Smothered Chicken With Bacon Gravy

This one is not my favorite. It was ok, but not great. I blame the fact that I may have screwed up. 

First off, this one requires you to think through when to start each item so they are all done at the same time. I like to play that game of making sure it all ends at the same time. 

My mistake, I burnt the flour in the roux. The pan was too hot AND it set off the smoke detector. Good times. It caused the gravy to have have a rather "smokey" flavor. 

The broccoli was awesome, as always. 

Overall, this could have been a good meal. If it comes up again, I'll likely try it without burning the flour and setting off the alarm. 

Smothered Chicken With Bacon Gravy

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 12 oz potatoes, like Yukon golds
• 1 head broccoli
• 2 scallions
• 1 1/2 T Sour Cream
• 2 T Flour
• 2 strips bacon
• 2 T Creme fraiche
• 10 oz chicken
• 3/4 c chicken stock

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

Potatoes

Depending on the type of potatoes you get, either peel and dice them or just dice them into ½-inch pieces. Add potatoes to a medium pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches.

Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 10-12 minutes. Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain. Return potatoes to pot. Mash with sour cream and 1 TBSP butter until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

Broccoli

Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces if necessary.

While potatoes cook, toss broccoli on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on middle rack until browned and tender, 15-20 minutes.

Chicken

Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place between two large pieces of plastic wrap; pound with a mallet or heavy-bottomed pan until about ½ inch thick. Season all over with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle chicken all over with half the flour, pressing to adhere; shake off any excess. [JW Note: I never do this step. I find it better to just cook the chicken sans flour. ] Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add coated chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Wipe out pan.

Add bacon in a single layer to pan used for chicken; heat over medium-high heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until crispy, 4-6 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Discard any burnt bits and all but 1 TBSP bacon fat from pan. TIP: If there's not enough bacon fat in the pan, add a little butter!

Add scallion whites to pan with reserved bacon fat. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until softened and fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Sprinkle remaining flour into pan; stir to combine. Slowly whisk in ¾ cup chicken stock.

Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 1-2 minutes.

Stir in crème fraîche; taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.

Indian-Style Butter Chicken & Rice

The first time I had butter chicken I was with a friend who loved Indian food. I had never really had it, so she said she'd find something for me I'd like. 

She ordered the butter chicken for me and I was hooked. Man, I can still remember how good it was and how amazing the spicy, creamy sauce was. 

I've tried many-a- butter chicken recipes. Some good, some not so good. It's always BEST, to me, when I get it in a restaurant. 

This was a good recipe. It'd be hard to duplicate if you didn't cook a lot. The package came with a lot of small, pre-measured packets - which could make it more difficult. I tried to put in the ingredient list what I thought I'd use if I remade this. Good luck. 

The one thing I did not like was the mozzarella on the naan. For lunch tomorrow I'll just warm it up as is and eat it that way. Dipping it in the sauce is enough for me. 

Indian-Style Butter Chicken & Rice

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 4

• 1.5 cup Jasmine Rice
• ¼ ounce Cilantro
• 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 20 ounce Diced Skinless Dark Meat Chicken [JW note: I used breast meat.]
• 2 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1 tablespoon Curry Powder
• 2 unit Tomato Paste [JW Note: This seemed like 3-4 Tablespoons]
• 2 unit Veggie Stock Concentrate [JW Note: This is about 1 tsp.]
• 1 ounce Vidalia Onion Paste [JW Note: I'd just chop up an onion and use that]
• 2 unit Chicken Stock Concentrate [JW Note: This is about 1 tsp
• 4 ounce Cream Sauce Base [JW Note: I'd just use heavy cream]
• 2 unit Naan Bread
• ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese
• 4 tablespoon Yogurt

Make rice.

While rice cooks, place 2 TBSP butter in a small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave until melted, 30 seconds. Add half the garlic powder - approx 1 tsp (you’ll use the rest later) and stir to combine. Set aside. 

Roughly chop cilantro.

Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large, preferably high-sided, pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.

Add garam masala, curry powder, and remaining garlic powder to pan with chicken. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. 

Add tomato paste, Vidalia onion paste, veggie stock concentrates, and chicken stock concentrates. Cook, stirring, until chicken is evenly coated, 30 seconds.

Add cream sauce base and 3⁄4 cup water (I used about a cup). Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. 

Add 3 TBSP butter and 1⁄2 tsp sugar; stir until butter has melted. Cover to keep warm.

 Adjust rack to top position and heat broiler to high. Place naan on a baking sheet. Spoon garlic butter over tops and sprinkle with mozzarella. 

Broil cheesy garlic naan until cheese melts and naan are toasted, 3-4 minutes. TIP: The broiler is a powerful tool! Keep an eye on the naan to prevent them from burning.

Quarter cheesy garlic naan. Fluff rice with a fork. Divide rice between bowls and top with butter chicken. Drizzle with yogurt. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with cheesy garlic naan on the side.

Spicy Tinga-Style Chicken Tacos with Creamy Lime Slaw & Cilantro

Y'all know I love my tacos. Street tacos are my favorite by far. I've made chicken street tacos a couple of times and have a favorite. Still, I like to try new ones, because one cannot have too many street chicken taco recipes. 

This recipe was spicy AND delicious. The slaw really does a good job cooling it off and adding a nice texture to the taco. 

