Lemon Garlic Chicken

I’m constantly working on chicken recipes! I get asked a lot for my favorite chicken dishes so I’m always working on a new great recipe! I like chicken, but not as much as beef. So, when I make a chicken recipe that knocks my socks off I know I’ve created a really great recipe! Well….this recipe is it!! I’ve been thinking about it since I made it and since I finished the left overs! Haha! This recipe is so full of flavors the marinade that ends up turning into the juice is so delicious you’ll be licking the plate!!

I love this recipe because you can use any type if chicken you want. In this recipe I used chicken thighs! I’m looking foward to trying it with chicken breasts next! Enough of this…let’s get to the good part.. the recipe!

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs, bone in & skin on
1 lemon, zested
1/2 lemon, juice
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, grated
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning, optional
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Optional:
baby potatoes
crusty bread

Directions: Preheat oven 375°. In a medium bowl add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, grated garlic and all seasoning except the lemon pepper, whisk together and set aside.

In an oven safe pan add the chicken thighs and pat dry. Sprinkle the thighs with the lemon pepper if using. Pour marinade over the chicken thighs evenly.

Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes until fully cooked to 165°. (Cooking time will depend on the size of the thighs) Let sit a few minutes before serving. Serve chicken with a few spoonfuls of juice and a nice chunk of crusty bread and your choice of sides!

Note: You can add baby potatoes to the pan, if they are bigger you may want to par cook before adding. Put them in the microwave for a few minutes before adding to the pan with the chicken. This chicken would be great over rice, noodles or even mashed potatoes.


Pancetta & Swiss Egg Soufflé

I’m super excited about this recipe! I decided to give an egg soufflé a try and I was blown away. This recipe is a show stopper. They are better than the ones you can buy! I used pancetta and swiss cheese, but you can use any flavor combinations you like. Try these! I promise you won’t regret it!

Pancetta & Swiss Egg Soufflé

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
5 oz panchetta
8 oz grated swiss cheese
4 eggs
1 cup milk (2% or whole milk)
5 tbps butter
3 tbps flour
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 egg (for wash)
cooking spray

4- 4oz oven safe ramekins

Directions: Preheat oven 400°. Cook the pancetta in a medium sauté pan until fully cooked and crispy.. Drain on a paper towel and set aside. Drain most of the fat from the pan (leave a little for flavor) Add in the butter and let it melt, slowly adding the flour and mixing well making a roux. Cook 2-3 minutes pull off the heat and set aside.

In a small bowl add the eggs and beat well. Add in the milk, roux and salt and peppers and mix fully. Cut puff pastry into 4 squares. Roll/flatten out each square slightly. Spray ramekins with cooking spray. Gently press the puff pastry into the ramekins leaving extra over the sides (this will be folded later).

Add swiss cheese to the ramekins and top with some pancetta, complete this with all of the ramekins. Evenly add the egg mixture to each ramekin. Top with a little more swiss cheese. Fold up the edges to completely cover the top. Beat 1 egg in a small bowl and brush over the top of the puff pastry in each ramekin.

Bake in the oven at 400° for 22-25 minutes until golden brown. Place a toothpick or knife into the center of the soufflé, if it comes out clean the soufflés are done. Remove from the oven and let set 5-10 minutes. Remove from the ramekin and enjoy!

Notes: You can use any ingredients to fill these soufflés with. Favorite cheeses or meats! If using veggies I’d sauté first to remove the moisture. These come out so perfectly crisp the moisture could ruin that.

Air Fryer Garlic Butter Lobster Tail

I love seafood! Recently I made a seafood feast with crab legs, lobster tails, mussels and clams and it was so delicious! I call it “working” on content but it’s a delicious way to work if you ask me! Anyway, I love lobster and I decided to try to switch up how I make it! These were cooked in the air fryer and I must say they came out phenomenal. So quick, so tender and so delicious.

The best way is to butterfly the lobster. I started doing this a while back to my tails and I love how they come out. It looks pretty professional, too but it’s so simple! Start by cutting the top of the shell, pull the shell open and using your fingers pull the meat out and lay on top of the shell. You still want the meat attached to the shell slightly to keep it in place.

This recipe has a very simple garlic butter. You can just use butter and lemon and keep very simple. Check out the recipe and cooking instructions below.

Air Fryer Garlic Butter Lobster Tails

Ingredients:
2 lobster tails, butterflied
1/2 stick salted butter, melted
1 garlic cloves, grated
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp parsley
sprinkle salt
sprinkle pepper

Directions: Preheat the air fryer. (Mine preheats for 3 minutes at 400°) Add the lobster tails to an air fryer safe pan. Add the butter, garlic, parsley, lemon and salt & pepper to a bowl and mix well. Using a brush, brush the butter mixture over the lobster. Add into the air fryer and cook at 380° for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, brush more butter onto the lobster and cook another 4-5 minutes until fully cooked. The tail is done when the meat turns a milky white and the shell is a bright red. Note: Cook time will vary depending on the size of the lobster tail. These lobster tails were only about 5 oz each, anything larger make take 10-12 minutes to fully cook. Avoid overcooking as the lobster will become chewy and rubbery if over cooked.

