Turns out that this delicious marinated chicken is a Greek specialty that is typically served on a skewer, kabob style. Better yet, it can be made at home. It takes just minutes to pull together the marinade and get it started. Once it’s really soaked in the delicious combination of lemon, oregano and other flavors, it’s ready to cook.

I’ve taken some serious liberties with this recipe. It’s traditionally served with tzatziki (a sauce made of yogurt and cucumber), onions and usually tomatoes. You could certainly add all that to this sandwich, but I didn’t. I also opted to use thin chicken breasts instead of pork or chicken thighs. Using thin breasts, this cooks up in about 10-15 minutes on the stove top. Easy peasy.

Don’t want to spend the money on thin-cut breasts? If you cannot find them on sale, then purchase regular ol’boneless skinless chicken breasts and either pound them down to about 1/4 inch thickness or carefully cut each breast into two slices. I used to be a huge advocate of the slice method, but I think pounding really makes them more tender. What do you think?

Instead of making the salad that we’re used to, I decided to use this delicious marinated chicken on a sandwich. Layered with goat cheese and mesclun salad greens, this was absolutely delicious. My husband couldn’t get over how similar the taste of the chicken was to our local restaurant’s salad chicken, which is positively craveworthy.

If you aren’t a fan of goat cheese, I suggest trading it for a slice of feta cut from a block. Use about one ounce per sandwich. In a pinch, fresh mozzarella could be used too — though I think that goat cheese just works better with this marinade.

Disclosure: I was given a free trial of this service in order to experience it for reference in my writing here and on other sites.

Chicken Souvlaki Sandwich
serves 4
adapted from The Six O’Clock Scramble

1 lb thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 oz goat cheese (or 4 oz feta, sliced from a block)
4 hard rolls
1 cup mesclun greens or other baby greens

Rinse the chicken under cool water and place into a resealable plastic bag. Set aside.

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour into the bag with the chicken. Seal and let sit for 2-3 hours, flipping once or twice to ensure even marinating.

Remove the chicken from the bag and discard excess marinade. In a large preheated skillet set over medium heat, cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side, until cooked through and slightly browned.

Meanwhile, spread one ounce of the goat cheese on one side of each hard roll. Divide the mesclun evenly among the rolls, piling it on the half of the roll without the cheese. Top with the chicken. Serve immediately. (If using feta, place the slice of feta on top of the mesclun salad instead of trying to spread it.)

This is delicious with a Greek salad and/or roasted potatoes.

This post would be more accurately titled “Letting Kids Do the Cooking,” but I don’t want to interrupt the flow of this weekly feature (which I totally love, by the way). And besides, this was still cooking with kids, since I did all the prep work and set Will’s mise en place out for him. But he was responsible for the idea, the push and the actually making of the dish.

And that dish was delish. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the rhyme.)

Will was inspired by a photo of a fruit salsa that he saw. He immediately asked to make it. And while I wasn’t game for the actual pictured salsa (too many odd ingredients), I was more than happy to help him create his own version. We used frozen mango that we defrosted in a bowl for a few hours. The pineapple is from kid-friendly cups of pineapple that I keep in the cupboard. We always have red peppers on hand (everyone in the house eats them, YAY!)–same with the lime. And we just had to pick up the cilantro at the store.

The result? A kid-made, kid-friendly salsa that we devoured during the game last night. I love fruity salsas and this one, with its hint of citrus and whisper of cilantro is a perfect non-hot version.

Will’s Fruity Salsa
yields about 3 cups

2 cups diced mango (about 1/2 inch dice)
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1/4 cup diced red peppers
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well mixed. Chill until ready to serve.

This will last for about a week in the fridge in an air-tight container.

What do you eat for lunch? People always talk about how important it is to have a good breakfast, but it’s also really important to have a good lunch — one that is filling, satisfying and healthy. For me, lunch is sometimes a sandwich or pasta, but more often it’s a salad. Salads served topped with warm proteins, like this salmon, are comforting, waist-friendly and can be really easy to make. Seriously. I mean it.

This particular roasted salmon is so ridiculously easy that I almost feel bad calling it a recipe. You basically toss salmon in a pan, drizzle just a bit of olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper and lay some thyme across the top. Toss it in the oven and 20 minutes or so later, you are ready to sit down and eat a healthy lunch. Easy peasy.

