Grilled Tandoori Chicken (14 of 150)

Photo from Sweet C Designs

Just the smell of this marinade is enough to make my mouth water. If you've not had tandoori chicken, this is your chance.

Tandoori chicken is traditionally marinated in yogurt and spices and cooked in a clay oven. I don't have a clay oven, so the grill is what we did. 

The spices in this marinade make up a beautiful red-orange color - oh and it stains. Just FYI. 

Tandoori chicken is one of my favorites. This recipe is simple to throw together too. I used chicken breasts cut into cubes and marinaded for about 2 hours. Then grilled it to perfection. 

I also forgot the salt and pepper in the marinade. It was missed, but there was still a ton of flavor from all the other spices. 

Grilled Tandoori Chicken

Recipe from Sweet C Designs

Serves 4

• Chicken (thighs and drumsticks)
• 1 ¼ c Greek yogurt
• 2 T Ginger, sliced
• 6 cloves of Garlic
• 1 T Lemon Juice
• 1 T Salt
• 2 T Chili Powder
• 1 tsp of Turmeric
• 3 T Annatto powder of Kashmiri Chili powder
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Coriander
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 T Black Pepper

Wash your chicken and then trim off the fat and skin.

Once the skin is removed, take your knife and score the chicken in a cross-hatch pattern. This helps get the marinade on more surface area and will improve the browning of the chicken when you cook it.

In a glass container large enough to accommodate all of the chicken, plus the yogurt, lemon juice, and all the spices.

Peel your ginger with a spoon and grind it with your garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle. Add the ginger and garlic paste to your marinade.

Combine all the ingredients thoroughly. If you think your marinade is a little thick, add a bit more lemon juice or water.

Add the chicken to the marinade and make sure it is completely coated on all sides. I keep the chicken in the same container I mixed the marinade in. Marinade the chicken for at least 30-45 minutes, but if you have time marinate it overnight.

Light your grill, and bring it to temperature.

I like to cook chicken between 400-450o degrees. The high heat in our Kamado-style grill really mimics the traditional Tandoor oven really well. Turn regularly to get dark grill marks on all sides of your chicken. Cook your chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165o.

Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165o, remove it from the grill and let rest for 5-7 minutes before cutting or serving.

Enjoy it while it’s hot, or cold from a picnic basket.

Creamy Chicken Pasta (13 of 150)

Photo from What's In the Pan?

Who doesn't like chicken, white wine, parmesan, cream sauce and spaghetti? I mean, I know it's carb load central, but man or man do I love that combination of ingredients. 

I changed nothing in this recipe. I did, however, forget to put the tomatoes in. Ironically, I forgot to buy fresh tomatoes so I took out a frozen 1/2 c of canned diced tomatoes I had stuck in the freezer. I rushed to thaw them because I forgot to do it earlier. Then, I forgot to put them in the dish! Oy vei!

A note about adding parmesan cheese to a dish: Don't buy pre-shredded parmesan. That usually has a coating that stops it from sticking together and thus doesn't melt well enough. Get yourself a small block of parmesan and grate it yourself. You won't be disappointed. I promise. 

Creamy Chicken Pasta

Recipe from What's in the Pan?

Serves 4

For cooking chicken:

• 4 thin boneless skinless chicken breasts, (or 2 thick ones, halved horizontally and paper towel dried)
• ½ c flour
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 T olive oil

Pasta:

• 12 oz of spaghetti

White Wine Parmesan Sauce:

• 4 T butter
• 1 small yellow onion (or use ½ onion), chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 small tomatoes, diced
• 1 T flour
• 1 c heavy cream
• 1 c white wine
• ½ c Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• ½ tsp salt, more to taste
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Make sure to cut chicken breasts horizontally to make them thin. Or, use thin chicken breasts to begin with. Paper towel dry the chicken.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Stir well to blend. Using a fork or tongs, coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture by pressing into the mixture with tongs and then flipping the chicken over to coat the other side. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, place flour coated chicken breasts in the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, turning once between cooking, about 8-10 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

SAUCE: 

Add butter, diced yellow onion and minced garlic cloves to pan. Cook on medium high until onions and garlic are translucent, about 2 minutes. Next add chopped scallions and tomatoes. Add 1 tablespoon flour to pan and whisk to combine.

Now add heavy cream, wine, Italian Seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a simmering point and then add ½ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese. Use a whisk or a wooden spoon and mix it in until you have a smooth mixture.

