Chipotle Marinade

This recipe has totally got me dreaming of summer time and "cookouts" as they call it here in the South.  Out west we said BBQ but here that is the type of meat not the event.  It is so funny how different parts of the country have their own way of talking, huh?!  Let me tell you though, anyway you say it this marinade is the BEST for when you are ready to use the grill!  We used it for tacos and some quesidillas and salad a couple nights later.  I am going to be using this recipe a lot this summer, I am sure of it!   Tacos, Burrito Bowls, Salads, Quesidillas...mmmm.  Be sure to make some Pico de Gallo and guacamole to go with it!  Seriously YUM!

In other cooking news...last weekend I helped a couple of cute boys ask girls to prom using  giant cookies.  It was so fun! I shared how they did it here.   The finished product turned out so cute!

Chipotle Marinade

Author: Melanie

Recipe Source: Summer Harms

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil


• 1/4 cup minced garlic


• 1/2 cup orange juice


• 1/4 cup tabasco chipotle sauce


• 1 tsp salt


• 1 tsp cumin

Instructions

1. Heat oil over medium heat.


2. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 15 seconds--do not burn the garlic!


3. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.


4. Return to heat and bring to a boil.


5. Cool down and pour over meat to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.


6. Grill when it's taco time:)

3.2.1311

Fabulous Flank Steak

For Father's Day last month, I tried a new recipe for Flank Steak and it was FABULOUS!  I found this Alton Brown recipe and it was perfect!  So flavorful and delicious.  I am usually not a huge fan of steak (I know, I know, call me crazy:) but I have to admit that Flank steak is really good.  I love how it soaks up the marinade and the servings are thinly sliced and super tender.   A little goes a long way with this cut of meat.  You can't help but love such a simple, easy and fantistic recipe like this!  Enjoy!  I served mine with Twice Baked Potatoes and Amazing Buttermilk Rolls.  Most of the work could be done a day or more ahead of time, making it a breeze to pull together the day of!

Fabulous Flank Steak
submitted by Melanie~The Sisters Cafe

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 green onions, diced
2 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
3 TB brown sugar
Flank Steak

Combine the first 8 ingredients together in a blender and puree. Add the flank steak, seal, then refrigerate for 24 hours.

**TIP:   I like to buy my flank steak at Costco which sells them in a two pack.  I always make a double batch of marinade, and freeze the steaks in it.  Then when I want to use them, they can defrost in the marniade.**

Remove the flank steak from the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to cooking. Heat the out door  grill or a grill pan on medium high heat and coat either grill with a quick brush of olive oil. Cook the flank steak for 3-4 minutes per side or until it’s cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing in thin slices against the grain. Enjoy.

Recipe Source:  Alton Brown-the Food Network

Peanut Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

Let me just say, this dish is FABULOUS!  Seriously, one of my new favorites.  I found it while surfing recipes online. :)  This was from Hilary's Health Blog.  The peanut-ginger chicken is yummy, the rice is sweet and creamy, but the mango salsa just makes it out-of-this-world. Yum!  Be sure to use a soft, ripe mango.  Who would think that mango, cucumber and cilantro would make the yummiest salsa?!
My husband was raving about how delicious dinner was.  We were actually babysitting our friends' four kids, so we had seven kids in the house including ours (all under the age of 7 :), and I was planning on feeding them after my husband and I ate our dinner.  Well, he liked it so much that he said, "Let's not feed this to all the kids.  Let's just keep it and give them something else..." so we made ham, cheese, & tomato sandwiches for them out of the French Bread I had just taken out of the oven. :)  So funny!

I know that this recipe might seem intimidating. But when you break it down, it is actually one of the simplest meals ever:
Step 1 - make the marinade the night before and put the raw chicken in it.
Step 2 - chop up the mango and cucumber and mix up the salsa that afternoon.
Step 3 - just before dinner, put the rice on to cook.
Step 4 - cook the chicken.

simple.

