Family Dinner

I tried to fit everything I made into the title of this post, but “Chicken Country Kiev, Sun Dried Tomato Feta Dip, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Carmelized Onions and Bacon, White Bean, Lemon and Rosemary Dip” was somehow a little too long! But there you have it, our delicious dinner from Sunday night that Cam and I are wanting all over again as I post these photos and write out the recipes for you.

It seemed like every Sunday afternoon from my childhood until I left for college (that could be my pregnancy brain over-remembering, Mom?) we had family dinner out on our back patio and I loved it. I think all of us kids looked forward to it. My Mom would make an amazing dinner with our favorites: bbq tri-tip, a big green salad with fruits and yummy toppings, garlic bread, vegetables, creamy potatoes, and wine of course. Like any good meal, it was as much about the fun time together as the food. During the week, even if we weren’t hungry, we still had to sit down together as a family and I’m so grateful for that now. We do the same with John Shea, even when he’s throwing his food or refusing to eat, and hopefully he’ll come to appreciate that time together one day as much as I do looking back on my growing up!

Sun Dried Tomato & Feta Dip

about 6oz fresh feta (in brine is best so it’s not dried out!)
4-5 heaping TBS sun dried tomatoes in it’s marinated olive oil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2C – 1C EVOO

This is so simple and so delicious! It’s a perfect appetizer or accompaniment to dinner.

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor (or a blender if you don’t have a food processor!) and drizzle in more EVOO as needed for your desired consistency. Serve immediately with a crunchy, warm bread, or a gluten-free option for my GF friends.

Chicken Country Kiev à la Emina (my Mom!)

about 1 lb chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/2 C olive oil
1-2 TBS white wine
3 tsp dried oregano
1/2 – 1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ancho chili pepper
1/2 C bread crumbs
2 TBS butter

This is one of the simplest and most delicious chicken recipes! I make it far too often and we love it every single time. Thanks, Mom.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large bowl or plate and add in the olive oil. On another large bowl or plate, combine the breadcrumbs, (feel free to use a GF option like almond meal or GF flour if you can’t eat breadcrumbs – but double the herbs and salt for added flavor) oregano, salt and ancho chili pepper. Wash and pat dry the chicken slices. Dip them in the olive oil/butter, then in the breadcrumbs and place in a medium baking dish. Once all of the chicken is in the baking dish, pour the remaining olive oil/butter over the top and drizzle on the white wine.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions & Bacon

1lb brussels sprouts
EVOO 
fine sea salt
2-3 pieces of bacon, chopped
1/2 onion

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. You can stick the brussels sprouts in while also cooking the Chicken Country Kiev!

Remove the outer leaves of the brussels sprouts, cut them in half and toss evenly with EVOO and a good pinch of fine sea salt. Roast for about 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. About 15 minutes out from being done, cook the onion and bacon.

Add about a teaspoon of EVOO to a saute pan over medium low high heat until it begins to shimmer and toss the onions in it. Occasionally stir the onions so they cook evenly and don’t burn, for atleast ten minutes to allow them to begin to caramelize. Once they begin to brown, add in the bacon. There’s no need to add salt to the onions as the bacon will do just that. Saute until the onions are a rich brown color and the bacon crispy. Set aside.

Toss the brussels sprouts with the caramelized onions and bacon and serve immediately. I had planned on making a vinaigrette to add to this as well but the sprouts have such good flavor on their own along with the sweet onions and salty bacon it didn’t need anything else!

White Bean, Lemon & Rosemary Dip

1 can white beans (cannellini or great northern), rinsed and drained
juice of 1 lemon
1 TBS crushed garlic
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/3 C EVOO

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and combine until it has reached as smooth a consistency as you like, adding more EVOO as needed. Serve immediately with crunchy bread and wine!