Parsley Butter for Weeknight Meals

This is a seriously easy and tasty way to make many weeknight dinners in a flash. Make this butter and keep it on hand in the freezer. Some ideas are:

- Place butter under the skin of chicken breasts or a whole chicken and roast for dinner or a flavorful staple you can use for many meals during the week.

- finish a grilled steak with a pat of butter. Yummy!

- Rub it on a pork tenderloin and roast.

- Toss with pasta, lemon juice, chicken or shrimp, and parmesan.

- Add it to rice before you cook it. Toss with potatoes or stir into mashed potatoes

- Saute shrimp with salt, pepper, and olive oil and top with a knob of butter for a quick sauce. (add some white wine, soy sauce, or even hot chili paste to mix things up)Delish!)

Parsley Butter:

* 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature or softened
* 1 cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
* 1 lemon, juiced
zest from 1/2 of the lemon
* 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Process in a food processor, scoop butter out onto parchment or plastic wrap and shape into a log. Place in the refrigerator or freezer until set. Slice off slabs as you need them. ***If you use salted butter remember to leave out the 1/2 t. salt.*** Enjoy!