GRILLED GARLIC LEMON CHICKEN AND CREAMY COLESLAW

Do you ever get in a dinner rut???  You've got chicken in the freezer, but just don't know what to do with it.  Last night I was dealing with that same dillema.  DH is not a big fan of chicken....but I really like it.  So when I make it...it's GOTTA be good!!  Last night when he came home from work and stepped out onto the back patio he was like "whatcha cooking???  It smells GOOOOOOD!!!"   YAY!!!  Lucky for me it tasted just as good as it smelled!  I paired it with some CREAMY COLESLAW (recipe below), a squash salad (will get a recipe and pic next time I get more squash) and some garlic bread.

If you are not handy with a knife, you can actually buy half a chicken cut up like this at some grocery stores. 

GRILLED GARLIC LEMON CHICKEN

1 whole chicken, cut in half

1/4 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Kosher salt

juice of 1 lemon

pepper

Preheat gas grill to medium heat.  Pour olive oil into a small bowl and stir in crushed garlic; set aside.  Thoroughly wash and dry chicken and place on metal cookie sheet or any pan that has sides.  Cut a small slit in the skin of each breast, brush  entire chicken with garlic/oil mixture. With remaining mixture use fingers to rub into the slit (under the skin) of each breast.  Sprinkle with lemon juice, then salt and pepper.  Place chicken (inside down) on a piece of foil on the grill (this helps to prevent burning from fat dripping off of the skin, but BE CAREFUL, the fat will pool and it WILL ignite if it flows off of the foil).  When the inside of the chicken is browned turn over to brown the skin (you can remove the foil at this time if you want a little more crunch to the skin).  When the chicken reaches 180 degrees internal temp or when cut there is no visible pink, it is done (approx 45 mins)

A food processor makes this recipe come together quickly!!



CREAMY COLESLAW

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4-1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1 TBSP sugar

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large glass or plastic bowl. 

1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded or chopped (4 cups)

1 small carrot, shredded (1/2 cup)

1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)

Add remaining igredients; toss until evenly coated. 

Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors. 

IMITATION CRAB SALAD

With some VERY hot summer days upon us I decided we needed something cool to eat for lunch.  This Imitation Crab Salad is so tasty and has a nice crunch to it!  I served it on Artisan Rolls (bought in the freezer section and baked at home) but think it would be good wrapped up in a tortilla or just served on a bed of lettuce.

ITIMATION CRAB SALAD

1 (8oz) pkg imitation crab meat, thawed and chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
2TBSP red onion, minced
1/3 cup mayonnaise  (I substituted about 2 TBSP Miracle Whip for a touch of sweet)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well.  Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. (we couldn't wait and ate after ours after 1/2 hour).

Makes 4 servings

GREEK SALAD DRESSING

I believe Kristi Fields brought this salad dressing to my house for a meal one evening and passed on the recipe to me.  It has an amazing flavor!!!

GREEK SALAD DRESSING

2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tspBlack Pepper
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mix ingredients together in a cruet or bowl. Serve immediately. Refrigerate unused portion.

ROASTED RED PEPPER DRESSING

ROASTED RED PEPPER DRESSING

1 Plain Non-fat Yogurt (I used Dannon)
1 7 oz. jar (drained) roasted red peppers (I used Sun of Italy)
1 clove garlic
sea salt to taste

Pulse in blender
(makes about 1 cup and only 105 calories in the total mix)

SOUTHWESTERN SALAD

Southwestern Salad
posted by Sandee


1/3 cup cilantro
½ cup lime juice (next time I will use a little less of this)
½ cup olive oil
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Romaine and spinach greens
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Mexicorn, drained
1 small can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, cubed
1 small package shredded Mexican 4-cheese blend
2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Blend cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, sour cream, sugar, salt and pepper In blender until smooth; set dressing aside. Layer remaining ingredients in a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over top and serve immediately.

GREEK SALAD

Greek Salad
posted by Sandee
serves 6-8

2 heads leaf lettuces of your choice
6 tomatoes
1/2 cucumber
1 bunch green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper
6 ounces feta cheese
12 kalamata olives

Wash and dry lettuce. Roll up the leaves and slice across to make shreds. Arrange them on a serving dish.

Cut tomatoes into quarters and arrange on lettuce. Score down side of cucumber with a fork or knife to make grooves, then slice cucumber and arrange on lettuce. Chop green onions and sprinkle them over the salad with mint and oregano.

In a bowl, mix together oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour over salad. Cut feta cheese into cubes and arrange on the salad with olives. Serve immediately.

HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING

HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING

5 TBS medium body honey (I used Tupelo)
3 TBS smooth Dijon mustard
2 TBS rice wine vinegar (I used sushi vinegar)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Serve as a dressing or a dip.

(This recipe was found on Food Network website -- it's Alton Brown's) I was trying to find a dressing that was low cal & low fat -- but still good. This is very good. The only thing I might change next time is use just a smidge less dijon -- only b/c I personally don't prefer a strong dijon taste. The total calories w/ ingredients I used came to 310 and it makes just under 3/4 cup--so if I did the math correctly a 2TBS serving was 62 calories.

TOMATO BASIL MOZZARELLA SALAD

TOMATO-BASIL-MOZZARELLA SALAD

3 large ripe tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), cut into 1/2" slices
12 fresh basil leaves
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4" strips
1 1/2 TBSPs olive oil
1 1/2 TBSPs lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Arrange tomato slices on a serving platter. Top each tomato slice with a basil leaf and a cheese strip.
Combine oil and lemon juice; drizzle over tomato salad. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Yield 6 servings


NOTE: I prefer Roma tomatoes as they are less watery. The more ripe the tomato the better the flavor. Vine ripened taste the best. You could also use balsamic vinegar in place of the lemon juice if you like for a more robust flavor.

or if you like you can chop everything up and toss in a bowl.  Looks beautiful as a side salad and tastes soooo fresh!!!

PASTA SALAD

Posted by Winnie

Here is a recipe my sis-in-law got from her sis-in-law so I can't stake claim to it. I've also not tried it, but Debbie says it is the "bomb diggity"!

The key to this recipe is making it the day before.

1 package small salad shells (cooked & drained)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup real may
1 green pepper (chopped)
1 bunch green onions (chopped)

Mix milk, sugar, vinegar, mayo, peppers & onions together and pour over shells, mix together. Let set overnight. The longer it sets the better it gets. It will look really dry after setting overnight, but just stir and will look good again. Enjoy...