Lemon-Dill Chicken in Citrus White Wine

So this dish just kind of happened. I ate leftovers and Dylan was hungry so I just sort of threw it together and hoped it would turn out ok.. turns out, it was actually pretty decent. =) sometimes I suprise myself. I've been missing out on my cooking since most of my shifts are at night now. =( but when I get to cook it's so much more rewarding. So without further ado:
Lemon Dill Chicken:
Chicken Breast
Pinch of the following: Dill, garlic, ginger, and s+p
About a teaspoon or so of fresh lemon juice
Bake in a 350 degree oven and that's it. (I topped with evoo to make the spices stick a little better and keep the breasts from drying out.)

Citrus White Wine Sauce:
1/2 yellow onion
Clove of fresh garlic
Olive oil
A pinch of the spice mix from the chicken
Butter or oil
White wine of your choice
Fresh lemon and lime juice (about a Tbs each?)
Cook the onions and spices over medium until translucent but not caramelized. Once the onions begin to stick to the pan, deglaze with about 1/4 cup or so of white wine. Let the mixture simmer and add fresh lemon and lime juice. The sauce will start to thicken. (Now's a good time to throw on your noodles.) Once the liquid cooks most of the way down, melt your butter or put in your oil in the pan. Then repeat the wine process with just a little more than a splash. You can add more lemon juice and s+p here as well. Let the whole mixture simmer until you get your desired texture of sauce.
Place the sauce over fresh pasta (or rice) and top with chicken breast and voila.. c'est fin!

I hope some of you get to try this and tell me what you think. I'm really curious to get feedback that's not biased (ahen dylan) haha.
Ok well good luck to all you other aspiring cooks out there. =)
Until next time..

Fiesta Night!

So sorry it's been a while. I haven't had time to cook recently since I got a job. But last night I went all out and made the full 4 course meal. =)
For starters a sweet potato and avocado lime salad, next a fiesta chili, a chipotle marinated steak, and finally... a pineapple cake. Everything was a little spicy and very fresh. If you are vegetarian, this whole meal could be a great source of protein, just leave out the steak and voila.

Fresh Sweet Potato and Lime Salad
1 Sweet Potato (chopped and roasted in 350 deg oven with s+p)
Sliced onion
1 avocado
Spinach
Dressing-
1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice with some lemon juice too
1 Tbs of Balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove finely chopped
Let dressing set for an hour or so in fridge before serving.

Fiesta Chili
1 can of Black beans
1 Can of Pinto Beans
1 small can of corn
1/2 small can of green chilies (add more or less for spice)
1 can of diced or crushed red tomato
1/2 can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (chopped)
1/2 large red onion
3/4 green bell pepper (or any color)
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of chili powder
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
S+P
For Garnish: (note.. if you skip the cheese and sour cream this is a vegan dish)
fresh avocado
cheddar or pepper jack cheese
sour cream
Combine all ingredients in a large pot or slow cooker. (I had a pot) and let simmer for a while until the flavors meld together and the beans are starting to get soft. (note. I cooked the onions and pepper in the pot while I was opening my cans so that they were nice and soft.)

For the steak:
we used a tri tip, but any steak (or chicken) will do.
the marinade is made up of:
sauce from the adobo chipotles from the fiesta chili (about 2 Tbs) and some fresh garlic, bay leaves, and cumin. S+P the steaks before marinating. I let them sit in the fridge for about an hour while I was making the cake and the rest of the meal because the steaks cook very fast.
Cook however you like, grill, broil, 350 degree oven.. whatever works for you.

Pineapple Cake
(I made the cake, but bought the frosting sorry)
Cake:
2 cups all purpous flour
1/2 stick of butter
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 tsp of Baking Soda
1/2 tsp of salt
pinch of ground ginger
2 eggs
1 20oz can of crushed pineapple

Beat eggs, room temp butter, and juice from can of pineapple until fluffy. SLOWLY add in dry ingredients (otherwise they will fly up and hit you all over the kitchen). Once everything is nice and airy (you should see air bubbles in the batter) add the pineapple chunks and stir with a spoon or spatula.
Bake in a greased pan 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. depending on the size of your cake. toothpick inserted in the middle with come out clean when it's done.

I bought cream cheese frosting in a can, but to make your own just fluff some cream cheese with a mixer and add in powdered sugar to desired taste and fluffiness. :-)