Chicken Piccata Re-Do...

I was trying to make Chicken Piccata the other night and after getting started I realized I was out of capers, which makes the whole meal for me. I wanted to try something that would give the meal some of the tangy flavor that the capers give off so here's what I ended up doing and it was AWESOME...

Breading Ingredients:

1 cup flour (seasoned with salt and pepper)
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. stone ground dijon mustard
2 cups Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Mix eggs and mustard together (this is the FANTASTICAL part)
Dredge chicken breasts in flour, then egg and mustard mixture, then in Panko.
Fry in oil until cooked through. During the last few minutes off cooking, deglaze pan with white wine and add the zest and juice of one fresh lemon.

Summer Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. corkscrew pasta
1/4 cup EVOO
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used Panco)
1 lb. zucchini (about 3), thinly sliced
4 ears corn, kernels removed
6 oz. swiss cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions; reserved 1/2 cup cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add half the garlic and cook until golden, about 30 seconds. Stir in breadcrumbs and remove from the heat.

In the reserved pasta pot, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and cook until golden, about 30 seconds; add zucchini and cook until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the corn, cooked pasta, and reserved cooking water. Add swiss cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture and parmesan over dish just before serving.

**Add in cooked chicken for extra protein!

Grilled Herbed Pork Tenderloin

This is another SUPER easy meal - blend everything together, marinade, and grill. Plus, it tastes awesome!! We sliced up some zucchini from the garden, sprinkled it with TS seasoning salt, and grilled it right along with the pork. It was delish!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (I cheated and just used the stuff in the carton)
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. grated lemon rind
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 (or more) cloves garlic, peeled
2 (heaping) tbsp. dijon mustard
1 pork tenderloin

Directions:

Combine first five ingredients in a blender or food processor, process until almost smooth. Pour mixture into a large, heavy duty zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better), turning occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove pork from marinade (discard marinade). Place pork on grill rack and cook for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 150 degrees, turning pork after 15 minutes. Remove from grill, cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Sweet Broccoli Beef

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. flank steak
6 oz. fresh broccoli (3 cups)
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tbsp. teriyaki sauce (I used Yoshidas)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. fresh minced garlic
1 tbsp. fresh minced ginger (I used the stuff in the tube)
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
Hot cooked white rice

Directions:

Thinly slice meat across the grain into bite size strips.

In a large bowl, toss together beef strips, broccoli, marmalade, hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds. Add mixture to a large, hot skillet or wok. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir fry for 5-7 minutes or until meat is cooked but still pink in the center and broccoli is tender.

Spoon mixture out of skillet with a slotted spoon and serve over rice.

Chinese Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. soy sauce
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. bottled ground fresh ginger

Directions:

Combine soy sauce, broth, hoisin, cornstarch, and honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk sauce over heat until the mixture begins to thicken; remove from heat.

Use as a dipping sauce for egg rolls or on pork or chicken stir fry.

One-Dish Chicken Skillet

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup butter, divided
1 (6 oz.) pkg. of Stove Top stuffing mix
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (cream of mushroom with garlic is even better!)
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

Mix hot water, butter, and stuffing mix in a medium bowl.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes on each side, or until browned.

Mix soup and sour cream; pour over chicken and stir to coat. Top with stuffing; cover. Cook on low heat until chicken is cook through (165 degrees). During the last 2 minutes of cooking, sprinkle with half the cheese. Cover and let cheese melt. Top with remaining cheese just before serving.