Chipotle Lime Chicken

Typically, when we have wanted to have grilled chicken for dinner I go to Central Market and pick up some of their pre-marinated chicken breasts. Their selection includes a variety of marinades, my favorite of which is chipotle lime. While this is still true, in the past year they have changed their recipe and it no longer carries the same kick that it once did.

So, I decided it was time that I tried making a chipotle lime marinade at home that would replace the old Central Market variety. When I stumbled on this recipe I was a little skeptical, particularly with the incorporation of yogurt, but I am so glad I decided to give it a try. The yogurt tampers the spice of the chipotle chiles just enough and also helps the marinade bind to the chicken throughout the cooking process. I served this chicken with grilled zucchini and bell peppers for a healthy meal that was also flavorful.

Printer Friendly Version

Chipotle Lime Chicken


Ingredients
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
Juice of 2 limes
1 large garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
2 full chicken breasts

Instructions
In a bowl combine the chipotle peppers,

lime juice,

garlic,

cilantro,

salt,

yogurt

and honey.

Wisk to combine.

Place chicken breasts into a gallon ziploc bag

Pour the marinade over the chicken.

Seal the ziploc bag and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.
Place the chicken on the pan

Cook for 3 minutes each side to get the grill marks on the chicken.

Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and top with the remaining marinade from the ziploc bag.

Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with grilled veggies and enjoy.

Source: Slightly adapted from Guilty Kitchen

Crunchy Vietnamese Steak Salad

I have searched high and low for a crisp, crunchy and flavorful Asian salad recipe. I have dined on many Asian salads in restaurants throughout the years, and I like aspects of most, but I would not say that I love any. I have also made quiet a few, all with the same humdrum results. Yesterday I stumbled upon this recipe on the Food and Wine  website (just flipping aimlessly through the recipes with pictures...yes...I am one of those people that will only make recipes with pictures!). I was intrigued by this Vietnamese version (pretty picture), I bought the few ingredients that I needed, I made the salad, and I have subsequently fallen in love with this light and bright creation!

Beautiful puppy Cort

I love her white stripe...it is almost like a painter painted this stripe!

We paired steak rather than chicken with this salad because we were really craving steak, but we didn't want an overly heavy dinner. I almost always associate steak with gluttonous over-indulgence (buttered potatoes, mac and cheese, bold red wine). However, with this salad, steak can be part of an everyday dinner that is tasty, comfortably filling and healthy!

Sweet Shafer

I omitted a few ingredients (serrano chile, mint, cliantro, shallots and onion) either because we do not like the flavor, or my grocery store did not have these ingredients on that particular day, and I was not motivated enough to go have a scavenger hunt for the missing ingredients. I also added shredded apples, Chow Mein Noodles (for crunch), used almonds rather than peanuts and used steak rather than chicken. I think it is so fun and important to be able to make substitutions based upon personal preferences and individual situations. I think it makes you a more confident chef and gives you ownership of your kitchen creations! What recipe can you change up to make it your own?

Getting into trouble together! Caught digging!

Printer Friendly Version


Ingredients for Salad Dressing:
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of Asian fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon of water
1 small garlic clove, minced

Ingredients for Salad:
4 cups of green cabbage, finely shredded
2 carrots, finely shredded
1 apple, finely shredded
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons of sliced almonds
3 tablespoons of Chow Mein Noodles (crunchy noodles that you can find in the Asian section of your grocery store...even my tiny neighborhood grocery store had these!)
6 ounces of sliced beef tenderloin, cooked (you can use whatever type of beef you wish, or chicken)

Steps for the Dressing:
1. Gather all of your ingredients.

2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, water and garlic.

3. Stir to combine and then set aside for at least five minutes.

Steps for the Salad:
1. Gather all of your ingredients. I shredded my cabbage and carrots myself, but you can easily by these items shredded to make your prep work a bit easier.

