Lemon & Basil Chicken Breasts

This is a tasty recipe that can be made year round as most grocery stores you can easily find fresh lemons and basil.  It takes just a few minutes of prep time and 30 minutes of time in the oven.  The coating will keep the chicken breasts moist and is healthy substitution as compared to the tasty chicken skin.  The portion of this recipe is for 2 servings, but simply doubling the ingredients you can make it for 4 people ore more.  You can marinated hours ahead and taken out of the fridge when ready to cook.  I would serve these chicken breasts with a fresh green salad or light pasta such as my Cherry Tomato and Fresh Pesto Pasta.  Also, I find that an off-dry white wine goes best with recipes that involve herbs and chicken such as a Chablis or Riesling.

Lemon & Basil Chicken with Pasta Side

Lemon & Basil Chicken Breasts
Combine in a Small Bowl:
	1 TSP (5ml) Canola Oil
	1 TBSP (15ml) Dijon Mustard
	1/4 (60ml) Cup Loosely Packed Fresh Chopped Basil
	2 TSP (10ml) Grated Lemon Rind
	1 TBSP (15ml) Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
	1 Clove Garlic Minced
	1/4 TSP Salt
	1/4 TSP Pepper
Add:
	2 Skinless Chicken Breasts
Steps:
	1) Pre-heat oven to 350' Fahrenheit.
	2) Combine ingredients above in a medium bowl and stir.
	3) Add chicken and thoroughly coat meat.
	4) Place on a roasting pan or baking sheet.  Cook in oven for 30 minutes until chicken is just start getting golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.
You can make this up to 8 hours ahead if you cover and refrigerate the chicken.  Leftover chicken if chopped and combined with mayonnaise makes a great chicken salad on a sandwich.

Ingredients for Lemon & Basil Chicken

Step 2: Ingredients combined to make Marinade

Chicken Prior to Cooking

Chicken after Cooking

The Finished Product

Substitutions:

• You can substitute the 1/4 cup of fresh basil for a 1/4 cup of parsley for a different taste.  Alternatively, for a more French taste you could use 1 TBSP of fresh tarragon in lieu of basil or parsley.  Tarragon is a lot stronger in taste and thus less is needed.  

What I Learned in Making This Recipe:

• You can use a classic box grater to grate lemon rind or just as easily use a lemon zester and then just chop the peel strips into small pieces.  I find the latter less dangerous and lemon zester can be put in the dishwasher.
• If you have a 'classic' oven where the heat comes from the bottom this recipe takes about 30 minutes.  However, if you have a convection roast function the chicken takes about 25 minutes. A visual sign that chicken is cooked is if you cut through the center of the breast and see no pink and the juices run clear.  Alternatively, you can use a meat thermometer and see if the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 180' Fahrenheit.  

Did you enjoy this? Have a question or suggestion?  Please add your comments in the field below.  

Provencal Carrot and Parsnip soup with Basil

This is an excellent soup recipe that I have now prepared a few times.  It is a Provencal (Southern France) style of soup with the combination of fresh basil and cream.  Also, although parsnips are not commonly served in Canada they are easily found Winter vegetables at most grocery stores.  Parsnips cost about twice the price of carrots and are normally found near the fancy lettuce and Asian vegetables (at least at Longo's or Loblaw's.)  Europeans have been eating parsnips long before Roman times and they look like white carrots.

Provencal Carrot and Parsnip Soup

This soup takes about 1 hour to prepare and serves 8 portions.  It can easily be made ahead of time and warmed up for dinner.  I suggest serving this soup as a starter for roasts and accompanying it with some fresh baguette.  Bon apetit!