But I am sharing it because some people don’t realize just how easy and simple it can be to cook fish — or how unscary it is. (Yes, I really did just make up that word. Shh!)

I used to be scared to cook salmon. I also used to be scared to feed it to my two-year-old daughter. Earlier this week, while I was writing about salmon for my Tablespoon column, I reminisced about a year ago when I was so freaked out to give Paige fish that I couldn’t bring myself to do it. She was just over a year old, and it was time to try. But the threat of fish allergies (the ones I read about in some parenting magazine) had me downright terrified. It’s funny how in this information age, too much information can make us question our instincts.

I turned to mom friends and asked advice. I read more about it. Then I finally bit the bullet and just made fish. She loved it. No more fear necessary.

These days, we typically have fish about twice a week. Since Shawn isn’t a fan, we either have it when he’s working late (henceforth known as “fish night” in our house) or for lunch. It used to horrify my mother that I actually cook at lunchtime, but that’s one of the perks of being a work-at-home freelance writer. And really, why shouldn’t you cook when you have a chance?

Frankly though, when the fabulous lunch is as easy as this one, it needs no justifying.

So, spill! What’s your favorite lunch? Do you ever cook at lunchtime?

Easy Green Salad with Roasted Salmon Recipe
serves 4

8 cups torn and rinsed lettuce (Boston is my fav)
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
4 oz crumbled goat cheese or feta, divided
1 recipe roasted salmon (below)
vinaigrette

Divide the lettuce between four plates or bowls. Top each one with 1/4 of the carrot shreds, 1 oz of crumbled goat cheese or feta and 1 salmon fillet. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Serve immediately.

Roasted Salmon Recipe
serves 4
Click here for my printable recipe at Tablespoon

1 lb salmon fillets (roughly 4-4oz pieces)
1/2 tbsp olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
sea salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an oven-safe pan with cooking oil.

Rinse the salmon in cool water and pat dry. Place, skin side down, into the prepared pan. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay a sprig of thyme over each piece.

Bake the salmon for 15-20 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork.

Serve warm.

There is something amazing about biting into the crispy coating of fried chicken. It crunches between your teeth, revealing layers of flavors. It’s salty and wonderful … Before you know it, you’re biting into juicy chicken, just below the skin. Well, at least I hope it’s juicy. I’ve had a lot of flavorless meat on fried chicken in my day. Haven’t you?

This chicken is the total package: crispy and packed with flavor inside and out.

In 2010, I am focusing a lot on healthy, budget-friendly dishes. Chicken drumsticks are definitely budget friendly, and since these are baked, this is lightened up. (Don’t worry … only a portion of the 2 tbsp of butter actually makes it onto the chicken). Perfect for a night when you are craving comfort food … but not willing to break your healthy resolutions.

Psst … are you participating in the Ten in 2010 challenge? It’s a community effort to support each other to a healthier, happier 2010. Don’t worry — you don’t even need a blog to join. Click here to learn more.

Crunchy Oven Fried Chicken Drumsticks
serves 4
view the printable recipe at Tablespoon

2 cups corn flake cereal
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp skim milk
1 tsp garlic salt
4 chicken drumsticks (about 1 1/3 lbs)
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Spray an oven-safe 13×9x2 inch pan with cooking oil spray.

Place the cereal in a resealable bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add 2 tbsp parsley and the paprika to the bag and shake to incorporate. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small skillet. Remove from burner and let cool for a few minutes. Then, whisk in the milk, 1 tbsp parsley and garlic salt. Wash and pat dry the chicken. Then, roll it in the butter mixture. Transfer chicken pieces to the resealable bag and shake until well-coated (do then all at once — it’s easiest). Place the chicken into the prepared pan. Spray lightly with cooking oil spray.

Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Our massive lawn is buried deep beneath snow. Our driveway is still white, though passable even with my little Civic. And those big C9 lights that I rushed to put up a few weeks ago really glisten against the wintery backdrop. It’s a winter wonderland out there.

For the first time in years, Will got on a sled this weekend. It was a big thing. See, as a toddler, he tried sledding once and went flying. He wasn’t injured, but he was frightened by it all. So, this is the first year in years that he actually gave it another try. As it turns out, he now absolutely loves the rush of it all. Heck, so do I. Paige tried sledding too and liked it … until she started to get cold. And that was that.

