Dijon Balsamic Marinade for Chicken

I don't have a picture for this post because we ate our food waaaaay too fast, so I didn't have time to take a picture. Yes, this marinade is that good. Dr. Sweetpea kept telling me that I need to make this marinade again for our chicken while he was eating. This is definitely a keeper recipe for us :o)

Dijon Balsamic Marinade for Chicken

(Source: Plain Chicken)

1 1/2 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

4 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup dijon mustard

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar (I used 1/2 tablespoon)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dried rosemary (I omitted)

Combine all ingredients except for chicken.  Mix well.  Pour over chicken (I use a ziplock bag) and let marinate for 1 hour or up to overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and grill until done (165 degrees - this takes us around 10-12 minutes). 

Sweet Potato Salad

Summer is coming to a close, and root vegetables are starting to become more abundant at the local farmers markets. So I decided to make some sweet potato salad. I have a few recipes saved from over the years, but the one that really stood out to me was Trisha Yearwood's recipe. I personally think it's healthier because it's made with half mayo and half greek yogurt. I absolutely loved the creaminess and it was super tasty. Dr. Sweetpea was hesitant at first, but I turned him into a sweet potato salad lover after just one bite. It's that good. 

Sweet Potato Salad

(Source: Trisha Yearwood)

4 large sweet potatoes

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup diced scallions (about 6)

1 red pepper, finely diced

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

2 teaspoons orange zest

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco

Salt and pepper

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes and put them in a large pot. Cover with water, bring to a boil and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. While the potatoes are cooling, in a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, yogurt, scallions, red pepper, chives, orange zest, apple cider vinegar and hot sauce. Add the cooled potatoes to the mixture, and toss until the potatoes are fully coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Best served chilled.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

Dr. Sweetpea has been asking me to make chocolate truffles at home for quite some time now. I was always hesitant to make them because I imagined it to be a very long process. I was pleasantly surprised when I came across a recipe that uses only four ingredients. Even more surprising was how delicious these little truffles turned out!!! Not only are these super creamy, chocolatey, and easy to whip together, but these are packed with raspberry flavor! I mean who doesn't love a chocolate raspberry flavor combination? We are addicted to these and I will for sure be making these during holidays.

Chocolate Raspberry Chocolate Truffles

(Source: Very Best Baking)

1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) Milk Chocolate Morsels (I used Ghiradelli)

1 cup (6 oz.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (I used Ghiradelli)

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon peppermint extract (I used raspberry extract)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Line baking sheet with wax paper. Place milk chocolate and semi-sweet morsels in large mixer bowl. Heat cream to a gentle boil in small saucepan; pour over morsels. Let stand for 1 minute; stir until smooth. Stir in raspberry extract. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 35 to 45 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir just until color lightens slightly. (Do not over mix or truffles will be grainy.) Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet; refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Shape into balls; roll in walnuts. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Honey Barbeque Chicken Meatballs

I'm always on the lookout for quick, easy, and delicious weeknight meals that I can pull together in no time. I'm usually too tired to cook a laborious dinner after work but definitely want to make something that Dr. Sweetpea can eat when he comes home too. So when I came across this oven baked chicken meatball recipe, I went grocery shopping the same day and whipped these together really quickly. Dr. Sweetpea loved the meatballs but suggested they should be tossed with marinara sauce instead of barbecue sauce to be served as a meal, and I totally agree. Definitely going to our regular meal rotation.

Honey Barbeque Chicken Meatballs

(Source: thewholesomedish.com)

For the meatballs:

1 lb. ground chicken

1 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the barbeque sauce:

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Prepare the meatballs. In a large bowl, add all of the meatball ingredients and lightly mix together with your hands. Do not over-mix as this will produce tough meatballs. Use your hands to roll out 12-14 golf ball sized meatballs (**I used a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out my meatballs**)and spread them out on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through. (**since my meatballs were slightly smaller, they were a touch dry...so I'll bake these for about 10-12 minutes next time)

In the meantime, prepare the barbeque sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk all sauce ingredients until well combined. Transfer the sauce to a large sauce pot. Turn the heat to medium-high and let cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will begin to thicken. Reduce the heat to low. Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and gently stir to coat the meatballs. Let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

M&M Bars

When I was a kid, I absolutely loved snacking on M&Ms and chocolate chips. Like ate enough to spoil my entire appetite before dinner, even though I was told not to. So when I came across this M&M bars recipe, I HAD to make it, like asap. I immediately went grocery shopping and bought all the ingredients to bake these bars right before dinner. These were super simple make, and came together in no time flat. I also ruined my appetite for dinner because I ate so many of these bars before dinner was even ready. Dr. Sweetpea also raved about these gems and told me to make these again.

M&M Bars

(Source: Food Network)

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups M&M's

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Line a 9 x 13 inch backing dish with foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on two sides; coat the foil with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Beat the softened butter and 1 cup each granulated and light brown sugar with a mixer on medium high speed until fluffy; add 3 eggs and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low. Add 3 cups flour and 3/4 teaspoon each baking soda and salt; beat until combined. Stir in M&M's and mini chocolate chips. 

Spread the dough in the prepared pan or press using damp or oiled fingers. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 - 40 minutes.  

Ham and Cheese Pastry Puffs

My parents were visiting for the weekend and I wanted them to have something tasty to eat as soon as they arrive. I was browsing one of my new cookbooks and came across this savory breakfast puff. It's a savory, crunchy, cheesy, and absolutely delicious. These also win big points in my book because these were super easy to make. Plus, my parents and Dr. Sweetpea downed these suckers in a few minutes flat. These are that good.

Ham and Cheese Pastry Puffs

(Source: Back in the Day Pastry Puffs)

For the spice blend:

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Fine Sea Salt to taste

For the pastries: 

1 (17.3 ounce) package of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), defrosted

1/2 pound thinly sliced black forest ham

1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

To make the spice blend: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. 

To make the pastries: Unfold the pastries on a lightly floured surface. Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares. 

Arrange the sliced ham and cheese on the centers of the pastry squares, dividing them evenly. Sprinkle some of the spice blend over each one. Fold two opposite corners of each square over the filling to make a pouch and press the edges to seal; transfer the pastries to prepared baking sheet. 

Brush each pastry evenly with the egg wash. Sprinkle the tops with more spice blend to taste. Sprinkle salt evenly over the pastries. 

Bake for 12 - 14 minutes, until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.