chicken skewers with spicy peanut sauce

You know how I feel about peanut butter. (And, in case you don't, let me fill you in: it borders on obsession.) Peanuts are a food you can feel good about eating because of their super-charged monounsaturated fat, which is a nutrient noted for its cardiovascular benefits. I've also read that peanuts have an antioxidant in them that is good for skin recovery, so make this after a day in the sun.

This peanut sauce, which also brings super-healthy fresh garlic and ginger into your life, comes together quickly in a food processor and makes a great dip for veggies the next day. Serve it with a light and fresh side dish - I did sauteed spinach and steamed summer squash - and feel good about dinner tonight.

Chicken Skewers with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Makes four servings 

• 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk (shake the can before pouring!)
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 shallot or onion, sliced thin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (or 2 additional teaspoons low sodium soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast pounded slightly and cut into 1-inch strips
• 8 (8-inch) skewers, soaked for 20 minutes
• 3/4 cup spicy peanut dipping sauce, recipe below
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted peanuts

Directions

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, coconut milk, soy sauce, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime zest, and ginger. Add the chicken strips and marinate for at least an hour. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.
2. Skewer the chicken and preheat a grill to medium heat. Cook two to three minutes per side until meat is cooked through and has light grill marks. (You could also broil these until juicy and just done, flipping halfway through the cooking.)
3. Serve chicken skewers with sauce, and garnish with basil or cilantro and chopped peanuts.

Spicy Peanut Sauce:
Sauce can be made a day ahead of time, and will keep three to four days in the refrigerator. It doubles as a yummy, healthy veggie dip for next-day snacking.

• 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter (skip the overly processed or reduced-fat varieties - you'll miss out on this food's natural goodies!)
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon red curry paste
• 1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Serve with grilled chicken skewers.

fish tacos with mango-avocado salsa and goat cheese

This is such a simple, beautiful and delicious meal. The fresh avocado, mango and lime brighten up the sweet, mild roasted red pepper with a shock of rainbow color. The spicy sriracha is cooled by the creamy goat cheese and clean-tasting cilantro. This took less than 20 minutes to throw together and is true health food. Make this on a busy weeknight and skip the delivery pizza!

Fish Tacos with Mango-Avocado Salsa and Goat Cheese

Salsa

Makes enough for four to six tacos

• Two mangoes, chopped
• Two avocados, chopped
• 1/4 c red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 c roasted red pepper, chopped
• Juice of one lime
• Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Fish tacos
Makes enough for about four tacos

• 1 lb. fresh fish, such as tuna
• Small corn tortillas
• Sriracha
• Fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• Salt and pepper

Cook the fish in a little olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle with sriracha sauce, salt and pepper. While the fish cooks, stir together salsa. Remove fish from heat, slice it into strips, and distribute evenly in the tortillas. Top with salsa, goat cheese and more sriracha. Serve immediately.

texican turkey calzones

These are delicious. And lean. And ... Mexicany. Perfect.

It seems that I've been on a Mexican kick lately; I've just realized that. But, who's complaining? This filling meal-in-a-pocket is made with lean turkey, onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and yummy spices - all of which is good for you! Enjoy with spicy toppings, avocado, sour cream, cilantro and lime.

Texican Turkey Calzones

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 oz lean ground turkey
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1/2 c green bell pepper
• 1/2 c red bell pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 c salsa
• Handful of fresh, chopped cilantro
• Salt, pepper
• 1 ball or tube of refrigerated pizza dough (about 11 oz.)
• 3/4 c Mexican or cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 egg
• Toppings

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until pink is just gone, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan, wiping out any excess fat. Add a little olive oil to the pan and add the onion through garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook about four minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add turkey and salsa to pan. Reduce heat to low and allow to sit for a few minutes. Taste and add more cumin, chili pepper, salt and pepper if needed.
3. Unroll or roll out dough. Divide into four equal portions. Spoon ~1/2 c portions onto the dough squares and top with 3 tbsp. cheese each (I used a shallow bowl to hold the dough for this step, as shown above). Fold dough over and pinch seams tightly. Place all four calzones on the foil-lined, greased baking sheet.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Brush egg evenly over the tops of each calzone and sprinkle with a small amount of chili powder (I also added dried parsley for color). Bake calzones for 12-13 minutes, until tops are browned and the bottoms are cooked. Serve with desired toppings.

