Juicy Chicken Italiano

Have you ever baked chicken only for it to be dry, or chewy, or just unappetizing in general? Well, there are several ways to combat that. The best way is with a marinade! Just like the Purple Chicken recipe I posted earlier, marinades can completely change the flavor of chicken. However, marinades don't have to be as complicated as the one used there!

The easiest way to ensure your chicken is juicy and delicious is with a little bit of EVOO. If you want delicious and moist chicken you should make my "Juicy Chicken Italiano." It may change the way you view chicken for the rest of your life! But, don't worry, thats O.K.!

Place the chicken breasts in a large Ziploc and drizzle in a generous portion of EVOO. Top that with the Holy Herb Trinity [basil, thyme, oregano] and seal the bag while pushing as much air out as possible. Shake the bag up to evenly distribute the marinade over the pieces of chicken. Place the chicken into the refrigerator for a minimum of four hours while the EVOO penetrates into the meat.

After allowing the chicken to rest in the marinade for four hours, remove the chicken from the fridge. Place the chicken into a baking dish that is lightly greased. When the chicken is in the baking dish, take some fresh rosemary leaves and scatter them over the chicken. Place the chicken into a preheated oven at 400 degrees. Cook the chicken for thirty minutes, or until the juices run clear.

When I was looking through my fridge, pantry, and freezer for something to have as a side, I found mashed sweet potatoes! That sounds perfect!!! Now, these sweet potatoes were already mashed, and mixed, and deliciously prepared. But, here's how to make them from scratch! Bring a large pot of salted water up to a boil while you peel 4-5 large sweet potatoes and cut them into quarters. Once the water is boiling place the potatoes into the boiling water for fifteen minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and place them into a large bowl with half a stick of butter, half a cup of cream and half a teaspoon of cinnamon. Mash the potatoes together with the ingredients until you have reached the consistency that you prefer.

After the chicken is cooked thoroughly, remove from oven. Place the chicken on to a cutting board and out of the baking dish to allow oils and juices to settle while you plate a serving of sweet potatoes. Once the chicken has rested for a few minutes, place the whole breast  on the plate opposite the potatoes.

This meal is a great option for families that are looking for something simple and delicious to cook and it pairs well with a sweet white wine, like Pinot Grigio!

What you need

Chicken

EVOO [Extra Virgin Olive Oil]

Holy Herb Trinity [basil, thyme, oregano]
Rosemary

Sweet Potatoes

Salt

Butter

Cream

Cinnamon

Potato masher [optional]

Tomato Soup Thats Mmmm, mmmmm Better Than Campbell's

So there are a TON of tomato soup recipes out there that call for a lot of unhealthy things like cream, butter, and over salted chicken stocks. Its just too much! I prefer my tomato soup to be simple and about the tomato, what a concept right?!? I truly believe that my tomato soup is better than any soup out on the market, granted that's my opinion, but now you can try it to!



I start with canned tomatoes, they are already diced and you don't have to deal with all that mess! Empty the canned, diced tomatoes into a blender, I use a Magic Bullet because, well, its awesome!
Puree the tomatoes until they are smooth and, well, pureed... In the Magic Bullet it should only be about ten seconds or so. Once they are pureed, put the mixture into a small sauce pan over medium heat.

When the soup is on the stove, grab the holy trinity of herbs; basil, oregano, and thyme. Put a few dashes of each herb into the soup and allow it to simmer together. While the soup is simmering add a few pinches of salt and pepper to taste. The soup shouldn't need to simmer more than five minutes to be heated all the way through.

Once the soup is fully heated, pour it into your favorite soup bowl and enjoy! [Hopefully with some of my Grilled Cheese Dippers!]

What you Need

Canned, diced tomatoes

Blender [Magic Bullet if you're cool]

Herb Trinity [basil, oregano, thyme]

Salt N' Pepper

Grilled Cheese Dippers

Don't you just love the combination of grilled cheese and tomato soup? Especially on a crisp cool day, or even just a day you don't want to leave the house! Well I do as well, but dipping a square sandwich into a round bowl is not the easiest thing to do. I usually eating the sandwich and soup separately and not getting to enjoy the magical flavor combination! Well not any more! This tip is so easy, I can't believe I didn't think of it as a child ...

Take your favorite type of loaf bread and cut the crusts off. I'm using a honey wheat bread because it is still healthy with a little sweet flavor. Next, flatten out the bread with a rolling pin, bottom of a clean skillet, or take out some frustration and use your hand and the counter [it can be pretty therapeutic]. Once the bread is flattened, take a cheese of your choice and place it on top of the bread. At this point you will want to get a skillet on the oven over medium heat. Put about a tablespoon or so of butter in the pan and let it melt down. While the butter is melting, roll up your cheese and bread combos into neat rolls. They're kind of like Swiss Cake Rolls, but cheesier!

Once the butter has melted, place the rolls in the skillet seam side down. Press firmly on the top of the rolls with a spatula, may want to use the dreaded metal spatula [the plastic ones tend to break when letting out frustrations]. Once the rolls are flattened out, throw the tomato soup into a small sauce pan over medium high heat.

Now, this next step is completely up to you, however, I can't just be happy with a simple tomato soup out of a Campbell's can. I have to spice it up! So, to my tomato soup, I like to add a few dashes of salt and pepper as well as a few dashes of basil, thyme, and oregano. These herbs add an extra layer of flavor that I believe canned tomato soup is missing, but, it's up to you!

Once the soup is on, flip the dippers over to brown the other side. You want them to be a perfect golden brown on each side. No more than 2 or 3 minutes on each side should be plenty of time to brown up! [don't forget to check your soup with a little stir!]

Once all your dippers are golden brown and the cheese is melty take them out of the skillet and arrange them on the plate in a "Pick-Up-Sticks" sort of stack. Stirring the soup one last time, to make sure it is heated all the way through, transfer the soup into your favorite soup bowl.

Turn on Sex and the City, Gilmore Girls, Mad Men, or my favorite 30 Rock, and enjoy the ease of a great, relaxing meal!

What you need

Loaf bread [4-6 slices]

Cheese [your favorite for grilled cheeses]

Butter

Tomato soup [Try my recipe!]

Basil

Thyme

Oregano

Salt

Pepper