BBQ Chicken

This is such a great recipe for the 4th of July coming up. ESPECIALLY if you are cooking for a large group of people. 

I actually lessened the original recipe by half, and we STILL had a ton of leftover chicken, which, fortunately, freezes well.

This recipe calls for both bbq sauce and beer. One of my favorite bbq sauces is Stubbs. I love the smoky flavor of their original – it is so good! When I went down into Justin’s beer fridge (yes, he has a fridge totally devoted to beer in his office. Aren’t I a great significant other?), I discovered we had National Bohemian, or Natty Boh as Maryland natives like to call it.

I have gotten to know Maryland over the past 4 years that Justin and I have been together (his home state), and one of the things I love most about Maryland is how they have several food items that are unique to their state. Natty Boh was originally brewed in Baltimore, and while it's no longer brewed there, more than 90% of sales are attributed to Maryland (thanks wikipedia). ANYway, it's a great beer and it was absolutely perfect for this bbq sauce. 

Here's what you need (from How Sweet It Is)...

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 tbsp onion powder

1/2 tbsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of pepper

3/4 cup of beer

1 and 1/2 cups of bbq sauce, plus more for serving

Buns for serving

*If you want to make enough for a huge crowd of people, double everything. 

Here's what you do...

1. Put everything in a crockpot. My chicken was even frozen. Stir, and cook on low for 7-8 hours, stirring occasionally.

2. About 20 minutes before serving, shred your chicken with a fork (it should be really tender) and allow extra moisture to absorb.

3. Serve on toasted buns with extra bbq on sauce, and enjoy!

Hope you all like the blog makeover! I will be back next week :)

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Pecan Pie Muffins

I love pecan pie. And these taste exactly like pecan pie.

These are not healthy, but they taste so good that I don’t care. I bought amazing roasted pecans at the Farmer’s Market a few weekends ago, and they were absolutely perfect for these muffins. They are so simple and so delicious.

You have no excuse for not making these. Unless you don’t like pecan pie…in which case I might be judging you a little bit. But only a little :)

Here’s what you need (from Tasty Kitchen)…

1 cup of packed light brown sugar

½ cup of all purpose flour

1 cup of chopped pecans

2/3 cup of melted butter (1 stick + 3 tbsp of a second stick)

2 eggs

Here’s what you do (makes 12 muffins)…

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt your butter. Then, whisk together butter and eggs in one bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, and pecans.

3. Pour your butter/egg mixture into your flour/brown sugar/pecan mixture and stir well until smooth (except, of course, for the pecans).

4. Pour your batter into a muffin tin filling each cup up about 2/3 of the way. 

5. Bake for 22 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean), let cool, then ENJOY!

These were the perfect Sunday treat, however, Justin will be going into the office tomorrow armed with some muffins so I don't eat the rest tomorrow.

Have a wonderful week!!

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Turkey Burgers

My burger craze is complete. I made 2 types of turkey burgers, and this recipe was my favorite. And I successfully used all the fancy buns :)

Turkey burgers are fantastic. They have so much flavor and are so much more healthy for you than regular burgers. If you have issues with turkey, this would also work with ground chicken.

Here's what you need (from Food Network)...

1 package of ground turkey (usually 1 and 1/3 lbs - I used 7% fat)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp dry thyme
1/2 a bell pepper, finely chopped (I used an orange one, but use what you want)
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped*
2 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of Tabasco sauce*
2 tsp of Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick
1 piece of reduced fat pepper jack cheese per burger
Whole wheat buns
Whatever toppings you want to use (I used lettuce, onion, and some salsa)

*If it has a star next to it, leave it out if you don't like spicy things.

Here's what you do...

1. Chop all your vegetables and put them in a large bowl with all other ingredients except toppings and cheese.

2. Divide into 4 equal patties and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but longer is fine too.

3. Heat your grill or skillet with non-stick spray and grill/cook burgers for 6-7 minute on each side.

4. Right before they are done, top with cheese so it melts.
5. Remove from the grill, add toppings to toasted buns and enjoy!

These are absolutely delicious, and you don't have to feel guilty about them. Hope you love them as much as I did!

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Chicken Parmesan Burgers

HAPPY FRIDAY!! This is an EXCELLENT Friday because I am posting a recipe that I came up with 100% on my own – woo!

Okay, so my motivation for coming up with this was a little backwards. Justin was complaining about how I always buy these “expensive” whole-wheat buns when we eat burgers, and we only eat 2 buns and end up throwing out the other 6. SO, in an effort to prove him wrong…I used all 8 buns in 1 week with 4 different burgers.

Told you I was on a burger kick. The other 2 recipes are coming soon!

