Author: Jill

Roast Chicken and Vegetables

This is definitely one of my family’s favorite meals! It is easy, comforting, and just makes the house smell like home while it’s cooking. Another good reminder to me, that sometimes the best things, are the simplest things.

3 carrots, cut into thirds
6 small red new potatoes, quartered if large
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 6 wedges
3 T. unsalted butter, melted, or olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
1 lemon, quartered
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Put the carrots, potatoes, and onion in a 9 by 13 glass baking dish. Toss the vegetables with 1 T. of the butter. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Spread the vegetables to the edges of the baking dish, making room for the chicken.

Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the chicken and discard. Rinse the bird under cold running water and pat dry. Put the chicken breast-side up, in the center of the baking dish. Brush the chicken with the remaining 2 T. butter. Season the cavity and skin generously with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Put the lemon quarters and rosemary sprigs inside the cavity. Put the garlic cloves user the chicken to prevent them from burning.

Roast for 45 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven. Using tongs, tilt the chicken, pouring the juices from the cavity onto the vegetables, and shake to coat. Baste the chicken with the pan juices. If the bird is browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil. Continue roasting until the chicken is a deep golden brown and the juices run clear when the tip of a knife is inserted into the thigh joint, or until and instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh, away from the bone, registers 170 to 175 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Using the back of a spoon, mash the garlic and squeeze some lemon into the pan juices. Toss the juices with the vegetables. Carve the chicken and serve the vegetables alongside. Drizzle any remaining juices over the chicken.

NOTE: My favorite way to serve the roast chicken, as recommended by the authors, is to carve all the meat from the bones after the meat has rested and chop into bite-sized pieces. Then return the meat to the garlicky, lemony pan juices, re-season it with more salt and pepper, and toss with the vegetables. This way, every last bit of the chicken is well seasoned and moist throughout.

Serves 2

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Crispy Fried Tacos

One of my favorite recipes, this will be perfect for Cinco de Mayo! I love these authentic tacos and the salsa is so very yummy! This a Taste of Home recipe from Catherine Gibbs of Maryland. The girl knows her Mexican Food!

Salsa:

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (4 oz.) sliced jalapeño peppers, undrained
1 small onion quartered
1 tsp. garlic salt

Tacos:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 cups shredded lettuce

In a blender or food processor, combine the salsa ingredients; cover and pulse until salsa reaches desired consistency. Transfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate.

In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle with salt.

In another skillet, heat oil. Fry tortillas just until softened; drain on paper towels. Fill tortillas with beef; sprinkle with cheese. Fold in half. In an ungreased skillet, fry tortillas on both sides until crisp. Serve with lettuce and salsa.
Yield: 12 tacos.

Mom’s Every Night Cucumber Salad

This recipe comes from Gaby Dalkin’s What’s Gaby Cooking cookbook. I have really enjoyed this simple salad, out of her new book, this spring. Living on the same block, I grew up eating at my friend Lucky’s house quite a bit, and her Memaw would always have fresh cucumbers in vinegar, seasoned with Lawry’s salt. We loved those cucumbers, and when I typed the title of this recipe, all of those wonderful memories came flooding back. Not long after we were through with supper at Lucky’s, my dad would whistle down the alley and that was my cue to high-tail it back home! What fun we used to have!

3 T. olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
4 Persian cucumbers, sliced

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Add the avocado and cucumbers to the bowl and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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Coconut-Pecan Cereal Bars

These cereal bars are some of my favorite treats! They are good for breakfast, after school snacks, or dessert. In fact, I always love to make these for dessert when we grill hamburgers! Toasting the coconut and pecans really brings out their best flavors. I found this recipe in the July/August 2007 edition of Everyday Food.

1 (7 oz.) package sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
nonstick cooking spray
1 (10 oz.) package marshmallows
4 T. unsalted butter
4 cups cornflakes

Preheat the oven to 350. Spread coconut on one side of a large rimmed baking sheet, and pecans on the other side, keeping them separate. Toast until fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Meanwhile, coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray; line with a strip of wax paper (leaving an overhang on two sides). Spray paper.

In a large nonstick pot over medium-low, heat marshmallows and butter until melted, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in cornflakes, coconut, and pecans. Transfer to prepared pan; press firmly with a metal spatula (coated with spray to prevent sticking). Cool until firm, about 2 hours. Remove from pan; peel off paper. Using a serrated knife, cut into squares.

Yield: 16 bars

Easy Chocolate-Cherry Cake

This is another Paula Deen recipe that I love. It satisfies my need for chocolate in the most delicious way, plus, it’s extra speedy! It’s a dump cake in black forest fashion, so that means lots of cherries and chocolate and absolutely no mixing required! Woo hoo!

2 (21 oz.) cans cherry pie filling
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
1 (18.25) box chocolate fudge cake mix
1 cup finely chopped pecans, I skip the nuts
1 1/2 cups butter (12 T.), cut into teaspoon-pats
fresh whipped cream or ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Lightly grease a 13 by 9 baking pan.

