Greek Lemon Chicken Salad

Greek Lemon Chicken Salad

This salad brings together some delicious flavours of Greece in a dish that is super tasty, fresh and easy to prepare!

Serves 4

Prep time:  15 minutes (1-hour marinating time)

Cooking time: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients

50ml olive oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed

¼ tsp cracked pepper

Pinch of salt

¼ tsp chilli flakes

1tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

2 lemons, one juiced & zested, one cut into quarters

1kg chicken thighs

For the salad

1 red onion, peeled & finely sliced

20 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cucumber, roughly chopped

100g olives, pitted & drained

200g feta cheese, chopped

1tsp dried oregano

Freshly ground salt & pepper

Method

1.    In a large bowl add the oil, garlic, pepper, salt, chilli, oregano, thyme, juice and zest of one lemon and mix.  Add the chicken thighs, massage the marinade into the chicken, cover the bowl with cling film and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

2.    Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C/Gas Mark 6 and place the chicken and marinade into a roasting tin with the remaining lemon wedges.

3.    Roast for 45-50 minutes, basting occasionally until the chicken is browned and crispy.  Remove from the oven and set aside to rest.

4.    Meanwhile put the onion, tomatoes, cucumber and olives into a salad bowl and season to taste.

5.    Scatter with the feta, sprinkle over the oregano and toss through.  Now drizzle over the remaining lemon oil from the roasting tin.  Serve the salad with the chicken, enjoy!

Chicken, Avocado & Pancetta Salad

Chicken, Avocado & Pancetta Salad

This chicken salad recipe is the perfect summertime light bite.  The chicken & pancetta give depth of flavour and the lettuce, avocado and tomato give it freshness, finished with homemade honey & mustard dressing. Delicious!

Serves 2

Prep time:  10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Honey & Mustard Dressing

50ml water

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp caster sugar

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

120ml extra virgin olive oil

1tbsp wholegrain mustard

Freshly ground salt and pepper

For the salad

1tbsp olive oil

2 chicken breasts, skinned & butterflied

100g smoked pancetta, cubed

1 large baby gem lettuce

1 large handful baby spinach leaves

1 large avocado or 2 small avocados, sliced

10 baby plum tomatoes, halved

½ red onion, peeled & finely sliced

Method

1.    For the dressing, place the water, honey, Dijon mustard, sugar and white wine vinegar into a food processor and blitz.  Continue to run and drizzle in the oil slowly until the dressing begins to thicken.  Stir through the wholegrain mustard and season to taste.  The remaining dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

2.    For the salad, heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through It may take a lot longer depending on the thickness.  Remove from the pan, allow to rest and then slice into chunky strips.

3.    In the same pan, cook the pancetta until crispy and golden.  Transfer to kitchen roll to absorb the fat.

4.    In a salad bowl toss the lettuce, spinach, avocado, tomatoes, onions and 3 tbsp of dressing.  Divide between two serving plates, top with chicken, pancetta and the remaining dressing.  Enjoy!

Piri Piri Chicken

Piri Piri Chicken

This recipe is inspired by my recent trip to Portugal.  This recipe is easy to make and it tastes so good – increase the spice to suit your taste!

Serves 4

Prep time:  10 minutes plus marinating time

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the marinade

1 red chilli, deseeded

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 lemons, juice only

1tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp chilli flakes (more if desired)

1 tbsp ginger puree

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp caster sugar

For the chicken

1 kg chicken thighs

20g butter, melted

1 lemon, juice only

Handful fresh coriander, chopped

Method

1.    Blitz the marinade ingredients in a food processor.  Season to taste and add more chilli if you prefer more heat.

2.    Place the chicken thighs in a freezer bag and pour in the marinade, massage into the chicken, close the bag and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.

3.    Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas mark 7.  Put the chicken on a baking tray and reserve any remaining marinade.  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  Decrease the heat of the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas mark 6 and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

4.    Remove from the oven and allow to rest.  Mix the remaining marinade with the melted butter, juice of 1 lemon and the chopped coriander.  Brush the buttery mixture over the chicken and serve with your desired sides, enjoy!

