Fiesta Chicken Breasts

When I was in high school, my mom made this marinade for chicken breasts often, and because it was so versatile, we rarely got tired of the recipe! I say "we" very loosely, my dad always complained when we had chicken, irregardless of how well my mom cooked it. I guess he was always more of a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy.

My mom served this chicken as a main dish, over salad, in wraps with sour cream, wild rice and pepperonci peppers (which I took to my crappy job in high school every day), and sometimes in tacos. This recipe is really easy, and if you have a grill skillet (which is how my mom and I make this recipe), you can enjoy this chicken dish any time of the year!

Fiesta Chicken Breasts

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Marinade:

Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon (~ 1 Tbs)

1 Tbs honey (or agave nectar)

1/2 tsp cumin (or Zesty Spice Mix)

1 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (1 tsp if using dried herbs)

2 Tbs olive oil

Procedure:

1. Pound the chicken breast halves to uniform 3/8"-1/2" thickness between two sheets of wax paper (this helps prevent the spread of salmonella, and keeps the kitchen cleaner in general).

2. Mix the marinade, and coat the chicken well on each side, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. *Do not allow the chicken to sit much longer than 5 minutes, as the acidity of the lime/lemon can degrade the meat if left too long.

3. Grill or broil until lightly browned.

4. Serve with Zesty Oven Fries as a side dish for a mini-barbecue, top a salad or make some fast and fresh chicken tacos! Be creative!

Zesty Oven Fries

Don't mistake these fries for sophisticated. Depending on the amount of spice you use, these fries can really pack a punch. My mom always served these with her "Mexican" marinaded chicken, which is a recipe soon to be posted. These home fries are great to serve as a side at a barbecue, or they can be plated nicely for more formal occasions. Give them a try without as much chili powder for less of a kick!

Zesty Oven Fries

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4-6 small red potatoes, washed, skins on

1/4 c olive oil or vegetable oil

1 Tbs Zesty Spice Mix*

* My mom makes her zesty spice mix in "bulk" in an old spice container. She passed one on to me whenever I went to college with the recipe on the label, and I've been using it ever since!

Zesty Spice Mix ratio:

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp creole seasoning (I use Emeril's Essence)

1 tsp chili powder

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.

2. Cut potatoes into home fries (quartered wedges), and place in a large bowl.

3. Coat the potatoes with the oil, then add the spice mix and coat thoroughly.

5. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake at 450F for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are crispy but tender.

6. Serve along side your favorite barbecue dish with ketchup for home fries, or with a cool cucumber dip for a more "fancy" take on the dish!

Kaye's Meatballs

I've never really been a huge fan of meatballs, and only in the last few years have I even eaten them at all. When I was little, my best friend LOVED my mom's meatballs, and always requested them whenever she came over for dinner. Now I understand why she was so crazy about them!

My husband said that these are the best meatballs he's had in a long time! My mom, Kaye, always had a special secret that made her meatballs the best: she'd simmer them in the pasta sauce for a while before serving, adding flavor both to the sauce and to the meatballs!

Kaye's Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 1b lean ground beef

1 small chopped onion (or about 1 tsp onion powder)

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 Tbs dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

0. Preheat oven to 375F.

1. Mix all ingredients until homogeneous, but do not over-mix or compact the meat too much.

2. Shape into golf ball sized balls, being careful not to compact the meat, as this makes for very dense, less tasty meatballs.

3. Place the meatballs evenly on a slotted rack over a drip pan lined with aluminum foil. This allows for the fat (gag), to drip through.

4. Bake at 375F for about 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are brown and sizzling.

5. Serve immediately by simmering for about 10 minutes in pasta sauce, or freeze for later use.

Lemon Bars

This recipe came from a cookbook my mom recently sent me called "Cooking with the Horse & Buggy People II." The book is full of delicious, whole-food recipes and sweet anecdotes from the people who submitted the recipes.

These came out truly fantastic! I'm still getting used to having a gas oven and using an oven thermometer (our oven doesn't "beep" whenever it is preheated, we just have to keep an eye on it). At any rate, these tasted great the next day! I do recommend making this dessert a day ahead so it has enough time to congeal and form more firm squares.

Lemon Bars

Makes 12 squares

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 c flour

1/4 c powdered sugar

1 c butter, softened

Filling:

2 c sugar

4 Tbsp flour

4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 eggs, beaten fluffy

Procedure:

1. Mix the crust ingredients together and press into a 2 L/2.2 quart glass pan (the pyrex size that is smaller than a 9"x13" but is not as small as an 8"x8"). Bake the crust at 325F for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Mix the sugar, flour and lemon juice until well combined. Add the beaten eggs and mix well.

3. Pour the filling over the hot crust, and bake at 325F for 25 minutes. A crust will form on the top of the bars, and the edges should be a light brown.

4. After removing the bars from the oven, dust them with powdered sugar while still hot.

5. After allowing the bars to cool, cut into squares and serve with tea (iced or hot) for a refreshing dessert!

Spicy Tacos

Man, these were some spicy tacos. Ordinarily, they would not have been so spicy. It just so happens that my rookie note-taking ability made me capitalize the "T" in tsp of chili powder, leading me to think it was a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon.

We were sweating.

Profusely. But boy, was it delicious. I recommend using 2 teaspoons of chili powder instead of 2 Tablespoons. Also, you may want to use 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper instead of 1 tablespoon. I'm writing the recipe below as I should have done it, not how I did it. If you like spice, and are adventurous, go for it: use 2 Tbs chili powder and 1 Tbs cayenne pepper, but have some water nearby :).

Spicy Tacos

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Taco seasoning mix:

2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp paprika

(mix spices thoroughly before adding to ground beef)

1lb lean ground beef

1/3 cup hot water

4-6 flour tortillas, warmed

1 diced roma tomato

4 leaves of lettuce, shredded

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, colby-jack, monterey jack, whatever you like)

Procedure:

1. Brown the ground beef in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Drain, and return to skillet.

2. Add the spices and water to the ground beef in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the meat has absorbed the flavors, and the sauce has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat.

3. Build the tacos in whatever way you enjoy the most! I like to add the meat first, then the other toppings, not really in any particular order. Be creative!

This is a picture of a taco that was made a while ago...I guess I was too hungry whenever I made these tacos to take a picture of the final product!