I also think the ingredients would be easy to replicate. For example "chipotle powder" could be chili powder. 

Spicy Tinga-Style Chicken Tacos with Creamy Lime Slaw & Cilantro

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2 (maybe three)

• 1 lime, zested
• 1/4 oz cilantro
• 4 oz coleslaw mix
• 2 T mayo
• 1 tsp chipotle powder 
• 10 oz chopped chicken breast
• 6 small flour tortillas
• fresh salas

Zest and quarter lime. Roughly chop cilantro.

In a medium bowl, toss coleslaw mix with mayonnaise, 1⁄4 tsp, a squeeze of lime juice, a pinch of salt and pepper, and as much lime zest as you like. Set aside until ready to serve.

Open package of chicken and drain off any excess liquid. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is lightly browned, 1-2 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Stir in salsa and 1⁄4 tsp chipotle powder. (TIP: Add more chipotle powder if you like things spicy!) Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and salsa has thickened slightly, 3-5 minutes more.

Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, 30-60 seconds. Divide tortillas between plates. Fill with chicken, slaw (draining first), and cilantro. Serve with remaining lime wedges on the side.

Dijon Baked Salmon

Oh salmon! How I love thee...mostly. I don't care for Atlantic Salmon and that was all I had in the freezer. Leftover from a package I bought accidentally. I gave most of them away to Janet, but one escaped. 

I thawed it but knew I wouldn't want to eat it. So this morning I had to run to Trader Joe's. I figured I'd pick up a fresh piece of salmon there. 

Boy was I surprised when the ONLY fresh salmon they had was Atlantic. Blech. So, I wandered through their frozen fish area and found these salmon patties. I had a flashback to my mom making salmon patties from canned salmon and I loved those things. 

I will say, I was pleasantly surprised at how good these were. I really had figured I'd bake them and then have to order pizza or have a peanut butter sandwich. But I was wrong. 

The Dijon sauce on them really made them delicious - er I think too. I baked mine, but I think grilling them would be delicious too. Next time. 

I wouldn't change anything about this sauce except maybe not add the parsley until the end. I feel like baked parsley gets bitter, it definitely changes the flavor to me and not in a good way. 

I only ate one of the patties and will save the second for lunch tomorrow. I served it with a buttload of fruit and Spanish Green Beans. 

Dijon Baked Salmon

Recipe from Downshiftology.com

Serves 5

• 1 ½ pounds salmon, King, Sockeye or Coho salmon
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together the mustard, parsley, lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Place the salmon on a parchment lined baking tray and generously coat the top of the salmon with the herbed mustard mix.

Bake the salmon for 18 to 20 minutes (depending on size and thickness), then slice it into individual portions and serve immediately.

BBQ Country Style Pork Ribs

Blueberry came over for dinner tonight. I like to throw stuff into the crock pot and so planned these BBQ ribs. Only when I read the recipe I realized it wasn't a slow cooker recipe at all, but a braising recipe. 

No matter. That just changed when I needed to get the ribs in the oven. 

Nothing special about this recipe. Super easy and OMG sooo good. I used Sweet Baby Ray's Original BBQ sauce and left out the bell pepper (blech). 

When I make these again, I'd take the ribs out of the braise, slather them with BBQ sauce and pop them under the broiler for a bit. I think that would have made these amazing. 

I served these with a side of corn on the cob and a perfectly ripe nectarine. The whole meal turned out delicious.

BBQ Country Style Pork Ribs

Recipe from Suburban Soap Box

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 large country style pork ribs (the original recipe says 10, but for only 4 people that's a TON of ribs)
• 3 tablespoons BBQ Rub, homemade or your favorite store bought
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 1/2 cups barbecue sauce, homemade or your favorite store bought

Preheat oven to 300˚F.

In a shallow roasting pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.

Coat the ribs with the BBQ rub.

Arrange the ribs in the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until browned.

Flip the ribs and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes until browned on all sides.

Remove the ribs to a platter and set aside.

Chicken & Spinach Couscous Salad

Photo from Hello Fresh

This was one of those recipes where working ahead is a bad plan. I thought I'd get all the components ready ahead of time and then toss the salad together at the end. 

The chicken worked fine. I prefer colder chicken in a salad than warm chicken. 

The couscous was another story. I've never made Israeli couscous and I didn't realize just how it would turn out. I cooked it. Tasted it. Loved it. Then set it aside to cool. That was the mistake. It became like if you leave pasta in a pan after you drained it. It' got cold and a bit congealed. 

I did taste it after it was done originally and it was tasty. I now know you have to eat it right away.

The carrots were a whole other story. I burnt them! I got distracted by a big truck that was in my driveway and they burned. I tasted them and they were gross. So tossed them. 

The chicken, spinach and walnuts together with the garlic aioli was good. The aioli wasn't originally. It tasted too mayonnaise-ey. I added some real chopped garlic and a little splash of white vinegar and that made all the difference. 

I will have to make couscous again and actually eat it. Cooking it in chicken broth made sense and really added to the flavor. 

Chicken & Spinach Couscous Salad

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1/2 oz walnuts, chopped
• 9 oz carrots, sliced on a diagonal
• 1 T fry seasoning
• 2 T mayo
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 1/2 oz spinach
• 10 oz chicken
• 2 1/2 oz Israeli couscous
• 2 chicken stock concentrates

In a small pot (medium pot for 4 servings), combine couscous, stock concentrates, 3⁄4 cup water (1 1⁄2 cups for 4), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, 12-14 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to use in Step 6.