Peanut-Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice
Submitted by Erin  ~  thesisterscafe.com

Peanut-Ginger Chicken Marinade
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I prefer using most of a 3-lb bag of defrosted chicken tenderloins)
½ cup boiling water
½ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup bottled chili sauce
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. olive oil
2 T. vinegar
1 T. grated fresh ginger or 1 t. ground ginger (I use fresh)

In a medium mixing bowl, gradually stir water into peanut butter. (The mixture will stiffen at first.) Stir in chili sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar, and ginger. Add chicken; stir to coat it with marinade. Chill in refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

Mango Salsa
1 cup chopped fresh mango
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
3 ½ T. sugar
1 T. canola or olive oil
1 T. vinegar
1 T. lime juice
½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped

In a medium mixing bowl, combine chopped mango, cilantro, cucumber, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

Coconut Rice
2 c. coconut milk
1 ½ c. white rice
1 c. water
3 ½ T. sugar
½ t. salt

Combine the coconut milk, rice, water, sugar, and salt for the rice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork, cover, and keep warm until serving. (You can also use your rice cooker.)

To Serve
At dinner time, grill the chicken. Or, in my case, I layered the chicken in a broiler-safe pan lined with tin foil (I spooned the excess marinade over the chicken) and put it 10-12 inches under the broiler for 5-7 minutes on both sides. The chicken should have slightly blackened edges. (Similar to our Chicken Tikka Masala recipe, that I love.)  Chicken baked this way always turns out moist and tender for me. Serve chicken with the mango salsa over the hot coconut rice. Makes 6 servings.

Garlic Balsamic Crusted Pork Tenderloin

I found this recipe while browsing Pinterest ( I LOVE that site) It sounded so good  and let me tell you,  it did not disappoint!    I am not a big meat eater myself, and I never crave it, but this recipe just might change that:)  This tenderloin was fantastic!   It was super tender and flavorful!  Just for fun,  I served it with some peach salsa, and it was delish!  My family and our dinner guests loved it. And I loved how easy and simple it was to prepare.  I think the marinade time is key. I let mine soak for about 12 hours, but I think overnight would even be better.  The next time I am Costco I will pick up some more tenderloin and freeze them in the marinade so they can marinate while they defrost.  That is one of my favorite time saving tricks and it works great!  I grilled ours, but I think the oven directions would work wonderfully if you didn't want to cook outdoors.

Hope you all have a great week!  We have some seriously exciting news here:) Go Cougars!

Garlic Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
submitted by Melanie ~ The Sisters Cafe

4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pork tenderloins (about 1¼ pounds each)

2 tablespoons canola oil (if preparing in oven)

Stir together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the paste all over pork. If you like or have the time, marinate overnight. If not, no worries, it will still be great!

Grill preparation:

Sear the tenderloins on all sides, then grill for about 20-30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Try to let it rest before slicing.

Oven preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat canola oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat.  Working in batches if necessary, add pork, and brown all over, about 4 minutes.

Transfer pan to oven. Roast pork, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, and try to let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Source: Kitchen Confidante

Go-to Grilled Chicken Marinade

This recipe is definitely a go-to chicken marinade for my family. We love it! It would be perfect for your next backyard bbq. It is really flavorful and makes the chicken really moist. And we eat a lot of chicken around here! This makes a lot of marinade so scale back if you aren't cooking for a crowd. I would say that the full recipe would be plenty of marinade for at least 12 good-sized chicken breasts, maybe a little more if the chicken breasts are on the smaller-medium side. However this delicious chicken is so good I'm sure you'll find plenty of ways to use up your leftovers!  Enjoy!

Go-to Grilled Chicken Marinade

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 1/2 c. canola oil (I usually reduce this a little. The oil makes the chicken super moist though)
3/4 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/3 c. lemon juice
2 T. dry mustard
1 t. salt
1 T. black pepper
1 1/2 t. finely minced fresh parsley

In a medium bowl, mix together oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir in mustard powder, salt, pepper, and parsley. Use to marinate chicken before cooking as desired. The longer you marinate, the more flavor it will have. I always try and do mine overnight if possible.