Cook pasta according to your package instructions in salty water.  Take about 1/4 c of the pasta water ot in case you need to add it to loosen the sauce. Drain, but do not rinse.

Add cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce and stir to combine on low heat for 2-4 minutes. Taste and add salt, if needed. Return chicken to skillet on top of the pasta and allow it to warm up for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve chicken either on top or next to pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Honey Soy Steak Kebabs with Cilantro Lime Sauce (12 of 150)

Photo from Flavor 
the Moment

Another steak marinade! This one had an added bonus of a cilantro lime sauce. Only, I forgot to make the sauce. I was so focused on the marinade I didn't read the rest of the recipe. Which is funny considering I had to read the recipe to make a grocery list! 

Ah well. It was a good steak. 99% of the time with a marinade I do cubes and put them on skewers even when the recipe doesn't ask for it. But for a recipe that actually ASKs for skewers I don't do it. I'm such a mess sometimes. 

Honey Soy Steak Kebabs with Cilantro Lime Sauce

Recipe from Flavor the Moment

Serves 4

Marinade:

• 1/4 c  Sodium Soy Sauce
• 3 T honey
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 large clove garlic
• 2 lbs. top sirloin steak fat trimmed and cut into 1″ cubes, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 red onion peeled and cut into chunks

Cilantro Lime Sauce:

• 1 c cilantro leaves
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 1/2 T lime juice
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Prepare the marinade:

Whisk the soy sauce, 3 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and garlic clove in a small bowl until combined.

Place the meat in a bowl or baking dish. Pour the marinade into the bowl and toss to coat the meat completely. Cover and marinate for up to 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the grill to medium and oil the grates.

Thread the chunks of steak and red onion onto (4) large metal skewers. Grill for 8-10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes until each side is charred and the meat is cooked to the desired degree of doneness.

Remove from heat, cover loosely in foil, and let rest for 2-3 minutes.

Prepare the Cilantro Lime Sauce:

Place the cilantro, garlic clove, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process until coarsely chopped. With the machine running, add the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Serve the steak kebabs with the cilantro lime sauce and enjoy!

Best Ever Cabbage Roll Soup (11 of 150)

Mom used to make the best cabbage rolls. As a child I didn't like the cabbage part of it, but mom would
let me unroll it and just eat the inside. Dad always ate the extra cabbage. Team effort!

But cabbage rolls are a bit of a hassle to make. So when I see recipes for "deconstructed cabbage rolls" I gotta give it a try. I've made deconstructed cabbage rolls in a soup form and a casserole form before. Both decent recipes. 

This recipe? Not so much. The brown sugar made it way too sweet. I tried to savory-it-up by adding some Worcestershire sauce, but that didn't work and just gave it a weird sweet, W sauce flavor. 

I won't be making this one again. One star for sure. I've got a few more to try and if I really want to get my cabbage roll on, the one I made in soup form was delicious. I could just make that again.

Best Ever Cabbage Roll Soup

Recipe from My Incredible Recipes

Serves 6

2 tsp. olive oil

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 large yellow onion, diced finely

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium carrots, quartered and sliced

2 c chopped cabbage

4 c low-sodium beef stock

3 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

1/2 c (uncooked) white rice

1 bay leaf

3 T light brown sugar

2 T freshly chopped parsley

In a large pot, brown ground beef, onions and garlic in olive oil and sauté over medium-high heat.

Cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Add in carrots, cabbage, beef stock, tomato sauce, white rice, bay leaf, and brown sugar to the pot and add salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer for 25 minutes, or until rice is fully cooked.

Take out the bay leaf and serve with fresh parsley and cheese!

Arroz Con Pollo (Rice with Chicken) (10 of 150)

Arroz con pollo is an all time favorite when I go to Mexican restaurants. The problem though is they often cover it with cheese and a tomato type sauce. I like my arroz con pollo without all that. 

This is a Cook's Country recipe. And they rarely disappoint. This one is no different. 

I cut the recipe in half as I usually do. The sofrito really made the flavor for me in this recipe. 

One piece of advice would be to be sure you sauté the rice. Browning the rice is what adds a ton of flavor to this recipe (and any rice dish really). 