 While couscous cooks, heat a large dry pan over medium-high heat. Add walnuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. • Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Wipe out pan.

Wash and dry produce. • Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1⁄2-inch-thick pieces. • Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for walnuts over medium-high heat. Add carrots and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 5-7 minutes. • Turn off heat; transfer to a second plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Wipe out pan.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub all over with a drizzle of oil and Fry Seasoning. Season with salt and pepper. • Heat pan used for carrots over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. TIP: Lower heat if chicken begins to brown too quickly. • Transfer chicken to a cutting board.

While chicken cooks, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and half the garlic powder (all for 4 servings). • Add water 1 tsp a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Fluff couscous with a fork; stir in spinach and carrots until combined. • Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. • Divide couscous between shallow bowls. Top with chicken and sprinkle with toasted walnuts. Drizzle with aioli and serve.

Chicken Katsu with Sesame Roasted Carrots and Ginger Rice

Photo from Hello Fresh

Chicken katsu is one of my favorites to order when we go out to teriyaki. The crispy chicken and the sweet/savory katsu sauce...mmmm. So good. I'm terrible at frying chicken so I rarely make it. But, I ordered it and thought I'd give it a try. 

First mistake, I didn't pound the chicken cutlets quite thin enough. Hindsight I should have just sliced them in half lengthwise. That would have been the perfect thinness. It didn't ruin the meal, I just like my chicken katsu pieces to be thin. 

The second mistake is this meal came with carrots that were supposed to be baked. I got them prepped and ready to go, then got distracted by the frying of the chicken I didn't 1) turn on the oven and 2) didn't put them in in time for the meal. So...now I have baked carrots for tomorrow salad I'm making. 

The rice I did differently too. I'm also terrible at cooking rice on the stove top. I blame the flat stove for it though. The heat is very hard to regulate for "low". So I sautéed the ginger and scallions then put them, and the rice in a rice cooker. Worked like a charm. I did have to add a little salt to it. 

Overall, a good meal. Turns out frying the chicken is easier when you have a good pan (I have hexclads) and you keep the heat med.

Chicken Katsu with Sesame Roasted Carrots and Ginger Rice

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 12 oz carrots, peeled and sliced on the bias in 1/2 in pieces
• 1 thumb ginger; peeled and grated
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 T sesame seeds
• 1 T Garlic Powder
• 1 1/2 T Sour Cream
• 10 oz chicken cutlets; pounded thin
• 1/2 c jasmine rice
• 1 c panko 
• 4 T Katsu sauce

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

Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1⁄2-inch-thick pieces. 

Peel and mince or grate ginger. 

Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

Toss carrots on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until tender, 20-25 minutes. Once roasted, carefully toss with sesame seeds.

While carrots roast, heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add ginger and scallion whites; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Stir in rice, 3⁄4 cup water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, pat pork dry with paper towels; place between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet or rolling pin until pork is about 1⁄2-inch thick.

Place panko, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a gallon-size zip-close bag.

Place sour cream in a medium bowl; add pork and turn to evenly coat. Add coated pork to bag with seasoned panko and seal to close. Shake until pork is evenly coated. TIP: You may need to move around pork chops in bag, pressing with your hands, to spread out panko and make it stick.

Heat a 1⁄4-inch layer of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium- high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot enough that a pinch of panko sizzles when added to pan, add coated pork (discard any remaining panko in bag). 

Cook until panko is golden brown and pork is cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Place katsu sauce in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave until warmed through, 30 seconds. 

Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 TBSP butter and season with salt and pepper. 

Divide rice, pork, and carrots between plates. Drizzle pork with katsu sauce. Sprinkle with scallion greens and serve.

Chicken Pita Pockets with Spicy Mayo

Photo from Hello Fresh

I'm on the fence with this recipe. 

On the one hand, it was good. I ate it and was satisfied.

On the other hand, I'm not a fan of green goddess dressing in general. This green goddess dressing tasted more like pesto. 

Overall, this is an ok recipe. I'd do it again, but I might change the dressing I use. Or make my own green goddess dressing. 

The chicken from the kit was weird. It was "chopped" chicken and it had a ton of fat pieces in it and it was mushy and weird. I cooked it and it tasted fine. I picked out all the fat pieces because chicken fat is gross. 

Chicken Pita Pockets with Spicy Mayo

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1 roma tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 2 oz Green Goddess Dressing
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Romain lettuce; chopped
• 2 pitas
• 2 T mayo
• 10 oz chicken, chopped in bite size pieces

Trim and discard root end from lettuce; roughly chop into bite-size pieces. Cut tomato into 1⁄4-inch-thick wedges.

Cut your chicken into bite size pieces.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer; season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss lettuce, tomato, dressing, and a drizzle of olive oil in a large bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise with as much hot sauce as you like. Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.

Wrap pitas in damp paper towels; microwave until warm and pliable, 30-60 seconds. Halve pitas; gently pull apart to create pockets.

Fill pita pockets with chicken and as much salad as you like. Drizzle with as much spicy mayo as you like. Serve with any remaining salad on the side.

Slammin’ Secret Sauce Chicken Sandwiches

Dripping down your arm goodness. This is one saucy sandwich. 

