Made By Melissa

I saw this recipe for garlic fries over at sweet-savory-southern, they looked perfect to go with the cheeseburgers we were having for dinner. This is a great way to prepare potatoes, they are crispy and have a great garlic flavor garlic. Original recipe comes from food network.

Garlic “Fries”

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 large baking potatoes, 12 ounces each
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (I used dried)Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat the garlic and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Strain the garlic from the oil with a small mesh strainer. Set both garlic and oil aside.

  Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks, I cut mine into “steak fry” size. In a large bowl, toss the oil, potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the potatoes onto it in a single layer. Bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes.

  Remove potatoes from the tray with a metal spatula. Toss with parsley, reserved garlic, and additional salt, to taste. Serve immediately.

So I have never made roasted broccoli before. I just started making roasted asparagus about a month ago, I know, where have I been! This broccoli was delicious and so simple! I can’t figure out why I was afraid to make roasted broccoli, but it will become a staple in my house from now on. I didn’t follow any particular recipe, just sort of tossed everything together and through it in the oven with my pork chops. I think I may have over-cooked it slightly, but it was delicious!

Roasted Broccoli

• 1 Head of broccoli, washed and stems removed
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Pepper

Toss broccoli and garlic with enough oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake in pre-heated oven. I baked them at 350 for about 25 minutes, since that was the temp my pork chops were at, but would probably bake them at a higher temp for less time next time. **Update** I have since made this several times and baked at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and it is perfect!

This recipe is a variation off of Cooking Light’s chicken and asparagus in white wine sauce. That recipe was very similar to the chicken francaise recipe in my blog, so I made a few changes. The end result was a very good chicken dish that I will certainly be making again.

Chicken and Asparagus in Creamy White Wine Sauce

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (I increased to 1 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I increased to 4 cloves)
• 1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed (or green beans/hericots verts)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (Omitted)
• 2 tablespoons low free 1/2 and 1/2

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add wine, broth, and garlic to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes. Add asparagus; cover and cook 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender (this took more like 6 minutes for me). Remove asparagus, keep warm. Increase heat to high and simmer liquid until slightly thickened, add 1/2 and 1/2 and simmer for 2 more minutes. Return chicken to pan, stir in parsley. Serve with asparagus.

These veggie bars are so good! They are a great way to have fresh vegetables at a party without going the traditional veggies and dip routine. From allrecipes.com, I typically only make half of the recipe, unless there is a large group of people.

Veggie Bars (1/2 of traditional recipe w/my modifications) 

• 1 8-ounce package crescent rolls
• 1 8-ounce package low-fat cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup low-fat mayonnaise
• ½ envelope ranch dressing mix
• Assorted raw vegetables, chopped (tomatoes, broccoli, red onions, celery, carrots, cauliflower, green and/or red peppers)
• ½ to ¾ cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread crescent rolls out onto a baking sheet or a pizza pan. Crimp seams together. Bake 8 - 10 minutes. Leave on pan until cool.

In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and ranch dressing - mix well. Spread over cooled crust. Top with assorted vegetables. Sprinkle cheese over top. Chill 1 - 2 hours before serving. Cut into bars and serve.

Not necessarily a recipe or even really blog worthy. However, it is the new year and everybody is on a health kick, so somebody out there might be looking for a little inspiration for a different salad. If your that someone, here you go!

My Favorite Salad

• Romain lettuce
• Blue cheese crumbles
• Craisins
• Toasted walnuts (Bake at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes, until golden brown)
• Newman’s Own Parmesan and Roasted Garlic salad dressing

Toss in a large bowl and enjoy!