Herbed Crusted Tilapia was a game changer for me. Fish is good for you and our diets should include fish at least once a week. I know that. The thing is, all of my life I’ve lived on one end or the other of the Great Plains and now live smack in the middle. That’s where animals roam – Angus and Hereford cattle, Yorkshires and Berkshires (pigs and yes, Mr. Buffet’s “live” stock, too), even chickens, turkeys and ostrich, buffalo and deer. But fish . . . Fish came as breaded sticks in plastic bags. Or in a box frozen into a solid chunk that had to be defrosted, then the slick stuff was dunked in egg and crushed crackers. And ended up tasting pretty much like the already breaded and bagged fish. Nothing to write home about. Herbed Crusted Tilapia is freshly crispy, with a ... [Read More]
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Chicken Pot Pie aka Turkey Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie is a management dish. You know, one that uses up the leftover roast chicken and veggies, even gravy, in the refrigerator. Have leftover turkey? Substitute turkey for the chicken – turkey pot pie is great for holiday leftovers. That’s inventory control. Or on the time management side, you can bake one and freeze one. One is for dinner tonight and the other is wrapped in foil and frozen for a dinner later. Or make and freeze more than one batch as part of a make ahead or once a month cooking project. If you don’t have leftover chicken, grab a rotisserie chicken at the grocery. OR poach chicken breast in about three inches of water boiling in a deep skillet. Generally each piece of chicken breast yields about 1 cup of cubed meat so you’ll need two pieces of ... [Read More]
Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Grilled Balsamic Chicken can be prepared and frozen for serving at a later date – a great make ahead meal. Or it can be made a few hours ahead of time and left to marinate in the refrigerator for an evening meal. It has a little bit of balsamic tang to liven up the flavor of a nicely balanced mixture of herbs. Leftovers (if there are any!) can be sliced, warm or cold, atop a bed of salad greens for another meal. In a time crunch? Or missing one of the herbs? You can substitute 2-3 teaspoons of Italian seasoning for the herbs. Parsley, basil and oregano are basic in Italian seasoning. Depending on the brand you will find a combination of other herbs so the flavor will be somewhat different. But . . . in a pinch that works! Measure dried herbs into your hand and crush ... [Read More]
Hawaiian Party Burgers
Hawaiian style! Party on a bun. So quick, so easy to make; the sauce is just a little bit sweet and a little bit tangy. Your family and friends will love Hawaiian Party Burgers and think you worked really hard to make them special! I’ll never tell! When you pick up the package of King’s Hawaiian Rolls in the grocery, check to see which variety you have in your hand. It should say something like “savory butter rolls” or “original sweet” or even “honey wheat”. Did you know they also make a Jalepeno Roll? I didn’t until I was ready to use it. Oh my goodness – that’s hot and spicy!!!! Makes my eyes water even thinking about it! Probably really good if you like hot and spicy – but definitely not what I was expecting. Look before you buy! I also have used slider rolls. So ... [Read More]