Hello Fresh came through again. Tonight we're having a "name that chicken sandwich". Ok, it has a name. Slammin' Secret Sauce Chicken Sandwich. And it is definitely slammin. 

The "secret sauce" isn't anything fancy, just mayo, Frank's Hot sauce and dill pickles

This sandwich is dripping, literally, with goodness. The secret sauce, pickles and BBQ seasoned chicken really is a nice combo. 

I didn't eat the cabbage slaw on the side, I put it on the sammy...and BAM that really pushed it over the top. Juices running down my arm told me it was a winner.

Slammin’ Secret Sauce Chicken Sandwiches

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 2 scallions, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 T sour cream
• 2 T mayo
• 5 tsp white wine vinegar
• Several dashes of Frank's Hot Sauce
• 2 Brioche buns
• 10-12 sliced dill pickles
• 10 oz chicken cutlets, pound thin
• 1 T Sweet and Smoky BBQ Seasoning
• 4 oz shredded purple cabbage

Garlic Butter Chicken

Photo from Jo Cooks

Another recipe that I had such high hopes for this recipe. And I think I know where I went wrong. 

It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO garlicky. Now, normally I love garlic and I usually use more than the recipe calls for. 

In this case, I made the recipe as it states. The problem is, I only used one chicken breast. So ya, way more garlic than one chicken breast deserves.

I also almost burnt the garlic. Pro tip, turn your heat down before you put the garlic in. I didn't, and the garlic tasted just a tad bitter - which is what happens if you burn it. 

Overall though, this recipe doesn't really require very much skill or very many ingredients. Most "normal" people have these ingredients in their pantry. 

The other added plus, the house smells amazing...thank you garlic.

Garlic Butter Chicken

Recipe from Jo Cooks

Serves 6

• 1 ½ pound chicken breast (boneless and skinless, cut into strips)
• ¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
• ½ tsp pepper (or to taste)
• 4 T butter
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ c chicken broth (low sodium or no sodium added)
• 1 T Sriracha
• 2 T fresh parsley (chopped)
• lemon slices (for garnish)

Cook chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Next, add in the chicken strips and cook on each side. Once cooked remove from the skillet.

Make sauce: Using the same skillet, add in the garlic, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika and hot sauce. Sauté for 30 seconds until the garlic is aromatic. Finally, deglaze the skillet with the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Finish dish: Add the chicken back into the skillet of sauce and give it a little toss so each piece of chicken is touched with sauce. Remove from heat, garnish with parsley, lemon wedges and serve at desired temperature!

Lemony Italian Steak Marinade

Steak always makes a good meal on the weekend to me. I had some tritips in the freezer that I wanted to use up. What better way than with a marinade. Sherrie was coming to dinner and I knew she'd appreciate a grilled steak. 

I cut the tritip into chunks, as typical for me. Then grilled them to not quite perfection. I over cooked them. Sherrie was fine with it. I was not. 

This wasn't a great marinade for me. The Italian seasoning was too overwhelming for my taste. 

Lemony Italian Steak Marinade

Recipe from Feel Good Foodie

Makes 1/4-1/2c marinade

• 1 ½ pound steak of choice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 lemon juice and zest
• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a shallow bowl. Add the flank steak on top and turn the meat over so it is well coated.

Let sit for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours, flipping the meat once or twice during the marinating time, then cook as desired.

Masala-Spiced Chicken & Cucumber Raita

Photo from hello fresh

I really like the curry flavor and that added with garam masala make a nice combo. This recipe wasn't my favorite, but it was really good. 

Surprisingly my favorite part of this recipe was the roasted veggies. I completely overcooked the cauliflower, but the curry flavor make it ok. 

Masala-Spiced Chicken & Cucumber Raita

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1 mini cucumber, diced
• 2 T yogurt (the recipe doesn't specify, but I would think plain or greek would work
• 1 T curry powder, divided
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 10 oz chicken cutlets
• 10 oz cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
• 6 oz carrots, cut on the bias
• 1 1/2 T sour cream
• 1 lemon

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Prep your veggies: 

Trim and dice cucumber into 1⁄4-inch pieces. Cut cauliflower into bite-size pieces if necessary. Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1⁄2-inch-thick pieces. Quarter lemon.

 In a small bowl, combine cucumber, 1⁄2 tsp sugar, and salt. Set aside to marinate. (You’ll finish the raita later.)

Toss cauliflower and carrots on a baking sheet with 2 TBSP olive oil, 2 tsp curry powder, salt, and pepper. (You’ll use the rest of the curry powder in the next step.) 

Roast on top rack until browned and tender, 15-20 minutes.

While veggies roast, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season all over with remaining curry powder, 1⁄2 tsp garam masala, salt, and pepper. (Save remaining garam masala for another use.)

Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side.

Transfer to a cutting board.

Add yogurt, sour cream, and juice from half the lemon to bowl with marinated cucumber. Stir to combine.

Slice chicken crosswise. Divide chicken and roasted veggies between plates. Top chicken with as much cucumber raita as you like. Serve with any remaining raita and remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Sweet Chili Beef & Green Bean Bowls

This was a nice recipe to make on a HOT Seattle day. 

So far, of all the recipes, this one is just meh. It was good, but not great. If I ordered it in a restaurant I'd eat it but I wouldn't order it again. 

