Steak Milanese (Recipe 97 of 150)

I really don't know why I bother to try to pan fry anything. All I do is burn the outside to a crisp and the inside is still not done. Tonight, though, I thought I had out smarted the pan frying issue and turned down my heat. Still got the outside a bit crispy. I think I just not pan fry. 

I like steak Milanese in general. I mean who wouldn't? It's steak fried nice and crispy. The addition of the bruschetta over it really was delicious. I threw in some small mozzarella balls cuz I had them and had to use them. 

I probably won't make this again. But not because it wasn't good. I just don't think it was great enough to warrant making again. If I did I'd also use thinner steak than cube steak. May make the frying better. 

Steak Milanese

Recipe from ???

Serves 4-6

1 lb Loin steak, trimmed (traditionally cube steak is used so if you're trying to save $$ feel free)

Salt and Pepper

1/2 c flour

3 eggs, beaten

2 c bread crumbs

1 c roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 c red onion, diced

3 T Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

2 T capers

2 T chopped fresh oregano

2 T olive oil

2 T fresh lemon juice

1/3 c vegetable oil

Cut steaks into eight 2 ounce pieces, then pound them to 1/4" thick. (Or do as I did and buy the thin sliced sirloin). Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Place flour, eggs and crumbs into three separate bowls. Dredge first in flour, then egg then crumbs. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet; chill for 30 minutes.

Combine tomatoes, onion, kalamata olives, capers, oregano, olive oil and lemon juice. Set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Fry cutlets in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with all cutlets.

Top cutlets with tomato relish and serve with linguine on the side.

One Pot Beans, Chicken and Rice (Recipe 96 of 150)

Image from 
Damn Delicious

Its been a couple of days since I've made a new recipe. It's been too hot to cook if I'm being honest. I've made salads galore and ordered a couple of meals out. I did do a new-ish recipe this weekend but it consisted of a pot roast and BBQ sauce in the slow cooker. I didn't think that would really be considered a "recipe". 

At any rate, I like burrito bowls. And I find that they are way less expensive to make at home, and you get some decent leftovers. While this recipe isn't listed as a "bowl", it has all the ingredients that I love in my burrito bowls. 

The best part of this recipe is the number of pantry items I used. I had 2 c of instant rice leftover from - I don't even know when, a can of black beans and some frozen corn. This recipe will be on a repeat for when I have minute rice leftover - which isn't too often really. 

I put a dollop of sour cream on top and had a side of corn chips with it. It's a quick, delicious recipe. 

One Pot Beans, Chicken and Rice

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 cups instant white rice
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in vegetable broth, beans and corn. Bring to a boil; stir in rice and cover. Remove from heat.

Let stand 5 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Stir in tomatoes, lime juice, lime zest and cilantro; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately.

Pork Chop Marinade (Recipe 95 of 150)

I was just chatting with my niece and I mentioned this wasn't a great recipe. She asked me why. When I told her it really came down to too much soy and not enough other flavors, her response, "That's why we try recipes. Some work. Some don't. " Or wait, maybe I said that. 

At any rate, this one seems like it's like all the other recipes I tried, but it really wasn't that great. I marinated the pork chop (not bone in BTW) for 5 hours. Maybe that was too long for pork. I really don't know. I do know I won't be trying this recipe again. On to the next.

Pork Chop Marinade

Recipe from Real House Moms

Serves 4

4 Bone-in pork chops

For the Marinade:

1/3 c Soy sauce

1 T Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 cloves Garlic minced

2 T Brown sugar

2 T Olive oil

1 T Lemon juice

1/4 tsp Black pepper

Mix marinade ingredients in a dish.

Place pork chops in a large plastic zip-lock bag. Pour in about 3/4 of the marinade. The remaining is for basting the pork chops during cooking. Squeeze out excess air and then place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Cook on a grill or in a pan at medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes per side, until internal temperature is 145°F. Baste after flipping the chops and after removing from the grill.

When done place on a plate and tent with foil. Let rest 3-5 minutes and then serve.

