Imitation Chicken Bryan

This recipe is a copycat of Carrabba's Chicken Bryan.  Carrabba's was easily one of our favorite restaurants when we lived in Provo.  We haven't been in years now--there isn't one in NYC (and we never really eat at chain restaurants here anyway) but we still talk about it.  We had so many favorite dishes there, but this one was always particularly special so when we came across a recipe for it, we knew we had to give it a shot.  And this does not disappoint.  It's one of those recipes where you take a bite and then you just have to pause for a minute to savor just how good it is.  The sauce is so rich and buttery and it complements the creamy goat cheese and tangy tomatoes perfectly.  Serve it over a bed of angel hair pasta and you have reached Italian food nirvana.

Imitation Chicken Bryan

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 30 minutes

• 14 Tbsp butter, divided
• 3 Tbsp minced onion
• 3 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 cup white wine
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 chicken breasts
• olive oil (I like to use a lemon-flavored olive oil, but regular works just fine)
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 12 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 4-8 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (I've subbed dried when I'm out of fresh...still delicious)
• 4 oz goat cheese

In a large saute pan, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat.  Saute onion and garlic until soft and fragrant.  Add white wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes to reduce.

While the sauce simmers, drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  Remove to a plate and tent with foil.

While the chicken cooks, add the remaining 12 Tbsp of butter to the sauce, 1-2 Tbsp at a time, until melted and emulsified.  Be careful not to overheat or the sauce will break (it will still taste good, it just won't look as pretty).  Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and basil.  Place the chicken in the pan and top each breast with 1 oz of goat cheese.  Cover the pan and allow the goat cheese to warm and soften.  Serve the chicken breast with the lemon butter sauce spooned over the top.  I especially like it over a bed of buttered angel hair.

Source: adapted from Food.com
Produce Used: Onion, garlic, lemon, tomato, basil

Fruit Lassi

There are some lassi recipe posted on this blog previously, but this is pretty much my go-to recipe now.  You can use just about any type of fruit that you want--I've done strawberries, blueberries, mixed berries, pineapple, and more.  This particular time I used a bag of mixed fruit that had strawberries, melon, peaches, and pineapple and it turned out great.  It is lightly sweetened with a slight tang from the yogurt and lime and a hint of aromatic spice from the cardamom.  It is a great cool-down drink for the summer, especially paired with a spicy Indian dish.

Fruit Lassi

Number of Servings: 2
Time to Prepare: 5 minutes

• 1 cup frozen fruit
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I've used regular plain yogurt and it works fine, the lassi is just not quite as thick and creamy)
• 2-4 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1-2 pinches cardamom

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Adjust sugar to taste (I prefer sweeter so I'm usually closer to the 4 Tbsp amount, but start with 2 and see how you like it).

Source: adapted from snack-girl.com
Produce Used: Fruit of choice, lime

Focaccia

This focaccia is a great Italian bread, full of garlic and herbs.  It's soft and little bit fluffy, but hearty enough to be great for soaking up sauce or dipping in oil and vinegar.  The crumbly, garlic and cheese topping adds nice texture and great flavor.  It comes together pretty easily as well--no rolling out dough, no shaping rolls, no floury counter-top mess to clean up.

Focaccia

Number of Servings 12-16 pieces
Time to Prepare: 2 hours

Dough

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 tsp yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3 cups bread flour (more or less)

Topping

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Mix yeast and sugar into warm water until dissolved.  Let sit for about 5 minutes, until frothy.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine yeast mixture, 1 tsp salt, 1/3 cup olive oil, Italian seasoning, and 2 1/2 cups of the bread flour.  Stir until well mixed.  Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed for a soft dough.  Knead dough for 5 minutes.  Place in greased bowl and turn to coat.  Cover and let rise until doubled.

When dough has doubled, grease a 9x13 pan.  Press dough into the pan.  Use your fingertips to make indentations in the dough (I usually do them every 1-2 inches).  Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.  While the dough is rising, prepare the topping.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a small frying pan.  Stir in oregano and garlic, being careful of splatters, and remove from heat.  Spoon over the risen dough.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and kosher salt.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Source: adapted from the recipe book that came with my breadmaker
Produce Used: Garlic

Diane's Cherry Pie

Whoa!  Sorry about that unplanned hiatus there.  I found out in December that I'm pregnant with #3 and this boy has really thrown me for a loop.  We're still trying to find our new normal here (which I'm sure we will figure out just before the baby comes in August and changes everything again!) but I'm hoping to get back on the blog train.  I've tried so many new recipes lately, along with some old favorites that still haven't made their way on to the blog.  I definitely want to get back to sharing!  We'll start things off with my mother-in-law's cherry pie because you can never go wrong with pie.  This is my husband's favorite pie--the tart cherries combined with the sweet sauce and a little hint of almond flavor provide a great balance and when the buttery, flaky crust is surrounding it all, I think you'll find it hard to resist.  I know we do!

Diane's Cherry Pie

Number of Servings: 8-10
Time to Prepare: 1 hour 10 minutes

• 2 unbaked pie crusts (use your favorite recipe or just by the pre-made ones...no judgement)
• 4 cups tart red cherries, pitted (canned is fine)
• 8 tsp quick cooking tapioca
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and place in preheated oven.

Line a 9" pie plate with one of the pie crusts.  Place in fridge (along with the other crust) while preparing the filling.

In a medium bowl, toss cherries thoroughly with tapioca, sugar, lemon juice, and almond extract.  Let stand for10 minutes.

Pour into unbaked pie shell and dot with butter.  Cover with the other pie crust (or cut into strips for lattice top) and seal edges.  Make a few slits in the crust to allow steam to escape.

Place the prepared pie in the fridge for ten minutes.  Transfer the pie to the preheated baking sheet in the oven and bake for ten minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40 more minutes. (Cover the edges of crust to keep from over-browning.)

Source: my mother-in-law, Diane
Produce Used: Cherries, lemon