Seared Chicken & Apple Spinach Salad

It was hot today! Which was a perfect day for a simple chicken and salad. So refreshing and so delicious. 

Another simple recipe from Hello Fresh. I know I'll stumble into a not so great recipe from them, but until them I'm totally digging these meals. 

The baguette on the side was an "extra" order from them. It showed up in my box, but not on my bill, so I ate it. Well, half of it. 

If this recipe shows up again, I'll order it for lunch instead of dinner. It'd be such an easy lunch to prep with.

Seared Chicken & Apple Spinach Salad

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1 tablespoon Fry Seasoning
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Apple
• 2.5 ounce Spinach
• 1.5 ounce Honey Dijon Dressing 
• ¼ cup Panko
• 10 ounce Chicken Cutlets

Melt 1 TBSP butter in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add panko; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until golden brown, 3-5 minutes.

Turn off heat; transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out pan.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Evenly sprinkle with Fry Seasoning.

Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for panko over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. 

Transfer to a cutting board.  Meanwhile, zest and quarter lemon. Halve, core, and thinly slice apple. Add as much lemon zest as you like to bowl with panko. Stir to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together dressing, a drizzle of olive oil, and juice from one lemon wedge.

 Add apple, spinach, and half the lemony panko to bowl with dressing. Toss to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice and season with salt and pepper if desired.

Thinly slice chicken crosswise. Divide salad between shallow bowls. Top with remaining lemony panko. Fan sliced chicken alongside salad. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Spicy & Sweet Soy-Glazed Chicken

Oh Hello Fresh...you're serving up some gems! 

The original recipe had pork instead of chicken, but Hello Fresh allows you to swap out the protein on some of the recipes. I'm a bigger fan of chicken than pork, so I swapped it out. 

This could be a repeat recipe except for the Sweet Soy Glaze. I'm sure I could find a recipe for it, or **gasp** a version at the store I guess. I also think it's not far from teriyaki sauce honestly. That could sub nicely. 

The broccoli was cooked a little too much for my liking. I kinda thought that might happen, but I followed the instructions anyhow. The carrots were cooked perfectly. 

I also had some left over rice from a previous recipe, so I added that in as well. Well balanced meal if you ask me. 

Spicy & Sweet Soy-Glazed Chicken

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1 head broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces
• 2 large carrots, sliced on the diagonal 1/2 in thick
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 chicken cutlets (10 oz)
• 4 T Sweet Soy Glaze
• 1 tsp Korean Chili Flakes
• 2 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces if necessary. Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1⁄2-inch-thick pieces. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

Toss broccoli on one side of a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Toss carrots on empty side with a drizzle of oil, a pinch of chili flakes, salt, and pepper. 

Roast on top rack, tossing halfway through, until tender and crisp, 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with garlic powder, remaining chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes per side.

Turn off heat; transfer to a cutting board. Wipe out pan and let cool slightly.

Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for chicken over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites; cook until softened, 1-2 minutes. Add sweet soy glaze and 1⁄4 cup water; simmer until bubbling and slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in 1 TBSP butter until melted.

Slice chicken crosswise and add k to pan with sauce and toss to coat.

Bacon, Apple, & Cheddar Spinach Salad

We went to Salty's today and had their amazing Sunday brunch buffet. It's one of those buffets where you won't eat again all day. It was still with me by dinner so I opted for this Hello Fresh salad and it was perfect. 

The combo of sweet and savory hits the spot for me. The granny smith was tart but with the honey Dijon mustard it just magically worked. I'll order this one again for sure. 

Bacon, Apple, & Cheddar Spinach Salad

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 4 oz bacon, chopped
• 5 oz spinach
• 1/2 oz walnuts; chopped
• 1 oz dried cranberries
• 1/2 c white cheddar cheese, grated
• 3 oz Honey Dijon Dressing (store bought is find)
• 1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced

Get your bacon started in a pan. Cook that until its crispy. 

Get your spinach in a bowl and add the cranberries, walnuts, and cheese. Thinly slice the granny smith and add it to the bowl. When your bacon is done, put that in the salad too. 

Dress it with Honey Dijon and enjoy! 

Peanut Butter Cookies with Coconut Flour

Photo from Low Carb Yum

I really wanted to like these. I love peanut butter cookies. Crunch ones that is. 

These cookies were terrible. I think I know why and may have to try them again. 

