The Past

I just had to share these photos with you.  These are very old, very delicate, very precious recipe notepads that were once my grandmother's.  Some of the pages are smeared, some of the pages are even missing, but that's ok.  It's a piece of my families history... and I am thankful that I have them.

And, yes, one of these days I'll break them out of their little protective baggie again and actually make something from them.

Until then... the pictures will just have to suffice :)

One Year Ago:  Grilled Chicken with Queso Sauce
Two Years Ago:  Rosemary & Red Wine Steaks

 

Mango Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Smashed Potatoes

I don't know about you, but it makes me feel good when someone asks my opinion on food.  I seriously don't consider myself a great cook - a good cook, yes, but great??  I don't think so, I mean I know I still have a ton more to learn.  So, when someone asks ME what I would do if I was going to make something a certain way.. I feel pretty dang cool :)

While trying to decide what to do with some chicken wings, Stephen (The Obsessive Chef), asked me if I had any ideas on a glaze for them.  He explained to me that he was going to use Indian spices on the chicken and my mind went immediately to mango!  For some reason, those two always go together.  Check out Stephen's recipe HERE.

Well, I of course didn't have the exact spice he used, so I figured I'd make my own little concoction.  The only thing I would have done different would have been to add a tiny bit of turmeric instead of the curry powder.  I didn't think I had turmeric, so I left it out, only to find out two days later that I did indeed have turmeric, I just didn't look deep enough in the cabinet!  Oh well.. this was still a really fantastic meal!

What helped make it so delicious, were the very simple, very wonderful smashed potatoes (first seen on For the Love of Cooking).  Mine don't look that pretty.. sort of plain.. but they were ever so delicious.  Did I mention how simple they were to make too?  Only thing I will do differently next time (cause there will be a next time) is to add some parmesan cheese right after taking them out of the oven.

Mango Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Adapted from Stephen, The Obsessive Chef
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/4 cup mango chutney
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon coriander
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the chicken, until well combined.  Remove 3 Tablespoons of the sauce for later, pour the remaining over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Preheat grill to 375 degrees F and oil the grill grates.  Place the chicken on the grill and cover.  Grill 6-8 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.  Serve with reserved sauce.  Enjoy!

Smashed Potatoes
Recipe courtesy Pam, The Love of Cooking
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
10-12 Dutch yellow baby potatoes
olive oil
garlic salt
fresh cracked pepper

Directions:
Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes or until fork tender.  Drain and allow to cool a bit.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place one potato at a time on a paper towel.  Fold the paper towel over the potato and carefully smash the potato with the palm of your hand.  Place on a baking sheet and continue smashing each potato.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, carefully flip the potatoes and continue roasting an additional 10 minutes.  Carefully remove from oven and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Apple Chipotle Pork Chops
Two Years Ago:  Devil's Food Cake Cookies

Tarragon Tartar Sauce

This really isn't anything special.  Heck, I didn't even use fresh tarragon (if you have it, use it though, it will be even better!).  No, this is just a simple little twist on a classic little sauce that goes with just about any type of fish.

Tarragon Tartar Sauce
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1-2 teaspoons dried tarragon (to taste)
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients until well combined.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Can be made up to 1 week in advanced if kept in air-tight sealed container.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Homemade Mayonnaise
Two Years Ago:  Yogurt Marinated Chicken


 

Potato Crusted Tilapia

How can you not love fish coated in potato chips?  What?  You thought because of the name they were coated in just regular potatoes?  Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but, please don't let that stop you from trying this recipe.  Put it this way, Chris said he wasn't that excited about having to eat fish again this week (it was only the second time, and we haven't eaten fish more than once a week in a while, so there!!), but after having one bite, he was sorry he told me to only make him one piece!!  What's great about the potato chip coating is you completely forget this dish is baked.  You could swear it was deep fried..  ok, ok, so the chips are fried, hence the fried taste, but you know what I mean.  The chips give the fish a fried fish crunch.. and that is something special in my book :)

Let's not forget the sauce... (as if we could!!) the sauce is a recipe that has been highlighted here before - PoDunk Sauce - a fantastic little concoction from Chris at Nibble Me This, that I changed up just a tad bit.  Honestly, this sauce could go with just about anything!

