Chris and I have tried some excellent recipes lately and i thought i would share!
By the time dinner comes around- both of us are ready for a good meal. Not that our bbv shakes are bad, but i definitely look forward to a flavorful and satisfying dinner.
Below are some of the recipes we have tried recently that we have really liked. I've also included the links to the recipes in case you want to try them! :)
Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Baked Chicken
Personal Rating: 5/10
Recipe Link: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/02/raspberry-chipotle-bbq-chicken-995.html
Thoughts: The recipe called for chicken thighs, which i normally like. However, this was not my favorite. I thought the raspberry sauce was very good- it had excellent flavor. There was just something i didn't love about the recipe. I may try it again with chicken breasts. Chris on the other hand thought it was so good. He had leftovers the next day for lunch and said they were even better than the day before.
Spicy Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
Personal Rating: 8.5/10
Recipe Link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/spicy-dr-pepper-shredded-pork/
Thoughts: This recipe is really great for a couple of reasons. It is tasty and it is so easy. I literally just threw everything in the crock pot and let it cook on low for 8+ hours. I make this probably once a month. My only complaint is that the 'sauce' isn't really sauce. The last time i made this i wanted some thicker red sauce to go with it so i made this sauce to go with it and it was a huge hit! I usually serve this with homemade cole slaw and a veggie.
Eggplant Parmesan
Personal Rating: 10/10
Recipe Link: I didn't follow a recipe for this- i kind of just went with what i thought would be good. See bottom of the post for the recipe i used.
Thoughts: This is one of my favorite meals ever. I have to say Chris was less than thrilled when i told him we were going to be having Eggplant Parmesan. Once he tasted it- he immediately told me that he changed his mind, he loved it and so did I. We try to eat vegetarian at least 1-2 times a week, this will for sure be in the rotation!
Teriyaki Glazed Salmon with Sriracha Mayo
Personal Rating: 10/10
Recipe Link: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/09/teriyaki-salmon-w-sriracha-mayo-1394.html
Thoughts: Delicious! I have been trying to incorporate more seafood into our diet, so when i saw this recipe i knew i wanted to try it. Chris and i both love asian flavors (as you can tell from most of the recipes listed). This salmon did not dissapoint. My only warning is- since the marinade has some sugar and cornstarch in it- be prepared for the glaze to get a bit sticky when it is cooking. Don't let that freak you out, it is very good. I served this with spinach pasta.
Hawaiian Grilled Chicken
Recipe Link: http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/06/hawaiian-grilled-chicken/
Thoughts: We made this recipe while we were spending the weekend at Barkwells for our Anniversary. I marinated the chicken overnight and Chris then grilled it on a charcoal grill. This was a treat for us- since we arent able to actually grill at home. The chicken was so tender and was the perfect flavor! I served this with spinach pasta and broccoli. We will be making this again very soon!
Sweet and Spicy Honey Grilled Shrimp
Recipe Link: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/08/sweet-and-spicy-honey-grilled-shrimp/
Thoughts: This was another recipe that we made while on our Anniversary trip. I marinated the shrimp for a couple of hours. I then skewered them right before we put them on the charcoal grill. Again, this was a treat as normally we would cook these inside in a pan. These were also very very good. They were sweet and spicy at the same time! I served these with asian noodles. Yum!
Sriracha Baked Chicken Fingers
Recipe Link: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2010/04/sriracha-chicken-strips-455-recipe-114.html
Thoughts: If you like spice you will love these! I was worried these would be too spicy for me to eat- but i was surprised, they were great. I followed the recipe - however, i only let my chicken marinate for 20 minutes. Both chris and i were very pleased with how these turned out. I served these with broccoli and corn on the cob.