Provencal Carrot and Parsnip soup with Basil
Combine in a stock pot:
	1 Sweet Onion, chopped
	1 Yellow-Flesh Potato, peeled and chopped (Yukon Gold works)
	2 Cups Parnsips, peeled and chopped (3 to 4, about 10oz)
	4 Cups Carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/4 lbs)
	1/2 TSP Ground Pepper
	4 Cups (1L) Sodium Reduced Chicken Broth
	1 Cup Water
Step 3: After Cooking and blending soup
	1 Cup (250ml) 10% or 18% Cream
Finishing Ingredients:
	3 TBSP of freshly squeezed Lemon Juice (1/2 a large lemon)
	1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, chopped TT Salt (1 TSP is my suggestion)
Steps:
	1) In a stock pot bring vegetables, chicken broth and water to a boil.  Then reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for 25 minutes until vegetables are soft.
	2) Blend with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.
	3) Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in 1 cup of cream.
	4) Prior to serving soup add lemon juice, basil and salt to taste. Stir soup to mix in.  Serve hot.
Soup will last up to 3 days in the fridge.  When reheating consider adding more water to get to desired thickness.  Soup will thicken overtime.

Ingredients for Soup

Vegetables prior to Cooking

Step 1: Soup with Boiling Vegetables

Step 3: After Blending and Adding a Cup of Cream

Step 4: After Adding Basil

Final Product: Provencal Carrot and Parsnip Soup

What I learned making this soup:

• That the more I eat parsnips; the more I like them.  They are excellent source of dietary fibre, B vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and potassium. 
• Parsnips are also a great addition to stews and work well in combination with carrots.  
• "TT" often used in cookbooks to mean 'to taste.'  Julia Child frequently used this abbreviation in her cookbooks in reference to salt and pepper.  

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?  Please add them below.                                

Fresh Cherry Tomato and Pesto Pasta Recipe

This is a great side that is not complicated to make.  It goes great with Italian food and you can turn it into a meal by putting roast chicken breast on top.  The recipe serves 4 and takes about 30 minutes to make.  10 minutes of prep and about 20 minutes to cook.  It is also a little festive with the red and green colour combination of the ingredients.

Fresh Cherry Tomato and Pesto Pasta

Fresh Tomato and Pesto Pasta Recipe
Ingredients:
	12ox (375g) Penne
	2 TBSP All-Purpose Flour
	2 Cups (500ml) milk
	1/3 Cup prepared Basil Pesto
	1/4 TSP Salt
	1/2 TSP Pepper
	2 Cups (500ml) Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
	1 TBSP Grated Parmesan Cheese
	Fresh Basil Leaves
Steps:
	1) In a large pot cook pasta as instructed on box
	2) In bowl or large measuring glass combine cold milk with flour; whisk together well.
	3) Drain pasta and return to pot on medium heat.  Add flour and milk mixture and pesto.
	4) Stir frequently and cook for 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
	5) Season with salt, pepper and add tomatoes; cook till hot throughout.
	6) Garnish on plate or serving dish with parmesan and basil leaves.
Serve hot and immediately.

Ingredients for Fresh Cherry Tomato and Pesto Pasta

Prep work completed

Step 3 and 4 - Pasta Cooking with Pesto and Flour and Milk mixutre

Step 5 - Adding Tomatoes to Pasta with the Sauce now thickened

The Finished Product

Substitutions and Additions:

• You can cut out the salt in the recipe; as the parmesan already has plenty.
• You can add sliced pieces of roasted chicken breast on top to make this side into a main.
•  For added color and saltiness add sliced cured black olives.
•  For a spicier pasta add a 1/2 tsp of chili flakes when adding the pesto. 

What I've learned in making this pasta:

• It tastes far better with freshly grated parmesan than parmesan from the tube.  Saying that parmesan from grated by the cheese counter does taste better than the tube as well.

• I can not tell the difference in parmesan from Canada and Italy.  So, I don't why people will pay 3x the price for the cheese. 

Thoughts, comments or suggestions?  Please add them below.

Carrot & Parsnip Soup with Fresh Basil Recipe

This is a great fall and winter vegetable soup and be can made in about 45 minutes. It tastes great, warms you up and you're getting a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fiber. Parsnips can be normally found near the carrots at your grocery store and you can store them just like you would carrots. Frankly, I never cooked with parsnips until that last couple of years and I had them confused with turnips. They were not part of my family's dinner table growing up and from my informal survey most other families as well. So give them a try.

