Chicken Adobo

I've tried a couple of adobo recipes and I haven't been sure exactly what "adobo" is. Tonight I looked it up. It's traditionally from the Philippines, though there appears to be a Mexican adobo version too. What I made tonight is definitely from the Philippines based on the research of what's in it. 

Adobo is prepared using pantry basics, like white vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves, to create a marinade. ... A signature of the cooking method is that after the chicken or pork is simmered to perfection in the sauce, it's usually browned in oil before serving.

This recipe was FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC. Super flavorful and super easy. I used chicken cutlets instead of thighs - I'm a white meat girl... I practiced patience and let the sauce reduce and thicken and it was worth it. 

Definitely use LOW SODIUM Soy Sauce. with 1/2 c of soy this can get salty fast. If you don't have low-sodium cut the regular with some water. 

Chicken Adobo

Recipe from Savorytooth.com

Serves 4

Photo from SavoryTooth.com

2 - 2.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/2 c low-sodium soy sauce (do not use regular, which will be too salty)

1/3 c white vinegar

1 onion sliced

5 cloves garlic minced

3 bay leaves

2 T olive oil

1/4 tsp cayenne

salt and coarse black pepper

For serving:

2 scallions sliced

cooked white rice or cauliflower rice

Generously season chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. In a skillet, heat to med-high, add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add half of the chicken thighs and cook for a few minutes on each side before transferring them to a plate. Repeat for the remaining chicken thighs. 

Add soy sauce, vinegar, onion, garlic, and cayenne to the pot. Stir well and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Return all chicken thighs to the pot in a single layer, placing them snugly on top of the onions. Top with bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes 

Keeping the chicken in the pot, boil for about 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Remove the bay leaves. Serve the chicken and sauce, optionally with cooked cauliflower rice. Top with sliced scallions.

Note: I modified this recipe. The original is an Instant Pot recipe and, well, I'm not an instant pot girl. You can find the full recipe here: https://www.savorytooth.com/instant-pot-chicken-adobo/

Lime Melt Aways

I haven't made these cookies for a long time. I found the recipe in my list and realized they aren't on my blog. 

These are super refreshing little cookies. They are a shortbread type with a lime flavor...so good. 

Lime Melt Aways

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Makes about 3 dozen

3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c confectioners' sugar

Finely grated zest of 2 limes

2 T fresh lime juice

1 T pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 c plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 T cornstarch

1/4 tsp coarse salt

Put butter and 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add lime zest and juice and vanilla, and mix until fluffy.

Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Add to butter mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined.

Divide dough in half. Place each half on an 8-by-12-inch sheet of parchment paper. Roll in parchment to form a log 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log. Refrigerate logs until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove parchment from logs; cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Space rounds 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. While still warm, toss cookies with remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

Strawberry Steak Salad

One of my favorite flavor combinations is sweet with savory. This recipe has that flavor combination. The savory of the blue cheese with the strawberries... so good.

If you what a fresh, easy to make salad, look no further.

I didn't have pistacios, but had a bag of glazed walnuts...nice swap there. Added the crunch and a tad of sweet.


Strawberry Steak Salad
Recipe from Cuisine at Home April 2019

For the vinaigrette:

1/4 c white balsamic
3 T strawberry jam
2 T olive oil
1 T minced shallot
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

For the salad:
2 T olive oil
2 NY strip steaks (8oz each) seasoned with salt and pepper
1 sweet onion (3 c)
1 bag spring mix
8 oz fresh strawberries, halved or quartered
1/3 c crumbled blue cheese
1/3 c chopped roasted and salted pistachios

For the vinaigrette, whisk vinegar, jam, oil, shallots, and Dijon. Season with salt and pepper.

For the salad, heat oil in a cast iron skillet over high until shimmering. Add steaks and cook until desired doneness. Set aside.

Add onion to skillet, cook over medium heat until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Slice steaks against the grain into strips.

