Garden Monkey Bread

Nate totally loved this bread! It's a super easy and fun alternative to rolls for dinner. We'll definitely be making this again. I saw the idea over at Goodness Gracious. I cut the recipe down for just the two of us so this is baked in a 6 cup bundt pan. I served this garden monkey bread alongside some do it all marinated chicken and a green salad.

Ingredients:
2 (7.5 oz.) cans of biscuits
3 Tbsp. green bell pepper, diced
3 Tbsp. red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled (optional, we left it out)

Preparation:
Slice each biscuit into thirds. In a mixing bowl combine biscuit pieces, cheese, and diced peppers. Toss gently and mix well. Grease your bundt pan and add the biscuit mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a light golden brown. Remove from bundt immediately and serve warm. Enjoy!

Chicken Fajita Kabobs

Such a hit! We loved these kabobs! Kabobs are a personal favorite of ours, they say fun summer grilling to me. I'd seen versions of these floating around the web and knew I had to make some. I used two chicken breasts and we got four huge kabobs. I served this dish with salsa rice a simple green salad. A perfect summer meal!

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 green bell pepper, chopped into bite sized squares
1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite sized squares
1 small onion, chopped into bite sized squares
our favorite Mexican chicken rub
4 large skewers (we used metal*)

Rub Recipe:
2 tsp. chile powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Mix all of those really well. Store in an airtight container.


Preparation:
Wash and chop vegetables. Cut chicken breasts in 1" square chunks. Season chicken with some rub on all sides. Now it's time to assemble the kabobs. If you're using wooden skewers, you'll need to soak them for 30 minutes first. Alternate chicken and vegetables along the skewer. Heat your grill to medium heat. Once warm add your kabobs. Our skewers come with a rack that has them sit just above the grill grates which we love because then they don't stick and pull the kabobs apart. They grilled for 12-14 minutes being turned occasionally. If your kabobs are directly on the grill they will cook a bit faster. Just grill until all the chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately and enjoy!




*Here's the link the kabob skewer set we use. I love it because it helps the more delicate kabobs stay together since it sits them just above the grill grates.
http://www.basspro.com/Charcoal-Companion-Kebab-Set/product/10214100/?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&om_mmc=shopping_googleproductextensions&kpid=10214100

Savory Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Yep, another marinade recipe. What can I say, we love 'em, and we love using our grill. I really like pork tenderloin, it's so lean and tender. Definitely a favorite in our house. I saw this basic idea over at Pillsbury. I do think this marinade would also be great on some thick cut pork chops.

Ingredient:
2 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin (mine was in two pieces)
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. sriracha hot sauce (found in the Asian aisle)

Preparation:
Whisk together soy, garlic, olive oil, oregano, sugar, and sriracha. Pour marinade into a large ziploc bag. Add pork tenderloin. Squish out all the air and seal bag. Place bag in a dish and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours, turning occasionally. After marinating, heat grill to medium-high heat. Once hot add pork to the grill and cook for 18-20 minutes turning a few times until internal temp reaches a minimum of 145 degrees F. Our tenderloin was in two pieces so if yours is one large piece it will take longer to cook. We like ours a little more done so we cooked it to just over 150 degrees F. Let the pork tenderloin rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and then serve with your favorite side dishes. Enjoy!

Cheesy Taco Dip

This is one hearty dip. We ate it for dinner last night and it is super filling. We have lots of leftovers. Nate and I decided it needs to be eaten with friends! This recipe is really quick and simple to throw together and then it bakes and gets nice and bubbly. I loosely based this recipe on one from Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cups salsa
2 envelopes taco seasoning (or 6 Tbsp. of homemade, divided)
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese (more or less depending on your tastes)
sliced olives, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, sour cream, hot sauce etc. for topping if you'd like

Preparation:
Brown and crumble the ground beef. Halfway through cooking add the diced onion. After beef is finished browning add 1 packet (3 Tbsp.) taco seasoning and the water it requires. Reduce heat and finish cooking per packet instructions. After the beef mixture is finished add salsa, Italian dressing, frozen corn, refried beans and remaining taco seasoning. Mix well. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture is nice and hot. Add half the mixture to a glass 8x8" baking dish. Top with half the cheese. Add remaining beef mixture and then top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until nice and bubbly hot and cheese is all melted. I recommend putting a baking sheet below the dish in case things bubble over! Serve with your favorite toppings and tortilla chips.

I know, I know, terrible photo.

Parsley Rice

This is such a simple side dish. Both hubs and I really enjoyed the flavor, it was savory and not overpowering. It was a great accompaniment to our grilled simple marinated chicken. Nate commented on how it was nice and light tasting, a good side dish for summertime. I saw this idea over at Taste of Home. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked long grain rice (I use basmati)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/4-1/2 tsp. salt (really it's to taste, I used low sodium chicken broth so I did need the 1/2 tsp. salt)

Preparation:
Add chicken broth, butter, salt, and parsley flakes in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling stir in rice, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand still covered for 5 minutes. Fluff and serve.

The Best Garlic Steak

Have you ever been to the restaurant Tucano's? Well it's a favorite of the husband and he loves their garlic sirloin. I saw this copy cat recipe online and knew we had to try it. It was so good! We made some filet mignons with it instead of kabobs, but I think this would be great on any cut of steak. We'll definitely make this time and time again. I was nervous at first when I saw the amount of garlic salt but we followed the recipe and it turned out great. I saw the idea over at Like Mother Like Daughter.

Ingredients:
1 - 1 1/2 lbs. steak
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. kosher salt

Preparation:
Melt butter. Mix together butter, garlic, garlic salt and salt. Brush butter mixture onto both sides of the steaks. Heat grill to high and add steaks when hot. Cook over direct high heat for 10-12 minutes for medium doneness, flipping once. Our steaks were about an inch thick. I like my steak a little more done so we cooked it just a little longer. During cooking baste meat with garlic butter mixture. We basted 2 times. Grill steaks to desired doneness, let rest for 5 minutes before serving and enjoy!

Bacon and Onion Fingerling Potatoes

This is a re-post of a recipe from late 2010. It's so good and I finally got a semi-decent picture so I think it warranted a re-post.

Oh goodness, these are good. This recipe is a special occasion recipe at our house. We made these potatoes as part of our anniversary dinner. My husband loves these potatoes, I mean they have bacon, what's not to love? I saw this idea over at Picky Palate. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
3 lbs. fingerling potatoes (my store didn't have any fingerlings so I used Dutch baby potatoes that I cut into quarters)
½ lb. bacon, sliced into ½” pieces
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. reserved bacon drippings
½ cup onion, diced
kosher salt to taste
black pepper to taste
½ - 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes

Preparation:
Wash and cut potatoes. Add potatoes to pot then add water to cover. Bring pot to boil and boil potatoes for about 10 minutes or just until fork tender.
Cook bacon until crispy in a deep pan. When browned and crisped transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Discard all but 3 Tbsp. of bacon drippings. Place the 3 Tbsp. back into the pan at medium heat, add the butter and melt. Add onions; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add sliced potatoes, cooked bacon, salt, pepper and parsley. Stir then reduce heat to low to keep warm. Taste check the seasoning and adjust as needed.