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

I know what you're thinking - 'That doesn't look like a tostada!'  And you're right, the picture shows this recipe converted into a wrap. That's because that is just how my family likes to eat them best. But the recipe details how to serve this delicious marinated chicken tostada-style, so no worries! If that is your preference, you can serve them on a flat grilled (or fried) corn tortilla instead of wrapped up as shown (see the instructions). Anyway, however you serve them, they are delish! If you choose to wrap them up, they are incredible with these amazing tortillas from Costco that my friend, Jen, introduced me to. They are the Tortilla Land brand - "Uncooked Flour Tortillas: bake them for the first time! Ready in seconds!" You get a pack of 44 (from the refrigerated section, but you can also freeze them at home) for only $7. So good. You just cook them in a skillet for a minute and they taste so yummy. Anyway, there is my promotion for Costco's tortillas. They can pay me later. :)
The guacamole is a Barefoot Contessa recipe I think. I'll post it later. It is great served on the side.
Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Tostadas
submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe
printable recipe here

Marinade:
½ c. fresh lime juice
¼ c. soy sauce
¼ c. vegetable oil
1 T. honey
2 tsp minced garlic
1 ½ tsp chili powder

Tostadas:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 small corn tortillas (or flour tortillas)
1 ½ c. shredded Monterey jack cheese

Serve with:
monterey jack cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, tomatoes, lettuce, Spanish rice

Slice chicken breasts in half width-wise (so they are not quite so thick) and place in marinade overnight. Grill until no longer pink in the middle. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into ½ inch strips.
Lightly brush tortillas with vegetable oil. Grill on each side until slightly brown. Before removing, sprinkle with 1 T. cheese and let melt.
Serve with additional toppings listed.

Sweet Bacon-Wrapped Venison Tenderloin

My husband and I, along with our fathers and brothers, really enjoy hunting.  As a result, I have a freezer full of deer, elk, and moose.  We like to eat it, especialy since it is so lean and healthy.  So I am always on the lookout for good recipes for all this wild game.  I found this one on RecipeZaar by TCSmoooth, and it is awesome!  In fact, I think even those who don't like wild game will be asking for seconds when they try this.  I used whitetail deer this time, but it would be great with elk, moose, pork or beef.

Sweet Bacon-Wrapped Venison Tenderloin

Subitted by Mindy

2 lbs venison (or other) tenderloin

1/2 lb bacon (Plain, thin-sliced is best)

3 cups dark brown sugar

2 cups soy sauce (regular, NOT low-sodium.  You'll want the saltiness)

1/4 cup white sugar (optional for added sweetness)

Mix brown sugar and soy sauce together in a bowl.  Marinate in mixture for at least 3 hrs or overnight in the fridge.  After marinating, place on a slotted baking sheet with a drip pan or aluminum foil below to catch the drippings.  Do not dispose of the remaining marinade.  Wrap a piece of bacon around the end of the tenderloin, securing the bacon strip with a toothpick.  Repeat this process until the entire loin is wrapped in ten or so bacon "loops".  (I had my tenderloin pre-cut into steaks, so I just wrapped each one individually in a slice of bacon).  Drizzle the remaining marinade over the loin.  You can retain a portion to continue to baste throughout the cooking process if desired (I did this).  Place on center rack in over and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.  (I actually cut the recipe in half this time, and I cut the cooking time to 20 minutes which cooked the meat to about Medium).  Remove loin from oven and place directly on a grill over medium-high heat to sear the bacon and outer loin. (Another option is to continue baking in oven for 5-10 minutes.  With 10 minutes left, lightly dust the top of the loin with white sugar creating a sweet crust on top of the bacon.  Personally I think this would be too sweet, but I haven't tried it).  Before serving, cut the loin between each strip of bacon so that each piece of meat has it's own slice of bacon. (Obviously mine look a little different since my tenderloin was pre-cut into steaks).

