Super Easy Baked Garlic Butter Chicken

 Oven dinners are the best. Especially this Baked Garlic Butter Chicken. 

The prep is super duper easy. Melt a stick of butter in a saucepan. Add garlic. Add rosemary. Pour that sauce over your boneless chicken and bake until cooked through. I love the rosemary in this dish. It's such a nice flavor;

I serve this with rice and a salad. I often make this baked chicken in the morning  before I start work, and my husband and son reheat it at dinner time. However, I can see this being a really easy dinner to rock out when you are off the clock if you work a regular 9-5. While it's doing its thang in the oven, you can help with homework, look through the mail, etc. 

This dish  is nice to make when you need some plain eats. Which often hits me after the holidays.  Ha.

I totally use grated parm instead of the cheese suggested in this recipe. You could do a shredded mozzarella, too. 

Baked Garlic Butter Chicken

From www.diethood.com

Makes 4 servings

4 (16 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper to taste

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves (you can use dried if that's all you have. Just cut it to 1 tsp.)

1/2 cup shredded reduced fat 4-cheese Italian

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly grease a baking dish with a pat of butter.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken in a single layer in prepared baking dish and set aside.

Add butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat.

Stir in garlic and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring very frequently. DO NOT burn the garlic.

Stir in the rosemary and remove from the heat.

Pour the prepared garlic butter over the chicken breasts.

Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, or until chicken's internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sprinkle with cheese and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Remove from oven and let stand for a couple of minutes.

Transfer chicken to plates; spoon a little bit of garlic butter sauce over the chicken when serving. 

Please note from The Jersey Girl: If using dried rosemary in lieu of fresh rosemary, use about 1 tsp. Parmesan cheese or shredded mozzarella may be used in lieu of 4-cheese Italian.

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Cranberry Orange Pound Cake with Orange Glaze

Cranberry and orange are the perfect combo, especially in baking. This Cranberry Orange Pound Cake with Orange Glaze is fab if you are having company or to share with family and friends. I gave half of mine away!

The orange zest makes everything very vibrant and bright.

The recipe calls for 1/2 cup dried cranberries, but you should up it to 3/4 cup if you want more of them scattered throughout the cake. 

This is awesome with a cup of tea or coffee during those cold winter days and nights.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Pound Cake with Orange Glaze

Makes 24 servings

From "The Betty Crocker Cookbook"

For the Cranberry Orange Pound Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

5 eggs

1 cup milk or evaporated milk

1/2 cup - 3/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped 

1 tsp. grated orange peel

Powdered sugar (if desired) or Orange Glaze (if desired, recipe is below)

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease bottom, side and tube of a10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan, 12-cup fluted tube cake pan or 2 (9 x 5-inch) loaf pans with shortening; lightly flour.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Bean on high speed 5 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat flour mixture into sugar mixture alternately with milk on low speed, beating just until smooth after each addition. Fold in grated orange peel and dried cranberries. Pour into pan(s).

Bake angel food or fluted tube cake pan 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, loaf pans 55 to 60  minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes; remove from pan(s) to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with orange glaze (recipe is below).

Orange Glaze

(1 cup glaze)

From "The Betty Crocker Cookbook"

1/3 cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2-4 Tbsp. orange juice, heated

1 tsp. grated orange peel

In 1 1/2 quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat; remove from heat. Stir in grated orange peel. Stir in powdered sugar.

Stir in warm orange juice, 1 Tbsp. at a time until glaze is smooth and has the consistency of a thick syrup.

Glaze one 10-cup fluted tube cake, 10-inch angel food or chiffon cake or top of an 8- or 9-inch layer cake. 

Leftover glaze can be tightly covered and refrigerated up to 5 days; do not freeze. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature to soften; stir before using. 

Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup is amazing with peak season tomatoes, but you can also use this recipe to magically transform your standard grocery store plum tomatoes into something really fabulous.

This recipe makes a biiiiiig batch, but have no fear. You can freeze it so that the next time you want this oh-so-delish soup it's all ready for you.

We serve this soup with grilled cheese panini, natch!

This is always a hit when the weather is chilly willy. It's got wonderful flavor!

Roasted Tomato Soup

Makes 8 servings

For roasting the tomatoes:

2 pounds plum tomatoes, cut in half

3 Tbsp. olive oil, 

1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

For the rest of the soup:

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Pinch of sugar

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 28 ounce can pureed tomatoes (I like Cento)

1/2 cup white wine

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 cups water

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2

15 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place cut tomatoes on baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper. Toss and distribute evenly on baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Pre-roasted tomatoes

Post-roasted tomatoes

In a large soup pan over medium high heat, melt 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. butter. Add chopped onion. Saute for five minutes until translucent. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and dried thyme. Cook for a minute. Add can of pureed tomatoes, white wine, broth, water, roasted tomatoes, basil, pinch of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered for 45 minutes. 

