Lovely Lemony Meal

Today I came home and had this fabulous recipe in my head. When I came into the house and looked in the freezer, I was out of Chicken. I went into the garage freezer and found some Pheasant from Brandon's winter hunt. I was excited but knew that I would have to make a marinade and let it soak a bit longer. Pheasant is a bit tougher than chicken and it takes longer to soak in the flavors but if you do it correctly, it tastes like moist chicken. Fortunately I had time because Brandon was finishing his swim at the gym and he still had to heat up the grill. I got to use Fresh Rosemary from my garden so I spent a little bit of time weeding  while the pheasant marinated and I even experimented with a lemon bread.


Lemon Rosemary Pheasant


Ingredients: 


3 small Pheasants cutlets, thawed
1/2 Lemon, juice only
1 sprig Rosemary, broken apart
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Sea salt
2 TBS Olive Oil


Process: 

1. Place Pheasant in a bowl. 
2. Add all ingredients to the bowl and let marinate for 45-60 min in the refrigerator. 
3. Remove pheasants and place on grill (Grill heat about 275 degrees). 
4. Cook for 5-8 minutes on each side until the center is no longer pink. Watch the meat, you do not want to overcook pheasant as it will get dry and tough if overdone. 

Smelled amazing on the grill and it was so juicy and flavorful!

Grilled Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

Brussel Sprouts
3 Tbs Olive Oil (enough to coat the sprouts)
1 Tbs Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
(All seasonings are to our taste so add the seasonings you like best, Brandon adds old bay or Cajun seasoning at times. )


Process:

1. Slice the ends off of the sprouts and place them on a Grill tray lined with tin foil. 
2. Coat Brussels with olive oil and seasonings. 
3. Place on the grill at about 275 degrees for 30-35 minutes until Brussel sprouts are soft. I like mine crispy on the outside but watch them and cook them to your liking. 

They are really good when the leaves fall off and get burnt- tastes like a  Brussel sprout chip! 

Lovely Lemon Bread

Ingredients: 

3 1/2 C. Almond flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 Lemons Zest

2 Lemons, juice

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/3 Cup +1 TBS (or 6 TBS) Honey

5 Eggs

Process:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
2. In a mixing bowl, combine Eggs, Lemon Juice, Vanilla and Honey. Mix on Medium speed until well blended.
3. In a separate bowl, combine Flour, Baking Powder, Sea Salt and Lemon Zest. Mix until well blended.
4. Pour dry ingredients into mixing bowl with egg mixture. Mix until well blended. 
5. *Optional- Fold in Blueberries for a sweeter treat. 
6. Grease a loaf pan or make as muffins. 
7. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes. *Muffins for 30-35min. 

Mix until well blended

Blueberry Lemon Muffin option- great for breakfast or a light treat!

Lemon Muffin

Blueberry Lemon Muffin

Lemon Muffin

Lovely Lemon Dinner!

*Valentine's Day Comes Early for this Lucky Girl*

Long day at work, traffic on my way home, starving tummy and a shocking surprise. I came home to my gorgeous husband whipping up a special meal for me in the kitchen. Yes! I am blessed :) He knew I would be starving and he decided to treat me to a meal. Not only did he look adorable in his sweater and jeans while he was working in the kitchen but the meal was fantastic too. He got "creative in the kitchen" and created his own baked chicken recipe complete with a strawberry salad side.

Brandon's Baked Pineapple Chicken

Ingredients:
2 Chicken breasts
1 C. Pineapple Chunks
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 TBS Olive oil
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
2 tsp Rosemary, lavender blend (any herb blend will work- this was a light herb option that paired well with the light summery pineapple flavor)

Process:
He preheated the oven to 350F.
Place tin foil on a cookie sheet and brushed it with olive oil.
Place chicken and pineapple on on tin foil and brush with olive oil.
Sprinkle seasonings on the chicken and place in the oven for 20 minutes.

While chicken was cooking he sliced some Strawberries and placed them on a plate.

When chicken timer went off Brandon checked each piece for a "done" center and then plated it with the strawberries. For an increased flavor add a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette on the strawberries and Pineapple.

Tonight reminds me of how blessed I am to have a caring, loving and encouraging husband. One who knows my feelings and where to jump in (most of the time) without me even having to ask. For a couple that doesn't celebrate Valentine's Day- I think I will have to prepare something special for him this year :)

Had to Sneak a photo ;) too cute!

Brandon- you can make this any time you want! YUM!