Potato Crusted Tilapia
Adapted from Cook's Country Magazine
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large tilapia fillets
1 cup potato chips, crushed
salt and pepper
PoDunk Sauce (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray a non stick baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, mustard, lemon juice, and cayenne until well combined.  Rinse the tilapia fillets and pat them dry.  Place in prepared baking dish and spoon on mayo mixture evenly.  Top with crushed potato chips and season with salt and pepper.  Bake, uncovered, for 15-18 minutes, rotating the baking dish half way through, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Remove from oven and serve with sauce if desired.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry
Two Years Ago:  Garlic Cheddar Fish

Spicy Soy Chili Chicken Stir Fry

I saw this recipe in a Saveur magazine and was going to use it as it was originally meant to be used - just as a dipping sauce.  I was going to grill up some chicken and just use it as a dip, but I've been on a stir fry kick lately, so I decided to change things up just a bit and make it a sauce for a stir fry.  It turned out to be pretty fantastic.  I warn you though, this is another spicy one.  Once again.. easy on the Sambal Oelek and taste as you go and you will be fine.  Leave out the cornstarch and it would be a great little dipping sauce for fried or grilled shrimp.. that was my other idea :)

Spicy Soy Chili Chicken Stir Fry
Adapted from Saveur magazine
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons chili paste (Sambal Oelek)
1 Tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 garlic clover finely minced OR 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 lbs chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions:
In a measuring cup, mix together all the ingredients except the chicken; set aside.

Over medium high heat, in a wok or a deep, non-stick skillet, add the vegetable oil.  When oil is hot, add the chicken and stir fry for 4 minutes.  Add the peppers and continue to stir fry for another 4 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.  Add the sauce mixture and stir to combine. Bring to boil, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and serve over rice or noodles.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Mac and Cheese Soup
Two Years Ago:  Hamburger Buddy

Wordless Wednesday - Amazing 3D Sidewalk Art

3D sidewalk art by German artist Edgar Mueller

(Politely borrowed from Huffington Post)

One Year Ago:  Dan Dan Noodles
Two Years Ago: Sweet & Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

Simple Steak Sandwiches with Garlic Parmesan Mayonnaise

I'm pretty sure that I have said before that we don't eat a lot of sandwiches here.  We might take them for lunch, but we're talking peanut butter and jelly or tuna or ham and cheese - nothing that involves a lot of thinking.  When I do make sandwiches for dinner, I like to make them flavorful and hearty.  So, when Chris asked for me to make steak sandwiches one night last week, who was I to deny him such a pleasure?  I know it looks like a lot of ingredients.. and it is.. but it is still a very simple sandwich, and oh, so very tasty!!

Simple Steak Sandwiches with Garlic Parmesan Mayonnaise
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
3/4lbs steak (I used petite sirloin)
1/3 cup beer
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the Garlic Parmesan Mayo -
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese
1 garlic clover, finely minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon horseradish
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the sandwich -
4 hoagie buns, toasted
lettuce 
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
thinly sliced tomato (ok, so we didn't have any, but they would have been a great addition)

Directions:
Mix together the beer, Worcestershire, olive oil, honey, hot sauce, salt and pepper until well combined.  Place steak in a resealable bag and pour marinade over it.  Seal and place in refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the mayo until well combined.  Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees F.  Remove steak from bag and discard marinade.  Place the stead directly over the heat and grill for 4-6 minutes per side.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing.

Spread garlic parmesan mayo on inside of toasted bun.  Top with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and sliced beef.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Baked Tilapia Scampi
Two Years Ago:  Snickerdoodles

Chipotle Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic and Chipotle Aioli

I've posted a recipe for Grilled Chipotle Chicken before, but this one is just a tad bit different.  The sauce, though.. oh, the sauce is a whole new thing!!  Roasted garlic for a little flavor and a tad bit of sweetness... Chipotle for a lot of flavor and a ton of kick.... What's not to love here??  I will warn you though, the way I made it.. uhmmmm.. it was quite spicy.  Chris and I loved it, but if you can't handle a lot of heat, start off slowly when you add the chipotle - I know I always say this, but remember, you can always add more, you can never take away - at least not in this case!

