The Main Event
Looking for something to serve for dinner tonight?
Roast a juicy pork loin, slow cook some chicken breasts in a crockpot, or bake some broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breasts. What will you serve as a side dish? Make some fluffy rice or quinoa, steam some fresh vegetables, or bake some potatoes. We eat a lot of salads so that is typically something I mix together just right before we sit down to eat. If I have canned green beans on hand, then a few drops of soy sauce and a splash of balsamic vinegar can enhance the flavor of the beans, or I will sauté some garlic and mushrooms in a skillet before adding the beans to the pan. I especially like to have leftovers of the main dish to reheat for the next night’s meal—add another salad, open up a can of your favorite vegetable, or make some pasta with butter sauce, and you have another meal ready in minutes.
Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breasts
6 chicken breasts
1 TBSP. olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt, divided
½ tsp. garlic powder, divided
¼ tsp. onion powder
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
1 ¼ cup fresh broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 ¾ TBSP. mayonnaise
6 slices bacon
Use a sharp knife to cut a deep pocket into the side of each chicken breast. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Coat the chicken breasts with the spice mixture. In a bowl, stir together the Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and remaining ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. garlic powder. Stir in the finely chopped broccoli. Spoon the cheese mixture into each chicken breast. Wrap each breast with a slice of bacon. Place in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, and additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
French Onion Pork Loin
3 TBSP. butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
½ cup beef broth
1 pork loin, about 2-3 lbs.
2 TBSP. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 ¼ tsp. Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese, divided In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add onions and beef broth and cook until the onions are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove onions. Using a very sharp knife, cut the pork loin lengthwise to make a long, deep slit and stop about 1 inch from the ends; this will make a deep pocket inside the loin. In a small bowl, combine oil, salt, pepper, garlic
powder, and Italian seasoning. Rub over both sides of pork loin. Place the pork loin in the skillet and sear over medium heat, turning it over several times, for at least 5 minutes. Stuff half of the onion mixture and half of the cheese into the loin and place in a 9x13 pan; top the loin with the rest of the onion mixture. Bake for 35 minutes at 425 degrees or until the pork loin reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Baste occasionally with the pan juices. Increase oven temperature to broil and sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese over the pork loin and cook for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
Italian Chicken
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Italian seasoning
2 cans (10 oz.) fat-free cream of chicken soup
1 (0.6) envelope Good Seasons Zesty Italian dressing mix
1(8 oz.) package low-fat cream cheese, cubed
¼ cup milk (as needed)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Freshly cracked black pepper
Garnish: chopped parsley, sauteed mushrooms
Spray a crockpot with cooking spray and lay the chicken breasts evenly in the bottom. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning
(or a seasoned salt). Pour the chicken soup and packet of Italian dressing mix over the top. Place the cream cheese cubes over the chicken. Cover with the lid and cook on low 5-6 hours or on high for 4 hours. Remove the chicken and shred. Return chicken to the pot and add Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper. Remove the lid. Whisk to combine, and add milk if the sauce is too thick. Optional: sauté some mushrooms in olive oil with fresh garlic and add to the sauce. Serve with rice, cooked noodles, or mashed potatoes.
Dear Abby: My twin sister moved to another state years ago. We always kept in close contact through telephone calls. But since the invention of caller ID, call waiting, cellphones, texting, etc., things have changed.
Examples: She’ll cut off a conversation to answer another nonemergency call. She frantically texts that she needs to talk right now, then doesn’t call and won’t answer when I try to call her. She doesn’t return calls or texts for days.
When we do talk, she complains nonstop, and if I try to chime in about what’s happening in my life, she cuts off the conversation. Also, we have a two-hour time difference, so when she does call, it’s either super late or the dinner hour. If I can’t talk
long, she gets mad and blocks me for days.
I don’t want to be the etiquette police, but something is off. Advice?
— Just About Had It in Illinois
Dear Had It: Has your twin always been this selfcentered and rude, or is it relatively new behavior? Do not blame advances in technology for it. Accept that she may have a low level of tolerance for frustration and little interest in what is going on in your life. If I were you, the next time she blocks you, do not repeatedly try to reach her. Wait until she calls back. If you haven’t already taken this up with her directly, you should, because her manners are atrocious.
Dear Readers: This is my reminder to all of you who live where daylight saving time is observed: Don’t forget to turn your clocks FORWARD one hour tonight. Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. tomorrow. It’s a ritual I love because it signals the coming of spring, and with it longer, brighter days and warmer weather.
— Abby