April Menu ~ 2013

Spring has officially arrived and with it comes some great eating. It’s almost time to pull out the grill and make some awesome Balsamic Grilled Chicken (I’ve been craving that!) or make a Caprese Pasta Salad or some Black Bean Taquitos.

Hot Hamburger Plate (Number One’s birthday) and Caramel Cake

Oven Baked Tacos with Crock Pot Pinto Beans and Pico de Gallo

Balsamic Grilled Chicken with Pesto Parmesan Green Beans and Oven Roasted Potatoes

Cheeseburger Salad

Black Bean Taquitos with Salad and Mexican Rice

Caprese Pasta Salad

Romano-Crusted Chicken with Skillet Veggies and Cheesy Pesto Bread

Pan-Seared Tuna Steaks with Lima Bean Butter 

 Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese

Taco Cornbread Pizza

Chicken and Rice Pilaf with Roasted Asparagus

~ Recipes I am working on this month ~

Chili Lime Chicken Fiesta Salad with Chili Lime Ranch

Poor Man’s Mongolian Beef

Wonton Taco Cups

Amazing Cashew Chicken

Poached Salmon with Sour Cream & Dill Dressing 

Beer Battered Fish & Chips

Chicken Asadero Chimichanga

Artichoke Crusted Chicken

Eggplant Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

Asian Chicken Pizza with Peanut Sauce

Crock Pot Chipotle Chicken Tacos

~ Sides ~

Smoked Salmon & Creme Fraiche Bruschetta

Macaroni Salad

Spinach Squares

Cheesy Stuffed Zucchini with Ragu

Asparagus Feta Tart

Crispy Parmesan Baked Potaotes

Arancini w/ Marinara

Homemade French Bread

~ Desserts ~

A Little Bit of Everything Cookie Bars

Raspberry Coconut Squares

30 Minute Mini-Cini Buns

Margarita Cupcakes

Romano-Crusted Chicken

If you missed my first post for today, click here and read Ghirardelli, anyone?

I got this recipe from an Every Day with Racheal Ray magazine. It’s actually called Parmigiano-Reggiano-Crusted Chicken Piccata, but you know me, I’ve gotta change up a recipe!

First, I used Romano Cheese, and it was delicious. Next, I didn’t have any lemon slices, but I did have lemon juice (from one of those plastic lemons); no fresh parsley, but I did have dried; no spinach, but I did have collard greens (lucky thing I cooked up a batch yesterday); I did not have fresh garlic, but I did have chopped from a jar; and no capers, which would officially make it a non-picatta at that point anyway. I don’t really care for capers.

After I browned the chicken, I deglazed the pan with about a tablespoon of lemon juice and threw in 2 teaspoons of chopped garlic. I let it sizzle for a few seconds before I added the wine and parsley (about 1 tablespoon of dried parsley). I let it simmer for a few minutes to cook the alcohol off a bit before I added the chicken broth, allowing for another minute of slight bubbling. Then I cut up the butter and let it melt before stirring. I spooned some of the sauce over the chicken and then added the collards to the rest of the sauce. I also poured out the pasta water before I realized I should have reserved some, but no matter, the dish did not suffer. Then I took the sauce and turned it into the pasta (I used corkscrew pasta because I had some leftover from a previous meal), then tossed in 1/8 cup of grated parmesan cheese.

I also served this dish with frozen lima beans steamed in chicken broth. The boys ate it all up!

Since I am not doing pasta right now, I made myself some sweet potato mash. All I did was cook up 2 sweet potatoes and mash them with 2 T. butter. Add a little salt to taste – yum! And there’s a whole serving leftover for my lunch tomorrow