Balsamic Chicken

Grocery List:
2-4 chicken breasts
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon brown sugar

Directions:
Broil your chicken about 4-5 inches from heat. This should be about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it. It should be a light brown and look like something you want to eat.

Over low to medium heat, begin to reduce the balsamic vinegar and the brown sugar in a small frying pan. Do not turn the heat up too much and continue stirring it. Eventually, you will be left with a dark brown reduction that is relatively thick. If it’s not going fast enough, you can increase the heat a bit. You do not want this to come to a boil.

When your chicken is done, drizzle the balsamic reduction over the chicken. The reduction is quite tasty, however, you can easily overpower your chicken. Use lightly.

Notes:
I make this meal when I feel the need for a lot of flavor but need a quick cleanup. In addition, I make a quick side to go with this, such as rice, noodles, etc.

Source:
I borrowed the reduction part of the recipe from the http://www.mayoclinic.com/.

Lemon and Herb Pasta

Boil water and little chop-chop of a few herbs and you're done! My favorite part, aside from the meal itself, is the easy clean-up. In the end, you'll end up using only a small bowl, large pot, strainer, knife and cutting board.

Grocery List
3-4 cups of penne pasta (You can use more or less dependent upon need. You can also substitute different pastas)*
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
Dash of crushed red pepper/or ground black pepper to taste
**1-2 cloves minced garlic**
***optional 2 grilled/broiled chicken breasts***

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until done; drain.

While pasta is cooking, chop parsley and onion (and minced garlic if you choose to use it). In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper. Mix lemon and oil mixture well and toss with the pasta. Add parsley and onion (and garlic) and mix more. Serve hot or cold.

Notes:
*Remember that if you choose to make more pasta, you’ll have to adjust the following ingredients. My advice: Forget the math and eyeball it. It makes for an exciting kitchen.*

**Some people do not like raw garlic. It’s a little potent and can turn a dish spicy. I’d only add this if you have tried it in the past or really enjoy garlic.**

***As an option, you can broil or grill two chicken breasts, slicing them into edible chunks and tossing them in with the parsley and onion. This is not at all necessary, however, it makes for a great addition.***

Source:
I can’t quite remember where I got this recipe from. When I cook it, it’s usually off the top of my head.

Gingered Pepper Steak

Quick and tasty…

Grocery List:
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. corn starch
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ c. soy sauce
1 tbs. white wine vinegar
1 lb. beef flank steak, thinly sliced*
2 medium green peppers (I've used one green and one red for color, not necessary though.)
1 tbs. cooking oil.

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, ginger, soy sauce and vinegar. Mix well, add the beef and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the green peppers in your cooking oil for about 3 minutes. Don’t overcook them until they are droopy! Remove peppers with a slotted spoon and keep warm. (I usually put them on a plate and set them in the microwave, without turning the microwave on.) Add beef from your bowl with marinade to the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes (or done to your liking). Return the peppers to the pan, stir together until heated through.

Notes
*Increase the amount of meat to feed more people/the higher quality of beef you use will impact the quality of the meal.

I usually cook this with instant rice as a side. ½ cup of rice per person that I am cooking for.

Source:
Taste of Home Cookbook

Pepper Lime Chicken

Pepper Lime Chicken:
2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (depending on how many mouths you feed)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon cooking oil (vegetable, olive, etc)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 teaspoon dried basil or thyme (crushed)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more or less to taste.
1/4 teaspoon salt
(You can add 1 teaspoon of freshly shredded lime peel, but it is not necessary. I survived and enjoyed the meal many times without it.)

Instructions:
Broil the chicken about 5 inches from heat for about 15-20 minutes, until cooked/slightly browned. While chicken is cooking, mix together in a small bowl the lime juice, cooking oil, garlic, basil/thyme, pepper and salt. (If you choose to use the shredded lime peel, throw that in as well.) After 15-20 minutes of cooking time, apply the pepper lime mixture to the chicken. Turn the chicken and glaze the other side. Cook for additional 5 minutes.

Notes:
You can use chicken on the bone, however, I prefer the simplicity of boneless and skinless chicken. You may have to adjust your cooking time if you choose to use chicken on the bone.

Source:
Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, 75th Anniversary Edition.