Greek Chicken Kabobs (28 of 150)

More chicken. It's the food of healthy eating. I get really tired of chicken and so I have to find yummy marinades to make it more interesting and yummy. Did I already say yummy?

Greek chicken is one of my favorite marinades. This one was interesting in that I don't recall using red wine vinegar in other Greek marinades. The combo with Greek yogurt and vinegar made this a very delicious and savory marinade. The Greek yogurt really gets into the chicken and keeps it moist.

I had it marinading for 2 hours though. The recipe only says 30 minutes and that just doesn't seem like enough.

And I find it amusing the one recipe that actually calls for kebabing, I don't kebab. I'm a confusing person. 

I didn't make the Tzatziki sauce. I figured it would be fine without it. And besides Tzatziki makes me want to put it on piece of pita. 

Greek Chicken Kabobs

Recipe from Modern Honey

Serves 4

2 lbs. Chicken Breast (cut into large bite-size pieces)

1/2 c Greek Yogurt

3 T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

3 T Fresh Lemon Juice

1 T Red Wine Vinegar

2 tsp Dried Oregano

1 1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 1/2 c Greek Yogurt

2 T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 T Fresh Lemon Juice

1 T Red Wine Vinegar

3 Garlic Cloves (finely minced)

1 large Cucumber (peeled, grated, and squeezed to release water from cucumber)

1 T Fresh Dill (chopped)

1 tsp Salt (or more to taste)

Cut chicken breast into large bite-size pieces. In a medium bowl, make the marinade by mixing Greek Yogurt, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, oregano, spices, and red wine vinegar.

Toss the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate and let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes - 2 hours.

Once the chicken is marinated, thread the chicken on the skewers. Add peppers and onions, if so desired.

Preheat the grill to a medium- high heat. To ensure the chicken kabobs don't stick to the grill, lightly brush the grill with olive oil. Cook until chicken registers 165 degrees, about 6-10 minutes, turning at least once.

To make Tzatziki Sauce:

In a medium bowl, mix together Greek Yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, cucumber, dill, and salt. The key is to squeeze out as much water from the grated cucumber as possible. I used Fage 2% Greek yogurt but the fat-free version works well too. Taste for seasoning and salt accordingly. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve with warmed Naan bread and a Greek Salad.

Carne Asada Marinade (27 of 150)

Carne asada recipes are a dime a dozen. Every cooking blog I follow seems to have one or two. I, myself, have 9 recipes that involve carne asada in some way. 

I am always looking for that perfect carne asada recipe that makes it taste like it does in the restaurant. And I'm starting to think it's like the DoDo Bird...it doesn't exist.

It hit me tonight that instead of trying to find "THE" recipe, just keep going out for carne asada and be happy when you do. 

That being said, I'm still going to make these recipes because you never know. 

This recipe was easy and delicious. I used tritip because that's what I had in the freezer. I cut it in cubes and skewered it. I did add salt to the recipe because I used low sodium soy sauce and sometimes it needs a little something. 

I marinaded the beef for 3 hours and I feel like that was the right amount of time. 

 Carne Asada Marinade

Recipe from Baking Mischief

Serves 4

Marinade

• 1/2 c orange juice bottled is fine
• 1/2 c soy sauce low-sodium is fine
• 1/4 c lemon juice bottled is fine
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 T lime juice bottled is fine
• 2 cloves garlic pressed or diced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground chipotle chili pepper OR 1 tsp finely chopped, canned chipotle pepper optional
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro chopped, about 3/4-1 cup very loosely packed

Combine and stir together all marinade ingredients. Transfer meat into a large plastic bag or container and pour marinade over the top. Marinate for at least 4 hours, up to about 24, flipping the meat once halfway through.

Heat grill to medium-high heat and cook to your desired doneness.

Grilled Italian Lemon Garlic Chicken (26 of 150)

Another night eating low carb. Another chicken marinade. I do love a chicken marinade and kebab'ing it so more flavor per chicken piece is available. 

This was just an average marinade to me. It was good, but not great. Would I make it again? Maybe? With so many other marinade recipes I have yet to try, it's unlikely I'd go back to this one. 

But the nice thing with this one is most the ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. 

