sauteed chicken with artichoke hearts and lemon

This recipe is a "go to" meal for me, when I have unexpected company or just need a quick dinner meal.  We all love it and it satisfies all tasted preferences.

Sautéed Chicken with Artichoke Hearts and Lemon Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

½ cup garbanzo bean flour (or whole wheat flour)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cracked pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

¾ cup chicken stock

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

½ cup white wine

1 can quarter artichoke hearts, drained

1 tbsp heavy whipping cream

1 tbsp butter

S&P to taste

Trim chicken breast of fat

Place in plastic bag and pound until flat and about ½ inch thick

 Mix the garbanzo bean flour, salt and pepper together and place in shallow bowl

Dredge chicken and lightly dust off excess flour

Heat olive oil in large non-stick skillet and place chicken, loosely in pan, don’t crowd

Peel and crush garlic and place on top of each chicken breast.

Sauté for about 5 minutes on medium heat, until golden in color.  Flip chicken over and place garlic on top of each breast, if the garlic is left in the pan it will get bitter.  Sauté until both sides golden and chicken cooked through. 

Remove chicken to plate and let rest.

Turn heat to medium under pan and deglaze using the chicken stock.  Stir and loosen all pan dripping from the bottom and continue to cook until volume is reduced to about ½.

Add the lemon juice, white wine and artichoke hearts and continue over heat until reduced to about ½.

Place chicken breast back into the sauce and coat both sides.

Place one breast on each plate and top with the artichoke hearts and sauce.  Serve with Fire Roasted Sweet Bell Peppers, recipe to follow.

Fire Roasted Sweet Bell Peppers with Goat Cheese, Olive Oil and Balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients:

3 sweet bell peppers, one each red, yellow and orange

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

¼ cup chopped basil

4 ounces crumbled goat cheese

S&P to taste

Split each pepper and clear of seeds and membranes.

Place skin side up on foil lined broiler pan and place under broiler until skin is charred and puffing up. 

Remove peppers from oven and place in a paper bag and let steam for 10 minutes.

Remove from bag and peel off the skin.

Cut into ½ inch strips

Place on dish and top with goat cheese

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Sprinkle pine nuts and basil on top

S&P to taste

raspberry lemon cake

• We have the capacity to give and recieve love and the greatest Love that is freely our's to recieve, is the love of Jesus.   As Christians, Easter has a very special meanings, sacrifice, pain but ultimately the hope of eternal life through the risen Savior. 
• We are celebrating today the upcoming Easter season, by preparing a light and lively raspberry-lemon cake.  The frosting is italian meringue and it is decorated with handmade sugar cookies, prepared by Austin and Zachary.  I hope you will spend time with loved ones and sahre the hope and joy of Easter.
• 
  
• Raspberry-Lemon Cake
• The cake:
• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 5 large eggs, room temperature

Directions

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly brush 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening or butter. Line bottoms with buttered parchment paper and dust with flour.

Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt into a medium bowl; whisk to combine evenly. Stir the sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup, and set aside.

Beat the butter in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on high until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape butter off the sides of the bowl. Continue beating while gradually adding the sugar-- it should take a couple minutes to add all the sugar. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the lemon zest. Add theeggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

At low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the sour cream in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the top with a knife. (Lightly tap the pan on the counter so the batter settles evenly.)

Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes; then turn cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.

Italian Merengue Frosting

This is an Italian version of the famous 7 minute frosting that was so popular years ago. It is light, not too fattening and goes well over angel food cake, sponge cake, layer cakes and pound cake. Pop hated sweet, fat filled frostings, not that he would ever say "I don't like this or that." He just would not eat the offending food, much to the dismay of the cook. Marion also gave orders about deserts as well. They should be light in calories. This frosting made the whole family happy. 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 3 egg whites (room temperature) 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring 2 tablespoons sugar

Mix 2/3 cup sugar and water together and bring to a boil until a temperature of 275 is reached on a candy thermometer. Brush the crystals on the side of the pan down with a pastry brush dipped in cold water as needed. As the syrup reaches its temperature, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, 2 tablespoons sugar until the whites form soft peaks. Remove syrup from heat add the syrup in a small stream while continuing to beat the mixture with the electric mixer. Beat about 3 more minutes. The mixture will form glossy peaks and thicken. Add the vanilla and mix a bit more. Frost the cake immediately.

seasonal fruit short cakes

In the Spring when all things seem to be new and fresh, I begin to think of new life.  Our emotional tone begins to elevate and we feel energetic and full of life ourselves.  These bright and beautiful feelings have led us to fruits of the season and what goes better with fresh fruit than homemade short cakes.  I hope that you will enjoy this recipe.  It is one that I first tried from a Martha Stewart magazine in the 1990's and have adapted it to better please our taste.

Seasonal Fruit served over Short Cakes and topped with Whipped Cream

Ingredients

            1 1/2 pounds (about 6 cups) fresh strawberries or mix half and half with fresh peaches cut into bite size pieces

            1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

            1/4 cup fresh orange juice

            2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for dusting

            1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

            2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

            1 teaspoon salt

            1 cup milk

             1 Tbsp. orange zest

            Whipped Cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make the sweetened strawberries/peahes: Hull and quarter strawberries; peel and cube the peaches; toss in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup sugar and the 1/4 cup orange juice. Let stand until syrupy, tossing occasionally, at least 20 minutes (and up to 1 day, covered and refrigerated).

In a food processor, combine flour, butter, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and orange zest; pulse just until moistened, 4 or 5 times. Do not overprocess.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; with floured hands, gently pat dough into a 4-by-8-inch rectangle.

Dust a large knife with flour; cut dough into 8 squares. Transfer to a baking sheet; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes; cool on baking sheet. To serve, split biscuits with a serrated knife; layer with berries and Whipped Cream.

The children had a great time working on this recipe.  Spending time with your children and teaching them that cooking and family meal times are important will have many benefits in your life and the lives of your children.