Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Source: Ina Garten

I'm all about no-fuss side dishes. I love potatoes. I love garlic. I love everything I've made from Ina. I love this recipe! I've made Pioneer Woman's version of garlic roasted potatoes, and they're really good, but I hate roasting whole garlic heads and then waiting for them to cool so you can squeeze out the garlic. This recipe was perfect - toss everything together, pop it in the oven, and serve! The only change I made was to also add 1/4 cup of white wine. Enjoy!

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients
3 pounds small red or white potatoes
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking in order to ensure even browning.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Source: Cooking for Two

One of my favorite cookbooks has a grilling section, and I've been happily trying out the recipes. Each time I get kind of a "look" from Kevin - as in, you don't need recipes for grilling! Maybe not, but I always feel better with them, and the chicken would not have been as flavorful without the marinade! I've tried a few different fajita recipes, and this one will go in the regular rotation!

As a note, do not marinate the chicken for longer the 15 minutes. The acid in the lime will turn the meat mushy!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup fresh lime juice from 2 limes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced

Salt and pepper

2 (6 to 8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

1 small red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch rings (keep the rings together)

1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and quartered

6 6-inch flour tortillas

1. Combine 1/4 cup of the oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeño, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Measure out and reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for serving. Add 1/2 teaspoon more salt to the remaining marinade and pour in a large zipper-lock bag. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

2. For a gas grill: turn all the burners to high, cover, and heat the grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave the primary burner on high and turn the other burner(s) to medium.

3. Remove the chicken from the marinade, place on the hotter part of the grill, and cook covered until well browned on both sides, about 8 - 12 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Transfer the chicken to a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest.

4. While the chicken cooks, brush the onion rings and bell pepper with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the onion rings and bell pepper with on the cooler part of the grill and cook covered, until spottily charred on both sides, 8 - 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking. Transfer the vegetables to the carving board and tent loosely with foil.

5. If you wish to pre-warm the tortillas, place directly on cooler part of grill and cook about 20 seconds per side.

6. Separate the onion rings and slice the bell pepper into 1/4 inch strips. Toss the vegetables in half of the remaining marinade. Slice chicken and toss with the remaining marinade in a separte bowl. Serve with sour cream, lime wedges, and shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack or queso fresco (my favorite!) if desired.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Source: Recipe Club

I saw these on Annie's Eats and they were PERFECT for a gathering I was hosting. I wanted to make something warm that was also easy. These could not have been easier and were so tasty! I think the topping makes all the difference!


Ham and Cheese Sliders

Ingredients:

For the sandwiches:
24 slider rolls
24 slices honey ham (or regular ham)
24 small slices Swiss cheese
Mayonnaise

For the sauce:
1½ tbsp. yellow mustard
8 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp. finely minced onion (or 2 tsp. dried minced onion)
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Split the slider rolls and spread the insides lightly with mayonnaise. Fold a slice of ham to fit on each slider bun, and top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Replace the top bun to assemble the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients except the poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the sauce over the tops of the slider buns. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake 2 minutes longer. Serve warm.

Chicken Caesar Salad

When I told my husband we were having salad for dinner, he gave me a face and said, "I guess I'll have to have ANOTHER dinner." Put your pouting face away - after this dinner was done, he was fully stuffed and actually enjoyed it! He even said he usually doesn't like Caesar salad, but this was really good. I enjoyed it immensely as well. I have been on a real Caesar salad kick, and this fit the bill nicely!

Brining the chicken is key to flavorful, moist chicken. We used tenderloins and brined them for 15 minutes, then cooked about 3 minutes each side. The chicken was so good we've made it that way a few times just to have leftover chicken in the fridge.

Chicken Caesar Salad

Ingredients

Garlic Croutons

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon table salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups 3/4-inch bread cubes from baguette

Broiled Chicken Breasts

3 tablespoons table salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 inches each), trimmed of excess fat

Ground black pepper

Caesar Dressing

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus 2 more teaspoons

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium garlic clove, minced fine

4 anchovy filets (flat), minced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad

2 medium heats romaine lettuce, large outer leaves removed; washed, dried, and torn into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. For the croutons: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat over to 350 degrees. Mix garlic, salt, and oil in a small bowl; let stand 20 minutes to infuse flavors, then pour through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl. Add bread cubes and toss to coat. Spread cubes in even layer on rimmed baking sheet; bake, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool croutons on baking sheet to room temperature. (Can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)

2. For the chicken: dissolve sugar and salt in 1 1/2 quarts cold water in gallon-sized zipper-lock bag or plastic container. Add chicken and seal bag, pressing out as much as as possible; refrigerate 30 minutes until fully seasoned. Remove chicken from brine, dry thoroughly with paper towels, and season with pepper.

3. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (should be about 6 inches away from heating element) and heat broiler. Spray broiler pan top lightly with nonstick cooking spray and position over pan bottom. Place chicken on pan; broil until spotty brown and firm to the touch, about 8 minutes, turning chicken halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside.

4. For the dressing: Bring 2 inches water to boil in a saucepan over high heat. Lower eggs into water and cook 45 seconds; remove with slotted spoon. When cool enough to handle, crack eggs open; reserve yolks in small bowl and discard whites. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, garlic, and anchovies to yolks; whisk until smooth. Whisking constantly, add oil in slow, steady stream. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. (Dressing can be refrigerated in airtight container up to 1 day; shake before using.)

5. To finish salad: In large bowl, toss lettuce, Parmesan, and about two-thirds of the dressing to coat; divide evenly among individual plates. Remove tenderloins from chicken breasts; place in bowl used to dress lettuce, along with remaining dressing. Cut chicken breasts crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, add to bowl, and toss to coat. Divide dressed chicken evenly among plates, arranging slices on lettuce. Sprinkle each plate with a portion of the croutons and serve immediately.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

You're probably thinking chocolate-dipped strawberries is WAY to easy of a recipe to post, but really, this is more about melting chocolate on the stovetop without ruining it! You can easily ruin a delicious batch of Ghirardelli chocolate (cry) if you overheat the chocolate. Once the chocolate gets too hot, it seizes up and stiffens, and you have to kiss it goodbye!

You can melt chocolate in the microwave, but I prefer stovetop since it heats more evenly and stays melted longer. If you don't have a double broiler, just stack two saucepans on top of each other, smaller one on top.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

1 16-ounce bag of milk chocolate chips

1 quart of strawberries, washed

1. In the larger saucepan, add a couple of inches of water. Ensure when the smaller saucepan is placed on top, the bottom will NOT touch the water. Pour out any excess water if necessary. Bring the water to boiling, then reduce heat until water is gently simmering.

2. Pour chips in the smaller saucepan, and set over water. When the chips start to melt, start stirring. When about half the chips are melted, remove from heat and stir constantly until all the chips are melted.

3. Holding on to strawberry hull or by using a toothpick inserted in strawberry, dip each strawberry in chocolate and set aside on parchment. Refrigerate until needed. Enjoy!

Creamy Taco Mac

Source: Delish

I've seen this recipe making the rounds on different blogs, so I finally had to break down and try it. It's a healthier version of Hamburger Helper, and frankly, it's not that much harder to make! This came together quickly. The only change I'd make for the future is adding a little spice, whether through a pinch of crushed red pepper, or using canned tomatoes with jalapenos. Enjoy!

Creamy Taco Mac

1.25 lbs ground turkey
8 oz dry pasta + 1 cup reserved pasta water
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
4 Tbsp mild taco seasoning
3 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta per directions. Reserve one cup of pasta water.

2. Over medium heat, brown ground turkey until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning and diced tomatoes. Allow to simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Add cooked pasta, reserved water, cream cheese and sour cream. Give it a good stir until cheeses are melty and incorporated. Simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt & pepper, as desired. Top off with cheddar cheese if desired.

My new summer drink!

Adapted from: Bon Appetit

Rarely do I make something and blog it IMMEDIATELY (I am drinking the pictured as I type), but this is such a delicious, refreshing drink I HAD to! When Kevin and I were in Arizona over Memorial Day weekend, I ordered a "berry thyme" drink from one of the restaurants there and LOVED it. If you've never tried herbs in your drink before, give it a shot! They give it such an interesting and fresh flavor, although you'd never think to add thyme. This Bon Appetit version is almost a perfect match - I used less lime juice and added some club soda for carbonation. My changes are as below. Absolutely addictive!

Raspberry Thyme Smash

2 fresh thyme sprigs, divided
7 fresh raspberries, divided
ice cubes
1/4 cup Hendrick's Gin (or vodka)
2 tablespoons Simple Syrup (see below)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Club soda

Preparation

Remove leaves from 1 thyme sprig; place in cocktail shaker. Add 6 berries; mash with muddler or wooden spoon. Fill cocktail shaker with ice; add gin, Simple Syrup, and lime juice. Cover; shake vigorously until cold. Strain into highball glass filled with ice, and add club soda to taste. Thread 1 raspberry onto remaining thyme sprig; place on rim of glass.

For the simple syrup:

Stir 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil; cool. Cover and chill.