I'm actually shocked that I have never posted this recipe before. I have been making these potatoes for years. Okay, okay, so it's actually been a while since I've made them, so let me change what I just said to: I FOUND this recipe a few years ago and can't believe I have never shared it with you. :) It's a simple and delicious way to really jazz up your every day potato.
Saucy Creamer Potatoes
Adapted from Veg4health.com
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
3/4 - 1 lbs red creamer potatoes, cut in half or quartered
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
Directions:
Place the cut potatoes in a microwave safe bowl and add 2 teaspoons of water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook in microwave for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the dish and shake so the potatoes get mixed around. Place back in microwave and cook another 2 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost fork tender. Carefully drain out any excess water and toss the potatoes with salt, pepper and enough olive oil to cover them. Tear out a large piece of aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the potatoes into the center of the foil and create a packet over them by pulling in opposite sides and folding. Place potatoes on preheated grill and cook 8 minutes. Carefully flip packet over and cook another 8-10 minutes. Remove from grill and allow to rest.
Meanwhile, mix together the butter, sour cream, lemon juice and dried basil. Pour the potatoes into a bowl and toss with mixture. Serve warm. Enjoy!
Favorite Recipe of the Day from Years Past: Chicken Noodle Soup
This is a simple, yet tasty little side dish, that comes with a delicious little sauce... but you'd knew I'd say that, didn't you? Don't worry if you don't want to grill these, you can easily throw them in a pan and bake them. Actually, you might get a little more crispiness to the potatoes by baking them. And my suggestion... bake at 400-450 degrees F for the best results - and don't forget to flip them too so you both sides get nice and brown. Either way you decide to cook them, they'll turn out to be a side dish the whole family will love!
Grilled Lemon Pepper Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chive Sauce
Adapted from Food Network Magazine
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 lbs yellow or red baby potatoes
1- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2-3 teaspoons chopped chives
salt and pepper
pinch of sugar
Directions:
Slice potatoes in half or quarter. (before I seasoned the potatoes, I put them in a bowl with a tablespoon of water, covered them with plastic and microwaved them for about 2-3 minutes...just to get the cooking processes started - takes less time on the grill that way) Toss with olive oil and season liberally with lemon pepper seasoning. Place on sheet of heavy duty foil; fold into a packet and crimp to seal. Place on preheated 350 degree grill and grill for 15 minutes, flipping once.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, lemon juice and chives together. Stir in a pinch of sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Remove potatoes from grill and carefully open the foil packet. Season potatoes with salt. Serve with sauce and enjoy!
One Year Ago: Spicy Caesar Dressing
Two Years Ago: Maid-Rite Sandwiches
Three Years Ago: Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken
Once again, this is yet another sad looking photo. It's not bad, just sad. Nothing to dress it up with... no sides to give the plate a little life.... I am pretty sure I was just too hungry and said F it when I took these pictures. BUT, the recipe turned out so well, I had to share it. Plus, I know most of the time, I'm harder on myself on my photo taking skills (or lack there of) then any of you are :)
This is a spicy way to enjoy one of our favorite meals.....
Spicy Fish Tacos with Creamy Jalapeno Coleslaw
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
For the fish -
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tilapia fillets
flour or corn tortillas (small or medium sized)
For the coleslaw -
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon sour cream
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
7 oz coleslaw mix (half a bag)
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the first 7 ingredients until well combined. Sprinkle liberally over both sides of each piece of fish. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat grill to 350 degrees F. Place each piece of fish in a large square of aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pull together two sides and fold. Fold in ends to create a packet around the fish. Place directly over the heat and allow to grill for 7 minutes and then rotate 180 degrees. Continue grilling for another 5 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove from grill and allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting the fish into strips.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, add the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar and jalapeno. Pulse until jalapeno has been chopped fine. Place the coleslaw mix in a bowl and toss with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Build the taco by placing two strips of fish on the tortilla and top with coleslaw. Serve and enjoy!
