Crunchy Honey Lime Chicken

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I'm still on my quest to cook from my gazillion cookbooks in my collection.  The other day I brought you a wonderful side dish of Cajun Roasted Potatoes which were a major hit!

Today, to go with those potatoes, I've served up a main dish of Crunchy Honey Lime Chicken.  I found this recipe in the cookbook by Mary Younkin, The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook.  This sounded like the perfect dinner to serve on a weeknight.  Something quick and light, but slightly different than your usual chicken dish.

This recipe has the option of frying or baking the chicken.  I chose to bake them for a healthier meal.  The recipe also uses chicken tenders for ease of preparation and I chose to use chicken breasts that I cut into strips as I prefer them over tenders.

The dish has the perfect pop of flavors.  Tender juicy baked chicken strips drizzled with honey and lime make the perfect weeknight dinner.  Make sure and don't skip the honey or the lime as they make this dish a winner!

What do I need to make this?  Good baking sheets are a must.  I love these.  You want ones that are sturdy and hold up well to high oven temperatures.  A good cooling rack that fits the baking sheet is a plus.  I use these.  They fit perfectly on a half sheet pan and they elevate the chicken so that air can flow above and below to ensure a crispy crust all around.  No soggy bottoms!  Some items like these breading trays, and tongs  are nice to haves but very handy 

All in all we just loved both the Crunchy Honey Lime Chicken and the Cajun Roasted Potatoes together.  This was the perfect combo we needed for a quick yet tasty weeknight dinner.  Plus, any leftovers taste just as good the next day for lunch!

Enjoy!

Crunchy Honey Lime Chicken

slightly adapted from The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook
serves 4

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs, toasted if desired
cooking spray
2 large limes, cut into wedges
1/4 cup honey

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Set a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a medium-size bowl.  Add the egg and milk and whisk until smooth.  Place the panko in a medium-size bowl.  Cut the chicken breasts into 1 1/2 inch strips.  Add the chicken strips to the flour mixture turning to coat both sides.  Shake off excess.  Place the coated chicken strips in the panko and press into the mixture, turning to coat both sides.  Place the strips on the wire rack on top of the baking sheet.  Repeat until all chicken is coated.

Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray.  Place in the oven and cook 10-15 minutes until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.  Remove from the oven and place chicken on a platter.  Drizzle with honey and squeeze lime juice over the chicken.  Serve with the remaining lime wedges.

Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad

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Looking for a great salad?  This Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad is the perfect choice!  It's filled with fresh veggies and protein for a light and delicious main salad or side dish.

About a month ago I had some friends over for a "Girls That Lunch" party.  It's not often that we all get together, so this party was the perfect way to reunite, laugh, gossip, and just be "girls".   The menu consisted of grilled chicken and a few types of salads.  Of course there was some heavenly wine involved too!  This Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad was an obvious choice for the menu.  

There is nothing better than a cold and crisp salad that uses fresh vegetables, and is laced with a heavenly lemon vinaigrette.  I knew this would be a big hit with the girls.  

This chickpea salad takes only minutes to throw together.  The flavors and bright and bold, leaving you wanting more.  Fresh, crisp cucumbers are mixed with mint, tomatoes, and bell peppers, then tossed with the most heavenly lemon vinaigrette!  Oh boy was this salad a hit!  Everyone loved it so much there weren't any leftovers to be found. (Sorry MGG, there's none left for you...)

This salad is a great lunch idea.  Use it as a main dish or a side dish.  Another perfect way to serve this would be to buy mini pita pockets, and stuff them with the salad.  The perfect treat!  Super Bowl anyone?

Enjoy!

Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad

1 large English cucumber, seeded and diced
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup of fresh mint, minced
1/3 cup of crumbled feta

Lemon Vinaigrette 

3 lemons, zest removed and juiced
2 teaspoons of Gourmet Garden Basil Stir In Paste
1 tsp of garlic, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 

salt and pepper

In a large bowl, toss together the cucumber, chickpeas, tomatoes, bell pepper, and mint.  To make the vinaigrette add Lemon zest, and lemon juice, basil paste, garlic, and oil to a mason jar.  Shake vigorously to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine.  Top with feta and serve.  

Lightening Fast So-Cal Chili

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On weekends I tend to cook meals that are a little more time consuming.  But the day before a holiday, when you have a big bash planned, who wants to spend a lot of time in the kitchen?  Not me.  So that's when I pull out one of my quick weeknight meals.

I'm thinking my Lightening Fast So-Cal Chili sounds perfect.  This chili is a game changer for weeknight meals.  30 minutes is all you need.  Dinner...done.

