Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs

Adapted from Cooking Light, March 2011

I have been wanting to make these for a while now. It was definitely worth the wait! This recipe was absolutely delicious and I had to force myself to stop eating another piece of chicken. For your own sake, you should try this :) NOTE: I used half the amount of chicken and made some other adjustments in the measurements/process. When I made this according to the recipe, I ran out of sauce quickly. I ended up making another batch for the additional basting, so this recipe doubles all of the sauce ingredients, except for the garlic because there was still some left in the saucepan. I think two batches would work best so that the sauce is freshly boiled when basting at a later time. I also used a brush for the marinade instead of basting.

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp sriracha sauce (more if desired)
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Cooking spray
• Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Directions
Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, and garlic together in a large zip lock bag. Add the chicken thighs and place into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a roasting pan with tin foil then place the roasting rack in the pan. Coat the roasting rack with cooking spray. Pour the first batch of marinade into a small sauce pan over medium high heat and boil for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat; set aside. Place the chicken thighs on the roasting rack; brush the chicken with the marinade. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place into the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Mix the remaining batch of sauce and boil for 2 minutes, stirring often. Flip the chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper, and brush with sauce. Bake an additional 10 minutes, flip the chicken thighs one more time and brush with sauce. Bake for the last 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. If desired, brush again. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle with the sauce from the bottom of the roasting pan, if desired. Top with chives. Enjoy! (I just served with Roasted Vegetables)

Mexican Eggs, Two Ways!

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I have a few days off between jobs, so I figured I'd take advantage and make a new breakfast! I had two different ideas, so I decided to make both. I think my favorite was the baked egg cup, but I definitely enjoyed both...and yes, I ate both! I'm kind of on vacation after all :) Both use the same ingredients; they are just prepared differently. Feel free to get creative with the toppings!

Ingredients
1 egg (you can make as many as you wish)
1 corn tortilla (or flour, whichever you prefer)
Cooking spray
1 tb shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or whichever cheese you prefer)
1/2 avocado (sliced for skillet egg, diced for baked egg)
1-2 tb fresh salsa (I used my homemade salsa)
1-2 leaves of cilantro, for garnish

 
Baked Mexican Egg Cup
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray (only the cups you plan on making). Cut the corn tortilla to fit in the base of the tin. Beware: these tear easily. Crack the egg into the muffin tin on top of the tortilla. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Top with the cheese the last few minutes. Remove from the oven when the egg is cooked to your liking - personally, I like to let the white set and have the yolk still runny. Top with the avocado and salsa. Top with cilantro if desired.

Skillet Mexican Eggs
Spray the skillet with cooking spray. Crack the egg into the skillet and cook to your liking. I cooked mine on one side until almost set and then flipped to the other side and cooked a couple more minutes so that the yolk was still runny. Top with the cheese for the last minute or two. Throw the tortilla over the eye of the stove over low heat just until browned on each side. Top the tortilla with the egg, avocado, and salsa. Top with cilantro if desired.

   

Lemon Chicken with Broccoli

Adapted from Campbell's

Happy Hump Day! Tonight I tried out a new recipe so that I could use the new Campbell's Flavor Boost Chicken Packets. I saw them in the store and they intrigued me (I'm easily intrigued in the grocery store). Wow is all I have to say about this dish. We were actually in the mood to go out to eat and had to fight the temptation, so I wasn't overly excited to cook tonight, but boy was I pleasantly surprised! This will make the favorites list - it's pretty simple, healthy, and the flavor is just delicious! NOTE: I did make some modifications and recommend you follow this instead. The measurements in the recipe wouldn't have given this much sauce...we can't be having that!

Ingredients

1 large lemon 

1/2 lime (optional - I added this myself) 

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) - approximately 1.5 pounds

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced 

1 clove garlic, minced

2 packets Swanson® Flavor Boost™ Concentrated Chicken Broth

3 cups broccoli florets (I used one SteamFresh bag of florets)

Directions

Grate 1 tablespoon lemon zest and then juice the lemon (and half the lime if you are using both). I used both because the lemon didn't produce a lot of juice.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until well browned on all sides.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.  Pour off any fat if needed (I didn't need to since I used skinless thighs).

Reduce the heat to medium.  Add more oil if you need to...I did not need to since I did not pour off the fat. Add the onion and garlic and cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Stir in the concentrated broth and lemon/lime juice.  Return the chicken to the skillet.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Stir the broccoli and lemon zest in the skillet.  Cover and cook until the broccoli is tender-crisp.

Marinated Flank Steak

Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

After my month of eating badly (well, yummy but not healthy), I decided I needed to get back on the healthy train. That entails a big trip to Harris Teeter for the week's goodies I plan to cook :) So, stay tuned! I love flank steak and ran across this marinade I had never tried. It was definitely a keeper and very versatile. Nick and I actually used the flank steak in fajitas, but it was really delicious on its own. I highly recommend trying it on a salad too! Enjoy! 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and ground black pepper. Place meat in a shallow glass dish. Pour marinade over the steak, turning meat to coat thoroughly. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 hours.
2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
3. Oil the grill grate. Place steaks on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill meat for 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

New Year's Eve Hosting

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I apologize to all, I have been totally absent from blogging lately! The stomach flu had me out for the count for quite some time and then before I knew it, it was time for the holidays! Instead of spending them in the kitchen, I spent them traveling to see family and doing lots of holiday dinners and parties! Can't complain, but I am ready to get back in the kitchen .. and so is my waistline and bank account :) This post is from our New Year's Eve pre-game. Most food I provided has already been posted previously, but here are two new items! Nick and I had a few friends over before heading out to the Newseum for their New Year's Eve Ball!

JM's Pasta Salad
- 1 pound small shaped (I used half elbow macaroni and half ditalini)
- 3/4 bottle Fat Free Italian Caesar Dressing (this is just my favorite for this)
- handful of feta cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (whichever color you prefer)
- 1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 1/4 cup chopped seedless cucumber
- 1 to 2 tb Salad Supreme Seasoning (to your liking...I usually eyeball it)

Bring salted water to a boil. Pour in the pasta and cook until done. Drain the pasta and pour into a serving bowl. Combine half of the dressing and let cool. Mix together the remaining ingredients, including the other half of the dressing. This recipe is all very adaptable to your liking. Feel free to get creative!

Snack Plate
OK, so I didn't exactly "cook" this, but I did put it together and boy was it delicious! Super fast, easy, and addicting! Pick your favorite serving dish and pile on crackers or bread, your selection of meats, cheeses, and condiments. I did a basic tray of sourdough, hard salami, summer sausage, prosciutto, and extra sharp Vermont cheddar, served with a side of whole grain mustard.