Basil Cream Chicken Thighs

This is a quick easy week night dinner, you can make a large batch if you have a big family to feed.  It's just me, so I try to make things that I can have for 2 nights....I'm getting to a point where I don't want to cook much.  But I still love to eat so for now it's a must.  I made this and had season rice with it.  Made for a great quick meal.

3/4 chicken breasts (pounded 1/2-inch thin)
2 teaspoons each of onion powder and garlic powder
1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon each of dried thyme and basil
salt and pepper , to season
For The Sauce:

4 cloves garlic , minced (or 1 tablespoon minced garlic)

1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon each of dried thyme and dried basil

1 cup milk (or half and half)*(I used 1/2 n 1/2 and a little cream and some butter about 1 1/2 TBL)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste

1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water , until smooth

Instructions

1. Coat chicken breasts with the onion and garlic powders and herbs. Season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken breasts until opaque and no longer pink inside (about 5 minutes each side, depending on thickness). Transfer to a plate; set aside.
3. To the same pan or skillet, heat another 2 teaspoons of olive oil and sauté garlic, with parsley, thyme and basil, for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
4. Stir in milk (or cream); season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Bring to a boil; add the cornstarch mixture to the center of the pan, quickly stirring, until sauce has thickened slightly. Reduce heat and simmer gently for a further minute to allow the sauce to thicken more.
6. Return chicken to the skillet. Sprinkle with extra herbs if desired. Serve immediately.

Thanks for  stopping by, have a great week and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things you L♥ve.

Donna

Tilapia With Italian Cheese Sauce

When we were at Sam's last week I saw this cheese and had to buy it because I just knew it would be good on so many things.  It's called Bruschetta, it's Monterey cheese with italian seasoning mixed throughout.  Well I was right it's delicious on Tilapia, hamburgers, hot dogs, in omelets and makes a wonderful cheese sauce, so bet it would be good in  a Mac and Cheese dish.  This sauce is so quick to make and is also "Low Carb".  The recipe below makes enough for 2 pieces of fish.  The fish above I fried in a pan with some olive oil and butter and sprinkled Italian Seasoning on top.  Comes out nice and brown with a little crunch.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz of Bruschetta cheese
1 oz of cream cheese
1/4 cup or less of heavy cream

Melt all in sauce pan and serve over fish.

Now wasn't that easy.  This was one of those short, sweet posts.  This time of year it's too hot to be in the kitchen for long so finding quick recipes is wonderful.  Have a great day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things you love.
Donna

Talipia with cilantro cream sauce

This is a great low cal dish, well sorta.  Would be without the yummy cream sauce.  I imagine this sauce would be good on several proteins.  I served this with coleslaw and corn on the cob.    I will post the recipe for the coleslaw later this week, I've been making the cole slaw  for over 40 years and the family loves it.

 adapted from here
see my changes in red
4 good size tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon melted butter
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 green onions, thinly sliced (1/4 cup chopped leeks)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (next time I will use less)

1 cup heavy cream (1 cup 1/2 and 1/2)

1 1/2 TBL chopped chives

1 TBL flour

1-2 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

Preparation:

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; saute the garlic and onion for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 1 minute longer. Set aside or refrigerate until nearly serving time. Heat oven to 375°.
Line a baking pan with foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Brush fillets lightly with butter; arrange in the baking pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake the fish for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tilapia is cooked through. Warm the sauce up and drizzle a little over each serving of fish.
Serves 4.

The family really liked this, I did too.  But as I said I will do less cilantro next time and also my daughter suggested maybe adding some red pepper flakes.
Thanks for stopping by and taking time from your busy day.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things You Love.
Donna