Huli Huli Chicken

Dr. Sweetpea and I are the weird ones that grill in the winter. So when I found this Huli Huli Chicken recipe on pinterest/taste of home, I knew I wanted to make it this week. I don't have any pictures but the recipe is posted below. It's definitely one of our favorite chicken marinades.

Huli Huli Grilled Chicken

(Source: Taste of Home)

1 cup packed brown sugar (next time we are going to reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup)

3/4 cup ketchup

3/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup sherry or chicken broth

2 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

24 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 5 pounds)

In a small bowl, mix the first six ingredients. Reserve 1 1/3 cups for basting; cover and refrigerate. Divide remaining marinade between two large resealable plastic bags. Add 12 chicken thighs to each; seal bags and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink; baste occasionally with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes.

Shaking Beef

This recipe for Shaking Beef tastes exactly like the ones that I have eaten in Vietnamese restaurants. 

Shaking Beef

(Source: Charles Phan - Slanted Door Restaurant)

1 1/2 to 2 pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes

5 garlic cloves, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup rice-wine vinegar

1/4 cup rice wine (mirin)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Juice of 1 medium lime (about tablespoons)

2 bunches watercress or 1 small head red leaf lettuce, separated into leaves

1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

3 scallions, trimmed and cut in 1-inch lengths

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In large bowl, place meat, garlic, 1 tablepsoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and no more than 12 hours. Whisk together rice-wine vinegar, wine, soy sauce, fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon sugar. In small ramekin, whisk together lime juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Arrange watercress or lettuce on four plates.

Divide meat into 2 portions and place in two medium bowls. In wok or large skillet over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil until smoking, then add 1 portion meat in one layer. Sear until brown crust forms, about 3 to 4 minutes, then flip to brown other side, another 3 to 4 minutes. Add half of red onion slices and half scallions, and sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1/3 cup vinegar mixture and shake pan to release beef, stirring if necessary. Add 1 tablespoon butter, shaking pan until butter melts. Remove meat, and repeat with remaining portion of meat and remaining onions, scallions, vinegar mixture, and butter. Arrange beef on top of lettuce and serve with lime dipping sauce.

Madeleines

Who doesn't love a Madeleine? The bite sized, buttery, soft, scallop shaped, sponge cake that is addictive when eaten with a cup of coffee. I've tried many varieties over the years and each one was a little different than the last. Whether it was super soft and sponge like or very dense and similar to a cookie. Regardless of the texture, they were all extremely good  super pricey. I eventually caved and bought myself madeleine pans last week and decided to make some at home. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy and fast it is to make madeleines. As for the taste? They were phenomenal!!! I think this was an excellent recipe for the novice baker making madeleines. Dr. Sweetpea devoured 4 in one sitting.

Madeleines

(Source: Chicago Metallic Baking Company)

2/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon orange extract (I used lemon extract)

1/2 teaspoon shredded orange peel (I used lemon peel)

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan with non-stick spray. Sift together flour and baking powder in small bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, beat eggs, orange extract, and orange peel on high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat another 5 minutes or until thick. 

Gently fold in flour mixture, then melted butter. Mix until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the molds (I used a one tablespoon cookie scoop to do this), filling about 3/4 full. Bake approximately 8 minutes, or until the edges are light brown. Cool in the pan for 1-2 minutes before inverting the madeleines onto a cooling rack. 

Chili Con Queso Pasta

One of my least favorite things to do during the week is to slave over the stove to cook dinner after work. So I absolutely love meals that can be prepared in 1 hour or less during the work week. I recently purchased Rachael Ray's 365 No Repeat cookbook off of amazon and decided to try this Chili Con Queso pasta recipe. Simply put, if you're addicted to Chili Con Queso like I am, you will LOVE this dish! It's cheesy, spicy, meaty, and super easy to throw together for an easy midweek meal. I actually brought leftovers to work for lunch the next day and it tastes just as good.

Chili Con Queso Pasta

(Source: Rachel Ray)

1 Pound Dried Penne Pasta

1 1/2 Pounds Ground Beef

1 Tablespoon Dried Ground Cumin

1 Tablespoon Dried Ground Coriander

2 Tablespoons Dried Chili Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped

4-6 Large Cloves Garlic, Chopped

1 Jalapeno Pepper, Seeded and Finely Chopped

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour

2 Cups Milk

2 1/2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

1 (14 Ounce) Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Preheat the broiler to high and position the rack 8 inches from the heat. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta al dente. While the water is coming to a boil, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the hamburger.  When the hamburger is almost finished, but still a little pink, throw in the garlic, jalapeño, and onions and finish cooking until the burger is browned and the onion is translucent.  Drain the grease from the skillet and mix in the cumin, coriander and chili powder and pepper.  Take off the heat or turn heat down low. In a medium sauce pot (and you can do this while you're browning the hamburger), melt the butter and add the flour to it.  Cook for 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat and then whisk in the milk. When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheese, cilantro and parsley with a wooden spoon.  When the cheese has melted, stir in the tomatoes. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it back into the large pot.  Add the contents of the hamburger and all of the Cheddar sauce, and stir to combine.  Transfer to a baking dish, sprinkle with a bit more cheese if you wish, and place under the broiler to lightly brown.

My Favorite Salad

This is a salad that I have gotten addicted to over the last couple of weeks. It's very similar to a salad served at a local pizza place here in the twin cities but for the fraction of the price. Plus, it has a generous serving of prosciutto mixed in, so that is always a win in my book.

Spring Greens with Prosciutto, Parmesan, and Toasted Pecans

1 package of fresh spring greens

Prosciutto slices, chopped up

Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

Toasted Pecans

Balsamic Vinaigrette 

Toss the spring greens with prosciutto slices, Parmesan cheese, pecans, and drizzle some balsamic dressing on top before serving. 