Grilled Italian Lemon Garlic Chicken

Recipe from The Country Cook

Serves 4

• 1 gallon Ziploc bag
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 T fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place all the ingredients (minus the chicken breasts) into the Ziploc bag.

Seal it up and mix all the ingredients together by shaking the bag.

Then add in the chicken breasts and seal the bag again (removing as much air as possible), then massage the marinade into the chicken.

Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (to about 350f degrees.) Make sure your grill grates ar eclean so the chicken doesn't stick.

Place marinated chicken on the grill and discard any excess marinade.

Close lid on grill and cook each side of the chicken for about 7-9 minutes per side. Keep an eye on the grill temperature that it doesn't get too hot.

Chicken is cooked when it reaches 165f degrees (measure the thickest part of the meat.)

The Best Hot Dog Chili (25 of 150)

Every  now and then a good hot dog sounds yummy. I know! I know! Hot dogs aren't that healthy, but man, they just need to fill a craving once in a while.

I've been trying to eat more low carb lately and so I made these and did not include the bun in my meal. I sooo wanted to, but I had to be an adult about it. I still dressed it with diced white onion and cheese though. Tomorrow's lunch will have dill pickles diced over it along with the onion and cheese.

This was an easy meal to make and I suspect the leftovers tomorrow for lunch are going to be really yummy. This is the first time I've ever made chili without beans. I know some Texans out there would say this is the ONLY real way to make chili, and they might be right. 

The only modification I made was WAY less cumin. I'm not a huge fan of cumin so 1 tablespoon seemed like over kill to me. I used 1 teaspoon and it felt like too much for me. I did add an extra tablespoon of chili powder too. Spicy! I used El Tapatio hot sauce instead of cayenne. 

The Best Hot Dog Chili

Recipe from South Your Mouth

Serves 8

• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 6-oz can tomato paste
• 2 c water
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 T cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1 lb lean ground chuck (90/10 or leaner) - If you use anything like 80/20 your chili is going to be greasy. Find the leanest you can. I used 90/10 and it had more grease than I would prefer. 

Sauté onions in oil (just enough to cook them in) over medium heat in a saucepan for 5 minutes or until golden.

Add garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes.

Add tomato paste then stir and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the paste just starts to brown on the bottom of the pan.

Add water then stir well to deglaze the pan. Add chili powder and remaining spices then whisk until smooth.

Add ground beef then stir the meat into the liquid with a whisk or fork. Once the meat and sauce are uniformly combined, bring to a low boil.

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Remove lid then continue simmering, uncovered, for 30 additional minutes or until chili has reached desired thickness.

Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Beef Vegetable Soup (24 of 150)

Its been a blustery winter day today in Seattle. I had hail and some serious torrential downpour. News said we might see a skiff of snow. So when the weather is like this, I like a hot bowl of soup. 

This Beef Vegetable soup fit the bill perfectly. It's a easy, no fail recipe that your cupboards probably have all the ingredients.

The original recipe over at The Cozy Cook has this soup thick. Almost stew like and she serves hers over mashed potatoes. 

For me, I'm trying to cut back on the carbs, so opted to keep this soup like instead of stew like. We'll say more brothy. 

Her recipe uses frozen veggies, which to be fair some of you may have a half of a bag in your freezer. I did not, so I pulled a can of Veg All and a small can of green beans out of the pantry. 

I didn't dredge my meat in flour since, again, I'm trying to keep the carbs lower. I really don't think that would have made too much difference in this soup at all. If you want to thicken it, her recipe includes a cornstarch slurry.

Finally, I didn't put brown sugar in my seasoning mix. Mostly because I skipped right past it, but I also am...say it with me...cutting down on carbs.

This recipe makes A LOT. It serves 10. I cut my by 1/4 and I still have enough left overs for two or three more meals. 

Beef Vegetable Soup

Recipe from The Cozy Cook

Serves 10

Beef Seasoning

• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/3 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp garlic powder
• ¾ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• ¼ c flour

Soup

• 2 lbs. chuck roast, see note 1
• 3-6 T olive oil
• ½ c dry red wine, See Note 2.
• 4 T cold butter, separated
• 1 c yellow onion, diced
• 3 T Tomato Paste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary, or ½ tsp dried
• ¼ tsp ground sage
• 7 c beef broth, or 6 for crock pot to account for liquid reduction on stove
• 1 tsp better than bouillon, or 1 beef bouillon cube
• 2 ½ cups frozen peas/carrots/corn/green beans
• ¼ cup Cornstarch + ¼ cup cold water
• 2-3 drops Kitchen Bouquet Browning + Seasoning Sauce, (Optional)- Adds an even richer darker color.
• Chopped parsley, to garnish

Season and sear the meat on each side until just browned on the outside, leave the middle red and cold. Transfer to a plate.

