Buffalo Chicken Kebab

 Both of us love buffalo chicken anything, so when I saw this recipe, I had to make it for us! It's really good and definitely will be a regular meal for us when grilling season hits. 

Buffalo Chicken Kebabs

(Source: Once Upon a Chef)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce, such as Frank's Redhot Original

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks

For the buffalo sauce: 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional) 

To make the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the chicken. Add the chicken and stir until evenly coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 10 hours. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers, folding if the pieces are long and thin, and place on the prepared baking sheet. 

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates. Grill the chicken, covered, turning the skewers occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the skewers to a platter. 

To make the sauce: combine the melted butter, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified. It will look greasy at first, but the action of the whisk should thicken the mixture into a smooth orange-colored sauce. Taste and add more hot sauce, if desired. 

Skillet Almond Shortbread

 If you love almonds, then definitely make this! It's chewy, has a strong almond flavor, and reminds me of maripan. Definitely a favorite around here. 

Skillet Almond Shortbread

(Source: Trisha Yearwood)

Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup sliced almonds with skins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir 1 1/2 cups of the sugar into the melted butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour and salt onto the batter. Add the flavoring and stir well. Pour the batter into the skillet. Top with sliced almonds and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until slightly brown on top, about 35 minutes. Cool the shortbread in the skillet. When cool, use the foil to lift the shortbread from the skillet; remove the foil before serving.

Spicy Pesto Pasta Alla Vodka

 This is the best vodka sauce that I've ever tried and it is so damn good, addicting. Definitely a keeper in our house. 

Spicy Pesto Pasta Alla Vodka

(Source: Half Baked Harvest)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup vodka

3/4 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought

kosher salt and black pepper

1 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk

1 pound short cut pasta

3 tablespoons salted butter

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1/4 cup fresh basil roughly chopped

 Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallot, garlic, and oregano. Cook until the shallots begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, cook 4-5 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the vodka, cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the pesto and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Just before draining, remove 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water. Drain. To the vodka sauce, add the pasta, 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, and the butter, tossing until the butter has melted. Add the parmesan and basil. If needed, thin the sauce with additional pasta cooking water. Divide the pasta among plates and top with basil and cheese. Enjoy!

Molina's Fajita Marinade

 When we lived in Houston, we ate Molina's fajitas very often. Thankfully, they were on the local news a few years ago and shared their marinade recipe and it has become one of our favorites. I doubled the recipe for our meat. 

Molina's Fajita Marinade

6 ounces pineapple juice

3.5 ounces  low sodium soy sauce

Seasoned Salt to taste

4 dried chile de arbol peppers 

Zest and juice of 1 - 2 small limes

2 ounces vegetable oil

5 ounces water

Garlic cloves (I use 4-5 cloves)

Cilantro (I use a small handful) 

Pulse chile pepper in blender. Add cilantro, water, and vegetable oil and blend together. Pour into large bowl, add pineapple juice, garlic, lime juice, zest, soy sauce and seasoned salt. Mix and then pour over meat to marinade. 

One Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake

 If you love French Onion Soup, you will love this pasta dish! It's my favorite amongst all the baked pasta dishes that I've tried. 

One Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake

(Source: Half Baked Harvest) 

4 tablespoons butter

2-3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons honey

1 cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

2 cups cremini or wild mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)

kosher salt and black pepper

3 cups low sodium chicken broth (use vegetable broth, if vegetarian)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (use soy sauce, if vegetarian)

2 leaves bay leaves

1 pound of your favorite short cut pasta

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper using more or less to your taste

1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whole milk, or canned coconut milk

1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (optional)

2 cups shredded gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter, onions, and honey together in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. At this point, you want to slowly add 1/2 cup of the wine, 1/4 cup at a time, until the wine cooks into the onions. Continue to cook another 8-10 minutes until you've used the 1/2 cup of wine and the onions are deeply caramelized.

Add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and season with salt and pepper, cook another 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup wine, the broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and the pasta. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir frequently until the pasta is al dente and the broth has been absorbed, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the cayenne, cream, gorgonzola, if using, and 1/2 cup gruyere cheese. Remove from the heat. If needed, transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Top with the remaining gruyere cheese. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is lightly browned on top. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh thyme. Enjoy!