First, I forgot the salt. That's a big deal. That little bit of salt would have enhanced the flavor I think. 

Second, I should have read the blog with this recipe. The writer talks about adding more sweetener if you like a sweeter cookie. These cookies were tasteless. Which is surprising considering an entire cup of peanut butter is used. BUT unsweetened peanut butter means less sweet. I should have figured that out. 

Bottom line. This batch was gross. BUT, I will make these again. The texture was pretty good and for that reason alone I'll try them again. 

Peanut Butter Cookies with Coconut Flour

Recipe from Low Carb Yum

Makes 12

• 2 T coconut flour add more if needed
• 1/4 c low carb sugar substitute or other sugar equivalent sweetener
• 1/4 tsp stevia concentrated powder or 1/2 teaspoon monk fruit extract powder
• 1 c unsweetened peanut butter
• 1/4 c butter softened
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together until well combined and dough forms

Drop scoops or balls of dough onto parchment paper lined baking pans.

Flatten each dough ball by making criss-cross mark with fork. For flatter cookies, press down first with fingers before making the fork marks.

Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes or until edges of cookies have browned.

Barbeque Beef Bites

Photo from Lord Byron's
Kitchen

Ooo Burnt Ends. They are so good. When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. 

First things first, the sauce was perfect. Nice balance of tangy and sweet, like a good BBQ sauce should be.

But here's the problem. Sirloin tip roast is hard to find in my neck of the woods. I settled for top sirloin steaks and then cut them down into cubes. The thing is top sirloin usually has to cook for a bit to make it tender. This recipe has you cooking them for just 25 minutes or so. I just knew that wasn't going to make these tender. 

If I made these again, I'd braise the cubes for an hour or so, THEN put them in a hot oven with the BBQ sauce and let them get all crispy. I also think I'd put them under the broiler for a minute or two to get the crispy edges. 

That said, this was a good meal. The meat was chewy and tough, but the flavor was good. 

Barbeque Beef Bites

Recipe from Lord Byron's Kitchen

Serves 8

• 2-3 pounds beef sirloin tip roast, roughly cut into two inch cubes
• 1 c corn starch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 T onion powder
• 2 c ketchup
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T ground mustard
• 3 T Worcestershire sauce
• ½ c brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ T ground black pepper
• ½ c white vinegar
• 1 c water
• 1 Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 Pinch dried red chili flakes, optional
• Parsley, chopped for presentation (optional)
• Vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add the beef, corn starch, and half of the salt to a large bowl and toss well to coat. Set aside.

Next, add the rest of the salt, onion powder, ketchup, lemon juice, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, vinegar, water, cayenne, and dried red chili flakes to a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Whisk the ingredients together and bring to a low boil.

Reduce heat to simmer and allow ingredients to heat together for 20 minutes, whisking occasionally.

In the last few minutes, the sauce will thicken. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sear each piece of beef on both sides. This process should take about 3-4 minutes per side. Do this step in batches. You don’t want to overcrowd the skillet. The beef should have a good brown crust before transferring to a bowl.

Once all the beef has been seared, pour the barbeque sauce over the beef and toss to coat. Remove each piece of beef from the bowl with tongs and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Leave a little bit of space between each piece of beef.

Bake for 25 minutes. While the beef is in the oven, transfer the remaining sauce back to the sauce pan and reheat.

Remove the beef from the oven. Plate for serving and top with a few drizzles of the leftover barbeque sauce.

Garnish with fresh cut parsley for presentation. Enjoy!

Soy-Glazed Hoisin Meatloaves

Wow, recipe 3 was pretty good too. I didn't realize I was doing all beef this week, but that's how the cookie crumbled. Next week I'll do more chicken. 

This was a solid recipe. The Sweet Soy Glaze was delicious. I accidentally drizzled it on my green beans instead of the sriracha mayo, and turns out that was yummy too. 

I'm loving these no nonsense meals. Grabbing the ingredients is easy, and clean up is REAL easy. 

Soy-Glazed Hoisin Meatloaves

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 10 oz Ground beef
• 2 T Hoisin Sauce
• 1/4 c panko
• 2 scallions; whites and greens separated
• 6 oz green beans, trimmed
• 4 T Sweet soy glaze
• 2 T Mayo
• 1 tsp Sriracha

Preheat oven to 425F. Adjust rack to top position. 

Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Mince whites; they're going to be added to the ground beef.

Trim green beans if necessary.

In a large bowl, combine beef, scallion whites, hoisin, and panko; season with salt (I used 1⁄2 tsp) and pepper. 

Form beef mixture into two 1-inch-tall loaves. Place on one side of a lightly oiled baking sheet 

Roast on top rack for 5 minutes. (I roasted them for 10 minutes)

Once meatloaves have roasted for 5 minutes, carefully remove baking sheet from oven. Brush tops of meatloaves with sweet soy glaze.

On opposite side of sheet, toss green beans and scallion greens with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. 

Roast on top rack until green beans are tender and browned and meatloaves are cooked through, 12-15 minutes more. 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and as much Sriracha as you like. Add water 1 tsp at a time until you reach a drizzling consistency.

 Drizzle Sriracha mayo over green beans and serve.

French Onion Beef Stew

Day two of Hello Fresh recipes. It's a bit warm today for stew, but it's what was on the menu so I went with it. 

This recipe was labeled "difficult" and I guess if you're new to cooking it can be. But frankly, stews (and soups) are among the easiest dishes to prepare. 

I do not recommend salting as much as it says to salt in every layer. I only salted the onions to help them caramelize. I didn't salt the meat and didn't salt at every stage they suggest. At the end of cooking, I tasted and it was plenty salty. 

The "croutons" of this dish were weird. The instructions don't say anything about toasting them before you put the cheese on them and stick them under the oven. I wish I had toasted them. They were flimsy and a bit soggy. Which may be what they're going for with French onion soup stew, but I wanted them crunchier. 

Overall, this was a three star meal for me. My stew is better. What I did like is that all the ingredients were sorted and measured so I didn't have to buy an entire bottle of thyme.

French Onion Beef Stew

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1 lb beef for braising
• 2 onions, sliced
• 12 oz potatoes (Yukon gold are good for this)
• 2 large carrots, sliced at a diagonal
• 1 T flour
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 5 c beef stock
• 2 demi baguettes
• 4 slices swiss cheese

Halve, peel, and thinly slice onions. 

Dice potatoes into 1-inch pieces. 

Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1-inch-thick pieces.

 In a medium bowl, combine beef, flour, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to coat. 

Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add coated beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to bowl used for seasoning.

Melt 4 TBSP butter in pot used for beef over medium heat. Add onions and 1⁄4 cup water; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened, 8-10 minutes.

TIP: Be sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot as onions cook! 

Add garlic powder, thyme, 2 tsp sugar and a splash of water; cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 2-3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Add beef, potatoes, and carrots to pot with onions. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Add Worcestershire sauce, 5 cups beef stock. Stir to combine.

Bring stew to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium low. [JW note: I did not cover mine. It felt like too much liquid for only 45 minutes of cooking. Uncovered worked perfectly.] 

Cook until beef is cooked through and veggies are tender, stirring halfway through, 40-45 minutes. 

While stew cooks, adjust oven rack to top position; heat broiler to high. 

Cut each baguette crosswise into 8 rounds for a total of 16 rounds. Cut Swiss cheese slices into 4 squares each for a total of 16 squares. Spread out baguette slices on a baking sheet; top each with one cheese square. 

Broil toasts on top rack until cheese has melted and is lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. TIP: The broiler is a powerful tool! Keep an eye on the toasts to prevent burning.

 Serve family style or divide stew between bowls and top with toasts (or serve on the side).

Firecracker Meatballs with Roasted Green Beans & Jasmine Rice

I did it! I started Hello Fresh. I tried Hello Chef in 2017 and Loved it until the recipes got boring. They didn't have a lot of variety yet - and I got bored fast. 

In an attempt to watch my grocery budget and attempt to pull in the belt a little, I decided to do this for a bit. They fit really well into my budget for a few times a week. I'm still considering these new recipes since they are new to me and I could, technically, make them with a real recipe. Besides, my blog, My rules. 

This meal will be on repeat for sure. It was fan-freakin-tastic. So flavorful and really, quite easy. The BEST part of Hello Fresh for me is that everything comes already measured (though you gotta read the recipe because sometimes what's in one pouch is used twice. I may or may not over soy sauced the sauce because I didn't read it only needed 1 of the 2 tablespoons. oops!)

I'll put the full card at the bottom, but will try to give the ingredient list and instructions below. 

