I’m always looking for an easy and yummy Sunday dinner.  Here’s a family fave that is sure to win rave reviews in your home:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

3 pounds chicken legs and thighs

2 Tablespoons butter

2 cloves chopped garlic

soy sauce

Melt the butter in a large Pyrex baking dish – make sure its large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces without having them touch.

Add chopped garlic to the butter.  Roll the chicken pieces in the butter and drizzle soy sauce over them.  Put in the oven.

Cook for 50 minutes, basting every so often with more soy sauce.

Couldn’t be better.  Serve with a nice green salad.  Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Supper Recipe

View at Picasa Farmer’s Market near Bra, Italy — home of the slow food movement14-Jul-2007 11:27, CASIO COMPUTER CO.,L EX-Z600, 4.6, 15.3mm, 0.008 sec

  My sister Becky is a salad dressing maven.  With a dash of this, a splash of that, a little of something else, a sprinkle of herbs, whisk, whisk, whisk and viola she creates the most divine homemade dressings. Her most requested salad dressing is a combination of EVOO, vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper. Simple and delicious. Building on her salad dressing I created a marinade for chicken.  This is the perfect family meal or can be spruced up for company.  I made this dish when my Aunt and Uncle were visiting from Ohio on a Sunday afternoon. It’s the perfect meal for family, company or a busy weeknight.

Over Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients
•    1/3 cup olive oil
•    2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
•    Juice of one lemon (reserve the shells)
•    2 heaping tablespoons white wine (or vinegar)
•    4 or more sprigs of fresh rosemary
•    1 sweet onion or shallot, cut into quarters
•    1 3 – 5 pound roasting chicken, rinsed, patted dry, giblets removed
•    1 cup chicken broth (optional for sauce)
•    Salt and pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk mustard, oil, lemon juice and wine in a small bowl. Place 3 sprigs of rosemary in the center of a large roasting pan and place the chicken on top of the sprigs. Place remaining sprigs of rosemary, the lemon shells and the onions quarters inside the chicken. Pour the mustard mixture over the chicken to coat inside and out. Roast until the thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170°F, about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (depending on the size of your chicken).  If using a cut-up fryer, bake for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.

View at Picasa 10-May-2009 02:02, 2.7, 6.2mm, 0.017 sec

  When the chicken is done, transfer to the platter to rest for 10 minutes before cutting or serving. Remove lemon shell and rosemary sprigs. You can make an optional sauce with the pan juices by spooning off the fat from the juices and discarding rosemary sprigs.  Place the roasting pan over two burners on the stoves over high heat.  Whisk in additional liquid (approx 1 cup wine, broth, water). Boil until reduced to 1 ¼ cups, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper.

Oven Roasted Vegetables

•    2 tablespoons olive oil
•    Salt and pepper
•    1 teaspoon dried herbs (your choice Italian, Herbs de Province, Marjoram etc)
•    2 medium sweet onions or 1 large fennel bulb, each cut into 8 wedges
•    3 medium zucchinis, cut into circles
•    1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into thirds

View at Picasa 06-May-2009 06:22, 2.7, 6.2mm, 0.017 sec

  Note: Small fingerling, creamer (red) or any other small potatoes are also ideal for oven roasting along with many other root vegetables.

View at Picasa 09-May-2009 22:37, 2.7, 6.2mm, 0.017 sec

  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Whisk first three items in a large bowl. Toss onion or fennel, zucchini, and carrots with olive oil mixture in bowl. Spread seasoned vegetables out on baking sheet. Roast until tender and beginning to brown, stirring twice, about 1 hour. Place around chicken on the platter. Serve with sauce.

Be creative in your herb selection. You can also use whole sprigs of rosemary, oregano, thyme, etc along with a sprinkle of paprika. When pinched for time, I’ve also reserved two tablespoons of the EVOO/Dijon as a marinade for the vegetables.

It’s Graduation Season

Just a quick reminder: Graduation is an important step in a young person’s life. And whether you are a family friend or relative you want celebrate the achievement.

While stores don’t offer college graduation gift registries, you can find that perfect gift for a college graduate. Since they are starting fresh they need a variety of things to help them make the most their newfound independence. Your practical graduation gift will help them set-up their first apartment, learn to cook for themselves and avoid a life of calorie-filled take-out meals.

What better gift for a recent college grad than something for their first post-college home – perhaps something for their kitchen?

Mama Says, “No More Frozen Pizza!”
Save someone you love from a life of frozen pizza!

Available online at www.mamasays.us