Grilled Tequila-Lime Chicken Thighs

Mmmmmmmm!  I know it seems like I say this about nearly every recipe, but I swear, this one is also a 10 out of 10.  Tasty and easy, plus mostly quick prep...yep, this is a win for sure.  Most of the ingredients are easy to come by, though I can't be sure about the chipotle chile powder.  I was actually quite surprised to find it in the first supermarket I tried (Meijer)--McCormick brand, in case any one is curious :)  Anyhow, this recipe is one that requires marinating time--minimum of 8 hours.  Mine went 8 1/2 hours, as I prepped it in the morning and cooked in evening.  Thanks again to my brother for doing the grilling part (gotta give credit where it's due!) so dinner would be ready when I got home from work!  I modified a bit from original, which is linked below.

Original recipe link: http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/tequila-lime-chicken-thighs

Ingredients:

1/3 c. tequila, preferably reposado (which is what I used)
1/3 c. fresh lime juice
1/4 c. agave syrup (I used "light" colored agave syrup)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. chipotle chile powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican (I did not have Mexican, just used regular)
2 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
coarse ground black pepper, to taste
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (around 2 1/2 lbs.), trimmed of excess fat (**I forgot to trim mine and they turned out fine)

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except chicken thighs.

2. Add chicken thighs and turn to coat/plunge in mixture.  Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.

3. Prepare a charcoal fire grill (or medium gas grill--350 to 375°F).  If desired, brush grate with oil to prevent sticking (we did not find this necessary, as we used charcoal grill).

4. Remove chicken from the marinade and place on grill.  Cook, flipping once, until charred in places and cooked through, around 8 minutes total (we did not time, so I cannot verify).

5. Transfer chicken to a plate and let rest 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Baklava-Inspired Monkey Bread

Ready to throw your diet out the window?  Or just feeling indulgent?  This recipe is the treat your mouth has been waiting for!  I actually combined two recipes to make this and I'm super glad I did (yep, this is another 10 out of 10 :))  The original recipe has the dough being made from scratch; though I enjoy making things from scratch (obviously), I did not have time to do so when I wanted to make this.  When I make regular monkey bread, I use Pillsbury dough's recipe and no need to fuss with dough from scratch.  Thus, I figured to cross the two ideas and see how it turned out (spoiler alert: wonderful).  The result was perfect--it really was like a cross between the two treats.  Without further ado, here is the recipe...

Original link 1:  http://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/baklava-monkey-bread/

Original link 2:  https://tinyurl.com/y9urpngt

Ingredients:

1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cans (16.3 oz. each) Pillsbury Grands! Flaky Layers refrigerated original biscuits
1 c. brown sugar (packed)
1/2 c. honey
1/3 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 c. walnuts
1/2 c. pistachio nuts
1/3 c. butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F and grease a 10" fluted tube/Bundt pan very well.

2. Add the sugar and cinnamon to a large zip top plastic bag and shake to combine.

3. Cut each biscuit in fourths and add to cinnamon-sugar mixture in bag.  Shake to coat until all pieces are coated.

2. Prepare the syrup: in a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, cream, 1/4 c. butter, and the lemon zest.  Bring to boiling, then reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until reduced to 1 1/2 cups.  Cool completely.

3. In food processor, combine/chop walnuts and pistachios.

4. Arrange coated biscuit pieces on a rimmed baking sheet or large bowl.  Drizzle with the melted butter and toss pieces gently to coat evenly.

5. Spoon/pour 1/2 c. of the cooled syrup into the prepared fluted tube/Bundt pan. Sprinkle with about a third of the nut mixture.  Arrange about a third of the buttered dough pieces over the nuts.  Repeat layering twice to complete.

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand 5 minutes after removing from oven, then invert onto large serving platter/plate.  Serve warm and enjoy!!

Crispy Fried Chicken

Get your Fry Daddy ready--this is an easy, yummy, quick-prep recipe for delicious fried chicken, no special/crazy ingredients required!  A few days back, it was national fried chicken day (yes, really) and I had to participate, right?  I mean, it would have been unpatriotic or something had I not... lol.  Anyhow, I was a bit busy that day and didn't have time for my favorite fried chicken recipe, plus no buttermilk on hand, thus I chose to try this one.  Very happy I did, too--it's another 10!  Will be making again and again :)

Link to original recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/crispy-fried-chicken

Ingredients:

4 c. all-purpose flour, divided
2 T. garlic salt
1 T. paprika
3 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, divided
2 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 to 4 lbs. bone-in chicken pieces (I used drumsticks only this time)
oil for deep frying (I used a mix of peanut and canola oil this time, which worked well)

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in deep fryer to 375°F.

