I’ve always wanted to go to Asia.
I mean… I love their food…
Thai food has been on the brain lately. Vegas and I found a great local Thai spot and it has started a constant craving. And now that k.d. lang song is stuck in my head. You’re welcome.
This slow cooker Pumpkin Chicken Curry started out with Thai intentions, but I think it ended up more Indian. Not that I really cared. The pumpkin may sound like a strange twist, but it added to the creamy good-ness.
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I know most of you guys are freezing (sorry).
Finally moving to SoCal is REALLY paying off.
It’s been pretty warm here – 60s during the day. It feels hotter in the sun. Especially after the gym. This means a lot of salads for us. I’ve started marinating chicken in the morning while I make breakfast so it’s ready to grill by lunchtime. 10 minutes later, we have a fresh Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Salad for lunch!
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I’m so late to the slow cooker game.
I’m perpetually late to everything, really.
In true fashion, I started out with a beer-centric recipe. I’m hoping this is strange to you. Even if it’s not, I guarantee you that this slow cooker BBQ Beer Chicken is good.
When I had my place in Atlanta, the kitchen was so small I literally couldn’t shove one more appliance in. Now that I’m in San Diego, the kitchen is huge and Vegas came with a slow cooker. It took me 10 months, but I finally started experimenting.
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I view food as a source of entertainment.
What do you expect from a person who goes to Whole Foods when she’s bored?
Sometimes food prep gets a bit mundane. When you’re packing up 3-4 meals a day to take to work, there are only so many options. I wonder if we could get an oven in the office…
This past Sunday marked 6 years since my dad died. As per tradition, my sister and I spent the day with mom at the house we grew up in. We grilled out and had a great time eating (my mom has a similar Whole Foods problem – soooo much delicious food!). It was fun to reminisce and enjoy the gorgeous pool day. And I got to cook with my mom, which I love!
It was also a good opportunity to food prep in a different way. I stopped by the farmer’s market on the way to the house and loaded up on chicken, fish, and veggies. I live in a condo, which means we can’t have grills. Mom, on the other hand, has a gas grill AND a Big Green Egg. It’s been the perfect way to add more variety to my prep!
This week I’ve been especially loving the BBQ chicken I made. It was a really quick marinade, and it packed a punch! I used smoked paprika and my healthy homemade BBQ sauce (I keep a batch on hand all summer) to heat it up. They were a great compliment to the tangy mustard.
You could use your favorite store brought BBQ sauce if you don’t have any homemade. If you’re grill-less like I usually am, this would be fine on a grill pan or baked in the oven.
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This WIAW I wanted to eat each meal consecutively. Between leg day and the excitement of grilled food I was entertained alllll day!
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!…
The only thing I like better than Indian food is Mexican food.
Depending on the day.
On this MLK Day, I am celebrating equality Mexican-style with soup. After seeing Jenn’s Crock-pot Chicken Tortilla Soup, I was craving a batch. Alas, I have no crock-pot and I can’t follow a recipe. This is what resulted:
No one likes a complainer.
Especially me.
I’m making an exception. It’s COLD. This arctic tundra has got to go. I live in the South. I should never see this:
Ice in my shower is something else I should never have to see. I left my faucet dripping just like the newsman said because we hit a record low of 6 degrees in Atlanta. When I woke up, I was rewarded with an ice-lined tub.
Try motivating to shower for work when faced with this:
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This WIAW I am FINALLY back on track. I had the biggest meal prep in weeks on Sunday and felt ready to get back to the “real” world of having a routine.Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!…
You may have noticed that simple is hard for me.
But the things I make really aren’t hard!
I like ingredients, and I find its easy to toss together a bunch of spices quickly. But I get it. Long ingredient lists are intimidating. So here’s a recipe that couldn’t be any easier.
Dijon Baked Chicken only calls for 3 necessary things: chicken, Dijon, and red wine vinegar (you could use *almost* any acid you have on hand). I have made it as part of my food prep 2 weeks in a row! Click here for a full post on that.
The simplicity of this dish doesn’t make it any less delicious. In fact, this is one of the best baked chickens I’ve made yet (and I make a lot of chicken).
Two things will make this better than your average chicken: use a GOOD mustard (I used a beer dijon) and tenderize your chicken. Tenderizing is a pain in the arse, but it makes such a huge difference that I always, always do it. I hate touching raw chicken, so I put mine between 2 sheets of wax paper before beating it.
Easy clean up and it’s not a bad stress reliever. 😉
You know me. I couldn’t leave it at just the 3 ingredients. I added rosemary, black pepper, and a touch of lemon stevia (honey mustard!). And red pepper flakes. Add your favorite flavors or keep it super simple. It won’t disappoint either way.
I used this chicken many ways, but the simplest meal was for lunch over a bed of spinach and broccoli slaw. Tossed with a little hummus dressing (hummus mixed with apple cider vinegar and a little cumin), it was the perfect midday meal!
Preheat oven to 425.
Tenderize chicken breasts and place in 9×13 glass baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix together mustard, vinegar, and any additional flavors.
Pour mustard mixture over chicken, taking care to coat each one.
Bake for ~30 mins, until 165 degrees.
Tip: I only cook mine to 160 degrees to keep it nice a juicy. I take it out and let it rest, which allows it to cook the rest of the way, and for the juices to soak in.
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I made so much of this… and then I made it again. Chicken for days in the freezer when I get home and I couldn’t be happier. 🙂
Do you have a go-to way to make chicken? (Or tofu… the vegan chicken. 😉 )
How about some mustard love – have you tried any of the fun flavors? Sweet potato and caramelized onion mustard is also delish in this!
I have never eaten a chicken wing.
Gnawing on a bone does NOT appeal to me.
The sauce makes it tempting though. Yummy, smokey hot sauce. Why should I have to chew on a bone to get it? A thick bowl of Tabasco-laced chili sounds much more appealing!
The smoked paprika and the Tabasco sauce zing worked really well with the fire-roasted tomatoes. It gave the chili a campfire feel. Almost as rustic as gnawing on a bone, no?
You can adjust the amount of paprika and sauce to your heat preference. If you don’t have smoked paprika, you could also add a little liquid smoke.
Traditional chicken wings sides of carrot and celery sticks are the main veggies I used in the soup. I topped it with smokey blue cheese and celery leaves… and a little extra sauce because I do love my heat.
This would also make an excellent vegan chili if you replace the chicken with TVP!
Cook the chicken in a large pot over medium heat and set aside.
Pour oil in pot and allow to warm. Add the onions, red pepper, celery and carrots. Cook until tender, ~10 minutes.
Add the garlic and spices, cooking until fragrant, 2-3 mins.
Add broth, chicken, tomatoes, beans, and hot sauce. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
Serve topped with crumbled blue cheese to taste.
Makes 5 servings.
Approximate Nutrition (does not include cheese): 285 cals, 11.6 g fat, 119 mg sodium, 20.3 g carbohydrates, 5.9 g fiber, 4g sugar, 22.9g protein
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I’ve also never had a fast food hamburger. Or a baked potato (can’t stand potatoes).
Do you like chicken wings?
Is there a “common” food you have never eaten?
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