Green and White Dinner

OK, so I feel the need to defend myself here. I make regular food. Like with leftovers and simple ingredients and all that. I like to be fancy, but on a daily basis I just can't pull it off. I didn't even get out of my jammies until like 6 pm today. A bunch of my friends/readers have put some culinary pressure on me that I just can not handle. If you all wouldn't mind reading my profile again, you would notice that my first statement is this: "I suck." It's true. And anything I do over and above sucking is purely a triumph over sucking and I will celebrate it as such. Anyway, I thought you might enjoy my New Years Eve dinner because its fastish, cheapish, and you can walk away from it if you set a timer.

I made Rosemary Lemon Chicken with mashed potatoes, green beans, and a salad. And Yes, I made it up. No Cookbooks or Nuttin. Just looked in the freezer and made it up.

You'll need:
Frozen chicken breast pieces
Dried Rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Lemon juice squeezy
butter
water
Corn starch

OK, so in a skillet with a lid, put in chicken pieces with 1/2 cup water or a 2 swipes under a running faucet. Salt, pepper and Rosemary the chicken. 3 dashes or 2 pinches of each. Cover. Cook 10 minutes on Med. Flip chicken. Re-Pepper if you like peppery chicken. Add 2 T or a knob of butter and a long (2 second) squeeze of Lemon juice or like 1 T. Recover skillet and turn to low. Let it go until you can deal with it again, or 10 minutes.

When ever you are ready, uncover chicken and add like a cup and 1/2 of water or a 4 count under the faucet. We're making gravy now, so pay attention. Take 1 T of corn starch and add it to 1/2 c cold water in a bowl you can whisk it around in well. Get rid of lumps now or forever hold your peace. I use a fork to make my slurry. Corn Starch thickens when it boils, so it's important to do this in cold water. When you have your slurry lump free, add it to boiling chicken skillet. Have your whisk or fork ready and stir it all around. I pushed the chicken to one side and made my gravy in the other. After about a minute, you should have Chicken in a lemon, butter, and rosemary sauce. If it's not thick enough for you, boil it down, or if its too thick, add a splash of water. How ever your family likes it. Don't forget to taste it before you serve it. If its too lemony or peppery or salty, add more water and butter and starch. Find your balance and be happy with yourself.

Garlic Mash:
Potatoes
butter
milk
salt
pepper
garlic

Or Instant if that's what you have. I don't. I have potatoes cuz they are cheaper in the long run for me.

I made these last night while I was watching the news by cutting potatoes into chunks, boiling them in salt water for like 12 minutes, then draining. ie.3 inches water, 1 second pour of salt
While potatoes were draining, I took 2 cloves of garlic and smashed them with the side of my knife real good. Put that in the potato pot and add 3 T butter. Cook on low for a bit to make the butter fragrant. Add Potatoes back. Add 1/4 cup of milk or a big bloop and add 4 dashes salt and 4 dashes pepper. Whip and Stir with a fork for like 4 minutes on low heat. NOTE: This is not a health food cuz of the butter, but i do leave the skins on so they are a bit lumpy anyway.
I just reheated these for the dinner I made tonight.

Frozen French Green Beans (cuz jamie likes the long beans)
2 table spoons Water, or just turn on the faucet and swipe the pan under it real quick like.
1 T Butter/oil/fat of some kind (I used a bloop of walnut oil because it was on sale cheaper than Olive Oil and I used all my butter in the chicken.)
Salt 2 dashes
Pepper 3 grinds or dashes

Put it all in a skillet with a lid on really high. When it boils and steams a bunch, turn it off. Leave lid on till you eat 'em.

Romain lettuce cut with a knife for speed or out of a bag already cut.
Caesar Dressing, Any kind. You can use less if you get a big bowl for a little lettuce, bloop the dressing in, then mix with your hands. Less dressing = Last longer= CHEAP.

I'll put of a pic of the plated dinner as soon as Jamie gets home. Jamie says dinner was "Tasty".
Much Love and Happy New Year