Firecracker Meatballs with Roasted Green Beans & Jasmine Rice

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

2 Scallions

1 thumb ginger

2 T Mayo

1 1/2 T Sour Cream

2 tsp honey

2 T soy sauce

1 tsp srircha

1/4 c panko

10 oz Ground beef

6 oz green beans

Adjust your oven rack to be top position. Preheat your oven to 425F. 

Trim you scallions and thinly slice, separating the whites from the greens.  Mince the whites as they are going into your meatballs. You want small pieces. Sliced your green ends on a bias because this is going to be your garnish. Make it look pretty. 

Peel and mince your ginger. Again, the ginger is going inside your meatballs, so make them small. 

In a bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, honey and 2 tsp soy sauce. Add your sriracha to taste. Set the sauce aside. 

In a large bowl, combine beef, panko, scallion whites, ginger and remaining soy sauce. Add very little salt and pepper. I didn't add any salt and it was just fine. 

Form into 10-12 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Place meatballs on one side of a lightly oiled baking sheet. Or, I put them on parchment. 

Trim green beans, toss on empty side of the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and salt/pepper. 

Roast on the top rack until meatballs are cooked through and green beans are browned and tender, about 14-16 minutes. 

Serve over rice. Put meatballs to the sauce and toss to combine. Add meatballs over the rice and drizzle with remaining sauce. Garnish with green onions.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops

I am trying to clean out my freezer again so tonight we did some slow cooking of some pork chops! 

Super easy recipe. Almost literary set it and forget it. I didn't brown my pork chops before I put them in. Seems unnecessary when it's just me. 

One cautionary comment though, don't salt anything until you taste it later. The au jus gravy mix is pretty salty. I sure wish I could find one that's low sodium...well, one that I like. 

Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Recipe from Tornadoughalli.com

Serves 4

• 2 pounds boneless pork loin chops about 8 chops
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
• 1 ounce packet au jus gravy
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• Fresh chopped parsley optional

Season the pork chops on both sides with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Place the flour onto a plate or shallow bowl, set aside.

Place a large skillet over medium heat, once hot add the oil.

One by one, place the pork chops into the flour and shake off any excess.

Place the pork chops into the pan, not touching, you will need to do this in batches. Sear on both sides until golden brown, 3 minutes per side. You are not cooking them all the way through, just browning.

Place the browned pork chops into the bottom of an 8-quart slow cooker.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, au jus packet, and chicken stock until smooth. Pour over the pork chops.

Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low until tender.

Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles with the gravy. Garnish with parsley, optional.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Photo from Butter
Your Biscuit

Soup "season" is pretty much over for me. The summer months and soup just don't mix. But today was supposed to be wet and gross in Seattle so I planned soup. Turned out to be sunny and beautiful. Alas, soup was still on the menu. 

I didn't do this soup in the crock pot. I completely forgot to put it on, so I just put it in a pot and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Frankly, I think it was fine. 

I wouldn't change anything about this recipe. And for a change, I didn't over salt the soup. DO NOT ADD SALT until you taste it in the end. The taco mix and ranch mix has plenty of salt to it. 

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Recipe from Butter Your Biscuit

Serves 6

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• ½ cup chopped yellow onion about ½ an onion
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 16 ounce jar salsa
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15.5 ounce can chili beans
• 1 15.25 ounce can corn, drained
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 packet Ranch seasoning mix
• 4 cups chicken or beef stock Low sodium
• 2 cups shredded cheese

Heat a pan on medium-high heat and add the ground beef or turkey meat, cook until browned for about 10 minutes. Drain fat and add the meat to the slow cooker.

Add onion, garlic, salsa, beans, corn, seasoning, and stock to slow cooker. Mix until well combined.

Cook on low for 4 hours or until onions have softened. Add in the shredded cheese and stir until melted.

Serve with more shredded cheese a dollop of sour cream and corn chips or your favorite toppings.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Easy and quick! That's the story behind this recipe. It's a Cook's Country recipe so I was afraid it was going to have a thousand steps and a thousand ingredients. Neither is true. 

It came together quickly and, for the first time ever, I actually cooked the noodles in with the sauce as a one-pot wonder! Turned out ok.

I'm not sure I'd make this again. I'm still a fan of my Kick Ass Stroganoff, but it was fun to try this one. 

