Easy Meal For Mom On Her Day

Light, Tasty Dinner That Dad And The Kids Can Make, On A Shoestring, From Chef Robin Miller

(CBS) 

CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKE-BASIL PESTO with
CHIPOTLE SWEET POTATOES
Serves 4

For Chicken:
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon salt-free lemon-and-herb seasoning

For Artichoke-Basil Pesto:
one 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or more as needed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grate pecorino romano or Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Season both sides with the lemon-and-herb seasoning.

Place the chicken in the hot pan and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the pesto ingredients and process until smooth, adding more broth if necessary to create a thick sauce.

Transfer the cooked chicken to a warm serving platter or individual plates and top with the pesto.


MASHED CHIPOTLE SWEET POTATOES WITH LIME
Serves 4

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons chipped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges

Place the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and pour over enough water to cover.

Set the pan over high heat, bring to a boil, and let boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and return to the pan.

Mash the potatoes with the sour cream and chipotles until almost smooth (or smooth, if that's your preference).

Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the lime wedges on the side.


MIXED FRUIT TART with VANILLA CREAM
Makes one 9-inch tart

One 9-inch refrigerated piecrust
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups assorted seasonal fruit, such as pitted and sliced peaches, plums, or nectarines; hulled and sliced strawberries; blueberries, blackberries or raspberries, and/or peeled and sliced kiwis
½ cup apricot preserves

Preheat the oven to 450ºF

Press the piecrust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

Bake until crust is golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes.

Beat together the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth.

When the tart shell is cool, spread the cream cheese mixture over the bottom and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Top with the fruit.

Place the preserves in a small bowl and microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds, until warm and thin, then brush over the fruit.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.


How did Miller do with our $40 budget?

FIRST COURSE:
Bread Crumbs $0.99
Goat Cheese $2.38
Mixed Greens $2.98
Chicken Broth $0.99
Lime $0.20
Dijon Mustard $1.49

SECOND COURSE:
Chicken Breasts $6.13
Lemon-and-Herb Seasoning $2.49
Artichoke Hearts $1.99
Basil $1.99
Garlic $0.39
Pecorino Romano Cheese $2.24
Sweet Potatoes $1.78
Sour Cream $1.49
Chipotle Chiles $1.19
Cilantro $0.89
Lime $0.20

THIRD COURSE:
Pie crust $1.99
Cream Cheese $1.59
Confectioners Sugar $0.99
Apricot Preserves $2.19
Kiwis $1.32
Strawberries $1.99

FINAL COST: $39.88!

[husein_pasha]

HAHAHA, take your wives to a good restaurant and give them a jewellery as a gift! Should I learn you?

[gmond]

Who needs to cook? For 40.00 I can order Italian or Chinese delivery and mom will be thrilled with either one.

[cfin5]

cfin5 you must be from the dark ages. My husband is an excellent cook and does 90% of the household cooking. My sister''''s husband is a trained chef and my father made the best homemade noodle soup I have ever had.

Posted by ca29 at 10:26 AM : May 10, 2008------I know guys can cook. I''m one of them. Just funnin'' about some guys who just don''t get it. You know how they think,...If it takes two hours at 350degs, then it will be only one hour at 700 etc,.......Happy Mothers Day to all you wonderful Moms out there!

[standlee5]

barbqued chicken, fried red potatoes, salad, strawberry cheesecake. done.

[newsthought1]

Seared Goat Cheese? Artichoke-Basil Pesto? Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes? Vanilla Cream?

OK, assembly might be do-able, but I don''t want to spent 2 hours in a supermarket hunting down weird ingredients.

[fabrat1]

cfin5 LOL I have known a few like that too but then again I have known a few that were quite good in the kitchen. I was married to one that really liked to cook too bad it never turned out any good.

[ca29]

cfin5 you must be from the dark ages. My husband is an excellent cook and does 90% of the household cooking. My sister''s husband is a trained chef and my father made the best homemade noodle soup I have ever had.

[mrs-smith1]

Nice, light recipes yet look flavorful. And thank you for a well controlled / mannered host. Very refreshing.

[cfin5]

Uh oh, most guys don''t do kitchen things. Everything turns into a smoking carcinogen waste. Today is a good time to check those smoke detector batteries.