Chipotle Chicken with Avocado Cream Sauce

really good.

Ingredients:

For the chicken: 
Juice of 2 limes
½ cup of vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
¾ tsp. chili powder
¾ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 chipotle in adobo, seeded and minced
2 lbs. chicken tenders (*I chose not to make kabobs as shown in pic.  Sorry.  If you choose to make them into kabobs, buy boneless breasts or thighs and cut them into one-inch pieces.)
Minced fresh cilantro, for serving

For the avocado cream sauce: 
1 avocado, split and pitted
½ cup low-fat greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl or a baking dish/pie plate, combine the lime juice, oil, spices, garlic, brown sugar, and chipotle.  Whisk together to combine.  Add the chicken tenders to the marinade and mix well to ensure that they are all coated and mostly submerged.  Cover, refrigerate, and let marinate for 30-60 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium-high and oil the grates.  When the chicken is done marinating and you choose to make kabobs, thread the pieces onto skewers for grilling.  (If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them first to prevent charring/burning.)  Dispose of the excess marinade.  Place the kabobs (or whole tenders) on the grill and let cook, turning once or twice, until all sides are slightly browned and the internal temperature registers 160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer.  Remove to a plate and let rest 5-10 minutes.  Sprinkle with minced fresh cilantro, if desired.

To make the sauce, combine the avocado, yogurt, garlic, and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor or a blender.  Process until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve alongside the kabobs for dipping.

*www.annies-eats.com

Williams Sonoma Classic Meatloaf Starter

Consisting of of California tomatoes and sweet onions enriched with extra-virgin olive oil, roasted garlic, and traditional seasonings, this Williams Sonoma Exclusive is simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef, pork, turkey, or a one pound combo of each

3 eggs

1 1/4 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs

Directions:

Simply combine the meatloaf starter with ground beef, pork, or turkey, along with fresh eggs and bread crumbs. Place mixture into a loaf pan and bake. (See directions on back of jar.)  Pair with a fave veggie and potato.  

*Meatloaf Starter is available at Williams Sonoma stores, selling at $12.95.

Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder

perfect for those vegetarians!  so yummy!!

Ingredients:
3 poblano peppers
1 red bell pepper
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons light butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon flour
6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups half and half (1 pint)
1 ½ lbs. new potatoes (also known as fingerlings or creamers), unpeeled and diced
1 (16 oz.) package of frozen corn kernels
pinch or two of cayenne pepper (or more or less to taste)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1.    Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush the outsides of the red pepper and poblanos with the olive oil and set them on the baking sheet. Place in the oven to roast for about 30-35 minutes (turning frequently) until the skin on the peppers is charred and peels off easily. Peel the skins off the peppers (super easy with a set of tongs) and slice them open to discard the seeds. Dice the peppers into small pieces and set aside.

2.    In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the flour to coat the vegetables. Cook for another five minutes, stirring frequently. Turn the heat to high and slowly whisk in the vegetable broth, stirring constantly. Add the half and half and stir to combine. Bring the soup to a roaring boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the poblanos, red pepper, potatoes, and corn. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add the cayenne, salt & pepper, and stir.

3.    Transfer three cups of the soup mixture into a blender and blend until the potatoes, corn, etc. are smooth and the mixture is thick. Pour the thickened mixture back into the pot with the rest of the soup and stir to combine. Simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes and serve.  Top with some shredded cheese, and in my book, I always have a little bit of bread for dipping. :)

*Adapted from www.emilybites.com

Churro Cookies

Ingredients:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, divided 

2 count refrigerated Pillsbury frozen pie crust

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, vanilla, and 1/4 cup of sugar, and set aside.

2. Unroll both of the pie crusts and smear one of them with the cream cheese mixture.

3. Place the second crust directly on top.  Using a cookie cutter or the top of a cup, press down to cut into individual-sized cookies.

4. With a fork, gently press around the circumference of the cookie to seal the edges.

5. Bake them on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 degrees  for approx. 12 minutes or until they’re firm and slightly golden.  

6. Let them cool, and brush both sides of them with the melted butter.

7. Coat them very well in the cinnamon sugar mixture (1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbsp. cinnamon).

*www.ohbiteit.com

Skinny! Chicken Piccata

yum. yum. yummm.  easy. easy. easyyyy!

Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
8 boneless, skinless, thin-cut chicken cutlets (2 lbs.) (FYI: I found that one cutlet was plenty per person, but I did NOT reduce the remaining ingredient amounts needed to make the "sauce.")
salt and pepper
1 ½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 tsp. arrowroot or cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tsp. water
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
4 thin lemon slices
3 tbsp. drained nonpareil capers
1 tbsp. unsalted butter 

Directions:
1. Generously coat a 12-in. ovenproof skillet with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat pan over high heat. Cook 2 or 3 cutlets at a time until lightly browned, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken, coating pan with cooking spray between batches.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the dissolved arrowroot or cornstarch and whisk until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Return chicken to the pan with rosemary, lemon slices and capers; gently simmer until chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and divide among 4 plates.
4. Add butter to sauce in pan and cook over high heat until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over each plate. Serves 4.  (I served with a rice pilaf and veggie.  Enjoy!!)

*People Magazine, Rocco DiSpirito's Italian Chicken, April 2013

Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

Fan-freaking-tastic.  Nuff said.

Ingredients:
2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup black beans
1 cup sweet yellow corn {canned or frozen and defrosted}
2 roma tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, washed, sliced, and diced {white and green parts}
1 large romaine heart (or 2 small hearts), washed and chopped 
1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped {optional} (I purchased cilantro and had every intention of using it, but forgot to add to the salad.  I love cilantro, but I didn't even miss it!)
2 just under ripe avocados, diced
2 cups crushed tortilla chips (I used Tostitos Artisan Brand Three Cheese flavor.  Use them too.  Yum.)
for the dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon ranch seasoning
1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
1/2 tablespoon lime juice (I didn't have a lime on hand, so I used a lemon.  I used an ENTIRE lemon.  My suggestion is whichever citrus you choose, use all of it.  It gives the dressing a thinner consistency.)
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir all salad ingredients together, excluding the tortilla chips and avocado. In a small bowl, stir all dressing ingredients together until smooth. When ready to serve, toss salad with dressing then gently stir in avocado and tortilla chips.  Serves 4.  (*Check seasoning before serving.  I sprinkled my salad with a little bit of salt and pepper after adding the avocado.)

*www.laurenslatest.com

Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce

Hands down one of the best recipes on this blog.  No question.

Ingredients:
1⁄2 cups olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp dry mustard
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1-lb. pork tenderloin (silver skin removed)

Directions:
Combine all marinade ingredients and reserve 2-3 Tbsp. Place the pork tenderloin and marinade in a Ziplock bag and let marinate for at least 3-4 hours. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, sear each side of tenderloin for 2-3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees.  (I cooked mine to 150 degrees...As it rests, it cooks about 10 more degrees.) Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. 

Pan Sauce:
Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2-3 tbsp of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed)
1-2 tsp butter

Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the marinade and let it boil down for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and remove from heat stirring until butter has melted. Pour over the pork tenderloin.

*http://chefmommy-brandao.blogspot.com