 

Carrot & Parsnip Soup with Fresh Basil

This soup makes a great starter to go with roasts and makes about 6 portions.

Carrot & Parsnip Soup with Fresh Basil
In Stock Pot combine:
	1 Sweet Onion Chopped
	1 Large Yellow-Fleshed Potato, peeled and chopped (Yukon Gold works)
	2 Cups Parsnips, peeled and chopped (3 to 4, about 10oz)
	4 Cups Carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/4 LBS)
	4 Cups/1 Liter Sodium Reduced Chicken Broth
	1/2 TSP Salt
	1/2 TSP Pepper
	1 Cup of Water
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook covered for 25 minutes until vegetables are soft.
Blend with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.
Add to simmering soup:
	2 TBSP of Salted Butter
	1 Cup of Milk
Stir in.  Simmer soup until needed.
Prior to serving add to finish soup:
	3 TBSP of freshly squeezed lemon juice (1/2 a large lemon)
	3 TBSP of fresh chopped basil
Soup will last up to 3 days in the fridge.  When reheating consider adding more water to get to desired thinness.  Soup will continue to thicken.

Substitutions and Notes:

• The original soup recipe called for 10% or 18% cream in lieu of milk and butter.  I have made the soup both ways and I can't tell a difference.
• If you are feeling naughty you could add a dollup of sour cream when serving.  
• This recipe can be made hours ahead and reheated.  Just add the lemon juice and basil just prior to serving.  Also, the soup will also thicken with time.  Add more water to get to desired consistency.

Ingredients for Carrot & Parsnip with Fresh Basil

Step 1: Bringing the Vegetables to Boil

What I learned in making this soup:

• Parsnips sweeten as you cook them and work well in balance with carrots. They are easily peel-able and slightly softer than carrots to cut.
• The starches in the vegetables will cause the soup to thicken with time.  The soup can easily be thinned by adding water and stirring.  

Do you like Parsnips? Enjoyed the soup?  Please tell me what you think in the comments section below.

Tomato and Chick Pea Salad

This Mediterranean style salad is great for summer and fall and is a proven winner with our friends and family. It is easily transportable for BBQs/picnics and keeps well a couple of days in the fridge.  This salad takes about 15 minutes to prepare depending on your knife skills and it serves 6 to 8 adults.

Tomato and Chick Pea Salad

Tomato and Chick Pea Salad
Combine Salad Ingredients in a Large Bowl:
	2 Cups Cherry or Grape Tomatoes halved
	1 Yellow Pepper diced
	1 Orange Pepper diced
	1 Can of Chick Peas (540ml) drained and rinsed
	200 grams of Feta Cheese in small cubes
	2 Shallots or 1/3 medium red onion finely diced
Combine Dressing Ingredients in Small Bowl or Measuring Cup:
	1/4 Cup Fresh Basil chopped
	1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
	2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
	1/2 TSP Ground Pepper
Steps:
	1) Combine above salad ingredients in large bowl.
	2) Combine dressing ingredients and stir to mix dressing.
	3) Poor dressing on salad.  Toss and serve.

Note: This recipe can be made hours ahead.  It is best to add the dressing prior to serving and keep the salad refrigerated because of the cheese.

Ingredients for Tomato and Chick Pea Salad

Salad Ready to be Tossed

Substitutions:

• If you don't like feta cheese you can substitute Mozzarella for a milder taste.
• I prefer cow milk Feta to goat milk Feta, it does not have as strong of a taste.
• You can use 4 medium tomatoes diced instead of cherry tomatoes, but you will have a far more liquid salad.

What I've learned in making this salad and salads like it:

• Basil always tastes better if fresh is used rather than dry.  Dry herbs can be substituted if necessary at 1/3 to fresh.
• Fresh squeezed lemon tastes far better than "RealLemon" and this product contains additives such as sodium benozate, sodium bisulfite and is from concentrate.