It definitely had a Thai flavor to it. It must have been the chili sauce and lime that made me think it did. This isn't a spicy dish at all, which was good since it was so hot yesterday. 

Sweet Chili Beef & Green Bean Bowls

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1 oz Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
• 4 T Sweet Soy Glaze
• 1 lime
• 10 oz ground beef
• 1/4 oz cilantro
• 1 - 2 T crispy fried onions
• 6 oz green beans

Trim green beans if necessary; cut crosswise into 2-inch-long pieces. Quarter lime. Pick cilantro leaves from stems; roughly chop leaves.

 Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef; season with salt and pepper. Using a spatula, press into an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, until browned on bottom, 3-4 minutes.

 Break up meat into pieces and continue cooking until beef is cooked through, 2-4 minutes more. TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out.

While beef cooks, in a medium microwave-safe bowl, add green beans and a splash of water; cover bowl with plastic wrap. Microwave until tender, 1-2 minutes. TIP: No microwave? No problem! Steam green beans in a small pot with a splash of water until just tender, 5-7 minutes. Carefully drain any excess water.

To pan with beef, stir in cooked green beans, chili sauce, 2 1⁄2 TBSP sweet soy glaze (be sure to measure), 1 TBSP butter, and 1⁄2 tsp sugar. Cook, stirring, until beef mixture is thoroughly coated, 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime juice to taste.

Divide rice between bowls and top with stir-fry. Sprinkle with crispy fried onions and chopped cilantro. Serve with any remaining lime wedges on the side.

“Skip The Bun” Crunchy Cheeseburger Salad

It's hot here. The thought of turning on the stove and cooking too much didn't sound thrilling. So a salad was a perfect answer for dinner tonight. And I didn't even plan it that way. 

I've made Big Mac Salads a couple times in the past. They're pretty tasty, so this one sounded just as good. And I was not wrong. 

This is an easy one to repeat. The Fry seasoning is the only thing I'm not sure how to replicate, but garlic powder and onion powder can make it better. 

“Skip The Bun” Crunchy Cheeseburger Salad

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 10 oz ground beef
• 1 Roma tomato, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 c chopped dill pickles
• 1 T dill pickle brine
• 1 T Fry Seasoning [JW note: I have no idea what's actually in this]
• 2 T mayo
• 1 T ketchup
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 head Romain lettuce, chopped

Trim and discard root end from lettuce; roughly chop. 

Prep your veggies: Chop tomato, chop lettuce; chop dill pickle. 

Stir 1⁄2 tsp Fry Seasoning and 1⁄4 tsp sugar into bowl with 1 T pickle brine along with the mayo, ketchup and Dijon. Mix together and set aside.  Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef, remaining Fry Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, until browned. TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out. Transfer to a plate.

In a large bowl, toss lettuce with half the dressing and half the tomato. 

Divide salad between bowls. Top with beef, Monterey Jack, chopped pickle, and remaining tomato. Drizzle with remaining dressing and serve.

Chicken, Bacon & Basil Mayo Sandwiches

I love sandwiches. When I saw this recipe come up I knew it'd be great for dinner and lunch the
following day. 

This recipe did not disappoint. If you love bruschetta, you'll love this sandwich. The balsamic marinated tomatoes really puts this over the top. So good. I'll be ordering this one again. 

What I'll do different though when I do. The flat bread they provided was good size. Two flatbreads took up a full baking sheet. But they only provided three strips of bacon. That is NOT enough bacon in my humble opinion. I felt like I needed just a little more bacon. Although, truth be told, you could leave off the bacon and this recipe would stand on it's own. 

I'd also add more tomato. The package only had one small Roma tomato. regardless of of thin you slice it, that's not that much tomato per sandwich. It needed a little more. 

And last, but not least, I'd grill the chicken next time. You know I can't not grill my chicken. 

Chicken, Bacon & Basil Mayo Sandwiches

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 4 oz bacon, cooked
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 5 T Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 T Italian Seasoning
• 2 flatbreads
• 1 oz Basil paste (pesto)
• 2 T mayo
• 10 oz chicken

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Heat a large dry pan over medium- high heat. Add bacon; cook, turning occasionally and adjusting heat if browning too quickly, until crispy, 6-10 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Wipe out pan and let cool slightly.

While the bacon is cooking, halve tomato lengthwise and thinly slice into half-moons. Halve, peel, and thinly slice shallot. Peel and mince or grate garlic. 

In a small bowl, combine tomato, shallot, garlic, balsamic vinegar, 1⁄4 tsp sugar [JW note: I did not add this. I wanted the salad more savory than sweet], and a pinch of Italian Seasoning. [JW note: I added about a tsp of olive oil at this stage instead of where it calls for it later. ] Set aside to marinate.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels; place between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet or rolling pin until chicken is about 1⁄2 inch thick. Season with remaining Italian Seasoning, a pinch of salt, and pepper. 

Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for bacon over medium-high heat. [JW Note: I used the bacon grease already in the pan. I  took most out and left about 1/2 tablespoon. ] Add chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side.

While the chicken is cooking, place flatbreads on a baking sheet. Toast on top rack, flipping halfway through, until golden, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; halve crosswise. 

In a second small bowl, combine basil paste and mayonnaise.

