Orange Soy Chicken

recipe by emeril lagasse (foodnetwork)

This marinade is yummy. I like to set some extra aside and use it for dipping the chicken in or for drizzling on the chicken after it is cooked. Obviously, don't reuse any of the stuff you marinate the chicken in though.

Ingredients



1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (or non-freshly-squeezed works)


1/4 cup soy sauce


1/2 cup sugar


2 teaspoons orange zest (if you don't use a fresh orange, then you can omit this OR what I did one time was put in lime zest, because I happened to have limes sitting around. The zest of citrus fruits has TONS of flavor, so I recommend adding it (whether orange or lime) if you can)


4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts


2 teaspoons salt


1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper


4 teaspoons olive oil





Directions


Set a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and add the orange juice, soy sauce, sugar and orange zest. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook until liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes (Keep an eye on it! If it boils over it makes a HUGE mess...not that I ever did that....ok... so I did...). Remove the glaze from the heat, reserve 1/4 cup separately, and then pour the remaining glaze over the chicken breasts in a re-sealable plastic food storage bag. Refrigerate the chicken breasts for 2 hours; remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.


Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and discard the marinade. Season the chicken on both sides with the salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil.

(The following is Emeril's instructions of how to grill it. I don't get that technical-- with the rotating 45 degrees, etc.-- but, cook it however you want. Grill, oven, etc.)

 Place the chicken, smooth side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes, rotate 45 degrees and cook an additional 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over, brush each breast with 1 tablespoon of the reserved glaze, and cook for another 4 minutes on the second side, or until just cooked through. Remove from the heat and serve.

Chicken Pot Pie

As the fall season rushes by too quickly and winter looms in the close future... I begin to turn more to the comfort that food brings. Theres nothing like a good, hot bowl of soup.

Or how about a good ol' chicken pot pie?

Filling
2 cups water
14 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cubed (about 1 cup)
2 ribs celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup butter
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup frozen peas

For the crust you've got a few options.... you could buy some frozen puff pastry or pie crust or you could make your own basic pie crust. Or, you could try this simple pie crust recipe! I thought it was the perfect texture and taste to top off this tasty pot pie!!!

For the crust:

• 1 stick butter, cut into pea-size pieces
• 1 (8-ounce) container cream cheese, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water

Egg Wash: 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water

To make the crust:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter, cream cheese, flour and salt. Pulse to combine. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the ingredients start to come together and resembles Parmesan. Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water. Pulse a couple of more times until the ingredients start to form a ball. If the mixture is exceedingly wet, add some more flour. Or conversely, if the mix is dry, dry, dry, add in a few more drops of water.

When the mixture has come together into a ball, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead it a couple of times to help it come together. Dust it with flour, form it into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can be done a day ahead.

Cook's Note: When ready to use the dough, remove it from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before rolling, to allow it to warm up and soften.

To make the filling:

In 4-quart saucepan combine water, chicken, carrots, celery and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken bouillon, pepper and butter. Dissolve cornstarch and flour into whipping cream and stir into chicken mixture. Simmer 3 minutes stirring frequently until thickened. Add peas and set aside.

Making the Pie:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Using this crust recipe, I made my pie with only a top crust. If you use a different, basic crust recipe, you could do a top and bottom crust if you want. (It might even work to do a bottom crust with this recipe as well, I just didn't want a bottom crust.)

You can use little ramekins or casserole dishes if you want to make individual pot pies. I used a 8x8 glass baking dish and that was about the perfect size for the amount of filling.

Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll the dough into the shape of the casserole dish or large enough to cut circles to cover the individual casserole dishes. (For my 8x8 dish, I think I used just over half of the dough.) Whichever dishes are being used the dough needs to have generous overhang of dough on the edges of the dish. Pour the filling into the dish/dishes. Brush the outside edges of the dish with a little of the egg wash to help "glue" the dough to sides of the dish. Fold the edges of the dough under and press it onto the edges of the dish. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining egg wash. Cut a couple of vents in the top of the dough to allow the steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven until the dough is golden brown and the inside is hot and bubbly, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes or so then serve!

Chicken Mole Poblano

I know that this seems like a strange combination of ingredients....but, don't be scared!