My dad was a big chili fanatic growing up.  Me not so much.  I do recall my mom making chili often but since I didn't care for it then (finicky eater...) I didn't pay much attention to the type of chili she made.  When I started to appreciate a good chili I set out to find a good beef one.  MGG loves chili, so I had to be on my game to find one (or several) he would enjoy.  Most of my go-to chilis are made with some sort of stew meat or chuck roast.  Those have to be cooked low and slow to become tender. 

So the question was, how do we cook chili on the weeknight and still have a hearty beef chili?  

Use ground sirloin!  The meat still has a 10% fat ratio, and has great flavor.  The plus is that it cooks up quickly!  So by using ground sirloin plus a handful of other ingredients you can have a hearty, slightly spicy, beef and bean chili on the table in 30 minutes.  No joke!

LIGHTENING FAST SO-CAL CHILI

I use California Chili Powder in the recipe, however you can use whatever chili powder you prefer.  I also add in some cayenne pepper for a little heat.  Feel free to adjust it to your liking for a hotter preference or leave it out altogether.  I named this So-Cal Chili as an ode to southern California and all the fresh avocados that are abundant.  So on they go as a topping with a dollop of sour cream which help cool down the spice from the chili.

I hope you enjoy this and try it soon!  Please leave me a comment if you do.  I love to hear from you.

Enjoy!





Lightening Fast So-Cal Chili

1 lb ground sirloin
2 tsp minced garlic
1 large shallot, diced
1 15 oz can chili beans, drained (mild or hot)
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbls California chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Toppings:  sour cream, avocado (optional)

In a dutch oven add the ground sirloin, garlic, and shallot.  Cook over medium heat, stirring to break up the meat until browned.  Add the chili beans, and tomato paste.  Cook the tomato paste a few minutes then add the water.  Stir until the paste has liquefied and all is well combined.  Add the chili powder and cayenne pepper (if using) and stir until combined.  Cover and reduce heat, simmering for 15 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a slice of avocado.

How to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo: Grilled Cuban Flank Steak

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Los Angeles is integrated with the Mexican culture in it's people, architecture, and their food.  So it's only natural that we love to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

It's a great time to go out and have a margarita, but if you choose to stay home celebrate with some Latin food.  There are so many options such as tacos like my Grilled Chili Lime Fish or Chicken Tacos, or go for a family friendly, easy to make meal like this Sizzling Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

Today I'm going to share a different Latin dish, Grilled Cuban Flank Steak.  Man or man was this steak good!  Flank steak is a great choice of meat.  It feeds a crowd, takes well to a marinade, and slices up tender and juicy.  The marinade is a combination of citrus juices and Latin spices and it makes this steak so flavorful.  You are gonna love it!

Grilled Cuban Flank Steak

We cooked this out on the grill, but you can do it on an indoor grill pan just as easily.  We served this with Cinnamon Thyme Sweet Potato Fries and a salad.  Both were perfect side dishes, but you could easily serve this with rice and beans and some hot tortillas.  Perfect to celebrate the holiday.

Try this delicious meal at your next gathering and see for yourself how wonderful this Cuban dish is.
Enjoy!








Grilled Cuban Flank Steak

1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Kosher salt & pepper
1- 1 1/2 lb flank steak

In a medium bowl add zests and juices, plus olive oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.

Place you flank steak in a baking dish and pour the marinade over the steak and turn to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes on the counter.

Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium heat.  Oil your grate if using an outdoor grill.  Remove the steak from the marinade and let any extra drip off.  Cook turning once, for 12-15 minutes per side for medium doneness.  Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes before cutting. 

Thinly slice the meat against the grain and transfer to a platter.  

Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry

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I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas filled with fun, laughter, and LOTS of great food! 

As I am completely beefed and turkeyed out, I thought I’d share something today that contains simple ingredients, totally non-Christmas related.  Also, because I would like to take a little break in cooking, this dinner is all in one pan!  On top of that, you can have this on the table in 16 minutes!

CHICKEN, GREEN BEAN & MUSHROOM STIR FRY

If you haven't noticed I love stir frys.  They are simple to make, and they a quick to cook.  I use the same formula every time.  (cook the meat, remove from pan, cook the vegetables, add flavors/nuts, add back the meat, add the sauce...done!)  Once you have this down you can make a gazillion variations of stir fry. 

Most times I make my own sauce, but on days like today where I want to save even more time, I use a bottle stir fry sauce that I find works well as a base.  I use this one here.  This sauce along with a couple of flavor add-ins works perfectly with this stir fry combination of chicken and vegetables.  I chose green beans and mushrooms, as both were on hand from our Christmas dinner.  You can certainly change up the vegetables to fit what you have on hand.  Bell peppers, carrots, celery, and zucchini, are all good ones to choose from.