Bread Machine Sour Cream and Vanilla Bread (Recipe 94 of 150)

I've been trying to clean out my pantry a little. I got a bunch of stuff that's being "stored" in the pantry that has to go. I'm not keen on storing stuff. I like to buy what I need and use it. Occasionally, I buy stuff for a recipe and not make the recipe. It's a lot making new recipes every night, and sometimes I just don't wanna. 

So I had some left over bread flour that I wanted to use. And I had some sour cream to use up. This recipe fit the bill.

Y'all...I was assuming this bread would be a little sweet and it so is not. It turned out fluffy and gorgeous. It's so good. It has the right balance of everything. 

I do realize its not a healthy bread. But it's healthier than any bread I'd buy in the store. So if I'm going to eat bread, why not make a smaller loaf and something where YOU control the ingredients. 

Bread Machine Sour Cream and Vanilla Bread

Recipe from Big Oven

• 1/2 c water
• 1 T vanilla
• 1/3 c sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1 T butter or margarine ; softened
• 3 c Better for Bread flour
• 3 T sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp bread machine or quick active dry yeast

Measure carefully, placing all ingredients in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.

Select Sweet or Basic/White cycle. Use Light crust color. Do not use delay cycle. Remove baked bread from pan, and cool on wire rack.

Teriyaki Steak Tips (Recipe 94 of 150)

Smaller plates always make portions
look so big. 

The grill is really getting a work out this week. Two grilled chickens and tonight grilled steak. The
recipe calls to the beef in a skillet, but come on? No way I'm doing that on a sunny Seattle day. 

I chose this recipe because I had this can of crushed pineapple in the pantry and a steak in the freezer. All the other elements are pantry items for me. 

I thought this recipe would be a marinade, but then when I read it this morning I realized it was just a sauce that goes over the meat. Odd, but ok. 

It's a tangy / sweet type of sauce. It wasn't great, but it was good. Too much pineapple for my taste.

Teriyaki Steak Tips

Recipe from Averie Cooks

Serves 4

Pineapple Teriyaki Sauce

• 1 T olive oil
•  2 T finely chopped garlic, or to taste
• 1 T freshly grated ginger OR 2 tsp dry ground ginger, or to taste
• 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
• ½ c reduced-sodium soy sauce
• ½ c water
• ½ c apple cider vinegar
• ½ c  brown sugar, packed
• ¼ c honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 T water

Steak

• 2 pounds sirloin steak tips, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Sesame seeds, optional for garnishing

Scallions, optional for garnishing

Pineapple Teriyaki Sauce - Add the olive oil, garlic, and ginger to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat for 1 minute.

Add the crushed pineapple and juice from the can, soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and cook for 5 minutes.

To a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry.

Slowly pour the slurry into the saucepan, while whisking constantly for 1 minute.

Let the sauce simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until sufficiently thickened (it will thicken up more as it cools), and remove it from the heat; set aside. As sauce simmers, prep the steak.

Steak - Meanwhile, pat the steak tips with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper.

Add the steak to a hot, lightly oiled, heavy-bottomed skillet and cook for 2 minutes on each side to get a nice sear. You want the temperature on a kitchen thermometer to read 140 degrees for medium-rare.

Remove the steak from the heat, pour half of the pineapple teriyaki sauce over the tips, and stir to coat. Reserve the other half of the sauce for another recipe. Sauce will keep airtight in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.

Optionally garnish the steak tips with sesame seeds, scallions, and serve with rice, vegetables, or a salad. Steak tips will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Spicy Korean Chicken (Recipe 93 of 150)

Photo from Carlsbad
Cravings

Found another DELICIOUS marinade for chicken. This one is definitely going to be reused. I had the leftover chicken today at lunch and it was even better cold. So much flavor, with just the right amount of spice. 

I marinaded the chicken for 5 hours. Cut the chicken in cubes, marinated them and then skewered them for the grill. 

