Bacon Wrapped Rosemary Chicken

recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

 Ingredients

• 2 tbs. EVOO
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dried rosemary, minced
• 8 pieces good quality boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 slices bacon
• Drizzle balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Heat a double burner grill pan, griddle pan, or outdoor grill over medium-high heat.
2. Pour EVOO into a shallow dish and add the garlic and rosemary.
3. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, to taste, and add them to the garlic mixture. Turn to coat. Wrap the chicken pieces in bacon. Grill for 12 minutes, turning occasionally.
4. Serve 2 pieces of chicken for each serving.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve. Serves 4.

Roasted Balsamic Vegetables

Ingredients

• 5 yellow squash, cubed
• 3 zucchini squash, cubed
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 5 roma tomatoes, cubed
• 2 tbs. EVOO
• 2 tbs. Basalmic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss vegetables in EVOO and vinegar and spread on roasting sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 30 to 40 minutes in oven, turning once.  Serves 6.

Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

recipe courtesy of smittenkitchen.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, softened
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (I often use a half teaspoon, but I like more salt in my baked goods)
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.
3. At this point you can either chill the dough for a bit in the fridge and then scoop it, or scoop the cookies onto a sheet and then chill the whole tray before baking them. You could also bake them right away, if you’re impatient, but I do find that they end up slighly less thick.
4. The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Note:  This recipe is neither dairy or gluten free.

 Garlic Roasted Shrimp

 Ingredients

• 1 lb. raw white shrimp, peeled
• 1 tbs. EVOO
• 1 tbs. lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Toss shrimp in oil, lemon juice, and garlic.  Let marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread shrimp on roasting sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 5 to 6 minutes.  Serves 2.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients

• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 1/2 c. cooked lentils
• 1 c. cooked basamati rice
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbs. canola oil
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Slice tops off green peppers and reserve.  Hollow out the inside of each pepper.  
2. In a separate bowl combine lentils, rice, garlic, oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Stuff mixture down inside peppers and place reserved tops on peppers.
3. Place peppers in baking dish and cook at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Serves 2.  

Note: You can use whatever leftover cooked vegetables you have on hand to stuff the peppers.  Additionally you may use different spices to mix in with the rice and lentils.  I made an Italian style pepper with oregano, basil, marjoram, and rosemary.  A Mexican style pepper could be made by mixing in cumin, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.

Sausage with Garlic Lentils

recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound lentils
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 small onion, peeled and halved
• 4 large cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 fresh sausages, pork, chicken or lamb, hot or sweet
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Cover lentils by 2 inches with water, add bay and onion and bring to a boil. Boil lentils 20 to 22 minutes until just tender but with a little bite left to them.
2. In a shallow pastabowl combine the garlic and about 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and let stand 15 minutes.
3. Place sausages in a small pan and add 1/4-inch water and 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, a little drizzle. Bring water to a boil then reduce heat to medium-high. Let the water simmer away 8 minutes or so, then crisp the casings 3 to 4 minutes more.
4. Remove bay and onion from lentils. Toss hot lentils with garlic oil, parsley and salt and pepper. Serve with sausages on top.