Arroz Con Pollo (Rice with Chicken)

Recipe from Cook's Country

Serves 6

1 c fresh cilantro leaves and stems, chopped

1 onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 Cubanelle pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (3/4 cup)

5 garlic cloves, chopped coarse

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt and pepper

6 (5- to 7-ounce) bone in chicken thighs, trimmed

1 T vegetable oil

2 c medium-grain rice, rinsed

1 T Goya Sazón with Coriander and Annatto

2 ½ c chicken broth

¼ c pimento-stuffed green olives, halved

2 bay leaves

½ c frozen peas, thawed (optional)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Process cilantro, 1/2 cup onion, Cubanelle, garlic, and cumin in food processor until finely chopped, about 20 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer sofrito to bowl.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken to pot skin side down and cook without moving it until skin is crispy and golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until golden on second side, 7 to 9 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to plate; discard skin.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add remaining 1/2 cup onion and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in rice and Sazón and cook until edges of rice begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.

Stir in broth, olives, bay leaves, remaining sofrito, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken into pot along with any accumulated juices and bring to vigorous simmer. Cover, transfer to oven, and bake for 20 minutes.

Transfer pot to wire rack and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and stir in peas, if using. Discard bay leaves.

Cuban Picadillo (9 of 150)

Man alive was this recipe delicious. Simple and full of yummy goodness. Most the ingredients you likely have in your pantry already. Nothing fancy here. 

I've made Picadillo only once before and really loved it.  It's the Crock Pot version from SkinnyTaste. In fact, it made it in the top 10 favorites for that year. 

Versions of Picadillo show up an many Latin American countries. The family I lived with in Guadalajara were the first to introduce me to it and if I had that recipe I'd make it every day. 

Officially, here's what the Interwebs say about Picadillo:

a spicy Latin-American hash or stew of meat and vegetables often with raisins and olives that is commonly used as a filling (as for tacos) or served with rice and beans.

I made no adjustments to this recipe. I cut it in thirds though, because a serving for 8 is way too many leftovers for me (and the Pantry Goat).

Cuban Picadillo

Recipe from The Salty Marshmallow

Serves 8

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1 ½ pounds ground beef 
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ¾ cup beef broth
• 1 15-ounces can tomato sauce
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• ⅓ c raisins
• ¾ c pimento stuffed olives
• 2 T capers
• 2 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes
• 1 T chopped cilantro (optional)

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until soften. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for about a minute.

Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink.

Add the cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the beef broth or wine and bring to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, raisins, olives, capers and potatoes. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 to 14 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, stirring a few times during the cooking.

Add the cilantro and stir well. Adjust seasoning if needed and serve.

Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon (8 of 150)

Fish! Fish! Glorious fish! 

Not something I cook too often, but am trying to get more fish into my diet. It's hard because I really only like hard white fish, salmon, and shrimp. 

But honestly, lemon, pepper, garlic and butter with salmon! What a yummy combination. 

The recipe doesn't call for any salt and honestly, you don't need it. The lemon pepper has enough flavor that you don't need the salt. 

Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon

Recipe from Jo Cooks

Serves 4

Potatoes

• 1 pound fingerling potatoes (scrubbed and cut in half)
• 1 ½ tsp lemon pepper (or to taste)
• 2 T olive oil

Salmon

• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 T lemon pepper
• 2 T lemon juice
• ¼ c butter (unsalted, melted)
• 2 pound salmon fillet

Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees.

Slice the potatoes in half and toss them with lemon pepper and olive oil. Dump them onto your sheet pan, spread evenly, and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Mix the garlic, lemon pepper, lemon juice, and butter in a small bowl. Once the potato timer is up, use a spatula to move the potatoes to the side. You need just enough room for the salmon to fit on the pan lengthwise. Spoon the prepared sauce over both sides of the salmon.

Transfer the baking sheet back to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until fully cooked through. 

Pollo Guisado (Latin Chicken Stew with Olives) (7 of 150)

Pollo Guisado, aka chicken stew! This is a great comfort food dish, especially during the rainy season here in the PNW. 

One cautionary note though...don't salt anything! The sazon seasoning, adobo seasoning and olive brine all have enough salt in them to satisfy the savory. 

I bought bone-in Chicken breasts for this recipe. First, it is SOOOO hard to find chicken breasts with the bone-in. And second, the flavor of chicken on the bone is so much better. I hate dealing with the bone, but it was worth it in this recipe.

Pollo Guisado (Latin Chicken Stew with Olives)

Recipe from SkinnyTaste

Serves 4

• 4 skinless chicken drumsticks, on the bone, 14 oz total
• 4 skinless chicken thighs, on the bone, trimmed, 20 ounces
• 1/2 tsp adobo seasoning salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 4 medium scallions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 c chopped cilantro, plus 2 tbsp for garnish
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 packet sazon seasoning, optional ( I highly recommend using this)
• 1/4 c pitted green olives, plus 2 tablespoons brine
• 1 T Chicken Better Than Bouillon, or 1 cube
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 bay leaves

Season chicken with adobo seasoning salt.

