Garlic & Brown Sugar Chicken

Wow! I was a big skeptical about this recipe (made it for the first time tonight). I was worried it might be too sweet or just not "go"....but Wow! It made a GREAT sauce for the chicken....the perfect mix of sweet and savory. The garlic is cooked slowly so it becomes soft and buttery. My hubby practically licked the plate. And the best part - it's easy! All of these items are staples in my house so I could make it at any time!

Garlic & Brown Sugar Chicken

Ingredients:
4-6 cloves of garlic...roughly chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1 pound boneless/skinless chicken (breasts, tenders or even thighs will work)
4-5 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Salt & Pepper to season chicken
Chicken Grill Seasoning

Season both sides of chicken with salt & pepper and grill seasoning. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and allow to slowly cook (approx 4-5mins) and then add chicken to garlic and butter. Cook thoroughly on each side (depends on size and cut of chicken). When chicken is fully cooked, top each piece with a sprinkle of brown sugar and allow it to melt into the chicken (about 5 minutes). This will make a fantastic pan sauce as it mixes with the butter & garlic. For the last few minutes I continually tossed the sauce over the chicken as it was cooking.

The grill seasoning was not in the original recipe.....I added it because I thought it sounded good and I really liked the way it came out so I would do that again. A little goes along way so you just need a few pinches. I also added more garlic than the original recipe called for because we love garlic.

Serve with your favorite veggies (I bet the sauce would be excellent over cooked carrots).

Lemon Pasta

Getting back to the grind after being on vacation for nearly 10 days is tough. Today was my first day back at work, so dinner tonight will be easy (and a favorite in my house).

Lemon Pasta:

1-2 shallots – chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic – chopped
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 Lemons, juiced.
½ - ¾ cup of white wine
Sprinkle of flour (less than a tablespoon)
2 tablespoons of butter
Olive oil (EVOO)
Parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
Angle hair pasta (approx half a box) cooked al dente

Heat large pan over medium heat. Coat bottom of the pan with olive oil and melt butter. Sauté shallots and garlic in the butter/EVOO. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Continuing sautéing until soften. Sprinkle flour over and let it cook for 2-3 minutes, continually stirring. Once flour mix turns a light honey color, add whisk in white wine and then add lemon juice. Let come to a simmer. Added chopped fresh parsley (or dried) and salt & pepper to taste. Add pasta and toss to coat. (Makes 2-4 servings)

You can also saute some shrimp with this (which I think I am going to do tonight). Very quick...easy....yummy!

Kicking things off with a favorite!

Welcome to my new & improved blog! Ok, Ok...it's been ages since I've been on here. So many friends and family have asked for recipes as I post what I am cooking nightly....I thought this would be a good place to do so. I love reading others food & recipe blogs and trading secrets. I will try to post pics when I can.

I am going to start off with a favorite. I double puffy heart LOVE Ceasar Salad! My mother's recipe for home-made Ceasar dressing is second to none. It has me so spoiled, that I refuse to order it in a restaurant any longer because nothing compares to it and I'm always disappointed.

Ceasar Salad:

9 drained canned anchovy fillets, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2-4 garlic cloves, minced (depending on how much garlic you like – I’m a 3-4 kinda girl)
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium head romaine lettuce, cut into bit-size pieces
1 large head radicchio, cut into bite-size pieces
4 garlic cloves, flattened, peeled
3 large Portobello mushrooms (about 3/4 pound), stems discarded, caps sliced crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick strips
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/3 cups grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)

Combine minced anchovy fillets, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard and minced garlic in small bowl. In a slow stream, whisk the 1/2 cup olive oil (it’s a work out for your wrist). Set in fridge until ready for use.

Combine romaine lettuce and radicchio in large bowl & set aside.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add flattened garlic to skillet and cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Discard garlic. Increase heat to medium-high. Add mushrooms and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.

Add dressing to salad and toss to coat. Mix in cheese. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among plates. Top with mushrooms, and/or your favorite home made croutons and serve immediately.

** DO NOT omit the anchovies. Yes, they are gross. Yes, I hate them too. But trust me, the dressing is not the same without them. If you don't like handling the fillets.....you can substitute with anchovy paste.

You can omit the mushrooms if you’d like…I don’t always make it with it and it is just as good.