Asian Grilled Salmon

This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe--so thank you Ina! I made this last night and it was just as delicious as ever! All my boys gobbled it up and even asked for seconds! The leftovers are great served chilled over mixed greens with your favorite vinaigrette! That will be my lunch today--much better than PB &J with the kids! The only problem with this recipe is that you have to grill it for the full effect...and it is a little chilly for that right now! By the way, I grill my salmon on tinfoil. Hope you all enjoy!

Asian Grilled Salmon (Barefoot Contessa)

submitted by Melanie

1 side of fresh salmon, boned, but skin on-cut into 6 servings
(about 3 pounds) * I use frozen wild salmon from Costco—individually wrapped-skin on

For the marinade:
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
6 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ tsp minced garlic

Light BBQ and brush grilling rack with oil to keep fish from sticking. (I use tin foil)

While grill is heating, prepare marinade by whisking ingredients together. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon (skin side down) and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Place salmon skin-side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don’t worry, it will keep cooking as it sits.

Transfer fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove skin and serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

7 up Chicken

This is a fabulous chicken marinade! Everyone always loves it and the leftover chicken tastes great sliced ina salad or with pasta. I usually marinade and grill extra so I can freeze it for a quick dinner later. Enjoy!!

7 up Chicken Marinade

submitted by Melanie

1 can 7up (or sprite)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup canola oil

1 Tb horseradish sauce

1 tsp minced garlic

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Blend all ingredients and add chicken. ( I usually do this in a big zip loc bag) Let marinate over night or at least 6 hours, in your fridge. You can also marinate chicken then slice it into strips. Fry with onions and sweet peppers for fajitas.

Asian Grilled Tuna Steaks

This is one of my very favorite ways to prepare fish. I’ve used frozen tilapia fillets many times with success, but using the tuna steaks it calls for is even way better. I use frozen tuna steaks and let them defrost in the refrigerator for a day before marinating them. I got the recipe from a friend, Alana, a long time ago and have enjoyed it ever since. This is oh-so-good! It goes without saying that the fresh ginger is a must. Try this out and let me know what you think!

Asian Grilled Tuna Steaks
submitted by Erin

2 lb tuna steaks, ¾ - 1 inch thick

Marinade:
½ c. canola oil (or vegetable oil)
½ c. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp grated gingerroot
2 cloves garlic, pressed

2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

If tuna steaks are large, you may cut into smaller servings pieces. Make marinade by mixing oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, gingerroot, and garlic in shallow glass dish, plastic dish, or resealable plastic food bag. Add tuna; turn to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate, turning at least once. Marinate for at least 2 hours but no more than 4 hours. (I’ve marinated it for much longer, and it’s still fine.) Heat coals or gas grill. Remove tuna from marinade; reserve marinade. Cover and grill tuna about 4 inches from medium heat for 10-15 minutes, brushing 2 to 3 times with marinade and turning once, until tuna flakes easily with fork. Discard marinade. Sprinkle tuna with sesame seeds.

Meat Marinade

Yet another recipe I got from my cute sister, Melanie. My husband and I had my family over for a barbecue last week, and we used this marinade for chicken. It was awesome on the grill!

Meat Marinade
Submitted by Mindy

1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic (I used one small clove)

Mix well. Pour over meat, then let marinate for 6-8 hours in the fridge. (I made it the night before out of convenience, and I didn't think the flavor was too powerful). Good on meat, fish or chicken.

Pesto Chicken Pizza with Pinenuts and Feta

My husband and I used to go to the Rusted Sun Pizzeria in downtown Salt Lake City. I LOVED their chicken & pine nut pizza. So I made up this recipe one day in a burst of inspiration... I think it comes pretty close! This is our ALL-TIME favorite pizza ever. It's so yummy.

It might seem complicated because of all the recipes that go into preparing this pizza. But it's really not difficult at all. The day before, make pesto and marinate the chicken. The day-of, cook chicken and make the pizza dough. Then assemble the pizza at dinner time. It's a snap.

