Seriously The Best Chicken Fajitas

We absolutely love grilling food outside on our balcony when the weather is warm. Surprisingly, it has been very spring like here in the twin cities, so we have been grilling our food a lot. Since Dr. Sweetpea said he had a huge craving for awesome chicken fajitas, I decided to try out the Chicken Fajita marinade in my Science of Good Cooking Cookbook. We were not disappointed with the end result. We actually made these chicken fajitas three times in two weeks!

Chicken Fajitas

(Source: The Science of Good Cooking)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup lime juice
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (we omitted since we both hate cilantro)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) cut into equal sized pieces
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds (do not separate rings)
2 large bell peppers, quartered, stemmed and seeded

Whisk 1/4 cup oil, lime juice, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, Worcestershire, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade and set aside. Place marinade and chicken in 1 gallon zipper lock bag and toss to coat; press out as much air as possible and seal bag. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. flipping bag halfway through marinating. Brush both sides of onion rounds and peppers with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and salt and pepper both sides. Grill the chicken until it's done. Then grill the vegetables until they are nice and brown on both sides. Serve with warm tortillas.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

If you're a fan of Cajun cooking, this is will definitely hit the spot. Dr. Sweetpea was very skeptical about how good this pasta dish would turn out when I told him I was making this for dinner. In fact, he even tried to persuade me into making something else. I can also be very stubborn, and still made this even with Dr. Sweetpea's hesitations. I'm SOOOOOO glad I did though! This is seriously one of the best pasta dishes that I've made at home. As for Dr. Sweetpea? It seriously took only ONE BITE for him to be raving about how good his dinner was. He was still talking about how good this Cajun Chicken Pasta was the next day even after having leftovers. Definitely a keeper recipe for us and I will definitely be making this again sometime in the near future.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

(Source: Ree Drummond)

3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes

3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste

1 pound Fettuccine

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced

1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced

1/2 whole Large Red Onion, Sliced

3 cloves Garlic, Minced

4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced

2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1/2 cup White Wine

1 cup Heavy Cream

 Cayenne Pepper To Taste

 Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

 Salt To Taste

 Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine. Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!

Dr. Sweetpea's Favorite Pizza

Dr Sweetpea's favorite pizza toppings are cheese, chopped green peppers, mushrooms, and ground beef. He very rarely sways away from his toppings. So I decided to make pizza for him at home but added my on twist and Dr. Sweetpea LOVED it!

I added some seasonings to the ground beef to make it more flavorful and topped the pizza off with some feta cheese. I personally think the Feta cheese is what made this pizza even better.

Dr. Sweetpea's Favorite Pizza

Your favorite pizza dough

Pizza Sauce

Crumbled Feta

Chopped Green Peppers

Ground Beef

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Salt

Pepper

Dried Oregano

Sliced Mushrooms

Red Pepper Flakes

Shredded Mozzarella

Shredded Parmesan

Make the Ground Beef topping:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, sprinkle with a dash of garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook until the meat gets nice and golden brown. Set aside.

Make the pizza:

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out your pizza dough until it’s about 1/8^th of an inch thick. Liberally spread your pizza sauce over the dough. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella, chopped green peppers, and sliced mushrooms over the pizza. Bake for about 15 minutes. Once you take the pizza out of the oven, sprinkle some crumbled feta on top and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Take your hot pizza out of the oven, sprinkle some shredded parmesan and red pepper flakes on top and slice into desired portions. 

Chicken Katsu

I grew up eating Chicken Katsu pretty frequently as a kid, especially since I loved dipping my pieces of meat in the katsu sauce. So when I saw this recipe for Chicken Katsu, I had to make it! The batter and the panko makes the chicken super crispy. This will be my go to recipe from now on.

Chicken Katsu

(Source: L&L Restaurant)

2 eggs

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup water

4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 lb panko breadcrumbs

Open the chicken thighs and flatten with a rolling pin. Combine eggs, cornstarch, salt, white pepper, garlic powder, and water to make a batter. Coat chicken in the egg batter, then the roll in panko crumbs. Fry in oil (maximum 325 degrees) until brown and crispy. 