Chipotle Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic and Chipotle Aioli
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (7oz) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons lime juice
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:
Dump the entire can of chipotle in adobo sauce into a food processor.  Process until pureed.  Remove 2 tablespoons of puree and set aside.  Add remaining puree to yogurt and stir in lime juice.  Place chicken in a resealable bag or shallow dish.  Pour yogurt mix over and seal or cover.  Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

To roast garlic:  Place garlic (unpeeled) on a small square of aluminum foil.  Drizzle a little olive oil over it and season with salt and pepper.  Seal foil around garlic and place on preheated 300 degree grill.  Roast, flipping once, for about 5-8 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool.

To make the aioli:  Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the peel and into a food processor.  Pulse until roughly chopped.  In a small bowl add the garlic, mayo, 1 tablespoon of the reserved chipotle puree, and lemon juice.  Stir to combine.  Add more chipotle puree for more heat.  Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat grill to 375 degrees F.  Oil grill grates.  Remove chicken from marinade and place directly over the fire.  Grill for 6-8 minutes per side or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  Remove from grill and serve with aioli.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Two Years Ago:  Lemon Pepper Tilapia with Creamy Dijon Sauce

Latin Spiced Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 

We LOVE lettuce wraps!

Ok, so that is sort of an odd way to start a post, I will admit, but hey, I'm odd sometimes.

Seriously, though, lettuce wraps are one of our favorite meals.  It's light, it's fresh, and it's a chance to play with your food...what more could you want?  Plus, you can add just about anything to them.  Lettuce is a nice way to change things up - to me, it's better than a tortilla because it's got that cold crispiness to it.  It just seems to blend well with anything you put in it!

Oh, and let's quickly talk about the chicken... YUM!!  Probably could rank it up there as one of my favorites.  The Latin spices really brought a nice little OOMPH! to the meal.  It could definitely be a stand alone chicken recipe too, but I highly recommend trying it with the lettuce wraps.  And the sauce... oh yes, the sauce... you will not like me for this one - you see, long story short, Chris brought home some "set your mouth on fire three times" salsa (and I'm NOT exaggerating) and I mixed that with some low fat mayonnaise and a drop or two of lemon juice and that was it.  You can easily do this with Sambal Oelek if you have it (or with Sriracha) - Heck, make up your own little concoction - but you gotta tell me all about it if you do!!

Latin Spiced Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from Food & Wine
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon orange juice
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
handful or more of fresh mint leaves
1/2 English cucumber, sliced
1 cups cooked sticky rice or Basmati rice
1 head green leaf lettuce

Directions:
Mix together the salt, pepper, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, orange juice, lime juice and olive oil until well combined.  Place the chicken in a resealable bag and pour the marinade over it.  Seal and place in refrigerator for 4 hours.

Preheat grill to 375 degrees F and oil the grill grates.  Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade.  Place the chicken over the fire and allow to cook about 8-10 per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160-165.  Remove from grill and allow to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing or chopping into bite size pieces.

To build the wraps:  Top a leaf of green leaf lettuce with a spoonful or more of rice.  Top the rice with a couple cucumber, a slice of jalapeno, and some mint.  Top with pieces of chicken and drizzle on any kind of sauce.  Fold or wrap up like a cigar and enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Pecan Lime Chicken
Two Years Ago:  Baked Asian Style Pork Chops

Jalapeno and Sweet Pepper Tuna Pasta

This idea came together after a very long day at work and the because I had picked up one can of albacore tuna with jalapenos and olive oil.  I didn't mean to pick that type of tuna up, but I'm not one to want to waste something, so I decided to figure out a way to make it work. And for me, there is no better way to enjoy a can of tuna than with pasta!  Since I had some mini sweet peppers on hand (a very large 2lbs bag to be exact...but how could I pass them up...the entire bag was only $1.50!!!), I decided to add them to the mix too. This is a very simple pasta dish packed with a lot of flavor.  It's one not to be missed!

Jalapeno and Sweet Pepper Tuna Pasta
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
10oz ziti pasta
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
6-8 mini sweet peppers, thinly sliced or chopped
1 large jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced or chopped
1 5oz can albacore tuna with jalapenos and olive oil (undrained)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain well.