2. Combine 2 2/3 c. of the flour, garlic salt, paprika, 2 1/2 tsp. of the pepper, and poultry seasoning in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow dish.

3. In a (separate) shallow dish, beat eggs and water until combined.  Add salt and the remaining flour and pepper, stir to combine.  (*note: I added the flour 1/3 of cup at a time, though the original recipe didn't indicate to do so.)

4. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, then place in bag (or dish) of dry mixture and shake/turn to coat.

5. Fry in small batches (I did 3 drumsticks at a time) for around 10 minutes per batch (they should float and register 165°F internal temp after removal).  Remove and drain on paper towels (or wire rack placed over baking sheet, as I prefer).  Enjoy!!

Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Happy father's day, all you dads out there!  I'm still catching up from a few days ago--this would certainly work for a father's day meal if you're in a pinch, though.  This is one more episode from "la cuisine de ma mère" (my mother's kitchen).  We all really enjoyed this one, and it's quite easy, not a lot of ingredients.  Although not indicated in the original recipe, we opted to prepare this in the toaster oven, as we didn't want to heat up the kitchen on a hot summer day (ok, yes, it's not technically summer yet, but I'm counting it as such anyhow).  I would rate this one 8.5--it's really yummy, I will make again for sure :)

Link to original recipe: http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a52049/glazed-pork-tenderloin-recipe/

Ingredients:

2 lb. pork tenderloin
kosher salt and pepper
1/3 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 c. brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup--be sure to cover edges, too) and spray with non-stick spray.

2. Generously salt and pepper tenderloin, then arrange on prepared baking sheet.

3. In a medium saucepan, bring remaining ingredients to a boil.  Reduce heat to keep at a simmer for 5-7 minutes, until sauce has reduced by half.

4. Pour mixture over pork and place in oven.  Bake for 25 minutes (or until pork has reached 160°F), then switch to broiler and broil for 5 minutes.  (note: during the baking, we occasionally basted with the juices, which I recommend--was not indicated in original recipe)

5. Slice and serve immediately with pan juices poured over meat--enjoy! (forgot to get a serving pic--we had this with simple fried potatoes)

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Another episode coming to you from my mom's kitchen, as we just visited over the weekend.  She made these for us once before and we loved them, had to do again so I could get them in my blog (and, you know, enjoy eating them again lol)!  This makes 8 scones, with a serving being 1 or 2 (the latter would be a bit much, I think). I give these a 10 of 10--they are not overly sweet, just enough to get the day started, and don't take too long :)

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLPoBHvhIVo

Original recipe link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/blueberry-scones-with-lemon-glaze-recipe-1914780

Ingredients:

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar
5 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 c. fresh blueberries
1 c. heavy cream, plus slightly more for brushing the scones (*note: we actually used half-and-half this time, as it was what we had on hand.  While it did work and they were still very tasty, the cream makes for a nicer texture.)

lemon glaze--

1/2 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (think this took 4 or 5 lemons)
2 c. powdered sugar, sifted (or not sifted, as I forgot this time--turned out fine, just had to whisk longer)
1 T. unsalted butter
zest of 1 lemon

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F.

2. Sift together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar).  Using a fork or pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour--mixture should look like coarse crumbs.

3. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter, being careful to not mash or bruise them (you want them to stay whole).

4. Make a well in the center of the batter and pour in the heavy cream.  Fold to just until incorporated--do not overwork the dough!

5. Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface, forming a rectangle 12" x 3", with the dough 1 1/4" deep (no, I didn't measure exactly, just used fingers to estimate).

6. Cut the dough in half width-wise and then in half again, forming 4 equal 3" squares.  Cut each square in half diagonally.

7. Place scones on an ungreased non-stick cookie sheet and brush tops of scones with a little heavy cream.  Bake for 15-20 min, until lightly browned all over.

8. Meanwhile, make the lemon glaze: prepare a double boiler (or do this part carefully in microwave, as described in original recipe).  In the top of the double boiler, whisk together lemon juice and powdered sugar until no lumps of sugar remain.

9. Add the butter and lemon zest, whisking to combined until fully melted.  Let cook over double boiler for a minute or two before removing from heat, whisking occasionally.

10. Let scones rest on sheet at least 1 minute after removing from oven before transferring to plates to serve.  Drizzle each with a bit of the lemon glaze and enjoy!

Bratwurst Potato Skillet

Compared with yesterday's entry, this one is a breeze--super easy and fast, perfect for a weeknight!  And perfectly yummy, too--another 10 out of 10!  As the original recipe indicates, I think it could be made with other sausages such as kielbasa or Italian--hoping to try those soon in the future and will come back to post when I do (provided I remember/have time...)  Because this recipe came together so fast, I forgot to get pictures during the prep, so I'll add those next time as well.  This makes a perfect amount for 2 people, so be sure to increase for a family serving.