Pour balsamic mixture from tomato salad into two small serving bowls. Add 1 tsp olive oil to each bowl; stir to combine. [JW note: This step didn't make sense to me. I just added the tomato mixture to the sandwich. The package only came with a Roma tomato and there isn't really enough for two sandwiches AND left over salad to eat. ]

Spread flatbreads with basil mayo. Fill with bacon, chicken, and as much tomato salad as you like. Close sandwiches and halve crosswise.

Spinach Orzo Salad with Cranberries and Goat Cheese

Photo from Barefoot in the Kitchen

Sunday dinner this month is the Low Country Boil. It's one of my favorite annual dinners. This year I
opted to bring a salad. I don't often get to bring salads to Sunday dinner so it's always a treat for me. 

We have some gluten free folks that come to Sunday dinner. So I made a version for them by just omitting the orzo. Then the following day I had some leftover spinach and some left over cooked chicken, so I made the same version for me for lunch, and it really was delicious with or without the orzo.

I didn't change anything about the recipe and honestly, I can't think of a single thing I'd do different. The dressing makes enough and then some. I wouldn't recommend dumping the whole thing in at once. I did half then mixed the salad and added just a tad more. That dressing goes a long way. 

Spinach Orzo Salad with Cranberries and Goat Cheese

Recipe from Barefoot in the Kitchen

Serves 6

• 1/2 T light olive oil
• 8 ounces orzo pasta
• 4 c fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/2 c sliced almonds
• 1/2 c Craisins or dried cranberries
• 2-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• Optional: 2 c cooked chicken, chopped bite-size

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 c olive oil, divided
• 3 T white balsamic or champagne vinegar
• 1 T honey
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Toast the orzo in 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium heat, about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add 4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover with lid. 7-8 minutes. Drain any liquid, fluff with fork.

Place the spinach in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked orzo, cranberries, almonds, and cooked chicken - if desired.

In a small bowl or large measuring cup, combine the oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat.

Top with goat cheese and toss lightly. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Easy Chicken Shawarma

Photo from Damn
Delicious

I sure have had a lot of shawarma recipes recently. Each different, slightly, from the next. I wonder what it is about the universe that throws all these recipes at me at once. 

This one wasn't my favorite. I think I let it marinate for too long. The chicken was little mushy. I suspect this recipe should have been done with bigger pieces of meat instead of chunks. 

The flavors were all there. Definitely there. But I think the texture of the chicken is what made it not a favorite of mine. I very much have a texture issue when it comes to food. 

Easy Chicken Shawarma

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, water, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, cardamom, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and olive oil mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.

Preheat grill to medium high heat.

Brush chicken with canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes.

Serve immediately with tzatziki sauce.

Sweet & Spicy Hoisin Beef Tostadas

Holy moley! Another winner from Hello Fresh. I'm feeling very satisfied with this service (at least for now) and have been quite impressed with the quality of their recipes and ingredients. 

This recipe originated with pork, but I chose beef again. Not a huge fan of ground pork by itself. I think I made the right choice too.

The tortillas I fried instead of put in the oven. I can't, in good conscious, put tortillas in the oven. The "Mexican" in me won't allow it. Those crispy critters make a perfect base for these tostadas. The ground beef was saucy and tangy/sweet at the same time. The clencher for me was the coleslaw over the top. 

The only downside is flour tortillas tend to not hold their crisp as much as a corn tortilla might. They got a little soggy in the middle while trying to eat them. No matter, it didn't stop me.

Sweet & Spicy Hoisin Beef Tostadas

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 2 green onions, whites and greens separated, chopped
• 1 lime
• 4 oz coleslaw mix
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 2 T mayo
• 1 T sesame seeds
• 1 oz Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
• 2 T Hoisin sauce
• 6 small flour tortillas
• 10 oz ground beef (or pork)

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim and slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Quarter lime.

In a medium bowl, combine coleslaw mix, scallion greens, 1⁄4 tsp sugar, juice from half the lime, and a pinch of salt.

In a small bowl, combine Sriracha and mayonnaise. Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.

Drizzle tortillas with 1 TBSP oil; brush or rub to coat all over. 

Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Gently prick each tortilla in a few places with a fork. Toast on middle rack, carefully flipping tortillas halfway through, until lightly golden, 4-5 minutes per side. TIP: Watch carefully to avoid burning.

While tortillas toast, heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add protein (beef or pork) and scallion whites. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. 

Stir in sesame seeds, chili sauce, hoisin, and 1⁄4 cup water. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, 1-2 minutes.

Divide tortillas between plates; evenly top with pork and slaw. Drizzle tostadas with as much Sriracha mayo as you like. 

Serve with remaining lime wedges on the side.

Shawarma-Spiced Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Another shawarma related recipe. I didn't realize I was duplicating ethnic flavors when I ordered, but it was worth it. This was amazing. 

I like a good lettuce wrap. The fresh lettuce has a nice crisp crunch to it and really makes a great carrier for the amazingly flavorful filling. The shawarma spices are so warm and so yummy. The house smells amazing too I might add. 

I'm always skeptical about toppings. I like things pretty plain, but I figured I might as well go all in since all the ingredients are in front of me. I will admit I am really glad I did. The pickled onions are a new favorite for sure. But what surprised me the most were the sliced almonds. They added another level of texture that really put this meal over the top. And the creamy garlic sauce on top is like the cherry on top of a sundae. So good. 

It’s all ready in a quick 30 minutes—just keep napkins handy until you master your lettuce wrap-eating technique.