It’s been hard to get fully into the Christmas spirit this year. It seems like in a blink of an eye we went from Halloween to the week of Christmas. I’ve barely had time to stop and enjoy it along the way. And since I did most of our shopping online this year (free shipping really does rock!), I wasn’t as exposed to the carols and hustle-bustle of mall shopping. I know most people hate it, but I kind of like it myself.

Anyway, don’t take any of this the wrong way–I can’t wait for Christmas to come.

The best news? This week things have started to fall mentally into place. A family holiday party this weekend was filled with laughs and the joy of seeing all the kids running around together. Then the Sunday snowstorm sent us outside to play. We’ve finally trimmed the tree and begun wrapping presents. Although I said I wouldn’t, I made some holiday treats too. We have more baking planned for later this week … and I think I might take the kids to their first ever Christmas Eve service. It is my favorite of the year.

Now, for Christmas Eve, I don’t cook. It’s a night for takeout in this house. However, if I were to cook Christmas Eve dinner, this recipe would be on the menu. These delicious shrimp are cooked in a rich sauce of butter, garlic, shallots and a hint of lemon (yes, it seems like a lot of lemon when you add it, but the flavor mellows during the cooking process). I just love these, and so did the kids.

I also love that they are easy and fast to make.

So, tell me, am I the only one who’s felt like the last few months have flown by? Have you had a hard time getting into the spirit too?

Buttery Roasted Shrimp
serves 4

1 lb raw large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/4 cup unsalted butter
juice of 1 lemon
2 finely chopped shallots
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 tsp Kosher salt
ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler on high.

In a shallow, broiler-safe dish, melt the butter over a medium-low heat (on the stovetop). Add the lemon juice, shallots, garlic, salt and pepper and stir well to combine. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.

Broil the shrimp for 3-4 minutes per side until lightly browned and firm.

Transfer to a serving dish and pour the pan sauce over. Serve immediately.

NOTE: These shrimp are also delicious tossed with pasta.

What I’m Cooking With: A round, oven safe casserole dish, a wooden spatula and a slotted spoon.

Peppermint. Dark chocolate. White chocolate. Those flavors together just scream winter and holidays and good times. It’s hard to believe that I went so many years without tasting this delightful combination, but ever since I did, I’ve been hooked. Love it.

In the past few years, I’ve made a delicious (and easy!) Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark, created some simply irresistible Deconstructed Peppermint Bark Cookies and a decadent Chocolate Peppermint Pie. There was also a chocolate peppermint roulade, which I must have never blogged about. In any case, I wanted one more to my chocolate peppermint list: Peppermint Bark Coated Pretzels.

Oh, these are divine. They take all the goodness of regular peppermint bark and wrap it around a small, salty pretzel. A little crunch, a little sweet, a little salt … oh what a combination.

Make up a batch of these babies and give ‘em away this week. Or, maybe just eat them yourself. They are amazing.

Peppermint Bark Coated Pretzels

9 oz dark chocolate, chopped into pieces
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
2 cups mini pretzel twists
3 oz white chocolate
1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy canes

Melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Once it’s fully melted and smooth, stir in the peppermint extract. Then drop a few pretzels in at a time, using a skewer or fork to flip and then fish out. Set the chocolate covered pretzels on a sheet of waxed paper to harden.

Once the chocolate is hardened, melt the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Drizzle over the pretzels and then sprinkle with the crushed peppermint. Let harden completely and then package for giving … or just devour them yourself.

Some foods you grow up with, so they naturally become a part of your adult eating repertoire. Other foods you discover as an adult and fall in love with. Flank steak falls decidedly into the second category for me.

Honestly, I hadn’t even heard of flank steak until a few years ago when I spied it on the meal plan at a weight-loss site that I frequented. Having never heard of it, it piqued my interest, so I kept my eye open for it. When I finally found it at Costco, I bought some to try. I am so glad that I did–the whole family loves it.

Flank steak is a lean meat, which is really good if you are watching your weight or fat intake. It’s also naturally boneless. According to The Food Lover’s Companion (Deluxe Edition), flank steak comes from the lower hindquarters of a cow. And broiling? That’s the usual method of cooking (and what this recipe uses).