Toss spring mix, strawberries, blue cheese, pistachios with vinaigrette, top with steak and onion.

Curry & Coconut Chicken Kebabs

This recipe has everything that I like: Coconut milk, curry and chicken. What it was lacking was flavor surprisingly. I let it marinate for 30 minutes as the recipe says. I think the chicken needed seasoning, like salt, instead of in the marinade.

I also didn't skewer these. I cut them in cubes, marinade them and then put them on my new Indoor Smokeless grill. No need for a skewer at this point. I also didn't cook the grapes, because, Blech.

I'd make this again, but I'd season the chicken instead of the marinade.

Curry and Coconut Chicken Kebabs
Recipe from Cuisine at Home

Photo from Chatelaine

1 1/4 c lite coconut milk
3 T curry powder
1 T fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 2 " cubes
1 large green grapes
2 red bell pepper, cut into 2" cubes

Whisk together first 5 ingredients.

Toss chicken chunks into marinade to coat, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Thread the chicken onto skewers, alternating grapes and pepper chunks.

Grill until done.

Spicy Cauliflower Stir-Fry

Cauliflower is a vegetable that, to me, needs help. It doesn't have a ton of flavor, and so I feel like it needs flavor added. I'm always looking for unique recipes that go beyond salt and/or Parmesan.

This recipe was good. I cut it in half because reheated cauliflower is just not my jam. When I make it again I'd cut down on the lime juice and up the sriracha. I skimped on it because I wasn't sure how spicy it was going to be. I could have put more in.

I also think I'd keep the florets a bit larger than what I cut up. They cooked too quickly and were a bit mushy. Still delicious, but I like a bit more al dente to my veggies.


Spicy Cauliflower Stir-Fry
Recipe from Pioneer Woman

Photo from Pioneer Woman

Serves 4

1 whole Head Cauliflower
2 tsp Vegetable Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 T Soy Sauce
1 whole Lime (or Sub A Splash Of Rice Wine Vinegar)
2 whole Green Onions, Sliced
1 T Sriracha, Or Other Hot Sauce
Lime Wedges For Serving

Break up the cauliflower into large florets, then, using your hands, break into very small florets.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add the oil, then the cauliflower and garlic. Stir the cauliflower around the pan, allowing it to get very brown in some areas. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn heat to low. Add soy sauce, squeeze in the juice of the lime, and add most of the sliced green onion, reserving the rest for serving. Stir and allow to cook for 1 minute, then squeeze the hot sauce over the cauliflower. Stir until the hot sauce has been incorporated. Add a little more hot sauce if you want a deeper color and flavor.

Serve hot in a bowl. Sprinkle extra sliced green onions on top, and serve with a lime wedge.

Pesto Caesar Salad

Caesar salads are a dime a dozen. When you find a good one, you stick with it. I used to get the Shrimp Caesar from a restaurant across the street at least 2-3 times a month. It had the perfect dressing to me. Not too heavy, not too garlicky, just flavorful enough. Then they went out of business and I was stuck finding my own caesar to make at home.

Pesto is another love of mine and I never would have imagined putting the two together. This dressing will become a regular rotation for me. Sooo god. I made a few modifications, and it was worth it.

Pesto Caesar Salad
Recipe from MyRecipes.com
Serves 6

3 ounces French bread baguette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Photo from MyRecipes.com

1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Cooking spray
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 c canola mayonnaise (such as Spectrum)
3 T refrigerated pesto
4 tsp water
4 tsp heavy Cream (JW: I added this before the water, then realized it needed the water for sure.)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp anchovy paste
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 garlic clove, minced
12 c torn romaine lettuce

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place bread in a large bowl; drizzle with oil. Toss to coat. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until golden, turning once.

Grate 2 tablespoons cheese; shave remaining cheese to equal about 6 tablespoons. Set shaved cheese aside.