Shawarma-Spiced Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 2 lemons (though one large might work too)
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• 1 1/2 T sour cream
• 2 T mayo
• 1 tsp garlic powder, divided
• 1 T shawarma spice blend (Common ingredients are ground cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic powder, turmeric, and black pepper)
• 1 small red onion, half sliced, half diced
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1/2 oz sliced almonds
• 1/4 c chicken stock
• 10 oz chicken, diced (You can also used ground chicken or ground turkey)

Halve, peel, and thinly slice half the onion; finely dice remaining half. 

Quarter lemons. 

Trim and discard root end from lettuce; separate leaves. 

Dice tomato.

 In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine sliced onion, juice from one lemon, 1⁄2 tsp sugar, salt, and pepper. Microwave for 30 seconds; set aside to pickle, stirring occasionally. 

In a separate small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, 3⁄4 tsp garlic powder, and a squeeze of lemon juice. (You’ll use the rest of the garlic powder in the next step.) Season white sauce with salt and pepper.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes. 

Add chicken, Shawarma Spice Blend, and remaining garlic powder; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.

Stir in stock, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. 

Divide lettuce between plates. Fill with turkey, tomato, and as much pickled onion as you like (draining first). 

Drizzle wraps with white sauce and as much hot sauce as you like; sprinkle with almonds. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Beef Flautas Supreme

Tacos are a nice go-to for simple dinners. But tacos get boring. I often will switch it up and make
tortillas if I'm feeling whimsical. But even then, those get boring. So when I saw this recipe for flautas I figured they'd be a nice change up. 

Flautas are basically rolled tacos. They differ from enchiladas because there isn't any sauce over them. Baking them keeps the calories down from frying them, which is traditionally how they're done. 

I had to keep mine in the oven longer than 12 minutes to get that crispy outside. I started with 8 minutes and added 5 more at a time. I ended up around 17 minutes.

I have no idea what Tex-Mex sauce is in this recipe. It was good, smoky, reminded me a little of chipotle but not completely. Frankly, it wouldn't be needed if you were making these. 

I didn't use the red pepper crema that came with it. Red peppers... blech. I substituted with sour cream.

Beef Flautas Supreme

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1small onion, sliced
• 1 T Southwest Spice blend [JW Note: This seemed very much like taco seasoning]
• 1 Tex-Mex Paste
• 1/2 c Mexican blend cheese, shredded
• 1 tomato, diced
• 4 T Smoky Red Pepper Crema
• 6 Flour tortillas
• 10 oz ground beef

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush with oil (or coat with nonstick spray). Wash and dry produce. • Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion; mince a few slices until you have 1 TBSP (2 TBSP for 4 servings).

 Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion; cook for 3 minutes. • Add beef and Southwest Spice Blend; cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until beef is browned and onion is softened, 4-6 minutes. • Stir in Tex-Mex paste and 1/3 cup water (1⁄2 cup for 4 servings). Simmer until mixture has thickened and beef is cooked through, 2-4 minutes more. Turn off heat.

 Meanwhile, drizzle tortillas with 1 TBSP olive oil (2 TBSP for 4 servings); brush or rub to completely coat. • Place tortillas on a clean work surface. Once beef filling is done, add a heaping 1⁄4 cup filling to one side of each tortilla, then sprinkle each with 1 TBSP Mexican cheese blend. Roll up tortillas, starting with filled sides, to create flautas. Place, seam sides down, on prepared sheet. TIP: Make sure the flautas are snug on the sheet—this will prevent them from unrolling. • Bake on middle rack until golden brown and crispy, 8-12 minutes.

While flautas bake, finely dice tomato. In a small bowl, combine tomato and minced onion. Season with salt. • Divide flautas between plates. Top with pico de gallo and red pepper crema. Serve.

Middle Eastern Steak Pita Wraps

Wow. Hello Fresh... outstanding. 

I love pitas in general, this on is shawarma esk and man o man...yummy. I do love a good shawarma. 

I'm sure I've told the story of our first shawarma in Saudi and how it had cold French fries in it. Anyhow, you'd think that'd turn me off shawarmas, but it did not. 

The pita and the salad on the side was a LOT of food, so if you make it know you'd better be hungry. 

Middle Eastern Steak Pita Wraps

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 baby lettuce (romaine)
• 1 lemon
• 10 oz Ranch Steak (skirt steak)
• 1 T Shawarma spice blend (I have no idea what's actually in this)
• 4 oz cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 c feta cheese, crumbled
• 1.5 oz Greek Vinaigrette
• 2 pitas
• 1 oz Smokey Garlic Herb Sauce (also no idea where you'd get this)

Halve, peel, and thinly slice half the onion (whole onion for 4 servings). Halve lemon. Trim and discard root end from lettuce; chop leaves into bite-size pieces. (this assumes you washed it already)

Pat steak dry with paper towels, then thinly slice. Season with Shawarma Spice Blend, salt, and pepper. 

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked to desired doneness, 4-6 minutes.

While steak cooks, in a small microwave-safe bowl, combine onion, juice from half the lemon, and a pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until onion is tender, 30-40 seconds. Set aside to pickle. [JW notes: I honestly thought this wouldn't work. Worked like a charm]

Add lettuce, tomatoes, feta, and vinaigrette to a large bowl; toss to combine.

Wrap pitas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, 20-30 seconds. [JW Note: If you have a tortilla warmer that would work too. 