In a large deep skillet, pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat saute the scallions in olive oil until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and 1/4 cup cilantro cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.

Nestle the chicken in the pot and let brown 5 minutes, turning halfway.

Add tomato sauce, Sazon if using, 1 cup water, olive, olive brine, Bouillon, cumin and stir. Add the bay leaves and bring to a boil.

Cover and cook 50 minutes over medium-low heat, until the chicken is tender.

Uncover the pot, increase the heat to high and cook to thicken the sauce, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves, adjust salt if needed and add the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro.

Italian Vegetable Soup (6 of 150)

It was a blustery, wet day here in the PNW today. Perfect day for a hot, comforting soup. 

This soup was perfect for today. Hearty, warm and delicious! And healthy. I had mine with a side salad and it was a perfect recipe. 

The best part is this will be a sensational leftover for lunch tomorrow.

Italian Vegetable Soup

Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings

Serves 8

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 4 medium size carrots, thinly sliced (2 cups)
• 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced (2 cups)
• 5 c water
• 1 10.5 oz. can low sodium beef broth
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 15.5 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 T beef base or beef bouillon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 c frozen corn, thawed
• 1/4 head green cabbage, roughly chopped (2 cups)
• Shredded Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
• 1/4 c chopped fresh Italian parsley for serving (optional)

Crumble the beef into a large pot over medium high heat, add the onion and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the beef has browned. While the beef is cooking, prep the carrots and celery.

Add the carrots, celery, water and beef broth to the pot with the meat and onions. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil as you add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, beef base/bouillon, salt, basil, parsley, oregano, garlic, and pepper.

Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Once soup is boiling, stir and reduce the heat slightly to avoid splattering; simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the carrots are tender (or longer the better, time permitting).

Add the corn to the soup, taste the broth and add salt if desired. Stir in the cabbage, if desired. Cover and simmer for a few minutes more, just until the corn is warm and the cabbage has wilted. Scoop into bowls and, if desired, sprinkle with the cheese and parsley just before serving.

Slow Cooked BBQ Pork Roast (5 of 150)

Photo from Cooking Light

Tonight's dinner is brought to you by the letters P-O-R-K! I don't eat much pork and since chicken is
getting boring, I figured I'd give pork more of a try. 

I wasn't really sure what I was going to make tonight, but at the store they had pork butts and BIG pork loins on sale, buy on get one free. I couldn't really pass that up. But I also knew I didn't have room in my freezer for a pork butt (I really need to get a small freezer for downstairs). So I opted these massive pork loins. I mean they were huge. 

They worked perfectly with this recipe. And this recipe was delicious. I cut this in half and used a what the store calls a "boneless half loin" - I'm not really sure how it was half because it was bigger than the pork loins. I need to do some research on this cut of meat. 

The only change I made is I used low carb brown sugar. I tend to use that all the time when I have it in a marinade recipe of some sort. 

Slow Cooked BBQ Pork Roast

Recipe from Cooking Light

Serves 10

• 2 T dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 (4 1/2-lb.) bone-in pork shoulder roast (Boston butt), trimmed
• 1 T canola oil
• 1 c finely chopped white onion
• 1 T finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 c unsalted chicken stock
• 1/2 c unsalted ketchup
• 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons spice mixture. Rub remaining spice mixture evenly over pork, pressing to adhere. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add pork to pan; cook 15 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Place browned pork in a 5- to 6-quart electric slow cooker.

Add onion and garlic to Dutch oven; sauté 3 minutes. Add stock to pan, stirring bottom to scrape up browned bits. Remove pan from heat; stir in reserved 2 tablespoons spice mixture, ketchup, and vinegar. Pour stock mixture over pork in slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low 7 1/2 to 8 hours or until tender.

Place pork on a cutting board; let stand 20 minutes. Skim fat from cooking liquid; reserve 1/4 cup liquid. Shred pork into large pieces, discarding bones and fat. Place pork in a bowl; add reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid and salt; toss to combine.

Pollo Asado {Grilled Yucatecan Chicken) (4 of 150)

Holy Guacamole! This recipe was amazing. The flavor! This Pollo Asado recipe is derived from the flavors on the Yucatecan Peninsula. I've only been to Cancun there and, frankly, I don't remember this as an option - but I was younger and not yet food savvy. 