Deglaze the pan with red wine and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Let the liquid reduce by half.

Add butter and onions and soften for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add browned beef, rosemary, bay leaves, sage, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and beef bouillon. Cover and leave a small crack for steam to escape. Simmer gently for 2 hours.

Bring to a boil and add cornstarch + cold water mixture. Reduce heat and add frozen vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and remove bay leaf + rosemary stem. If desired, swirl in 2 tablespoons cold butter for a smooth, velvety finish. Serve with Mashed Potatoes or Biscuits.

Chopped Italian Salad (23 of 150)

This is the second dish I brought to Sunday dinner tonight. The first being bread that was delicious. I rarely get to bring salads to Sunday dinner, so I figured since it was at the Pantry Goat's house it was a perfect time to do just that. 

I used this Chopped Italian Keto Antipasto Salad from Wholesome Yum as the inspiration for my salad. 

My version of this recipe turned out pretty good. In fact I have leftover ingredients that it may be lunch tomorrow.

Chopped Italian Salad

Made up by me

Serves 6

8 oz Hard Salami (chopped)

8 oz Fresh mozzarella balls - I used the small pearl size balls

2 c Grape tomatoes (halved)

1/2 c Kalamata olives

6 c chopped romaine lettuce

Dress with Olive Garden Italian dressing.

In a large bowl, mix it all together.

Carbone’s Garlic Bread (22 of 150)

Photo from Plan
Chicken

Sunday dinner tonight. Theme was Italian. It was at The Pantry Goat's house. I opted to bring bread and
a salad. 

This bread was fantastic. I'd make this again in a heart beat. 

I don't know who Carbone's is, but I have to say they make good garlic bread apparently, if this recipe is even close to what their bread is like.

Carbone’s Garlic Bread

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 8

1 (12-oz) baguette, sliced lengthwise

6 T unsalted butter, softened

1 T olive oil

1 tsp crushed red chili flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

4 cloves garlic, smashed into a paste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

⅓ c grated parmesan

1 T finely chopped fresh chives

Heat oven broiler on HIGH.

Place baguette cut side up on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Stir together butter, olive oil, chile flakes, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Spread evenly over cut sides of baguette and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Broil until golden and slightly crisp, 2–3 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with chives. Cut into 2-inch slices.

Roasted Cauliflower (Low Carb) (21 of 150)

Photo from Kicking Keto

You know I've learned that cauliflower is often a love or hate kind of vegetable. If I polled my friends I'm sure half would make a face and half would love it. 

I have to like cauliflower. At least, cooked. Not a fan of raw cauliflower. I don't cook it as much as I'd like. More often I buy it and it sits in the fridge and starts stinking the place so I have to toss it. 

But this time I made sure I used it. I'm trying to eat healthier and so I have to really expand my vegetables. Especially low carb ones. 

This recipe was yummy. I have a feeling it'll make the rotation. I wasn't sure about the mayo Dijon combo, but it turned out to be delicious. And what isn't good with parmesan cheese, butter and lemon? I mean, really. As with every time I use I use parmesan I highly recommend NOT using the pre-shredded. Get a block and shred it yourself. It melts so much better.

Roasted Cauliflower (Low Carb)

Recipe from Kicking Carbs

Serves 6

1 head cauliflower

1/3 c mayonnaise

1 T Dijon Mustard

Salt and Pepper

2 T butter melted

1/4 c fresh grated Parmesan

1 T lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 420 degrees.

Cut cauliflower into florets and place in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and Dijon Mustard. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mayonnaise over the cauliflower and toss to combine.

Spread in a single layer on a roasting pan or on an oven safe cooling rack sitting on a cookie sheet.

Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until tender.

Transfer to a bowl. Top with melted butter, Parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir and serve warm.