3 tbs. olive oil

1 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into large chunks

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 hot dried red chili, such as chipotle, OR 2 milder dried chilies, such as ancho, reconstituted (soaked in hot water) and then finely chopped

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

1 tbsp chopped almonds

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3 tomatoes, chopped (I've also used canned tomatoes before)

2 tbsp raisins

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth

1 tbsp. peanut butter

1 oz bittersweet chocolate with a high cocoa content
1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (You probably want to wait on this until you see how much heat the dried peppers give off.... you can add this near the end if it needs more heat).

1) Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside.

2) Add the onion, garlic, and chilies and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the sesame seeds, almonds, and spices and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. A

dd the tomatoes, raisins, stock, peanut butter, and chocolate and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let simmer for 5 minutes.

3)Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth (you may need to do this in batches).

4)Return the mixture to the skillet, add the chicken, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for one hour, or until chicken is very tender, adding more liquid if necessary.

5) Garnish with sesame seeds and a little grated chocolate. Serve with Spicy Rice, beans and tortillas.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

PREP TIME

Sauce

1/3 cup ketchup

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar (I actually use seasoned rice vinegar)

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons mustard (It calls for just regular yellow mustard, but this last time I used Chinese hot mustard because thats all I had, and it turned out great)

1-2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

MIX ALL THE SAUCE INGREDIENTS AN HOUR OR SO BEFORE COOKING AND SET ASIDE TO ALLOW THE FLAVORS TO MARRY.

Chicken

2 large whole boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups cornstarch

2 eggs

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon oil

SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE COOKING TIME (I've actually done this step only within an hour of cooking, and it turned out fine...but probably better to let it sit longer I guess.) CUT AND SALT THE CHICKEN (a little less than a tsp of salt). PUT THE CHICKEN IN A BOWL, ADD 2 TABLESPOONS CORNSTARCH AND MASSAGE INTO MEAT. COVER AND SET IN REFRIGERATOR.

Rice

........cook some rice.....

Optional:

I like to saute up some onions and peppers to eat with this. Or you can just add green onions. Or no veggies at all if you don't like that sort of thing.

COOKING

When you're ready to cook, mix the eggs, water, and oil. Put the chicken chunks in the mixture then transfer the nuggets to the 2 cups of cornstarch. Let them sit in the cornstarch while you heat oil for frying. Oil should be 375-380 degrees-- should see a little smoke before putting the nuggets in to fry. DISCLAIMER: Be careful! A friend of mine ended up with fire in their pan when making this... don't let the oil get TOO hot! You don't want it majorly smoking!   (I don't usually deep deep fry... just because I don't want to use up all my oil... so I usually just put in maybe an inch of oil, so they still get fried, I just have to flip them over to get the other side. It works just fine for me. But, if you have a deep fryer, go for it!) Add nuggets to the oil. Might have to do them in batches so you don't overcrowd the oil and make the temperature drop. Fry until the outside is crispy and the inside is cooked. Remove and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

When you're ready to heat the sauce, first mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water in a small dish and set aside. Put the sauce into a pan on the stove to heat. Add the cornstarch mixture within the first minute and stir it well to incorporate. As the sauce heats it will thicken! Once it is to your desired thickness, it is ready to serve.

You can dump all the chicken nuggets in and coat them with the sauce if you are going to be eating it all right away. I usually make extra for left overs, so we just mix up our own portions as we take them, that way the chicken won't get all soggy before I eat it the next day.

Mmmm. mmmmmm...... ENJOY!

Barbeque Chicken Salad

Last time I was out in Utah I went to California Pizza Kitchen for the first time. My sister in law suggested I try the barbeque chicken salad and she raved about how good it is.  And boy was it good! Since then I found a recipe online and have made it nearly every week for the past month.  Steve and I love it! 

This is the recipe I went off of, but I honestly don't measure anything. I just add as much of each thing as I like! 

-1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
-1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves -- chopped
-12 large fresh basil leaves cut into thin strips
-1 pound jicama -- cut into thin strips or small cubes
-2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
-1 cup canned black beans -- rinsed and drained
-1 cup sweet white corn kernels (I like fresh corn off the cob... just stick the corn cob in the microwave for a minute so it is slightly cooked, then cut the kernels off the cob.  Or I guess you could use canned corn or frozen corn.....)
-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
-2 pounds ripe fresh tomatoes -- diced
-1/2 cup good quality bottled sweet and spicy barbecue sauce (or whatever kind of barbeque sauce you like)
-1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens (green onions)

-Avocados, chopped (these aren't actually in the recipe, but at the restaurant we had the option of adding avocado and we did. I love avocado.) 

