Brooke Hagerty

(11/2015) The holidays are upon us and as always there is sure to be a ton of running around to do. Shopping, visiting with family and friends, more shopping, parties and along with all of that trying to keep the sanity of living a somewhat normal life. So when we are at home the last thing we want to do is spend all of our time in the kitchen preparing breakfast, lunch or dinner.

This month we will look at three easy peasy meals that can be made ahead or within an hour to make your meal time a great time to unwind and relax.

First up, breakfast! One of my favorite breakfast dishes is the Frittata. Basically a quiche without the crust a frittata can be filled with anything you want. The one thing that every frittata has to have, however, is baking powder. The baking powder acts as a rising agent to the eggs and makes them nice and fluffy. It also keeps the frittata from deflating if you refrigerate it to be served at a later day or time The great thing about a frittata is that it also makes a great "anytime" snack, lunch or dinner. Packed with protein this meal is sure to keep the giddy in your giddy up! My favorite frittata is packed with delicious greens and cheese. Using a nine or ten inch pie pan you can get six servings of this protein packed meal.

Baby Greens and Feta Cheese Frittata

Ingredients

• 8 extra large eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup each raw baby spinach, kale and arugula
• 1 cup feta cheese crumbles

Directions

Crack eggs and whisk together in a large bowl Add heavy cream, salt and pepper and whisk again and then add baking powder; whisk vigorously once again. Add greens by folding in with a spatula. Gently fold in half of the cheese. Pour into a pie pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the center of the frittata shakes firm. Allow to set for three minutes. Cut into pie slices and serve. Can be refrigerated whole or in pieces.

Second on our menu is lunch. What better way to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon than with a hot lunch. And if you don't finish this lunch on the weekend (or as a midnight snack) it is a great brown bag option for the office on Monday! Using chicken drumsticks and thighs this lunch is packed with flavor and is oh so easy to prepare in just one dish. This dish is also easily multiplied, you are limited only by the size of your dish and oven!

Chicken and Vegetables in Mustard Tarragon Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 each chicken drumsticks and thighs
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pounds small red potatoes (cut into bite size pieces)
• 5 large carrots cut on the bias into two inch slices
• 2 red onions, cut in wide slices
• 2 lemons, thinly sliced
• 6 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons wheat or white flour
• 2 tablespoons coarse grain Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix 1/2 each of the oil, salt and pepper with the potatoes, carrots, onions, lemon and garlic in a large roasting pan, spreading evenly in the pan. Using the remaining oil, salt and pepper coat the chicken parts and place on top of the vegetables. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 15 degrees. Remove chicken from roasting pan and keep warm (place on a plate with a piece of foil covering it - cooking will continue as it is covered). Meanwhile, stir the remaining ingredients together and pour over the vegetables and stir together. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, stirring once in between. Add chicken back to pan and serve. Again, this is a super easy meal that can multiplied or divided to your hearts desire!

Dinner is next on the menu and what a dinner it will be! Who doesn't love a beautiful piece of salmon? This recipe puts a wonderful Asian twist on one of the best selling fishes in the world. This recipe would also go beautifully with tuna or steak like fish.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 whole salmon fillet, skin on and bones removed
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/3 cup light soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey (I use a local honey as it helps with allergies as well)
• 3 teaspoons chile garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese or Dijon mustard
• 2 large handfuls shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Mix together vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, chile garlic sauce and mustard. On a parchment lined sheet pan place the salmon skin side down and brush with half of the wet mix. Bake for approximately 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine mushrooms, peppers and onion with 1/2 of the remaining wet mix. Add to the the hot pan with the salmon and bake for another 8-10 minutes or to desired temperature.

Serve with jasmine rice or rice noodles that have been tossed in the remaining wet mix. Please note you can do this recipe with individual pieces of salmon. I like to add more vegetables when I prepare this recipe and often use orange and yellow peppers as well. Use your imagination and get a little crazy with this easily adaptable recipe!

There you have it - three very easy recipes that are the perfect for the days when you are home during the holiday season. Added bonus, they are great for company as well AND instead of spending your time in the kitchen you will be with your guests!

As always, should you have a question, an idea for an article or are in need of my personal chef/catering services please contact me at brooke@thefoodchick.biz. Be sure to check out my website, www.thefoodchick.biz.

Until next month, Happy Eating!