In the instructions it says to microwave everything and to be honest, I’m not a big fan of microwaving food. Leftovers yes, but raw meats? Not so much.

I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces. For the basil rub I used whatever lemon rind I had left over (you need about 2 tsp of lemon rind for the sauce but you can probably get more than that out of one lemon) and about a tsp of lime rind. With my fingers I rubbed the rinds together with about a tbsp of dried basil leaves and I coated the chicken pieces with that.

For the sauce I melted the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and then added the flour and stirred until it was nice and thick. Next I added the lemon rind, garlic, and milk. I cooked that for about five minutes and then I added the homemade pesto Jay’s mom gave us. I’m not sure if there was salt in the pesto so the sauce turned out a little bland but very flavourful so I would suggest you taste the sauce and add salt to your liking. I added the chicken pieces to that same saucepan, covered it, and continued to cook everything on medium heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the chicken cooked I made the pasta noodles – I used fettuccine.

I really liked this meal but I think the sauce would be much better suited for shrimp. Even as I made the sauce I could visualize shrimp in it so keep that in mind if you ever feel inclined to try this Pampered Chef recipe.

The smell of carrots and onion boiling in a pot of chicken broth is probably the most comforting aroma ever. It takes me back to cold nights as a kid snuggling with my mom, playing games or listening to her stories.

Speaking of moms, Jay’s mom lovingly made us a nice batch of home made pesto, which we’ve been gorging on because it’s so good. I’d previously purchased a bottle of pesto but last night there was no question as to which one I’d be using. Mom’s pesto is way better, in our opinion.

This recipe comes, again, from Jean Pare’s 30 Minute Pantry. Seriously, if you can find that book, get it.

Here’s what I used:

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, chopped (original recipe says to use celery)

4 cups ready made chicken broth

1 cup water

about 3 handfuls of egg noodles

four chicken drumsticks

another onion, chopped

2 tbsp pesto

Into a pot on medium-high heat put the chicken broth and water. Add the carrot and onion and bring to a boil then add the noodles and cook until carrot is tender. While that’s happening, cook the chicken in a pan with some oil and the other chopped onion. The original recipe says to use boneless chicken thigh cut into small pieces so it will cook faster but because I used drumsticks it took a lot longer. Basically, just cook until it’s not pink inside. The onions started to burn a little so I added a bit of water, which sort of caramelized everything. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the pesto and mix to coat everything. Add to the pot of soup and stir. I let it simmer for a few minutes more to combine flavours.

Home made pesto from Jay’s mom.

This has got to stop. Last night I broke out of my restricted Rachael Ray Rolodex of recipes and I made her Turbo Classics Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Pesto Mashed Potatoes. I really can’t explain why I never made this before as it was ridiculously easy to make. I think I have an aversion to buying fresh rosemary because I never use it all and it ends up going bad.

Anyway, please do make this for dinner if and when you want something warm, comforting, and most importantly absolutely delicious. The smell of the chicken as it comes out of the oven is mouth-watering. And where did she get the idea to mash potatoes with pesto? Genius!

Recipe for the chicken can be found here. The potatoes recipe can be found here.

Note – I used chicken thighs instead of chicken breast as I find breast a bit too dry for my taste.

Overall the instructions in the book were clear and shown in order of preparation and cooking, which I like because it means I don’t have to go searching for a step or a missing ingredient. If you’re not crazy about the taste of cloves, like Jay is, you can omit them or just put in very little. The recipe calls for crushed cloves for the chicken rub (called baharat) and later whole cloves for the entire dish. I only added the cloves to the baharat and it was more than plenty. Originally this was supposed to be a chicken and almond pilaff but guess what, I completely forgot about the almonds and I even have a whole stash I meant to use for cooking. No matter, it was still amazing. Unfortunately, once it was cooked it looked like a huge pot of slop. I don’t know what it is about me and slop these days. But, do try it out.

Recipe can be found here on Google Books.

Achiote Chicken

4 chicken thighs

approx 3 tbsp achiote paste

approx 2 tbsp white vinegar

3 garlic cloves, minced

Mix together the paste, vinegar and garlic and coat the chicken well, then marinate for a few hours or cook right away. Usually I heat up a pan with oil and I fry the achiote chicken but tonight I decided to use the broiler. I skewered the chicken thighs and suspended them over my kebab frame. I put that over a baking pan (to catch the drippings) and I broiled the chicken for about 20-25 minutes. Of course, if you have a broiling pan with ridges that’s probably even better but I had to improvise. Once cooked, let the chicken sit for a few minutes then remove the skewers and serve with rice and salad.

Chicken Parmesan, serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are
4 chicken thighs, I didn’t remove the skin or bones
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Frank’s Redhot
Pinch of salt and pepper

1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
Pinch of salt and pepper

1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 5 oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese

Mix together in a large bowl the milk, eggs, garlic powder, onion powder, Frank’s Redhot, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken pieces in the bowl, cover, and place in the fridge to soak for 4 to 6 hours.
Once you’re ready to start cooking, make the sauce by heating about a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds before adding the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in the sugar, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Fill the empty can of tomato paste with water and add that water to the pot. Lower heat and simmer.
Preheat oven to 325F. In a shallow plate or bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Cover each chicken piece in the bread crumb mixture making sure each piece is well coated. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken until just brown on each side.
In a baking dish, large enough to fit the chicken pieces without overlapping, pour half the tomato sauce on the bottom. Place the chicken in the pan and pour the remainder of the sauce over top. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese and put back in the oven for about 6 to 8 minutes more.
I served this with fried rice with corn and a simple salad. Jay was very happy and he absolutely loved the tomato sauce.