Combine grated cheese, mayonnaise, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine croutons and lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle mayonnaise mixture over lettuce mixture; toss to coat.

Place 1 1/3 cups salad on each of 6 plates; top each serving with 1 tablespoon shaved cheese.

Beef Patties with Burgundy Mushrooms

I grew up in the 70's and mom used to make hamburger steaks on a regular basis. Though we ate ours with ketchup not a fancy gravy.

I cooked these on my new indoor grill. I think I'm in love. So easy and such a simple cleanup.


Beef Patties with Burgundy Mushrooms
Recipe from LowCarbMaven

Photo from LowCarbMaven

1 lb ground beef
1 tsp olive oil
2 T butter, divided
1 (8-oz) pkg sliced fresh mushrooms
½ tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ c red wine (or use beef broth)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sugar
¼ c finely chopped fresh parsley

Shape beef into 2 patties. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add patties; cook 5 minutes per side or until just slightly pink in center. Remove from pan; cover and keep warm.

Melt 1 Tbsp butter in pan. Add mushrooms and thyme; sauté 6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

Add garlic; sauté 15 seconds. Stir in wine, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, ¼ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp pepper; cook 2 minutes until liquid is almost evaporated.

Stir in remaining 1 Tbsp butter. Return patties to pan; spoon sauce over patties.

Cover and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve mushroom sauce over patties; sprinkle with parsley.

Salted Chocolate Cookies

I am not a sweet person...as in I don't crave sweets. Though recently I've felt the need to bake. Which is at complete odds with my lack of cravings for sweets. 

These are tasty - the salt adds such a nice balance to the sweet.

I didn't make them as big as the recipe so I ended up with 18, not 12.

Salted Chocolate Cookies

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Makes 12

nonstick cooking spray

1 c all-purpose flour

Photo from AllRecipes.com

¼ c unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt

½ c butter, cut into chunks

¾ c semisweet chocolate chips

⅔ c brown sugar

½ c white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 T sea salt, or as needed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in a bowl.

Place butter in a saucepan over low heat and cook until melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chocolate chips and stir until completely melted. Remove from the heat.

Combine brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Pour a small amount of the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and stir until well combined. Slowly add remaining chocolate mixture, stirring constantly so the eggs don't curdle. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.

Drop 6 large scoops of batter about 2 inches apart onto each of the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until cookies have spread and flattened to a diameter of 4 1/2 inches or larger, and the tops are crinkled and puffed, 12 to 14 minutes. Immediately sprinkle with sea salt.

Place baking sheets on a wire rack and cool for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove cookies with a spatula onto serving platter.

No-Yeast Peanut Butter Bread

I have seen another recipe similar to this and then lost it. This weekend watching The Kitchen, Jeff Morrow made this bread. He made a couple modifications I'd try some day, but chose not to this time (like putting Hershey bars in the middle of the bread as a layer).

Super easy recipe. The house smelled sooo delicious. I used chocolate chips instead of peanut butter chips (it's what I had).

No-Yeast Peanut Butter Bread
Recipe from FoodNetwork's Jeff Morrow
Serves 8

Nonstick cooking spray or softened butter, for greasing
1 1/3 c milk
1/2 c peanut butter

2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 c peanut butter chips
Three 1.55-ounce chocolate bars, such as Hershey's

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Line with a strip of parchment paper so that it hangs over the narrow ends of the loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and peanut butter until well blended. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and fold to combine. Fold in the peanut butter chips.

Pour enough batter into the prepared loaf pan to fill it halfway up the sides. Place an even layer of chocolate bars on top of the batter and then top with the remaining batter. Bake until a cake tester comes out just clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 1 hour, then remove from the loaf pan.

World's Best Honey Garlic Pork Chops

When I see something like "World's Best" I think, "I'll be the judge of that!"

