Chipotle Honey Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potatoes Plus Fiery Grilled Asparagus

 Two great recipes for the price of one in this post!  This recipe was shared with me a year ago by Tonia but I finally pulled it out and gave it a shot.  It got a big thumbs up at our dining room table and hopefully will at yours too!

Chipotle Honey Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• Chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Toss cubed sweet potatoes with oil and place into a large casserole dish or roasting pan
• Place potatoes in oven for 20 minutes

• Into a small bowl, combine minced peppers, garlic, honey, vinegar, salt, cinnamon and cumin to make a thick paste.
• Rub paste evenly over each chicken breast
• When the potatoes have finished their 20 minutes in the oven, place chicken on top of them and return to oven for an additional 30 minutes or until chicken is done

Going into the oven!

• Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Fiery Grilled Asparagus

Here's a recipe that I picked up from one of those recipe cards in the grocery store.  It's definitely worth making again....and SOON!

Ingredients

• 1 lb asparagus
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar - I didn't have this so used regular white vinegar instead and it seemed to work just fine.
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted - I also didn't have this and omitted them but am sure they would be a nice addition
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat grill to a medium heat and coat with a non-stick cooking spray
• Trip and discard tough ends of asparagus
• In a shallow dish, combine asparagus, oil, red pepper flakes, vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper
• Let stand 15 minutes
• Place asparagus on grill and grill 5 minutes, turning once
• After grilling, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve

And here's the picture of the delicious meal:

Beer Bread

3 cups of Self-rising flour
1 cup of sugar
1 can of beer (any kind)
Mix together, put in greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Allow to cool, then tear into small chunks and serve with Spinach Artichoke Dip found here.

Potato Salad

This is a new twist on an old time favorite. This was given to me by a friend, and their grandma's Herbolisheimer's recipe!

You will need for the dressing:

• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 tsp mustard
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• celery salt to taste
• 1/4 cup onion

This dressing will make enough for about 6 large boiled red potatoes and 6 hard boiled eggs.

To make the dressing, boil water, vinegar, sugar, salt and m

ustard. Stir constantly; when it starts to boil turn down heat and add eggs (one at a time) stirring until thick. (I turned down to almost to simmer and added eggs one at a time; it will be a bit scrambled egg-like but just keep whisking...) Let cool and then add mayonnaise and celery salt. Chop potatoes and hard boiled eggs and onion. Mix altogether.

Tom-esto-san

Today I knew I would be hungry before our late dinner was ready so I threw together some ingredients I had for an experimental appetizer.  Side Note: food title also experimental!

Ingredients

• Tomatoes
• Pesto sauce
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Slice the tomatoes in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp
• Fill the tomato halves with a dollop of pesto sauce
• Place stuffed tomatoes in a baking dish
• Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top (I'm sure shredded would be better than grated!)
• Bake for 13-15 minutes

Simple yet delicious

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan with Risotto and Vegetables

This blog has two recipes that I enjoy cooking together. The main dish is Broiled Tilapia Parmesan and Risotto with Veggies.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 pound tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Risotto with Vegetables

• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ¾ cup bite-sized asparagus or broccoli pieces
• ¾ cup seeded and diced tomato
• ¼ cup shredded carrot (1 small)
• ¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil or parsley

1. In large saucepan cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic until tender; add rice. Cook and stir over medium heat about 5 minutes until rice is golden.
2. Meanwhile in another saucepan, bring broth to boil; reduce heat and simmer. Slowly add 1 cup of broth to rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Add another ½ cup of broth and asparagus/broccoli pieces to rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Add another 1 cup broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until the broth has been absorbed. (This should take about 15 minutes.)
3. Stir in remaining ½ cup broth, the tomato, and carrot. Cook and stir until rice is slig

htly creamy and tender. Stir in parmesan cheese and basil/parsley.

**I found that I needed to add more BOILING water to the rice then the 3 cups b/c it was not quite done**

Zucchini Bread

Some folks lately have expressed surprise that I am the co-author of a food blog and that I like exploring new recipes.  Truth be told, I don't think ordinary cooking requires any special skill or experience.  The best asset to someone in the kitchen is the ability to read.  I believe that if you can read, you can cook just about anything.  It's all about having or finding recipes and going for it.

