lemon oregano roasted chicken

After all of the fish and healthy vegetables I've been consuming lately, I was in the mood for something hearty, something with potatoes. Something completely not that healthy! I'd never made roast chicken before, nor have I ever made it with the skin on. I can safely say, it will not be my last. This was delicious. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 garlic cloves 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 
• 1 lemon, halved
• 2 chicken breasts with skin
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 
• 1/2 cup chicken broth 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano 

lemon herb chicken

Sometimes you're not in the mood to try something crazy and different. Sometimes you just want something simple, easy and good. This actually reminded me of a quick meal my mom used to make back home. She loved her some lemon chicken on the grill. Sadly, I don't have a grill, but this is just as good. here's what you'll need:

• 1 lb. chicken breast
• 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley, for garnish

pasta w/ meat sauce

This is an old staple that everyone probably already knows how to make, but I'm sharing because you never know. It's also awesome because this recipe will feed you (as a single person) for literally a week, and it's great reheated. You can play around with the individual ingredients, but here's a basic recipe for you:

• 1 lb. ground beef (I go with the 80/20)
• 2 large cans of San Marzano diced tomatoes
• 2 tiny cans of tomato paste
• 2 cups of arugula
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Sprinkle of red pepper flakes

chicken w/ tomato herb sauce

I feel like this is very Frenchish. It may not be. I have absolutely no knowledge of French cooking (sorry Julia). Whatever. It's delicious! Definitely make it with rice. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (seriously, go fresh - this makes the dish)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chicken breasts (this makes enough for about 2)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)

bruschetta baked chicken

Tonight I was inspired by a recent post by Fooding with Emily and her bruschetta chicken. I picked up her recipe and tweaked it to my own style. It was a pretty great and easy dish. Here's what you'll need:

• Chicken breasts
• 1 bunch of cherry grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Breadcrumbs (Italian style)
• 1 egg
• 1 ball bufala mozzarella 
• Salt, pepper and oregano to taste

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Coat the chicken breasts in egg then breadcrumb, and place into a glass baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, halve the tomatoes and place them into a bowl along with the basil, oil, salt, pepper and oregano.
After the first 15 minutes in the oven, remove the chicken, add the tomato mixture on top and finish it off with a few slices of mozzarella. Bake for another 15 minutes and serve. Done and done (and delicous).

Bon chappétit!

steak w/ tomato-caper relish

Sometimes I post old favorites that I know are delicious. Sometimes I find recipes that I haven't tried before, but know I'll love. And sometimes I find wild cards. The ones that don't work out tend to go down in burning flames, never to be mentioned on here. But every once in awhile, something strange catches my eye, I try it and it turns out to be amazing. Tonight was one of those times. I love a good steak, but I have to say this relish that goes on top was so, so good that I ate half of it just while it was marinading. Seriously. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tomato, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped, pimiento-stuffed olives
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 1 fresh lime, juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 rib-eye steaks (each about 1 pound)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and garlic on a cutting board. Using the flat side of knife blade, smash garlic and salt together until paste forms (this might sound weird, but it works). Transfer the garlic paste to a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives, cilantro, 2 tablespoons olive oil, capers, lime juice and dried oregano and toss to blend well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature while you prep and cook the steaks. This can be done up to an hour in advance.

Sprinkle steaks on both sides with cumin, pepper and salt. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy, large, non-stick skillet over high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Or if you're lucky enough to have a grill, but all means, grill away. Either way, add the steaks to the heated source of your choice. Sear/grill the steaks until browned and cooked to medium-rare, about 6 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer the steaks to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes or so.

Thinly slice steaks crosswise. Overlap slices on plates and place the relish on top. Feel free to be generous with the relish portion sizes - as I said about, it's freaking delicious.

Bon chappétit!

italian meatballs w/simple tomato sauce

Last night I decided to betray my mom (sorry!) and try a new meatball recipe. I'm used to the basic, old school kind that's really just ground beef, breadcrumb and egg. Well, let me tell y'all, this new version really sent me for a loop. They were so succulent and tasty, I don't think I'll ever turn back. And I really don't feel that sorry Mom - once you try these you'll see what I mean :) Here's what you'll need:

For the meatballs

• 1 lb meat (I used the a ground beef/pork/veal combo in my local market)
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/4 cup of cheese (I used a pecorino romano I had, but you could use parmesan as well)
• Salt and pepper

For the sauce

• 1 large can peeled tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 8-10 basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive 
• Salt and pepper

Begin by getting the sauce going. In a medium pot, sauté the garlic and onion in oil. Once they begin to open up and brown, pour the liquid from the tomatoes into the pot, and the tomatoes from the can into a bowl. Mash them up nicely, and then add to the pot, along with the basil, salt and pepper to taste.  Let this simmer on low heat in the background while preparing the meatballs.

For the meatballs, basically just combine everything in a large bowl.  Roll into desired size (mine pictured are about the size of golfballs).  I then baked mine on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes on 450 degrees.  You can also brown them in a skillet with a little oil if you'd prefer.  They also get a little crispier this way, which can be nice. However, I was feeling lazy and didn't want to have another pan to clean (I lined the cookie sheet with tin foil to avoid cleaning - genius!)

After they've been cooked by whichever method, add them to the sauce and let them simmer and blend while you cook your pasta. Once the pasta is done, toss it all together and you're done.  This made 16 meatballs, which could easily feed 4 people.  You may want to double the sauce if you're serving that many and want it really saucy. I kept it on the lighter side - although I ate half of this all by myself in one sitting...

Bon chappétit!

chicken, green bean, corn & farro salad w/ goat cheese

Yes, that might be the longest title yet! This was an awesome little "salad" I made last night that was pretty great.  I say "salad" because there's no lettuce in this puppy, which makes me think it's not a salad.  However, the recipe called it one, so we'll roll with it.  It features farro, which epicurious.com describes as "a nutty-flavored grain that's popular in Tuscany." It's a bit like rice, only not. You can find it in the Italian section of your supermarket, or at the local Italian specialty store. Onto the recipe, here's what you'll need:

• 1/2-3/4 cup semi-pearled farro
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast
• 1 package of frozen green bean/corn mix (mine had carrots and peas too)
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot (could probably use garlic here instead if you wanted)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Qty: 2-4 (depending on how big you like your salads)

Begin by cooking the farro in medium pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 20 to 25 minutes (just like rice). Then drain and cool.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper (I just found another bottle of Hot Shot by McCormick - a red/black pepper blend - LOVE). Add the chicken to skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through. Cool, then cut it into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes.

Steam the frozen vegetables per package directions and drain. (Sidenote: The original recipe called for all fresh corn and green beans. If you want to go that route, by all means. I took the lazy road and went with the frozen veggie melody. No regrets there :) Rinse under cold water to cool and drain.

Mix the farro, chicken, and veggies in a large bowl and add the veggies and green onion.

Combine remaining olive oil, oregano, and salt in small bowl. Press with the back of a spoon to release the flavor. Whisk in the vinegar, shallot, and mustard. Pour over the salad in the bowl and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Finish with a sprinkle of goat cheese and you're done.

I know some people are weary of goat cheese, but I have to say, that really made the dish. The flavor counteracts the strong flavors of vinegar and mustard in a really interesting way.

Also, I'm not one to provide vegetarian recipes. However, this is probably a good option if that's your thing. The chicken is really a side player here, and could easily be replaced with tofu or eliminated altogether. But if you know me, you know I'd never do a meal without meat :)

Bon chappétit!