Chicken Teriyaki

My mom makes the best Chicken Teriyaki ever! I'm talking big, juicy, tender pieces of Chicken covered in a delicious teriyaki sauce. I've been craving it when I moved to Minneapolis, and I finally got her secret recipe!

Chicken Teriyaki 

(Source: My Mom) 

1 pound package of chicken thighs, cut into strips

2 - 3 teaspoons soy sauce

1 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch 

1 - 2 teaspoons garlic powder

Black Pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

Green onion

Teriyaki Sauce

Combine chicken thigh strips, soy sauce, cornstarch, and garlic powder together in a large bowl. Once the chicken strips are completely covered with the mixture, let it rest in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. A few minutes prior to making the chicken teriyaki, slice the bell peppers into long strips and cut the green onion into 2 inch pieces. Pour a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet and let the oil heat up a few minutes. Add the chicken thigh pieces and cook until browned on all sides. Add the bell peppers and green onion and let it cook for 3 -5 minutes. Pour in your favorite teriyaki sauce and serve! 

Easiest Ever Chicken Pot Pie

I've been on a comfort food kick since it has been cold the last couple of days. So when I saw Chicken Pot Pie at Costco a few days ago, I couldn't get it out of my head and wanted to try making it at home. That said, a lot of the pot pie recipes I found online listed condensed cream of chicken soup (yuck) as an ingredient, so I was immediately turned off. Then I looked through my America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Meals Cookbook and saw the "Easiest Chicken Pot Pie" recipe. I thought it was suuuuuuper weird that Boursin Cheese was one of the ingredients but decided to girl it a whirl since it didn't list condensed soup. Honestly, this is the BEST Chicken Pot Pie I've ever had!!!! It's super quick to make and the Boursin Cheese makes it suuuuper creamy. I couldn't stop eating this by the spoonfuls and Dr. Sweetpea said this is the best Chicken Pot Pie ever! This is definitely something we will make again this fall :o)

Easiest Ever Chicken Pot Pie

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 (5.2 ounce) package Boursin Cheese, crumbled

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed

Garlic powder (my addition)

Onion flakes (my addition)

Refrigerated Pillsbury Pie Crust

 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Microwave mushrooms on plate lined with 2 layers of coffee filters until softened, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, combine shredded chicken, Boursin, broth, cream, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until cheese is melted and mixture is thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in microwaved mushrooms and peas and carrots. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I also added some garlic powder and onion flakes for more flavor.) Carefully unroll one of the pie crusts and lay it on the pie plate. Pour chicken mixture over the pie crust. Carefully lay the second pie crust over the top. Tuck overhanging dough underneath itself to be flush with rim of pie plate. Cut three 1 inch steam vents into top of dough. Bake until filling is bubbling and crust is browned, about 25 minutes, rotating pie halfway through baking. Let cool slightly and serve. 

All American Beef Chili

It's definitely feeling like Fall here in Minneapolis. The sun rises later and sets earlier and the weather reporters are saying it won't even hit 60 degrees later this week. Whenever the temperature dips into the chilly range, I'm all about comfort food. I have been craving a delicious bowl of hot chili ever since it became September and decided to try the one in my America's Test Kitchen Cookbook. Their recipes are absolutely fool proof and I have never been disappointed with my meals. The plus side? It's sooooooooooooooo simple to make too! I devoured a big bowl in no time flat and Dr. Sweetpea had two big servings!!! Definitely try this recipe at home if you want a delicious and simple chili :o)

All American Beef Chili

(Source: America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 yellow onions, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt, divided

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 pounds ground beef (85-90% lean)

2 (15-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree (I used tomato sauce)

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until it is shimmering. Add the onions, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, cayenne and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the beef and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans, diced tomatoes (with their juice), tomato puree and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat so it maintains a slow simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for an additional 45 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste before serving. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired. Leftover chili can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The chili can also be frozen for up to 1 month.

Limoncello Tiramisu

It's starting to get cold in Minneapolis, so for my last summer treat, I decided to make my infamous Limoncello Tiramisu. It's very similar to a traditional Tiramisu recipe except that the lady fingers are dipped in a Limoncello mixture. This is seriously the best dessert to eat while sitting on your balcony while enjoying the last days of summer.

Limoncello Tiramisu

(Source: Culinary SOS)

3 large eggs (separated)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 cups whipping cream

1 pound mascarpone cheese

1 cup limoncello

2 cups milk

About 5 dozen ladyfinger cookies

2 to 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

About 1 cup shaved white chocolate

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the egg yolks, powdered sugar and lemon zest until light and pale, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the whipping cream and mascarpone and continue to beat (if using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment) until fluffy. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl if using a stand mixer. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the mascarpone base. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the limoncello and milk. Quickly soak the ladyfingers in the limoncello mixture and use them to line the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Gently spoon over about half of the whipped mascarpone mixture, smoothing it over the soaked ladyfingers. Add another layer of soaked ladyfingers, then cover with the remaining whipped mascarpone mixture. Refrigerate just until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve within a few hours of assembly. Before serving, sprinkle over the cocoa powder and top with shaved white chocolate.

Four Cheese Pizza

My parents went on a Hawaiian cruise earlier this year and they kept talking about the 4 cheese pizza they ate on the ship. It's a little different than the pizza that we're all used with pizza sauce but it's SOOOOOO good! It's also super easy to make, especially when you use Naan as the pizza crust.

Garlicky Four Cheese Naan Pizza

(Source: My parents)

1 store bought Naan

Garlic infused olive oil

Crumbled Gargonzola Cheese

Shredded Provolone Cheese

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Shredded Mozzerella Cheese

Drizzle garlic infused olive oil on Naan and spread around using a pastry brush. Then sprinkle the four different cheese over the Naan and bake at 350 until the cheese is melted and golden on top.