Chipotle Chicken Skewers

INGREDIENTS

Chicken Skewers:
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-5 medium chicken breasts)
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced (scrape out the seeds before mincing to reduce spiciness)
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 bamboo or metal skewers
Creamy Dipping Sauce:
• 3/4 cup lowfat sour cream
• 1/4 cup lowfat mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
• Juice from one lime
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, minced
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice the chicken breasts into long, thin strips, about 1/2-inch thick. You should have right around 30 strips. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cilantro, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Toss the chicken with the brown sugar mixture coating all the pieces evenly. Cover the chicken (or place in a ziploc bag) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
2. For the dipping sauce, in a bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Cover the mixture and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes until the flavors combine. Alternately, you can make the dipping sauce in advance and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Be sure to season the dipping sauce with additional lime juice, salt and pepper to taste before serving.
3. 30 minutes before grilling, cover the bamboo skewers with water and soak. Skip this step if using metal skewers.
4. Preheat an oven broiler or gas/charcoal grill. Weave two strips of chicken onto each skewer. Broil or grill the chicken for 5-8 minutes until cooked through, using nonstick cooking spray on a foil-lined pan if you are broiling. Serve immediately (if you broil, you may need to cook in batches) with the dipping sauce.

Freezer Instructions: 

Thaw chicken; thread on skewers and grill!

Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken

Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken

Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken (serves 8)

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup cilantro
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Grill or put under broiler

(I thought I was going to do Huli Huli Chicken - but this recipe is so yummy and a little different - great on the grill! Hope you guys like it!)

Fresh Basil Pesto Linguini with Homemade French Bread

Fresh Basil Pesto w/ Linguini

Ingredients:

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup of pinenuts
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino, Romano, or Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Combine basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coursely chopped. I like to add slowly the olive oil until it is incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:

Thaw pesto in the refrigerator. Cook Linguini as shown on package. Toss the pesto into the warm pasta. Serve.  You may need to add a bit of olive oil to help cover the pasta.


European French Bread Recipe

Ingredients
2 1/2 c warm water
2 T sugar
2 pkgs yeast (2 T)
1 T oil
1 T salt
6 c flour
1 egg, Beaten
Sesame seeds (optional)

In a large bowl, mix water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand until dissolved. Add salt, oil and 3 cups of flour. Beat vigorously. Stir in remaining flour until well mixed. Let rest 10 min. Stir down. Repeat resting and stirring down 5 times. Turn onto floured surface. Knead only enough to coat dough enough to handle. Divide into 2 parts. Roll 1 part into a 9 x 12 inch rectangle. Roll up jellyroll fashion starting with the long portion of dough. Place lengthwise on greased cookie sheet. Let rise for 30 minutes. Make 3 diagonal slashes across loaf with a sharp knife. Brush the surface with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove to cool. Wait at least 5 to 10  minutes before cutting into slices.

I will be doing Korean Fire Sticks this month for our food group. I have put the recipe on the blog before, look under beef or my name.
Thanks, Darla

Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup like at Olive Garden, (Zuppa Toscana)

(This recipe makes enough for two families, more than 16 servings)

1 bunch kale, washed, bite size
10 whole fresh red potatoes
1 whole onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
4 cups half and half
salt to taste

Wash, slice, and boil potatoes, then set aside. Cook sausage and onion, drain.  In a large stock pot combine the potatoes (drained), sausage, onion, spices, broth, milk, and half and half. Simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir in kale, and simmer an additional 5 min. Serve with bread sticks and salad.  Enjoy.
When I made this soup, the grocer was out of Italian sausage, so I searched online for a recipe to make Italian sausage and then I added those spices to the sausage as it cooked.  If the soup is too spicy for you, eat less of the liquid with it.  We really enjoy this soup.  Kids can pick the kale out, if they choose.  Also, after taking this from the freezer, let it thaw on the counter and just warm it in a pot to serving temperature. If you cook it too much, the kale will be less appetizing. :)

Fiesta Lime Chicken

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts, trimmed, and cut in half horizontally
Marinade:
1/3 C teriyaki sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C tequilla (don't panic :)  I didn't put this in!  I did 1/4 cup water and 1/4 tsp agave)
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp mesquite liquid smoke
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Marinade meat 2-3 hours or overnight in refrigerator.
Grill chicken until thoroughly cooked (do not overcook though).

Sauce:
1/2 C ranch (can make your own, but this time I did Hidden Valley)
1/2 C salsa ( I used our homemade canned salsa)

Tortilla Strips:
6 corn tortillas sliced thinly with a pizza cutter
1/8 C olive oil for frying
Heat oil and fry strips until crisp.  Let sit on paper towel to cool.

Assembly and Freezer Directions:
After grilling chicken, place cooked chicken on a foil lined cookie sheet.  Spoon sauce over each piece of chicken.  Then sprinkle with Montery Jack and Chedder Cheese.

Bake in oven @ 350 for 10 min.

Serve on plates with a small pile of tortilla strips under the chicken.
Sprinkle with fresh lime juice and ENJOY!

Serving Suggestions:
Spanich Rice
Black Bean Refreid Beans
Chips/ Salsa
Fresh Fruit

JUNE- Grilled Chicken Wraps

Chicken Marinade
1/4 C  soy sauce  (used western family brand)
3 TBS honey
2 TBS distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 C vegetable or canola oil
2 chopped green onions
1 tsp course ground pepper

Mix ingredients.  Add chicken.  Marinate at least 4 hours.

Grill chicken and then cut into thin strips.

-Take wrap or tortilla and put desired dressing on.  (We all love ranch the most. :) )
-Add any of the following or your own ideas:
                - spinach, romaine lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, jalepano peppers, sliced cucumbers, mozzeralla       cheese, feta cheese.