Roasted Broccoli and Carrots

This one is short and sweet.  It's one of my new favorite side dishes.  The other day my mom was making the standard steamed broccoli when I suggested we roast it.  "Roasted broccoli!??" was the reaction I got.  As incredulous as she was at first, she's now made it 3 times for dinner.  I think I won that debate.

You'll need:

- 1 head of broccoli
- about 10 baby carrots
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- a teaspoon of seasoned salt
- a dash of pepper
- zest from one lemon, and about a tablespoon of lemon juice
- grated parmesan cheese (too taste)

Ok! Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Cut up your carrots into fourths lengthwise, and break apart your broccoli until you have decent sized florets.  Should look like this.

Place onto a cookie sheet and drizzle with your olive oil, and salt and pepper.  I've also added some parsley here because I am a rebel, feel free to experiment!  Toss everything together and spread everything out so it's in one layer.  Throw it in the oven for approximately 25 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, I get prepared with the cheese, and zest the lemon ahead of time.  Make sure not to grate your thumb while zesting like I did.  Courtzilla STRIKES AGAIN.

After 25 minutes or until the broccoli has started to brown up at the edges, remove and grate the fresh parmesan over the warm broccoli and carrots.  Add the zest and lemon juice at this time as well, and give it a toss.  Serve with your favorite comfort food!

Meatloaf meatball recipe is coming up next.... EVERYONE IS EXCITED.

Enjoy!

Courtzilla

Dill Chicken Salad

Ok, when you think of the words "chicken salad" what do you think of? I think of crappy restaurant choices and disappointments. Depressing, I realize. THAT NEEDED TO CHANGE. Whenever I order chicken salad, I'm always thinking eh...it's ok. Unless I'm at Penn Station, but I'm fairly certain they put some sort of crack in their recipe.

Chicken salad is one of those classic lunch recipes that can be so individualized, that everyone has a "chicken salad, my way" recipe. Well, you do if you're me. And here's mine.

You'll need:
- A cut up whole chicken. I believe they're called "fryer chicken".
- 1/3 cup low fat mayo
- 1/3 cup light sour cream
- handful of fresh dill
- pinch 'o paprika
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- salt and pepper
- 2-3 stalks of chopped up celery
- couple handfuls of halved grapes
- green onions if you've got any (oh wait, I didn't)

Ok! First - the chicken. The main component. The heart of the meal.

Rinse off the raw chicken, and place it in a pot of water. A BIG pot.

Put the pot on the stove, and bring to a boil. Once it hits the boil point for around 5 minutes, bring the heat down to a simmer. You'll want to let it sit and cook for about 40 minutes.


While the chicken is bubbling away in it's hot bath, I start the sauce! Basically, you'll want to combine your sour cream, mayo, salt, pepper, paprika, lemon juice, brown sugar, and whatever else floats your boat into a small bowl. Pretty sure I added some other stuff, but I'm so behind on posting I can't be bothered to remember.


Just mix that all together! You can also chop up your dill and add it to the sauce at this point.


Have you ever had fresh dill? It adds a distinctly pickle-y flavor, and I don't have to add weird pickle texture. It's the best compromise ever.

Okie dokie. When your chicken is done, take it outta the pot.



At this point you can do one of two things. I like my chicken salad chunky, so i rip the meat off the bone and chop it into cute chunks. Some people like their chicken salad all one texture - if that's your preference, go ahead and shred up all the chicken with two forks at this point.

Then, add the chicken to a bowl with your chopped up veggies, like so!



COLORS.

Guess what the last step is.

Dump in your sauce, and MIX!!



Yummo! Put it on a bun, or on some lettuce with some cute cherry tomatoes! Go crazy and TOAST the bun. I know, I know, I push you too far.



Hello, lover. Slash lunch for the next 4 days.

Enjoy!

<3 Courtzilla

Blueberry Crisp

So I made that apple crisp before, and it was pretty good. The maple was a nice touch, but the topping was a little lacking for me. I found a new method that really pumps up the crunch factor. Definitely use this recipe and tweak it how you like.

Easy and delicious, it is extremely difficult to mess this up. Blueberries are so great right now at the farmer's markets, but if you find raspberries, peaches, apples, blackberries, you get the idea, they all work wonderfully with this dish. It's a great summer dessert with some vanilla ice cream!

You'll need...

• 1 cup Blueberries (or Any Fresh Fruit), Washed
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
• ⅔ cups Brown Sugar, Packed
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Quick Cooking Oats
• ⅓ cups Butter Or Margarine, Softened
• ¾ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Salt

This makes about 4 generous servings.

Ok, first, cut a lemon in half. OK you're done! Told you it was easy.


Just kidding, you caught me. Oh man, I'm such a joker.

In all seriousness-ish, lay the blueberries in a baking dish, and toss them in some freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 1/2 a lemon. This just gives them a nice zing when everything is said and done. Wakes 'em up. Gives 'em some pep.


Ok...now mix everything else in a big bowl! I find it's easier to melt the butter a little in the microwave.


You'll want to mix everything together, until it's kinda in little lumps. Lumps = more buttery crunch. Definite plus when it comes to something with "crisp" in the name.

While I was fantasizing about buttery crunch, my roommate was making his lunch for the next day. This is what he was making.


Lettuce. He eats a salad and a chicken boob just about every day for lunch. A whole head of romaine. Quick poll, which do you prefer. Lettuce? Or buttery blueberry crisp?
...
....
Yeah, I said lettuce too.

At this point, while you want to scatter the topping all over the blueberries, and stick it in an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees.


Ok, give it a half hour. Do your nails. Watch Family Guy. Read TFLN like me.

Come back to THIS.


Want to know what I had for dinner that night?


God I disgust myself.

My roommates are also disgusted with me.


Awww they're really cute underneath the hostile exterior. BTdubs, that bucket in the foreground is full of fresh corn. Gotta love Illinois.

Enjoy!

<3 Courtzilla

Greek Style Chicken

Mediterranean foods are some of my absolute favorite flavors. The ingredients are so simple, but pack a great punch. It helps that the majority of them are fairly healthy for you too... so when I eat 2 pieces of chicken I don't feel THAT bad about it.

I was making this for the boys across the street, so I've got some limited pictures... but this recipe is so simple I don't see how that would hamper you at all.

You'll need:

- 4 chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tsp of minced garlic
- about a 1/2 tbsp of oregano (dried)
- 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
- plenty of salt and pepper

Ok! Basically.... put ALL the ingredients in a zip lock bag, and mush it around so everything is coated in the marinade. Put it in the fridge for at least a half hour, so the chicken soaks up all the goodness. If you get some lemon seeds in there, it's not a big deal. You can pick them off when you're grilling the chicken.

You can also use this base marinade for some cut up potatoes. Makes for a great flavor when you roast them!


Please forgive my craptastic photography.

After you've let it marinade a bit... throw it on the grill! .... orrrrr grill pan! .... or saute pan!


Ok, so basically you just want to cook the chicken until it's no longer pink, and the juices run clear. I cooked it over a medium flame and it took about 7 - 8 minutes on each side, but this will vary depending on the plumpness of your chicken boob. If you want, before you put it in the marinade you can pound them flat to help even out the cooking time.

And... that's seriously it.


I served it with the green bean salad and some pesto cous cous, which is basically store bought cous cous and some stirred in basil pesto. It gave it a punch of flavor.

The chicken will have this really subtle lemon flavor, and the marinade keeps it juicy and delicious! It's a great easy summer meal for sure.

Enjoy!

<3 Courtzilla