Lime Fajitas

Lime Fajitas

Your shopping list

• 6 chicken breasts
• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• 1 green pepper, cut into strips
• handful of mushrooms, halved (optional)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Marinade

• 4 limes, juiced
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp dried coriander

To serve (pick your favourites):

• tortillas
• guacamole
• salsa
• greek yogurt or sour cream
• spinach
• fresh coriander

What to do with it

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl or ziplock bag and add chicken
2. Seal and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 400F.
4. Place chicken in a large roasting pan or dish and bake, covered for 20 minutes.
5. Uncover chicken and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
6. Sauté the oil and vegetables in a medium frying pan until they are soft and begin to brown.
7. Serve chicken and vegetables in warmed tortillas and top with guacamole, salsa and greek yogurt or sour cream.
8. Enjoy!

Doubly Delicious Grilled Chicken

While I realize barbecue season is over, I have yet to throw in the tongs. 
This is one of my favourite recipes because it's fairly versatile. I've made this sauce countless times (occasionally without all of the ingredients) and have never been disappointed. If you don't have a grill, you can make it in the oven instead - I've done this when I run out of propane!

Double-time Barbecued Chicken

Inspired by "Triple Play Barbecued Chicken" from Weber's Way to Grill

Your Shopping list:

SAUCE

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup ketchup
½ cup lemon-lime soda 
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup packed golden brown sugar
2 Tbsp dijon mustard

RUB

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp kosher salt

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

8 chicken drumsticks

What to do with it:

1. Prepare your grill for both direct and indirect cooking over medium heat
2. Cook oil, onion and garlic for about 10 minutes, or until golden over medium heat in a medium saucepan
3. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil
4. Stirring often, reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, mix together the rub ingredients and coat the chicken pieces evenly
6. Place chicken on the grill, skin side down, over direct medium heat
7. Grill for 8-10 minutes, with the lid closed as much as possible, turning occasionally
8. Move to indirect heat for an additional 25 minutes
9. Brush chicken with the sauce and grill over direct heat for approximately 10 minutes. Continue turning and brushing the chicken until juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone
10. Heat remaining sauce so that it is safe to serve alongside the chicken and your favourite salad!

A taste of thai

I've been somewhat restricted in what I can eat because my dentist wants me to eat "soft foods" to help with jaw issues. On Valentine's Day, Matt and I had a low-key evening and ordered thai. As always, I wanted Pad Thai, but was also tempted by a red curry dish. So, we ordered both! We both agreed that the curry was pretty much amazing. The vegetables were soft enough that I barely had to chew them, and the flavours were amazing. Now it's all that I want to eat!

Last night I came home from the gym and didn't think I had enough of the veggies called for to make the curry myself. I decided to substitute a few things and this is what I got:

Red Thai Curry Chicken & Vegetables

Your Shopping List:

1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 Tbsp grated ginger
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 
1 medium zucchini
1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp red curry paste
1/3 tsp coriander
1 tsp fish sauce
pepper, to taste



What to do with it:

1. Heat sesame oil in a large deep pan or work over medium heat
2. Add garlic and ginger to the pan and stir for 30 seconds
3. Add chicken to the pan and fry, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes (or until chicken is cooked on the outside)
4. Mix in onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring as needed
5. Add remaining veggies to the mixture and cook for 5 or so minutes
6. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch, red curry paste and a bit of coconut milk
7. Mix in the cornstarch concoction and the remaining coconut milk to the pan
8. Add fish sauce, coriander and pepper
9. Stir well, and simmer for 5-10 minutes (if you want your veggies soft, cook for longer)
10. Ensure that the chicken is cooked before serving
11. Serve with jasmine rice or rice noodles
12. Enjoy!

2 for 1 Recipe!

I love when a recipe includes both the main event and a little something for the side. I have a hard time deciding what sides go well with whatever type of meat I'm cooking. I'm known to just make all of my favourite recipes and pretend they mesh. I rarely plan far enough ahead to properly marinade my chicken, but when I do it's always worth it. This chicken recipe is flavourful and a little more exciting than your average breast.
If you're looking for a great warm quinoa recipe, look no further. Before I found this recipe, I always made cold quinoa salads (like this one). While they are delicious, I hate waiting for them to cool and having to pack my lunch in two containers to avoid heating cucumbers. If you were wondering, sauteed cucumber is revolting.

The list may seem long, but your shopping and prepping will be over before you know it!