Remove pot from heat. Cool slightly. Puree with an immersion blender, or transfer soup in batches to a standard blender and puree until smooth. If using a standard blender, you may need to do this in batches. Return pureed soup to soup pot. Check for seasoning. Swirl in 1/2 and 1/2. Garnish with more basil leaves if desired.

Fully cooked soup!

Smooth and silky post immersion blender

With a little swirl of 1/2 and 1/2.

Perfect pairing: Grilled cheese panini

Lobster Tail with Garlic Butter

 Lobster tails can seem super intimidating to cook at home, but they actually couldn't be easier.

I find lobster such a special dish, especially when going out to dinner. To me, it symbolizes elegance and decadence! It's so nice - and much more affordable - to know how to make them at home. 

The garlic butter is a must as well as a sprinkle of parsley right before serving.

I made baked potatoes to go with the lobster tails, but I think a risotto or a potato gratin would be a very wonderful side if you are really going fancy pants. 

You cook these under your broiler, so my advice to you is to keep a watchful eye on the oven once you put the lobster tails in. Broilers really vary from oven to oven. 

Garlic Butter Lobster Tails

(3-4 servings)

Ingredients

3-4 lobster tails

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (If desired, you may serve with more butter!)

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, minced

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh black pepper to taste

Lemon wedges, to serve

Place oven rack on second tier from top of your oven. This is so that the lobster tails are not too close to the broiler.

Preheat the broiler to high.

Using cooking sheers, cut down the center of the lobster tail shell so that the lobster tail meat is exposed.  This takes some muscle. Place prepared lobster tails onto an ungreased baking sheet.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Add garlic. Saute for a minute. Season with salt and pepper. 

Brush garlic butter mixture over lobster tails.

Place lobster tails on baking sheet under the broiler. Broil for 6 to 10 minutes. Watch closely! Your eyes will tell you when the lobster is done. Notice the shell is black and grey striped uncooked, but it turns a beautiful lobster pink when cooked. When the lobster meat is cooked, it appears opaque and white. I flip the baking sheet halfway through cooking. 

Plate each lobster tail and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and more melted butter if desired. 

Lean and Green Soup

My Lean and Green Soup is currently one of my faves. I will definitely be making it throughout the holiday season as it is packed with fiber and vitamins. After indulgent holiday eating, I like to eat things that are nice and light. 

But I never skimp on taste, and this soup tastes awesome! It features zucchini and kale, plus your standard soup veg: carrots, celery and onions. I add a can of cannellini beans. You could totally go chickpea if that's what you have. 

I cook 1/2 cup of barley in a separate pot, and add the cooked barley to the big pot of soup. Barley is an awesome grain that adds fiber and cuts cholesterol. 

You can totally freeze this soup if you double the batch or want to it enjoy it later.

Lean and Green Soup

(Makes 6 servings)

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stalked, diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 5 ounce container baby kale

1 19 ounce can Cento cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups water for soup

4 cups water for barley

1/2 cup dried barley

Salt and pepper to taste

To serve: Grated parmesan cheese

In a medium pot, add 4 cups of water and barley. Bring to a boil. Cook for about 30 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large soup pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrot, celery and onion. Saute for 5 to 8 minutes until onion is translucent. Add zucchini. Cook for about five more minutes. Add garlic, cook for a minute more. Season with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. Stir.

Add vegetable or chicken stock and two cups of water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes minutes until veggies are cooked. Add cannellini beans and barley. Cook for five minutes more to heat through. 

Add kale. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 2-3 minutes to wilt kale.

Serve with a sprinkle of parm. 

Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Tomatoes

This easy pot of Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Tomatoes has very few ingredients, but is packed with flavor.

You can easily double the recipe for a bigger crowd. I have recently been under the weather, so I'm hoping this perks up my spirits and appetite.

I used chicken broth and bouillon because that's all I had, but you can totally make this all vegetarian. If I had veggie stock and bouillon on hand, I totally would have gone that route.

Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Tomatoes

(Makes 4 to 6 servings)

8 ounces frozen cheese tortellini

1 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

4 cups low-salt chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 vegetable bouillon cube

5 ounces baby spinach, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can low-salt chopped tomatoes

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chiffonade

Salt and pepper to taste

A pinch of sugar

Serve with grated parmesan cheese

In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally for five minutes to soften. Add garlic. Cook a minute more.

Add broth, water, bouillon, pinch of sugar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. 

Add tortellini. Cook for 20 minutes or follow the instructions on the package of tortellini.

Stir in tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and basil. Stir to wilt, about 2 minutes. Let soup rest for a few minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.