Chicken Curry

adapted from mietusinthekitchen.blogspot.com

2 chicken breasts
1 tsp olive oil
3 cups condensed chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped tart apple
2-3 Tbsp. curry powder
2-3 pinches garlic powder
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. cardamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper as desired
2 tsp. lime peel
2 Tbsp. lime juice
cooked rice
condiments: raisins, peanuts, coconut, chutney

Add olive oil to skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken. In skillet add 1/4 cup butter, onion, apple, curry powder and garlic powder. Sauté  about 5 minutes and stir in remaining ingredients. Add the reserved liquid and bring to boil. Then add chicken. Serve over rice with condiments of raisins, peanuts, coconut, and chutney. 

We only had enough limes for 1 tsp lime peel and 1 tbsp lime juice but the meal was still great. This will be making a regular appearance on our table!

Husband rating: 4.5 stars!

Boys say: thumbs up (that may have something to do with the fact that this dinner has "curry" in the name. Our boys, husband included, have been enjoying the NBA Playoffs and watching superstar Stephen Curry!)

Sweet and Smoky Pork Tacos

from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients:

1 2.5-3.5-pound pork roast (sirloin is a good lean cut, picnic roast is always delicious but fattier, pork loin is a good middle-of-the-road cut)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons dry onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup Coke (not Diet Coke)
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chilies (2 if you want medium heat, 3 if you really want it spicy; if you’re very sensitive to heat, use 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce or mild enchilada sauce. Keep in mind the finished product will be milder.)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Juice of 1 lime

Ingredients:

Heat about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork roast with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the pork roast and sear on all sides. Transfer the pork to a crock pot.

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, onion, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and smoked paprika. Rub it over the top of the pork roast. Whisk together the Coke, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, and liquid smoke and pour it around the pork roast. 

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours or until it shreds easily with a fork. Juice the lime over the pork and stir to combine, then season to taste with salt. Serve with lime wedges, crumbled queso fresco, fresh pico de gallo, sliced white onions, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, and any other favorite taco toppings.

I found a cilantro cotija dressing in the produce section of our local grocery store. We all loved it with these pork tacos. 

Husband rating: 3.5 stars
Boys say: thumbs up

Orange Roasted Tilapia or Salmon

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by KBURIE

INGREDIENTS:

1 orange, sliced into rounds 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 5 (6 ounce) tilapia or salmon fillets 1 tsp lemon pepper

1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 tsp dried parsley

DIRECTIONS:

	Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
	In a small bowl or cup, stir together the lemon pepper, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Spray a 9x13 backing dish with cooking spray. Place the slices from one of the oranges in a single layer in the bottom of the baking dish.  Place the tilapia or salmon on the orange slices. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the fish. Add the seasoning mixture.  Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Husband rating: 3 stars Boys say: thumbs up

BBQ Chicken Salad

Romaine

1/2 bbq chicken breast, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1/4 c black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 corn

ranch

additional options: 

shredded cheese

avocado, chopped

bacon slice, crumbled

Chop the romaine and top with ranch dressing. Mix. Then load on the the toppings. 

This was an easy lunch when I had left over bbq chicken. This would be great to prepare the ingredients at the beginning of the week and have two or three times. That way you only open one can of beans and use most of it over the course of the week. And that way you only cook the chicken at one time and have it ready to go. Healthy eating is much easier with healthy options ready to go!

My rating: 4 stars

Quotes-Friendship

My mother always had quotes on our refrigerator when we were growing up. I still remember some of those quotes. They helped shape my beliefs and decisions. They gave me encouragement in hard times. My grandmother also placed quotes up in the house and my mother remembers growing up with these positive thoughts. I continue this family tradition with a large chalkboard near our kitchen (I know you'll ask so I'll just tell you! I bought the chalkboard from MintageDesigns on Etsy). 

I have a friends who always checks my quotes when she comes over. This makes me smile. It also gives me the idea that you may also enjoy a quote for your day. So every now and then I'll share a new one with you. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Burritos

heavily adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by Karena

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups chopped sweet potatoes 2 cooked and cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts olive oil 1/2 sweet onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons ground cumin 3 tablespoons chili powder 3 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos 4 teaspoons prepared coarse mustard 2 cups black beans, drained 1 cup corn 6 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed 8 ounces shredded cheese blend 1/2 c cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix chopped sweet potatoes with a little olive oil and a salt. Put a piece of foil in a cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer and cook in oven until potatoes are soft and speckled brown.
2.	While sweet potatoes are baking, heat a roughly 1 tsp of olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until soft with cumin and chili powder, water, soy sauce and mustard. Add beans and corn to the onion mixture. Add sweet potatoes and chicken to bean mixture. Stir and heat until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in cilantro.
3.	Place 1/3-1/2 cup of mixture in the middle of a tortilla. Add a small handful of cheese, if desired. Fold in two opposite sides of tortilla then roll. Heat in panini maker until tortilla is slightly browned.
	The list of ingredients didn't seem like a good idea! I wasn't sure how this was all going to come together, but I'm so glad we tried it. This is a healthy tasty meal. For a gluten free option, use gluten free tortillas or just make a bowl of this instead of a burrito. For dairy free, make a bowl without cheese.  Husband rating:  4.5 stars Boys say:  thumbs up