Marinated Chicken & Quinoa Salad with Lemon and Mint

from Weber.com by Jamie PurviancePrep time: 25 minutesMarinade time: 2-4 hoursGrilling time: 8-12 minutes

Your Shopping List:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, each about 6 ounces (washed and trimmed of fat)
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (I suggest low-sodium)
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Quinoa:

• 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1-½ cups quinoa
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 scallions (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• ½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• ¼ tsp hot pepper sauce (optional)
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (optional)

What to do with it:

1. Mix marinade ingredients in a measuring cup or bowl. 
2. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Shake it up! Place bag in a bowl and refrigerate for 2-4 hours (or however long you have). 
3. Once you are too hungry to let the meat marinade any longer, preheat your grill for direct cooking over medium heat and clean it off.
4. Remove the chicken from the bag, discard the marinade, and place the chicken on the grill breast-side down. Keep the lid closed as much as possible and grill for 8-12 minutes (turning once or twice). Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a cutting surface, and cut into 1/2 inch slices - or really, whatever size you want!

Quinoa:

1. In a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat, combine broth, 1 tbsp of oil, and 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil.
2. Add quinoa, and lemon juice - stir. 
3. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low. Stir once or twice over the next 15 or so minutes. By this time, or after all of the liquid is absorbed, your quinoa will be ready. 
4. Fluff (not like a pillow - use your fork) and transfer to a bowl suitable for mixing. 
5. Add the remaining oil, salt and the rest of your ingredients listed under "Quinoa". Stir and taste. Alter ingredients accordingly. 

If you're eating the quinoa and chicken together, spread the quinoa on a serving platter and add sliced chicken.

Please ignore the HUGE piece of lettuce.

 I served mine with a pseudo Greek Salad. Enjoy!

Colder Times Call for Warmer Dinners

I hate fall.

Okay, I don't hate it. I just hate that idea that fall means that winter is coming. I know it's not as serious as it is in Game of Thrones, but it still sucks. I lost my love of winter when I stopped participating in any sort of winter sports. My goal for this year - ski at least once!

My new found love is my 6 qt slow cooker. When Matt and I first bought it last summer I started looking up recipes for delicious meals, but was disappointed to see that most of them weren't quite right for hot weather. I did find inspiration for the most amazing ribs in the world (recipe to come later) but overall, I gave up on slow cooking for the summer. Now that the weather has cooled down a great deal, I'm finally able to pull it out and try all sorts of recipes to warm us up.

I've made this two times and I've got to say - it's delicious. It's not the healthiest recipe because of the skin on the chicken, but it's all homemade which is saying something!

The Best Slow Cooker Chicken in the Whole Wide World

Inspired by Thekitchn.com's recipe

Prep time: 10-15 minutesCook time:  up to 8 hours 

Your shopping list:

Rub:
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste

The original recipe called for 4 tsp of salt - the most I've used is about 1 tsp. I forgot to add it to the rub last time so I just added a few twists of my salt grinder on to each side and it turned out perfectly.

1 whole chicken - small enough to fit in your slow cooker on top of veggies, but big enough to fill you!
1 medium to large onion, chopped
4 medium potatoes, quartered (or as many as can fit in the slow cooker)
3-4 carrots, scrubbed, no need to peel, chopped in halves or thirds
4 celery stalks, washed, cut in thirds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced/pressed
1 lemon quartered

What to do with it:

1. Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Arrange vegetables inside your slow cooker insert. Some potatoes may need to be shifted when you add the chicken.
3. Prepare chicken (remove from packaging, wash and pat try with paper towel).
4. Rub garlic all over outside of the chicken and then place it inside. 
5. Cover the chicken with the rub (inside and out).
6. Put the lemon chunks inside the chicken.
7. Place chicken breast-side down on top of the vegetables. Arrange potatoes as necessary.
   Options: Cover your insert and keep it in the fridge overnight to cook the following day or cook your chicken now:
   
8. Return insert to base, cover, and cook chicken on low for 8 hours (or less). Cook until the internal temperature of the leg is at 160 degrees F (or until it looks cooked, which it will!)

The original recipe now says to transfer the chicken to a glass baking dish and broil for 4-5 minutes to brown the chicken. I haven't done that since at this point I just want to eat!

If your chicken has cooked for the full 8 hours, you will barely need a knife to serve it. I use tongs to pick pieces directly from the slow cooker. 

Serve the chicken, potatoes, and carrots (I leave the celery in the slow cooker) with a mixed green salad (recipe to come).

Do not discard the bones or uneaten skin. Return all pieces to slow cooker (refrigerate overnight is necessary), add water to the brim and slow cook for another 8 hours to make great low-sodium broth.