Spicy Korean Chicken

Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings

Serves 4

CHICKEN

2- 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed pounded to an even thickness

MARINADE AND GLAZE

• 1/2 c low sodium soy sauce
• 3-4 T gochujang see notes
• 1/4 c honey
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 T sesame oil
• 1 1/2 T rice wine may substitute dry sherry
• 1 T freshly grated ginger
• 4 garlic cloves minced

GARNISH (OPTIONAL)

toasted sesame seeds

green onions

Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl or freezer bag. Remove ½ cup (this will become sauce). Add chicken to marinade, turn to coat, cover and marinate in the refrigerator 4-8 hours.

When ready to cook, let chicken sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.

GRILL DIRECTIONS

Generously grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375-450°F.

Grill chicken, covered for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should read 165 degrees F.)

Let chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing.

OVEN DIRECTIONS

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Add chicken to baking sheet so they aren’t touching.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing.

SKILLET DIRECTIONS

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat (you will likely need to work in batches).

Remove chicken from marinade and let excess marinade drip off. Add chicken and cook, undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, or until nicely browned on one side.

Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook approximately 3-5 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through. Let chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken (Recipe 92 of 150)

Tonight I broke in the new grill. I didn't really want to because it was so clean and shiny! But alas, my need for grilled meat won over my need for bright and shiny grill. 

I wasn't sure what to expect from this recipe. All the ingredients are things I love, especially sweet chili sauce. There isn't much heat to sweet chili sauce. Just enough for you to know it's there, but not enough to make you mouth numb. 

I cut the chicken into cubes (as I do) and marinated them for 5 hours. I think for this recipe it's important to marinate for an extended period of time. It is, after all, infusing flavor in that boring chicken. 

I'd make this again. It might be a candidate for the Kebab Sunday dinner in August. 

Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken

Recipe from Averie Cooks

Serves 4

• 1 c sweet chili sauce
• 1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1  pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

To a large zip top plastic bag, add the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chicken, seal bag, and squish the contents around so chicken is evenly coated.

Place bag in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour (overnight is great if you can plan ahead).

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Add the chicken, optional bell peppers, and grill for about 10 minutes, or until chicken (and peppers) are cooked through; flip intermittently to ensure even cooking.

Chicken Pesto Pasta in Creamy White Wine Sauce (Recipe 91 of 150)

This recipe could easily be called "Pasta a la Ben". My friend Ben is moving to Tucson and as such he cleaned out his fridge. I came home with some amazing stuff to cook with. One was about 4 THOUSAND gallons of Kirkland Pesto. It's good pesto to be sure. The second thing I came home with is a nice block of Pecorino Romano cheese. The good stuff. 

Thinking about the Pantry Goat I decided to see what I could cook this week with ingredients I already have on hand. This recipe came to mind immediately. 

Store bought pesto is often lacking in flavor if you ask me. Homemade is always better. But sometimes you don't have time and/or it's not the right time of year to get good basil.  So, in a pinch - store bought. Kirkland (Costco's brand) Pesto is quite good actually. Probably one of the best I've had. And it freezes well. I'm just saying. In case you have 4 THOUSAND gallons of it. 

I added about 1/4 c heavy cream to my dish. Only because I thought it was in the recipe and only now as I type this I realize it was not. It's a nice add frankly. 

I also used orecchiette pasta because it's what I had. I think it was almost better because sauce got caught in the little "ears" of the pasta. 

Bottom line: The title sounds complicated, but it's an easy and tasty recipe that you could easily make on any week night. 

Chicken Pesto Pasta in Creamy White Wine Sauce

Recipe from What's In the Pan

Serves 4

Main Ingredients:

• 2 T olive oil (divided)
• 2 T butter (divided)
• 1 lb boneless, skinless thin chicken breasts, or tenders (cut up in 1 inch chunks)
• 10 oz white mushrooms (thickly sliced)
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• salt and pepper

Pesto White Wine Sauce:

• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ c chicken broth
• ½ c white wine
• ½ c basil pesto
• ½ c Parmesan cheese shredded
• ½ tsp salt
• chopped fresh basil (for garnish)

Pasta:

10 oz fettuccine pasta

Cooking chicken:

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken chunks to the hot skillet, generously season them with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning right in the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes on one side, flip once and cook for 2 additional minutes on the other side.