Orange Chicken

Dr. Sweetpea and I don't order take out regularly. We're the ones that prefer to eat homemade meals, even if it's time consuming, because we know what went into our food. Plus, it's SOOOO much healthier to make food at home because we always use fresh produce in our meals. So when we had a craving for Orange Chicken earlier this week, I scoured the internet to find a good recipe. I came across the recipe from Big Bowl and decided to give it a try. We were BLOWN away by how good this was. Seriously, the sauce was identical to what we had in restaurants. The chicken could have been crispier, but I think I didn't heat the oil enough so our chicken wasn't as crispy as we would have liked. Dr. Sweetpea told me to put this in our regular monthly rotation because it was SO good. 

Orange Chicken

(Source: Big Bowl)

Chicken:

3/4 pound chicken breast cut into 1 to 2″ slices

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

Orange Sauce:

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1/4 cup lemon juice

5 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons julienned scallion

3 tablespoons julienned ginger

8 slices red Fresno pepper, julienned (I used Serrano peppers)

2 fresh water chestnuts, peeled and sliced

2 1/4 cups peanut oil

3 thin orange slices, peeled and cut into quarters (I sliced up a whole orange)

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Mix the chicken slices with the beaten egg, flour, cornstarch and salt. Let sit for 10 minutes and, rubbing with your fingers, work the chicken together with the flour mixture again—repeat in another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the orange sauce. Combine the light soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, and salt.

In a wok or skillet, heat 2 cups of the peanut oil to 375 degrees. Keep it at that temperature while you cook the sauce.

Heat a skillet or saucepan to hot and add the remaining 1/4 cup peanut oil. When hot, add the scallion-ginger mixture. Cook, stirring rapidly, for about 15 seconds just to coat with oil. Add the orange slices and cook another 10 seconds. Add the soy-lemon-sugar and salt mixture along with the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Recombine the cornstarch-water mixture and add to the sauce. Allow to boil, thicken and clear, then turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, add the chicken to the oil and fry until crispy. Remove to drain. Immediately add the chicken to the sauce that you just made and toss briefly to coat. Serve with rice.

Parmesan Garlic Butter Green Beans

Pan sauteing fresh green beans with Garlic Butter and topping off with Parmesan is the best side dish. Period.

Green Beans with Garlic Butter

Fresh green beans

Carmine's Garlic Butter (recipe below)

Freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese

Wash and thoroughly dry the green beans before placing them in a hot skillet with olive oil. Saute the green beans for 3-5 minutes. Add in a spoonful of the garlic butter and continue to cook until the green beans are cooked through. Top with some shredded Parmesan cheese. 

Carmine's Restaurant Garlic Butter

1 cup salted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)

12 fresh oregano leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon onion powder

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, for about 3 minutes or until it is very soft. Mix in the remaining ingredients until they are well blended. Transfer the garlic butter to a glass dish, cover it, and refrigerate it. It will keep for 1 month. Let butter come to room temperature before using.

**You can use this garlic butter to make garlic bread as well. 

Fried Rice

I grew up eating all different varieties of fried rice. I've tried making my own with Dr. Sweetpea but none have come close to what I ate as a child. After hoarding tons of recipes, I finally found the one that is the most reminiscent of what my mom used to make! The only things I did differently was omitting the eggs and cooked chopped carrots in a little bit of oil before adding all the other ingredients.

Fried Rice

(Source: Big Bowl)

3 tablespoons peanut oil

2 eggs

4 Cups previously cooked Jasmine rice

1/2 teaspoon mushroom soy

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon cane sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 Cup thin sliced scallion greens (adjust for taste)

Using your hands, break up the Jasmine rice as best you can to separate the grains. Heat a wok or skillet over high heat. When hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the egg and stir quickly to break up. Add rice and toss while breaking up any lumps with the back of a spatula; until rice grains are well coated with oil. Add mushroom soy and toss to distribute. Add sugar, salt and pepper and toss to distribute. Pull off fire and toss.

