Simple Lemon-Dijon Chicken

I wanted a very easy, tasty and healthy chicken recipe tonight. I loved the way that this turned out. I adapted this from the Lemon-Dijon Chicken Recipe and played with it a bit to match what I had at home. I really liked this and we served it with mashed potatoes and asparagus. I think I will make a batch of this for lunches during the week as it should reheat great in a microwave.

Ingredients (Serves 4):
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Thyme, dried
1/2 tsp Rosemary, dried
pinch of Kosher salt (to taste)
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in half)
1 Bell pepper (any color), cleaned and cut into 1/4" strips
cooking spray

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, thyme, rosemary and a pinch of kosher salt together.
3. Coat a 9x13 cooking pan with cooking spray.
4. Place the cut peppers on the bottom of the pan. Place the chicken pieces atop the peppers and then evenly spread the mustard mixture on top of the chicken.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Magic Beans

So I have been trying very hard to cook well and healthy over the past few years. The results have been great for the most part. But every so often, you want to make something that is amazing that might not be as healthy as it could be. And that brings me to these "Magic Beans" - maybe these are not healthy foods - but they were amazing! I suppose we could cut back a little on the olive oil...but man, these were great. I adapted these from a previous recipe for Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Almonds. This in turn was adapted from a Tyler Florence recipe on the Food Network website. I believe that this will be a new side dish when I feel the need to impress my guests!

 Ingredients (Serves 4):
1/2 pounds Green beans (trimmed of stem end)
4 tbsp Olive oil (trim this a bit for a slightly healthier dish)
1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced (or 3 medium onions)
1/4 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp Black pepper (adjust to taste)
8 oz Mushrooms (white or baby bella), sliced
1/4 tsp Thyme, dried
1/4 cup Sliced almonds

Directions
1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add the green beans. Cook for five minutes. Drain the beans and then run them under some cold water to stop them from cooking.
2. Heat olive oil to low-medium heat in a saute pan. Add the onions, kosher salt and pepper and cook for around 20 minutes (stirring often).
3. Add mushrooms, dried thyme and sliced almonds - then cook for 4-5 more minutes.
4. Add the cooked green beans to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

ENJOY this amazing side dish!

Roasted Tilapia with Olives and Potatoes

The recipe was adapted from Real Simple Magazine's Roasted Tilapia, Potatoes, and Lemons. Tilapia can be served in so many ways, and I have found some that I like - but few that make me as excited about having Salmon, Tuna or other more interesting fishes. Well, my search for a recipe may be at an end. This was a very easy recipe to make and it was done in just one baking sheet. But the taste was fantastic - like something that you might get in a nice restaurant. The potatoes and olives were amazing. This is a dish I will make over and over again....and the best part - I had some of this for leftovers at work. They reheated very well and tasted excellent - even after two days.

Ingredients (Serves 4):
1 1/2 lbs Baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes, halved
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 tsp Thyme leaves, dried
3 tbsp Olive oil, plus some olive oil spray
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp Black pepper (or to taste)
3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
4 Skinless tilapia fillets (about 1 lbs)
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, lemon, thyme, 3 tablespoons oil, and 1/4 tsp each of kosher salt and black pepper. Arrange in a single layer.
3. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.
4. Then toss the olives with the potato mixture and move to the outside of the pan. Place the tilapia fillets in the center and spray lightly with olive oil. Season the fish with the paprika and the remaining 1/4 tsp of kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
5. Continue to roast for around 14 to 16 minutes - the fish will be opaque throughout.

Enjoy!