Note: I tripled the recipe for a get-together, which is why the photos show an alarming amount of food!

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better-for-you spicy grilled wings

For the superbowl, we both wanted wings. But I'm super picky about wings, as well as their sauces, and have been known to turn my nose up at them in restaurants. Several years ago, we frequented a wing joint that had a really good dry-rub wing meal on the menu, and I feel in love with them. Now, it's about the only way I like them: a little spicy with a hint of sweetness, a crunchy bite and a juicy middle, but not nuclear (unlike the hubs).

After a lot of hunting online, I found this recipe and chose all drummettes at the grocery store. Before tossing them in the spice rub, I trimmed off most of the skin and drizzled them in a little canola oil. (Don't use olive oil or it will burn on the grill.) Try it next time you're craving a flavor-packed dinner of wings! We'll be bringing this out for company soon.

Better-for-You Spicy Grilled Wings

• 24 lean chicken wings (I used all drummettes) 
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• Canola or vegetable oil (not olive oil)

1. Mix the seasonings together in a shallow bowl. Trim the wings and drummettes off any excess fat or skin. Toss with a little oil. Sprinkle chicken with most of the seasoning mixture. Allow to sit for 1-4 hours in the fridge.
2. Grill until almost cooked and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning. Serve immediately.

Note: We also brought out the Red Hot wing sauce and added it to taste. Added some good heat!

basil chicken in coconut curry sauce

So, I believe I have mentioned several times (like here) how much my husband loves "spicy flakes" (the affectionate term we have given to crushed red pepper) and flaming-hot foods in general. This means that he loves nuclear Asian foods, like fresh Japanese wasabi (his soy sauce mixture is a deep green color and nearly smoking when he's done concocting his ratio) and stir fries, and Indian cuisine. When we visit our local Thai restaurant, he orders a seven on a scale of one to five and then he asks for red-hot chilies packed in oil on the side. We've even had the chef come out and check on him half way through the meal - partly out of sick curiosity and partly to make sure he was still breathing. For Christmas, we got three separate spice packs of all sizzling seasonings.

And then he married me. The medium salsa, the oh-my-lips-are-burning from mild wings, the level-two-Thai-food girl.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like the flavor that comes with warmish foods, but I also I like to  be able to taste other things going on in a dish. To me, heat should add a little something in the background, not overwhelm food. Which is exactly what this dish did. It was flavorful and interesting, while still providing a noticeable heat. Good stuff. And, it gave him the chance to use his spicy seasonings from Christmas. No matter what your preferred heat level, this one's a win.

Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce
(from Epicurious)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (buyer beware: this bottle was almost $8 at Publix!)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (a kick-ass superfood!)
• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs (you can use breasts, but the thighs are more flavorful)
• 1 red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 14-oz can coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• Lime wedges
• Hot cooked Jasmine rice
• Red pepper flakes

1. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, ground coriander, cumin, ground cloves, cinnamon, ground cardamom, black pepper, chili powder and turmeric. Set aside.
2. Rinse chicken, pat dry. Cut into one-inch pieces. Put into a bowl and sprinkle the spice mix over all the pieces. Coat well and let sit for two hours in the refrigerator.
3.  In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp oil on medium high heat. Add the onions and jalapeños and cook for three minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Remove the onions, peppers and garlic from the pan and put into a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Use the same pan for the next step.
4. Add 1 tbsp oil to the skillet and heat on medium high heat. Add one half of the chicken pieces, spreading them out on the pan so they are not crowded. Brown for a few minutes on each side. When the chicken pieces are cooked through, and no pink remains, remove from pan, add to the bowl with the onions. Cook the second batch of chicken pieces the same way. Remove from pan, add to bowl with onions.
5. Add the coconut milk, minus a couple tablespoons, to the skillet and whisk to incorporate the bits left on the bottom of the pan. In a small bowl, mix the remaining coconut with the corn starch to help it dissolve. Add the dissolved corn starch mixture back to the skillet with the coconut milk. Cook on medium heat and stir till thick and bubbly. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce. Add chicken mixture and ginger. Cook two to four minutes more to cook through.   
6. Serve over rice with lime wedges and top with basil.

