Chicken with Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

This chicken dish is a delicious meal that falls off the bone. It is only 2 steps. A guaranteed favorite for a family dinner. Chicken thighs seem to have a much more robust flavor with the oven roasted tomatoes. You can roast the tomatoes the day before and just assemble it when you are ready for your meal. The oven roasted tomatoes bring a sweetness to any dish. Enjoy everyone!

4 -6 chicken thighs
2 lbs. cherry tomatoes (approx 30)
½ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. sea salt coarse
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
½ cup sake cooking
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

Place tomatoes in roasting pan @425. Add 1 tsp salt and ¼ c of olive oil. Roast for about 30 minutes.

roasted tomatoes1
While tomatoes are roasting:

Place chicken skin side down in hot sauté pan with remainder of olive oil. Season chicken with salt and garlic powder.

Allow chicken to brown until crispy over high heat approx. 7 minutes per side. Lower the heat: Add sake. After 2 minutes, add the broth. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

roasted chicken2

Add roasted tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes.
Serve over rice or pasta. Great with any side dish.

Garnish with Fresh Basil.

roasted chicken3

Apple Banana Breakfast Muffins **gluten free

Apple Banana Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients

1 medium apple peeled
1/2 ripe banana
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp. honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 c almond milk
1-6 oz yogurt fruyo pineapple brand
2 tbsp. ricotta cheese

1 1/2 c almond flour
1/2 c organic millet flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder * gluten free

In food processor
Add cut apple, banana , salt  and vanilla until very small pieces . Add the next 7 ingredients .

In a seperate bowl mix all the dry ingredients . Stir with a fork to blend the flours and baking powder together. Next, pour the wet ingredients into bowl of flour and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray and fill 3/4 of muffin tin.
Cook for 25 minutes at 375. Place a pan of water in stove to create moisture while muffins cook. When finished baking, turn oven off and leave muffin pan in for 15 minutes longer .
These muffins are healthy sugar and gluten free.

Baked Spinach and Egg White Muffins

egg white muffins
12 whites, 2 yolks- large eggs
1T parm cheese
1T Mexican blend cheese or another cheese of your liking, shredded
1t garlic powder
¼t good salt

This recipe will make 6 standard sized muffins or 4 large muffins.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet, saute 3 handfuls of fresh, washed spinach in 2T of olive oil. Let the spinach cool and squeeze out the extra moisture.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs then add the cheese, seasonings and spinach.

Spray your muffin pan, even if you are using one with a nonstick surface. Pour the mixture into each of the cups, almost to the top.

Place the tin in a water bath, pouring water about halfway up the side of the tin.

water bath

Cook for about 25 minutes, or until the centers are set.

After cooling for a few minutes, remove from the tin and serve.

These “muffins” can be eaten warm or cold and is an Atkins friendly option.

Heart Pancakes

2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Sift together in a large bowl.

In a separate, medium sized bowl, combine the following:

3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon orange flower water
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons orange flavored honey or other honey
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 cups ricotta cheese
4 oz marscapone cheese

Blend together and add to the dry mix using a spatula.

Put into a heart-shaped mold and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Here is good mold to use for chocolate, muffins and pancakes: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000M9N7CM.

Sausage Bake

sausage bake cut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using a casserole pan approx 11×13, butter the bottom and sides. Using 2 Pillsbury crescent rolls (I used the reduced fat type), unroll and lay out the dough flat against the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Poke holes in the dough using a fork to help it from puffing up with baking. Pre-bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

1lb italian sausage- mild or spicy depending on taste
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 oz sherry
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flake
¼ c maple syrup

Brown sausage in a pan with casing on over medium-high heat. You don’t really need any oil in the pan, because the fat will render from meat for it to cook in. When the sausage is almost done browning, add fennel seeds.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of sherry, then place the sausage with any liquids in the food processor. Pulse until the sausage is in a medium crumble, then add the red pepper flake and maple syrup and pulse to combine.

In a medium sized bowl, wisk together:

2 whole eggs
1 C egg whites (liquid)
2 C half and half or heavy cream
2 C cheese (reserve 1/2 C to top casserole) You can use cheddar, mexican blend, provolone, gruyere, or any type of cheese you have in your refrigerator.

Once browned, remove the pan from the oven and place the sausage crumble on top of the flat crescent rolls. Then pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.

sausage bake

Return the casserole back into the oven for an additional 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let the casserole set and cool and bit prior to serving. The casserole can be cut into little breakfast squares or be cut into larger pieces.