I did, accidentally on purpose, use beef stock instead of chicken stock. 1) it felt right and 2) I didn't have any chicken stock. It was probably "beefy-er" than it would have been with chicken stock, but it was fine. 

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Recipe from Cook's Country

Serves 4

• 2 T vegetable oil
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 4 c chicken broth
• ¼ c dry white wine
• 8 ounces (4 cups) egg noodles
• ½ c sour cream, plus extra for serving
• 2 T minced fresh chives

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to bowl.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty pot and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add beef, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up meat with spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add flour and stir until beef is well coated; cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth and wine and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until mixture is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in noodles, reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until noodles are tender, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Off heat, stir in sour cream and mushrooms until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to shallow platter and sprinkle with chives. Serve, passing extra sour cream separately.

Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Happy Father's Day! Normally, I like to grill on Father's day because Dad was the grill master in our family. But I had this salmon in the freezer that I really needed to use and so I thought, "Dad liked salmon." 

This was an interesting recipe for me. I have never had salmon with teriyaki sauce and I can't say that I ever will again. The main mistake I think I made here was the teriyaki sauce I had was 1) thick and 2) too sweet. I mean, it was fine, but it won't be my favorite. 

I may try this again using a thinner teriyaki that's a bit more savory than sweet, something like Kokkiman's maybe.

Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Recipe from To Simply Inspire

Serves 1

• 1 lb salmon filets
• 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

Remove skin from salmon using a sharp knife

Chop salmon fillets into 1 inch cubes

In a medium bowl, add the teriyaki sauce, olive oil, soy sauce, honey, garlic powder and pepper and blend together well.

Add the salmon to the marinade for 10-15 minutes while oven is preheating.

Preheat the air fryer to 350° F. Place the salmon pieces into the basket in a single layer. (do not overcrowd. cook in batches if necessary)

Cook for 6-8 minutes or salmon is cooked through. (Shake the basket half way through cooking).

Top with sesame seeds if desired.

Easy Thai Steak Salad

Every now and then I like a hearty salad for dinner. Sometimes, though, I get bored with the standard chicken + lettuce type of salad. 

This salad was a welcoming different salad option. 

I marinaded the steak for 5 hours, and I cubed the steak and kebabed it instead of slicing like they did. I like cubing it - more marinade per side of meat. 

The marinade was delicious! I'd make that again. 

The salad dressing was meh. It needed something else to it. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it wasn't dressing. 

Easy Thai Steak Salad

Recipe from Jo Cooks

Serves 2

Marinade

• 1/4 c soy sauce (low sodium)
• 2 T molasses
• 1 T ginger (minced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 Thai red chili pepper (chopped)
• 1 T lime juice
• 8 ounce sirloin steak

Salad Dressing

• 2 T coconut oil
• 3 T soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 Thai red chili pepper (chopped)
• 2 tsp lime zest (or from 1 lime)
• 1 T lime juice

Salad

• 4 c lettuce (chopped)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced in long strips)
• 1/2 English cucumber (sliced)
• 1/2 c cilantro (chopped)
• 1/4 c mint (chopped)
• 2 T peanuts (chopped (optional)

In a small bowl add all the marinade ingredients (minus steak) and whisk well. Pour the marinade in a ziploc bag, add steak and close the bag and toss around a bit. Place in the fridge and let the steak marinate for 4 hours or overnight. The longer it marinates the better it will taste.

Prepare the dressing, by mixing all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisking well.

Grill the steak to your preferred doneness, I prefer mine medium, so for medium I usually leave it 7 minutes per side. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes after you grilled, then slice the steak across the grain.

In a large bowl toss the lettuce, pepper, cucumber, mint and cilantro together then pour the dressing over and toss well. Arrange the salad on a platter and place the sliced steak over the salad, then top with chopped peanuts.

Asian BBQ Chicken

Photo from
Our Best Bites

Fantastic! This marinade was fantastic! It's going into rotation.

I was not sure when I was making it because the curry seemed odd, but it added a very nice warm flavor to this marinade I didn't expect. 

I marinaded it for 5 hours and used chicken tenders instead of thighs. 

Asian BBQ Chicken

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Serves 4

• 1/4 c packed brown sugar
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp curry powder
• 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Optional: sliced green onions for garnish

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Place marinade and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight).

Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness. Optional: garnish with sliced green onions.

