Grilled Balsalmic Chicken with Brown Rice Salad and Grilled Garlic Scapes

Phew... just saying that is a mouthful! Wait until you get it all on your plate!

I find that I am a much more adventurous cook when my husband is away. It's probably got something to do with the first time I tried to cook him a meal and how utterly disastrous it was. I'd chosen a simple dish - herb stuffed roasted turkey breast - or something like that. Well unfortunately, Safeway was out of cilantro. They did, however, have lots of really great looking parsley and it was on sale! Really, how different can two green, leafy herbs be?! So I subbed the parsley for the cilantro. Needless to say, we ate out that night, but only because I literally took the plate away from him and dumped it in the trash! I have only had a handful of recipes come out so terribly that I considered them inedible, but each time I have had to pry the food out of his hands. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful he's not a picky eater, but am equally hard pressed to get a wow out of him so when he's away I play - in the kitchen! ;) I'm pretty sure this meal will get a wow when I fix it for him (hint hint Honey!).

"Wow!"

Balsamic Grilled Chicken
This recipe is the result of combining several others, so I can't really credit anyone in particular nor can I fully accept the credit myself. I have to say that this is probably the best chicken I have ever made and possibly ever eaten. The chicken was moist and flavorful throughout, not just the outer edges. I absolutely loved it! As I was assembling the marinade I felt like there were a lot of different flavors going on and wasn't really sure how I'd feel about the end result. My usual philosophy is that food is supposed to taste like what it is, or less is more. Olive oil, salt and pepper are my usual M.O., but I was really very pleasantly surprised and will definitely be making this again! 

Ingredients 
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (generous) tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp each: marjoram, thyme, rosemary and oregano
2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper

Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs, salt, pepper and onion flakes in 1 gallon resealable plastic bag along with chicken Allow chicken to marinate for at least 1/2 hour. Heat grill place chicken on grill and sear both sides.

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Brown Rice Salad
Loosely based on Whole Foods Markets' recipe

This is one of those really great recipes that doesn't really require measurement. It's also very adaptable to what you like, have on hand, and need to use up. It was a great way for me to use up some leftover rice! It was beautiful, colorful and very refreshing. You could also try using any cooked grain in place of the rice - Israeli cous cous would be nice!


Ingredients
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup sliced radishes

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (whatever color you have/prefer)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped watercress
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse ground Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

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Grilled Garlic Scapes

Oh. My. Word. I'd invited a friend over for dinner and when I bit into these I was glad she'd declined because I wouldn't have wanted to share!! I am convinced that garlic scapes are the best thing that God created for us to eat! I am absolutely in love!! I only just recently heard about them from my CSA farmer, which served to build quite some anticipation. When I picked up my box today, I knew I'd be making them for dinner. I would have to say that its somewhere between a green onion and asparagus with a mild garlic undertone. You just have to hunt them down and try them for yourself. I mean it. Right now!! This is probably the simplest way to prepare them and since it's the only way I have ever had them prepared, I'd have to say it's the best!

Ingredients

Garlic scapes

olive oil

Sea salt

Fresh cracked pepper  

Wash scapes. Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Grill over medium flame until tender and just slightly charred, about 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings

One of the first meals I ever prepared for myself was the recipe for Chicken and Dumplings on the Bisquick box. Over the years I made adaptations, first adding thyme and then other spices, and eventually making my dumplings from scratch with whole wheat flour. It is still one of my all time favorite comfort foods and I'd like to think that I have come up with a recipe that never fails, but the truth is that no matter how many times I make it its always slightly different! I still can't figure out if the dumplings are supposed to be chewy and gummy or biscuit-y. I have given up trying to achieve either one because I love them both ways.

A friend recommended this recipe, which is pretty different from the way I would normally make my chicken and dumplings so I decided to give it a shot. My one-year old seemed to really like it, so it scored bonus points there! I, on the other hand, thought it could use a little work. I do plan to make it again, but next time will add a bay leaf to my simmering vegetables and will try boiling my dumplings in the broth instead of baking them, which is how I'd normally make them. I may try to bake them again, but in the future I would add a few tablespoons of flour to the milk before adding it to the filling to thicken it and make it more gravy-like. It doesn't seem like that should be called chicken and dumplings though, that seems a lot more like chicken pot pie. Whatever it will be called, I'm sure it will be good.

Chicken and Dumplings
Adapted from Passionate Homemaking

Note: Except for the dumplings, there is really no need to be exact in your measurements. Just eyeball it and save yourself the dishes!

Ingredients for filling -
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stocks, chopped
1 cup peas
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
2 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Ingredients for dumplings -
2 1/4 cups flour (I used 1 cup hard white wheat, 1 cup soft white wheat and 1/4 cup barley flour)
1 cup cultured buttermilk
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Combine flour, buttermilk, and melted butter. Cover and soak overnight or approximately 12-24 hours.
2. Saute all vegetables excluding peas in butter and spices for approximately 5 minutes. Add broth and heat to a boil. Add two chicken breast and simmer until cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken and chop.
3.  Add milk, chicken and peas to skillet. Stir to combine. Pour into a 13×9 baking dish.
4. Add remaining ingredients to soaked flour. Scoop dumplings by rounded tablespoon onto the top. 
5. Cook for about 18 minutes at 425 degrees.