One Year Ago: Culichi Sauce a la Ruben
Two Years Ago: Grilled Pork Chops with Adobo Paste
Three Years Ago: Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
For those of you that have been following my blog for a while now, you know that I struggle from time to time with Chris and his food dislikes. Take for instance chicken. He hates dark meat. I love it. In the past, it was just easier to buy all breasts and be done with it, but lately, not only have I wanted to save money, but I have been WANTING dark meat chicken. To me it's more flavorful and is less likely to dry out. One day at the store it hit me... why not get a pack of breasts for him and a pack of thighs for me? Problem solved and everyone is happy!!!
Now, not only did we both get to actual enjoy what we like best, BUT, I also found my new food love: Grilled Avocado!!!! Yep, you read that right.... grilled avocado. Slap that baby on the grill with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and you have yourself a wonderfully creamy and utterly delicious side dish that would compliment ANY meal!
Sambal Chicken with Grilled Avocados & Green Onions
Adapted from Bon Appetit
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless breast and 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons Sambal Oelek (ground chili paste)
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
2 Tablespoons Sriracha
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 bunch green onions
1-2 large ripe avocado, cut in half lengthwise and seed removed
olive oil
salt and pepper
Directions:
Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Place in a resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, vinegar, Sambal Oelek, fish sauce, Sriracha and ginger until well combined. Pour mixture of chicken and seal bag. Place in refrigerator for 2-8 hours.
Preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Clean and oil grill grates. Place the chicken over direct heat and grill 5-9 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. In the last 4-5 minutes of grilling, drizzle olive oil over the green onions and the avocado. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place avocado fruit side down and grill for 4 minutes. Place the green onions on a strip of foil and grill for 4-5 minutes, rotating to ensure an even grill. Carefully remove everything and allow to rest for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy!
One Year Ago: Sticky Grilled Chicken
Two Years Ago: Jalapeno Hot Sauce
Three Years Ago: Mini Meatball Subs
Oh my gosh.. it RAINED!!! It really RAINED!!! WOO HOO!!!!
Okay, for some of you out there, you are going to read that and think.. "what the heck is wrong with this girl? It rains all the time.. in fact, it's been raining for a week straight..." Let me remind you, I live in the southwest desert. It does not rain all that often and honestly, I can't remember the last time it did rain here. I mean really rained. Not that rain that comes down for 1 minute and then clears out - I'm talking rain that lasts for more than 10 minutes. And that's exactly what it did Monday AND Tuesday night! Granted, it came with pretty harsh winds that moved our shed about a foot, but it still rained!! It gave us some much needed moisture - Maybe I can get the grass in the front yard to grow now!!
Anywhoooo... on to the salad. It might not be the prettiest thing I've posted, as I got the potatoes a little more grilled than I wanted them, but it was still REALLY good! When I first saw this recipe, I thought.. potatoes and cucumbers? and then I thought.. yesssss, potatoes and cucumbers, that could totally work! And what do you know.... it did :)
P.s.... to all of you that left comments on Chris' post from Monday - we both want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts!! We loved reading what you all had to say and your kind words are very much appreciated. We are both very lucky to have found each other!! And who knows, maybe with your encouragement, I can get Chris to guest post again!!!
P.s.s... I have been having major internet connection issues over the last two weeks, so I have not been the best at commenting on your blogs and even responding to some emails, but I am still out there and hopefully the problem will be fixed sooner rather than later!
Creamy Cucumber and Grilled Potato Salad
Adapted from Food and Wine
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper
16 oz baby potatoes, halved
1/4 of an English cucumber, sliced and cut in half
Directions:
Place the potatoes in a large, microwavable safe dish. Add one tablespoon of water and cover with plastic wrap. Place in microwave and cook on high for 1 minutes. Carefully remove the dish and shake to toss potatoes around. Place back in microwave and cook for 1 minutes. Carefully remove and check to see if potatoes are just barely fork tender. If they are not, continue to cook for 30 seconds at a time until they are. Remove from microwave, uncover and carefully drain out the water. Let rest uncovered for a few minutes. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, vinegar, sugar, mustard, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, garlic powder, oregano and parsley until well combined; set aside.
Preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Clean and oil grill grates or use a grill pan meant for the grill and spray with non stick spray. Place the potatoes on the grill or grill pan and cook for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and continue to cook until all sides are golden brown. Carefully remove and place in a bowl to cool for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled a bit, add the cucumber slices and carefully stir in the mayo mixture. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Chorizo and Shrimp Pasta
Two Years Ago: Grilled Pineapple Pound Cake Delight
Three Years Ago: Spaghetti with Hot Italian Sausage
I don't know about where you live.. but here... in the Arizona desert... it's HOT! I mean really, really HOT! It's cooled down just a tad over the last week... I mean it was 115 last week.. this week, only like 108... :) Hey, we take what we can get, right?