Crispy Roasted Green Beans

lightly adapted from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans, washed and ends trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 and line cookie sheet with aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, toss the beans, oil, and spices until the beans are evenly coated. Spread evenly over the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until crispy but not burned.

My rating: 4 stars 

Boys say: thumbs up

Carolina Gold

Previously on this blog I mentioned a favorite barbeque sauce from Trader Joe's. If you can believe it, they've come out with a sauce that's even better! I love this Carolina Gold Barbeque Sauce. Last night we grilled chicken breasts, lathered the meat with the sauce as it cooked, added a few easy side dishes and voila-dinner was served! 

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Dry Rub

When dinner plans a, b and c fell through one night I had to come up with something as quickly as possible! I had chicken in the fridge and a pantry full of spices. This dry rub turned out to be a new favorite for my husband. Sometimes it's a good thing when the plans fall through!

Ingredients:
almost 1/4 c paprika
3/4 tbsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme

In a bowl combine all ingredients. This mix can be stored for quite a while in a cool dry place. When you are ready to season your meat mix 3/4 tbsp minced garlic with 2 tbsp of the rub mixture to create a paste. I guess, technically, this isn't a dry rub anymore so call it whatever you want to! We call it delicious! Then rub that all over your meat or fish and cook according to your taste.

Husband rating: 5 stars
Boys say: thumbs up (some boys thought it was a little on the spicy side, but the adults thought it was just right)

Sweet Potato Hash

from mietusinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 1 lb)
1 T vegetable oil
1  (11 oz.) can Southwestern-style corn with black beans and peppers, rinsed and drained * (see note below)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 T chipotle salsa (or substitute regular salsa)
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced (or more)
fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped (optional)

chili powder (optional, but looks beautiful and adds a lot to the flavor of the dish)

Instructions:

Microwave or bake sweet potatoes until tender, cool enough to handle, cut into chunks and sprinkle lightly with salt (I use Kosher).

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add potatoes; cook until browned and crisp-tender about 3 minutes. Add corn to skillet. Cook 3 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender and corn is heated through.

Stir together sour cream and salsa.

To serve, divide sweet potato mixture among 4 plates and top each with sour cream, avocado, cilantro and chili powder. 

I don't divide it, I serve it in a shallow, oval, gratin dish. I slice the avocado and fan it on top of the hash. Then I spoon the sour cream in a big puddle to the side of the avocado, and then sprinkle with cilantro and chili powder. Beautiful.

*Note: I use Mexicorn or Del Monte corn and bell peppers mix and then add 1/2 can of drained black beans (per recipe), since my grocery store doesn't carry a combination corn and black bean.

Everyone in our family ate this side dish. Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins, beta-carotene and fiber. I love when I am able to get my guys to eat healthy food like this! I served this with Cilantro-Lime Grilled Chicken. Yum!

Husband rating: 4 stars
Boys say: thumbs up

Cilantro-Lime Grilled Chicken

from mietusinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves 
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, plus 12 sprigs for garnish
1 1/2 tsp. firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil for brushing grate
1 1/2 cups favorite fresh-style salsa or pico de gallo
1 cup sour cream

Instructions:

Flatten chicken to about 1/2 inch thick. Place chicken in a 1-gallon zip-loc baggie or in a shallow dish. 

Prepare marinade: Combine lime juice, olive oil, garlic, chopped cilantro, brown sugar, salt, cumin, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk until thoroughly blended. Pour the marinade over the chicken, coating all sides. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal it, or cover the dish. Refrigerate the chicken for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 3 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. 

Prepare a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill on medium.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and drain off the excess marinade. Brush the grill grate with vegetable oil. Place the chicken directly over the fire. Grill, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 minutes. Rotate the chicken 90 degrees to create attractive cross-hatching and cook for 1 1/2 minutes longer. Flip the chicken breasts over and continue grilling, uncovered, repeating the steps for cross-hatching, until tender and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife, 3 to 4 minutes longer. 

Remove the chicken from the grill and transfer to a warm serving platter or dinner plates. Spoon some salsa over each portion, followed by a dollop of sour cream. Garnish with the cilantro sprigs. Serve immediately. 

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: thumbs up