Copycat Chipotle Chicken

 Most of my family would eat at Chipotle at least once a week if given the chance.  I've used this copycat recipe a LOT lately to keep the Chipotle requests at bay.  The chicken is great on the grill! 

• ½ medium red onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, from a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
•  Water, as needed
• 3 to 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (I've also used chicken breasts and cut them in halve lengthwise)

• Make the Marinade: Place the onion, garlic, adobo sauce, olive oil, chile powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour the marinade into a 1-cup measuring cup and add enough water to reach to 1 cup.
• Using a fork, poke holes all over the chicken thighs and place in a resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over, seal, and use your hands to move the marinade around so that all of the chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
• Cook the Chicken: Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until completely cooked through, 165 to 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. (I recommend cooking in two batches and adding more olive oil in between, if needed). Remove the chicken to a large cutting board and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Slice or chop the chicken, as desired. Serve in a burrito, in a salad, or on its own!

Cinnamon and Chili Pork

 This has been a family favorite for years!  

For the Pork:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin

For the Apple Salsa:

• 2 cups crunchy sweet apples, like Fuji, cored and diced (about 2 medium apples)
• ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice, from about 2 limes
• ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch baking dish with foil and coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk together the 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large shallow bowl or pie plate. Add the pork and turn each piece to coat with the cinnamon mixture.
• In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat another tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the pork and brown on all sides, 2-3 minutes per side.
• Transfer the browned pork to the prepared baking pan (if your skillet is oven-safe, you can simply pop it into the oven and save having to clean up an extra pan). Bake for 16-18 minutes (more or less) until an instant read thermometer registers 145 degrees in the thickest part of the pork. Cover the pork with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the apple salsa.
• For the apple salsa (this can be prepared while the pork is cooking), combine all the apple salsa ingredients, stirring well to coat the apples with the lime juice and other ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

This super easy recipe has become a family favorite since the weekly CSA veg box has included a lot of cilantro the past few weeks.  We like it best on the grill.

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 tsp cumin 

1/2 tsp salt 

freshly cracked black pepper

2 limes, divided 

1/2 bunch cilantro, divided 

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1.5 to 1.75 lbs. total)

• Combine the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill) in a small bowl.
• Zest one of the limes and then squeeze the juice. You’ll need 2-3 Tbsp juice, so if needed, juice half of the second lime. Cut the remaining lime into wedges to garnish the chicken once cooked. Roughly chop the cilantro.
• Add 1 tsp of the lime zest, 2-3 Tbsp of the lime juice, and half of the chopped cilantro to the marinade. Stir to combine. (The remaining cilantro will be added fresh after cooking the chicken.)
• Place the chicken thighs in a shallow dish or a large zip top bag. Add the marinade and toss the chicken to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours (refrigerated), turning it once or twice as it marinates.
• When ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until well browned and cooked through. My chicken had enough of an oil coating from the marinade that I did not need to add any extra to the skillet.
• Top the cooked chicken with more fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve with any extra lime wedges.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

 Cottage Cheese Pancakes - protein-packed hit in my house!

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cottage cheese
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp almond milk

• Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
• Add cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla and almond milk to a blender or food processor and blend until combined and smooth. 
• Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 
• Heat pan or griddle to low-medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. Once hot, scoop out about a quarter cup of batter at a time and pour onto pan. You may have to use a spoon to spread the batter into a circle shape if your batter is pretty thick. You should be able to make 8 pancakes. Cook until little bubbles form and the edges of the pancakes are solid enough to put a spatula underneath, about 4-5 minutes.
• Flip the pancakes and cook for 2-3 additional minutes.
• For serving, top with a drizzle of maple syrup and serve with fresh berries or toppings of choice. 

Crunchy Creamy Green Pea and Peanut Salad

Another winner dinner idea inspired by my CSA veg box:  Fresh english peas, celery, and purplette onions brought me to this recipe, which we enjoyed poolside with some sourdough bread and watermelon.

for the salad:

• 1 (20-oz.) pkg. frozen green peas (or fresh, blanched and cooled) 
• 1 cup chopped celery 
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion 
• 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 6 slices thick cut bacon, cooked & crumbled 

for the dressing:

• 1/3 cup sour cream 
• 1.5 tablespoons mayonnaise 
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 
• 2 teaspoons sugar 
• salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

instructions

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and sugar.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the frozen green peas, celery, and onion. Pour the dressing over the top, and toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
3. Before serving, stir in the crumbled bacon and roasted peanuts. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Chicken with Rhubarb Sauce

I haven't made anything with rhubarb yet that I didn't like, but it's still strikes me as a strange plant!  I'm glad I had enough left from my CSA veg box to try this recipe.  It was subtle, but the long simmer turned out delicious tender chicken and the sweet and sour sauce was great over rice.

• 10 oz red onions
• 5 large garlic cloves
• 4 skinless chicken thighs
• 4 skinless chicken drumsticks (I used all drumsticks)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons roughly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons honey, more to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 lb rhubarb
• 3 cups chicken stock
• fine sea salt

Instructions

• Preparations: Halve the red onions and slice them thinly. Slice the garlic cloves thinly as well. Skin the chicken and divide the chicken legs at the joint, if necessary. Clean and peel the rhubarb, then chop it into small pieces.
• Fry chicken: Heat the olive oil in a thick-bottomed or nonstick pot and fry the chicken pieces until golden brown all over, about 5 minutes per side. Don't try to move the chicken pieces during the first 5 minutes, the meat will stick to the pan. Once it is browned, you will be able to turn it easily. Take them out of the pan and set aside.
• Cook vegetables: Fry the onions and garlic without adding any extra oil to the pan for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add a splash of water, if the onions start to stick. Add the pepper and turmeric and fry shortly while stirring all the time. Add the chopped tomatoes and let them cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Simmer: Add the honey, lime juice, and chopped rhubarb. Return the chicken back to the pan and add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer on medium-low heat and uncovered for about 1 1/4 hour, stirring from time to time.
• Adjust the taste with salt and maybe more honey or lime juice if you find that necessary.