In order to not overcrowd the pan I cooked chicken in 2 rounds (this avoids overs-teaming it and ensures proper browning). Because the pan will be hotter on the second round, reduce cooking time for chicken to 2 minutes per side. Add a splash of olive oil to the second round of cooking chicken. Remove cooked chicken from skillet after each round.

Cooking mushrooms:

Add second tablespoon of olive oil and second tablespoon of butter to the now empty skillet. Once the pan is hot, add sliced mushrooms, generously season them with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning right in the skillet.

Cook the mushrooms on medium high heat without flipping for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms release liquid and get soft. Pressing down with spatula will speed up the process. Flip to the other side and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove mushrooms from skillet.

Pesto White Wine Parmesan Sauce:

Add minced garlic to the now empty skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ cup wine and cook on medium for 2 minutes to reduce wine.

Now add ½ cup basil pesto and ½ cup chicken broth. On medium heat, mix everything to combine. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until the sauce reduces.

Reduce the heat and add salt and ½ cup of shredded Parmesan. Slowly mix it in until it's evenly incorporated with the sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Pasta: 

In the meantime bring a large pot of salty water to boil, add pasta and cook it according to instructions.

Drain the pasta, but do not rinse.

Putting it all together:

Add pasta to the skillet with the sauce, and stir until pasta is fully coated in sauce.

Add chicken and mushrooms. Mix with pasta and sauce. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.

Garnish with fresh basil.

Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi (Recipe 90 of 150)

I bought a bag of shrimp for the appetizers I made for book club. And I had some left, so now I need to put shrimp into the rotation for a couple of weeks. Shrimpees are delicious. I haven't cooked them much and I really don't know why. They are so quick and easy to cook. 

This recipe has three words in the title that are among my favorites. Garlic.  Butter.  Shrimp. You throws those bad boys together with some lemon juice and you have yourself a delectable meal. That's right. I used the word delectable.

The other advantage of cooking shrimp is it drives the demons crazy. They can smell it and want to devour it. Which means I cannot leave it on the counter to thaw. 

I'd make this recipe again. Shrimp are easy to cook (just don't over cook them), quick to cook and are delicious. Oh and it's low carb! What more could you want?

Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 4

• 1/2 c unsalted butter, cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 T chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp lemon zest

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add shrimp; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.

Stir in parsley, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Serve immediately.

Chicken Chow Mein (Recipe 89 of 150)

This was an odd recipe. It tasted ok, but the initial part with the chicken I found odd, and frankly I don't
think it added anything to the end result. I might have to make this again without soaking the chicken. 

This is the instruction I'm talking about: 

Meanwhile, dissolve baking soda in 1/2 cup cold water in second bowl. Add chicken and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Drain chicken, rinse under cold water, then drain again. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine 1 tablespoon rice wine, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and chicken in bowl; set aside.

This step really seemed pointless to me. I'm sure the chefs at Cook's Country have a reason for it. I'd say skip it. 

The rest of this recipe was spot on. All of it was tasty. I added in some water chestnuts cuz I like that crunch in my stir frys and what not. 

Chicken Chow Mein

Recipe from Cook's Country

Serves 4

1 (9-ounce) package fresh Chinese noodles

1 T toasted sesame oil

1 tsp baking soda

2 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

3 T Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 T cornstarch

½ c chicken broth

3 T soy sauce

3 T oyster sauce

¼ tsp white pepper

2 T vegetable oil

6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin

1 carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks

2 celery ribs, cut on bias into 1/4-inch-thick slices

4 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 T grated fresh ginger

4 ounces (2 cups) mung bean sprouts

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles to boiling water and cook until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain noodles, rinse thoroughly with cold water, then drain again. Toss noodles with sesame oil in bowl; set aside.