That being said, baking is a whole other story.  There is no forgiveness in baking.  When you cook something, you can switch things up here and there.  A little short on an ingredient?  You'll probably be just fine.  In baking however, those measurements mean the difference between a nice, fluffy cake, and a flour brick.

As a result, I rarely bake.  I try to avoid it in most instances.  This week, however, I had a craving for zucchini bread.  Not just any zucchini bread, mind you.  This recipe comes to us from the kind folks over at A Cage of Words.  The author there, Andy, has been making this recipe for years and I had to have it.  I used to think zucchini had no earthly business being in bread but man, was I wrong.  Andy kindly shared it with me recently and I didn't waste much time getting in the kitchen and trying it out.

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely shredded zucchini (1 large zucchini)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts - the original recipe calls for this, I prefer to substitute half the chopped walnuts with chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• In a bowl, beat together the shredded zucchini, sugar and egg
• Add oil and mix well
• In a separate bowl, mix together all remaining dry ingredients except the walnuts and chocolate chips
• Slowly stir the dry ingredient mixture into the zucchini mixture
• Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips
• Pour batter into greased loaf pan

Batter in the pan

• Bake 45 minutes or until done

Right out of the oven

First, warm slice is always the best!

Thanks again, Andy!

Chinese Slaw

This was a fantastic salad that I made today for a meeting! Everyone loved it and so will you. This is a great quick and simple side dish you can bring to a party or for family dinner!

You will need:

1 pkg Dole coleslaw mix
1 pkg chicken flavored Ramen noodles (crushed)
4 T. sesame seeds (one small tones)
1 pkg (30z) slivered almonds
1 bunch chopped green onions - tops and all

Dressing
1/2 cup salad oil
4 T red wine vinegar
4 T sugar
Seasoning mix from ramen noodles

Mix oil and sugar together, add vinegar, mix and microwave for 45 seconds, let sit for a minute and then stir. Let the dressing sit on the counter for at let an hour and stir again before putting the salad right before eating.

Right before serving add slaw and green onions and mix with dressing. Then add almonds, crushed noodles and sesame seeds. Stir well again and enjoy!

Almonds and sesame seeds may be toasted (I did not do this).

Parmesan Crusted Broccoli

My roommate's brother-in-law came up with this fantastic recipe! Please note that my true lack of measuring things will come out in this recipe but I really feel like this is one of those that is best to use your eyeballs...

You will need:

• 2 1/2 cups broccoli uncooked cut in large pieces
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Please note that depending on how much of the broccoli will depend on how much of the ingredients you will use.

Wash broccoli and pat dry. Put in a bowl and toss with olive oil. Mix in lemon juice along with salt and pepper. Then toss the Parmesan Cheese on.

Put directly on grill and cook to desired tenderness. When cooking on the gas grill I turned the side with the broccoli on low and the other side on high and I went out and turned every 5 min or so. I also put the small pieces away from the heat because they take less time to cook.

It takes about 10 minutes on the grill.

I also can't help but wounder if lemon pepper would be good with it. I will have to give it a try next time!

Enjoy!

Knock Off Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits

Admit it.  We all go to Red Lobster for one thing and one thing only: the amazing cheesy biscuits that come before the meal is served.  They are so good.

And since Tonia posted a "knock off" recipe last week, I just had to do something to keep up.  I hope you love these as much as my husband and I do!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups bisquick baking mix 
• 3/4 cup cold milk 
• 4 tbsp cold butter
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Pinch salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine bisquick and butter in a bowl.  Do not over mix.  Butter should be in about pea-sized chunks.
3. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder
4. Drop 1/4 cup portions onto an ungreased baking sheet
5. Bake 15-17 minutes, until tops begin to brown
6. Toward the end of the baking time, mix together the remaining ingredients
7. Brush the buttery mixture over the tops of the baked biscuits and serve.

Right out of the oven

Mmm!