I speak Spanish and I know the word for delicious is delicioso, but I think you could sub in Pollo Asado to mean the same thing. 

What makes this marinade so special? Besides the wonderful citrus in it, the achiote paste adds such an amazingly warm, and comforting flavor to it. 

Not to be confused with achiote powder (which is ground annatto seeds without any additional spices added), achiote paste is soft brick of spices from Mexico like Mexican oregano, annatto seed, vinegar and coriander. It's a beautiful rust color and smells a little sweet with a savory after note.  And also, it stains things like dish towels. I'm just saying.

This paste is used primarily in the Yucatecan peninsula, but it can also be found in foods in parts of the Caribbean (do you say Care A Be an or Cah rib e n?)

So all that jibber jabber to say, make this recipe. I will be making it again. Because, after all, I have all this achiote paste that needs to be used. 

Pollo Asado {Grilled Yucatecan Chicken}

Recipe from Hola Jalapeno

Serves 4

• 1 whole 3-4 pound chicken or 3 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
• 1 medium white onion, sliced
• 1 c cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1/3 c orange juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 T lime juice
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T achiote paste
• 1 T kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin

Cut chicken. If using a whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces. Save the back bone for stock. Place chicken in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Blend marinade. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Marinate. Pour marinade over chicken and turn to coat it in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate preferably overnight but for at least 30 minutes.

Heat grill. Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat but only put charcoal in about half of the grill. If using a gas grill, leave one of the burners off. Remove chicken from the refrigerator while you wait for the grill to heat.

Grill chicken. Once the grill is hot, clean the grates and oil them then place the chicken, skin-side down and cover with the lid (but make sure the top and bottom air vents are open all the way) for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes check the chicken to see if any pieces are in an area of the grill that is too hot and they are burning. If so, move them to a cooler area of the grill.

Close the lid (again, make sure your vents are open) and let cook, undisturbed for 20 minutes. Flip chicken, putting any pieces that are cooking too quickly to the cooler side of the grill, and cook with the lid closed for another 20 minutes or until they are cooked through, the meat and skin is starting to pull away from the bone and the chicken is firm to the touch. If you want to be really sure, insert a meat thermometer or an instant read thermometer into the thickest piece, it should have an internal temperature of 165°F.

Tex-Mex Ground Beef Enchiladas (3 of 150)

Photo from Simply Mama Cooks Youtube

Y'all..I think we have our first favorite of 2023. These simple, yet scrumptious enchiladas were so easy
to make and so amazingly yummy.

There's a video from Simply Mama Cooks making these bad boys, in case you're interested in watching the magic. 

I now have two enchilada sauces in my arsenal that really means I'll never EVER buy canned enchilada sauce again. This recipe to make a "gravy" for these enchiladas just made my life and enchiladas so much better. 

Tex-Mex Ground Beef Enchiladas

Recipe from Simply Mama Cooks

Serves 4

• 2 T cooking oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/4 c onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 14 corn tortillas
• 12 oz shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
• 1/4 c cooking oil

Red Sauce

• 1/4 cooking oil
• 1/4 c flour
• 2 T chili powder
• 1 T chicken or beef bouillon powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 2 c water (room temperature) - I heated mine slightly in the microwave

In a preheated skillet over med heat, add cooking oil, ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin. Then brown until meat is cooked through. Set aside until ready to assemble enchiladas. 

In a medium to small pan, add 1/3 c cooking oil and preheat to low heat. Pass each tortilla through the hot oil (DO NOT COOK THEM). 2 -3 seconds on each side. Set each tortilla aside. Do all 14 tortillas. The idea is to make them pliable. 

To make the sauce, in med size pan, add cooking oil then evenly sprinkle flour to make a roux. Cook over med heat for 45 seconds to 1 minute. 

While continuing to stir, add chili powder, bouillon, garlic and onion powder and cumin. Slowly add water while constantly whisking.  Continue to stir and mix until sauce thickens. Remove from heat. 

In a 9X13 baking dish, add 1/3 c enchilada sauce and spread evenly over bottom of dish. Reserve a cup of cheese in a small bowl for later. 

To assemble, fill a corn tortilla with cooked ground beef and shredded cheese, and tightly roll. Place seam side down. Continue with all tortillas. 

Pour the sauce evenly over enchiladas. Top with cheese. 