Anyway.. with the heat comes my need for really light and very simple meals. I can't eat a lot of heavy foods when it's hot... so, of course, I choose to make salads for dinner. And to make it even less of a hassle, i.e. less mess and very simple, I grill the chicken, but you could easily pan sear it or bake it - that's totally up to you. Heck, you could even buy cooked chicken and throw that on... I mean ease is nothing to stick your nose up at, that is for sure :)
Italian Chopped Salad with Grilled Chicken
Adapted from Taste of Home
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 small grilled chicken breasts, chopped (I just drizzled a little olive oil on the chicken and seasoned with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning...grilled to perfection and chopped)
2-4 cups green leaf lettuce, chopped or torn
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped radish
1/2 cup cubed cheese (Mozzarella or Parmesan)
Fresh basil leaves, torn
For the dressing:
2 Tablespoons pesto
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper
Directions:
To make the dressing - mix together the pesto, mayo and lemon juice until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. (You can double this if you want or even triple it... this made just the perfect amount of dressing for Chris and I, though)
To build the salad - in a large bowl or plate, add the lettuce. Top evenly with tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, cheese and basil. Top with chicken. Drizzle on the dressing and serve immediately. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Cajun Spiced Grilled Shrimp with Remoulade
Two Years Ago: Asian Meatball Subs with Hoisin Mayonnaise
Three Years Ago: The Obsessive Chef's Homemade Tater Tots
Although we are not doing anything that special for the 4th of July holiday (I have to work the next day.. bummer), I have decided that I'm going to take a break from blogging this week. I have a pretty busy week ahead of me and just didn't want to put added pressure on myself when it came to my blog posts. But never fear, I am leaving you with some great ideas for your 4th of July backyard barbecue... or any backyard barbecue for that matter!
Hope you all have a great week and I hope to "see" you all back here next Monday!
Happy Grilling!
Jenn
Past July 4th Posts: 4th of July Celebration, 4th of July Ideas - Part One, 4th of July Ideas - Part Two
The morning I saw Mary at One Perfect Bite post her recipe for Gratineed Leeks was a magical morning! I thought about the recipe all day. I even had thoughts about leaving work early, just so I could go home and make it!! Some how, some way, I fought the urge off and made it through the day. Actually, by the time I left work, I had talked myself into having patience and just waiting until the weekend to try out the recipe. Silly me for waiting! It was everything I had imagined it would be and more :)
Now, I, of course, adapted her recipe to meet my needs... i.e... I grilled these bad boys (okay, I added some really bad mayo too.. just to give it an added creaminess). But I can pretty much guarantee that either way you make it, you're going to want to make it again... and again... and again!! This has quickly become our favorite way to enjoy leeks!
Grilled Gratineed Leeks
Adapted from Mary, One Perfect Bite
- Serves 2 -
Printed Recipe
Ingredients:
1 large leek, top dark green leave and root trimmed off, sliced lengthwise and rinsed under cold water (I separated the two halves to make four little "boats")
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons toasted panko breadcrumbs
Directions:
Preheat grill to 350 degrees F. Tear off a large piece of aluminum and fold in half. Bring the sides up just a little to form sort of a tray. Spray with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil.
In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, lemon juice, and parmesan until well combined. Spread evenly over top of each leek half and top with mozzarella and then the panko. Place on the aluminum tray and place over in direct heat. Grill until the cheese is melted and the leek has become softened. Carefully remove and serve immediately. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Aleppo Pepper Aioli
Two Years Ago: Grilled Chinese Pork Back Ribs
Three Years Ago: Creole Cast Iron Fish
As promised on Wednesday... here is a fantastic little twist to your every day grilled potato wedge. The simple lemon vinaigrette adds so much flavor and Oomph! to these potatoes... it's almost crazy how easy it is!! Honestly, this vinaigrette would be great on a salad or piece of chicken or even a piece of fish. Versatility at it's finest :)
Grilled Potato Wedges with Lemon Vinaigrette
Adapted from Bobby Flay
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 Russet Potatoes, cut into wedges
salt and pepper
Directions:
Place the cut potatoes in a large microwave-safe bowl and add 1 tablespoon of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the bowl and shake the potatoes around. Continue cooking another 2 minutes, or until the potatoes are just barely fork tender.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together all the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Clean and oil grill grates. Place the potatoes directly over the fire and grill about 4-5 minutes per side or until they are cooked through and golden, crispy on the outside. Carefully remove from the grill. Place on plate and drizzle with vinaigrette, or use vinaigrette as a dipping sauce. Either way... enjoy!