In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat.  Add the sweet peppers and jalapeno and quickly saute them for 3-5 minutes, or just until they are starting to soften.  Add the peppers, tuna with it's oil, 1 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and the garlic powder.  Stir to combine everything.  If the pasta is too dry, add an additional tablespoon of oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Peanut Satay Pork Chops with Spicy Dipping Sauce
Two Years Ago:  Oven Roasted Potatoes with Peppers

Korean Grilled Chicken

I was introduced to Korean barbecue quite a few years ago, but I still remember the impact the meal had on me.  I remember it being spicy and full of flavor. I remember standing there, watching these guys grill the meat right there in front of me.  It was a bit magical at the time, let me tell you.  Now, I've had Korean BBQ many times since then and I can't say I have ever had that same feeling again, but I do still love it and now I've found a way to enjoy it right at home.  This is my little tribute to that first meal I had.  It's simple, it's spicy, and it's full of flavor.

Korean Grilled Chicken
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons mirin
4 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, divided
couple drops of sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon Sambal Oelek (garlic chili paste)

Directions:
Mix the mirin, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic clove, and jalapeno together in a small bowl.  Place the chicken in a resealable bag and pour the marinade over it.  Seal bag and place in refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Preheat grill to 375 degrees F and oil the grill grates.  In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and the Sambal Oelek until well combined; set aside.

Place the chicken directly over the fire and grill 8-10 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches 160-165 degrees.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 3 minutes before serving.  Serve with sauce and enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Mustard Roasted Potatoes
Two Years Ago:  Honey Mustard Chicken

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Hope your day, like every day, is full of love!

(And good food of course!!)

 

Garlicky Potato Soup with Parmesan Toasts

(Sorry, I had to politely borrow this image from Cook's Country - my pictures... well, they, didn't turn out so good!)

Have you ever gone to the store, with list in hand, and still forget an important ingredient?  Have you ever done that and not realized you forgot that important ingredient until you were going to pull it out of the pantry or refrigerator?  Well, if it's never happened to you, you will never understand the frustration I felt when I was walking towards the pantry to grab the box of chicken broth (yes, that's right.. not homemade stock, sorry folks, that's another blog) and realized I had not grabbed it when I was at the store two days before.  If this has never happened to you, you will not understand the utter frustration I felt when I opened up said pantry and saw that my fear was 100% warranted!  I had forgotten the chicken broth!!!!!!!!!!  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!   And I was making soup.. how was I going to make soup with no broth?  Good gravy... ok, don't panic... I dug a little ways back and noticed.. wait.. wait.. ok, we should be ok.. I have two cans.  The back up cans that I always make sure I have ... just in case.  Well, I've never seen a more "just in case" moment.  I grabbed them and thanked them for being there in my time of need.

So why the stupid little story?  I have no idea, I guess I feel like I really don't talk much anymore when I post stuff.  I've been getting into the habit of saying... "it's good.. try it... I think you'll like it... enjoy!"  I thought it might be time to reconnect :)  It's a true story though.. and, well, the soup really is good.. and you really should try it and .. well.. I think you might actually like it!!

Garlicky Potato Soup with Parmesan Toasts
Adapted from Cook's Country
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 sweet onion
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (6-inch) piece baguette, cut into 8 slices

Directions:
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat until melted.  Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes (you may need to turn down the heat, don't let them burn).  Add the garlic and flour, stirring to combine; cook 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and add the potatoes.  Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer.  Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Combine parmesan, 2 tablespoons butter, and pepper in a bowl.  Spread parmesan butter on 1 side of baguette slices.  Place bread, buttered side up and bake until golden brown, 6-8 minutes.

When potatoes are tender, use a submersible blender to process soup until it's smooth - OR - working in batches, pour soup into blender and process until smooth and return soup to pot.  Add the cream and season with salt and pepper.  Allow soup to warm through and serve in bowls with parmesan toasts.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Surf & Turf for Two
Two Years Ago:  Easy Baked Fish Fillets

Stir Fried Chicken with Bacon, Chili and Mint

That's right... a stir fry with BACON!!  You knew it was going to pop up on the internet somewhere, right?  I mean bacon is in everything right now.  It's the "hip" food right now.  Or has that fad faded and I'm behind in the times yet again???

