Zesty Summer Chicken

I bought a microplane this week, and I got to use it today! It was a banner day! I don't know what that expression means, but it sounds like something exciting.  Just like using my microplane for the first time.

Today's inspiration comes from my favourite food magazine, the LCBO's Food & Drink magazine. They have the BEST recipes.  This one was originally for grilled spatchcock chicken, but I don't have a barbecue right now, and I had defrosted chicken breasts... so I just used the marinade since it sounded amazing.

Zesty Summer Chicken
from the LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2013 issue
2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice (I used half a small lemon)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
chicken breasts (2-4)

1. In a large enough dish, mix together lemon zest, juice, parsley, paprika, oil and salt.
2. Dredge chicken through the marinade, coating both sides.
3. Cover and refrigerate 2-4 hours.
4. Heat ~1 Tbsp oil in a large frying pan, and cook the chicken breasts, turning one and testing to see if cooked through before serving.
5. Alternately - grill on the barbecue, I bet it would be delicious!

Blueberry Mini Hand Pies

I have a problem, an addiction really.  My problem lies with the 4 pints of blueberries, 2 pints of fresh Ontario strawberries and another pint of raspberries in my fridge.  I can't help but keep buying them, because they're so fresh and so cheap.  3 pints of blueberries for $5!

Anyway, a friend of mine was having a barbecue last weekend, and I volunteered to bring some desserts so that I could put some of those delicious berries to good use.  I thought about strawberry tarts, but I was afraid that leaving custard out in the sun would be a disaster.  I decided to do something I hardly ever do, check out all the food apps on my phone! It was fun, and I found a recipe for blueberry hand pies which looked both easy and delicious!  I decided to make them tiny, so that they would make a good bite-sized treat.

Blueberry Mini Hand Pies
from Epicurious
1 pint fresh blueberries (or 2 cups frozen)
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 egg whisked with 1 tsp water
raw sugar
1 1/2-2 packets puff pastry, or your own recipe for flaky pastry
white flour, for dusting

1. Defrost pastry overnight in fridge, or on counter in the middle of summer for a few hours.
2. Once your pastry is defrosted, preheat oven to 375F/190C
3. In a large bowl, mix blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and salt.
4. Dust your counter or workspace and your rolling pin with flour, then roll out one pastry block at a time into a large sheet.
5. Cut pastry into small (1 1/2" by 2", or your preference) rectangles.
6. Spoon a small portion of blueberry mixture onto one half of pastry rectangles, then fold over and seal the two sides of pastry .
7. Transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and lightly brush the top of the pastries with the egg bath, then sprinkle with raw sugar.
8. Bake for 30-40 minutes, rotating trays halfway through.  Pastry should be golden and unfortunately some of that delicious blueberry juice should be leaking out onto the parchment.
9. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then enjoy!

Enjoy some tasty seasonal fruits, everyone!