Meanwhile, dissolve baking soda in 1/2 cup cold water in second bowl. Add chicken and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Drain chicken, rinse under cold water, then drain again. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine 1 tablespoon rice wine, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and chicken in bowl; set aside.

Whisk broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, remaining 2 tablespoons rice wine, and remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch together in bowl; set aside.

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 2 minutes. Add celery and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Add scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Whisk broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet and cook until thickened and chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add bean sprouts and noodles and toss until sauce evenly coats noodles, about 1 minute. Transfer to platter and sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad (Recipe 88 of 150)

Photo from Pioneer Woman

I have found the perfect summer salad. You heard me. Perfect! This Med salad has all sorts of flavors that are #1 on my list of favorite flavors. It's pretty similar to my other favorite summer salad Herbed Vegetable Orzo Salad. I first made that salad in 2015 and have made it a hundred times since. 

Tonight is my favorite Sunday dinner, the Low Country Boil. What's a Low Country Boil? 

It's called “Lowcountry Boil” because of the key ingredient, shrimp, which is a principal product of the Lowcountry. Many recipes differ, but the staple ingredients of shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes remain the same.

That's it. You put all that goodness in a huge pot. Add some seasonings and boil away. Then you dump the whole thing on a table and got at it. We haven't done one of these for a couple of years and all of us regulars loved it then, and are looking forward to it tonight. 

My contribution, besides sausage, is this salad. I had a small bowl for breakfast and I can say 100% this is delicious. As I was eating it I thought about making it without pasta and thought swapping pasta for lettuce would be equally as delicious. 

This is a good summer salad because it has no mayo, which can get icky sitting in the sun. Make this recipe! You don't regret it. I promise you'll want to eat it all the time. 

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Serves 10

• 1/4 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 12 ounces, weight Orzo Pasta, Cooked, Drained, And Cooled
• 1 c Red Grape Or Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 c Yellow Grape Or Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 c Kalamata Olives, Halved
• 1 c Crumbled Feta Cheese
• 1 c Chickpeas, Drained.
• 1/2 whole Red Onion, Diced
• 3 T Minced Fresh Parsley

In a jar or bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper until totally combined.

Place the orzo and all the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl and pour the dressing over the top. Stir to combine, taste and adjust seasonings, and refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Top with more feta and parsley and serve as a main dish salad or with grilled chicken, fish, or burgers!

Marinated Steak Bites (Recipe 87 of 150)

I really wanted to like this recipe. And I think it can be a good recipe. The problem I had was the dried herbs you use in the marinade, obviously it sticks to the meat, burnt in the frying pan. That put off a not so pleasant taste. 

As I said, I think this can be a good recipe. If I had my druthers I would have grilled them, but the darn grill is broken. Gonna have to go shopping. 

Marinated Steak Bites

Recipe from I am Baker

Serves 4

16 ounces top sirloin or ribeye steak cut into 1-inch cubes

MARINADE

• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 1/8 c Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp garlic minced
• 2 T dried basil
• 1 T dried parsley
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Place all ingredients except the steak in a large bowl or ziplock bag. Stir to combine.

Drop in steak pieces and seal (or cover bowl) for about 30 minutes. (I like it right at 15 minutes, but you can do as much as overnight)

Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. (You want it hot) Remove steak pieces from marinade and place in hot skillet. Discard remaining marinade.

Cook for 1 minute then flip each piece and cook an additional minute. That is for medium steaks, so cook longer if you prefer yours well done.

Serve hot.

Chicken Tikka Masala (Recipe 86 of 150)

Back in the day at MP we used to have lunch brought in for us. We'd all put in our orders by a certain time and voila lunch would come to our little lunch room. I miss those days. 

One of the placed we'd order from was an Indian restaurant. I cannot remember the name of it to save my soul. Every time I'd order either the butter chicken or chicken tikka masala (they are almost the same thing). Their tikka masala was what dreams are made of. Spice, cream, full of that glorious garam masala flavor. I'm drooling just thinking of it. 