The great thing about this stir fry is that it doesn't just stop at bacon... no way.. add some Serrano chiles for a little heat, and some fresh mint for a little cool... and you have one of the better stir fry's I've made in a while.  The unfortunate part of that is that I cannot remember where I found this recipe.  I did a frantic search online and it still did not come up, so my apologies for not referencing where it came from.

The only down side that I can see was that the stir fry did get just a tad bit saltier than I would have liked.  Of course, that comes from the bacon - so my suggestion for you is this:  Blanch the bacon in boiling water for 2 minutes before frying.  That's it.  Blanching will help extract some of the saltiness from it.. and viola!, you're stir fry will be 100% AMAZING!!

Stir Fried Chicken with Bacon, Chili and Mint
Adapted by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
drop or two of sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
6 slices of bacon, chopped
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
pepper
4 Serrano chili peppers, seeds removed, thinly sliced or chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2-3 Tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped

Directions:
In a small measuring cup, mix together the chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch until well combined; set aside.

In a non-stick skillet or wok, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy.  Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined plate.  Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease.  Season the chicken with pepper and add to skillet.  Stir fry chicken for 5 minutes.  Add the Serrano peppers and stir fry another 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in the sauce and stir to coat everything.  Allow to thicken up, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the mint.  Serve over rice and enjoy!!

One Year Ago:  Chicken Capellini Capricciosi
Two Years Ago:  Spicy Mac & Cheese with Chorizo

Double Trouble

 

I work with a lot of foodies and I love it!  Every now and then, when we are waiting for a meeting to start, or just taking a quick break from our hectic day, we talk food.  One day, before a meeting, Roger, one of the owners, tells us of something his dad made when he was a kid - he called it Double Trouble.  Roger starts to explain to us that his dad would take an English muffin, spread butter on it, top it with liverwurst, and last but not least, top it all with a nice fried egg!  Ok, for a lot of people, you just read liverwurst and started to back away slowly from your computers.  Not me, I love liverwurst, I grew up eating it, so to me, this sounded wonderful!!  I was instantly thinking about picking up liverwurst the next time I was at the store.  And that's exactly what I did.

Why the name Double Trouble?  Well, Roger wasn't certain as to why his dad called it that, but I liked the name and thought if I was going to give the recipe true justice, I would stick with it.

Now for some, I know this will not appeal to you.. heck, some of you may have never even heard of liverwurst before... but if you are a liverwurst fan, you must try this.  It was such a delicious little treat that I kick myself for not thinking of it on my own!  Next time I make it though - and there will be a next time - I will cook the egg to over medium at the most and I will add cheese.  I think a little cheese would have made it even that much better!  Oh, and I did not use butter on the English muffin.. I was too excited and just dropped the liverwurst and egg right on it before I had a chance to do it.. you can add it if you want, or leave it out.. I don't think it really made that much of a difference.

Thanks, Roger - I hope I did your father proud!

Double Trouble
Inspired by Roger and his father
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
English muffin
slice of liverwurst
1 egg

Directions:
Fry egg to your desired liking - over easy, over medium, over hard.  (I actually cooked mine just a tad bit longer than I wanted, but that's ok.)  Toast English muffin.

Top toasted English muffin with sliced liverwurst and top the liverwurst with fried egg.  Place top of English muffin on top and dig in!  It's simple.. it's delicious.. Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Parmesan Garlic Tilapia
Two Years Ago:  Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Sriracha Glazed Fish (with sauce of course)

Has this ever happened to you?  The picture above is the picture that went with the recipe I adapted here.  The picture below is what I made...following the recipe exactly, except for adding sesame seeds ...oh, and I used a different fish..but that's it.

Was it that I baked instead of broiled?  Was the first picture staged to make it look more appealing?  Either way, I just want it to be known, my picture may not be that lovely, but the fish sure tasted amazingly good!

