Thursday, August 30, 2012

Orange Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Chicken, sweet sauce, quinoa, and a BBQ. Talk about right up our alley! I wish we had found this recipe at the beginning of the BBQ season, but we will just have to keep it on hand the rest of the year!

Orange Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Printable Version

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon ginger, finely grated
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

Pineapple, diced
To make the sauce: Set a small saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the ginger, orange zest and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. (Watch carefully, you don't want to let the garlic burn, or it'll be bitter.) Stir in the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, orange marmalade, orange juice, honey and red pepper. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Set aside half of the sauce to serve with the cooked chicken, the other half is for brushing the kebabs.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (400-450 F). Oil the grates lightly. Thread the chicken cubes and pineapple onto skewers.

Place the kebabs on the grill and cook, giving them a quarter turn every 2-3 minutes, until they are slightly charred on all sides. Brush one side of the kebabs liberally with the sauce then flip and cook until the sauce caramelizes, about 1 minute. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Transfer the kebabs to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes before serving with the reserved sauce and rice or quinoa.


Serves 4.
Recipe from raceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Chipotle Rubbed Steaks with Lime Butter

So I used to dip my steak in ketchup. It didnt matter how tender or how flavorful, I always had that big red botte right next to my plate. Well, last night gave me a new addiction: Lime Butter. Really, I want to dip every future steak, okay every future piece of meat I ever eat, in lime butter. It was straight for heaven, to my tummy. Please give this a shot before the summer is over and your grill has to retire for the winter. You won't regret it!

Chipotle Rubbed Steaks with Lime Butter
Printable Version

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 small garlic clove, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon finely grated zest
1 tablespoon fresh juice

Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle powder
Four thick, boneless steaks, such as ribeye or hanger, 10- to 12-ounces each
Vegetable oil, for the grill

Combine the butter, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, and a salt to taste. Set aside. Combine the paprika, cumin, and chipotle powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the steaks with plenty of kosher salt, then evenly sprinkle the spice mixture over them and rub into the meat.
Oil the grates of the grill (or grill pan) and preheat over high heat until smoking. Reduce heat to medium high and add steaks. Cook without moving until well-charred, about 4 minutes. Flip steaks and continue to cook until center of steaks register 125°F on an instant-read thermometer for medium-rare, 135°F for medium, or 145°F for well done. Transfer to a platter and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes, adding the lime butter after a few minutes to melt from the residual heat.
Serve immediately.

Serves 2.
Recipe from seriouseats.com

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Avacado Egg Salad Sandwich


Another girly lunch option! I would eat an egg salad sandwich every single day if I could...but all that mayo just doesn’t do wonders for my waistline. When I saw an option for an almost mayo-less sandwich I had to try it. I will never go back! I love avocado and this sandwich was to die for. I wanted it every day for lunch this week!

Avocado Egg Salad
Printable Version

4 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 medium hass avocado, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tbs. light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
pinch freshly ground pepper

Combine the egg yolks with the avocado, light mayo, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mash with a fork. Combine with egg whites and adjust salt as needed.

Adapted from Skinnytaste.com
Serves 2.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Lemon Garlic Herb Pasta


Girls, gather round! This was the perfect, light, healthy dish for a girls lunch or dinner! I made it for my friend and we were oooo-ing and ahhh-ing the entire time. The pop of zest of lemon and the fresh, sweet basil lingers on your tongue and keeps you begging for more... I might just try and trick my husband into liking this dish!

Lemon Garlic Herb Pasta
Printable Version

10 oz. whole wheat pasta (cooked al dente)
2 chicken breasts, diced

Marinade
1/2 teaspoon ground or 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
4 fresh basil leaves, whole
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Sauce
3 Tbs unsalted butter
1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
¼ tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cups whole cherry tomatoes

Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinade for 20 minutes. Remove basil leaves and saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.
For the sauce, place sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil. Saute the garlic until fragrant and soft, about 30 seconds, then add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Add cooked chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened, then add the ½ chopped basil and lemon zest and juice, and add ¼ cup parmesan cheese.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss the cooked pasta into the sauce. Finish the dish with tomatoes, fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese.

Recipe highly adapted from the Goddess of Scrumptiousness

Serves 4.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Mom's Snickerdoodles

O how I love it when my momma visits. She whipped up this snickerdoodles in a snap. There is something about someone else working in your kitchen on a yummy surprise that just gets me excited! They were amazing. Like 4 straight out of the oven, and another (Few) once they were cooled. O, and 3 a day for the next 3 days until they were gone. Then we made some more. Mmmm I love snickerdoodles, thanks momma:)

Mom’s Snickerdoodles
Printable Version

2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Mix flour, cream of tartar and baking soda in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, butter and shortening in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Recipe from allrecipies.com
Yields 40 cookies

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Cody's Peanut Butter Choco Cookies


I LOVE it when my hubbs bakes. He is so much more creative than me in the kitchen and always comes up with something delicious and unique! I asked him to whip me up some Peanut Butter Cookies the other day, and he decided to mix it up a bit and add a hint of cocoa powder. O my gosh it was so good! You can barely tell there is chocolate in them, except for the deep, rich flavor of the cookie itself. O I want another one, right now!

Cody’s Peanut Butter Choco Cookies
Printable Version

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 Tbs. cocoa powder
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl mix together all of the ingredients. Drop by tablespoonfuls on a baking sheet, and use a fork to flatten slightly.

Bake for 9 minutes or until puffed and golden. The cookies will be very soft, allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes 15 cookies
Recipe from Cody