grilled chicken for street tacos or salad

 

We had an assortment of street tacos for dinner but I chose to make a salad. This chicken is great and I made enough for leftovers which means lots of yummy salads in the coming days.

grilled chicken for street tacos or salad (tastes better from scratch)

1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts

marinade:

4 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle chili powder

2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano

2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

Make chicken marinade by combining all marinade ingredients in a bowl.  Add chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to over night.

Preheat grill.  Remove chicken from marinade and place on hot grill. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping once.  Transfer chicken to a plate and allow to rest before chopping into small pieces.

camie's favorite turkey meatballs

 

These are my favorite turkey meatballs and I keep forgetting to put them on this blog so I have to keep trying to find the little index card where I wrote this recipe down.  FINALLY it will be where it needs to be. :)

camie's favorite turkey meatballs

1 egg

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon basil (I used fresh this time)

1 tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey meat

1 tablespoon olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine egg and all ingredients except the ground turkey.  Combine very well then add the ground turkey. 

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Use a cookie scoop to form meatballs and place each one in the skillet.  Once all the meatballs have had a chance to brown on one side, turn them over and let them brown on the other side.  Let them continue to cook until they are cooked through.

I like to eat them with tzatziki sauce!

bengal barbecue veggies skewers

 

Our last trip to Disneyland my daughter ordered veggie skewers in Adventureland at Bengal Barbecue.  They have the best skewers!  I wanted to find a copycat recipe so we tried these.  We couldn't remember if they tasted the same or not (she thought they tasted just like them) but this is a terrific recipe!

bengal barbecue veggie skewers (adapted from alldaymom)

1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then cut into chunks

1 yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise then cut into chunks

carton button mushrooms

1 red onion, cut into chunks

1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons oil

spice mixture:

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

Wash and cut veggies.  In a zip-lock bag, mix 2 tablespoons oil with the spice mixture.  Add the vegetables and coat vegetables with the spice mixture.  Assemble the vegetables on the skewers.  Grill until cooked to perfection (I did not cook directly over the flame but on a rack a few inches above).

amazing crusty no knead bread

 

Amazing, delicious bread!  Very crusty.  I'd been wanting to make this bread for a long time but I kept forgetting that this is an OVERNIGHT bread recipe.  Well, I finally planned ahead.  I'll be planning ahead more often.

amazing OVERNIGHT crusty no knead bread (gimme some oven)

3 1/4 cups (425 grams) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F)

Mix the dough:  Stir together the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl until combined.  Add in the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough is evenly mixed and no large flour streaks remain. (The dough will look quite loose and shaggy which is ok.)

Let the dough rise:  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

Shape the dough:  Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface.  Fold the dough on top of itself- pulling the outer edges up and into the center a few times until the dough feels a bit tighter and holds its shape- to form a round dough ball. (If the dough is sticky or feels too loose at any point, just keep sprinkling on extra flour as needed.)  Lightly flour the top of the dough ball, and then carefully flip it upside-down onto a piece of parchment paper, so that the smooth side is on top.  Use your hands to shape the ball into an even circle.  Lightly flour the top of the dough ball, then loosely cover it with plastic wrap to rest while the oven heats.

Heat the oven and Dutch oven:  Place the Dutch oven inside of your oven then set oven to 450 degrees F.  Wait for 20-30 minutes for the oven to heat, while the dough continues to rest.

Bake:  Very carefully, use oven mitts to remove Dutch oven from the oven.  Lift the edges of the parchment to carefully transfer the dough ball (along with the parchment) to the Dutch oven.  Cover with the Dutch oven lid and bake for 30 minutes.  Then carefully remove the lid and bake for 10-20 minutes more until the crust of the bread reaches your desired level of doneness.

Serve:  Remove from the oven, uncover and then carefully lift up the edges of the parchment to transfer the bread to a wire cooling rack.  Cool for at least 30 minutes.

peanut chicken spring roll bowl (salad)

 

My friend Erin recommended this recipe to me and we loved it!  The peanut sauce is SO good!! My vegetarians enjoyed it without the chicken, of course.

peanut chicken spring roll bowl (My friend found it on Half-Baked Harvest)

4 cups shredded romaine or cabbag

4 carrots, shredded

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro or Thai basil, chopped

1/2 cup diced mango

2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pickled jalapenos, chopped

1/3 cup peanuts, chopped

4 ounces vermicelli rice noodles, cooked (we used the brown rice noodles from Costco)

1-2 cup cooked shredded chicken (I browned and sliced a couple chicken breasts)

1 avocado, diced

peanut dressing

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil (I used 2 tablespoons)

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2-3 tablespoons chili sauce

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (I omitted since I didn't have fresh ginger)

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, carrots, green onions, cilantro, mango, cucumbers, jalapenos and peanuts.

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a food processor or use a whisk to combine.  Add water as needed to thin.

Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.  Divide the salad between bowls.  Top each with noodles, chicken and avocado.  Drizzle with more dressing.

ground turkey kebabs (or meatballs)

 

Hall of Fame!  I haven't declared a Hall of Fame in a while and this one deserves it.  The flavors are fantastic.  I didn't have the right skewers for kebabs so I formed mine into meatballs.  Get ready for some soft, uber-flavorful meatballs.

ground turkey kebabs (or meatballs) (Costco Connection Magazine, December 2022)

2 pounds ground turkey

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

3/4 cup parsley, chopped

10 ounces frozen cut spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled (I couldn't believe I didn't have any on hand!)

1 egg, whisked

1 shallot, chopped (I used 2 green onions)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh dill weed, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

10 thick 8-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (unless you prefer to pan fry).

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a large mixing bowl.  Mix until well combined.  With damp hands, mold meat firmly around skewer into a sausage shape, about 5 inches long and 2 inches wide.  You should have enough meat for about 10 skewers.

Brush kebabs with oil and bake on a foil lined baking sheet for 25-33 minutes or until meat registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Serve with tzatziki sauce and hummus.

creamy cheesecake pumpkin brownies

 

My oldest daughter brought these over for us and they are amazing!  My kids were saying that they tasted a lot like a really good cheesecake.  They are so soft and a great consistency.  Will definitely satisfy a sweet tooth.

creamy cheesecake pumpkin brownies (mom timeout)

1 box brownie mix

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

cheesecake layer

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup pumpkin

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Preheat your oven to indicated temperature on box mix.

Lightly spray a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.  Line with parchment paper leaving an overhang for easy removal.  Alternatively, line a 9-inch square pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Prepare the brownie mix as directed using ingredients indicated on the box.  Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

Cheesecake Layer

Using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy.

Add the sugar and beat until combined.  Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.

Add in pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and mix until smooth and combined.

Spread half of the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Spoon the cheesecake filling over the top of the brownie batter and carefully spread into a thin layer with an offset spatula.

Spoon the remaining brownie batter over the top and drag the tip of a knife through the batter to create a swirl pattern.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let cool completely in pan.  Use the parchment paper or foil overhang to pull the brownies out of the pan and cut into squares.

Store leftovers in an airtight container.