Here’s what you need (makes 4 burgers)…

1 lb of ground chicken (usually 1 package)

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

8-10 basil leaves, chopped, plus 4 more per burger for topping

1 tsp of fresh rosemary*

1 tsp italian seasoning

1/2 tbsp of romano or parmesan cheese

sprinkle of pepper

1 piece of sliced mozzarella per burger

Your favorite marinara sauce (I used this homemade recipe)

The most expensive whole wheat buns you can find (kidding!)

*If you can't find fresh basil/rosemary, use 1/2 tsp of each in the dry version. 

Here's what you do...

1. Put chicken, garlic, rosemary, basil (except for leaves you set aside for topping), italian seasoning, romano or parmesan cheese and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Divide into 4 patties and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. On a grill or skillet, cook your burgers for about 6-7 minutes per side. Add 1 slice of mozzarella to each burger and let melt right before you take it off the grill/skillet. Remove from grill/skillet and set aside.

3. Toast your bun and then put 2 basil leaves on the bottom, your chicken burgers, then a generous spoonful of marinara, then the other 2 basil leaves.

4. ENJOY! 

These turned out really well and are actually not terribly bad for you, especially if you can find reduced fat mozzarella. 

Have a FANTASTIC weekend! I plan to see what colorful things I can find at the Farmer's Market :)

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Easy Shrimp Pasta

So, I know I usually just talk about food, but I have a question. Does anyone else not like the word fiancé? I have been saying it a lot lately (as I attempt to plan a wedding - HELP!) and I always feel like I sound…pretentious. Is that just me? 

ANYWAY, let’s talk about shrimp. Shrimp are so awesome. They are super tasty, super low in calories, and one of my favorite types of seafood.

This dish is PERFECT for the summer. It’s light and super easy. If you don’t like spice, leave out the red pepper flakes!

Here’s what you need (from How Sweet It Is)…

1 lb of raw peeled and deveined shrimp*

1/3 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of fresh shredded parmesan, plus more for topping

6-7 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp of brown sugar

2 tsp of reduced sodium soy sauce

1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes*
Green onions

2 cups of pasta (I used whole wheat penne, but use whatever you like!)

*Pay the extra $3 to buy the peeled and deveined shrimp at the grocery store. Peeling your own is NOT fun.

*If you don't like spice, don't add red pepper flakes, but add a little extra parmesan.

Here's what you do...

1. Combine olive oil, parmesan, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Put shrimp in a large ziplock bag and pour the mixture on top. Allow to marinate for at least an hour, but you can leave them in there however long you like!

2. When you're ready, cook the pasta according the the directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, dump in the shrimp and the marinade. Try and get as much out of the bag as possible.

3. Cook the shrimp on medium high heat for about 3 minutes per side. You want them to turn pink - be careful not to overcook! They should look like this:

4. Serve over your pasta, top with some green onions, and enjoy!

A glass of white wine made this a perfect summer dish. Let me know your thoughts on the word fiancé...I would love to know I'm not crazy.

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Black Bean Burgers

I've been super skeptical about this whole "let's make a burger out of beans" trend.

I was amazed that I didn’t miss the meat of a typical hamburger, and these were loaded with flavor.

I made the chipotle mayonnaise the original recipe suggested, but I wasn’t a fan. If I made these again, I think I would top them with salsa, but I will add the chipotle mayonnaise recipe in case someone LOVES chipotle.

Here’s what you need (adapted from Skinny Taste)…

16 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed

½ red pepper, diced*

½ cup of scallions

4 garlic cloves, diced

1 egg

1 tbsp of cumin

¼ tsp of salt

1 tsp of hot pepper sauce (I used Cholula)

½ cup of dried oats

Buns

Whatever toppings you want (I used spinach and onion)

*Make sure you put your chopped red pepper on a  paper towel and dry it off as best you can.

For the Chipotle Mayo (also from Skinny Taste)…

3 and ½ tbsp. of mayo (I used kraft reduced fat with olive oil)

1 tbsp of canned chipotle with adobo (found in the international aisle)

If using, combine ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Here's what you do for the burgers...

1. Chop your pepper, scallions and garlic and throw it in a bowl after ensuring the pepper is as dry as possible.

2. Put your beans into the bowl with the veggies and mash with a fork (or, in the alternative, use a food processor).

3. Add egg, cumin, salt, sauce and oats and mix well until thoroughly combined.

4. Divide the mixture into 4 patties (I made the mistake of making 3 and they were WAY too big).

5. Freeze for at least 2 hours to ensure they are formed. I'm pretty sure you could get away with refrigerating them for 2 hours if you don't have room in your freezer.

6. When ready to cook, place on a skillet with a little olive oil over medium high heat. Cook on each side for about 6-7 minutes, or until cooked through.

7. Serve on your buns with whatever toppings you want. Enjoy!

These were surprisingly delicious and CRAZY good for you. I was on a burger kick last week, so there are lots more burger recipes to come :) 

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