For the chicken, I go the super easy/quick route and just chop up some chicken breasts, then cook them in a skillet. Then I toss it all in barbeque sauce.  Or, you can add oil and garlic to the pan that you cook the chicken in.  However you cook it, in the end you just need chicken coated in barbeque sauce!

The dressing is some garden herb ranch dressing. I didn't actually make that, I ended up just mixing fat free sour cream with a packet of Hidden Valley ranch mix.  That way the dressing is fat free and I feel like I can eat TONS of the salad! You could also just use regular bottled ranch if that's what you have on hand.  Or one time I ended up using this spicy ranch that I had made for a previous meal, because I already had that in the fridge  (I will post that recipe as well... stay tuned). 

The recipe also calls for fried tortilla strips. I never felt like going through the effort of making those, so I never did. But, a friend of mine said she made a more healthy alternative by salting and baking wonton wrappers. 

Okay, now here's how you put the salad together: 

In a large mixing bowl, toss together the lettuces, basil, jicama, Monterey Jack cheese, beans, corn, cilantro, and ranch dressing. Transfer the salads to chilled serving plates. Surround each salad with diced tomatoes (and tortilla strips if you are using them). Top each salad with chunks of Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken and drizzle the chicken with the barbecue sauce. Garnish with the scallion. 

Or, if you don't want to be fancy, just mix everything together except the chicken, then top with the chicken and barbeque sauce. 

Sooooo good... you know you want some......

Lettuce Wraps (like at PF Changs....mmmmmm)

(Disclaimer: I didn't take this picture, nor do I know if it is an actual picture of PF Changs Lettuce Wraps.... but, I took no pictures, therefore this will have to do)

COOKING SAUCE:
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (you should be able to get this in the Asian section at your grocery store)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine for cooking (if you don't have it, substitue with chicken broth or some other cooking wine. Or, if you really want, just leave it out)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce (Sometimes it will say "oyster flavored sauce." Same thing. Also should be found in the Asian section of your grocery store)
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame oil (Asian section of your grocery store)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

MARINADE:
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons cooking rice wine (if you don't have access to this, you can use any type of cooking wine.... or you can just leave it out)

2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons soy sauce

FILLING INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced very small
5 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/2 cup green onions, minced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, minced (you can really use any type of mushrooms if you don't have access to shiitakes.)
1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots, minced
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, minced
1 (6 ounce) package chinese cellophane noodles, cooked to pkg. directions (I have yet to actually do the cellophane noodles yet... I always forget....I think they are perfectly good without)
Iceburg lettuce leaves, washed and taken off the head but left whole

FOR DIPPING SAUCES(optional):

soy sauce

rice vinegar

hoisin sauce

chinese hot mustard (Asian section of grocery store)

chili paste or chili garlic paste (ditto)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Mix all ingredients for "cooking sauce" and set aside.

2) In medium bowl, combine marinade ingredients and mix well. Add chicken and stir to coat thoroughly. Stir in 1 t. oil and let sit for 15 minutes.

3) Heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 T. oil, then add chicken and stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

4) Add 2 T. oil to the pan. Add ginger, garlic, and onion and stir-fry for a minute or so. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts and stir-fry an additional 2 minutes. Return chicken to the pan. Add mixed cooking sauce to the pan. Cook until thickened and hot.

5) Break cooked cellophane noodles into small pieces and cover bottom of serving dish with them. Then pour chicken mixture on top of noodles. Serve along side lettuce leaves for everyone to take what they want, and then spoon into lettuce leaf and roll (like a burrito) individually themselves.

6) If you want to do dipping sauce, place all the dipping sauce ingredients out on the table. Give each person a small dish or plate and allow everyone to mix their own sauce to their own liking! The sauce can either be drizzled onto the contents of your lettuce wrap, or you can dip your lettuce wrap into it.

ENJOY!!!!

Biryani

Are you ready for an adventure??? Biryani is an Indian/Pakistani dish. If you've ever been to an Indian restaurant and like that type of food, you'll like this! It's not your every day chicken dish, but, come on people! Give those taste buds a little something new and exotic!