NO BAKE COCONUT SNOWBALLS

NO BAKE COCONUT SNOWBALLS

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
3 tsp coconut oil
3 tbls maple syrup
2 tbls unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
organic dark chocolate
INSTRUCTIONS

Place 1 cup shredded coconut and 3 tsp coconut oil into the bowl of a food processor. Process on high speed, scraping down the sides every once in a while, until it reaches a butter consistency.
Add the maple syrup, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and salt and process on high speed until all of the ingredients have combined.
Add 3/4 cup of additional shredded coconut and process on high speed until all of the ingredients have combined and formed a batter.
Shape the coconut mixture into 1” balls and coat with the additional shredded coconut. Refrigerate for at last an hour or up to a week.
Bring to room temperature before serving.
Chocolate Snowballs
If you’d like to make these extra special, omit the final coating of shredded coconut in step 4 above. Allow the the shaped coconut balls to firm up in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. Once the coconut balls have firmed up, melt the dark chocolate in a small saucepan over medium heat. This should only take a minute or two. Once the chocolate is melted, dip the coconut balls into the melted chocolate and sprinkle them with the shredded coconut. Allow the chocolate to harden by placing the coconut balls back into the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.paragraph 2

TACO BRAID

TACO BRAID

INGREDIENTS

1 canister refrigerated pizza crust
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb. Zaycon Fresh 93 / 7 Super Lean Ground Beef
3 tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 cup Fiesta Blend shredded cheese, divided
1 tomato, diced, plus additional for top, if desired
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
Sour cream and taco sauce for serving, if desired
INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
in a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and cook until soft, about 3 – 5 minutes.
Add the Zaycon Fresh 93 / 7 Super Lean Ground Beef and cook until brown.
Add the Homemade Taco Seasoning and water and mix until well incorporated.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 – 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, transfer the piece of parchment to your work surface.
Place the pizza dough on the parchment and roll it so that it measures 10 X 15 – inches.
With a pizza cutter, make slices 1 1/2 – inches thick and 3 – inches in along both long sides of the dough.
Place the ground beef down the center of the dough.
Cover the beef with 3/4 cup of cheese and then add the diced tomato.
Beginning at one end of the braid, fold the end up and wrap the first two slices over to secure it.
Repeat the wrapping with the remaining slices just until the last two.

Salted Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Dip

Salted Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Dip

INGREDIENTS

Dip
8 ounces Cream Cheese – softened
1 Cup Marshmallow Creme
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Dulche de Leche
Topping
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
2 Tablespoons Dulche de Leche
1/2 teaspoon Milk
Maldon Salt Flakes
INSTRUCTIONS

Dip
Mix cream cheese, marshmallow creme, powdered sugar and dulche de leche until fully combined. Transfer to serving bowl.
Topping
Top dip with chopped pecans.
In microwave safe bowl; microwave dulche de leche 10-15 seconds. Stir in milk. Drizzle over dip and pecans.
Sprinkle with salt flakes.
Serve with apples and cookies.
Notes
Makes approximately 2 cups

5 MINUTE 4 INGREDIENT NO BAKE CHEESECAKE

5 MINUTE 4 INGREDIENT NO BAKE CHEESECAKE

INGREDIENTS

1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 8 ounce (250g) tub of cool whip (whipping cream)
1/3 cup of lemon or lime juice
1 8 ounce (250g) package of cream cheese.
INSTRUCTIONS

Most important part of this recipe, is to leave the cream cheese out for a couple hours at room temperature. The cream cheese will become soft and smooth. The importance of this is to create a smooth texture. Not doing so, will create horrible lumps of cream cheese that will ruin the flavor of this pie.
After your cream cheese is softened enough, I like to see if it will spread easily with a plastic spatula. In a mixing bowl, mix all before mentioned ingredients. Please note: the lemon/lime juice must come last. The reaction of the citrus juice will start to harden your mixture almost immediately.
On the low speed of you hand mixer, blend well. Around 2 minutes of so is plenty, just make sure all ingredients are incorporated. Immediately pour mixture into a waiting graham crust or for those of us that can’t have the gluten, I opt for muffin cups. Refrigerate for an hour to and hour and a half and viola

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Ball

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Ball

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup Reese’s spreads
3 tbs. brown sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, Reese’s spread, and brown sugar together in a bowl using a mixer.
Place mixture on top of a piece of wax paper and pull all ends of paper into middle to create a ball out of the mixture.
Place ball of cheese into a ziploc bag and place in freezer for 2 hours.
Pull out of freezer and remove from bag and wax paper, gently form the ball into a round circle and once you have desired shape spread the mini chocolate chips across a plate.
Roll your ball over the chocolate chips coating all sides. Gently push chocolate chips in until all sides are covered.
Place ball back in fridge to firm up.
Serve with apples, nilla wafers, graham crackers or more for an appetizer cheese spread!

