Sun-Dried Tomato Relish

Ingredients

• 1 cup sweet onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (preferably packed in oil), roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. Add ¼ cup olive oil to sauté pan and heat on medium, just until pan is hot.
2. Add chopped onions and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until onions are soft.
3. Add garlic and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Place onion and garlic mixture in a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients.
5. Toss until all ingredients are combined.
6. Serve over grilled chicken breast with a loaf of crusty bread on the side.

Source
ourstate.com/grilled-chicken-breasts-with-sun-dried-tomato-relish

Classic Hummus

Ingredients

• 3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Garbanzo Beans, Rinsed And Drained
• 1/3 cup Plus 1 Tablespoon Tahini
• 3 cloves Garlic, Chopped, Or More To Taste
• 1/2 whole Lemon, Juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin, Or More To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Fresh Basil Or Italian Parsley
• 3 Tablespoons To 5 Tablespoons Cold Water
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Directions

1. Combine chickpeas with all ingredients, except water and olive oil, in a blender or food processor. 
2. Pulse until mixture becomes somewhat smooth and combined, but do not over mix. 
3. Add water as necessary to facilitate blending. At the end, add olive oil and pulse no more than three times, just to incorporate.
4. Pour mixture into a bowl and stir to ensure mixture is combined. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to three days in the fridge.

Source
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/classic-hummus

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients

•  2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons capers,drained
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 whole lemons, freshly squeezed
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper
• Cooked pasta or rice

Directions

1. Pound the chicken breasts until slightly flatten. Season with salt and pepper, and dredge both sides of chicken in flour. Shake off the excess flour.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Fry chicken breasts in hot oil, about 5 minutes each side, until cooked through and golden brown in color. Transfer chicken breasts to a plate.
3. Add the remaining butter to the skillet, add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add capers, lemon juice, wine, and chicken stock. bring to boil, scraping off the brown bits from the skillet.  Season with salt and pepper. Reduce by half.
4. Return chicken breasts to the skillet. Cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced. Transfer chicken to a large plate, pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with cooked pasta or rice. 

Sources
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/03/monday-night-dinner-chicken-piccata

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/chicken-piccata-with-buttery-lemon-noodles.html

http://www.redshallotkitchen.com/2014/01/chicken-piccata.html

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-chicken-piccata

 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-piccata-recipe2.html

Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil 
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Mince the garlic and combine it in a bowl with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and a healthy dose of freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill). Place the chicken thighs in a shallow dish or heavy duty zip top bag and pour the marinade over top. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 1 to 8 hours. (You can do this before you leave for work in the morning.)
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the chicken and marinade into a baking dish. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Use a spoon or baster to bathe the chicken with the juices from the bottom of the dish once or twice during baking.
3. Remove the chicken from the oven after 45 minutes and sprinkle a handful of freshly chopped parsley over top.

Source
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/03/balsamic-chicken-thighs

Creamy Pasta With Parsnips, Leeks and Bacon

Ingredients

• 3 medium parsnips (3/4 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
• Kosher salt and black pepper, as needed
• ½ pound dried campanelle or farfalle pasta (any pasta with ruffles)
• ¼ pound thick cut bacon, diced
• 1 medium leek, washed and thinly sliced into half moons
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ⅔ cup grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Toss parsnips with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until parsnips are golden and tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until 1 minute before it’s al dente.
4. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes; use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
5. Return skillet to heat and add leeks. Cook in remaining bacon fat until softened, about 5 minutes. 
6. Stir in heavy cream and cooked bacon. Allow cream to come to a boil to release water and simmer mixture the until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Stir in pasta, parsnips and cheese. Simmer until heated through and cheese is melted, then remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper; toss with parsley. 
8. Serve drizzled with olive oil, with plenty of black pepper on top.

Notes
- Other root vegetables may be substituted including sweet potato, butternut squash, or carrot
- good winter dish

Source
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015979-pasta-with-parsnips-and-bacon
http://www.nytimes.com/video/dining/100000003068586/techniques-cleaning-leeks.html

Greek Salsa Chicken

Ingredients

For the Salsa

• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup pitted, sliced black olives
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil

For the Chicken

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (7 ounces each)
• pepper to taste
• kosher salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. In a large bowl, combine feta, tomatoes, olives, parsley, lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil and oregano. Cover and chill in refrigerator.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with kosher salt and pepper. Sear chicken, about 1-2 minutes each side; remove from heat.
4. Squeeze lemon wedges over chicken to coat. Place the squeezed lemon wedges around the chicken breasts. Roast until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°, about 25-30 minutes. 
5. Transfer chicken and lemons to a large platter. Top with salsa.

Notes
Serve with basmati rice.

Recipe Source
http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/02/greek-salsa-chicken