I'm a BBQ sauce snob thanks to my Mom and her YUMMY 70's style BBQ sauce I grew up on. I'm also horrible at having enough patience to slowly grill a piece of meat and slather it with BBQ sauce allowing for the sugars to caramelize.  Tonight...I had the patience. And boy am I glad I did.

I have pork only once in a while. It's not my go to meat, and I often don't even think about it until I get a recipe like this one. The BBQ sauce, however, can be super versatile and I will be using it on chicken very soon.

World's Best Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Recipe from AllRecipes.com
Serves 6
Note: I did not, for a change, double the BBQ amounts. It was more than enough for the three chops I did.

½ c ketchup

Photo from AllRecipes.com

2 ⅔ T honey
2 T low-sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 (4 ounce) (1-inch thick) pork chops

Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.

Whisk ketchup, honey, soy sauce, and garlic together in a bowl to make a glaze.

Sear the pork chops on both sides on the preheated grill. Lightly brush glaze onto each side of the chops as they cook; grill until no longer pink in the center, about 7 to 9 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

Roasted Carrots with Vinaigrette

I really like roasted carrots. I'm not a HUGE raw carrot fan. I mean all eat them, but roasted I'll EAT them.

This recipe was super easy and would have been fantastic had I not burnt my carrots to a crisp. First of all, I cut them too small. Secondly 475F is a bit too hot for small carrots and Third of all, I forgot to mix them in oil, so did that about 5 minutes into the cooking.

See... burnt! About half of them were edible. The tomatoes on the side were an after thought considering I figured I wouldn't be able to eat all the carrots...many of them were...well, gross.

The pork chop in that recipe you can find on my blog here.

Roasted Carrots with Vinaigrette
Recipe from the Pioneer Woman
Serves 10 (I obviously cut it in quarters to make it just for me)

1/4 c Olive Oil

Photo from the AMAZING Pioneer Woman. 

2 T Olive Oil
2 T White Wine Vinegar
1 T Dijon Mustard
1 T Minced Garlic
3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, Leaves Removed And Minced
1 sprig Fresh Rosemary, Leaves Removed And Minced
5 pounds Carrots, Trimmed And Peeled
Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Cut the carrots in quarters lengthwise, then into 2 to 3-inch pieces. Spread them out onto two sheet pans. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing them once or twice, until the carrots are tender and brown along the edges. (You may roast them at 450 if you'd like a little room to work with.)

To a jar add 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper. Shake to emulsify.

Place the carrots into a dish or platter. Pour over the vinaigrette and serve.

Will keep for two days in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature or reheat.

Flank Steak with Bloody Mary Tomato Salad

Every now and then I stumble into a recipe that is so good it becomes part of my regular rotation. A "go-to" recipe. THIS recipe is one of those recipes.

So easy. So delicious. I wouldn't change a thing about it. The only modification I made was swapping out the brown sugar with a low carb brown sugar. I can't say I noticed a difference.

I found myself thinking about Dad as I made this recipe. Not only was a LOVER of tomatoes, but he loved his bloody mary's too. He would have loved this recipe.

The tomato salad part calls for red onion. I learned some time ago that in order to get the "bite" out of any onion, soak the cut side down in ice water for 15 minutes or so. And I promise you, you'll be left with all the flavor and none of the bite.

Flank Steak with Bloody Mary Tomato Salad
Recipe from Epicurious
Serves 4-6

Steak:
2 1 1/2 pounds flank steaks

Kosher salt
2 tsp (packed) light brown sugar
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil (for brushing)

Salad:
1 c finely chopped red onion
3 T Sherry vinegar, divided
2 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 c chopped celery hearts (inner stalks and leaves; from 1 bunch)
1/2 c chopped brined green olives plus 2 tablespoons olive brine
2 T prepared horseradish
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place steaks on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Mix sugar and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; rub all over steaks. Cover; refrigerate 1-3 hours. JW Note: I left it for 45 minutes, and it was fine.