One Year Ago: Pasta with Ground Pork and Rosemary Sauce
Two Years Ago: Mustard and Herb Rubbed Sirloin Tip Roast
Three Years Ago: Grilled Potato Rounds
I have writers block. Yep.... it's true. I sat down to write this post over 30 minutes ago and I have written and erased at least 5 different starts to a paragraph!! I know I don't have to say anything really, but it's just frustrating when you want to sit down to write something and nothing comes to you. Or something comes and you write it down and it sounds really dumb. Anyway, I'm having one of those moments right now, so I thought if I just made the confession and rambled on a few minutes about it, I would have enough typed out to satisfy me.... and what do you know... it worked :)
This is yet another really simple meal to put together. And let me tell you, it is quite delicious too!! I would say that this was one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes in a while. Maybe it was the simplicity? Maybe it was the grilled green onions? I don't know.. it was just really really really REALLY good :)
Grilled Chili Chicken with Spring Onions
Adapted from About.com
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tablespoons paprika (I used Hungarian Sweet)
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
olive oil
1 bunch green onions
salt and pepper
Directions:
Mix together the yogurt, garlic, paprika, chipotle powder, cumin, lime juice and cayenne until well combined. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Place in shallow dish or resealable plastic bag and pour the yogurt mixture over. Cover/seal and place in refrigerator for 2-4 hours (the longer the better on this one).
Preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Remove chicken from marinade and shake off any excess. Place directly over the fire and grill 8-10 minutes per side, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove and allow to rest while you grill the onions.
Place the onions in a single layer on a piece of aluminum or on a pan made for the grill. Drizzle with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Grill 5-6 minutes, turning once, or until they just start to soften. Carefully remove from grill and serve alongside the chicken. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Hoisin Wasabi Grilled Chicken
Two Years Ago: Hummus Topped Tilapia
Three Years Ago: Creamy Pesto Dip
Have you ever seen the movie Office Space? If not, I highly recommend finding it and watching it... especially if you have ever worked in an office with cubicals! For those of you that have seen it - remember the annoying part where they say "looks like someone's got a case of the Monday's"? Well - as silly as it sounds - I do have a case of the Monday's! It's Sunday afternoon and I already feel them creeping on. You know that feeling of just not wanting to be at work? Yep, I feel that feeling coming on fast. Not that I dislike my job, it's just that... well... I spent the entire week working on one stupid excel spreadsheet and I still have more to do!!! And THAT is why I have a case of the Monday's!! AND to top it off, The Walking Dead is not on anymore and Sunday's seem so lame without it!! LOL!
Okay, okay.. enough of the griping, right? :) You came here for the food!! And what great food I have for you today... this delicious little meal will not disappoint. I had to go to my "go-to" grill master, Chris (Nibble Me This) - I was having a total creative block, so I quickly ran through a few of his recipes and found this recipe. He paired the pork with rice pilaf, but my Chris says we eat too much rice already, so I thought I would create a little potato magic! Although Chris' pork looks WAY better than mine, I know mine tasted just as amazing... and that's what really counts!!
Greek Pork Chops with Lemon Oregano Potatoes
Pork recipe adapted from Chris, Nibble Me This
Potato recipe created by Jenn's Food Journey
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried mint
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 boneless pork loin chops
For the potatoes -
12 oz baby round potatoes, quartered
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon, salt, garlic, oregano, mint, thyme and pepper until well combined. Rinse pork and place in resealable plastic bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over. Seal or cover and place in refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
Preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Clean and oil grill grates. Remove pork from marinade and place directly over the fire. Grill 4-8 minutes per side or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145-150 degrees F. Remove and allow to rest at least 3 minutes before serving.
