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Lemon Chicken Fettuccine

February 6, 2022February 6, 2022 FloraD

One of my neighbors dropped off a million lemons for me. Now what do I do with them? I made a few loaves of Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf, which was amazing by the way. I was tempted to make Lemon Bars, but I seriously need to lay off the sugar. Instead, I searched high and low for the perfect lemon dinner recipe. I found something delicious, but made it my own. The original, Lemon Spaghetti, turned into Lemon Chicken Fettuccine!

This is probably controversial, but we eat meat. Like at every dinner meal. I want to implement Meatless Mondays, but it’s been shot down so many times I’ve given up. I once tried to sneak in a meatless meal by serving cheese tortellini in red sauce and was scowled at. Where’s the meat?! Fine, fine. Therefore, I knew this dish had to have some sort of meat so I chose chicken thighs. It was also pointed out to me that spaghetti is the wrong pasta shape for this dish. Fine, fine, suddenly I was using fettuccine instead. See what I have to do around here?

The recipe serves six very hungry eaters (or eight ideal portions) so I split the recipe in half. First chop chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper. You can leave the chicken thighs whole and chop then after, but chopping them ahead of time reduces the cooking time. You just need to be careful not to overcook the chicken. Fortunately, chicken thighs are forgiving, unlike chicken breasts, so you should be fine. Cook up the chicken in a little olive oil. You can easily use rotisserie chicken instead. While this is going on, boil a large pot of salted water and cook your pasta. If you’re into multitasking, whisk up your sauce at the same time: oil, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice.

Drain the pasta, but be sure to save about 1/4 cup of pasta water. Toss your lemon sauce and pasta water, about 1/4 cup at a time, into the hot, cooked pasta. Season again with more salt and pepper. Throw in your chicken and stir.

Serve in bowls and garnish with more cheese and some chopped basil. You’re done!

It’s cheesy. It’s lemony. It’s meaty.

Because this is a quick dish to make, it’s perfect for the weeknight when you’re in a hurry to put dinner on the table. It also makes great leftovers so feel free to double it. Definitely a make again.

Lemon Chicken Fettuccine

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Servings 4

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound fettuccine
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice about 1-2 lemons
chopped fresh basil

Instructions

Chop chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet with olive oil. Cook chicken for about 4 minutes on medium heat. Stir and then cook for another 4 minutes until cooked through. Set aside.
Boil a large pot of salted water. Add pasta and cook al dente, according to the package.
In a small bowl, whisk oil, cheese, and lemon juice until blended.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce and reserved pasta water, adding 1/4 cup at a time. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken and stir. Garnish with more cheese and chopped basil.

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Garlicky Lemon Baked Tilapia

December 27, 2020December 27, 2020 FloraD

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I love fish, but sometimes I don’t know what to do with it. Salt and pepper with a squeeze of lemon seems to be my fallback, but it’s not very exciting. I want something more memorable, but not overpower the fish. Let’s keep it simple.

I came across a recipe from Delish that seems to be the solution to my fish situation. Making this recipe is so easy and good that I want to try it with other white fish to compare. Tilapia is a good choice though. It’s still relatively inexpensive, doesn’t have any bones to pluck out, and is tasty. Picky eaters like tilapia because it’s mild, not fishy. You’ll especially love the recipe if you’re a fan of garlic. If not, you might want to skip this round.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Plop your fish on the foil. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine melted butter, minced garlic, lemon juice and a little lemon zest. Pour this over your fish. Add some sliced lemon and bake until the fish gently falls apart when you stab it in the middle with a fork (no, I’m not violent, just accurate).

Done.

That’s it. Can you believe it? I did drizzle a bit of the sauce over the fish and served it with couscous for the boys. I made myself a side salad. I even made the time to sprinkle some pretty parsley leaves to make it look fancy. Everyone was happy. Despite the name, it wasn’t too garlicky. There was the perfect amount lemon tang and no shortage of buttery goodness. Make again.

Garlicky Lemon Baked Tilapia

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Servings 4

Ingredients

4 tilapia
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons butter melted
2 cloves garlic minced
juice and zest of a 1/2 of lemon
1 lemon round slices
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F. Season tilapia with salt and pepper. Place on an aluminum lined baking sheet.
Mix together melted butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour over tilapia. Top with lemon rounds.
Bake tilapia for 10 to 12 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley.

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Sheet Pan Lemon Parmesan Chicken and Veggies

December 22, 2019January 7, 2020 FloraD

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I’ve been sharing a lot of recipes that use my favorite kitchen toys. I know not everyone has a slow cooker, pressure cooker, and air fryer so it’s time for something more conventional. Sit down for this one. The oven. I know. Scandalous.

I really like sheet pan recipes when they work, like those Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas I posted. Here’s another one that you need to try. It’s a super easy week night meal with everything you need: chicken, potatoes, and green beans. It’s perfect. Its lemony, cheesy, garlicky goodness is sure to please everyone. Did I mention it’s easy to make?

If you don’t like potatoes or green beans, skip the one you don’t like. You can also try using other veggies, such as carrots, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, etc. Just be aware that the cooking times might vary.

In a bowl, mix an egg, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and seasonings. This will be your marinade and the liquid to help your dredge stick to your chicken. Marinade the chicken for 30-60 minutes. Try not to skip this part, but don’t marinade longer than this (like overnight) or your chicken might end up tough.

