heaping teaspoonfuls, over the surface of the stew. Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Once you have covered the pan, do not uncover while the dumplings are cooking! In order for them to be light and fluffy, they must steam, not boil. Uncovering the pan releases the steam. If after 15 minutes they are still not cooked through (use a toothpick or skewer to test) cover pan again, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Gently stir in peas and parsley. Ladle portions of meat, sauce, vegetables, and dumplings into soup plates and serve immediately.

Simple Meatloaf Recipe

By Danny

Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

Meatloaf is one of my favorite recipes. I usually make meatloaf specifically for the left-overs....I love having a loaf ready to snack on for the rest of the week. I also love how simple and classic this dish is. I use turkey, beef, and pork in this recipe, but you can substitute the turkey with veal, the REAL classic way to make this dish. This meatloaf recipe is simple to make and incredibly moist and delicious! This recipe calls for a version of Mirepoix, so I used the Trader Joe's Mirepoix! Check out this video of Simone and I MAKING THIS MEATLOAF!

Classic Meatloaf recipe after the jump...
Recipe adapted from Elise at Simply Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 cup of finely chopped onion
• 1 celery rib, chopped fine
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 carrot, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped scallion (can substitute onion)
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp Worscestershire sauce
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1 pound turkey
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs, beaten slightly
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Directions

In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and scallion in butter, over moderate heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cover and stir occassionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.
In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, bread crumbs, vegetables, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2 inch high sides. Cover loaf with remaining ketchup.

Bake meat loaf in oven for 1 hour.

You can replace the last bit of ketchup for the topping with homemade ketchup. Here's the recipe

Homemade Ketchup

1/2 cup of tomato paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
dash of salt

Homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I LOVE Macaroni and Cheese. Although not exactly "classic", Mac and Cheese exemplifies everything I like about cooking: It's simple and it's delicious! This recipe requires making a roux, which seems hard, but in actuality is super simple. Based on the Martha Stewart recipe, this mac and cheese recipe is simply delicious and robust.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe after the jump...

Ingredients

• 8 Tablespoons (1 stick)unsalted butter
• 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed and pulsed into coarse crumbs in a food processor
• 5 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar
• 2 cups grated gruyere cheese
• 1 pound elbow macaroni

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread crumbs in medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour melted butter into the bowl with the bread; toss. Set the bread crumbs aside.

Warm milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Melt remaining butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. While whisking, add hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, both peppers, 3 cups cheddar and all of the gruyere. Stir and allow to cool slightly. Place egg yolk in a bowl and add one spoonful of cheese mixture and whisk until well blended. Add egg mixture to remaining cheese mixture and stir until well combined.

Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook macaroni for 2 to 3 minutes (the macaroni will continue cooking in the oven). Drain and run under cold water. Add macaroni to cheese mixture and combine. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and spread until even. Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese and reserved bread crumbs over top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Anti-Nouveau Thanksgiving

By Danny


I don't know about you, but I'm totally over thanksgiving. I feel like because I enjoy good food I'm SUPPOSED to really be into thanksgiving, but I'm not. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Thanksgiving dinner...the turkey and stuffing...YUM! It's just that I'm really into classic recipes---especially classic recipes that are easy to make, and too much of what is out there these days strays from this.

Too many chefs and cooks are making variations on classics, which I'm usually fine with, but for some reason it irritates me when it comes to turkey and stuffing. I want old school turkey, and old school cornbread stuffing....not some molecular gastronomy version of it. Maybe I'm missing out on some really good food, but I think I'll take my chances. Am I wrong?

Why Are Bad French Fries So Disappointing?

By Danny


Why is it that getting a batch of bad French fries at a restaurant is so incredibly disappointing? I feel like if I get a bad slice of pizza or cake, I can deal with it. But bad French fries? Forget about it. The whole dining experience is ruined. Ruined!

Green Lentils with Carrots and Thyme

By Danny

Delicious Side Dish!

This is a delicious side dish I made the other night. I love lentils, so I was really excited to try this recipe! These lentils would be paired perfectly with any type of fish although any type of meat would also work! We had ours with parmasen crusted chicken...Yum!

Lentil recipe after the jump...

Green Lentils with Carrots and Thyme

1/2 pound green lentils
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups chopped leeks
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoons
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Place lentils in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 15 minutes. Drain. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan, add the onions, leeks, thyme, salt and pepper over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, celery and carrots and saute for an additional 10 minutes. Next, add the lentils, chicken stock and tomato paste, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. I like my lentils to have a bite to them, so these cooking times are for al dente lentils!

Porterhouse Steak with Grilled Peaches and Zucchini

By Danny

Porterhouse Steaks On The Last Days Of Summer

Now that Summer is on it's last days, I've been itching to get in as much outdoor grilling as possible. This past weekend Mike and I grilled up some Porterhouse steaks and accompanied them with grilled peaches and zucchini. I love grilling peaches! Grilled peaches are a perfect side for savory and robust cuts of meat. There's nothing complicated about this recipe. Very simple preparation to compliment very simple flavors.



Porterhoue Steak Recipe after the jump...


Porterhouse Steak with Grilled Peaches and Zucchini

1 porterhoue steak
2 peaches
1 zucchini
olive oil
salt and pepper

Slice zucchini into thick slices. Toss with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cut peaches in half and remove pit. Sprinkle a bit of salt over cut peaches. Rub olive oil over steak and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Prepare grill and add the steak. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until done to preference...i like my steak medium rare. Allow steak to rest for 5 minutes, covered. Add zucchini and peaches to grill. Grill until golden brown. Peaches will need less time than the zucchini. enjoy!

3 Easy Chicken Dinner Tips!

By Danny

Quick Dinner Ideas

Now that Summer is over, I've returned to work and my once luxurious Summer schedule has turned into hectic, back-to-school madness. So when I get home from teaching, the last thing I want to do is cook! The problem is that I also don't want to eat crappy food. Hence, my easy chicken dinner tips!

3 Easy Chicken Dinner Tips after the jump...

Grocery Store Roasted Chicken

Pre-roasted chickens from grocery stores are your friend! Believe me, they are wonderful. I started buying these pre-roasted chickens in graduate school. They are just really convenient. I'm all about home made and making things from scratch, but picking up a warm, roasted chicken that costs me $8 bucks is just too tempting to pass up!

Convenient AND economical!

Not only are they convenient, but they are cost effective! I usually manage to make about 5 meals out of one chicken! Talk about economical! First thing I do when I get home from the grocery store is take the chicken apart and place all of the meat in a tupperwear container. When the chicken is fresh from the store and still warm it is really easy to tear apart.

Easy Dinner Tip #1

Make Chicken Tacos. Use corn tortillas, grilled onions, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro. Super easy and super yummy. One of our most popular posts was for Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream. I used store bought roasted chicken in that recipe!

Easy Dinner Tip #2

Make Chicken Salad. This is more of lunch, but I sometimes have chicken salad for dinner. Tear up some of the chicken and chop in some onions, parsely, garlic, lemon zest,and a bit of mayonnaise. I even add apples, and walnuts sometimes. Very yummy!

Easy Dinner Tip #3

Make Chicken Noodle Soup. Saute some onions, celery, and carrots. Add some chicken stock and boil noodles. Add the chicken and a bit of lime juice. Voila!

Do you have any other quick chicken dinner tips? Leave a comment and let us know!

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