Basic Roasted Chicken Breast

Here is a very basic way to cook chicken breast. We have been cutting these thinly to add to salads and use for sandwiches. Not gonna lie - we were inspired by our love of salads at Panera! This is a simple recipe, but one I want to record so I can keep going back to it.

Ingredients (for 3 chicken breasts)
3 Chicken breasts (skinless and fat trimmed)
1 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika

Olive oil spray or cooking spray

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Place the chicken in a mixing bowl.  Add olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper and paprika.  Mix to coat the chicken.

3. Spray the bottom of a cooking dish with olive oil spray.

4. Bake for 26-28 minutes (more for larger breasts) until a meat thermometer registers 165°.

Enjoy!  If you are using it for salads, let cool before slicing.

NOTE: For very large chicken breasts, cut in half and cook for 35-40 minutes.  Use the meat thermometer to be sure it is cooked through.

Easy Shrimp Boil

I have longed for going back to Door County, Wisconsin, where I could get a classic fish boil.  I have not had one of those in almost 30 years, but it seems like something that I have to get on.  So when I saw a recipe for a Weeknight Ship Boil from Eating Well, I thought that this was something I had to try.  I played with it a bit and really liked the way it came out.  I think I will be making this again in the near future!

Ingredients (Serves 3-4)
5 quarts Water
1/3 cup Seasoning mix (Morton's Nature's Seasons or McCormick's Old Bay)
1 tsp Celery seed
4 tbsp Lemon juice
8-10 Baby red skinned potatoes
1 cup Carrots (baby cut or sliced into one inch pieces)
1 lbs Shrimp, peeled & raw (21-25 per pound)
5-7 oz Chicken or turkey cooked sausage (kielbasa or andouille works well), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Ears corn, husked and broken in half
Melted butter for serving (optional)

Directions
1. Combine water, seasoning mix, celery seed, and lemon juice in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Add carrots and cook an additional 10 minutes.
3. Add shrimp, sausage, and corn to the pot and cook (stirring occasionally) for around 6-7 minutes.
4. Using a slotted spoon and tongs, divide the shrimp, sausage and vegetables among the 3 or 4 serving bowls. Drizzle each portion with around 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid.

Enjoy!  Serve with butter, if desired.