Chicken Fajitas

I was looking for ways to change up our regular grilled chicken and this is one of the new recipes that I tried!  This recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes.

It was nice that this whole meal could be prepared on the grill since it has been so hot outside! 

I made a couple substitutes based on what was available in the house. I used lemon juice instead of lime juice, garlic powder instead of garlic cloves, and red pepper flakes instead of jalapeno.

Yum!

Chicken Fajitas

Serves 4

1 pound of chicken breast

3 peppers, sliced into stripes

2 small onions, sliced into stripes

Marinade
2 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced or 1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder or 1/4 tsp of cayenne powder and 1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Butterfly the chicken breast. Put into a pie plate.

Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over chicken.

Marinade for 1 hour at room temperature or in the fridge for 4-6 hours.

While grill is preheating, put the veggies on a large piece of tinfoil, fold the foil in half. Fold the edges in to form an envelope/packet. Put on the grill for 10 minutes while grill continues to heat.

Grill the chicken for 3-6 minutes per side. Once cooked remove from heat and onto a plate to rest. 

Continue to cook peppers and onions until charred.

Slice chicken and serve on a tortilla.

Mild Taco Seasoning

This mild taco seasoning was adapted from The Daily Meal and was kid approved (at least this time!). It was determined to be not too spicy and not too bland. I did a heaping scoop for the cilantro and oregano but then to make it less green and more red I added a few more sprinkles of paprika until it looked like the packet stuff. 

Mild Taco Seasoning

for 1 pound of meat

1 tbsp chili powder (or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper + 1/2 tsp paprika)
1 pinch of ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

When our container is out here is our refill:
2 tsp cayenne
4 tsp paprika
8 pinches ground pepper
6 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt
4 tsp cumin
4 tsp garlic

Lemonade Yogurt Popsicles

Another stolen recipe from Angela! She made these the other night and I had to make them at home! These are very refreshing and tangy!

If you use an ice cube tray: Pour mix into the wells. Cover the top with tin foil and put popsicle stick into each cube hole.

Variations: try using substituting limes or oranges for the lemons!

Lemonade Yogurt Popsicles 
makes about 5 pops

2 lemons, about 1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 vanilla yogurt  (regular or Greek style)
Honey (optional)
Popsicle mold or ice cube tray

Zest the lemons, use only the color part and not the white part underneath.
Juice the lemons.
Mix juice and zest into the yogurt.
Taste, if it is too tart add 1 tbsp of honey until it tastes how you want.
Carefully pour into the molds and freeze 6+ hours

To remove from the popsicle mold: place pop under warm running water for 15-20 seconds and then try to remove. If it doesn't come out put under water and repeat.

Key Lime Pie

Boy it is hot out already!! This is Martha Stewart's Key Lime Pie recipe. My cousin made this pie for us last summer and it was so tart and refreshing!! I have been looking forward to making this for quite some time.

One of the perks of this pie is that you can make it ahead of time. I also took a peek at the Pioneer Woman's Key Lime Pie Sorta Recipe and hers is pretty similar except that instead of room temperature she makes hers as a refrigerator pie  and chills it for 1 hour or more prior to serving. She also uses 2 eggs instead of 4. Maybe next time I'll use 3 eggs?

I used regular limes instead of key limes since there weren't any at the store. I made these in small bowls so that each was a serving and could be stored for a little longer. I used about 2 heaping tbsp of graham cracker crumbs in each and then pressed them in using the bottom of one of the other bowls. The filling was about the same thickness as the graham crackers, so if you'd prefer less crust use less of the crumbs. As these are a lot smaller I baked the crusts for 10 minutes and baked the pie with the filling for 9 minutes. 

Key Lime Pie
Makes 1 pie or 10 ramekins

Crust:

1 1/4 cups graham-cracker crumbs (1 - 1 1/2 packs of graham crackers)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

Filling (makes about 2 cups worth of filling):

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup fresh Key-lime juice
1 tablespoon grated Key-lime rind

Topping:
3/4 cup heavy cream, chilled

Heat oven to 375°. Put graham crackers in the food processor and pulse until combined. Add butter, sugar, and salt and continue to pulse until combined. Press into a buttered 8-inch pie plate (or whatever container you are using), and bake 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, combine condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice, and rind. Pour into the prepared, cooled crust.