Well, after tonight's recipe I need not drool for that dish because I found a replacement. Cafe Delites Chicken Tikka Masala is so fantastic that I swear I almost licked my plate (but good manners made me not do it).

This dish seems like it has a lot of ingredients but most of them are spices and seasonings. This was an easy to put together recipe and cooked well within 30 minutes. I marinated the chicken for about 45 minutes and it was fine. I made it pretty spicy too...and it was perfect.

Pro tip though, have everything measured and ready. Once you start cooking it tends to go fast and you need to be ready. 

Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipe from Cafe Delites

Serves 6

For the chicken marinade:

• 28 oz (800g) boneless and skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 c plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 T minced garlic
• 1 T ginger
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili (or 1/2 teaspoon ground red chili powder)
• 1 tsp of salt

For the sauce:

• 2 T of vegetable/canola oil
• 2 T butter
• 2 small onions (or 1 large onion) finely diced
• 1 1/2 T garlic finely grated
• 1 T ginger finely grated
• 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 14 oz tomato puree (tomato sauce/Passata)
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili (optional for color and flavor)
• 1 tsp ground red chili powder (adjust to your taste preference)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 c heavy or thickened cream
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 c water if needed
• 4 T Fresh cilantro or coriander to garnish

In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 10 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).

Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)

Melt the butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.

Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add garam masala, cumin, turmeric and coriander. Fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.

Pour in the tomato puree, chili powders and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.

Stir the cream and sugar through the sauce. Add the chicken and its juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Pour in the water to thin out the sauce, if needed.

Garnish with cilantro (coriander) and serve with hot garlic butter rice and fresh homemade Naan bread!

Chili Lime Shrimp Bites (Recipe 85 of 150)

There used to be a restaurant in Bellevue called Ztejas. It was a good restaurant and one I frequented a lot back in the day when I worked across the street from it. They had this shrimp bite sorta thingys that were to die for. They had a flat tostito thing, little guac on it, a sauteed shrimp with some sorta southwest seasoning, and topped with some type of amazing salsa (just a little dollop). They were, in my opinion, amazing. 

Sadly, Ztejas closed and I was left craving those little shrimpees. Then as if the universe is talking to me I stumble on to this glorious recipe. 

I made this last night for bookclub and y'all, it's delicious AND easy. I'd make this again in a heartbeat! 

One small adjustment I'd make next time. The store bought guac I got was a little too liquidy (it's a technical term). That caused the tostitos to soften a little as it sat. I think if you used a more hearty guac - or homemade - you wouldn't run into this issue. Honestly, we at them so fast it wasn't a big issue. 

Chili Lime Shrimp Bites

Recipe from Barefeetinthekitchen.com

Serves 12

• 12 large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 T taco seasoning homemade or store-bought
• 1 T light flavored olive oil
• 1 T fresh lime juice
• ½ c guacamole homemade or store-bought
• 12 Tostitos scoops
• 1 T fresh cilantro, chopped
• additional lime wedges, for serving

Place the shrimp in a small bowl and sprinkle generously with the spice mix. Toss to coat. Set aside to marinate for at least 5 minutes.

Heat the olive in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes. Flip the shrimp, or stir, and cook an additional 1-2 minutes until shrimp are opaque and slightly pink. Immediately remove from the heat and transfer to a plate. Squeeze lime over the shrimp.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of guacamole onto each tortilla chip. Top each chip with a shrimp and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with additional lime wedges, if desired.

Chicken Chop Suey (Recipe 84 of 150)

This recipe reminded me of my mom's stir fry recipe. It was tasty. I made a few modifications. One because and one because I forgot an ingredient. 

The first modification was I didn't bother dredging the chicken in cornstarch. I prefer chicken without it so I didn't bother. It was fine. 

The second is that I somehow forgot to buy snow peas and mushrooms. I had water chestnuts so I put those in. And I gotta say, I think they were better.  

