!!! Happy 7th Birthday, Garden of Friendship !!!

Main Dishes by BettyG

Grilled Tarragon Chicken Breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons fresh or dried tarragon
2 teaspoons mustard
2-3 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Place all ingredients except chicken in a small bowl and combine well with fork. Place chicken in a shallow pain and pour marinade over chicken, coating both sides. Refrigerate for several hours. Grill chicken on pre-heated grill until cooked through, turning to brown all sides. Serve immediately with Tarragon Butter (recipe below). Makes 4 servings.
Tarragon Butter
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup tarragon leaves (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
pepper to taste
Using a fork, mix all ingredients until blended well. Shape into a log or press into butter molds. Refrigerate for up to one week. Use as seasoning for vegetables, pasta, breads, fish, or poultry dishes.

Sautéd Scallops with Rosemary and Lemon
1 pound of fresh or frozen scallops
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Put the oil and the garlic in a frying pan and cook the garlic until golden. Add the rosemary, scallops, salt and pepper and cook over a high heat until they are cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and turn up the heat for a few seconds. Serve hot.

Roast Beef with Basil

2-3 pound chuck roast
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
one chopped onion
1 packet of dry onion soup mix
garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste
6-8 whole fresh basil leaves
Rub the meat thoroughly with half the fresh basil leaves, crushed. Heat the oil and brown the roast on all sides in a Dutch oven. Cover meat with water, and stir in dry onion soup mix. Sprinkle in garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Simmer for 2.5 hours, and remove to a warm platter. Finely chop the remaining fresh basil and sprinkle over meat.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagne

1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 red bell peppers, quartered lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
3 ounces Italian Fontina, coarsely grated (1 cup)
1 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
5 (6 3/4- by 3 1/2-inch) or 10 (7- by 6 3/4-inch) no-boil lasagna noodles
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Cut 3 (1/3-inch-thick) lengthwise slices from center of eggplant and reserve remainder for another use. Brush 2 large shallow baking pans with 1 tablespoon oil total, then arrange eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers in 1 layer in pans. Brush vegetables with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with pepper and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Roast, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until eggplant and zucchini are browned and tender, 15 to 20 minutes total, then transfer eggplant and zucchini to a plate. Turn peppers over and continue to roast until tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover, then let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, move 1 rack to middle position and leave oven on. Peel peppers. While vegetables roast, cook garlic in butter in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, whisking frequently. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Add milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking frequently until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and cool Béchamel sauce, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in cheeses, basil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Soak noodles in hot water 8 to 10 minutes. Spread 2/3 cup sauce in an 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with layer of noodles. Top with half of zucchini in 1 layer, 1/2 cup sauce, and another noodle. Make another layer with all of eggplant, 1/2 cup sauce, and another noodle. Next a layer of bell peppers, 1/2 cup sauce, and another noodle. Top with remaining zucchini, 1/2 cup sauce, and another noodle. Cover completely with remaining sauce. Bake until golden and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand in pan on a rack 20 minutes.