 

Pesto Pizza with Pine Nuts and Feta
Submitted by Erin

 

 

Preheat Pizza Stone in 400° oven. Roll out prepared pizza dough and place on preheated pizza stone. Top pizza dough with the following ingredients in order: 

1) Pesto (LIBERALLY spread pesto over the pizza, so you can’t see the dough through it, and up on top the edges so the crusts will have pesto on them as well.)
2) Feta cheese (about 4 oz)
3) Red onion slivers (about 1/3 onion -I like lots of red onion and tomatoes)
4) Chicken pieces (about 1 1/2 Grilled Lemon marinated breasts, diced and cooked)
5) Tomato slices (1-2 tomatoes, bite-sized slices)
6) Mozzarella cheese (to your liking)
7) Pine nuts (sprinkle over top)

Bake in 400° oven for 18-20 minutes.

 

 

Pesto
This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa – she is a professional chef who has great cookbooks. I make multiple batches of pesto during the summer with basil from my garden. I use it for lots of recipes, and then the remaining pesto I freeze to use later in the winter and spring. I freeze it in icecube trays and then empty the frozen pesto cubes into freezer bags.

I love this recipe. I think it has a tendency to be too oily, though, so I usually only add 1 1/4 c. olive oil. Test it out and see what you prefer.  

¼ c. walnuts
¼ c. pignolis
3 T. diced garlic (9 cloves)
5 c. fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ c. good olive oil
1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. Makes 4 cups.

 

White Pizza Dough
I've posted this pizza dough before, but I'll put it here again for convenience. This Pesto Chicken Pizza is much better on a white pizza crust than a whole wheat pizza crust. Save the whole wheat for a tomato based sauce; the flavors in this pizza are best complimented with a white dough.

 

1 c warm water, divided
1 tsp sugar
1/4 oz package active dry yeast
3 Tbsp oil (olive oil or vegetable)
2 ½ c flour
1 tsp salt 

Put warm water in bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast and let proof for 1o minutes. Stir in rest
of ingredients. Mix until a ball, knead 10 minutes. Put additional oil in bowl and let rise in oil bowl for 1 ½ hours.


Lemon Grilled Chicken
Melanie introduced me to this recipe. It's already been posted on this blog. It's very very versatile and DELICIOUS. Use it on pizza, in salads, or serve it straight from the grill.

Juice of one lemon (~3 Tb lemon juice)
3 Tb oil
1 tsp minced garlic (~ 2 medium-large cloves)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp oregano
1 lb chicken breasts

Marinate chicken overnight. If I'm using this for a pizza or salad, I dice the raw chicken and marinate it that way. If it's diced it has more surface area to marinate and then you can get away with only marinating it for 8 or so hours. You can grill this indoors or outdoors, or you may use a skillet.

Chili-rubbed Steak Tacos with Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

My sister Erin passed this recipe along to me. I believe it came from an episode of the Martha Stewart show. It has been changed a bit. I am not a huge red meat fan, but this was really good. My whole family loved it!

Chile-rubbed Steak Tacos with Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa
submitted by Melanie~ The Sisters Cafe

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

2 teaspoons smoked or sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ lbs skirt steak (I used bottom round)

Eight (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas

Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

Fresh cilantro sprigs, for serving

Grated jack cheese, for serving
Sour cream, for serving

Shredded iceberg lettuce, for serving

Lime wedges, for servingIngredients for tomatillo-avocado salsa:

3 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved

½ white onion, halved

2 cloves garlic

1 jalapeño chili, stemmed and halved

½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

Juice of ½ lime (about 1 tablespoon)

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into small cubesDirections:
1. On a work surface, crush garlic cloves using the flat side of a large knife; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the flat side of the knife blade on top of the garlic and salt; press firmly, pulling knife toward you. Repeat until a paste forms; transfer to a small bowl. Add chili powder, brown sugar, paprika, cumin, pepper, espresso, and remaining tablespoon salt; stir to combine.
2. Rub mixture all over skirt steak, and place in a large freezer bag to marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Wrap tortillas in parchment paper-lined aluminum foil; while grilling steak, bake tortillas until warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Preheat grill pan or outdoor grill over high heat. Place steak on grill, and cook for 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve thinly sliced steak in warmed tortillas; top with salsa, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and lime wedges, if desired.