Teriyaki Meatball Bowls
Recipe Link: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2012/01/teriyaki-meatball-bowls-789-recipe-132.html
Thoughts: These were a bit time consuming to make, but i thought worth the extra effort. These will freeze well, so if you have too many, you can always stash leftovers in the freezer. This was probably Chris' least favorite- only due to the fact that he thought the meatballs had too much ginger in them. He is not a huge fan of ginger. Next time i make these i will either omit the ginger or add less. I served this with jasmine rice.
Chorizo and Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Recipe Link: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/02/chorizo-sweet-potato-enchiladas-908.html
Thoughts: This was a surprisingly tasty combination. If you haven't had chorizo before it is a spiced sausage. The sweet potato was the perfect pair with the spicy sausage. These were a hit. I didn't serve these with anything as i thought they were enough on their own.
Zuchinni Pizza
Personal Rating: 10/10
Recipe Link: Again, i didn't have a recipe to go by. I just kind of winged this- see below for my recipe.
Thoughts: This is a good recipe if you are looking for something quick and easy! I had some zucchini left over that i needed to use, but wanted to do something different with it. Chris and I love making mini pizzas. We use the soft tortilla's (you can get low carb/ whole wheat/ etc) and just add whatever we want. They take about 6 minutes in a really hot oven. Easy and delicious.
Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Ingredient List:
1 medium eggplant
Marinara Sauce- i would say appx 4-6 cups
Plain Breadcrumbs
1 egg
Mozarella Cheese
Basic Marinara:
Ingredient List:
1 Medium Onion
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbs of sugar
2 Tbs of red wine vinegar
1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes (give or take depending on your heat preference)
1 small can of tomato paste
1 regular sized can of tomato sauce
1 regular sized can of diced tomatoes
1 regular sized can of crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
*You can bypass the crushed tomatoes and just use sauce and diced. Or you can just use sauce. This is typically what i have in my pantry so this is what i use. It is very forgiving, so just add what you have.
- Chop up an onion and saute in a tbs of olive oil (or whatever oil you have on hand) on medium heat.
- Once the onion is soft add the minced garlic, let cook for another minute or two
- Add the can of tomato paste. Stir to combine.
- Once you can smell the tomato paste add the other cans of tomatoes (sauce/crushed/diced).
- Add the sugar, s/p, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes
- I let this continue to cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- I use my immersion (or stick) blender to get this to the consitancy that i like.
- Put a lid on this and turn the heat down to med- low. Let simmer until you are ready to use.
1- Peel the eggplant and slice thin. I usually slice my thin- thinner than i would slice a cucumber. Place in a collander and sprinkle with a tsp of salt. Mix up and let sit while you prepare the marinara. *This is to extract some of the moisture from the eggplant- which will prevent your dish from being too watery. This is optional, but i typically do this while i fix the sauce.
2- I get my marinara sauce on the stove, you could use canned or jarred sauce, but i usually keep the ingredients to make my own on hand. It is really easy to make marinara- so i usually make a batch and freeze what i don't use for later. (See recipe above)
3- Remove eggplant from collander. Prepare the dredging assembly line. For the egg- crack into a bowl and add 1-2 Tbs of water (whisk together).
4- Dip each piece of eggplant into the egg mix and then dredge in plain breadcrumbs.
5- Add to a hot skillet and brown on both sides.
6- Assemble the casserole. I always add a spoonful or two of marinara sauce to the bottom of my casserole dish. I then add a layer of the eggplant, then a layer of marinara, and then a sprinkle of mozarella cheese. Repeat this until your eggplant is gone.
7- I usually sprinkle the top with a little bit of cheese.
8- Bake in a 360 degree oven for 25 minutes.
Zucchini Pizza
Ingredient List:
Flour Tortilla
2 Tbs of part milk ricotta
2 Tbs of mozarella cheese
1 Small Zucchini, grated
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1- Combine the ricotta and mozarella. Spread evenly over the tortilla.
2- Add the grated zucchini on top.
3- Sprinkle with red pepper flakes
4- Bake in a 425 degree oven until brown on the edges- usually 6-7 minutes.
If you try these- I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! :)
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