Honey Mustard Love

I've always had a love affair with honey mustard so I might be a little bias when it comes to loving this recipe but Mr. Lawyer liked it too and lawyers never lie right? This was easy and amazing. For lunch the next day I chopped up the leftover chicken and spooned the sauce over the leftover quinoa. It was to die for. This recipe has earned a spot next to my favorite Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I want to make both of these recipes over and over again.

Honey Mustard Chicken

(Pinterest find! From goodlifeeats.com)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of grainy, course mustard (I subbed more smooth, spicy Gulden's Mustard)
1/4 cup smooth dijion mustard (Grey Poupon of course!)
1/2 cup honey
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 of a small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenderloins (I cut up chicken breasts)
salt and pepper
3 - 4 small sprigs of fresh rosemary
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the mustards, honey, and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil.
2. In a sauté pan or cast iron skillet, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
3. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1 - 2 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Place the chicken tenderloins on top of the onion and garlic mixture, or if the pan you cooked the onion and garlic in is not oven safe, transfer the onion and garlic to an oven safe dish and add the chicken to it. Salt and pepper the tops of the chicken according to your personal preference.
5. Pour the honey mustard mixture on top of the chicken. Arrange the rosemary sprigs around the chicken in the pan.
6. Bake the chicken covered at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Then remove the cover, baste the chicken with the sauce, and continue to cook for an additional 20 - 30 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is browned on top and cooked through.

The Boy Cooks!

We've entered the summer season which means I cook very little. I'm exhausted from camp, it's hot, and we're at the shore almost every weekend. I'll make a big batch of something simple, like veggie pasta, leave it in the fridge and announce it's time to fend for yourself!

Sauteed Summer Veggie Pasta

FEND FOR YOURSELF!!!

Luckily Mr. Lawyer did not have to work last Friday so I asked him to surprise me with dinner. While I was off wrangling small children Mr. Lawyer was slaving away in the kitchen to make one heck of a delicious dinner. When I was presented with a divine looking fish fillet I was a little worried. Mr. Lawyer had gone out fishing that morning and I was worried he was trying to poison me with a fish from the Wissahickon Creek. He assured me the fish was purchased from Whole Foods. The original recipe called for walleye which he swapped out for tilapia. The crunch of the pretzels combined with the spiciness of the mustard was perfect. It's definitely a keeper recipe. The Lemonade Butter for the corn was a bit of a let down so feel free to skip it in favor of the traditional butter/salt/pepper.

Pretzel-Crusted Walleye with "Lemonade Butter" Sweet Corn

(From his Field & Stream Magazine)

Ingredients:
4 walleye fillets, about 6 oz. each (He used tilapia)
1/2 stick butter
Zest of 1⁄2 lemon
1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice
Scant teaspoon sugar
About 2 cups broken pretzels
1⁄2 cup spicy brown mustard
1⁄4 cup vegetable oil
4 ears sweet corn
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Make the lemonade butter: Let the butter sit at room temperature until it’s soft. Transfer to a small bowl and add the lemon zest, juice, and sugar, as well as salt and pepper. Stir with a fork until combined. Transfer the butter to a length of plastic wrap and form it into a cylinder, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Pulse the pretzels in a food processor until they’re the consistency of breadcrumbs. They might be uneven, but that’s O.K.; bigger shards will add crunch. Transfer the pretzels to a plate and salt and pepper generously, stirring with a fork.
3. Set the fillets on another plate and brush both sides of the fish with the mustard. Place the fillets, one at a time, in the pretzel crumbs, pressing down lightly to help the crumbs adhere. Flip to coat the other side, then transfer to a sheet of parchment or wax paper.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. In the meantime, place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, use a spatula to carefully transfer the walleye fillets to the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until done.
5. While the fish is cooking, add the corn to the boiling water. Boil for about 4 minutes, or slightly longer if the corn is less than perfectly fresh.
6. To serve, place the fish beside the hot corn on a plate. Top each ear of corn with a chunk of the lemonade butter and serve immediately. Serves 4

1st Freezer Meal!

I don't have a picture for this recipe as I made it at my friend's house this afternoon. Jackie and I have decided to start experimenting more with freezer and/or crock pot meals. We figured that these recipes would be useful given our busy schedules and her almost two year old daughter. What's not to like about having meals ready in the freezer or things you can just throw in the crock pot and forget?! This first one came out pretty good! I loved the dijon and maple combination. We served it with some brown rice and it would be delicious with a vegetable side. There was a lot of liquid left in the crock pot that was very flavorful (we poured it on the rice) but next time I would find a way to thicken it up a bit before serving it on the rice.

Maple Dijon Glazed Chicken

(from sixsistersstuff.com)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed.

2. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 hours). Sprinkle with fresh or dried rosemary for serving.

Yearning for Home Part II

Hoffman Coneys and German-Style Mustard

A trip to Syracuse is never complete without going to Heid's Hot Dogs. But in the tragic event that you cannot make it there, picking up some coneys and mustard from Wegmans is completely acceptable.