Spinach Artichoke Tartlets

If you love Spinach Artichoke Dip, then you'll love these tartlets!

Spinach Artichoke Tartlets

Dip (Source: All Recipes): 

4 cloves garlic

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins. In an 8x8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and cream cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. 

Dr. Sweetpea's Favorite Jello Salad

I asked Dr. Sweetpea what his favorite dessert was while growing up. He said that his grandmother made a layered jello salad every Christmas and he has been craving it for a long time. I had no idea what he was talking about, so Dr. Sweetpea emailed his family members and got the recipe for me. I'm SO glad he told me about this holiday Jello salad because it's SOOOO delicious!

Dr. Sweetpea's Jello Salad

1 (6 oz) package lime jello

1 (6 oz) package raspberry jello

1 (3 oz) package lemon jello

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup mini marshmallows

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/2 (8 oz) package of cream cheese

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple

Prepare the lime jello layer by following the directions on the box. Pour into a 9x13 pan and chill in the refrigerator until it's semi set. Mix the lemon jello powder with 1 cup of boiling water. Mix until fully incorporated. Add in the mini marshmallows and continue to mix until the marshmallows melt. Add the mayo, cream cheese, and crushed pineapple. Mix until everything is very incorporated well. Whip the heavy cream until it's fluffy. Fold whipped cream into the lemon jello mixture. Pour into the 9x13 inch pan on top of the lime jello. Let chill in the refrigerator until it's semi set. Prepare the raspberry jello layer by following the directions on the box. Pour this mixture on top of the creamy lemon jello layer and chill in the refrigerator until set. 

The Best Pizza Dough Ever

We recently bought a pizza stone so we can make pizza at home more frequently instead of ordering out. Admittedly, I've never made pizza dough at home until I bought the pizza stone, so I scoured the internet to find the best dough recipe. Over the last couple of weeks, I've definitely tried some awful pizza dough recipes and I was nervous that I wouldn't find "the one" that Dr. Sweetpea and I would love. Then I came across a recipe from Baking Illustrated, and this recipe changed our lives forever. It uses bread flour instead of all-purpose flour which results in a suuuper crispy crust when the pizza is baked. Dr. Sweetpea admitted that he prefers the pizza we make at home now since we finally have an awesome dough recipe.

The Very Best Pizza Dough

(Source: Baking Illustrated)

1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

1 envelope (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast

1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups (22 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting work surface and hands

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for oiling the bowl

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room-temperature water and oil and stir to combine. Process the flour and salt in a large food processor, pulsing to combine. Continue pulsing while pouring the liquid ingredients (holding back a few tablespoons) through the feed tube. If the dough does not readily form into a ball, add the remaining liquid and continue to pulse until a ball forms. Process until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 30 seconds longer. The dough will be a bit tacky, so use a rubber spatula to turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand for a few strokes to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough into a deep oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 500° (I heat the oven to 450) for at least 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a chef's knife or dough scraper to divide the dough into two pieces. Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes. While preparing the dough, make your sauce and get your toppings ready. Working with one piece of dough at a time and keeping the other covered, shape the dough, then transfer it to a pizza peel that has been lightly dusted with semolina. Top your pizza as desired and slide the dough onto the heated stone. Bake until the crust edges brown and the cheese is golden brown in spots, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven, cut into wedges, and serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough (or you can freeze the second ball of dough for another time).

***We topped our pizza with some pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, and goat cheese. Then baked in the oven for 8 minutes before taking it out and adding some arugula and chopped prosciutto. We baked our pizza for an additional 2 minutes to let the arugula wilt a little bit. After the 2 minutes were up, we took our pizza out of the oven and topped it off with some red pepper flakes and shredded parmesan cheese. 

Creme Brulee

I've always loved ordering Creme Brulee for dessert at restaurants. I have always been scared to make it at home because I always envisioned it being the hardest dessert to make. I finally caved and bought some ramekins and a kitchen torch to try Ina Garten's recipe. I was never a pyromaniac, but I am have a total blast using the kitchen torch to make these little gems. Plus, these are suuuuuuuuuuper easy to make!

