Balsamic Dijon Chicken Breast

The reason I love to marinate meat is to infuse the flavors and with the right ingredients it will tenderize it as well. I am happy to say that this recipe does both. The chicken was so tender and moist. I can see where this one can become a family favorite. So try a new one, I don't know about you but as much as I have my old favorites I crave a new recipe at times.

Balsamic Dijon Chicken Breast

• 4 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil, extra virgin
• 1/4 tsp. dried Thyme
• 4 Chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
• 1 large gallon size Ziploc freezer bag

In a small bowl mix together first 4 ingredients well with a wire whisk. Place chicken breast in bag and add marinate, seal and refrigerate overnight or at least 6-8 hours.

We cooked ours on our gas grill on high at 400 degrees by a direct cooking over flames for 12 minutes. Of course every grill is different, just cook until no longer pink inside. Or you may bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until no longer pink inside.

If you want a tender moist chicken breast then this is a must try for you. I believe this marinade would go well on pork or beef too, even though I did not try it. Enjoy!

Bok Choy Salad

 Tis the season to try to make up for a few extra pounds over the holidays. The dreaded reality has set in and now we either pay the price or eat our way into a slimmer person. I'm here to tell you that yes, you can do that. The trouble with me is that I like to eat and I want to eat food that tastes good, and sometimes it can be hard to compromise calories and flavor. So, this is my low calorie version of Bok Choy Salad. It is so good I'll bet you can't eat just one serving.

Bok Choy Salad

• 1 Bok Choy, chopped
• 6 - 8 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• Dry roasted sunflower seeds for garnish, optional

Wash and drain Bok Choy and green onions. Chop off about 2 inches of the end of the Bok Choy and discard. Then dice and chop the leafy part and the white celery like stalks into bite size pieces. Next chop off root end of green onions and about 2 inches off of the green end and discard, then chop remainder of the onion thin. Toss Bok Choy and onion into a large bowl.  

In 2 cup size measuring cup add in order: olive oil, cider vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil, then blend well with a small wire whisk. After it is mixed well add Splenda and mix well again until well blended. 

This will give you about 1 cup of dressing for you to toss over greens. Serve immediately with sunflower seeds on top for garnish. You may prepare greens and dressing in advance and toss just before serving. Enjoy!

You may want to double or triple this recipe because this is one that people will want to eat seconds on. Another great thing about this is that if you manage to have leftovers it will keep for a few days for you to munch on and it will stay crispy.

Toaster Hash Browns

May I safely say that this is an amazing bargain. I used to buy packages of 4 toaster hash browns from Ore-Ida at $5 a box, but I recently found that Aldi, a chain of deep-discount groceries, sells a box of 20 hash browns for only $3.29. Well I was timid about going there at first, as it sounded too good to be true, but my son urged me to check it out and I was sure glad that I did. Our store in Frederick, Md is small but very clean, with great prices too. You need to put a quarter into the shopping cart to unlock it, and it will hold onto your quarter until you return it. See how they save money, no carts running loose in the parking lot and no employees needed to round them up. They accept cash, debit cards and recently started accepting credit cards. Oh, and if you don't bring your own bags you will need to purchase them for 6 cents each. I love how they encourage you to recycle, and pass on the savings. So we found out that you can toast these babies in a toaster (and no need to buy the special Ore-Ida hash browns at higher prices). No hot grease to heat up and stink up your house and it's lower in fat too. I'll tell you it's a lower fat, fast and frugal hash brown. A win win situation, enjoy!

Toaster Hash Browns

Plug in your toaster and set at the medium setting. Drop in the frozen hash brown and toast it three separate times, turning between toasting. Be careful not to get burned or shocked here, you use toaster tongs if you have them. Safety calls for unplugging toaster while digging in there to flip the hash brown and avoid a shock. My Stud Muffin says I have leather fingers and can pick up hot items, but I think he's a sissy when it comes to hot food. Serve immediately after toasting. Keep in mind all toasters vary a lot so find the right heat setting and amount of time that will work best for your "Toaster Hash Brown." Fast and frugal always wins for me.