spicy asian cobb salad

man, oh, man.

was this ever good.

i've said before how i really don't care for traditional salads...you know, the ones with lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers?

yick.

but, this.

oh, this is something else entirely.

fresh, crunchy, healthy, and filling.

perfect.

Spicy Asian Cobb Salad

Serves 4.

Inspired by a picture on Pinterest :)

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup sriracha sauce, or to taste

Salt and pepper

12 pineapple rings, fresh would be best but I used canned and patted dry here, in a pinch

8 cups, washed, chopped, lettuce of your choice

1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed, dried, and cut in halves

4 small, ripe avocados, peeled and sliced

12 ounce bag of frozen then steamed edamame

1/4 red onion, sliced thinly

Marinate the chicken thighs in the canola oil, sriracha, and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper, for about an hour and up to 8 hours.

Preheat your grill to medium-high.

Grill thighs until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Remove to rest.

Grill pineapple slices, until sizzling and slightly charred, about 2 minutes per side.  Set aside.

Divide the lettuce onto 4 plates.

Slice the chicken into thin slices and divide evenly onto lettuce.

Add 3 slices of grilled pineapple, a small handful of the halved cherry tomatoes, 1 sliced avocado, and 3 ounces (1/4 of the bag) of steamed edamame to each plate.

Sprinkle with a bit of red onion and serve with your favorite Asian-inspired salad dressing.  

Enjoy!

chicken in milk

Okay.
This was my first meal "back".
Meaning, G is now three weeks old and I just got back in the saddle.
Granted, this chicken dish was made last weekend when G was only two weeks old but still.
I need to get used to making three meals a day, seven days a week.
Or maybe I should just enjoy the freezer meals that we have stocked.
Either way, it does feel good to be back.

By the way, how weird does chicken in milk sound?
But I promise, it's one of the best chicken dishes I've made in a long time.
And the weird looking juice at the end?
The. Best. Part.

Chicken in Milk
Serves...how many does a 3 pound chicken serve??

3 pound chicken

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Butter

2 1/2 cups whole milk

10 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 stick cinnamon
Zest of 2 lemons

Handful fresh rosemary or sage

Wash and dry your chicken.  Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Heat a knob of butter and a healthy drizzle of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Brown chicken on all sides.
Remove from pot and discard oils.

Place chicken back in and add milk, garlic, cinnamon stick, lemon zest, and rosemary or sage.

Place in a preheated 375* oven, covered.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Pour a glass of wine because you have an infant plus two toddlers and this is your first homemade dinner since.

Baste when you remember.
Then, remove cover and roast for another 45 minutes.

Enjoy fall-apart chicken and serve with the delicious (yet weird looking) jus (pan sauce) over the top of said chicken and maybe some mashed potatoes?
Or just easy sauteed veggies, as seen above.
Rejoice at how easy that was.
:)

sour cream chile enchiladas

did yall have a good cinco de mayo?
really, its just an excuse to eat more texmex.
and dress up in school like banditos.
and make (virgin) margaritas.
and sour cream enchiladas.

Sour Cream Chile Enchiladas

Makes 10-14.

Adapted from several sources online.

2 1/2 cups shredded and cooked chicken, rotisserie or leftovers

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

10-14 soft flour tortillas

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

4 ounce can diced green chiles

Preheat your oven to 350*.

Combine shredded chicken and 1 cup of cheese.

Fill tortillas with mixture and roll each one.  Place seamside down in a greased 9x13" pan.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Whisk in flour and stir for about a minute.

Add broth and whisk until simmering and thickened slightly.

Take off heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.

Add sour cream and green chiles and stir to combine.

Pour over enchiladas and cover with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes and then broil until cheese in golden and bubbly, about 3-5 minutes.

Enjoy!

poppy seed chicken salad

We have this tiny cafe in my hometown called Central Perks.
It's right on the square, which is the heart of my little town.
It's in a large building, with antiques and local crafts surrounding the cafe area so you can browse around while you are waiting for your order.
Quaint and cute.
And they serve the best chicken salad ever.