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED:


Chicken legs and thighs, on the bone but with the skin off
One large onion, sliced
3 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
One anaheim chili pepper, sliced
1-2 tomatoes,chopped
1/2 to 1 potato chopped into 1/4 inch cubes (depends how big your potatoes are)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon chili powder
about 1/2 teaspoon salt (you can always add more later...)
6 whole cloves
1 inch of a cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
5 whole pepper corns
1 cup chicken broth
fresh mint leaves
rice

Get your rice cooking first so it will be ready. Here's what you need.

2 cups jasmine or basmati rice

4 cups chicken broth

1 inch cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

Put those four ingredients in a rice cooker or in a pot and cook until rice is done.

Now, while the rice is cooking......

Put oil in a large saute pan or electric skillet and saute onions and potatoes until onions start to brown a little.
Add the ginger and garlic and saute.
Add the cloves, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, turmeric powder, chili powder, salt, and whole pepper corns. Mix together.
Add chicken pieces and start to brown those up.

(I didn't let the chicken brown up enough before I added the tomatoes in the above picture....make sure you cook it a bit more first....I learned...)

Then, add tomatoes and 1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth. Start out with less. Add more as needed. If it all dries out too much before the chicken is done cooking, you'll want to add more broth. Let cook at at simmer until chicken is completely cooked and sauce is reduced. Usually, I'll cover it for a little while, then leave the lid off so the sauce can reduce. You don't want it too liquidy. Once the chicken is done, the sauce is reduced, and your rice is cooked, start adding rice in to the rest of your goods. Don't just add it all in.... add it in gradually, mixing as you go, until you appear to have a good sauce to rice ratio. If you add to much rice, you won't get much flavor. And I'm all about flavor! The rice will kind of soak up any remaining liquid and soak up all the flavors. Yummm..... Usually I add it until it looks about right, then put the rest of the rice out on the table as well, so people can add more rice to their own if they want it that way.

Before you serve it, add fresh, chopped mint leaves over the top.

Sometime we've noticed... if it tastes a little bland.... we just have to add more salt!!! It is amazing how a little more salt can just enhance all the flavors that are already there! so, make sure you've got salt out on the table.

And, there you have it. Your first, home cooked Pakistani/Indian dish!

Ginger Peanut Rice Bowl (kinda like at...Rumbi Island Grill)

(Okay, so I stole that picture off of the Rumbi Island Grill website.......)

So, as Steve and I were eating a salad with that ginger salad dressing on it, Steve commented that it reminded him of the flavors in one of those rice bowls at Rumbi Island Grill. So, of course, then I HAD to figure out a way to make that! So... I pretty much just altered some other recipes I had, did a little experimenting, and ended up with what we thought was very good! Give it a try.

For the rice:
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

Put the rice, coconut milk, broth, and water in a pot with a lid. As it starts to get to a boil, you're gonna need to stir it because it's going to be a little thick with that coconut milk in it. You don't want it to all goo to the bottom and burn! So, once it is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, put the lid on and let the rice cook, stirring occassionally to ensure all is well. Once all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, add in the beans (make sure they are drained and rinsed first). Mix those in and let them heat through. And there you have it, island coconut red beans and rice.

Other Ingredients:

broccoli or asparagus, cut into bite size pieces

celery, choped

carrots, sliced thin

red bell pepper, choped

zucchini, sliced


Chicken breasts

For the chicken:

You could do this a few different ways.....

1) Marinate some chicken breasts in some left over ginger salad dressing then grill it up or cook on the stove top in a skillet. Then cut it into bite size pieces.

or

2)Cut up some chicken breasts into pieces. Pour some left over ginger salad dressing into a large skillet. Add the chicken pieces, and brown them up and cook them through. Add more of the dressing during the cooking process if needed, enough that all the chicken is coated in a little of it.
or
3)If you don't happen to just have any leftover dressing, you don't need to marinate the chicken or anything. You will put sauce on it in the end anyway. It's up to you. Or you could just marinate it in a little soy sauce and oil or something.

Set the chicken aside, then add all the veggies to the large skillet along with more of the ginger dressing and saute until desired doneness. (You don't really HAVE to add any dressing in the cooking process. As stated before, you will put sauce on it in the end). I suggest putting the carrots and celery in first, cooking those for a little bit, then add the others because they don't seem to take as long. Put the lid on for a little bit if you want them to get steamed a bit.

When you're ready to eat, plate up some of the red beans and rice, put some chicken and veggies on that, and top it all off with some ginger peanut sauce (NOT exactly the same as the ginger dressing......recipe below) and chopped peanuts!

Ginger Peanut Sauce:

This is a slight variation on the ginger dressing recipe. It omits a lot of the oil and uses more peanut butter, resulting in a thicker, more sauce-like consistency.

1 tsp oil (vegetable or canola)

1 to 2 teaspoons chili oil-- (once again... add it to your desired heat)

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar (I use the seasoned rice vinegar, because that's what I have)

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger (FRESH ginger is so good! don't use the dried stuff!)

3 to 4 Tablespoons of peanut butter

Beat with a wire wisk until smooth (add peanut butter a tablespoon at a time, beating and adding more until reaches desired consistency and taste). Heat in the microwave or in a pot on the stove until heated through. Stir. Put on top of the rice bowls!

California Chicken Spaghetti

This dish is super tasty and super simple!

INGREDIENTS
16 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta (I NEVER use that much pasta in it.... you probably don't need to cook that much. I'll tell you more about that later)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons dried basil (this last time we used fresh basil because there is an abundance of it growing in the back yard... and I ended up adding more than 2 Tablespoons with it fresh)
2 tablespoons Cajun-style blackened seasoning (depending on what brand of seasoning you buy...it can end up a little spicy! If you don't want to buy cajun seasoning (or if you don't want it so spicy), go to the bottom of this post for a suggested way to make your own seasoning.
salt and pepper to taste
10 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

1 zucchini sliced
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken pieces, and cook, stirring until browned on the outside. Stir in the garlic, basil, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper, then mix in the tomatoes and zucchini. Cook until tomatoes are semi soft, and chicken is cooked through.

Toss with pasta, and serve with crumbled feta cheese on top. Also top with fresh basil if desired.

Okay, so my suggestion with mixing it with the pasta.... Don't just throw all the noodles in at once because odds are you won't end up with the right sauce to pasta ratio.... What I do, is dump all the sauce into an big pot or big serving bowl, then slowly add in the noodles in batches, mixing after each batch, until it looks like a good sauce to noodle ratio. I don't like there to be so many noodles that you don't get much flavor. The recipe says 16 ounces... I don't think I even use half of that. But, hey, it's up to you

If you want to make your own seasoning, this one works well. It is actually a "creole" seasoning recipe, but it is quite close to cajun and has pretty much the same ingredients in it! So, if you already have these ingredients on hand, you can mix up your own seasoning rather than buying a "Cajun Seasoning" at the store. Just mix it up and keep it in an airtight container. You can use it for all sorts of stuff. This makes quite a bit, so if you don't think you want so much, just half it.

Cajun/Creole Seasoning:

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

NOTE: If you want similar flavor without as much heat, make this recipe, but don't use so much cayenne pepper. That's where most of your heat is going to come from.

"Fiesta" Lime Chicken

Okay, so just before we moved we went to Applebee's with Steve's parents. Steve's mom got the Fiesta Lime Chicken and said she wished she knew how they made it. I made it my duty to try to find a recipe that copied it.... unfortunately it has been a while since I actually had that dish at Applebee's, so I'm not sure whether this actually tastes anything like it or not! But, it is good none-the-less. Worth trying.

I did think it had a strange combination of ingredients before I made it... I mean, it says "fiesta" in the name, then it's got teriyaki sauce in it! I dunno, maybe mexicans use more teriyaki than I am aware of : ) Or maybe it's an asian/mexican fiesta! Fun for all! Either way.... the dish was pretty tasty. Don't be scared by the long list of ingredients. It is very simple to make. And I actually already had all of these ingredients on hand except the teriyaki sauce and the liquid smoke.

What is liquid smoke? Well, I'm glad you asked. It does sound a bit strange to anyone who's never heard of it. In fact one time my dad (I think it was my dad) was at Walmart and he asked one of the employees (a teenager no doubt) whether they had any liquid smoke. And the kid is like, "...ummm.... Liquid smoke? You mean like beer?" hahaha..... Oh boy.... Anyway, no... liquid smoke is not beer just incase you were wondering. It is, in fact, just what the name says..... smoke in liquid form! What they do is create smoke with some water and wood chips or something then they gather the condensation that is infused with the smoke. (Okay, so that is the very simplified version, but who cares). And there you have it! Liquid smoke. So, you get the smoke flavor without the unhealthy carcinogens! (and without having to do the work of smoking). I found my liquid smoke near the barbeque sauces and marinades and what-not.... It probably depends what store you're at. You can probably ask an employee at the store. Then again.... they might take you to the beer isle....

Okay, enough about the smoke... lets get to the chicken.

Ingredients

Marinade:

about 1 cup water

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

Dressing:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons minced tomatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons minced jalapeno peppers

1 teaspoon minced onion

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 dash black pepper

1 dash garlic powder

Additional Ingredients

1 cup shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend

More limes to squeeze over the top.

Directions

1 Combine marinade ingredients then chicken in a medium bowl and allow to marinate for 2-3 hours.

2 Combinine dressing ingredients in a medium bowl, cover, and chill until needed.

3 Grill the marinated chicken breasts for 3-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

4 Arrange the cooked chicken in a baking pan, spoon some of the prepared dressing over the top , and sprinkle with cheese.

5 Broil the chicken for 2-3 minutes, or just until the cheese has melted.

6 Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top and serve!

You could serve this with spanish rice and some pico de gallo or salsa.... some tortilla chips..... home made guacamole.... mmm... My plan was to top it with pico de gallo (fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime), but unfortunately only one of my tomatoes was alive today.... the rest were covered in mold!!!

Note to self: it is much more humid in Ohio.... especially with no AC yet....... so, must find a better way to store my tomatoes......

Thai Curry (Evil Jungle Princess)

We once went to a restaurant in Salt Lake City called Thaifoon and ordered something called Evil Jungle Princess. It was a coconut based Thai curry. We loved it, and I decided to try to find a recipe for it. It has become probably Steve's favorite dish. It's got some crazy ingredients that might only be found at Oriental Markets, but it is well worth it in the end... *1 Tbsp Red Curry Paste
*2 1/4 inch Lemon Grass stalk- trimmed and bias sliced (can't get fresh lemon grass? Some places have it dehydrated and others have a lemongrass paste!)
*2-3 lime leaves (can't find these? just use a little more lemon grass and/or lime juice)
*2 Tbsp Palm Sugar
*1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
*1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
*2 Tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce
*13 oz Coconut Milk (not the sweetened kind, just regular)
*Chicken Breasts- cut to bite size pieces or strips
*1/2 cup fresh chinese long beans-blanched (these are like really long green beans, but slightly different. If you can't find these at your oriental market, you can just use fresh green beans. They aren't in the picture because they didn't have any the day I went to the market.)
*Red bell pepper- cut into 1/4 inch strips
*1/2 cup blanched Asparagus spears
*Canned Bamboo Shoots
*1 tsp Lime Juice
*1/4 cup Fresh Thai Basil- chopped (if you can't find Thai Basil.... you guessed it... just use regular fresh Basil!)
*1/4 cup Frest Mint leaves- chopped
*Roasted Peanuts- chopped
*Jasmine Rice (or whatever kind of rice you want...)

(The measurements of vegetables and chicken are not to be followed too strictly. Just, add however much you want! You like lots of vegetables? Just put in however much looks good. I always put in a lot more than this recipe says. Don't like vegetables so much? Add more chicken and cut back on the veggies.)

Game Plan:

Don't forget to cook your rice!

While that's cooking.........

Combine the coconut milk, red curry paste, lemon grass, lime leaves, fish sauce, palm sugar, peanut butter, and sweet chili sauce in a saute pan. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, long beans, asparagus, and bell peppers. (I don't like my vegetables to lose all their texture, so I usually put the chicken in first and let it cook a little before I add the veggies). Cook until chicken is just done and the curry sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the lime juice and the fresh herbs. Mix. Serve over steamed jasmine rice (or regular rice) and top with chopped peanuts.

(Just so you know.... the lime leaves and fresh lemon grass aren't really intended to be eaten. They just add flavor to the dish. When you are eating it, just push them to the side of your plate. Or suck on them first then push them to the side. They taste good! They are just tough so you probably don't really want to chew and swallow.)