In case you're keeping track:

Calories: 161kcal

Carbohydrates: 5g

Protein: 4g

Fiber: 2g

Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenders (20 of 150)

I have no idea why this is called Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken. I mean, maybe Cracker Barrel has something like this on their menu. 

This wasn't a great recipe. I thought for sure this would have more flavor with the Italian dressing, but it really didn't. 

Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenders

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 4

• 2 c Italian dressing
• 2 T lime juice
• 6 T honey
• 2 lb chicken tenderloins

Whisk together Italian dressing, lime juice, and honey.

Place chicken in a ziplock freezer bag. Pour marinade over the chicken and refrigerate a few hours to overnight.

Prepare the grill.

Remove chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.

Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

Sweet Heat Chicken (19 of 150)

Sweet heat indeed! I think my mouth is still confused. I like the sweet and savory combination and I think I expected that from this recipe. 

I'm not sure what drew me to this recipe when I found it on the interwebs. When I put the marinade together today I kept thinking I better have a back up meal planned because this was just weird. 

Hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce? It made me think of a throw back to BBQ shrimp from New Orleans. Bottom line, this recipe was awesome! Awesome. It's a perfect flavor combination. Super easy marinade to throw together and most people have these ingredients in their pantry. 

The hot sauce part of this recipe I didn't think through ahead of time. I should have bought something like Frank's. Instead I used El Tapatio, which was fine in my opinion. Franks would give a different flavor profile for sure. Tabasco would be too vinegar-y I think, I'd stay away from that.

Sweet Heat Chicken

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 4

1 c hot sauce

¼ c Worcestershire sauce

2 T white vinegar

2 T minced onion

2 T minced garlic

2 T olive oil

6 T brown sugar (I used Swerve Low Carb Brown Sugar as a replacement)

2 pounds chicken tenders

Whisk together first 7 ingredients. Pour over chicken and refrigerate for 4 hours, up to overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade and grill until done, approximately 4 minutes per side.

Slow Cooker Texas Chili (18 of 150)

Photo from Food Network

What could be better on a winter day than chili? I have a great chili recipe that I use when I make Frito Lollies.  But every now and then I want to try another chili. Today was jus that day.

Food Network recipes are usually solid. And this one is too. It's easy to make, you just need 7 hours to do it in.

I swapped out Swerve Brown Sugar (low carb) for the brown sugar in this recipe. Every little bit helps right? Other than that, I kept the recipe the same. 

Slow Cooker Texas Chili

Recipe from Food Network

Serves 8

2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes

2 T packed light brown sugar

Kosher salt

2 T vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, smashed

2 4 .5-ounce cans chopped green chiles, drained

1 T ground cumin

3/4 c chili powder

1 14 -ounce can diced tomatoes with chiles

1 to 2 T green hot sauce

Sliced scallions, fresh cilantro and/or sour cream, for topping

Tortilla chips, for serving (optional)

Toss the beef with 1 tablespoon each brown sugar and salt in a large bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef in batches until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes (do not crowd the pan). Transfer to a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion to the skillet and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chiles, cumin and chili powder and cook 3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water and the tomatoes and simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low, 7 hours.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar and the hot sauce to the chili. Serve with scallions, cilantro and/or sour cream for topping, and chips, if desired.

Per serving: Calories 482; Fat 29 g (Saturated 11 g); Cholesterol 117 mg; Sodium 1,227 mg; Carbohydrate 11 g; Fiber 0 g; Protein 36 g

Use the leftover chili to make Chili-Corn Casserole.

Smothered Chicken (17 of 150)

Photo from
Salt & Lavender

Tonight's recipe was a birthday dinner for the beasties. I realize they won't be eating dinner, but when I asked what they wanted, they said Smothered Chicken. 

Ok, not really. Smothered Chicken just came up in the random selection. 

This is a good recipe. Very comfort-y. I had a potato left from another meal so I made mashed potatoes to go with the gravy. I mean, what else would go with that thick, luscious gravy? 

I made no substitutions. The only thing I did, like all my recipes, is cut it in half. 

Smothered Chicken

Recipe from Salt and Lavender

Serves 4

• 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 T garlic powder
• 1 T onion powder
• 1/2 T paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper see note
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 1 medium-to-large onion sliced
• 1 c chicken broth
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 c heavy cream

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner cutlets. Season each piece with salt & pepper on both sides.

