GRILLED LEMON-HERB CHICKEN BREASTS

If you love to grill any type of food with lemon, herbs, and garlic. . .you will love this easy recipe.  If you don't have fresh herbs, use freeze-dried.

2 to 3 boneless chicken breasts

¼ cup olive oil 

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup white wine

2 T fresh minced rosemary

2 T fresh minced thyme leaves

1 T fresh minced oregano leaves

1 T fresh chopped basil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring pitcher, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag or bowl.

Pour half of the marinade over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours.

Save the rest of the marinade to drizzle over top of chicken before serving.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard marinade.

Grill over medium-high heat, 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Transfer to plates and add a couple slices of lemon.

Drizzle the rest of the marinade over and serve.

Serves 2 to 3

BOURBON-PEACH ICED TEA

Nothing says summer in the south like sitting on your front porch in a rocking chair, sipping a Bourbon-Peach Iced Tea.  You will need 5 medium-size ripe peaches and 2 lemons.

4 cups boiling filtered or spring water

6 black tea bags, I use Luzianne 

1 cup Kentucky Bourbon 

Peach Syrup
1 cup filtered or spring water

4 fresh ripe peaches, diced

1 cup granulated sugar

1 3-inch cinnamon stick

Juice of ½ lemon

For Each Mug
4 slices of peaches

1 lemon sliced into circles

4 sprigs of mint

In a large heatproof container or large glass-measuring pitcher (6 cup), pour boiling water over the tea bags.

Let steep 5 minutes, then remove tea bags.

In a saucepan, add the water, diced peaches, and sugar

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and mash peaches with a potato masher.

Add cinnamon stick and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, add lemon juice, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes for flavors to develop.

Discard cinnamon stick and strain syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a glass pitcher.
Gently mash the peaches in the strainer with a rubber spoon or spatula to release all of the juice from the peaches, over the pitcher..

Add the cooled tea and bourbon.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill until cold.

Serve over ice with sliced peaches, sliced lemons, and a mint sprig.

Serves 4 

IZETTA'S SOUTHERN CORNCAKES (AKA Hoecakes)

Mama served corncakes with fish on Friday evenings. I loved slathering them with butter and grape jelly; not sure if I’d like the jelly with them today. They are so delicious for breakfast or dinner. My mom said she served them just in case you swallowed a fishbone. The corncake would push the fishbone down your throat. Serve them with butter and maple syrup for breakfast. It is said, that the name Hoecake came from enslaved people in the South who cooked them over an open fire on the blades of their hoes, which were wide and flat. New Englanders have something similar called Johnnycakes. 

Lee's Kitchen Tips:
I buy Palmetto Farms Yellow Cornmeal online. You can order it from Amazon or directly from Palmetto Farms.  
Avocado oil is widely available now.  I buy a large bottle from Costco.  It has a very high smoke point of about 520 degrees F, making it ideally suited for frying.

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 large eggs

3 T melted butter and 1 T of bacon grease, room temperature (or you can use all butter)

2 cups stone ground yellow cornmeal

½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 t baking powder

½ t baking soda

½ t salt

1 T sugar

Avocado or peanut oil, for frying

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, butter, and bacon grease. 

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk mixture.  

Gently whisk together, being careful not to over mix. Batter should be lumpy. 

Let batter stand on counter for 20 minutes.


Meanwhile, preheat oven to 225 degrees F.

Heat griddle and generously brush with oil. 

Pour batter (about 2 tablespoons worth) on hot griddle about 2 inches apart.

Cook in batches until golden brown on each side.


Keep cooked hoecakes warm in oven while cooking the rest.

ROSEMARY INFUSED MARCONA ALMONDS

These almonds are excellent for a charcuterie board or antipasti platter.  I buy them from Amazon.com.  They are hard to find in markets in my area of Virginia. 

I cup raw marcona almonds 

1 t extra virgin olive

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 T fresh rosemary leaves, minced

½ t sea salt

Toast almonds in a dry skillet until golden.  Be careful not to let them burn.

Pour into a large bowl.

Add olive and sprig of fresh rosemary to skillet.

Heat over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove rosemary sprig and pour oil over almonds in bowl.

Add rosemary leaves and salt.

Stir to combine and store in an airtight container.

FRENCH COCONUT PIE

1 unbaked deep-dish pie crust (homemade or store-bought)

3 large eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 T all-purpose flour

1 t pure vanilla extract

½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half or buttermilk

¼ t sea salt

½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar.

Add the flour, vanilla, cream or half-and-half, and salt.

Slowly whisk in the melted butter.

Fold in the coconut and pour the mixture into the unbaked pie crust.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes.

GRILLED LEMON-HERB CHICKEN

If you love to grill any type of food with lemon, herbs, and garlic. . .you will love this easy recipe.  If you don't have fresh herbs, use freeze-dried.

2 boneless chicken breasts

¼ cup olive oil 

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2 T fresh minced rosemary

2 T fresh minced thyme leaves

1 T fresh minced oregano leaves

1 T fresh chopped basil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring pitcher, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag.

Pour half of the marinade into the bag, seal and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours.

Save the rest of the marinade for the pasta.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard marinade.

Grill over medium-high heat, 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Transfer to 2 plates along with some pasta.

Pour the reserved marinade over pasta and serve.

Serves 2

IZETTA'S SOUTHERN COLESLAW

My mom made delicious coleslaw and my husband remembers how much he loved it. I still call this Izetta's coleslaw. It's perfect served on a pulled pork sandwich or a Sloppy Joe.

½ head cabbage, finely shredded or finely chopped (about 4 cups)

½ medium carrot, finely shredded or finely chopped

Dressing

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup whole buttermilk

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 T lemon juice

3 T granulated sugar

1 t yellow mustard 

½ t celery seeds (optional)

¼ t sea salt

Pinch fine ground black pepper

Place shredded or chopped cabbage and carrot in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients.

Pour over the cabbage mixture and stir to combine.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Stir again before serving.