This is not it.

But!
It's really delicious!
I've tried many a chicken salad, hoping to land upon one that suits my tastes.
It took years, but this finally is what I consider perfect, for me.

Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
Adapted from Food Network
Serves 4.

3 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

Kosher salt

1 large orange

½ cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream or low-fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 small red or Granny Smith apple, chopped

½ cup chopped pecans, toasted (or almonds or walnuts...)

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds

Freshly ground pepper

½ cup dried apricots, chopped (optional)

Cover the chicken with cold water in a saucepan and add 1 teaspoon salt. Remove strips of zest from half of the orange with a vegetable peeler and add the zest to the water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 18 minutes. Remove the chicken and let cool.

*You can also use leftover shredded chicken!*

Grate the remaining orange zest and juice the orange into a large bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, celery, apple, nuts, chives, poppy seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Add the apricots, if desired.

Shred the chicken, discarding the bones and skin, and toss with the dressing. 

Serve over lettuce, as a salad, or stuffed into pitas, as a sandwich.  Enjoy!

lemon coconut "curry" sauce

So.

This is my new favorite sauce.

It can go on anything.

As a sauce for grilled chicken, over pasta, in scrambled eggs, as a base for soup, or, as my favorite, simmered with chunks of chicken and fingerling potatoes over rice as a "curry", of sorts.

It's not a real curry, per say, but it reminds me of a good, coconut, green curry so that's what we've been calling it.

When we have it for dinner.

About once a week.

And in this house, once a week, once a month, repeating a recipe is a big, big deal.

Lemon Coconut Curry Sauce

Makes about 2 cups.

From 101 Cookbooks!

1 bunch of scallions (about 8-10)

1/2 a bunch of cilantro (about 1 cup of leaves, packed)

1-2 garlic cloves

1-2 fresh jalapenos, depending on how spicy you like it

a pinch of salt

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 can of coconut milk (full fat is best, of course, but low fat is okay too)

2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more/less to taste

Blend all ingredients, except lemon juice, really well in a food processor.  Store in a mason jar in the fridge for up to two days.

Right when you are ready to use, add lemon juice and heat through.  

For example, for our "curry" dish, I brown the chicken and potato chunks and add the sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes, until everything is cooked through and tender, then add the lemon juice and serve over rice or quinoa.  

So so good.

flashback friday - the perfect roast chicken

Okay, here we go, folks.
The perfect roast chicken.
Go!


I love roast chicken. It’s a great thing to have on a Friday night when your husband finally gets home from a long day. It’s a great thing to have the house fill with the smell of butter and herbs and crispy chicken skin.It’s a great thing to serve at a dinner party. What a nice surprise for your guests. None of that fancy schmancy stuff. Once they find out what’s on the menu, they can relax and, more importantly, so can you.

And, what’s better? Its fool proof. Might seem like a bit of work but read carefully. It’s a cinch!

I should patent it. Crispy skin and juicy meat…butter under the skin and flipping it twice is the secret! You absolutely cannot mess this up. And, if you are only serving two, you can use the leftover chicken in another dish! (Stay tuned for a GD Round 2 recipe!)

Oregano Citrus Roast Chicken with Pan Jus

Serves 4, with leftovers!!

Tip – start the night before for longer brining time.

1 4 pound chicken

1 cup salt

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup maple syrup

7-8 sprigs of fresh oregano

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes or red pepper relish

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

2 lemons

2 oranges

½ stick of butter, at room temperature

1 onion

½ cup chicken stock or white wine (if needed)

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Begin by cleaning your chicken. Remove the giblets and rinse chicken. Set aside.

Next, make your brine. Combine 1 cup salt, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup maple syrup, 5 sprigs of the oregano, 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes and peppercorns in an extra large bowl. Juice one lemon and one orange into mixture and then put the leftover squeezed rinds into bowl as well. Add cleaned chicken. Cover with water and stir under and around the chicken to coat. Brine overnight or for as long as you have. Even a couple hours makes a difference!!