Add the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper to a bowl and give it a good stir. Measure out 2 tablespoons of this seasoned flour and put it in a small bowl - you will use it later to thicken the gravy.

Add the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.

While the pan heats up, add the flour from the larger bowl to a plate and then coat each piece of chicken it (you will have some leftover flour to discard).

Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes/side (golden but not quite fully cooked through). Transfer chicken to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter to the skillet. Once it's melted, add in the onions and cook until softened and golden (about 15-20 minutes. It'll depend how thin the onions are sliced and vary from skillet to skillet - I use cast iron). Stir every couple of minutes, and if the onions appear to be burning vs. slowly browning, turn the heat down.

Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour into the pan. Cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.

Add in the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce and stir until the flour has dissolved and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, then stir in the cream.

Add the chicken back to the pan and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through (165F) and the gravy has thickened a bit. You may need to increase the heat a bit to get it going again.

Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.

Chicken Shawarma Bowls (16 of 150)

I have a fond memory of shawarmas. The first one I ever had was in Saudi Arabia. Mom and I had just gotten there and Dad took us out to this little hole in the wall shop. We were excited to try something new. Dad explained to us what a shawarma was and how they were made. 

He grabbed the three wrapped bundles and we headed back to the car to eat them. We took our first bites and all you heard was "mmmm". Then more bites. Then, "WTH? There's a cold French fry in mine," says my mom. And sure enough, I had a cold fry in mine as well. Dad chuckled and said, "You never know what you'll get in them." That would have been useful to know before. 

This recipe was so very yummy. After my first bite, I heard myself saying, "MMMM".  Now, I didn't make bowls for this. I had some Middle Eastern Naan that I had found and so I wanted to use that instead. 

I grilled the chicken after marinading it for 3 hours. I chopped it into smaller bite size pieces, like what you'd see in a street taco. I warmed the naan, spread the bottom with Tzatziki, layered shredded lettuce and diced cucumber (I would have put tomatoes, but they had gone bad) and topped all that with the chicken. Wrapped it and ate it. 

Oh man. I will be dreaming about this one. 

Chicken Shawarma Bowls

Recipe from Taste Better From Scratch

Serves 6

Marinade:

• 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 lemons , juiced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
• pinch ground cinnamon
• crushed red pepper flakes , to taste
• 1 red onion , roughly chopped

For the Bowls:

• 1/2 cup hummus , or whole chickpeas
• 1 English cucumber chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes , halved
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
• fresh parsley leaves , chopped, for garnish
• feta cheese crumbles , for topping, optional

Tzatziki Sauce:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 small piece English cucumber , peeled and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper , to taste

Mix the shawarma marinade ingredients together and marinate the thighs for at least one hour or overnight.

Cook the jasmine rice according to package instructions. Make the tzatziki sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.

When ready to cook the chicken, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a baking pan, remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken thighs and chopped red onion on the pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until baked through. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing thinly.

To serve, add a scoop of cooked rice to the bottom of your bowl. Top with chopped chicken and red onion, a few cucumbers and tomatoes, and a scoop of tzatziki sauce and hummus. Top with fresh chopped parsley, feta cheese, a little crushed red pepper, if desired.

Cheddar Green Olive Dip (15 of 150)

Photo from Dinners, Dishes
and Desserts

As a kid, my Grandma Spaid used to give me a half of a bagel with cream cheese smeared on it and then topped with chopped green olives. Mom ate it too. And now, as an adult, I've had it on occasion. It's one of those things that I crave. Eat it for a week and then I'm done.

This recipe took that simple cream cheese and olives to the next level.

I made this for book club and there were leftovers. Today, instead of crackers, I stuffed some left over celery with it...oh man. That was tasty. I also think using this with carrots, or GAH, on an apple slice! 

Cheddar Green Olive Dip

Recipe from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

Serves 8

• 1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese, softened (1/3 less fat is fine)
• 1/2 c mayo, (I used light)
• 1 1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 (7oz) jar STAR Pimiento Stuffed Manzanilla Spanish Olives, drained and coarsely chopped

In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients. Mix until everything is evenly distributed. Pour into an air tight container. Let set for at least 3 hours before serving.

Serve with crackers either hot or cold.

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.