Pan Seared Chicken Breast

Chicken is one of the most used protein! Chicken unfortunately, is also one of the hardest proteins to get correct. So often the chicken come out over cooked and stringy. I will show you the best pan seared chicken breast. So juicy and tender and perfectly seared! I get a lot of questions on chicken breast so as simple as this dish is, I wanted to share it!

Pan Seared Chicken Breast

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless 1 inch thick
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic and herb seasoning
sprinkle salt
sprinkle pepper

Direction: Heat a medium size sauté pan on medium high heat. Add in olive oil let heat 2 minutes. (Note: You want the pan to be hot, this will be how you get that nice golden sear.) Add in chicken breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. Cook times may vary based on the thickness of the chicken breast. You need an internal temperature of 165°, make sure to check the thickest part of the breast. This is where a meat thermometer comes in handy. Remove chicken from the pan and let rest a few minutes before enjoying.

Classic Sloppy Joes

Welcome to September! I know it’s not quite fall yet, but I’m eager for the fall temperatures! Summer is actually my least favorite season unless I’m on a beach or sitting by a pool and drinking a margarita! Anyways, fall and winter are perfect season for comfort food. That’s exactly what this recipe is! Pure and simple comfort food! This meal takes most people back to their childhood, kids love an excuse to get messy!! That’s the fun part!

I love this recipe because it’s quick, delicious and case easily be spiced up! If you like heat, add some cayenne pepper and hot sauce or even some jalapeños! This recipe is a perfect freezer meal, too! Make extra and put in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months! Just thaw and add to a sauce pan and heat on low! Give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it!

Ingredients:
1.5 lb ground beef (I use 90% lean)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbps olive oil
3 tbps tomato paste
1 tbps light brown sugar
2 tsp lite soy sauce
15 oz can tomato sauce (I use no salt added)
1 tbps Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water, more if needed

Seasonings:
1 tbps chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic & herb seasoning, (optional)
1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1 tsp salt or to taste
2 tsp salt or to taste

Or: Sloppy Joe seasoning packet

Directions: Heat a large deep skillet on high heat. Add in the olive oil and let heat 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook till fragrant. Next add in the pepper and onion and cook till tender and the onion is translucent. Add the ground beef to the pan and brown, breaking up while it cooks. (See Amazon items below for the best tool for breaking up ground meat) Add the seasonings above or the seasoning packet and mix well. Stir in the brown sugar. Add in the water, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce and mix well. Let simmer on medium low heat 10 minutes (this step is completely optional it just helps the flavors come through, but you can eat as soon as it’s completed.) If the sauce becomes to thick and you want a really sloppy Joe, add more water.

Spoon the Sloppy Joe mixture over a bun and either eat like a sandwich or eat it opened faced! Enjoy!

Hamburger Meat Chopper https://www.amazon.com/shop/garlic_and_oliveoil_veins

French Toast Casserole

Hi Hi!! I’m sorry I’m posting so much lately. I’ve got so many past recipes to post! Life has been busy so I’m making time to make sure I share my recipes. I had a brunch over the weekend and I made this French toast casserole. I’m not a huge breakfast fan, but this came out so delicious! I’ve already gotten requests to make again so I’ll be working on different flavors for the next time! This recipe is beyond simple and it’s prefect for lazy mornings or holidays. You make the night before and just pop in the oven the next morning. You really need to give this a try! You won’t regret it!

French Toast Casserole

Ingredients:
1 loaf brioche bread, 16-18 oz- cubed
8 whole eggs
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup half & half
2 cups 2% milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
powder sugar
fresh berries
maple syrup

Directions: Spray the bottom and sides of a 13×9 oven safe baking dish. Evenly add the diced bread to the bottom of the pan. In a medium mixing bowl add the eggs and whisk. Next add in both brown and white sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, milk and half & half and whisk all together. Pour the mixture over the bread and using a spoon gently mix to make sure all the bread is coated. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for overnight.

The next morning preheat the oven to 350°. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the center is fully set. Remove from the oven and let set 5 minutes. Cut a piece of the casserole and top with powder sugar, fresh berries and syrup and enjoy.

Note: You can use any bread you like or have on hand. White sandwich bread, French loaf bread or the brioche bread I used. You can also add the berries to the top of the casserole to bake. I prefer the fruit fresh personally as it give it a nice bright flavor.