Starting New Year Resolutions Early

Well, Now that the kids eat what we eat, I plan on cooking 3-4x a week. So, I'm back at it and no time to start like the present.

Monday - Easy Chicken With Potatoes

Tuesday - Chesapeake Bay Pork Chops

Thursday - Grilled Chicken Curry

Chesapeake Bay Pork Chops

"Boneless pork chops are marinated with seafood seasoning and apple cider vinegar and grilled to perfection! These turned out amazing"

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (such

as Old Bay®)

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 lime, juiced

cracked black pepper to taste

8 boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk together the vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, seafood seasoning, minced garlic, basil, lime juice, and black pepper in a bowl, and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the pork chops, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours, flipping periodically.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Remove the pork chops from the bags. Discard excess marinade.

3. Grill until the pork is no longer pink in the center, 5 to 7 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

---I ended up baking them and they turned out great that way too.

Easy Chicken With Potatoes

Italian seasoned chicken with potatoes, cooked in the slow cooker.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or mix basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder to equal same)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

4 to 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges or thick slices

Preparation:

Place chicken in bottom of Crock Pot. Sprinkle with half of the Italian dressing, spices, and the grated cheese. Put the potatoes on top or around the chicken. Sprinkle with the rest of the dressing, spices, and cheese.

Cook on low for about 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is done and potatoes are tender.

Grilled chicken curry:

Cooking spray

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 5 ounces each

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons turmeric powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Olive oil, as needed to loosen

For peanut dipping sauce:

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

3 tablespoons peanut butter

1 lime, juiced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the chicken:

Directions

Heat a stove-top grill pan or griddle with cooking spray to medium-high heat.

Season both sides of chicken with salt and black pepper and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, curry powder, turmeric, cumin and olive oil, as needed to loosen mixture.

Mix well with a spoon and brush mixture all over both sides of chicken.

Place chicken on hot pan and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Remove from heat and place on plate.

For the dipping sauce:

While the chicken is cooking, in a small saucepan, combine coconut milk, peanut butter,

lime juice, and sugar. Set pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.