What I love about this recipe is that it makes a flavorful flank steak that can easily feed my family for two meals. The marinade imparts a nice tang with accents of garlic and herbs. Be sure to buy about two pounds if you want to do that too — so that you have enough. Paired with macaroni and cheese, some corn and a salad, this is warming and comforting. But, served with roasted broccoli and rice, it’s a whole other meal. Love that.

Do you have a food favorite that you discovered as an adult? Share!

Marinated Flank Steak
serves 8 (or two meals for 4)

3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 flank steak (roughly 1 3/4 – 2 1/4 lbs)
Kosher salt

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, garlic and oregano. Pour into a 9×13 baking dish. Lay the flank steak on the marinade and let sit for 2-3 hours, flipping once.

Remove flank steak from the marinade and bloat gently with a paper towel. Place on a broiler pan and sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt. Broil on high for 4-6 minutes per side, until desired tenderness. You want it to be cooked to medium, at most.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes before carving. When you do, slice into thin strips against the grain. If desired, sprinkle with sea salt before serving.

Leftovers can be used on top of salads, in wraps or served over rice.

What I’m Cooking With: A wire whisk, small metal bowl, Pyrex baking dish, a broiler pan from Ikea

Saturday was going to be a busy day. I knew that before I went to bed on Friday. Will had a birthday party to go to. We had plans of getting a Christmas tree (which didn’t happen … who knew that tree sellers would close before 7 p.m. on a Saturday, two weeks before Christmas. Sigh.). There was cleaning to be done and organizing. But I woke up wanting scones in a bad, bad way. So I made them anyway.

The interesting thing about scones is how unbelievably easy they are to make. You sift (I use a wire whisk – it makes sifting a breeze), beat and stir a little. Then you pat it all down and slice the dough into wedges. It takes 10 minutes, max.

But I have to admit, scone dough can be a little confusing. It’s dry and crumbly in a way that can make you so uncomfortable. You can’t help but wonder if it’s really moist enough to bind together. Even as someone who has made scones in the past, I find myself wondering if it’s just not going to work this time. But the key is to trust – trust that the crumbly dough will hold together once you pat it down and cut it … and really. It will.

I used to only make drop scones – the ones in perfectly deformed mound shapes. The first scones I ever ate came in that shape, so I stuck with it. But honestly, wedge shaped ones are just easier, especially if you use a pizza cutter to slice them. And the wedge shapes are so pretty too.

And one last thing: if you think scones are dry, spit-stealing little hockey pucks, then you’ve never had a good, just-made scone. Sure, they do get that way after a few days. But freshly baked, the crunchy outside gives way to a soft, warm interior. They aren’t sweet like a muffin, instead taking on a more biscuit-like flavor that’s enhanced with the shots of sweet and tart from the mix-ins. With coffee, a scone is just divine.

Honestly, I blame my slight obsession on the Meyer Lemon Scones on In Good Taste. They got me thinking about buttery, rich, soft but dense scones … and I just had to have them. Not that I regret it. I love these scones … and they are perfect for Saturday mornings, even if it’s a busy one.

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones
yields 8 scones
recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup frozen raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using two knives. Stir in the chocolate chips and raspberries. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream and whisk some more until fully combined.

Make a well in the center of the dry mix and pour the egg mixture in. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir until just combined. It will be dry and crumbly and won’t hold together well.

Turn out the dough onto a floured cutting board. Using well-floured hands, pat the dough into an 8 inch circle, about 3/4 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to slice into eight wedges.

If desired, brush the tops of the scones with 1 tbsp of heavy cream and sprinkle with course sugar.

Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet and cook for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Serve immediately. These are best eaten within two days. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

What I’m Cooking With: a large and a medium-sized metal mixing bowl, a silicone spatula from Williams-Sonoma for stirring, Circulon 11-by-17-Inch Metal Cookie Pan, a KitchenAid® Utility Whisk, a pizza cutter and parchment paper.

Psst! One more thing. Check out my latest posts at Tablespoon: How to Eat Pomegranate and Homemade Soups for Chilly Winter Days

It’s really hard to believe that I went for so many years without ever tasting a single sweet potato. My mother didn’t like them, and by extension neither did I. As far as I can remember, I think I had my first one at about age 19 in the fry form (cause seriously, anything in the fry form has to be good, right?).