Sriracha Glazed Fish
Adapted from Food & Wine
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
5 Tablespoons mayonnaise
3 teaspoons mirin (sweet rice wine), divided
3 teaspoons Sriracha, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
drop or two of sesame oil
4 tilapia fillets
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:
In a small bowl, blend together the mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of mirin, 2 teaspoons of sriracha, salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Place the tilapia in the prepared dish and top each piece with 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, take remaining Sriracha mixture and add 1 teaspoon of soy, 1 teaspoon of mirin, and 1 teaspoon of Sriracha.  Mix until well combined.  Serve along side the fish.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Spicy Caramel Chicken
Two Years Ago:  Snickers Pie

Poultry Perfect Rub Grilled Chicken

This is one of those recipes that I have been holding on to for awhile.  One of those that you know you want to try but just never get around to doing it.  I mean I knew it was going to be good....it's from my go-to grill guy, Chris at Nibble Me This.  (the man is a genius!)  So I don't really  know what held me back all this time.. I guess it's just true that there are so many recipe and so little time!

This is a fantastic rub... the name truly does say it all - Poultry Perfect!  The only thing I did differently than Chris was to cut the amount of each ingredient, I used garlic salt in place of celery salt (I only had celery seed and was worried about using it), and I did not add the lemon zest (none on hand, dang it!)... Oh, and I added a little lemon aioli to go with it...I'm pretty sure Chris would approve!!

Poultry Perfect Rub Grilled Chicken
Recipe courtesy Chris at Nibble Me This
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tablespoons Hungarian Paprika (NOT Spanish)
1/4 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Lemon aioli (optional)

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together all ingredients except the chicken and aioli.  Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Rub the mixture over all sides of the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill to 375 degrees and oil the grill grates.  Place the chicken directly over the fire and grill 5-10 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees F.  Remove from grill and let rest for 3-5 minutes before serving.  Serve with lemon aioli if desired.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Almond Chicken with Strawberry Balsamic Sauce
Two Years Ago:  Balsamic Chicken Tenders with Caramelized Onion & Pepper

A Belated Birthday Wish

Happy Birthday, Chris!!

Hope it was a fantastic day!  Love you, baby...xoxoxo!!

We celebrated Chris' birthday this weekend.  We spent lots of quality time together and we got to enjoy some really amazing food!  I wish I had more pictures of the meal we had on Saturday, but unfortunately, the restaurant we went to was really dark - not good for photographing food at all.  Just trust me when I say it was utterly amazing!!!

Now, growing up, my mom used to let us request something special for our birthday dinner.  Whatever we wanted, she would make us.  I've tried to hold onto the tradition as I've gotten older.  So when I asked Chris what his request was this year, he did not hesitate:  Fish tacos, coleslaw, and tots. I was actually excited.  I've made all of these thing and posted them before, but this actually gave me a chance to make the fish tacos in a more traditional way - so I thought it a great way to post my fish taco redux recipe.  I kept it very simple and I hope you all enjoy all of these wonderful dishes as much as we did!

Fish Tacos Redux
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
4 tilapia fillets, cut into strips (I just cut my fillets in half)
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
oil for frying (vegetable or peanut oil)
8-inch flour tortillas (we used 6)
Shredded cabbage and sliced mini sweet peppers or Sriracha Coleslaw
For Baja Sauce:
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 large jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 Tablespoons lime juice 
Optional side:  Homemade Tater Tots

Directions:
Season the fish with salt and pepper and place in a shallow dish.  Add the milk and cayenne.  Allow to soak for at least 15 minutes. In another shallow dish, mix together the cornmeal and the flour.

In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the Baja Sauce.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to fry - heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a skillet, over medium high heat.  Remove fish from milk and dredge in cornmeal mixture.  Make sure to shake off any excess flour.  Carefully place in hot oil and quickly fry for about 3-4 minutes per side or until each side is golden brown.  Adjust heat as needed - you do not want this to burn.  Remove from oil and place on a wire rack to cool just a minute or two.

Warm the tortilla for just a minute, top with fish and cabbage/peppers or coleslaw.  Add any other toppings you desire - including the Baja Sauce - and serve with tater tots or any side of your choice.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Midnight Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
Two Years Ago:  Snickers Cookies