Lower oven to 325°. Return pie to oven, and bake approximately 15 to 17 minutes, until the center is set but still quivers when the pan is nudged.

Remove from oven, and let stand until cool. Prior to serving, whip cream until stiffened. Decorate pie with whipped cream, and serve at room temperature.

Maple Walnut Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

My neighbor makes this dressing all the time so I had to steal it from her :) Thanks Angela! This Maple Walnut Vinaigrette Dressing is adapted from The Yummy Life.

It took about 5 minutes to take all the ingredients out and put it through the food processor. This made about 9 oz of dressing which is almost a regular size bottle of dressing.

Enjoy!

Maple Walnut Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

approx 9 servings

1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper or 1/4 tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 c olive oil

Combine all ingredients except the oils in a food processor. 

Blend until well combined and walnuts are pureed. 

With food processor running, pour olive in a slow steady stream through the feed tube. 

Transfer to jar or other airtight container and chill in fridge.

Note: If the dressing is thicker than you like, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until it's the desired consistency.

Broccoli Slaw

This is the broccoli slaw recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I loved this! It was refreshing and surprisingly light. 

I did use real buttermilk instead of my usual substitute (milk + white vinegar) because I wasn't sure of the flavor impact.

Next time I would add some dice chicken, or red cabbage or maybe sprinkle some crispy bacon pieces on top because...why not?! If I added more I would make more dressing too.

Broccoli Slaw

makes about 9 cups

2 heads of broccoli (florets and stems)
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds or walnuts
1/3 - 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

Buttermilk Dressing:
1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar

Salt & Pepper

Trim broccoli and cut into bite sized pieces using a knife, food processor, or mandolin slicer.

Toss the sliced broccoli with the almonds or walnuts, cranberries or raisins, and red onion in a large bowl (I used my largest cooking pot). 

In a small bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients together. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and toss it well. Season with additional salt and pepper if you'd like.

Store in the fridge until ready to serve for up to a week.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

I was looking to change up our menu from our standard Mr. Tom's Grilled Chicken and thought, why not try teriyaki sauce? Only problem was that I forgot to buy the teriyaki sauce at the store. I Google-ed several recipes and found it was a very straight forward fix and we have all the ingredients in the house!

I doubled the recipe below for 5 large chicken breasts (2 - 3 lbs?) and added in 2 smashed cloves of garlic and about 1/4 inch of sliced ginger into the pot to simmer. The corn starch will make the sauce thicker if you prefer. We were just hungry so I didn't bother trying to figure out the consistency :)

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp. water

garlic (optional)

ginger (optional)

Combine all ingredients into small pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally. 

If using as a marinade - pour sauce (and garlic and ginger) over the chicken (or whatever you are marinading) and let it sit for about 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile start to preheat the grill. 

When grill is ready put the chicken on the grill and let it cook. 

Thicker pieces of chicken will take upwards of 6-7 minutes per size while thinner pieces can cook about 3-4 minutes per side. 

If you gently push down on the chicken you'll be able to tell the difference between squishier uncooked chicken and firmer cooked chicken. If you cut it open you can also see if it is cooked through.

Chicken and Clouds

This was a creamy, filling, and comforting soup from The Pioneer Woman. If you go to her site the not chicken and dumplings.  However, As I'm assembling the soup Anthony says, "Oh yum! Chicken and Clouds!" Well then, if you think of this as chicken and clouds you won't be disappointed.

The comments on the origional recipe are great. People have definite opinions on what is a noodle and what is a dumpling and how her recipe is

Because I had some time and enjoy this stuff, I decided to take the more labor intensive path and so this soup was a labor of love. It took me 2 days to make but you can also make it in less time if you don't buy an uncooked chicken and use canned broth.

Roasted Chicken - I took a little 3lb chicken and rinsed it in cold water. I seasoned it with salt and pepper on both sides and rubbed it in with olive oil. I roasted it about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let the chicken cool on the stove. While I was waiting I made Brown Butter and Toffee Cookies. Once the chicken is cool remove all the meat from the bones. The meat goes into a container for use the next day and the bones went into a larger pot. 