Spicy Honey Lime Chicken

Photo from
Plain Chicken

Yet another chicken marinade! I can't help myself. Honestly. 

This one was just meh. It's a very standard marinade and most the ingredients you might already have in your house. It'd be great if for when you have just a small amount of Italian dressing left (which is why I made it). 

I let mine marinade for the standard 5 hours (the sweet spot for me) and grilled it to almost perfection (aka over cooked it slightly).

Spicy Honey Lime Chicken

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 4

• 1¼ c Italian dressing
• ¼ c lime juice
• ¼ c honey
• 1 T chili powder
• 2 to 3 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2.5 to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders

Whisk together dressing, lime juice, honey, chili powder, and red pepper flakes.

Place chicken in a gallon size ziplock bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate chicken 1 hour to overnight.

Prepare grill. Remove chicken from marinade and place on grill. Cook until internal temperate reaches 165ºF, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

Crispy Sweet Chili Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

Y'all...I have found another amazingly simple and amazingly delicious meal. And it couldn't be more
simple.

I've never used frozen popcorn shrimp before and really wasn't sure I'd like it, but turns out I LOVED it. I did purchase the SeaPak brand the original recipe author suggested. 

This combination of sweet chili sauce, tangy lime and shrimp is off the charts delicious. 

This recipe is going into the favorite category and maybe, just maybe will make it to the rotation of delicious meals. 

Make this recipe. You won't regret it. 

Crispy Sweet Chili Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

Recipe from Black Berry Babe

Serves 6-8

• 18 ounces SeaPak Popcorn Shrimp
• 6 tbsp sweet chili sauce (find in asian aisle)
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• squeeze of lime
• 16 fajita sized soft tortillas
• 2 cups Cilantro Lime Coleslaw (recipe link in notes)

Cilantro Lime Coleslaw

FOR THE CILANTRO LIME DRESSING:

• 1/4 red onion or yellow onion, sliced into very fine strips
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sugar or Splenda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

FOR THE CABBAGE SLAW MIX:

• 8 ounces coleslaw mix, green cabbage with carrots
• 4 ounces shredded red cabbage
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cook shrimp to package specifications. While it's baking; make the coleslaw and sauce.

In small mixing bowl, combine sweet chili sauce, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime juice. Stir until well combine.

In a large bowl, add coleslaw mix, purple cabbage, onion, cilantro and green onions. toss to combine.

In a small bowl, prepare the coleslaw dressing. Add onions, lime juice, olive oil, sugar/splenda, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously and allow it to rest for 2-3 minutes to allow the lime juice to mellow out the onions.

Pour dressing onto slaw mix, stir and cover. allow to rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Stir again, before serving.

When the shrimp is done; remove the cooked popcorn shrimp from the oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the sweet chili sauce mixture. Toss to combine.

To each tortilla, add a few sweet chili shrimp and top with cilantro lime coleslaw. Top with additional fresh cilantro if desired.

Chopped Mediterranean Cucumber Salad with Tomato

Tonight was Sunday dinner. It snuck up on me since the first Sunday was the first of June. See, Sunday dinner is the second Sunday of each month and it threw me off to have it so close to the beginning of the month. 

Anyhow, I kept it simple and did burgers. And they were delicious. As always though, I needed some sides and wanted to try something different and something light. 

This salad was the rock star of salads. So easy to make and so very delicious. I'll make this again for sure. 

I changed up two small things: 

1. I'm not a fan of mint so I didn't add it.

2. I had some black olives in the fridge so I tossed them in and man oh man that made the salad. 

Chopped Mediterranean Cucumber Salad with Tomato

Recipe from  Front Range Fed

Serves 8

For The Dressing:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon honey
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

For The Cucumber Salad:

• 3 cucumbers chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
• ¼ red onion thinly sliced
• ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
• ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
• ¼ cup fresh mint chopped

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, honey, salt, and pepper.

Prepare the Vegetables. Chop the cucumber by slicing it down the middle lengthwise, then slicing each half down the middle again to form quarters. Slice each quarter into pieces. Halve the cherry tomatoes, then thinly slice the red onion.

Chop the fresh parsley and mint. and add them to the veggies.

Drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad and toss gently to combine the ingredients.

Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over the top of the salad.

Chill the salad in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes before serving.