PEANUT BRITTLE

PEANUT BRITTLE

INGREDIENTS

Makes 1 pound
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup peanuts
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda
INSTRUCTIONS

1.Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside.
2.In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.
3.Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14×12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces

The Secret to Making the Perfect Chocolate & Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

The Secret to Making the Perfect Chocolate & Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups instant oats
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium sauce pan, add butter, sugar, milk and cocoa. Place on medium heat.
While you wait for the mixture to begin to boil, measure out your peanut butter and oats and have your vanilla jar handy. (once this process gets started – you have to work quickly)
Bring the mixture in the sauce pan to a rolling boil – once it is at a full boil – boil for 1 minute and 15 seconds.
Remove from the heat immediately.
Add in the peanut butter – stir. Add in the oats – stir. Add in the vanilla – stir.
Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with wax paper.
Let cool for 30 minutes or until set

TACO SPAGHETTI TO DIE FOR

TACO SPAGHETTI TO DIE FOR

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning
1 (10-ounce can) Ro*Tel® Mild Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 ounces spaghetti
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Roma tomato, diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until beef has browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; stir in taco seasoning. Drain excess fat.
Stir in Ro*Tel®, tomato paste, spaghetti and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes.
Remove from heat and top with cheeses. Cover until melted, about 2 minutes.
Serve immediately, garnished with tomato and cilantro, if desired.

Trisha Yearwood Apple Dumplings

Trisha Yearwood Apple Dumplings

INGREDIENTS

2 Granny Smith apples
1 lemon
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 canned buttermilk biscuits
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Peel, core and slice the apples vertically into 8 slices each. Squeeze the lemon into a bowl of water and add the apple slices to keep from turning brown.
In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup water, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the butter and vanilla. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil over medium heat.
Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Wrap a biscuit layer around a slice of apple, stretching the biscuit slightly to overlap, and seal on the bottom. Place the wrapped slices, sealed-side down, in a 9- by 12- by 2-inch casserole dish. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the apple slices. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture over the tops of the wrapped apples. Bake until golden brown, 35 minutes.

ITALIAN BAKE

ITALIAN BAKE

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds chicken breasts (cooked & cut into bite size pieces)
6 Italian sausage links
2 jars or spaghetti sauce (I use Hunt’s in the can – cheaper & just as good!)
1 pound of pasta, penne, macaroni, shells or what ever you like
1 large package of pizza cheese
1 onion
2 large bell peppers – red & green, cut into chunks
INSTRUCTIONS

Cut up chicken, onion, peppers and sausage.
Boil pasta and drain (don’t over cook)
Mix pasta, sausage, onion, peppers, chicken and sauce.
Put in a large deep dish. If it won’t all fit, make a little side dish to freeze for lunch later.
Top heavily with cheese.
Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Peach Roll Up Dessert

Peach Roll Up Dessert

INGREDIENTS

2 whole large peaches.
2 (8 oz) cans of crescent rolls.
2 sticks of butter.
1-½ cup of sugar.
1 tsp of vanilla.
Cinnamon.
1 (12 oz) can of mountain dew.
INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350° and butter a 9×13 pan.
First prepare the peaches. Peel and pit them then cut into 8 slices. Roll each peach slice in a crescent roll and arrange in the pan.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the sugar and vanilla.
Pour the butter mixture over the peaches and the mountain dew around the edges.
Sprinkle a little cinnamon over the top and bake for 40 minutes.
Easy, peasy and sweet! This will make the perfect dessert! You can choose any fruit you like, but I can assure you that peaches are the best! Give it a try, you won’t regret it.

FRESH BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE WITH HOMEMADE CRUST

FRESH BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE WITH HOMEMADE CRUST

INGREDIENTS

This blueberry cheesecake is so good because you use fresh blueberries and the crust is homemade.
Nutty Graham Cracker Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (Can roll with rolling pin or use food processor until finely ground)
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (Could use quick-cooking oats)
1/2 cup ground walnuts or nuts of your choice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine or 8 tablespoons, melted
Combine all ingredients and press into a sprayed 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Cream Cheese Filling (This is like the cherry cream cheese pie filling we have all made before)
INSTRUCTIONS

1 (8 ounce package) cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (Not evaporated milk)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine ingredients and mix on high for 3 or 4 minutes. Pour over cooled crust. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Fresh Blueberry Topping
2 cups fresh blueberries (you could use frozen)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Combine all topping ingredients except lemon juice and bring to boil on top of the stove stirring constantly so as not to burn. Cook for 2 minutes to thicken. Remove from stove, stir in lemon juice and let cool. Pour over cheesecake after it has been refrigerated for 3 hours.
Keep this cheesecake refrigerated. Makes about 10 to 12 servings. Enjoy! Note: You could use any fresh fruit with this recipe such as strawberries or blackberries.