Finally, remove remaining oregano from stems and chop. Combine butter with chopped oregano and remaining 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes and form into a log on a piece of plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When you are about 2 hours from eating, preheat your oven to 425˚.

Cut remaining lemon and orange into quarters or big slices. Cut onion into quarters. Distribute lemon, orange and onion into large Dutch oven.

Remove chicken from brine and pat completely dry. Discard brine.

Lay chicken into Dutch oven. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides.

With your hands, carefully separate the skin from the flesh on the breast and area between breast and legs. It might tear but that’s okay too!

Cut the butter and herb log into “coins” and slide under skin. You’ll get about 5-6 “coins” on each breast.Massage the butter into the flesh. It might be messy!

Put any remaining butter in the cavity of the bird.

Roast, breast side up, for 30 minutes.

It should just start to brown.

Remove from oven and carefully flip your chicken over with tongs. Roast for 20 minutes.

It should be brown in some spots.

Remove once more from oven and flip over again, breast side up. Roast for remaining 20-30 minutes, until your meat thermometer reaches 165 in the breast and 175˚ in the deepest part of the thigh and very browned and crispy on top.

Remove to serving platter and let rest for about 15-20 minutes or until dinner’s ready. Take the juices in the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil on the stove. (You might need to add a little chicken stock or white wine if it’s too dry) Reduce to about ½ cup and skim off any fat. Strain to remove solids and serve!

Makes perfect chicken, every time!

burrito quinoa bowl

Ready for another quinoa recipe???
You better be.

I was just in Texas to visit family and now I can't get Tex Mex food out of my head!
And quinoa is the perfect vessel for summer fare.
Quinoa is super healthy and if you don't have a big, fat, warm flour tortilla around, (oh man. my mouth is watering now.) then you have just cut out about 99% of the fat associated with Mexican food.

Well, but we are adding back in the sour cream.
*sigh*

Burrito Quinoa Bowl

Serves 4.
Adapted from The Shiksa!

1 cup quinoa

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Pinch of cayenne pepper 

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup shredded lettuce

Grated cheddar or jack cheese

Sour cream

Pico de gallo or salsa

Diced seeded tomatoes or cherry tomato halves

Hot sauce

Sliced avocado or guacamole

Grilled corn
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour quinoa into a saucepan along with 2 cups of water. Bring the quinoa to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover the pot. Let the quinoa simmer for about 20 minutes till it becomes tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. 
While quinoa is cooking, heat the oil in another saucepan over medium heat. Place minced onion into the saucepan and saute for a few minutes till it softens and begins to turn brown. Add the minced garlic to the pot and let it saute for 1-2 minutes longer till aromatic. Add the black beans to the pot of onions along with 1/2 cup water, half the chopped fresh cilantro, and the chili powder and cayenne pepper. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Let the beans simmer for 15 minutes till the liquid is mostly evaporated. Stir in half of the fresh lime juice. Season with salt to taste. 
When the quinoa is fully cooked, remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Use the fork to mix in the rest of the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt to taste. 
Assemble your burrito bowls. Divide the cilantro lime quinoa between four bowls. Top each portion of quinoa with 1/4 cup of shredded lettuce. Top each portion of lettuce with simmered black beans. Top the black beans with your choice of the rest of the ingredients.  Season to taste, kinda mix with your spoon, and enjoy warm!

buttermilk grilled chicken

Sorry, no abundance of pictures today. It’s just such an easy recipe that I guessed you could figure it out.

Plus, I didn't take any! 

:)

No one wants to see a goopy mess of buttermilk and raw chicken in a bag.

But don’t these that Mike grilled look good?

Buttermilk Grilled Chicken

Serves 4.

1 quart of buttermilk

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cloves garlic, crushed

¼ cup canola oil

4 leg quarters

Mix buttermilk, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic and oil together in a gallon-size zip lock bag. Add chicken and seal bag. Massage bag to coat. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Grill and serve!

thai chicken enchiladas

Okay, these are really fantastic.

I made them off a recommendation from a friend and followed the recipe (mostly) exactly.
(I did use half and half sweet chili sauce and hot chili sauce....but then again, I like spicier than most people.)