For the potatoes: Place the potatoes in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of water. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the microwave for 2 minutes. Carefully remove bowl and shake the potatoes around a bit. Place in microwave for 1 more minute. Carefully remove. Check the potatoes at this point. You want them just starting to get tender. Mix together the olive oil and lemon juice and pour over the potatoes. Add the oregano and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the middle of a large square of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Pull the opposite sides of the foil together and fold. Fold over sides forming a packet around the potatoes. Place over direct heat and grill for 15-20 minutes, flipping the packet once. Carefully remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes before carefully opening the packet. Serve with pork and enjoy!
One Year Ago: Hamburger and Goat Cheese Pizza
Two Years Ago: Vanilla Bean Cake with White Chocolate Frosting
Three Years Ago: Tilapia Oreganata
First - I'm going to talk The Walking Dead for a moment, so if you are only here for the food... skip to the next paragraph, please!! :) All I'm going to say is this... Sunday is the final episode of the season and if you watch it like I do, you know it's gonna be INTENSE!! I think I may have said that I read the comic, but certain things - like Andrea being with the Governor - are not in the comic book, so I really don't know how the episode is going to unravel... but OMG am I excited to see what happens!!!! Although I don't want to the weekend to be over before it starts, I sure wish it was Sunday already!!!!!
Okay.. food talk now :) This sandwich was fantastic!! All my favorite flavors in one tasty sandwich... how can that be bad? It's sort of funny, in the first 4 years that Chris and I were together, I don't think I made one sandwich (other than BLT's) for dinner, now I seem to make them about once a week. I guess I found my inner Joey and along with it, my love for the sandwich!! (okay, if you haven't ever watched Friends you will have no idea what I'm talking about, so just know I love sandwiches!! lol)
Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and a Happy Easter!! See you all on Monday!
Grilled Asian Chicken Sandwich with Slaw
Adapted from Cooking In My Yard
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened for even cooking
1 Tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoon pineapple juice
1 Tablespoon Sriracha
2 King's Hawaiian Sweet Buns
Lettuce (optional)
Sriracha mayo (optional)
For the slaw -
4 cups coleslaw mix
3/4 Tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce (Sambal Oelek)
Directions:
Mix together the hoisin, pineapple juice and Sriracha until well combined. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over them. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
To make the slaw - in a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the peanut butter and mayonnaise until well combined. Slowly stir in the soy, rice vinegar, ginger and chili sauce. Pour coleslaw mix into a large bowl and toss with the mayo mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (we used some of this as a side dish too, so don't be surprised if you have some left over if you only use it on your sandwiches)
Preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Clean and oil the grill grates. Remove chicken from bag and discard the marinade. Place chicken over direct heat and grill 5-8 minutes per side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and allow to rest 5 minutes. Toast buns on grill if desired.
To build the sandwich, add a layer or sriracha mayo (if using) and lettuce, top with a pieces of chicken and coleslaw. Serve immediately and enjoy!
One Year Ago: Spaghetti with Shrimp and Basil Mint Pesto
Two Years Ago: Teriyaki Hoisin Sauce
Three Years Ago: Parmesan Crusted Chicken
I promise I will not say anything about The Walking Dead... but only out of respect for those of you that might watch it but have recorded it so you can watch it later.... but I will say this.... I'm SOOOOOOOO glad it's back on!!!! The third season is going to be over before we all know it, but while it's here, I plan on enjoying every single moment of it!! WHOOHOO!!!
Ok, no with the food.... this is such an easy recipe.. and I simplified it from what the original recipe called for. And the flavors... oh yea, the flavors are so incredibly good! Why is it I forget how wonderful the salty, briny flavor olives bring to a dish until I have one with it? It's always just "V8" moment for me, you know?
Easy Mediterranean Chicken and Rice
Adapted from Cook's Country
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup olive brine
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons minced fresh oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
salt and pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup white rice
4 oz cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon minced fresh oregano
Directions:
Combine olive brine, olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons oregano, garlic, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a zipper-lock bag. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and place in bag. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, turning occasionally.
