Main Dishes

Lemon Herb Roast Chicken

Roasting a whole chicken might be intimidating, but I promise you it’s easier than it seems and you’ll impress everyone you make it for. I like roasting a chicken for dinner over the weekend so I have leftover meat to use on salads during the week or to freeze for quick soups, barbecue, tacos, pizza, etc. And make sure to save and freeze the broth for soups — it’s so much better than store-bought! The keys to the perfect roast chicken are the seasoning and a meat thermometer; you don’t want a dry, bland bird! (If you don’t already own one, buy a meat thermometer. I think it’s one of the most important and useful gadgets you can have, plus you’ll always be confident meats are cooked to the perfect temperature.)

Lemon Herb Roast Chicken
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Ingredients
  1. 1 whole chicken (about 5 lbs.)
  2. 1 lemon, zested and thinly sliced
  3. 1 onion, quartered
  4. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  5. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  6. 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  7. 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  8. 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  9. 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a bowl, combine the lemon zest, kosher salt, ground black pepper, minced garlic, dried parsley, dried thyme, and extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
  3. Remove the giblets from inside the cavity of the chicken. Rinse both the inside and outside of the chicken under cold water and pull out any remaining pin feathers from the skin. Pat dry with paper towels, and place the chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet.
  4. With the chicken breast-side up, gently slide the lemon slices between the skin and the breasts of the chicken.
  5. Brush the oil/herb mixture over the entire outside of the chicken, and put the onion quarters in the cavity.
  6. Place breast-side up in a roasting pan containing about 1-inch of water.
  7. Cover and roast chicken for about 20 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Pan-Fried Tilapia With Green Pea Pesto

Oftentimes, the less food I have in the house, the more creative I’m forced to be and the better my recipes turn out. Case in point, tonight’s dinner. I missed my weekly trip to the grocery store to stock up on fresh produce, so my veggie options were pretty slim. With frozen peas one of my few choices (and not one of my favorites), I needed a way to “hide” the peas in the meal. Pesto became the perfect solution. Add a spoonful or two to a piece of tilapia or even chicken, and you forget you’re eating something healthy. Enjoy!

Pan-Fried Tilapia With Green Pea Pesto
Serves 4
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
For the Pesto
  1. 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
  2. 1/4 cup pine nuts
  3. 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  4. 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  5. 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
  6. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  7. 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  8. Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
For the Fish
  1. 4 tilapia filets
  2. 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
  3. 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
  4. 1 lemon wedge
  5. Salt and ground black pepper
  6. 1 tomato, diced
Instructions
  1. Pulse together all of the pesto ingredients in food processor until almost smooth. Set aside.
  2. Brush tilapia filets on both sides with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the butter and remaining teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish, and cook for about 4 minutes per side, until no longer translucent in the middle and lightly golden brown. Remove from heat, and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish.
  4. To serve, top fish with a spoonful of pesto and sprinkle with diced tomatoes.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

 

Vegetable Lasagna

What better way to use up the abundance of summer vegetables in your refrigerator than in a cheesy, crowd-pleasing pan of lasagna? No need to stick with the veggies I used; incorporate your favorites or whatever you have on-hand.

Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 8
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 cups marinara sauce
  2. 16 sheets of lasagna noodles
  3. 24 oz. ricotta cheese
  4. 2 cups grated mozzarella, divided
  5. 1 large egg
  6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  7. 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  8. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  9. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  10. 1 medium zucchini chopped, about 2 cups
  11. 1 yellow pepper chopped, about 1 cup
  12. 1/2 white onion chopped, about 1/2 cup
  13. 8 oz. white mushrooms chopped, about 2 cups
  14. 1 small eggplant chopped, about 2 cups
  15. 2 cups packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
  16. 3 cloves minced garlic
  17. 1/2 cup good red wine (I used cabernet sauvignon)
  18. 1 teaspoon salt
  19. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander, and let cool.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, egg, salt, pepper, and parley. Set aside.
  4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add all of the vegetables (zucchini, pepper, onion, mushrooms, eggplant, spinach, and garlic), and cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Remove lid and add the wine. Bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes, until the wine has reduced and the vegetables are tender. Season with the salt and pepper.
  6. Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
  7. Ladle about 3/4 cup of sauce to the bottom of the pan. Add four lasagna noodles, overlapping them slightly. Spread a third of the cheese mixture on the noodles. Top the cheese with a third of the vegetables, and then drizzle with about 1/2 cup of sauce. Repeat two more times.
  8. Add the final four lasagna noodles, and top with the remaining sauce.
  9. Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
  10. Remove from oven, uncover, and top with the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven, and bake for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
  11. Let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/