Place steak in a line across the middle of each pita. Top with as much salad as you like. Drizzle with smoky garlic herb sauce; top with as much pickled onion (draining first) as you like and as much hot sauce as you like. 

Fold pitas in half to form wraps. Divide wraps between plates and serve with any remaining salad on the side.

The Best Mexican Chicken Marinade

Photo from Blackberry
Babe

Another chicken marinade. Not "The Best" as it says in the title. It was just "meh". Again, another recipe that has all ingredients that sound delicious, but wasn't as great as I was expecting. I'm not really sure what I was expecting to be honest. 

I did want more "citrus" flavor to it but I feel like the tablespoon of oregano over powdered it. I didn't put in a full tablespoon either, a little oregano goes a long way for me. 

The Best Mexican Chicken Marinade

Recipe from Blackberry Babe

Serves 4

• ⅓ cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ⅛ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

To a small bowl, add marinade ingredients and whisk vigorously to combine.

To a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag, add up to two pounds of raw chicken, diced or whole pieces.

Pour marinade into the bag. Carefully press out any air as you seal the bag.

Marinade for a minimum of 4 hours, up to 24 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant read meat thermometer.

Slow Braised Barbequed Beef Bites

Photo from Lord Byron's Kitchen

This recipe had such good intentions. I mean all those ingredients together sounds like it'd make a delicious dish. I wish it had. 

It wasn't horrible, just not what I was expecting. It lacked something. It took me all night to figure out what exactly was missing. And as I dosed off to sleep it hit me (naturally). It needed apple cider vinegar not white vinegar. 

When I think "BBQ" I think tangy and you get that tang from the ACV. This was missing that tang. If I make it again I'll use that instead. 

Otherwise, the recipe was simple, toss it all in a crock pot and leave it kinda recipe. Perfect on so many levels. Just not tangy.

Slow Braised Barbequed Beef Bites

Recipe from Lord Byron's Kitchen

Serves 4

• 2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 T white vinegar
• 4 T Worcestershire sauce
• 4 T brown sugar
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 c ketchup
• 2 c water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Whisk together the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, water, ketchup, salt, paprika, chili powder, and sugar. Set aside.

Place the beef, in an even layer, into a Dutch oven or roasting pan with a good fitting lid.

Sprinkle the chopped onion over the top of the beef.

Pour over the sauce mixture.

Place a lid on the pan and bake for 2 and a half hours, stirring at the one hour and two hour mark.

Remove the lid and bake for 30 minutes more.

Serve immediately.

"Bee Sting" Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza

Hello Fresh outdid themselves with this one. I've had pepperoni hot honey pizza before and LOVED it, so I was pretty sure I'd love this one. 

First, the only change I made to this recipe is I did NOT use the green pepper. Blech. Instead I had some olives that needed to be used, so I tossed those on. Much better. 

Here's what I liked best about this recipe, and likely changed me forever, the fresh dough. I've always been slightly afraid of dough in any form. It seems too tricky and if you do one little thing wrong, you've blown the whole recipe. Not a fan. I don't like exact when I cook. 

In this case, the dough comes already made. You just have to let it rest and rise and rest and rise. Then stretch it and roll it out. The flavor and the freshness of the dough really made this pizza an all time favorite. I'll be ordering this again when it comes around. 

"Bee Sting" Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 5 oz marinara sauce
• 1/2 c flour
• 3 1/2 oz pepperoni
• 1 long green pepper
• 1 1/2 oz buttermilk ranch dressing
• 1 small tomato
• enough pizza dough to make 2 pizzas
• 1/2 oz hot honey
• 1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 shallot, sliced

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 475 degrees. (I baked mine at 425F).

Sprinkle 3 TBSP flour over a clean work surface. Remove pizza dough from packaging and place on floured surface. Shape each piece of dough into a ball. (TIP: Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray or dust with flour to prevent sticking.) Evenly sprinkle another 2 TBSP flour on top of dough balls (I didn't need 2 T.) Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest at room temperature, 20 minutes.

JW Pro tip: Get your dough out of the fridge 30 minutes before so it can come to room temperature. It won't rise if it's chilled. 

While dough rests, halve, peel, and thinly slice shallot. Core, deseed, and dice green pepper into 1-inch pieces. Thinly slice tomato into rounds.

Once dough has rested 20 minutes, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Working one dough ball at a time, carefully press and stretch dough into a rough oval shape and place on one side of prepared sheet. (TIP: If needed, use a rolling pin to help roll out dough. JW note: I used a rolling pin to get it more even) Repeat with remaining dough.

Cover dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest 15 minutes. TIP: This will make stretching the dough into a larger shape even easier!

Use floured hands to press and stretch dough on baking sheet into larger oval shapes, about 10 inches long and 5 to 6 inches wide. 

Spread dough with as much marinara as you like; sprinkle with mozzarella. Top with as much shallot, green pepper, tomato, and pepperoni as you like. Drizzle or brush edges of dough with olive oil.

Bake pizzas on top rack until crusts are golden brown and crisp, 14-18 minutes. 

Drizzle pizzas with hot honey to taste. Slice pizzas as desired. 

Divide between plates and serve with ranch dressing on the side for dipping.

Seared Chicken & Apple Spinach Salad

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

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

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

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

Seared Chicken & Apple Spinach Salad

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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