Poached Chicken Breasts

I am in a rare mood tonight.  I had a very rough day at work.  A tenant, two floors above our suite, had a leak and it leaked into my office.  By the time I arrived at work, the elves had used a wet vac on my space and another company was drying things out.  This meant I was displaced.  It also meant that the office I have been eyeing for a year could possibly by mine.  I asked for it and I got it.  The majority of the day was spent moving what items I could to this space.  It is an odd feeling being in this office but I am sure I will get accustomed to it.

As I rushed home I also realized that I needed to send a package to my loved one.  I parked in front of my house and saw something sticking out of the mailbox.  I gasped.  I knew what it was but I didn't have time to open it.

Upon my return home, I opened all the other mail - the bills, the junk, the statements...and I opened the large package.  It was a cookbook, sent to me by a dear friend and her husband.  Julia Child's The Way to Cook cookbook.  This book is massive!  I thumbed through the pages and settled on her Chicken Breasts Poached in Butter recipe.  It is amazing...tender, succulent and tasty.

Bon Appetit!!!!

boneless skinless chicken breast halves
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 a large lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried tarragon
4 Tbsp butter
fresh parsley, chopped

1. PREP: preheat the oven to 400. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and tarragon to taste. Place butter in a flame-proof casserole and heat over MEDIUM until butter is melted. Add lemon juice and stir. Roll the breasts in the butter and then lay them flat in one layer in the casserole. Place a piece of wax paper over them. (This will help keep the moisture in and make your chicken breasts plump.) Cover the casserole with the lid.

2. BAKE: Place the casserole into the oven and bake until chicken breasts are fully cooked, about 25-30 minutes. To serve, place a chicken breast over rice or noodles. Spoon the sauce over the top and then sprinkle with parsley.

Queen of Pops

There is a local food truck aptly named King of Pops that makes its stops around Atlanta.  I've never been fortunate enough to try their delights but the reviews are amazing.

Out of the blue, as I was searching for some sweet and cold confection to create, popsicles dawned on me.  Now...what says summer better than popsicles?  Not much.

I fondly recalled running in the house asking for a popsicle from my Mother (or Grandmother or hell...friend's Mother).  I was reward with a cold fruity confection (that at that time was probably filled with tons of sugar).  I couldn't eat this delight fast enough.  All of the kids would wear the stains of the orange, grape, banana (which I hated) or cherry (my absolute favorite popsicle) and we would be sticky and grimy.  But...we were in heaven.

Popsicles have changed quite a bit - they now come with bits of fruit, some are even savory and some are creamy.

For my creation, I opted to go with something easy and semi healthy.  I also decided to use ingredients on hand as well as one of my favorite flavors.  I decided on lemon.  Lemon just screams of summer.

I present to you my lemon yogurt popsicles!  Enjoy them on a hot summer day and remember what it was like to be a child...

Lemon Yogurt Popsicles

2/3 cup sugar
7 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
1 pinch salt
1 2/3 cup Greek yogurt

Whisk sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and salt in 4-cup measuring cup until sugar dissolves. Whisk in yogurt.  Divide mixture among ice pop molds. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.

 The popsicle molds came from Ikea.  I think they are fun and cut.

Here's the finished product...

Very tasty, very lemony, cold, creamy and there is a slight tanginess from the yogurt.

Happy summer!