I'd make this recipe again. It was super easy and way cheaper than buying Chinese food in a restaurant.

Chicken Chop Suey

Recipe from Just a Pinch

Serves 4

Sauce: 

3/4 c low sodium chicken broth

3 T low sodium soy sauce

2 T mirin or rice wine

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 T cornstarch

The rest:

1 lb chicken breast cut in thin bite size pieces

1 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion cut in half moon slices

2 ribs celery chopped

2 carrots chopped

8 oz mushrooms sliced

2 c snow peas (6 ounces)

2 clove garlic minced

Whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Set aside.

Combine the chicken and cornstarch in a large zipper bag and shake to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium high heat in same skillet. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms cooking until the mushrooms are golden brown and the carrots are crisp tender. Add the snow peas and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Plate the vegetables with the chicken.

Whisk the sauce ingredients that you set aside. Add them to the skillet and cook over medium low heat until thickened whisking several times. Add the chicken and vegetables back to the skillet with the gravy and stir to warm.

30-Minute Barbecue Chicken Pizza (Recip 83 of 150)

BBQ Chicken Pizza
ready for the oven

When I order pizza out it almost always is a pepperoni covered pizza. Or some other type of meat lovers pizza. I never order BBQ Chicken Pizza. That said, I've made BBQ Chicken pizza a couple of times at home and every time I think, "Gosh. I really like this. You should order this out." The problem, as I see it, is that not all BBQ sauce is made the same. That makes or breaks this recipe to me. 

I did not make pizza dough for this. I bought dough. I'm afraid of dough and making it so I cheat and buy it. Rolling it out makes me feel like it's homemade enough. 

I did not use shredded precooked chicken. I don't particularly like reheated chicken. Instead I took a chicken breast, diced it really small, put some seasoning and sauteed it to get a nice crust on the chicken. 

The BBQ sauce I use is Sweet Baby Rays. I know. I know. It has corn syrup in it, but damn it's so good. 

I'd make this again in a heart beat. That being said, it's not like you need a recipe for making this pizza. If you have ever made pizza before you know: sauce, cheese, meat, veggies, cheese, bake. 

30-Minute Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Recipe from Just a Taste

Serves 4

• 1 pound store-bought or homemade pizza dough
• Cornmeal, for dusting baking sheet (JW: I used parchment paper)
• 1/2 c store-bought barbecue sauce, divided
• 1 c diced rotisserie chicken
• 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 c thinly sliced red onions
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 500ºF. 

Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 12 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick.

Invert a baking sheet and sprinkle it liberally with cornmeal. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, toss together the diced chicken with half (¼ cup) of the barbecue sauce. Spread the remaining ¼ cup barbecue sauce on the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. 

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese atop the barbecue sauce, and then evenly distribute the coated chicken atop the cheese. Scatter the red onions atop the chicken.

Bake the pizza for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating it half-way through, until the crust is fully baked and golden brown. Remove the pizza from the oven to a cutting board, sprinkle it with chopped cilantro, slice and serve.

Chocolate Chip Loaf (Recipe 82 of 150)

Photo from Love from the Oven

I had a few items in the house that I wanted to use up and so I found this recipe that would use up said items. 

This recipe isn't all that different from the Sour Cream Chocolate Chip muffins I made a week or so ago. I made this recipe originally in 2020 in the middle of covid. The main difference is this recipe didn't call for sour cream. But the rest is about the same. The result is a little less tangy. 

I've got it cut up and slices in the freezer. It'll be my breakfast/snack for the week or more. 

Chocolate Chip Loaf

Recipe from Love from the Oven

Makes 12 slices

• 2 c all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 T butter softened
• 2/3 c sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 c buttermilk
• 1/2 c chocolate chips I prefer minis

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl using your mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in vanilla. Mix well.

Add half the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Add half the buttermilk and stir until just combined. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Do not over mix, you just want to make sure the dry and wet ingredients are combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into a 9x5 loaf pan that has been coated with non-stick spray.

Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean . Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack . Remove from pan and enjoy!