Montreal Chicken Marinade

So good! We first tried this marinade on some drumsticks we grilled and we knew we had a winner recipe. This is the third time we've made it and it's been great every time. I saw this idea over at The Diary of Dave's Wife, and the only change I made was to reduce the brown sugar. We love it and I hope you do too!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 1/2 Tbsp. McCormick's Montreal Chicken seasoning
1 1/2 lbs. chicken (we like boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can use whatever you like)

Preparation:
Mix together all the marinade ingredients. Add marinade and chicken to a gallon sized ziploc bag. Squish out all the air and seal up. Place bag in a tupperware dish in case of leaks and then place into the fridge. Let marinate in the fridge for 1-3 hours. Cook as desired, but we totally recommend grilling.



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All Purpose Marinade

You know how we love our marinades. This is another great one from Plain Chicken. We grilled chicken kabobs that had been marinated, but I think that pork chops would also be great in the marinade.

Ingredients:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or you could use pork chops)
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation:
Whisk together all the ingredients minus the meat. Combine well. Place meat in gallon size ziploc bag and pour marinade over it. Place in a dish in case of leaks, and marinate in the refrigerator 4-6 hours. Cook meat as desired, I recommend grilling.

Dr. Pepper Chicken

This chicken was so good! I was worried about it being too sweet with the soda and brown sugar, but it wasn't. We'll definitely be making this again and again. I saw this idea over at Just Us Four.

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
16 oz. Dr. Pepper soda
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion flakes

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients except the chicken and whisk well to mix. Add the marinade into a gallon size ziploc bag and then add the chicken. Squish out all the air and then seal. Place the bag in a dish in case of leaks, and refrigerate for 4 hours. Once it's done marinating, heat up your grill and cook until chicken is 165 degrees F in the center or cooked through. Enjoy!

Grilled Sriracha Ranch Chicken Skewers

My husband is such a fan of sriracha. He loves the stuff and puts it on everything. He even keeps a bottle of it at my mom's house and his parents' house. When I saw this idea over at Plain Chicken, I knew it would be a big hit with him. We both really enjoyed this chicken. I'm not a huge fan of spice and they had just the right amount of heat for me, if you love spice I would up the amount of sriracha a bit. These will definitely be made again and again at our house. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup prepared ranch dressing
1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. sriracha hot sauce (you can find it in the Asian aisle of your local grocery store)
1/2 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp. white sugar

Preparation:
Whisk together all the ingredients except the chicken, combine well. In a gallon size ziploc bag add the chicken and marinade mixture. Squish all the air out and seal bag. Place bag in a large tupperware dish in case of leaks. Place in refrigerator and let marinate for 8 hours. After marinating cut chicken into 1" cubes and thread onto metal skewers or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water at least 30 minutes. Grill skewers over medium-high heat until juices run clear and chicken is cooked through. Serve hot!

Summertime Pork Chop Marinade

You know how we love marinades around here. This is another good one. We will definitely be making this again and again. I found the recipe over at food.com and we really enjoyed it.

Ingredients:
2 thick cut pork chops
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
pepper to taste

Preparation:
Whisk together all ingredients except pork chops. Combine well. Pour marinade into a gallon size ziploc bag and add pork chops. Remove air from bag and seal up. Place in a tupperware dish in case of leaks. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. Then cook as desired. I recommend grilling.

Teriyaki Italian Chicken

Here's another simple marinade for chicken. I'm always looking for easy chicken dishes. This has a great flavor that would be great served with rice or chopped over a salad. Yum!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup Italian dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-4 chicken breasts

Preparation:
Whisk together marinade ingredients and pour into gallon size ziploc bag. Add chicken to bag, squish out all the air and seal. Let marinate in the fridge for 2-4 hours. Then cook chicken as desired. We prefer grilling.

Copy Cat Cafe Rio Green Enchilada Sauce

So I made some smothered Cafe Rio style burritos last night. I had seen this recipe for a copy cat Cafe Rio sauce over at Favorite Family Recipes and I figured it was definitely worth a try. Sure enough the sauce didn't disappoint. I think it has slightly more kick to it than the real deal, but it's a great at-home version. This makes enough to smother 3-4 large burritos.

Ingredients:
1 small can diced green chilies
1 (7 oz.) can Embasa brand salsa verde
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt

Preparation:
Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan and mix well. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes. Spoon over burritos or enchiladas, yum!

Nate's Sriracha Barbecue Sauce

Nate's work often does fun contests and today is no exception. Since they have to stay late for case reviews they are having a department barbecue. Several workers are smoking pork butts and they are having a pulled pork competition tonight. Nate started the smoking process at 10 pm last night. He got his favorite rub made and applied and injected the pork too. He put the meat in the smoker about midnight and it's been going ever since. Nate decided he wanted a barbecue sauce to go along with his pulled pork. He loves sriracha hot sauce and wanted a nice spicy barbecue sauce that included it. We found this idea over at All Four Burners and just adapted to Nate's preferences. We hope you like it!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sriracha
1 1/2 cups molasses
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. ketchup
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. granulated ginger

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool and serve with your favorite barbecue items. Enjoy!