cowboy steak with coffee and ancho rub

This Ellie Krieger recipe has been on my to-make list for quite some time. I've never made a coffee rub for beef, but I've heard so many great things. And I really have no excuse: I have a coffee grinder to ensure the most flavorful coffee-scented rub. So, finally, after nabbing an on-sale porterhouse (thus ensuring both a taste of filet AND N.Y. strip - two of my favorite cuts), I had my excuse. Plus it gave me the opportunity to use up the fresh veggies from my produce box, rounding out the meal with some simple roasted tomatoes and sauteed spinach. This is easy enough for a weeknight, folks. I'm living proof. Enjoy!

Cowboy Steak with Coffee and Ancho Rub

• 1 1/2 tsp. ancho chili or regular chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. finely ground coffee or espresso beans
• 1/2 tsp dark brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground coriander (a little-known fact: coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• Optional: 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 to 1 1/4 lb. beef, such as a porterhouse steak

1. Combine chili through pepper(s) in a small bowl. Rub evenly into both sides of the steak. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before cooking.
2. Grill the steak to desired doneness. Allow it to sit for five minutes before cutting into it.

Roasted Romas with Parmesan and Basil

• Roma tomatoes, cleaned and quartered lengthwise
• Fresh-chopped garlic
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan
• Freshly julienned (thinly sliced) basil leaves

1. Preheat oven to 400.* Toss the tomato quarters with a little olive oil and a little fresh garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring every five to ten minutes, very gently.
3. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese and basil. Serve immediately.

carolina-style bbq and grilled romaine with blue cheese-bacon vinaigrette

 
I love BBQ sauce. Like for real love. But I like the mustardy, vinegar sauces. A little bit spicy, with the bold taste of the yellow mustard, the sharp tang of vinegar, and only a touch of sweetness. Finger-licking perfection. For this dinner, I needed to use up some Romaine from my organic produce box and found a Guy Fieri recipe that grilled it and topped it with a little bacon, red onion, and bleu cheese. Yes, please. So, that's what we had. Here's how you can make it, too.

Carolina-style BBQ Sauce

• 1/2 c yellow mustard
• 1/4 c apple-cider vinegar
• 1/4 c light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. mustard powder (I skipped this because it's a little like horseradish, which I don't care for)
• 2 tsp. hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp. melted butter

Whisk above ingredients together. Season chicken (~8 chicken thighs or legs is a good number for this amount of sauce) with salt and pepper before slathering with sauce and cooking. Make sure to wrap the meat in foil for five to ten minutes before eating.

Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese-bacon Vinaigrette (courtesy Guy Fieri, serves 6)

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 heads romaine lettuce, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2-3 tomatoes, diced
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the grill to high heat.
2. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan over high heat. Add the onions and bacon and cook until the bacon is crispy. To the same pan add the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Brush the romaine lettuce with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, place on the grill cut side down, and quickly sear.
4. Serve the lettuce, cut side up, and drizzle the balsamic dressing over the lettuce. Sprinkle with blue cheese and garnish with cracked black pepper.

easy, healthy side dishes

Running out of ideas for new side dishes? Check out these recipes and tweak them to your taste. Easy, healthy and delicious, these will freshen up any weeknight dinner.

Italian-style Vegetables

This is an easy use-up-what-you-have-in-the-fridge type of side dish. Swap out any of the veggies for what you have, but these are especially tasty together.

Ingredients

• Zucchini, halved lenthwise and then sliced crosswise
• Onion, sliced into 1-inch long strips
• Mushrooms, quartered
• Italian dressing (homemade is better)
• Salt and pepper

1. Toss the zucchini, onion and mushrooms together in a pan with a swirl of prepared Italian dressing so that all of the pieces are evenly coated. Turn the heat up to medium and saute until they are starting to brown and the zucchini and onion are soft.
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Garlic and Sun-dried Tomato Corn Muffins (shown above)

• 1 package corn-muffin mix, such as Jiffy
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg
• Cornmeal

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tin with nine papers. 
2. In a large bowl combine the muffin mix, corn, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine. In a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and eggs until well blended. Add the buttermilk mixture to the muffin mix. Stir to combine.
3. Spoon the mix into the muffin tins, filling up the cups about halfway. Dust with a sprinkle of cornmeal. Bake until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.