1 chicken leg, cut into pieces, keep bones

1 cup rice, uncooked

Approx 6 cups of water

2 or 3 bay leaves

2 large carrots, cut into small chunks

2 potatoes, cubed

half a leek, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 pickled jalapeno peppers

Salt and pepper to taste

Oregano and dried mint to taste

Put the chicken pieces and bones along with the rice in a large pot and fill with the water. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and let it gently bubble for about 40-45 minutes. Near the end, I added two pieces of cooked corn I had in the fridge. “That’s a big garnish, don’t you think,” Jay the smart ass said. For a tangy flavour you can also add fresh cilantro and lime juice.

I heated about a tablespoon of butter in a sauce pan and then sprinkled some garlic powder. I crumpled up pieces of the corn bread, probably about 2 cups and once the butter was bubbling I threw the corn bread into the sauce pan. I let that fry for a minute and then added the onion and green pepper, which I had chopped coarsely. Stirred and cooked for about 2 minutes. Next I dumped in the chicken, cut into small pieces. At this point I thought I would make a chicken and bread sauce with the pasta sauce but I changed my mind and I switched on the oven to 330F. Once everything in the sauce pan was heated I transferred it to a baking dish and I poured a bit of the Classico sauce over top. I didn’t want to use the entire contents of the jar so I pulled out a jar of salsa and poured that on as well. Pasta sauce and salsa; they go so well together. Next I cut some Havarti slices and placed them on top of the sauce. Into the oven it went for about 15 minutes (I think).

Best. Lunch. Ever. Wow.

Beneath the thick tomato sauce and tender vegetables lies a juicy, meaty chicken leg served over basmati rice. It smelled like a cheese pizza. Very yummy and incredibly easy to make. This recipe comes from a Weight Watchers book I’m trying to cook my way through. The recipe in the book makes enough for 8 people but I had to alter mine to make 4 servings so that Jay and I could each have seconds. This of course defeats the purpose of Weight Watchers since it’s all about portion control but whatev, I was really hungry and this was tasty.

Recipe for Hunter Style Chicken, Serves 8

1 2.5-3lb chicken cut into 8 pieces and skinned – I used two chicken legs

1/2 tsp salt – I did not use salt and it didn’t need any

1/4 tsp ground pepper

3 tsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 bell peppers, red and green, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 celery stalk, chopped – I did not add this because I didn’t have any

1 (1 pint) container tomato pasta sauce  - I used Classico Four Cheese Blend…could be why it smelled like a cheese pizza.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken and heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large skillet (I used a large pot) over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken 3-4 minutes on each side then transfer to a plate. Add the remaining tsp of oil and add the onion and garlic, stir and cook until softened. Throw in the peppers, mushrooms and celery, cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Put chicken back in the skillet (or pot) and add the pasta sauce, stir to coat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. In my version, prior to adding the chicken and pasta sauce, I added some marjoram and savoury to the vegetables.

I was craving something sweet last night but earlier that day when we went to buy groceries, Jay and I made it a point to not buy any candy or other types of junk food. I was opening up cupboards looking for something when I saw a can of evaporated milk. You ever notice those cans have a recipe for 5 minute fudge? I’d always been curious about that and so I finally tried it. It didn’t take 5 minutes to make. It was more like 10 minutes but no matter. Then there’s also the waiting time which could be anywhere between 1 and 2 hours. Anyway, what you do is put 1 and 1/3 cup of sugar (I only used 1 cup), 2 tbsp of butter and 2/3 cups of evaporated milk into a sauce pan and heat until it boils. Stir it until it’s thick though I didn’t really notice a change in thickness when I made it. After letting it boil for about 5 minutes I removed it from the heat and I stirred in 2 cups of marshmallows and 2 cups of chocolate chips. Then I poured the mixture into a square baking pan lined with waxed paper. Next, into the fridge until firm. When it was firm, I cut it into little squares and I was surprised the marshmallows didn’t completely melt and were still somewhat whole. I really liked it. It was nice and rich and I loved biting into bits of marshmallow.

Along with the tomato juice chicken, I served carrot juice carrots which were, for some odd reason, not as fabulous as the first time I made them. Overall, it was a very good meal, one I would make again and again…but it was not as thrilling as the Carrot Juice Chicken and Carrot Juice Carrots.

The next morning, before I’d had my usual cup of coffee and breakfast, bleary eyed and drowsy, I pulled out my favourite dessert book; Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey. I needed to bake something and I already knew what it was because I had bought buttermilk specifically for that recipe. I had meant to make Quicky Sticky Buns (recipe here) two weeks ago but I never got around to it until yesterday morning.

I’m not sure if it was because I was still half asleep as I went about making the biscuits, but, they are not quick to make. Alright, maybe it was because I was moving slowly and having breakfast at the same time. It took me longer to make these because I did not have the right size baking pan. The recipe calls for a 9 x 13 pan. I have a 9 x 11. Yes, that makes a huge difference. My biscuit dough had to be squished in the pan since I didn’t think to use two separate baking dishes. This meant that after the required 15-17 minutes baking time, my biscuits were slightly crispy on top but the insides were still a bit sticky and undercooked so more baking time was required.

It was worth it though. As I type this entry I am enjoying a sticky biscuit and a cup of coffee. Divine!