Pork Kebabs with Salsa Verde

Tonight's dinner turned out to be one of the easiest and best meals I have made in a while. The whole family loved it.  Takes about 10 minutes prep and 15 minutes to cook.

Ingredients:
2 large pork tenderloins (3 lbs total)
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp water
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Put cilantro, parsley, onion, and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped.
2. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and water and process until it is about like a thick paste.
3. Cut the pork tenderloins in half and then crosswise into 1" chunks.
4. Toss the salt on the tenderloin while still on the cutting board to season well.
5. Mix 2/3 of the salsa into the pork tenderloin so the pieces are covered.
6. Fill up 6 or so skewers of the tenderloin grill about 6 minutes per side. Use the rest of the salsa to cover while grilling.

This recipe was based on one from the Atkins Best Recipes cookbook.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

This recipe is a bit of work, but still pretty quick. About 45 minutes start to finish and it is very good. Our whole family likes these.

Ingredients:
1 Egg
1 tbsp water
3/4 cup almonds, finely ground
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 6 breasts cut in half
1/4 pound Swiss cheese, cut into 12 slices ( we used provolone and cheddar)
1/3 pound deli-style ham, cut into 12 slices
cooking oil spray

Directions.
1. Combine egg and water in a bowl large enough to dip the chicken in.
2. Combine almonds, seasoning salt, and parsley in another bowl about the same size.
3. Divide cheese and ham into 12 portions.
4. Place chicken thigh or breast on a plate cut side up and place a piece of cheese in the middle of the chicken.
5. Roll up ham and place on top of the cheese and roll up the chicken around the ham and cheese.
6. If needed, use toothpicks to hold the chicken together.
7. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then into almond mixture and place on a baking sheet that has been pre-sprayed with the cooking oil spray.
8. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until chicken is done.

That's all there is to it. You can play around with the cheese and ham insides or the almond coating to your liking. We like cheddar or provolone instead of Swiss. I like Parmesan cheese in my coating to give a bit more flavor.

This recipe is from the Extreme LC Meals on the Go cookbook.

Chicken Piccata

Here's another very simple chicken dish, but it calls for a few out-of-the-ordinary items. If you do have the ingredients on hand, it is a very simple and quick dish to make. It takes about 10 minutes after the prep is done.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp capers, chopped
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Flatten chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thick with whatever means you wish (put in a plastic bag and pound flat, pound between wax paper, step on it, whatever). The ones we had were larger, so I just cut them in half and so they were thin and it worked great.
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet and add the chicken. If you don't have a large enough skillet, cook it in 2 batches. Takes about 3-4 minutes per side.
3. Remove chicken from the pan and add in the wine, garlic, lemon juice and capers.
4. Bring to a hard boil for about a minute to reduce a bit and then stir to mix in all the yummy bits on the bottom of the pan from the chicken.
5. Put the chicken back in the pan for about a minute and sprinkle with parsley.
6. Serve and enjoy.

From Dana Carpender 500 LC Recipes Cookbook