I love talking to you all about recipes that are fun and easy. But I know I meander off topic a bit about things that interest me or are going on in my life.
I'm not a big coffee drinker. But I also know I'm in the minority. Those of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter know that my family is organizing a coffee drive for Simpson Housing Services in Minneapolis. http://www.simpsonhousing.org
Why? Well, one of their big needs is coffee. They receive a lot of food donations, but coffee is something they frequently buy in bulk. At one shelter, they go through almost 100 cups of coffee a day. Many adults in the shelter get up as early as 3am to take multiple buses to work and coffee helps them get going in the morning. They also have a cup of decaf in the evenings while waiting for a meal.
What would the coffee drinkers of the world do without their morning coffee? I think a lot of times it's taken for granted.
So if this is a small way we can give back and help others, then that's great!
We're about 20lbs short of the goal. And we're delivering the coffee this weekend.
Would you consider donating? If you make a run to the grocery store, consider picking up a bag or can of coffee and let me know where and when I can meet you or pick it up.
And since we're talking about coffee, here's a chicken recipe that actually uses coffee! It's one I haven't used in a while, but was searching my lists and found this one from allrecipes. Even though I'm not a coffee lover, this recipe is actually yumatrocious!
Dave's Mocha Chicken
2/3 C soy sauce
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C sherry cooking wine - actually real wine gives a better flavor, but use what you have
1/4 C strongly brewed coffee
1/4 C olive oil
6 chicken legs or chicken thighs
Salt & Pepper
Put soy sauce, brown sugar, wine, coffee and 2 T olive oil in a gallon size ziploc bag. Add chicken, remove air and seal. Smoosh it around so it's mixed up pretty well. Let it marinate 3-4 hours or even overnight.
Remove chicken and discard marinade. You can either brown in a skillet until juices run clear or place in a baking dish, cover and bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear.
This is also a freezable make-ahead recipe. Take it out the night before and let it thaw before cooking.
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Lemon Greek Chicken
So here we are in 2010.
A lot of people make resolutions of some sort. Many involve eating better, getting more exercise or just being more healthy in general.
I'm going to share my resolutions with you and then a nice tasty and healthy recipe to start off the new year. After all, you shouldn't have to sacrifice great taste to eat right...right?
Here's my bucket list for 2010:
Lemon Greek Chicken
2 t lemon zest - this is more of a flavor enhancer than flavor itself. I recommend you use a fresh lemon for the zest and the juice
1/4 C lemon juice
2 T olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, pressed - pressing really gives this recipe great flavor versus chopping
2 t Rosemary Herb Seasoning - this is a specific seasoning that I prefer. You can use dried rosemary if you like
3/4 t salt - optional. If you use Rosemary Herb Seasoning, omit this ingredient as sea salt is included in that seasoning
1/8 t ground pepper
2 medium potatoes - calls for baking potatoes - I like to use Yukon Gold
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut into wedges
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges - obviously, this never is in my version
8 oz fresh whole mushrooms - don't slice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix zest, lemon juice, oil, pressed garlic, seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix until well blended and set aside. Take potatoes and cut them length wise into 8 wedges. Place in a 9x13 baker. Add bell peppers and mushrooms. Pour 1/2 of the lemon mixture over vegetables and then stir to coat. Place chicken on top of vegetables and evenly pour remaining lemon mixture over the top of the chicken. Brush with pastry brush if needed.
Bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is done. Baste vegies and chicken with juices as needed.
If you are using a Deep Covered Baker, basting is not necessary and time may be reduced to around 45 minutes. If using a Deep Covered Baker in the microwave, estimated cook time is 20 minutes on high.
The nice thing about this recipe is it's pretty well balanced. Yukon Gold Potatoes as a carb are a pretty healthy potato. Add a salad and you're good to go!
Enjoy!
A lot of people make resolutions of some sort. Many involve eating better, getting more exercise or just being more healthy in general.
I'm going to share my resolutions with you and then a nice tasty and healthy recipe to start off the new year. After all, you shouldn't have to sacrifice great taste to eat right...right?
Here's my bucket list for 2010:
- Eat better. Specifically, watch my portions more. For the most part, I make pretty good choices. But I am such a foodie. I enjoy good food. But I also know that I need to be more disciplined on portions.
- Exercise consistently. I do this now. I'm at the Y 4-5 times a week consistently. But I know I'm lazy sometimes. I wish I could afford a trainer year round, but alas, I need to suck it up and boss myself around.
- Officially launch my Virtual Assistant practice. A little self-promotion here; I'm completing a program with the intent of going through the process of being a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant. I'm so excited about this. If you know moms, micropreneurs, direct sellers or small business owners who could use some behind-the-scenes support, I'd be pleased if you'd share my business with your contacts. Most of you know that I have a serious "can do" attitude. So my VA practice is called Can Do Virtual Assisting. Check out my website at http://www.CanDoVA.com
Lemon Greek Chicken
2 t lemon zest - this is more of a flavor enhancer than flavor itself. I recommend you use a fresh lemon for the zest and the juice
1/4 C lemon juice
2 T olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, pressed - pressing really gives this recipe great flavor versus chopping
2 t Rosemary Herb Seasoning - this is a specific seasoning that I prefer. You can use dried rosemary if you like
3/4 t salt - optional. If you use Rosemary Herb Seasoning, omit this ingredient as sea salt is included in that seasoning
1/8 t ground pepper
2 medium potatoes - calls for baking potatoes - I like to use Yukon Gold
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut into wedges
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges - obviously, this never is in my version
8 oz fresh whole mushrooms - don't slice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix zest, lemon juice, oil, pressed garlic, seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix until well blended and set aside. Take potatoes and cut them length wise into 8 wedges. Place in a 9x13 baker. Add bell peppers and mushrooms. Pour 1/2 of the lemon mixture over vegetables and then stir to coat. Place chicken on top of vegetables and evenly pour remaining lemon mixture over the top of the chicken. Brush with pastry brush if needed.
Bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is done. Baste vegies and chicken with juices as needed.
If you are using a Deep Covered Baker, basting is not necessary and time may be reduced to around 45 minutes. If using a Deep Covered Baker in the microwave, estimated cook time is 20 minutes on high.
The nice thing about this recipe is it's pretty well balanced. Yukon Gold Potatoes as a carb are a pretty healthy potato. Add a salad and you're good to go!
Enjoy!