Link to original recipe: http://relish.com/recipes/bratwurst-potato-skillet-dinner-nc/

Ingredients:

2 fully cooked bratwurst links
2 tsp. canola oil (*I actually used likely closer to 1 tsp. oil and 1 tsp. of the drippings from cooking the sausages)
2 medium potatoes, sliced (I used yukon gold)
1 small onion, sliced half-rounds
1/2 of a bell pepper, sliced (I used orange, but could sub any color)
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. orange juice
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/8 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

Instructions:

*for the bratwurst links: I followed the directions on Johnsonville's website to cook on stovetop--spray skillet with nonstick spray, add brats and heat to medium-high.  Brown on all sides for around 5 min. total, then carefully add 1/2 c. water.  Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes, turning brats occasionally.*

1. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add potatoes (*as I mentioned in ingredients section, I used a combo of oil and pan drippings.  I cooked in the pan after draining but did not wipe clean, thus a bit remained from that as well.)  Cook for around 6 min, until crisp-tender and lightly browned.

2. Add the brats (I cut them up into smaller pieces for ease of cooking), onion, and bell pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, around 5-10 min.

3. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, orange juice, basil, salt, and pepper.

4. Add sauce to pan and stir to combine, cooking for 1 additional minute.  Serve and enjoy!

Mixed Grill

Oh, grilled bliss!  I had made this recipe a few years ago and always wanted to make it again, yet I just never did get around to it for some odd reason.  The last time I did, I used short ribs and chicken thighs and finished it by broiling rather than grilling; this time, I went with pork ribs and chicken thighs and grilled to finish (as written in the original recipe).  I have a slight preference for the latter, but both are fabulous, I assure you :)  I liked only doing the pork and chicken in particular because the it's much less oven time that way. The original recipe calls for doing all 3 meats, but I've never had enough people around to consume that much.  I've included directions for whichever version you might feel like doing, and there will be plenty of sauce no matter what, don't worry!

Link to original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/mixed-grill-with-sweet-and-spicy-bourbon-sauce-362937

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. dark brown sugar (packed)
18 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed
1 c. mild molasses
3/4 c. tamari soy sauce (do not use low-sodium)
6 T. unseasoned rice vinegar
3 T. chili powder
2 T. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 T. sriracha
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning/to taste
1/2 T. coarse ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning/to taste
6 (or more) green onions, light green and white parts only, chopped
choose two meats of these three (or do all three if you have a very large group to feed): 2 racks of meaty baby back pork ribs (about 5 lbs.), 8 meaty beef short ribs (about 4 lbs., membranes trimmed), or 8 chicken thighs with skin and bones
if using short ribs: 1 c. beef broth
2 T. bourbon

Instructions:

1. Sprinkle all meats lightly with Kosher salt and black pepper.

2. If using pork ribs: arrange racks in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.  If using beef ribs: arrange in a single layer in a 13" x 9" x 2" metal baking pan.  If using chicken: arrange in a single layer in a 13" x 9" x 2" metal baking pan (use separate pans for each meat type).  Let stand for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add first 10 ingredients (through black pepper).  Whisk together until salt dissolves.  Mix in green onions.

4. When meats have stood for 30 minutes, pour 3/4 c. marinade over each meat (if using pork ribs, pour 3/4 c. over each rack).  Turn to coat all over and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

5. Reserve remaining marinade sauce covered in the refrigerator.

6. When hour is nearly up, position 1 rack in top third of oven and 1 in lower third. Heat oven to 350°F.

7. If using short ribs only: add beef broth to pan and turn ribs meat side down in broth.

8. Cover each pan tightly with foil and place in oven: pork goes on lower rack, chicken and beef go on upper rack.

9. For pork and chicken: bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven and open foil.

(*I forgot to take the picture until after I'd started removing them to transfer to dish to take to grill!)

10. For short ribs: bake for 2 hours total, remove from oven and open foil.

11. For pork ribs: cut between bones to separate into ribs.  For all meats: transfer to dish to take to grill.

12. Pour pan juices from meats into medium saucepan and spoon off the fat (as best you can--I couldn't get it all by any means).

13. Bring sauce to boil and keep boiling until reduced to around 2 cups (25 to 30 minutes).

14. Add bourbon and return sauce to boil, then remove from heat.

15. Prepare grill at medium-high heat.

16. Coat meat with half of remaining refrigerated marinade.  Grill meat for around 12 minutes total, turning once halfway through and re-coating with other half of remaining marinade.

17. Serve with bourbon sauce and enjoy (a lot)!