Chicago Chicken

I'm back! We've been busy camping and hanging out with visiting family and lovin' on a cute new nephew. But things are falling back into place and cooking is happening more regularly. Last night I made this chicken. Both the mister and I really enjoyed it. It's a good summer recipe, the jalapeno, lemon, and oregano have this bright fresh taste. I saw this idea over at Plain Chicken. The only changes I made were to cut the lemon juice in half and to add a little seasoning salt. We'll definitely be making this again!

Ingredients:
1 jalapeno (remove the ribs and seed if you don't want the heat, I removed these)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
pinch of seasoning salt (maybe a 1/4 tsp.)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast

Preparation:
Wash and cut the ends off the jalapeno. Remove the ribs and seeds if you like. Add the jalapeno, lemon juice, oregano. olive oil, garlic, and salt to your food processor. Pulse until well combined and the jalapeno is finely minced. Add the marinade to a ziploc bag and then add the chicken. Push the air out of the bag and seal, making sure the chicken is well coated. Put the bag in a dish and refrigerate for 4-5 hours. After marinating grill up your chicken and 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!

Grilled Ranch Chicken

This is a perfect summer grilling recipe. We really enjoyed it. The chicken had great flavor and my husband is so good at grilling. This is definitely a recipe we'll make again and again. I never eat salad dressing on salads, I don't like it. However, I love using salad dressings in marinades. I always have several bottles in my food storage. So try this out, and soon! This is a recipe I adapted slightly from one I saw over at Not So Perfect Mom, enjoy!

Ingredients:
2-4 chicken breasts
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup ranch dressing
1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. pepper

Combine all the ingredients (except chicken) in a gallon size ziploc bag. Make sure they are mixed well. Add the chicken breasts and squish all the air out of ziploc bag and seal. Refrigerate and let marinate for 4-6 hours. I always place the ziploc bag in a mixing bowl in case of leaks. After they're finished marinating grill 'em up until done and juices run clear. Our chicken breasts were on the thicker side so Nate grilled them about 8 minutes per side. Serve with your favorite summer sides.

Zesty Mexican Tomato Sauce

So last night I made Taco Stuffed Shells and I decided I wanted a really flavorful sauce to top them. I am not a fan of canned red enchilada sauce, it always tastes bitter to me. So feeling adventurous, I decided to wing it. This is what I came up with and both Nate and I really enjoyed it. I'll definitely make this again and again. You can use this sauce as a replacement for enchilada sauce in lots of dishes. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
2 Tbsp. zesty Italian dressing (I used fat free)
2 Tbsp. taco sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
In a large skillet over medium heat add the tomato sauce, salsa, Italian dressing, taco sauce, cumin, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine. Bring sauce to a simmer and let simmer, stirring often, for 5-10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Use sauce in your favorite Mexican dishes. Enjoy!

This is how I used the sauce last night.

Grilled Asian Pork Kabobs

You know by now that we love Asian food around here, so it's no surprise that I'm posting another Asian inspired recipe. The weather here has been so nice the last two weeks, we have busted out our beloved grill. Nate had been wanting to grill some kabobs with his new skewers and so this is what we had for dinner last night. We both loved it and will definitely be making this again. I saw this idea over at Allrecipes and just tweaked a few things (like usual). The pork has a great Asian/teriyaki flavor without being too salty or too sweet, you could also add some red pepper flakes to add heat. This was so good, make it soon!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds pork, cut into 1" cubes (I just used some really thick pork loin chops and cut them up)
5 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
3 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper

Basting Liquid-
2 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground ginger


Preparation:
Prepare marinade by combining 5 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce, 3 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 clove minced garlic, chili powder, paprika, and pepper. Pour marinade into a gallon sized ziploc bag and add the cubed pork. Seal up the bag and place it in a mixing bowl or large tupperware container in case of leaks. Marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Prepare the basting liquid. Dissolve cornstarch in beef broth and add that and 2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, 2 cloves minced garlic, and ground ginger to a small pot. Heat over high heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Set aside. Get your marinated pork onto skewers. Remember if you use bamboo skewers you'll need to soak them in water for 30 minutes first. We used metal. Once your grill is hot cook your pork kabobs, basting every couple minutes. Cook until pork is at your desired doneness. Enjoy hot with your favorite Asian sides.

Smoky Asian Barbecue Chicken

We really enjoyed this chicken. We are always on the look out for good chicken recipes and this is definitely a keeper. We'll definitely be making this again and again. I saw the idea over at Allrecipes, and just adapted for our tastes. The marinade makes enough for 8 chicken thighs or 4 medium chicken breasts. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
chicken thighs(we like to use boneless, skinless) or chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. black pepper (we love Lawry's seasoned pepper)
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation:
Whisk together all the ingredients except the chicken. Place chicken in gallon size ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken. Place marinade bag in a dish and let marinate in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours. Once finished marinating, cook on the grill over medium heat until chicken is cooked through. Let rest 5 minutes before cutting. Serve with your favorite Asian or barbecue side dishes.

