Real Life with Jenny

So I am really ready for fall to begin this year! I’m not the world’s biggest fan of the summer’s heat, and I love love love fall’s weather, holidays and food. So I infused a little fall flavor into this week’s menu. Also, we’ll be out of town towards the end, so there’s only 4 dinners. Enjoy!

-Maple Brined Pork Chops with a Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette
-(at my husband’s request) Fried Chicken Burritos with all the accouterments
-Apple Nut Whole Wheat Pancakes with maple syrup
-Summer Salad made of butter lettuce, raspberries, hazelnuts and a raspberry vinaigrette

read comments (2)

I was just thinking last night how the easiest preparations are often the tastiest. I love this meal. It’s become a staple here in our home. I’ll try and post up some pictures when I make this next.

First take your defrosted chicken and place it all in a bowl or large tupperware. Season with a decent pinch of salt. I love using grey sea salt for this as it brings out the flavor beautifully. Then add in a little olive oil, a teaspoon of crushed garlic, and a heavy pinch of your favorite herb. I use whatever I have on hand. Then the chicken to get a nice coat of the mix all over. OK, now set that aside so that we can prep the veggies.

In a separate bowl, prep your mix of summer veggies. I made this last night with asparagus, zucchini and bell peppers. Season with another pinch of salt and toss with olive oil. This is truly all you need for veggies. They are naturally full of flavor and the combination of olive oil and salt will just enhance that without overwhelming it. Mmmmmmm. So yummy!

Alright, the last step is just to grill these up. If you’re using really thick asparagus, you may want to start those before anything else. Just add it all in the grill and set it on low. The key to great grilled food is low and slow. It’s amazing I tell you. Amazing!

For any frugal friday visitors, know that this is such a simple and inexpensive meal! You may be concerned about the cost of chicken. Check out drumsticks. They tend to be very cheap! You can also use a large variety of veggies (oh and throw in some red potatoes or sweet potatoes for an additional inexpensive veggie) and let the chicken stand second to the true star of this meal. Just be sure that you use a wide variety of veggies. The more flavors to blend the better!

read comments (0)