Directions for Salsa:
1. Heat a stovetop grill over medium-high heat. Grill tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeño, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 10 minutes.
2. Place grilled vegetables in the bowl of a food processor, and add cilantro, juice, salt, and pepper; pulse until coarsely chopped. (A blender would do the job, too.) Transfer to a medium bowl, and fold in avocado. The leftover salsa tastes great with chips.

Curried Apple and Chutney Chicken Breasts

I have been getting the best grilling recipes from my Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Grilling cookbook. Here is the latest and tastiest...I think I even like it better than the citrus marinade I posted earlier! They are so different, though, it's hard to compare. This recipe is full of flavor and spice (I love curry) and the apples set it off perfectly. Definitely a different, fun way to grill those chicken breasts!

Curried Apple and Chutney Chicken Breasts
submitted by Brittany

4 bone-in chicken breast halves (boneless skinless worked great for me)

1 tart apple, cored and cut crosswise into 8 thick slices

1/2 c mango or other chutney

for the curry paste:

1/4 c honey mustard

2 Tb canola oil

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp grated lime zest

1 Tb fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

To make curry paste, stir together ingredients (minus 1/2 Tb oil). Smear all but about 2 Tb of the paste over the chicken breasts. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours. Add remaining 1/2 Tb of oil to the reserved 2 Tb curry paste and brush some onto apple slices. Grill the chicken over medium to med-high heat for about 20 minutes; basting with reserved paste and turning occasionally until juices run clear. A few minutes before chicken is done, grill apple slices turning once, until softened and grill marks appear, 1-2 minutes per side. Serve chicken garnished with a dollop of chutney and apple slices. Yum!

Citrus-and-Honey Grilled Chicken Breasts

I'm back! I've been at Girl's Camp for a week then Lake Powell with my family but now I am back in my kitchen and ready to cook! Here is a fabulous recipe for grilled chicken that I tried prior to going out of town - it is really good. Since I was fresh out of wildflower honey, I used honey out of my good old honey bear! :) The marinade is amazing and chicken always tastes better grilled on on the bbq, wouldn't you agree?! Hope you enjoy!

Citrus-and-Honey Chicken Breasts

submitted by Brittany

1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
3 Tb snipped fresh chives or finely chopped green onion
1 Tb chopped fresh mint
2 Tb olive oil
2 Tb wildflower honey

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground pepper

To make citrus-honey marinade, finely shred the zest from the orange, lemon, and lime, then squeeze the juice from each fruit. (For the zest, be sure to grate only the colored part of the rind - leaving the bitter, white pith behind) Stir together juice and zest with the chives, mint, oil and honey. Reserve 2 Tb of marinade. Use the palm of your hand to flatten each chicken breast to an even thickness of about 3/4 inch. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Marinate chicken 1 to 4 hours, turning occasionally. Remove from frig 30 minutes before grilling. Grill chicken over medium-high heat 4-6 min per side, brushing with reserved marinade.

Sesame Flank Steak

This is my favorite way to serve steak. It is so flavorful. My husband and I both love it. I think when it comes to marinating, the longer the better. When I served this yesterday, I scored the steaks and put them in the marinade in the morning, and by dinnertime they were perfect.

Addendum by Mindy: this is excellent with wild game, as well.  We tried it with moose, and it was so good!

Sesame Flank Steak
submitted by Erin 

¼ c. chopped green onions
3 Tb soy sauce
2 Tb sesame oil
1 Tb vinegar
1 Tb brown sugar
1 Tb chopped fresh ginger
1 Tb chopped garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ c. toasted, crushed sesame seeds

Combine above ingredients. Marinate steak 4 hours and barbecue.