Spread cherry pie filling over bottom of prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips and sugar. Spread dry cake mix over sugar, covering pie filling. Sprinkle evenly with chopped pecans, if using. Place butter pats over cake mix, covering cake mix as evenly as possible. Bake 1 hour; let cool 30 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Chicken Quesadillas

Quick and easy, these yummy quesadillas have only five ingredients! I’m not sure about you guys, but this spring seems to be extra busy to me, and I am needing quick supper ideas. By combining the filling for the ingredients in a bowl and keeping it in the fridge at the start of the week, this makes for a quick start to a meal, perfect for an on the run snack or supper! This is a Paula Deen recipe from an issue of her Quick and Easy Meals magazine.

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (8 oz.) package Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, shredded
5 T. black bean and corn salsa
1 (16 oz.) package taco-size flour tortillas
1/2 cup butter, divided

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, cheese, and salsa. Spread 1/2 cup chicken mixture evenly over half of tortillas. Top each with remaining tortillas.

Ina a large skillet, melt 1 T. butter over medium-high heat. Add 1 prepared quesadilla, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until, golden brown. Repeat procedure with remaining butter and remaining prepared quesadillas. Cut into wedges to serve. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.

Makes about 8 servings.

Jack’s Party Mix

I found this recipe in the September/October 2009 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen magazine. For some reason, the combination of this sweet and salty snack mix is always one of the first to come to mind, when I think of quick snacks to make for travel, after school munching, or to leave out in a bowl when having sleepovers for the kids. I think it’s fun, easy, and very addictive!

4 cups brown sugar-oatmeal squares
4 cups mini pretzels
3 (6 oz.) packages dried cranberries
1 (15 oz.) box raisins
2 cups candy-coated chocolate pieces
2 (6.6 oz.) bags Cheddar-flavored fish-shaped crackers

In a large bowl, combine oatmeal squares, pretzels, cranberries, raisins, chocolate pieces, and crackers.

Yield: 18 cups
Will last up to a week, when stored in airtight containers.

Grilled Chicken with Corn-Cherry Tomato Relish

As I type this, we are in the middle of a terrible sand storm! So, I’m trying to concentrate on healthy comfort foods, like this recipe. It’s hard for me not to concentrate on pizza, coke, and dirt cake on a day like today. So here goes. This corn relish IS delicious comfort food even if I’m in the midst of sand in my teeth. Typing this out, I’m transported to a calmer evening when I made this.

3-5 ears of corn, husks and silk removed
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt, or more to taste
4 (1/4 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin, I used chicken fajita seasoning

Prepare the grill for a medium fire; spray the grill rack with nonstick spray.

Place the corn on the grill rack. Grill, turning often, until tender and well marked, about 6 minutes. Transfer the corn to cutting board and let cool 5 minutes. With a sharp knife, cut the kernels from the cobs; transfer the kernels to a large bowl. Stir in the tomatoes, scallions, jalapeño, lime juice, cilantro, and 1/4 tsp. salt. (I use a bit more salt; this is a weight watchers recipe.) Set aside.

Rub the chicken with the oil, then sprinkle with the cumin or fajita seasoning and the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Place on the grill rack and grill, turning once, until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Serve the chicken with the relish.

*On days like today, this recipe can easily be cooked on a grill pan inside!

Yield: 4 servings with a PointsPlus value of 7.

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Buttermilk Pancakes with Caramelized Bananas

This is my absolute favorite buttermilk pancake recipe! It takes no time to throw this yummy breakfast together and you will be oh, so, loved for it. For extra love, throw on some chocolate chips while they are cooking up!

For the pancakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 T. butter, melted
1 large egg

For the caramelized bananas:
3 bananas, sliced horizontally and then cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup pure maple syrup

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, and egg. Add the dry ingredients too the buttermilk mixture. Mix until just combined. The batter should be a little lumpy.

Grease a nonstick skillet or griddle and heat to medium-high. Pour about 1/3-cup batter per pancake onto the griddle. When small bubbles begin to form on the tops of the pancakes, they are ready to be flipped, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, heat the maple syrup and bananas in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook until hot and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Serve the pancakes immediately with caramelized bananas on top or along side.

Yield: 12 (4 1/2 inch) pancakes (4 to 6 servings)

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Oatmeal, Almond, and Avocado Body Scrub

With springtime, comes the wind out here. It is always a welcome time, but it can leave one’s skin dry and one’s mind drained! To beat the dry skin and to put a pep in my step, I love to make this homemade body scrub! After my home spa experience, I feel healthy and re-engergized. Let’s glow, girls. Let’s glow!

1/2 cup almonds
1 cup oatmeal
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
1/4 cup plain yogurt

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Rub mixture all over body. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Follow with body lotion.

*Add a little water, if needed, to make blending easier.

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