Cover and bake in a 375F oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an addition 10-15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. 

Boursin Chicken (2 of 150)

Recipe from Salt
and Lavender

It's chicken night here at Chez Jenn's. Tonight's recipe sounded very interesting to me. When I read the title I immediately thought of the Boursin cheese, which I love. It never ever crossed my mind to melt it into a creamy sauce! Brilliant. 

This is a quick to pull together meal and full of flavor. DO NOT salt your chicken too much though. The Boursin has enough salt really. I over salted my chicken...again. Maybe my new year's resolution is to not use salt! 

I'd make this again for sure. That Boursin melted into a nice creamy sauce. I really REALLY wanted to put it over pasta, but new year trying to not eat as many carbs in one sitting. 

Boursin Chicken

Recipe from Salt and Lavender

Serves 4

• 2 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T butter
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 3/4 c chicken broth
• 1 (5.2 oz/150g) package Boursin Fine Herbs & Garlic cheese softened
• 1-2 T chopped parsley to taste, optional

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to get 4 thinner pieces. Season them with the garlic powder and some salt & pepper.

Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat and let it heat up for a few minutes. Cook the chicken for about 5-6 minutes/side or until cooked through, then transfer it to a plate.

To the skillet, add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. If the pan seems dry, add a small splash more olive oil.

Add the chicken broth and the Boursin cheese to the skillet. Stir until you've got a smooth sauce. Let it bubble for 5 minutes, then stir in the chopped parsley if using.

Add the chicken (and any plate juices) back into the skillet and let it warm through for a couple of minutes. The sauce should be thicker by now (you can always cook it a bit longer if need be). If it's too thick, you can add another splash of chicken broth.

Season with salt & pepper if needed (I find the sauce fairly salty when using regular broth) and serve immediately.

Beef and Guinness Stew (1 of 150)

Happy New Year! Welcome to a new year of new recipes! I've got a ton of them still, so we're going to keep cooking. I don't have any specific goal this year other than to keep cooking. 

As we start the new year, I'd like to make sure you all know (and understand) that for each of the recipes I cook, I don't cook the full serving. I usually cut it in half - or like in the case of this recipe, half again. I've had what I consider judge-y "comments" from people that they just can't believe I cook such full meals. I don't. Why would I? It's just me. Even cutting the recipe in half I have leftovers, so why would I cook for the full servings? 

Ok, with that off my chest. Let's talk about Guinness Stew. My first taste of a real Guinness Stew in Ireland blew me away. First because it was so amazingly delicious. Second because they asked if I wanted a side of veggies with it. I said, "sure." What I go was a bowl of mashed potatoes COVERED in Guinness stew that had potatoes and the side of veggies was French fries. Those Irish sure do like their potatoes. 

Since that time, I've tried several Guinness stew recipes. All of them are about the same and all of them, so far has been delicious, gravy based and full of real beef stew flavor. This one is no different. I got a little heavy handed with the salt again, but otherwise it was delicious. 

Beef and Guinness Stew

Recipe from Café Delights

Serves 8

• 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast , trimmed and cut into thick 1 1/2-inch pieces
• salt and pepper to season
• 4 T olive oil (plus more if needed)
• 2 medium-sized brown onions , chopped
• 1 T minced garlic
• 3 large carrots , peeled and chopped into thick slices
• 2 celery stalks , chopped into thick pieces
• 4 large potatoes , quartered
• 1/4 c plain flour
• 1 1/2 c Guinness Beer
• 3 T tomato paste
• 1 T brown sugar (optional)
• 4 c beef broth (beef stock)
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• Extra salt and pepper to season , to your tastes
• 2 T fresh parsley , chopped

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Season beef generously with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in Dutch oven or a heavy based, oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Sear beef in batches of three or four until browned all over. (Use more oil where needed.) Transfer to a warm plate.

Add onion and garlic to the pan juices; sauté until soft and transparent. Add the carrots, celery and potatoes, and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir the flour into the vegetables in the pan, coating them evenly. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 2 minutes.

Pour in the Guinness; mix well to dissolve flour, then add the tomato paste, brown sugar, chicken broth and thyme, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, (about 5 minutes).

Add the beef back into the pot along with any juices released.

Partially cover the pot; transfer to the oven and bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours (stir stew twice through cooking). JW Note: I cooked it for an hour with the lid on and then 1.5 hours with the lid off).

Carefully remove from the oven, and season with salt and pepper, if desired, to your tastes. Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes.