Recipes make Mother’s Day dinner easy

#Middlebury #MothersDay

Mother’s Day is one of the busiest service days for restaurants. While I hate crowds and love to cook, I’m strictly forbidden to enter the kitchen on Mother’s Day.

Unfortunately, the extent of my sweet husband’s culinary skills begins and ends with a breakfast of easy-over eggs, bacon, pan sausage, toast and a great pot of coffee. So as a gift to mothers everywhere, I’ve created a simple Mother’s Day dinner recipe that even a novice cook can successfully follow.

I’ve always felt that preparing a meal is one of the best ways to show someone you love them. After all, the origin of Mother’s Day is rooted in a daughter’s love and respect for her mother.

In 1905, after her mother’s death, Anna M. Jarvis began a campaign to recognize her mother’s work as a community activist and peace advocate, and to honor her memory. It took several years, but in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday.

The House of Representatives also adopted a resolution recommending that officials of the federal government wear carnations on Mother’s Day. The tradition of wearing a red flower if your mother was living, and a white flower if she is deceased is still practiced in many churches today.

Here’s a simple recipe for your Mother’s Day dinner: a delicious Sheet Pan Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Roasted Vegetables. And for a sweet finish, try the easy, no-bake Cookie Cheesecake for dessert.

The simple preparation techniques will ensure a successful result for even the most inexperienced cook and create the perfect meal for the Moms we love do dearly. Happy Mother’s Day!

Spice-Rubbed Chicken and Roasted Vegetables

Spice-Rubbed Chicken and Roasted Vegetables (Depositphotos photo)

Spice Rub:

3 tablespoons poultry seasoning

2 tablespoons sweet or mild paprika

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables:

4 large (4 to 5 ounces) chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry

1/4 cup olive oil

1-1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, quartered

2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, whole

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, for sprinkling potatoes

1. Heat oven to 425 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the poultry seasoning, paprika, brown sugar, black pepper, salt and cayenne to make the rub. Rub each chicken breast on both sides with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the rub, then space them evenly apart on one side of the lined baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add 2 tablespoons of rub mixture and toss to coat. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the remaining lined baking sheet. Place the pan of chicken on the top rack of the oven and the pan of potatoes on the bottom rack. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. While everything is baking, toss the bell peppers and zucchini with the other tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the remaining spice rub.
5. After 10 minutes, rotate the pan of potatoes on the bottom. Flip the chicken breasts over in the pan on the top rack. Arrange the bell peppers and zucchini on the empty side of the baking sheet with the chicken. Return to oven for 10 minutes.
6. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan with the chicken. Cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Remove both sheet pans from oven. Sprinkle the vegetables with parsley, if desired, and the potatoes with the coarse sea salt, and serve immediately. Serves 4.

No-Bake Cookie Cheesecake

12 lemon or vanilla cream-filled cookies, crushed into crumbs

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons sugar

Zest of two lemons

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoons lemon Jello (powdered mix)

1 (8 ounce) tub frozen whipped topping or Truwhip, thawed

1. Evenly divide the crumbs among 6 individual serving cups. Press into the bottoms of the cups to form a crust layer.
2. Using an electric mixer or food processor, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla, and mix to combine.
3. Sprinkle the Jello powder onto the cream cheese mixture and mix on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped topping until well-blended and no streaks remain.
4. Evenly spoon the filling into the cups with the crushed cookies. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. If desired, garnish with additional whipped topping and lemon wedges. Serves 6.

Angela Shelf Medearis is an award-winning children’s author, culinary historian and the author of seven cookbooks. Her new cookbook is “The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook.” Her website is www.divapro.com. To see how-to videos, recipes and much, much more, Like Angela Shelf Medearis, The Kitchen Diva! on Facebook. Recipes may not be reprinted without permission from Angela Shelf Medearis.

© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc., and Angela Shelf Medearis