Homemade Broth - large chop about 1 cup of carrots and a stalk or two of celery. Cut an onion into half. Nestle it all around the chicken bones. Cover with water (I did about 8 cups of water). Season with salt and pepper if you'd like, add thyme or rosemary or any seasoning if you want as well. Bring to a boil on high heat and then reduce the to a simmer on low. Let it hang out on the stove for about 2 hours while you do other things. Like the dishes. When it is done, pour the broth through a strainer into another pot. This will remove all the bones and weird chunks. Then let it refrigerate overnight. Before using I skim the coagulated fat off the top of the broth. If you have never made broth before, it will be a squishy almost jell-o like consistency. It is OK and will be fine. 

    

Now that you have done this prep work, follow the directions below!

Some changes for next time (and updated below)

- omit apple cider (I just didn't like it)

- omit thyme (because I had made the broth with thyme it was a bit over powering)

Changes I made (reflected below): 

- I used half and half for whole recipe because it was cheaper than purchasing both heavy cream and half and half

-As the chicken was already cooked I put it in the bottom of the soup bowls. The chicken heated up when the broth and dumplings were put on top so that way the chicken didn't over cook.

I'll make this again! It was so good!

Chicken and Clouds

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 whole Chicken, meat is bite sized
Salt And Pepper
1/2 cup Finely Diced Carrots
1/2 cup Finely Diced Celery
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
1/2 teaspoon Ground Thyme
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Half-and-half

Dumplings:
1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1-1/2 cup Half-and-half
Salt As Needed

In the large pot, add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in chicken broth. Stir to combine. Cover pot and simmer.

While chicken is broth is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings: sift together all dry ingredients, then add half-and-half, stirring gently to combine. Set aside.

Add cream into the pot and stir to combine. Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Cover pot halfway and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Check seasonings; add salt if needed. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Put meat in the bottom of the bowls (and some spinach) and cover with dumplings and the broth.

Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This takes a bit more effort but based on everyone's responses it was worth it! These are soft, chewy, salty, sweet, chocolate-y, and actually pretty good! 

I think these cookies would be better larger rather than my normal small bite size cookies if only because it was more difficult to sprinkle the salt. 

Keep your eyes on the browning butter. It is similar to making caramel where nothing happens and then it happens all at once! 

And you do need to wait a couple minutes before removing the cookies from the baking sheet otherwise they will become awkward oval shapes and you'll have to eat them because they are funny looking :)

Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Adapted from Two Peas and Their PodYield: 32 cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch (if you don't have any use an extra tablespoon of flour)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chunks or chocolate chips (milk or dark)
1/2 cup chopped Heath  or Skor or toffee candy bars
Coarse sea salt, to sprinkle on top

Place 1 stick of butter in a medium skillet. Melt the butter over medium heat, swirling it in the pan occasionally. The butter will foam and pop. Continue to swirl the pan often. Remove pan from heat once the butter starts to brown and smells nutty. There will be small brown bits on the bottom. The butter should be an amber color. Pour butter into a small bowl and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

While the brown butter is cooling, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the remaining 1/2 cup butter with dark brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until creamy and smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Add the cooled brown butter and mix until smooth.

Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Gradually mix in the flour on low speed until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks and toffee chunks.

Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with Silpat baking mats and set aside.

Remove dough from fridge and form into 2 tablespoon sized cookie dough balls. Place on prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake cookies for 10 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges. Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely. Store cookies in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. These cookies also freeze well.

Italian Bread

I found this recipe on AllRecipes. I didn't wait for the water to get hot enough for the yeast so the bread didn't rise as well and we ended up with a flat loaf of bread. Still very tasty but my Dutch Oven Bread Recipe came out better and was less "touchy". Italian bread needs a bit more attention. It also would have improved if I added some Italian herb seasoning or garlic into the bread dough.

Italian Bread
Makes 3 loaves

3 cups warm water (110 degrees F)

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon salt

7 cups all-purpose flour

Add the sugar and yeast to the warm water and let proof.

Stir in 4 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Beat in the salt and then add enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Knead until as soft and smooth as a bambino's behind. Turn in a greased bowl, cover, and let double in size. (I put it in the oven with the light on - perfect rising temperature.)

Once doubled, punch down and divide into three. Place back in the bowl, cover, and let rise.

Once doubled again, punch down and form into three fat "footballs." Grease heavy cookie sheets and sprinkle with corn meal. Place the bread on the sheets, cover with a towel, and let rise.

Once risen, mist with water and place in a preheated 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven. Mist loaves with water and turn occasionally while they bake. Bread is done when golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.