Let steaks stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Brush grates with oil. Grill to desired doneness, about 5-7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

For salad:

Mix onion and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a large bowl. Let macerate 10 minutes, tossing often. Add tomatoes, celery, and olives.

Whisk remaining 2 tablespoon vinegar, olive brine, horseradish, and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in oil. Add to bowl with tomato mixture; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill.

Cut steak crosswise into 1/4"-thick slices. Serve salad with steak.

Calories 439
Carbohydrates 10 g(3%)
Fat 27 g(42%)
Protein 38 g(75%)
Fiber 3 g(11%)

Blueberry Scones (Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free)

It's got all the "frees" in this recipe.

SUPER easy to make. And surprisingly not bad. As I was putting them in the oven I thought they'd be good with some lemon zest in them. Ah well, next time.

Froze 5 of them. Ate one for breakfast. I'm not a fan of almond flour usually. Don't like the texture it gives. This recipe I used SUPER FINE almond flour which made a difference. Still grainy, but less so.

I also weighed my ingredients instead of measuring cups. For some reason with the low carb flours the weighing is more accurate and they taste better. It's mostly mental, I'm sure, but there you have it.

Blueberry Scones (Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free)
Recipe from SavoryTooth.comhttps://www.savorytooth.com/blueberry-scones/
Makes 6 scones

Photo from SavoryTooth!

4 ounces (about 1 cup) blanched almond flour
1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) swerve sweetener
1/2 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) heavy cream
1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) fresh blueberries

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 350 F. Prepare a baking tray lined with parchment paper or nonstick baking mat.

In a bowl, add dry ingredients (almond flour, sweetener, coconut flour, baking powder, salt). Whisk until well-mixed.

Add heavy cream to the bowl. Stir together until absorbed and the mixture forms into a cohesive dough. JW Note: 2.5 oz wasn't quite enough for this dough. I added about another ounce and it was perfect.

Add blueberries to the dough, carefully folding them in until well-distributed.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Form into wedge or triangle shapes. Space them out by 2-3 inches on the lined baking tray.

Bake at 350 F until the scones are lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Slow Cooker Steak Tips

Last week, or maybe it was the week before, I decided on making a slow cooker meal in the middle of the week. I mean, after all, I'm home.

I like the idea of Steak Tips. I've had them a couple of times in restaurants and really enjoy them. This recipe I did not enjoy. Not sure if it was the cut of beef I used, or if it was just meh.

Slow Cooker Steak Tips
Recipe from Lowcarbyum.com
Serves 8

2 T olive oil
2 pounds beef round cubed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 ounces baby portobello mushrooms sliced
1 small onion sliced
3 c beef bone broth
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
xanthan gum optional thickener

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Brown meat in hot oil, about 3-5 minutes per side, then set aside.

Place sliced mushrooms and onions into slow cooker. Top with browned beef, broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley.

Cover crock and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or until meat is fork tender. Sauce will be thin. If thicker sauce is desired add in small amounts of xanthan gum (about 1 teaspoon or so). Or, use low carb thickener of choice.

Creamy One Pot Pasta

What I've found during this Stay Home Stay Safe time in our lives is that eating our of your pantry is a great idea. THIS recipe is super easy and most folks have everything in their pantry.

I had a half of box of fettuccine and diced Fire Roasted tomatoes. So while they aren't what are in the recipe, they play the same.

Looking for something quick? Make this recipe.

Creamy One Pot Pasta
Recipe from CentsLessMeals.com

Photo from CentsLessMeals.com

Serves 4

1 package of penne
3 c chicken broth
1 c heavy whipping cream
1 (14 oz) can of Italian diced tomatoes, drained
1 c Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet over high heat, combine pasta with chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook for roughly 10 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. 

Once liquid is absorbed into pasta, add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes to let sauce thicken.

Side Notes: If you don't have chicken broth, like me, I just cooked my pasta normal. Drained it and that was that.