Chicken Thighs Baked with Lemon & Prosciutto

Chicken thighs in baking dish, sprinkled with lemon rind

Cooked thighs ready to serve

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
rind of one lemon, finely grated
4-6 slices of prosciutto, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
2 tsp of porketta seasoning, (see below)
     or your favorite chicken seasoning
1/4 cup chopped, pitted kalamata olives (optional)
salt & pepper

Directions:

Mix the olive oil, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Trim the chicken pieces.
Place them on a shallow baking dish and pour the olive oil/lemon mixture over them.  Toss a few times and place the chicken pieces smooth side up.  Sprinkle with the seasoning and prosciutto pieces. Top with the fresh lemon rind.

Bake at 375F for about 8 - 12 minutes till just done.  Do not over cook.  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.  Serve with potatoes and green beans/carrots.  This dish also goes well with a side dish of pasta with tomato sauce.

Porketta Spice Mix:

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 TBS dill seed
1 TBS fennel seed
1/2 tsp oregano 
1 tsp lemon pepper 
1/4 tsp onion powder 

Chickpea Salad with Fresh Herbs & Green Onion

Chickpea Salad with Parsley & Coriander 

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain full-fat Greek Yogurt (Face) or Vegan Substitute
3 TBS Mayonnaise or Vegan mayo
2 TBS lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of kosher salt (or less)
1/2 tsp of black pepper
2 TBS finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
  Or 2 TBS fresh Coriander, finely chopped
2 TBS finely chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
3 15-oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed *
1 cup finely diced celery (about 3 stalks)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion, white & green parts (2-3 scallions)

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt & pepper.  Whisk until smooth, then add the dill or coriander, and parsley and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and using a fork, lightly mash about 1/3 of them.  Add the celery and green onions and toss.

Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well, and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with more dill/coriander and parsley and serve.  You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.  Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

This recipe is adapted from the NY Times recipe website.

*  The first time I made this, (photo) I used only 1 can of chickpeas...(my mistake!) which made the salad very crunchy with all the celery and green onion - but I thought it was delicious! I did cut down on the salt & pepper and perhaps would only use 1 TBS of lemon juice next time. You could always add more to taste.
It had a nice consistency like a potato salad without the potatoes.

Artichoke Bites

This is an easy recipe from Canadian Living Magazine.  Great for entertaining!

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

1 small jar of marinated artichoke hearts (6 oz.)
1 onion finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, minced
6 eggs - well-beaten
1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp oregano
dash of Tabasco sauce
freshly ground pepper
2 cups of grated old white cheddar cheese (1 8-oz package)


Directions:

Measure 1/4 c of the marinade from the jar of artichokes and put into a medium skillet.  Discard remaining marinade from the jar and chop the artichokes into 1/2 inch pieces.
Heat marinade in a skillet and cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs.  Stir in onion-garlic mixture, breadcrumbs, salt, oregano, a few drops of Tabasco, and pepper to taste.  Add the cheese and then add the artichokes.

Spoon into a buttered 8-inch square glass baking dish.  Bake at 325F for about 30 to 35 minutes until set. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut into squares and serve.  This recipe can be prepared a day or two in advance and reheated.  Store wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator.

Makes 24 squares.

Crock Pot Ribs

This recipe is from a Youtube video Harry sent me and said 'try this!'  They were excellent!
I think you can make the rub as detailed or just use your favorite rub. There are directions on how to lay the ribs in the crock pot. "Thick side down and ribs (bone) in the center" It worked very well.

Ingredients:

Pork Back Ribs - one or two racks depending on your family.

Rub - either purchased, or prepared as per the video.

Rub the racks and cut them in half to fit the crock pot.

Put them in the crock pot and set it on high for 6 hours. Nothing else is put in the crock pot.
After they are done, brush them with a bbq sauce and then broil them for 1-2 minutes if you like. Brush lightly with barbecue sauce.