Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice

A friend of mine brought me a bunch of lemons from her tree the other day.  They are fabulous!  Nice big plump lemons with that bright citrus flavor.  
  
Don't you just love lemons?  They are so versatile.  You can make lemon bread, use them in a salad dressing, sprinkle them over vegetables, and of course, why we are here...enjoy them with dinner as in my Greek Lemon chicken and Rice!

This is a great weeknight meal the whole family will love.  What's better than a kid-friendly 30 minute meal?  With basic ingredients that you most likely have on hand you can whip this super simple meal together quickly.  Just add a nice green vegetable and you're set!  


As part of my New Year's "intentions" I've started using items that I have on hand...stockpiled if you would.  It's called Pantry Shopping.  Where you shop from you pantry or freezer to make your meals, rather than buying new items.  This allows you more creativity in putting a meal together, and allows you to use that "stockpiled" food.    The benefit in all of this?  Money savings baby!


So I pulled my chicken breasts from the freezer, got out some rice I had on hand, and used my girlfriend's lemons.  Don't let the simple recipe fool you, the flavors pack a big punch to the chicken.  So come on and try this dish, you'll love the flavors!  And, if you're feeling the need to save a little money and have a stockpile of food like I do, try Pantry Shopping.  It's a good "intention" to have!


What are your favorite lemon dishes?

 

 

 

Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice

Serves 4

3 T lemon juice

2 t olive oil

3 minced garlic cloves

¼ t oregano

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied to make cutlets

1 T olive oil

Salt & pepper

2 cups cooked brown rice

In a deep sided tray or plastic bag mix together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and oregano.  Add chicken and coat with marinade.  Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

Add oil to a large skillet and heat of medium high heat.  Remove chicken from marinade and season with salt and pepper.  Reserve remaining marinade.  Add chicken to the skillet and cook 5-6 minutes per side, or until done.  Add reserved marinade.  Increase heat and boil marinade with chicken for 1 minute.  Make sure it boils, this will kill any bacteria.  If you prefer not to add the reserved marinade you can make extra marinade and set some aside in a bowl instead of using it to marinade with.

Serve chicken with sauce over brown rice.

Recipe has been linked up to:

Country Mama Cooks Saturday Link & Greet
Melt in your mouth Monday

Cheesy Hash Browns

You know I love my weekend breakfasts.

I truly do.

I've even gotten MGG to eat breakfast on a regular basis.  He's usually a coffee only kinda guy.  Last weekend I was scouring the refrigerator deciding what to eat when I was inspired by the potatoes.


Mom used to cook country breakfast potatoes all the time.  I remember Dad had the cutest way of turning those potatoes into little half moon shapes.  They were so much fun to eat as a kid!  I'll have to make those soon and post them for you.  


So I decided to make some hash browns, and to jazz them up with some cheese.  YUM!  Kinda reminds me of the dish they serve at Cracker Barrel.  Now you can certainly buy pre-made hash browns, or pre-shredded potatoes, but making them yourself is super easy.


Let's do it.


Grate your potatoes on a cheese grater or in a food processor with a shredding blade.  Make sure to drain them on a paper towel, you want all the moisture out of them so they crisp up during cooking.  Meanwhile heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add a tablespoon of canola oil to the pan and heat. (This is important so they don't stick!)


Place them in a hot skillet and push them down with a spatula, compacting them so they bind together.  Add your shredded cheese over the top.  I used Monterey Jack cheese today, but any cheese will do.

 


Allow them to cook for about 5 minutes, or until they have browned on the bottom and the potatoes are crisping and a little opaque.  Time to flip them over.  Unless you have a mondo spatula it might be best to flip them in stages.  Half and half let's say.

Cook the other side for another 5 minutes or so.  See the melted cheese?  yummy!

Salt and pepper them to taste.  Remove from the pan and transfer to a platter or individual serving plates.  Viola!  Cheesy Hash Browns that go great with my Italian scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, sausage, buttermilk biscuits, or my Tomato and Chive Breakfast Melts.

What a breakfast!




Cheesy Hash Browns


1 large russet potato, peeled and washed
1 T canola oil
1/3 c Monterey Jack cheese, grated
salt & pepper


Grate potato using a cheese grater or a food processor.  Place on several paper towels and squeeze out any liquid.  It's important that they be dry to bind and crisp up.


Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add oil and heat.  Add potatoes to skillet and press down with the back of a spatula to compact.  Add grated cheese over the top.  Cook 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown.


Flip potatoes, in stages.  Cook on the other side for an additional 5 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove to a platter and serve warm.

Apple Cider Doughnuts

I've been on an apple kick lately.  You'll see...

I love them and look forward to when they are in season every year.  I grew up eating apples, and always try to find ways to include that flavor in our foods.

Today's post, while it doesn't follow the "healthy" food wave of the new year, it is healthier than popping a fried doughnut in your mouth!  They are baked.  That at least cuts down on the fat grams.  But the best part is the flavor, they have that great apple harvest flavor using a reduced cider.  Sooo tasty!

Using those new doughnut pans is really easy and allows you to bake them at home in no time at all.

Try some of the season's best fruits.  You know they way they say..."An apple a day......"

 

 

 

 

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Makes 12

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Apple Cider Doughnuts:

1 cup apple cider

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled, divided

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray doughnut pan with cooking spray.

Stir together cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.  Set aside

Place apple cider in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat. Let apple cider boil until reduced to 1/4 cup. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add apple cider, buttermilk, eggs and 2 Tbsp. of the melted butter.  Mix until combined. 

Spoon batter into a plastic Ziploc bag.  Push batter down to one corner by twisting the bag.  Snip off one corner making a small hole.  Fill doughnut pan 2/3 of the way full. 

Bake doughnuts 7-10 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Let them cool in the pan 5 minutes before removing.

Dip warm doughnuts in remaining melted butter, then in remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.