2. Combine the cabbage, carrots, apple, almonds, Chow Mein Noodles.

3. Toss to combine, adding the olive oil.

4. Add your sliced steak (or chicken).

I seared our beef tenderloin in a heavy pan on our range with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. 

It turned out really perfectly!

5. Add the dressing and toss to combine.

6. Enjoy with a crisp and clean Chardonnay!

Peach and Brie Quesadillas with Lime-Honey Sauce

Tonight was book club night with a group of wonderful girls. I love book clubs. Based on the book clubs that I have been a part of in my life, it seems that the main focus of a book club is about gathering together to chat, and the book is often way down on the list of topics brought to the table! Our book this evening was Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson. Although a page turner towards the end, we had a consensus that it was a bit too intense and heavy. Next month we plan for lighter book reading fare!

Hi Shafer!

The dinner was focused on light Mexican, and therefore, I thought it would be fun to offer a sweet play on the classic Quesadilla! This recipe is from Cooking Light, and I held rather true to the original recipe, but I doubled the amounts to accommodate for 10 diners.

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients for the Lime-Honey Sauce:
4 tablespoons of honey
4 teaspoons of fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons of grated lime rind

Ingredients for the Quesadillas:
2 cups of fresh peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
6 ounces of Brie cheese, thinly sliced
5 large flour tortillas
Olive oil for coating the pan

Steps for Sauce:
1. Combine the honey, lime juice and grated lime rind and whisk together.

2. Set aside.

Steps for Quesadillas:
1. Combine the sliced peaches, chives and brown sugar in a large bowl and toss gently to combine.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and allow the sprinkling of olive oil to flow across the pan.

3. Add one large tortilla to the pan.

4. Spread the sliced brie and peaches evenly across on half of the tortilla.

5. Fold over the other half of the tortilla onto the side with all the brie and peaches, like a sandwich on one piece of bread. It should look like a pita.

6. After about 30 seconds to 1 minutes, carefully flip over the quesadilla so that you can brown the other side. Be careful not to loose the peaches and brie as you flip!

7. Cook for another minute, until the tortilla is crisp and slightly browned.
8. Transfer to a board and slice into small pieces.

9. Serve with the sauce and enjoy with friends!

Super excited when I came home tonight!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

A few Christmases ago, I received the Nordstrom Flavors Cookbook as a gift. This cookbook is full of great recipes, my favorite by far is the cilantro lime chicken tacos. This was the first taco recipe I had attempted, or really seen, that did not involve taco seasoning packets or mixes. Instead, lime juice and cilantro play the starring seasoning role in both flavoring the taco meat and the vinaigrette that serves as the sauce.

Robert also loves these tacos and regularly requests it when asked what he wants to eat during a given week. Additionally, I often serve these tacos to dinner guests as it is easy to prepare and keeps me from having to spend most of the evening in the kitchen finishing up dinner. If you or any of your dinner companions have an aversion to cilantro, have no fear. You can easily omit the cilantro from the taco meat and leave the cilantro to the vinaigrette so those who do enjoy cilantro can still get a taste.

Printer Friendly Version


Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos


Vinaigrette Ingredients
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
pinch of Kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions
In a food processor or blender add the seasoned rice vinegar,

lime juice,

honey,

garlic, salt and chipotle pepper.

Turn on the machine. While it's running, pour the oil in a small, steady stream to make a thick sauce.

Gradually add in the cilantro until the mixture becomes dark green in color.

 Place in a serving bowl and set aside while you make the taco filling.

Taco Filling Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound ground chicken (or ground turkey if chicken is unavailable)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the chicken, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper to the oil.

Cook until chicken is cooked through.
Add the soy sauce,

 and lime juice to the chicken.

Simmer until the liquid is almost completely reduced. Place in a serving bowl.

Serve with chopped yellow bell pepper, chopped romaine lettuce, chopped cherry tomatoes, queso fresco, flour or corn tortillas and the vinaigrette.

Source: Nordstrom Flavors Cookbook