Raspberry and Rosemary Glazed Chicken

Yum. mo.  It was really good.  It was easy and quick.  The only thing different I’d do is use ground rosemary instead of whole leaves.  The whole leaves are awkward to chew on.  Tonight’s sides were jasmine rice and steamed cauliflower.  So, let’s get onto it!  Yum.

The Cast of Characters:

1 package of chicken, lime juice, raspberry preserves, garlic (not pictured), rosemary, olive oil, salt, pepper and flour (the last three are also not pictured).

First we’re going to do what we did yesterday and trim off the fat, wash the chicken, cut it in half then pound it out.  Then we’ll move on to the flour, salt and pepper.

1 cup of flour with about 1 tablespoon of salt then about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of pepper.  It’s hard to season flour…  If you don’t use enough, it’ll be flavorless.

Stir together really well and we’ll start flouring the chicken.

Lightly coat each side w/ flour then place on a baking sheet, just for storage, really.

Set aside and let’s get started on the glaze.

2/3 cup raspberry preserves, 4 tablespoons lime juice, 2 teaspoons minced garlic and about 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves (I’ll probably use about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon ground next time). Heat through and stir to mix well.

Onto the chicken… Preheat broiler on high. On medium high heat, heat up two tablespoons olive oil. Cook the first side of the chicken for about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook 3-4 minutes again. When done, set chicken aside on another baking sheet. Complete all chicken (I had to do 2 batches.)

Generously coat each side of the chicken with the raspberry glaze. Broil for 2 minutes on one side, flip and broil for another two minutes.

When you plate, make sure to scrape up some of the yummy glaze and put on top of chicken. It was so yummy! I hope you try and enjoy it!

Cilantro-Pesto Chicken

So, my husband and I have discussed and agreed to completely change our menu.  I’m going to attempt to blog about each new dish we try.  Tonight was Cilantro -Pesto Chicken, brown rice and a yummy fresh salad.  But really, I’m only here to talk about the chicken.  Can I just say, it was absolutely FABULOUS!?!?  It was so fresh, easy and YUMMY.  LOVED IT.  It was a big hit here.  The recipe was from a box of recipe cards I bought from Sandra Lee… You know, Semi-Homemade on Food Network?  Well, let’s get on to business.  Gotta get this typed up and watch Fireproof with my hubby.  We saw it in the theater a few months ago – FABULOUS!  But that’s another post for another day.    So, let’s begin!

Right here you see 1 package of chicken, 1 bunch of cilantro (fresh, of course), pine nuts, lemon pepper, minced garlic, chicken broth, olive oil and what’s missing?  Oh yes… lemon juice.

First up is the pesto.  EASY PEASY RICE AND CHEESY!  Seriously.  First, toast the pine nuts – about4 tablespoons.  Stick them in a small pan on med-high heat for just a couple minutes and toss and turn.

Next up, chop off the leaves of the bunch of cilantro and toss into the food processor (or blender).  Next dump in 1/4 cup chicken broth, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 1 spoon (like a soup spoon) of garlic (I always put way more in then recipes call for… I love garlic) and toasted pine nuts.

Now, put the lid on and pulse several times.

When you’re done pulsing you’ll get this:

Next up, we’re going to do a few things.  First, I like to trim the fat off of the chicken, wash it, etc.  Second, I cut each breast in half.  Third, I pound the stinkers out!  It helps for a more even cook.

Once you’re done pounding, set the broiler on high and make sure to put the rack on the top thingy.  Now, on your broiler pan, place the chicken pieces.  Brush each side w/ olive oil then sprinkle lemon pepper on both sides.

Place chicken on the top rack and broil for 6 minutes.  When the six minutes are up, flip and broil for another six minutes.  Please make sure your chicken has an internal temp of  170 degrees before eating.   When the chicken’s done, place on a plate and spoon the pesto over the chicken.

And if you have kids … I put it on the side so they could try it but not necessarily HAVE to have it …

ENJOY!  If you try this and like it, please let me know!

God is SO Good!

So here I was going to write out this huge long post complaining about the worst move ever.  Instead, I’d like to just praise God.  He has never let us down.  There has been and will always be bumps in the road – but from beginning to end – God is so good.

We have a roof over our head because God is so good.

We didn’t have to pay for damages to a Penske truck because God is so good.

We only have to pay two days worth of rent to this housing because God is so good.

We only owe $42 in damages to the other housing because God is so good.

We moved in 2 days because God is so good.

So, here’s something to ponder.  Really really ponder this.  Is all of our complaining REALLY worth it?  REALLY!?  Probably not.  God gives and takes what He wants, when He wants.  Why?  Because everything He does glorifies Him.  I’m probably the biggest complainer on the face of the planet.  But when I look back, even on this move, here is my family … happy, healthy, together … in a home God provided, wearing clothes God provided, eating food God provided.  I honestly don’t have anything to complain about.  God is so GOOD.

So honestly think about what you’re complaining about next time.  Is it worth it?  Does that glorify our Father?  Probably not.

Remember too, God is in control.  I have a hard time with that on a daily basis.  But He is and we’ll never make it through life if we keep trying to take or keep control that honestly, we don’t have in the first place.  Let the burden’s go and give your life to Christ.

Happy New Year!