Mayonnaise Parmesan Chicken

I think I can not officially say this "mayo", "parmesan" type recipes for chicken I will never like. There's something about the mayo/parmesan mixture that just doesn't sit with me. It's got a weird texture and I'm very much a texture adverse person. 

I can see how this recipe would be good in the 70s and how it's an inexpensive recipe to make flavorful chicken for a family. That's not enough for me to enjoy it. 

Those little biscuits though...lord they are delicious. I stumbled on to them a little bit ago, bought just one box and regretted it immediately because I couldn't find it again. Then I found them again and bought more boxes. They heat up super quick, are small and "only" 100 calories. I know. I know. they still aren't great for me, but man...so good. 

Mayonnaise Parmesan Chicken

Recipe from I am Homesteader

Serves 6

Chicken

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally for a total of 6 chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds chicken)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder

Mayonnaise Mixture

• ½ c mayonnaise, room temperature
• 1 c parmesan cheese, shredded, divided
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
  

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish or sheet pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix well.

Season the chicken breasts evenly on all sides with the seasoning mixture. Place them into the prepared baking dish in an even layer.

Mayonnaise Mixture

In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ½ cup of parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Spread the mayonnaise mixture evenly over the top of each chicken breast that has been sliced in half.

Sprinkle an equal amount of the remaining parmesan cheese over each chicken breast.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F and the cheese is hot and bubbling.

Apple Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Why not make a fall salad in early summer? I mean, doesn't everyone think that make sense.

See, when I'm trying to eat better, salads become a go to meal for me. And I get bored with my salads so I try to find something different. THIS salad was amazing. Everything about it I loved. 

What I didn't love was pairing it with Chicken Shawarma. 

I did not make the candied pecans from scratch. Why? You can buy them already "candied" in the grocery store so I do that. Its easier and faster. 

The vinaigrette was amazing. I haven't made many vinaigrettes with apple cider vinegar and I was worried it would be a little too tangy. And it was, but in a good way. You don't need a lot of the dressing either. 

Apple Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Recipe from Southern Bite

Serves 4

• 1 (11-ounce) package spring mix
• 3 Crisp Apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 to 6-ounces blue or gorgonzola cheese crumbles
• 2/3 c dried cranberries

For the Candied Pecans:

• 2 tsp butter
• 1/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 T water
• 1 c pecan halves
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

• 2/3 c olive oil
• 1/3 c apple cider vinegar
• 1 T white vinegar
• 3 T fresh lime juice
• 3 T pineapple juice
• 1/4 c honey
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

To make the candied pecans:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small skillet over medium heat, add the butter, brown sugar, salt, and water. Stir until the butter and sugar has melted. Add the pecans and cook, stirring very frequently, for about 3 minutes - being cautious not to allow the mixture to scorch.

Remove from the heat and add the cinnamon. Stir to combine. Spread the pecans on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely before using on salad.

To make the dressing:

Whisk the oil, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, lime juice, and pineapple juice together. Add the honey, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder and whisk to combine. Set aside.

For the salad:

Add the spring mix to a large bowl and top with the apples, blue cheese, candied pecans, and cranberries. Drizzle with the desired dressing amount, then toss and serve.

Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma's! I've made my fair share. Some good. Some bad. Most the same. Every now and then I find one that has some different ingredients. This was one of those recipes. 

The marinade has several ingredients, but don't let that scare you away. It also involves a blender. So put your margaritas away and make this recipe. 

First let me say, I did not put this in a pita. Rather I ate a pita on the side with some hummus. I was keeping it somewhat de-constructed. 

I also didn't make the white sauce. I did make the pickled onions, but completely forgot about them until AFTER I was done. 

This was a delicious chicken shawarma. Super flavorful and fulfilling. 

What was bad was the salad I made with it. I'm still trying to figure out why this Apple Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette. Apple cider vinegar and shawarma do not mix. Both were delicious separately, but really shouldn't have been eaten together. 

Chicken Shawarma

Recipe from The Food Charlatan

Serves 6

For the marinade:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, optional
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

For the pickled red onion:

• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, for pickling red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• black pepper , to taste

For the white sauce:

• 3/4 cup plain yogurt, full fat
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 large clove garlic , smashed and minced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced, about 1-2 tablespoons
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• pinch chili powder, optional

To assemble shawarma:

• 6 Homemade Naan breads
• 1/2 head green leaf lettuce, shredded
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 large English cucumber, sliced