In a saucepan with a lid, bring the chicken broth to a boil and add the rice. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Clean and oil grill grates. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Place the chicken directly over the fire and grill 8-10 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes. (Psst... if you don't want to grill the chicken, you can pan sear it or bake it.)
Remove cover from rice and stir in olives, tomatoes, parsley and remaining oregano. Spoon rice onto plates, top with chicken and serve. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Double Trouble
Two Years Ago: Parmesan Garlic Tilapia
Three Years Ago: Stuffed Chicken Breasts
I know I've talked about the extended hours I work from time to time, but what's great about where I work... we may work hard, but we get to play hard too. For example - two years ago, a couple of the ladies there decided to do a Spring Break Luau. A lot of the people I work with are fresh out of college and it only seemed natural. So these wonderful ladies put a little luau lunch together for us. There were all kinds of decorations, we got to wear our Hawaiian gear, and let's not forget all the luau style food they had. The most memorable of that food was this Hawaiian pulled pork that one of my co-workers, Carol, made. It was AMAZING!! Since I'm always trying to find new recipes, I of course, asked her for this one. She told me and it sounded really simple and I thought, I should probably write this down, but like most things, by the time I got to my desk, I had already forgotten about it.
Flash forward to a few weeks ago... Carol shows up at work with her crock pot full of some uncooked pork. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she informed me that she was making her Hawaiian pulled pork as a way of saying sorry to some of her fellow co-workers who she felt she had wronged (don't worry, it wasn't anything serious, she just showed up for kitchen cleaning duty late). As soon as I heard her say Hawaiian, my mouth started watering and my stomach started growling... oh yes, we remember the pulled pork very, very well, don't we precious???? Lucky for me, there was a TON of it and Carol ended up offering it to everyone. Well, having it once before, I was not going to pass it up!! While we were eating, I asked Carol.. "so tell me what's in this again..... sugar? pineapple juice?" LOL Carol was like.. "WHAT? No there is nothing sweet in this!!" And what's crazy.. I don't know why I thought there was something sweet.. it doesn't even taste sweet. ANYWAY.. Long story shortened, I text Carol that evening, begged for the recipe and the next night I was making my own!! WOOT WOOT!! Thank you Carol, this is now my all time favorite dish!!!
I needed something to go along side the pork (besides the necessary rice and sweet roll that is) so I decided to make a traditional Hawaiian macaroni salad. Well, traditional mac salads are just pasta, grated onion and carrot, mayo, milk, sugar and salt and pepper... so I sort of stuck with it, but of course, had to jazz it up just a bit.
This is a MUST try for sure........ did I mention it's a MUST try??? :)
Hawaiian Pulled Pork with Macaroni Salad
Pork recipe courtesy Carol K.
Macaroni Salad recipe created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
For the Pork -
1 Pork Shoulder Roast (or pork picnic cut) -sorry, can't remember how much mine weighed, but it was the smallest of the ones in the grocery store
1 cup water
1/4 cup salt (I used kosher salt-but according to Carol, any salt will do)
1-2 teaspoon liquid smoke
Additional items to serve with pork -
1-2 cups cooked white rice
King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
For the Macaroni Salad -
8oz elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions, drained and thoroughly cooled
1/3 cup finely grated carrot (about 1 regular sized carrot)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles
1 hard boiled egg, roughly chopped
Directions:
For the Pork - Place the pork (I had to cut mine into three pieces to fit properly) in a crock pot. In a measuring cup add the water, salt and liquid smoke; stirring until the salt has pretty much dissolved. Pour mixture over pork, cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours .... OR.. until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove from crock pot and allow to cool a little before shredding. **Carol will skim the fat off the remaining water in the crock pot, add some flour to thicken it and serve. I just skimmed the fat and drizzled a little of it over the pork, but Chris left his dry - the pork is so good, you can seriously eat it with no sauce!**
For the macaroni salad - Place the cooled cooked pasta in a large serving bowl. Add the carrot, mayo, milk, sugar, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Fold in the pickles and egg. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make your mixed plate - start with some cooked rice and top with pork. Serve with macaroni salad and rolls.... and enjoy!! (and you will... TRUST me!!!)
One Year Ago: Sriracha Glazed Fish
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Three Years Ago: Snickers Pie
