Roasting 101: Chicken Breasts

Yum

Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat such as your oven and is a slower method of cooking that browns the meat through carmelization.  It's suited to larger cuts of meat as well as vegetables.  In the oven the hot air circulates cooking all sides evenly producing tender juicy meats. 

Roasting bone-in chicken breasts is an easy way to get dinner on the table with little fuss.  It's also a good way to cook chicken to use in another dish such as chicken salad, enchiladas, salads etc.

This technique is so simple to master and produces great results.  I use this method all the time and I just love the chicken cooked this way!

Here's my take on roasting bone-in, skin on, chicken breasts. 

On a foil lined baking sheet place your chicken breasts.  Salt and pepper the breasts and drizzle some good extra virgin olive oil over the top of each breast.  That's it!  This is chicken at it's purest.  You really don't need fancy herbs to arrive at great flavor, but you can if you want.  The olive oil gives this really good flavor.

Place chicken in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees, and cook for about 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the breasts. 

See how the olive oil turns the skin nice and brown and crispy?

The chicken is done when the juices run clear or the internal temp reaches 160 degrees.

See how juicy this is?? Wow, this is good stuff!
A little mashed potatoes, a green vegetable and dinner is served!  What's your favorite side dish to go with chicken?

Enjoy!




Roasted Chicken Breasts

1 bone-in skin on chicken breast per person
Extra virgin Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put chicken on a foil lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Drizzle olive oil over the breasts.

Place in oven and cook for 30-40 min.  Chicken is done when juice run clear and internal temp reaches 160 degrees.  Outside should be brown and crispy.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes with a Blueberry Compote

Does anyone like cottage cheese?  Well I found an interesting use of cottage cheese...pancakes.

Yep, I said pancakes!

So I thought to myself, hmmm would this be good?  It might be healthier, definitely lower in fat, maybe a little tangy.  But would they taste good?

So I had to find out!  They were light and a little tangy, quite yummy in fact.  Now the compote? Blueberry...to die for!  Worth making just for the fun of it...and you can put the leftovers on ice cream.  We put them on our parfait the next day....excellent!

So let's make cottage cheese pancakes...oh and don't forget the blueberry compote!

You will need:  fresh or frozen blueberries, lemon juice, Splenda, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat milk, egg whites, and canola oil.

To make the compote you will need to add the blueberries, lemon juice, and 1 T. Splenda to a medium pot over medium high heat. 

Bring to a boil, and then reduce and simmer for about 5 min, until it gets thick.  Stir occasionally to bring out the juices.

Yummy!

Pour this in to a serving container and set aside.

So now mix together your dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  The flour, baking powder and soda, remaining sugar, and salt.

  

In another bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, milk, and eggs.  Whisk together. 

Add cottage cheese mixture to the flour mixture.

Heat oil in a skillet (over medium heat) and pour batter, about 1/4 cup each, and cook until pancakes bubble.  (you can see the cottage curds...)

Turn over and cook the other side until golden brown and cooked through.

Plate and serve with the warm blueberry compote.

 

 

See how pretty! WOW!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes with a Blueberry Compote

 adapted from Eating Light Magazine

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp Splenda

1⁄2 cup flour

1⁄4 tsp baking powder

1⁄8 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

1⁄2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1⁄4 cup low-fat milk

2 large eggs

1 tsp canola oil

In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, lemon juice and 1 Tbsp of the sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and syrupy, 5 to 6 minutes; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining Tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt.

In a second bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, milk and eggs.   Add the cottage cheese mixture to the flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. In two batches, drop large spoonfuls (about 1/4 cup each) of the batter into the skillet and cook until bubbles begin to appear in the center. Flip the pancakes and cook 1 minute more; repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with the blueberry compote.

Earth Day - Picnic for the Planet

What a great idea!  We should always celebrate the beautiful earth but this idea of a world picnic day is just amazing!  I'll be having a picnic with some friends and family.  What do you think?  Will you be having one too?

This Earth Day, celebrate the planet we live on with great people and good food. Choose a favorite outdoor location, round up some friends and take the planet out to lunch!

Sign up for your local Meetup and collaborate here with other attendees to figure out a location and what kind of picnic you want to have in your neighborhood.

We're partial to picnics, but potlucks rule too. Or maybe there's a community garden you can enjoy together? Whatever the Meetup, get the conversation going now and start planning!
Find more details and ideas at http://earthday.nature.org/about/