Creme Brulee

(Source; Ina Garten)

1 extra large egg

4 extra large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving

3 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (I actually baked for about 50 minutes), until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm. To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

Best Salmon Ever

Dr. Sweetpea and I love buying Salmon from Costco. They always sell the best quality salmon and at a great price. I wanted to try a new recipe and decided to try one that was recommended in a Facebook group that I'm in. It's seriously on of the easiest marinades I've made for Salmon. Plus, it's super flavorful and soooooo addicting. We are definitely going to use this recipe for years to come.

Sweet and Tangy Balsamic Salmon

(Source: Allrecipes.com)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt (I omitted)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 cup peanut oil

8 (4 ounce) skinless, boneless salmon fillets

Stir balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and soy sauce with salt, brown sugar, ground ginger, paprika, pepper, and red pepper flakes until the salt has dissolved. Stir in garlic, green onions, sesame oil, and peanut oil until well combined. Pour marinade into a resealable plastic bag or glass bowl. Add salmon to marinade and gently toss to coat. Place into refrigerator and marinate 2 to 24 hours. Prepare an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.

Drain excess marinade from salmon fillets. Grill until firm and opaque, about 4 minutes per side.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

I made these Buffalo Chicken Sliders last week for the Super Bowl and they are addictive!

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

(Adapted from: www.bunsinmyoven.com)

1 pound ground chicken

2/3 cup panko

1/4 cup hot sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch of salt

1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients together. Stir to combine thoroughly. Form golf ball sized meatballs using a 2 tablespoon sized cookie scoop and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Squish each meatball down with your fingers to form mini patties. Bake in preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes. Once they baked, toss them in some extra hot sauce before serving on slider buns. 

Naan Pizza with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, and Arugula

Dr. Sweetpea and I have been in a homemade pizza kick lately. I do make pizza dough at home but there are days when I'm simply too lazy to mix, knead, and roll out the dough at home. So what do I do when I want pizza? I use store bought Naan bread. Seriously this is the perfect way to make pizza on a weeknight after work. We have been topping our pizza off with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, and Arugula just like how our favorite pizza place in town does it. Personally, if you ask me, I think making personal pizza like this is soooooo much better than having it made at a pizza place with the same ingredients. Definitely something we will me regularly.

Naan Pizza with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, and Arugula

Naan

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Thin slices of prosciutto, chopped up

Baby Arugula

Goat Cheese

Pizza Sauce

Parmesan

Red Pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread pizza sauce on Naan, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of sauce, crumble Goat cheese on top of mozzarella. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes in oven. Take the naan out of the oven and sprinkle some baby arugula and chopped up pieces of prosciutto on top. Bake for an additional 2 minutes. Take the pizza out of the oven, sprinkle some parmesan and red pepper flakes on top, cut and serve.

Crostini with Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese, and Apple Chutney

I absolutely love appetizers that are bursting with flavor. I was searching for appetizer recipes that use Goat Cheese and came across this gem. It's flavorful, savory, sweet, tangy, spicey, and soooooooo addicting. I'm regretting that I didn't make these sooner because I can eat these every day and not get tired of them. Dr. Sweetpea gave this a 5 out of 5 stars. All I heard him say when eating these was, "Oh my god these are so good!".

Crostini with Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese, and Apple Chutney

(Source: Epicurious)

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

3/4 cup rice vinegar (I used unseasoned rice vinegar)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cinnamon stick

1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into -inch pieces (about 4 cups)

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup diced seeded plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 French-bread baguette, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices

Olive oil

Roasted Garlic

12 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), room temperature

Stir sugar and vinegar in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add next 4 ingredients and simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Mix in apples and raisins. Increase heat to high and boil until apples are tender, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. (Chutney can be made 3 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.) Mix in tomatoes and mint.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange baguette slices on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Spread each toast with roasted garlic; top with goat cheese and chutney.