Since then, I have discovered that I adore the naturally sweet and moist flesh. It’s just so good. And sure, the traditional casserole is delicious, but it’s the sweet potatoes themselves, seasoned and roasted, that I really love. And as luck would have it, Shawn and our kids do too.

I’m fortunate to have a very adventurous eater in Will, who’s now nearly four and a half. He’ll try absolutely anything, and has even been the catalyst for me trying a few new things (anchovies? those were Will’s idea). Paige tends to be less adventurous on her own, but she adores her big brother and will eat anything he does.

What’s great about this recipe is that it’s really quick and easy to make. Prep takes just minutes and it’s out of the oven in about a half hour. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Do you have kids? What kind of eaters are they (adventurous, cautious, etc)? Share in the comments!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
serves 4

1 very large sweet potato or two smaller ones, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a heavy, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray it with cooking oil spray and set aside.

Cut the sweet potato into 1/2-3/4 inch cubes and place into a large boil. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the olive oil, cinnamon, paprika and salt. Pour over the sweet potatoes and stir to coat. Pour the potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring/turning once or twice.

Serve hot from the oven, with a sprinkle of sea salt (if desired).

What I am cooking with: a large metal mixing bowl, a silicone spatula from Williams-Sonoma for stirring, Circulon 11-by-17-Inch Metal Cookie Pan and a metal slotted spoon for turning the potatoes

Flaky. Sweet. A little tart. Oh, so good.

Somehow, I imagine that to most people apple turnovers are a dessert – a tasty, homey, delicious dessert. But me? I like quiche for breakfast and easily give in to requests for breakfast for dinner. So, these turnovers weren’t dessert. They weren’t a special afternoon snack. They were … breakfast on Saturday.

Hey, sometimes, you just have to have fun with food. These were definitely fun. The kids loved the crispy, puffed edges and grabbed forks to devour the soft apple interior. It took every ounce of self-control not to let the kids (and perhaps me too) devour the last turnover.

Making these was a cinch using my trusty food processor. After peeling and coring my apples, I used the grating plate in my food processor to shred the apples into perfect little strips. It took all of maybe 30 seconds … easy, easy, easy. As a busy mom, I totally value time savers like that. Really. But, if you are without a food processor, don’t worry — you can still make these. Just use a box grater instead and manually shred the apples. It won’t be that bad. However if you have a food processor tucked away, then dig it out and use it for this. It makes it so simple.

Next, those beautiful apple shreds are tossed with cinnamon, brown sugar and just a bit of salt. Those bits of flavors complement the tart Granny Smith apples, giving a great sweet-tart depth.  Coincidentally, I stirred the apples and seasonings together with my favorite spatula, a sturdy silicone spatula that I bought at Williams-Sonoma four years ago.  It’s still as good as new … just goes to show how buying quality cooking pieces can be a great long-term investment in your kitchen (but that is a whole different blog post).

Next, the apple filling is divided evenly among the centers of the rolled out squares of puff pastry, which are then folded diagonally and pressed to seal. It sounds way more intense then it is, really. It comes together so fast.

Now, when I say rolled out puff pastry, I don’t just mean removed from the frozen package and unfolded. I mean actually roll it out with a rolling pin. The dough, which is warmed to room temperature, thins out easily with a few swipes of the rolling pin. Then it goes a long way. The dough will puff either way, but by rolling it out, you end up with a not-too-thick, not-too-thin dough that crisps and rises perfectly. Unrolled, it could puff too much and be too thick for little mouths to eat. Just sayin’.

Almost ready to bake now … The turnovers are transferred to a baking sheet and the edges are pressed with a fork. That gives them that pretty ribbed appearance. The tops are dusted with course sugar (optionally, you can use course sugar mixed with a little cinnamon). The ribbing acts as a great catch for the sugar too.  Then, the baking sheet is slid into the oven and a half-hour or so later out comes the wonderful, puffy, crispy turnovers.

Then, all that is left to do is to devour them.

Apple Turnovers
serves 4

1 sheet puff pastry
2 Granny Smith apples
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the puff pastry into four quarters. Dust a cutting board with flour. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out each square of puff pastry until about doubled in size. Divide the apple mixture evenly among the four squares, spooning into the center. Fold the dough over diagonally and press the edges to seal. Transfer to the baking sheet. Using a fork, press the edges again to seal.

If desired, brush lightly with water and sprinkle with course sugar or a course sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Cook for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned.