Cider Chicken Marinade

Emily, Amanda and I made this chicken one night (with a salad and yogurt parfait for dessert). The chicken turned out very tasty! Here it is:

Chicken Marinade

• 2/3 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Combine all ingredients into a large, sealable plastic bag along with the chicken. I prefer to use chicken that has the bones in it because it adds more flavor/moisture, but this recipe can easily be done with chicken breasts as well.

2. Let the marinade sit overnight or for a few hours.

3. There are many options for cooking the chicken once it is done marinating. We put it in a pan on the stovetop and boiled the marinade to use as a gravy. Alternatively we could have broiled it in the oven or grilled it on the BBQ. It's up to you! Don't toss that marinade, though. Boil it for at least 10 minutes and when it has reduced it makes a great sauce.

Original recipe

Modified Huevos Rancheros with Sweet Potato Hash

Woke up one morning with a few things on hand and decided to make a delicious brunch! Brunch is definitely my favorite meal. There is nothing better than waking up slowly to coffee.  Here we go!

Huevos Rancheros
1 or 2 tortillas
1 or 2 chicken breasts (shredded chicken)
1 packet of taco seasoning mix
2 small zucchinis
2 eggs (poached)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream (optional)

1. I made the chicken taco filling the night before for dinner, so this was super easy to assemble. In order to shred the chicken, boil it in water until cooked through (about 20 minutes). Take a fork and shred the chicken.
2. In a frying pan, add onions and zucchini and sauté until soft. Add the shredded chicken and the taco seasoning mix (according to instructions on the packet).
3. Toast a tortilla in a pan and add the chicken, cheddar, and sour cream on top of the tortilla.
4. The egg featured in the picture has been poached. Click here for good tips on poaching eggs. I use a device similar to a silicone egg poacher -- it's much easier.
5. Place poached egg on top of tortilla! yummm


Sweet Potato Hash

This hash is slightly sweet due to the potatoes but the other ingredients balance it out perfectly. I used a cast-iron pan for this (If you haven't invested in a cast-iron skillet- do so! They add amazing flavor to dishes.)

2 or 3 sweet potatoes, diced and cooked through
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 red (or green) bell pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Sweet potatoes can be cooked in the microwave or can be boiled.
2. Add olive oil, onions, garlic, seasoning, and bell pepper into pan. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add in the sweet potatoes and let sit for a few minutes. This hash gets a lot of flavor from browning, so don't be afraid to let it grill a little on the pan.
4. Once the hash has been browned/blackened a bit it's ready to eat!