By the way, I know I wasn’t going to talk about kitchen toys, but I really like this lemon squeezer so here’s a picture of it. It doesn’t take up a lot of space and it keeps the seeds out of your food. You should buy one. No pressure.

While you wait, it’s time for the veggies.

Let’s pause to express my opinion about dealing with green beans. Hate it. It takes soooooo long to string, trim, and cut them into thirds. But I love green beans. What’s a girl to do? You can reduce the prep time by buying bagged trimmed green beans. This is a good short-cut. Alas, I never find the beans to be as good as the fresh ones, but I will resort to trimmed green beans if the fresh ones are stringy. There’s no shame in this. This time I decided to use fresh beans and do all the work myself. Yes, sometimes I’m a show-off.

Toss your potatoes in half of the butter/garlic mixture and the green beans in the other half.

When your chicken is done marinading, combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and then dredge the chicken in the mixture.

Don’t be like me and forget to spray your foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Generously spray the sheet. Then place your chicken on the sheet and surround them with potatoes. Bake!

After 15 minutes, flip your chicken and add your green beans. Be sure to embrace the amazing aroma of lemon and garlic wafting through your house. Also enjoy the fact that your entire dinner is in the oven and you don’t have to lift a finger to make a side dish.

Cook for another 10-15 minutes on broil until the chicken is golden and the veggies are cooked through.

Sit back and watch as your family is impressed with your ninja like cooking skills.

Sheet Pan Lemon Parmesan Chicken and Veggies

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Servings 4

Ingredients

For the chicken

1 large egg
1 1/2 lemons juiced
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

For the veggies

1/2 pound potatoes quartered
1/3 cup butter melted
3 teaspoons minced garlic
salt to taste
3/4 pound green beans trimmed and cut into thirds

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together an egg, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Place the chicken in the egg mixture and marinade in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. You can skip this step, if necessary.
Wash and quarter the potatoes. Wash, trim, and cut fresh green beans into thirds. Pour half of the butter mixture over the potatoes and the other half over the green beans. Toss to coat.
In a bowl, mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dredge the marinaded chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure the crumbs stick to the chicken, pressing if needed.
Place chicken and potatoes on a cooking sheet, arranging the potatoes around the chicken in a single layer.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip chicken. Move the potatoes to one side and place the green beans around the chicken.
Turn the oven to broil. Return the baking sheet to the oven and broil for 10-15 minutes. The chicken should be cooked to 165F, golden, and crispy. The potatoes and green beans should be cooked though.
Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve.

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Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo

October 20, 2019September 19, 2021 FloraD

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Sometimes a recipe comes along that you just don’t change because it’s perfect. This is that recipe. I’ve made it several times and each time, it’s amazing. Better yet, it’s super simple. I wish I could take credit, but alas, I can only provide advice. The prize goes to Jeff Mauro, the Sandwich King from The Food Network, who apparently makes a lot more stuff than sandwiches. His recipe combines dill and lemon along with coriander to make a delicious meal.

Start out with fresh dill and grated lemon for your orzo. The flavor meld together nicely and screams Greek. I should try to make a dip with this. And what is orzo, you may ask. It looks like rice, but it’s a pasta that’s often used in salads, but also in casseroles like this one.

For the chicken, you’ll be using different seasonings, but only three (see how simple this recipe is?). In addition to salt and pepper, you’ll use ground coriander. And what is coriander, you may ask. It’s actually the seeds from the cilantro plant. Who knew? They have a citrus flavor when crushed, which is why it pairs well with dill and lemon.

To cut down on the number of bowls you use, combine the orzo mixture directly in the baking dish. Then, rub the seasonings on chicken. It will be peppery so if that’s not your thing, use half the pepper the recipe states.

Choose chicken that with a consistent thickness, meaning not super thick in the middle and skimpy thin at the ends. If this is not possible, consider pounding the chicken with a mallet to thin out the middle. I have found that two breasts per pound works best for me and doesn’t require any pounding. Just be sure to avoid using large breasts or they won’t cook through.

Place the chicken in the orzo mixture. Don’t freak out. The chicken broth will not wash off the chicken seasonings and make the chicken bland. It’ll all turn out in the end. Make sure your chicken is submerged so you don’t end up with dry chicken. Top with lemon.

And let me take a moment to tell you to use chicken stock, not broth. There’s a difference, they are not interchangeable, and you’ll thank yourself for using the right ingredient.

When baked, you’ll end up with this…

And this…

Did I mention how fancy it looks? You probably could pull this dish off when you have guests to impress.

One of these days, I’m going to try making this dish with other seasoning combinations. I’m thinking that tomato sauce, oregano, and cumin with a little chopped green olives might create a Spanish twist while experimenting with orange and parsley will produce an Italian dish. I encourage you to use your favorite seasonings in the orzo and chicken. Let me know what you discover!

Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo

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Servings 6

Ingredients

Orzo

3 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter melted
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 sprigs fresh dill chopped
2 lemons zested and juiced
1 clove garlic minced
2 cups orzo

Chicken

2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 medium chicken breasts boneless, skinless
1 lemon sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
For the orzo: In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together stock, butter, salt, cornstarch, dill, lemon zest and juice, and garlic. Mix in the orzo.
For the chicken: In a small bowl, mix together the coriander, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken all over with the seasoning.
Add the chicken breasts, laying them so most of the chicken is submerged. Top with lemon slices.
Bake, uncovered, until the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes.