,

BBQ Chicken Without The Grill

,
BBQ Chicken Without The Grill

My cravings for chicken are often and they are strong. Forget Tuesday, I’m down for Popeye’s any day of the week. Fried, braised, roasted, pan-fried… all of it is good in my book but sometimes there is nothing like some good ole BBQ Chicken. The problem is, there aren’t a ton of spots where you can just get BBQ chicken… so the last time I was having crazy cravings, I decided to just wing it and make my own. The problem with BBQ chicken is that you generally need a grill. Let’s face it, not everyone has a grill, and even the people with a grill don’t always want to fire it up. With #MemorialDay coming along soon, I’ve got a great solution for yummy BBQ chicken without the grill! I loooove Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce - SO cheap and really great balance of sweet and tangy. You can get a huge bottle for about $1.99. I love making drumsticks (for some reason it screams the epitome of BBQ chicken to me haha) and what’s awesome about that is that drumsticks and dark meat in general is so affordable. This recipe is so easy - takes a bit of attentiveness, but makes the juiciest, most delicious chicken ever.

Edible Mint Lip Scrub

Edible Mint Lip Scrub

Summer is just around the corner! Warmer weather often means showing off a little more skin, and I’ve got the perfect homemade lip/body scrub that will have your skin glowing. It’s entirely organic and better yet, totally edible :) Using my basic recipe for a skin scrub, you can customize it to your scent/flavor preferences! I love peppermint because of its effervescence, but vanilla, lavender, almond, coconut, lemon, orange, raspberry, strawberry, and even pumpkin pie extracts would be amazing in this scrub! It’s fun to whip up homemade treatments for your skin because it leaves out all the chemicals found in store bought products. Your skin is your largest organ, and whatever you put on it is easily absorbed into your system. My skin is extremely sensitive so I love finding new ways to DIY with natural ingredients.

,

Dutch Babies

,
Dutch Babies

Food firsts are so memorable. You remember the excitement over trying something new, the first bite, who you were with, and how delicious this new dish was. Whoa. Was that too serious? Is it just me? Well, if it is, I’m totally ok with that because that’s exactly how I feel. There’s something about trying something new that is so special. 
While visiting my God Father in Palm Springs, I had my first German Pancake at Elmer’s. It was love at first bite, as cliche as that sounds. I had never had anything like it - slightly crisp and puffy on the edges, soft, warm and almost custardy in the middle. And how could a pancake be so light? It was unbelievable to me. What was even more shocking was how the fluffy batter was perfectly paired with a little butter and squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Tajín Rimmed Mango Margaritas

Tajín Rimmed Mango Margaritas

It’s fun to explore different recipes - I have a bunch of fun and delicious ones for your weekend’s festivities here. It’s also really fun to dream up and put your own twist on the classics! One of my favorite summer snacks is sweet, ripe mango slices sprinkled with Tajín seasoning and fresh lime juice. If you haven’t tried Tajín, it’s a tangy, spicy seasoning powder made of chili peppers, salt, and dehydrated lime juice. It’s amazing on fruit, and even more delicious in micheladas. Since I’ve always loved this simple and absolutely yummy flavor combo, I thought it would be fabulous when translated into a cocktail! 

Refreshing mango margaritas get the perfect salty/spicy kick from a Tajín rim. These are super tasty - a bit of a creeper, which I always love, and easy to make in large batches for a crowd. I love Cazadores Tequila Blanco - it’s 100% Blue Agave and is a smooth, easy-going Tequila. It tastes as clean as it looks, and plays well with others. The slightly sweet taste and soft finish make it highly versatile and perfect for mixing in cocktails. Margaritas also contain Triple Sec, which is a type of Curaçao liqueur, an orange-flavored liqueur. I have always loved Cointreau, perhaps because it was my mom’s favorite.  Fresh lime juice and mango puree top this baby off. Enough talking, let’s start drankin :) 

, ,

Baked Avocado Fries with Chipotle Lime Cream

, ,
Baked Avocado Fries with Chipotle Lime Cream

Avocado fries are the best of both worlds - crisp, seasoned panko crust surrounding creamy, ripe avocado slices. They’re easy and fun to make, and are the perfect snack for satisfying your deep-fried cravings! Best part is, they’re baked, not fried.

I paired these avocado fries with a quick and easy Chipotle Lime Cream, but love any number of dipping sauces for these fries, such as good ole ketchup, mustard, sweet chili sauce, ranch, wasabi-soy sauce…the options are endless. So if you’d like to find out how to make these delicious little babies, let’s get cookin!

,

Watermelon Radish Salad with Sesame Lime Ginger Vinaigrette

,
Watermelon Radish Salad with Sesame Lime Ginger Vinaigrette

How gorgeous is this salad?! I found that putting together this recipe was so therapeutic…almost like creating a piece of art. Not only are the colors stunning, but the flavor combinations in this salad are unreal as well. Beautiful curly tendrils of peppery arugula are tossed with bright, crisp slices of watermelon radish. Sweet Cara Cara orange supremes and the slight saltiness of crumbled feta are the perfect addition. Drizzle a little homemade Sesame Lime Ginger Vinaigrette and you have the most beautiful spring salad to celebrate upcoming Earth Day…or any day. This salad would be the perfect base of a grilled piece of fish or even with chicken..but for now, let’s just marvel at how simple this dish is…because the ingredients are so naturally beautiful, any way you toss them together, it looks like a gourmet meal. 
Watermelon radishes’ flesh is white closest to the exterior and becomes bright, with circular striations of pink and magenta toward the center. The flesh is tender crispy, succulent and firm. It has a mild, slightly peppery yet mostly sweet flavor. They come in a variety of sizes, from golf ball to soft ball size. They can be used fresh or cooked, and pair really well with fennel, apple, cheeses such as feta or chevre, white fish, vinaigrettes, citrus…the list goes on. They’re also wonderful when pickled! With that said, here is a recipe for a wonderfully simple salad that according to my taste-testing friend was like “an explosion of flavor in your mouth” :) Let’s get cookin!

Banana Pudding and Non-Deflatable Homemade Whipped Cream

Banana Pudding and Non-Deflatable Homemade Whipped Cream

Classic Banana Pudding is decadent and ultra comforting. Whether it's made with Nilla wafers or Chessman cookies, real homemade custard, or instant vanilla pudding, it all ends up being absolutely delicious. 

This coming weekend, I'll be attending a wedding where the bride had the cute idea of having a potluck dessert bar. A bunch of wedding guests will be baking up a variety of different individual sized treats and I thought that Bite-Sized Banana Pudding would be such a fun idea. They're easy to grab, simple to make, and taste exactly like the perfect bite of banana pudding. 

, ,

Puff Pastry, Prosciutto & Parmesan Asparagus Bundles

, ,
Puff Pastry, Prosciutto & Parmesan Asparagus Bundles

Springtime is officially here and I couldn’t be more excited! Tons of fruits and veggies are in season, bringing tons of new possibilities in the kitchen. Whether you are looking for lighter meals or dishes for Easter entertaining, I have an amazing recipe for you. I was really hopeful about this one when I dumped it in the oven - the flavor profiles are perfect together. But when these asparagus bundles came out of the oven; toasty, perfectly salty and tender, wrapped in delicate puff pastry, I was honestly a little overwhelmed. This is one of my favorite things I’ve ever made or blogged. They are unbelievably easy to make, take minimal time to bake up, and are delicious. 
I love asparagus. They are delicious on their own, or roasted with some olive oil, salt, pepper, parmesan, and lemon. But what about wrapping a few tender stalks in salty prosciutto, add a few shavings of nutty Parmesan cheese, and tuck it into a flaky blanket of puff pastry? It’s basically heaven. They are portable, don’t fall apart when eaten, and are gorgeous for entertaining. They’d be perfect for a spring or Easter potluck, and are pretty easy on the wallet if you find well-priced prosciutto, pancetta, or even ham. I’m going to apologize ahead of time for the sheer volume of photos in this post - I couldn’t get enough of how gorgeous they turned out! :) Let’s get cookin!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

April Fool’s Day is right around the corner, and what better way to fool someone than with an indulgent chocolate bread….that’s filled with zucchini! This double chocolate zucchini bread is rich and stays super moist because of the grated zucchini, which is barely noticeable and a great way to sneak some veggies into your kids’ diets!
I’m not much of a baker, at all. I don’t understand the science of it all and really love free-styling in the kitchen. After playing with a recipe I found online, which resulted in a failed attempt at a rich, fluffy bread, I asked my friend Tracy, an amazing Pastry Chef, for a little help. I loved how her recipe turned out and hope you will try your hand at this too - don’t ever feel discouraged in the kitchen …it’s all about experimenting and learning :) Also, I don’t currently have a stand mixer and this recipe still worked out. So don’t let that stop you! Let’s get baking! :) 

, ,

Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken

, ,
Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken

These suckers went fast in my house. A zesty marinade of lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper is a quick way to inject a ton of flavor into any cut of chicken. It’s baked in the oven, which helps cut down on extra oil, and comes out tender and juicy, ready to be finished off with fresh lime zest and chopped cilantro. Because this recipe is really for a simple marinade, it can be used to dress up chicken in almost any dish… chop it up for over a salad, serve it over pasta, rice, quinoa, or throw some pieces into some tacos for a fun weeknight meal. 

This marinade is made of ingredients that are super affordable, and often, all you need to head to the store for is for fresh limes and cilantro. Limes are often on sale at produce markets for fairly cheap prices - this week Safeway had them on sale at 3 for $0.99! You can use this marinade on any cut of chicken - breasts, thighs, or drumsticks. I prefer thighs, even though breasts are healthier and have more protein. If you’re just starting to play with different chicken recipes, I’d suggest cooking up some chicken thighs! You can hardly mess them up :) So let’s get cookin, this one’s a fun one.