Welcome!

Welcome to Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. This is a place for me to post recipes of all kinds...along with other miscellaneous fodder from my so-called life here in the south. Who knows what you will find here. Could be anything from my husband...known as IT Guy...to my kids and beautiful grandbabies that are growing up way too fast right before my eyes. But...mostly this will be a place for food. I hope you'll see something you like and if you decide to try something from the list...leave me a comment and let me know!



Thursday, April 2, 2015

Panko Parmesan Garlic Chicken

IT Guy and I have been married for 40 years. And it wasn't until recently that I discovered that he wasn't much of a chicken fan. Raising three kids on a budget meant lots of chicken over the years and he never said a word. Even now....now that we're pretty much kidless, we still eat chicken 2 or 3 times a week. I really like it because I just like it and it's so versatile. IT Guy still doesn't say much about eating chicken although I know he'd probably prefer steak. And if we were the Rockafeller's, I guess we could eat steak that often. But sadly, we're not...and still on a budget so chicken it is! I'm always looking for ways to flavor the bird so he's happy....not that he's hard to please. Obviously...he ate it for 40 years and never told me he didn't like it THAT much. What a guy.

Panko Parmesan Garlic Chicken



4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup prepared Ranch dressing ~ divided use
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic ~ minced
salt and pepper to taste 
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese ~ divided use
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 slices Provolone cheeese

Place chicken breasts in a large zip-top bag.

In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, 1/2 cup of the Ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic and salt and pepper.

Pour mixture into the bag with the chicken and allow to sit in the fridge for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lay the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Mix together the remaining 1/4 cup Ranch dressing and 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Preheat the broiler.

Spread mixture over each piece of chicken. Lay a piece of the Provolone cheese on each piece of chicken.

Mix together the panko, garlic powder, remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and the melted butter.

Sprinkle over the Provolone cheese and place under the broiler for a minute or so until cheese melts and crumb topping is lightly browned.

The cast of characters. 
The cast of characters.

Combine the stuff for the marinade. 

Combine the stuff for the marinade.

Throw it in a bag with the chicken and let it hang out in the fridge a while. 

Throw it in a bag with the chicken 
and let it hang out in the fridge a while.

Mix up the parm and ranch. 

Mix up the parm and ranch.

Spread on the chicken and bake. 

Spread on the chicken and bake.

Lay a piece of provolone on each piece of chicken. 

Lay a piece of provolone 
on each piece of chicken.

Combine the panko, parm, melted butter and garlic powder. 

Combine the panko, parm, 
melted butter and garlic powder.

Sprinkle the panko mixture on top of the provolone and broil for a few minutes. 

Sprinkle the panko mixture on top 
of the provolone and broil for a few minutes.

So good! 

So good!

Party With Sweet Treats

Norene Cox from Party Pinching has done it again! She's got her new book published called Party With Sweet Treats and inside are all kinds of cute and creative ideas for you to make your own sweet treats. Who knew that so many cookies, cakes and candies could be made into so many darling treats! 



After looking through the book and trying to decide which one is my favorite, I think I'd have to choose this one. I mean LOOK at how cute these little Brownie Grill Bites are!



And what about these little Snow Cone Cake Pops? I love all the colors! 
 

 But these Sweet Bunny Truffles really shine, don't they?


I guess I really don't have a favorite after all because everything in Norene's new book, Party With Sweet Treats, is precious and creative and best of all....everything can be made with items you can purchase at your local store! No need to special order anything because it all can be found very easily around town! 

I have Norene's first book, Sweet Treats for the Holidays, and I can tell you that it is wonderful. I can't wait to get started with some of the things she's created in her new book! 

To purchase Party with Sweet Treats, you can find it HERE and HERE

You can follow Norene and her creative imagination at one or all of the links below:


And to get you started making your own cuteness, here's the recipe for making the Brownie Grill Bites: 


So Barbecute.
A perfect goody for the Grillmaster.

6 Little Brownie Bites (such as Entenmann’s)
1 (.67 oz.) tube of black writing gel
12 red Mike and Ike candies
2 green Mike and Ike candies
2 yellow Mike and Ike candies
2 pink Mike and Ike candies
6 toothpicks
18 lollipop sticks
½ cup chocolate melted candy coating
12 dark brown M&M’s

1.         With the black writing gel, make a circle around the top edge of the brownie bite. Then make grill lines with the writing gel inside of the circle.
2.         Using the black edible marker, make little grill marks on the red Mike & Ike candies so   they look like hot dogs. Place hot dogs on top of brownie grill.
3.         Slice the green, yellow, orange and pink Mike & Ike candies into thirds.
4.         Place one sliced Mike & Ike of each color onto a toothpick for the skewer. Place on brownie grill.
5.         Cut lollipop sticks into approximately 2” lengths. Push 2 sticks into the bottom of the brownie.
6.         Melt chocolate candy coating wafers according to package instructions.
7.         Attach the M&M’s to the bottom of the lollipop sticks for wheels using the melted candy coating.

Makes 6 Brownie Grill Bites



 Let's have fun with food!!!