But, there was one kinda big problem.
I hate how flour tortillas get when they are made into enchiladas.
I feel that all enchiladas should be made with corn tortillas.
Flour tortillas get all mushy and soggy.
Yuck.

But, if you correct that problem, these are fantastic!
Seriously.

So, I suggest either using corn tortillas or just making the filling, up until the stuffing part, and using a lettuce wrap instead.
That would be perfect.

Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with this recipe.
For real.

Thai Chicken Enchiladas

serves 2-4
From How Sweet It Is

8 flour tortillas

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1/3 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 green onions, sliced

1/3 cup chopped peanuts, plus a bit more for garnish

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro , plus a bit more for garnish

2 1/2 cups light coconut milk

1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce or half and half with hot chili sauce (this is what I did!)

Preheat oven to 350*.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add canola oil. Throw in onions, cabbage, carrots, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring to mix. Let cool until vegetables are soft, about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in chicken, green onions, peanuts, cilantro, remaining salt and pepper, tossing to coat, and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in 3/4 cup coconut milk and 1/3 cup chili sauce, mixing thoroughly to combine. Turn off heat.

Spray a 9 by 13" baking dish with nonstick spray. Whisk together remaining coconut milk and chili sauce. Pour about 1/2 a cup or so on the bottom of the dish. Slightly warm tortillas if desired to make them more pliable, then place a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in each, rolling up tightly and placing in the dish. Cover with remaining coconut milk and chili sauce mix. Take a spoon and cover every inch of the tortilla with the sauce, just to make sure it’s coated.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and top with additional peanuts and cilantro. Since sauce is not as thick as traditional enchilada sauce, when you remove them from the oven, spoon sauce from the bottom of the dish all over the tortillas. Additionally this can be done halfway through cooking too.  Enjoy!

chicken cordon bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu is definitely not my favorite chicken dish.
Mostly because I don't like ham.
But, I have a friend that requested this for a dinner we were having so I tried to oblige.
I googled and picked through and adjusted.
And finally landed on this.


Fantastic.
Seriously.
I wouldn't change one single thing.


The cheese does leak a bit but the chicken is moist and the crust crisp and the cheese gooey and the ham salty.
Can't ask for anything else.


Chicken Cordon Bleu
Serves 4

*tip! the breaded chicken can be refrigerated covered for up to a day

Found somewhere online!
25 Ritz crackers
4 slices hearty sandwich bread, white or wheat (I used homemade)
6 tablespoons butter, melted
8-16 thin slices deli ham (about 8 ounces)
8 thick-ish slices of Swiss cheese
4 thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)
Salt and pepper
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 450*. Pulse the crackers and bread in a food processor until they are coarsely ground. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse to incorporate together. Transfer the crumbs to a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the crumbs are lightly browned. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow baking dish. Leave the oven on.

Top each ham slice with one slice of cheese. If your ham slices are too smile, shingle two ham slices on top of each other to create a larger slice and roll the cheese up in that. Roll tightly and set aside. 

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Cut a pocket in the thickest part of the chicken breast and stuff each pocket with 2 ham and cheese rolls. Pull the top flap of chicken over the rolls and press to seal (you can use a toothpick to gently secure the pocket edge, if you like). Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the stuffed chicken, covered, for at least 20 minutes.

In another shallow dish or pie plate, beat the eggs and mustard. Place the flour in a third shallow dish. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Working with one stuffed chicken breast at a time, coat the chicken lightly with flour and then dip in the egg mixture, covering both sides. Dredge the chicken in the toasted bread crumbs, pressing lightly to help the crumbs stick to the chicken. (The breaded chicken can be refrigerated covered for up to 1 day.)

Transfer the chicken to a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven until the bottom of the chicken is browned, about 10 minutes. Move the chicken to a middle rack in the oven, reduce the temperature to 400 (you don't have to leave the chicken out of the oven while the temperature adjusts, just put it back in the oven and then reduce the temperature), and bake until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (160 degrees on an thermometer), about 25-30 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.