Asian Chicken Skewers

I am such a fan of Asian food. I could seriously have it a few times a week and not get tired of it. Nate and I always have chicken on hand and so I'm always open to new chicken recipes. I wanted something Asian with a little zip so this is what I came up with. Nate ate his chicken with a little sriracha hot sauce (like usual) and if you like kick, you could certainly add some of that to the marinade. I served our chicken skewers with some simple basmati rice and garlic soy broccoli.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp. Italian dressing
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. Lawry's seasoned pepper
metal or wooden skewers

Preparation:
Mix together marinade ingredients and whisk well. Slice chicken into long thin strips. Add chicken to marinade and marinate in the fridge for 3-4 hours. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to use. Thread chicken onto skewers and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately with your favorite Asian side dishes. Enjoy!

Easy Blender Salsa

Okay, salsa has to be one of the greatest inventions ever! I don't know anyone who doesn't like salsa. Cute Brittany made this and I told her we had to put it on the recipe blog. Aunt Kathleen is one of the best hostesses/cooks I know and it looks like Brittany is following right in her footsteps. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1- 10 oz can original Rotel
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed (or minced from the bottle if you're lazy like me)
1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded (depends on how spicy you like it)
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
small to medium size handful of cilantro, washed
juice of 1 lime

Preparation:
Put it all in the food processor (or blender) and blend until desired consistancy!

Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups with Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Here is a great comfort food recipe from Sarah!

This is a play on lasagna roll ups... which we love and have often!!! This recipe comes from Mmm Cafe.

Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups

9 lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups Alfredo sauce
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
Oregano
Garlic salt
3 cups shredded Mozzarella, or cheese of your choice

Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce, or just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Boil 8-10 cups water in a large pan, cook lasagna noodles until all dente.
Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other. Then lay out each noodle individually and blot dry with a paper towel.
Spread about 2 Tbs. Alfredo sauce over each noodle. Sprinkle oregano and garlic salt on top of sauce. Take 1/9 of the shredded chicken and spread it out evenly over each noodle. Add approx. 3 Tbs. Cheese. To roll up, start at one end and roll the noodle over the toppings. You will need to life the noodle a little to prevent squishing out the inside ingredients while rolling.
Place the roll-ups in the pan, one by one, seam side down so they don't come undone. Once they are all in the pan, pour the remaining Alfredo sauce over the top. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted on top.
Serves 3, 3 roll-ups each.


Homemade Garlic Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup butter
2 oz. Cream cheese
2 cups heavy cream (or substitute half and half)
2 tsp. Garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp.dried oregano
2/3 cup parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add fresh minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the cream and whisk to smooth and melted. Whisk in the heavy cream. Season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and whisk frequently until sauce thickens, around 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese and when melted, remove from heat and serve.
Makes 2 1/2 cups.


This picture comes from Mmm Cafe.

California Chicken Marinade

So I've been feeling a bit under the weather this week, and that always messes up my menu plans. But it's hard to cook when you are super queasy. I wanted a quick, simple chicken dinner one night. I went to one of my favorite blogs, Mel's Kitchen Cafe and looked through her chicken dishes. This one caught my eye because it was easy and I had the ingredients on hand. I cut way down on the amount of sugar in the dish. Nate and I aren't huge fans of sweet meat, and I was using a low-sodium soy sauce, so I wouldn't need as much sugar to balance out the salt. I'm posting our version, which tastes so good, but you can see her original version here. Again, this is a great tasting, super easy chicken dish. Can you really ever have to many of those in your repertoire? Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and then cooled
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. dry mustard
1-2 lbs. chicken (I used breasts, but tenderloins would be really great)

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients, whisk so they are well incorporated. You don't want to add hot butter because it will curdle and separate, so make sure it cools for a bit after you melt it. My butter was cool and it still separated a bit, but the taste was still great. Marinate you chicken for 4-8 hours. Then cook it up and dish it up! On Mel's blog, she broils her chicken, but I baked mine and it would also be awesome grilled.

2 Ingredient Chicken Marinade

We are always on the lookout for easy weeknight dishes. Especially ones with chicken. We really enjoy these savory chicken wings and I figured I could use the same ingredients for an easy marinade. Seriously, it's so easy and tasted awesome. I also think this would be a great marinade for pork chops. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup Italian dressing (I used Kraft's fat free zesty Italian)
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

Preparation:
Whisk together dressing and soy sauce and pour over chicken. I made a pound and a half of chicken and it was the perfect amount of marinade. Let marinate for 4-6 hours in the fridge and then cook! It's that easy!

I always marinate in a gallon sized ziploc bag. I put the bag in a large dish in case there are any leaks. Tons easier!





I shared this over at Work It Wednesday.