So if you are trying to slow down after the holiday, do yourself a favor and forget the takeout.  Make this wonderful stir fry at home tonight.  It tastes 1000 times better than takeout, and you can control what goes in the food (mainly sodium ) and make this a healthy meal for your family. 

Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry is a favorite in our house, and hopefully will be a favorite of  yours too!  Remember, another celebration weekend is around the corner.  We'll be taking a look at some great New Year's Eve ideas in the next several days.

Enjoy!






Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry

Serves: 4 servings

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
1/4 c cornstarch
2 Tbls canola oil
1 Tbls sesame oil
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
30 French green beans, cut in half
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
1/4 c stir fry sauce

On a plate toss the chicken with the cornstarch.

Heat the canola and sesame oil in a large skillet.  Add the chicken and cook on medium-high until browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Remove chicken from the pan, and turn the heat up to high.

Add in the mushrooms and cook until they start to brown.  Add the green beans and allow to cook 2-3 minutes more. .Add the garlic and ginger and cook/stir for 30 seconds.  Return the chicken and any juices back to the skillet.  Add the stir fry sauce and toss to coat.  Serve.

Citrus Rosemary Glazed Turkey Breast

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If you're sharing the holidays with a smaller group this year, I highly recommend cooking a full or half turkey breast. A turkey breast is easy to handle and a cinch to make, plus you'll still end up with plenty of leftovers!

My moist and flavorful Citrus Rosemary Glazed Turkey Breast is the perfect union of sweet and savory.

For 4 people I chose a half bone-in turkey breast that was about 3 pounds.  If you have 6 or more (or love lots of leftovers) to feed, go for a full turkey breast.  The glaze is the key to this recipe and I would double the glaze for a full breast.

You start out with a high oven temperature to get a great crispy skin on the outside and then reduce for the remaining time to ensure the juiciest turkey you will ever have!  No kidding this turkey was soooo moist. 

I also used a new "must have" thermometer.  You place the probe in the thickest portion of the breast up front, and it stays in the turkey in the oven during cooking time.  This ensures the perfect cooking temperature is reached.  No more guessing!  After tasting this turkey I think this thermometer was the best buy ever!

This Citrus Rosemary Glazed Turkey Breast never fails to impress in presentation and in taste.

Enjoy!

Citrus Rosemary Glazed Turkey Breast

serves 4-6

1/2 c apricot preserves
1/4 c orange juice
2 Tbls honey
1 Tbls Dijon mustard
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 c white wine
1/2 bone-in full turkey breast (about 3 -4 pounds)
Garnish:  rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, orange wedges, pomegranate arils

In a medium saucepan over medium heat add apricot preserves, orange juice, honey, Dijon, garlic, and rosemary sprigs.  Bring to a boil and then remove from heat and allow to cool.  Once cooled discard the rosemary.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Pat turkey breast to dry the outside.  Place rack in a roasting pan and spray with non-stick spray.  Place turkey breast on rack.  Pour wine in the bottom of the roasting pan. 

Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and brush breast with glaze.  Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reaches 155 degrees. (depending on size of the turkey breast possibly 1 hour more)  Brush with glaze every 30 minutes. 

Transfer turkey breast to a cutting board and tent with foil.  Allow to rest  20 minutes before slicing.  Turkey will continue to cook during this time and reach the proper temperature.  Remove the breast in one piece from the bone and then slice the breast crosswise into slices.  Place slices on a platter and garnish with rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, orange wedges, and pomegranate arils.

20 Amazing Labor Day Recipes

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Labor Day is around the corner so I wanted to bring to you
20 Amazing Labor Day Recipes!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday!! 

Salads

Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad




Fruit Salad with a Red Currant Raspberry Sauce




Springtime Pasta Salad




Summer Corn Salad




Cheese Focaccia Panzanella with Grilled Ratatouille

Main Dishes

Grilled Chili Lime Fish or Chicken Tacos




Jamaican Jerk Chicken Kabobs




The Mushroom Swiss Burger

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Grilled Flank Steak in Adobo Tomato Sauce

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu

Side Dishes

The Best Grilled Corn Ever!




Grilled Vegetables




Grilled Green Beans




Simple Cheddar Biscuits

Desserts

Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberries and Vanilla Ice Cream




Banana Pudding Jars




Red Velvet Berry Parfaits




Banana Bundt Cake




Grandma Landon's Strawberry Cake