Blondies

I've never met a chocolate chip cookie that I didn't love. So when someone told me that blondies are like chocolate chip cookies but in a bar form and chewy like a brownie, I HAD to make some for myself. I found this blondie recipe in my Americas Test Kitchen cookbook and was not disappointed with the end results. Perfectly chewy, chocolatey, caramel flavor from the brown sugar, and the pecans added a nutty touch. These bars will definitely be in our regular cookie rotation.

Blondies

(Source: Americas Test Kitchen)

Vegetable cooking spray

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2) ounces unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips (I used semisweet chocolate chips)

1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with 2 pieces of foil. Coat the foil-lined pan with vegetable cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the semisweet and white chocolate chips and the nuts, and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until the top is shiny and cracked and feels firm to the touch, for 22 to 25 minutes. Place the pan on a rack and let cool completely (about an hour). Cut into 1 1/2- by 2-inch bars.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Dr. Sweetpea and I absolutely LOVE Indian food. We used to go to Indian restaurant buffets together when we lived in Chicago and we have gone to a couple here in Minneapolis. I always always ALWAYS devour their Chicken Tikka Masala like nobodies business. Seriously, the creamy, spicy, sauce with the big tender pieces of chicken is one of my favorite comfort foods. So imagine my delight when I found this amazing Chicken Tikka Masala recipe online. Super easy to make at home and tastes very similar to the stuff I have eaten at restaurants. This is definitely keeper in our household.

Chicken Tikka Masala

(Source: Bon Appetit)

6 garlic cloves, finely grated

4 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger

4 teaspoons ground turmeric

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 cups whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise

3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup tomato paste

6 cardamom pods, crushed

2 dried chiles de árbol or 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes (I used tomato sauce)

2 cups heavy cream (I used 1 cup instead of 2 cups)

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish

Combine garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl. Whisk yogurt, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and chill 4-6 hours. Cover and chill remaining spice mixture. Heat ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and chiles and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until bottom of pot begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until sauce thickens, 8-10 minutes. Add cream and chopped cilantro. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside sheet. Arrange chicken on rack in a single layer. Broil until chicken starts to blacken in spots (it will not be cooked through), about 10 minutes. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, add to sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Serve with rice and cilantro sprigs.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Meatloaf

Every once in a while, Dr. Sweetpea asks me to make meatloaf for him. I've never been a fan of it because it always seems very bland and it never really appeals to  me. Then I came across this Brown Sugar Meatloaf and it had some amazing reviews and decided to give it a try. I was absolutely blown away by how delicious it turned out. More importantly, the recipe gave me an opportunity to use leftover saltine crackers from when I was making holiday cookies. This is definitely staying in our "make again" recipe list. I served this with a side of Roasted Garlic Mashed potatoes too.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

(Source: All Recipes)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 – 2 teaspoons ground mustard powder (my addition, optional)

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place aluminum foil on top of a cookie sheet and lightly grease. In a small blow, mix together the brown sugar, ketchup, and mustard powder, set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.

Bake for about 40 minutes and spread the ketchup glaze on top of the meatloaf. Bake for another 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

(Source: The Neelys)

1 head garlic

Olive oil

2 pounds red potatoes, washed well and quartered

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice off the very top of the garlic head. Drizzle head with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place on a sheet tray and bake until tender and fragrant, roughly 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the cloves and mash with a wooden spoon. Place potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender and drain. Mash the potatoes until smooth.

Meanwhile heat butter and cream until butter melts. Add the roasted garlic and potatoes and mash all together. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. 

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dr. Sweetpea has been asking me to bake some Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies for the last couple of days. I decided to try a different recipe today to see if it will be better than my go to recipe. I'm super glad I did because these cookies are chewier than the cookies that I've baked for Dr. Sweetpea in the past. In fact, I think this recipe will now be my new go to recipe whenever Dr. Sweetpea requests Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Source: Averie Cooks)

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats (not instant or quick cook)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon, added to taste

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch salt, optional and to taste

1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup raisins or nuts, optional and to taste

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the egg, butter, sugars, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.

Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.

Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, optional raisins or nuts, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

Using your hands, form dough balls that are approximately the size of golf balls. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.

Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 8-9 minutes (for super soft cookies, longer for more well-done cookies), or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don't -overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don't use a rack.

Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

The Very Best Fajitas

I usually try to have a picture with every recipe that I post on my little blog but by the time I wanted to take some pictures, we all all of the fajitas. One of the things I usually order at a Mexican restaurant is Steak Fajitas. I absolutely love the juicy pieces of meat mixed with bell peppers and onions. I have tried many fajita recipes at home to recreate the kind that I have eaten at restaurants but didn't have much luck until I found Emeril's recipe. The meat is perfectly marinated and cooking it on a cast iron skillet is key to making this restaurant quality.

Steak Fajitas
(Source: Emeril)

Marinade:

1 (2 to 3)pound flank steak

1/2 cup dry Sherry wine

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano (my addition)

1 teaspoon chili powder (my addition)

1 lime, juiced (my addition)

Vegetables:

2-3 red bell peppers, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

Slice the meat in 1/2 inch thick slices.  In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour the marinade mixture into the bag with the steak, seal and marinate in the refrigerator at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours in advance.

Pour about a tablespoon of vegetable oil onto a cast iron skillet. Let it get really hot before adding the marinated meat into the skillet. Let the meat get nice and brown on all sides and move the cooked meat to a plate. Toss in the sliced red bell peppers and onion into the cast iron skillet you used to cook the meat. Let the vegetables cook for about 5 minutes before tossing the meat back into the skillet. Warm up some tortillas and serve with some guacamole and sour cream :o)