Pan-grilled Corn

The next time you sear chicken in a pan, consider this yummy and flavorful corn side dish. When the chicken is done cooking, wrap it in foil and start the corn. The flavors can be easily modified to suit any style dish.

Ingredients

• 4 c corn
• 1 fresh chile, like serrano or jalapeno, diced (and seeded if you can't take the heat)
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1-2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or the juice of one lime
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro (or basil)
•  Salt/pepper

1. Add a little oil to the pan with the bits from the chicken still in it; set it over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the corn, chile and garlic; let it cook for a minute. As the corn browns, begin to turn it with a spatula. Do this until all the corn is browned on at least one side.
2. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper, the water and stir in the vinegar or lime juice and the herbs. Serve immediately with the chicken.

Roasted Red Potatoes

There is nothing more satisying that a pile of crispy-on-the-edges and soft-in-the-middle red potatoes. Great for summery dinners and even better in the winter. Mix it up with whatever fresh herb you have, but I like rosemary and garlic – and dipping the quartered potatoes in ketchup when they're done.

Ingredients

• Red potatoes – about 4 small to medium ones per person, quartered
• 1 clove garlic per person
• Handful of rosemary, coarsely chopped
• Salt/pepper
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a shallow baking pan, toss the quartered potatoes with olive oil, garlic and rosemary. Season very generously with salt and pepper. (If you like it spicy, add a little cayenne pepper).
2. Roast for ~45 minutes, until the edges are crispy and browned. Stir once or twice during the cooking process and adjust the salt and pepper before serving.

Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients

• Asparagus, woody stems removed
• Fresh-shaved parmesan
• Salt/pepper
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil in a jelly-roll pan. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast for 18 minutes. Remove from oven, stir around, and top with Parmesan. Roast for two more minutes. Taste, season if needed and serve.

Still need more ideas? Check out these ideas:

• cumin-roasted carrots 
• sauteed snow peas with red onion
• cheesy garlic smashed potatoes
• creamy polenta
• roasted roma tomatoes

thai ginger-honey beef salad

For dinner I wanted something fresh and colorful, and also something I could pair with steak. I've been craving a Thai-style beef, but also something healthy and light. So I found a recipe from Epicurious for a ginger-honey marinade for beef – one that has a little kick and uses lots of herbs and spices – that would be perfect for a salad.

Color: that's how the salad was built. Red tomatoes, orange carrots, yellow pepper, green cucumber, earthy mushrooms, purple onion. The colors alone, not to mention all the fresh flavors, got me excited. Then we pulled the beef out of the marinade. Intoxicating and spicy, citrusy and sweet, it went on the grill until it was tender and made our mouths water.

Simple. Tasty. Colorful. Fresh. Healthy. Make this steak and serve it over salad or with other Thai-style side dishes (Ina's peanut noodles would be amazing). You won't be disappointed.

Thai Ginger-Honey Beef
Marinade & Steak

• 3/4 to 1 lb. of skirt or flank steak
• 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 6 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon cilantro
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves (home grown!)
• Juice from one lime, about 1 tbsp
• 1 small Thai (or serrano) chile or jalepeno
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced

1. Place all ingredients (soy sauce through ginger) in a food processor and puree. Place steak in a bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over it. Tightly cover or seal and allow the steak to marinate in the refrigerate for at least two hours.
2. Preheat the grill to 350*. Grill, turning once, until the meat is the desired doneness. Remove the meat from the grill and wrap it tightly in foil; allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Slice it thinly against the grain. Serve immediately.

Note: I whipped up a homemade salad dressing of orange and lime juice, sesame oil and a little soy sauce. Refreshing and delicious with the citrus and sesame.

Before I go, let me just say that the advantages of marinating meats before grilling go beyond flavor boosting. Grilling meat at high heat produces carcinogenic compounds (heterocyclic amines [HCAs] and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs], just in case you were wondering). Marinating meat helps to prevent these compounds from being formed. In fact, rosemary, oregano and sage are credited in being some of the best to add to a marinade for just that purpose. All the more reason to pour on the flavor before you grill!