caprese grilled chicken with basil oil

 SO tasty!

Grilled Caprese Chicken!

• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 small garlic clove, chopped

• 3 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar (see Note)

• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds, divided

• 8 ounces yellow grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise (about 1 1/2 cups)

• 4 (7-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus fresh thyme leaves for garnish

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided

• 1 pound cherry tomatoes on the vine

• 8 ounces buffalo mozzarella cheese, torn

• Flaky sea salt, to taste

Directions

1. Process basil, 1/2 cup olive oil, and garlic in a food processor until basil is finely chopped, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, and stir in 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Set basil oil aside until ready to use.

2. Stir together vinegar, sugar, 1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high, whisking to dissolve sugar. Stir in yellow grape tomatoes, and remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Strain and discard liquid. Set pickled tomatoes aside.
   

3. While tomatoes marinate, preheat grill to high (450°F to 500°F). Place remaining 1 tablespoon coriander seeds in a mortar, and pound and grind using pestle until coarsely ground. (Alternatively, crush coriander seeds using back of a heavy skillet.) Set aside. Drizzle chicken evenly with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle evenly with chopped thyme, crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and reserved crushed coriander. Grill chicken on oiled grates until lightly charred on bottoms, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken; grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest portion of each half registers 155°F, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter, and let rest 5 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise to 165°F.) Loosely cover chicken with aluminum foil to keep warm.
   

4. Drizzle cherry tomatoes on the vine with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Grill tomatoes on oiled grates until they just start to wrinkle but have not yet burst, about 5 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to platter with chicken. Top with mozzarella and reserved pickled tomatoes. Spoon some of the basil oil over salad, and sprinkle with flaky salt to taste. Garnish with additional basil and thyme leaves. Serve alongside remaining basil oil

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marinade

we've now had it on steak....kabobs
and pork chops!
OH so tasty!!!!
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup worcesterschire sauce
1 1/2 T garlic powder
3 T dried basil
1 1/2 T dried parsley flakes
1/4 t hot sauce

meatballs

UH-MAZE-ING

• 1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground meat, such as beef, pork, turkey, chicken, or veal, or a mix
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (or grated on the large holes of a coarse grater)
• 1 clove garlic, minced

EQUIPMENT

• Mixing bowls
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Grater
• Rimmed baking sheet

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the milk and breadcrumbs. Place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl, pour in the milk, and stir to combine. Set aside while preparing the rest of the meatball mixture. The breadcrumbs will absorb the milk and become soggy.
2. Whisk the egg, salt, pepper, Parmesan, and parsley. Whisk the egg in a large bowl until broken up. Add the Parmesan, parsley, salt, and a generous quantity of black pepper, and whisk to combine.
3. Add the ground meat. Add the meat to the egg mixture. Use your hands to thoroughly mix the egg mixture into the ground meat.
4. Add the onions and soaked breadcrumbs. Add the onions, garlic, and soaked breadcrumbs. Mix them thoroughly into the meat with your fingers. Try not to overwork the meat; pinch the meat between your fingers rather than kneading it.
5. Form the meat into meatballs. Have a rimmed baking sheet ready. Pinch off a piece of the meat mixture and gently roll between your hands to form 1 1/2-inch meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each). Continue shaping until all the meat is used, placing the meatballs on the baking sheet so that they are not touching.
6. Option 1: Roast or broil the meatballs in the oven. Broil the meatballs 20 to 25 minutes, or roast at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes. (Watch closely if making meatballs made with lean meat.) The meatballs are done when cooked through, the outsides are browned, and they register 165°F in the middle on an instant-read thermometer. Serve immediately.
7. Option 2: Cook the meatballs directly in sauce. Bring a marinara or other pasta sauce to a simmer and add as many meatballs as will fit comfortably in the pan. Cover and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes. The meatballs are done when they're cooked through and register 165°F in the middle on an instant-read thermometer. Serve immediately.

RECIPE NOTES

Doubling this recipe: This recipe can be doubled for larger crowds.

Storing leftover meatballs: Store leftover meatballs, either on their own or in a sauce, in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan or in the microwave.

Make-ahead meatballs: Meatballs can be shaped and kept refrigerated up to a day ahead. Arrange them in a casserole dish or on a baking sheet, but don't squish together. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Freezing uncooked meatballs: Prepare the meatballs through Step 5. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the meatballs to a freezer container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 1 month. (Meatballs can be frozen for longer, but tend to develop freezer burn.) Thaw meatballs in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.

Freezing cooked meatballs: Let the cooked meatballs cool completely, then arrange in a single layer on baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer container or bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Frozen meatballs can be thawed overnight in the refrigerator or reheated directly from the freezer. Reheat meatballs in a simmering sauce for 10 to 15 minutes or in a warm oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

changes

original recipe below. my changes...... 

no cabbage or pea pods 

i could only find fettuccine  

i added: hot spicy sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce a TINY dash of oyster sauce to the broth. and HALF broth/half stock. 

mmmmmmmmm

trying something new :)

Ingredients

3 quarts packaged or canned vegetable stock or chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds fresh linguini, available in dairy aisle
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into bite size chunks or, chicken breast cut for stir-fry
8 scallions, cut into bite size pieces on an angle
2 cups shredded carrots, available in pouches in produce department
1 (10-ounce) package shiitake mushrooms, about 24 mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 head bok choy, trimmed and shredded
1/2 pound pea pods ( snow peas) cut in half on an angle
Chopped fresh cilantro and/or chives, for garnish, optional
Directions

Heat 3 quarts of vegetable stock or chicken broth to a boil in a soup pot. In a separate pot, cook linguini according to package directions and drain.

Add chicken to boiling broth. Poach chicken 5 minutes in broth. Ladle soup into 4 deep bowls, equally distributing broth and chicken. Divide veggies into 4 equal amounts and place in the bowls. Divide cooked fresh pasta into 4 equal amounts and place into the bowls. Cover bowls and allow to steep for 3 to 4 minutes. Gently incorporate noodles up from the bottom of each bowl and serve. SLURP away! It is customary to slurp as you eat, using oversized spoons to drag the noodles up to your mouth. You might need a bib, but you will have fun! Noodle bowls may be garnished with cilantro and or chives for an extra herby zing.

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

shrimp soup

last time i made this it was amazing--hoping my creation turns out the same or better!

amazing shrimps soup

NEED:
shrimp (raw and cleaned)
broth (i used a "box" of chicken)
chopped onion
chopped poblano pepper
diced garlic
red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
lime juice
northern beans
corn (frozen will work but i used fresh corn cut off the cob) 

DO:
sautee veggies in a bit of olive oil. add beans. add corn. sautee a bit longer. add seaoning and salt. add broth. add shrimp. cook until shrimp are done. (pink--three to four minutes)

today i also added the shrimp shells back in but i didn't have cheese cloth so i put them in the metal colander back on top while the soup boils. we shall see :) 

serve in shallow bowl with tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips and avacado chunks. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Cast Iron Grilled Fajitas=Amazing

i had an awesome and spur of the moment visit from my cousin allison and her boyfriend jim yesterday--that is a side blog--they happened to be in the area so they stopped by.  we had a wonderful time visiting. turns out, jim (who i have known since i was a small child) and i have more in common than i knew! we both LOVE food and love to cook....might even call us foodies! he gave me this awesome recipe...and of course i tweaked it a bit. Enjoy! 

**disclaimer....i do not measure :) just go with the flow and it will be yummy!

NEED: 

Chicken Breasts--Boneless/Skinless 

Peppers

Onions

Tomatoes 

Jalepeno (optional) 

olive oil

grapefruit juice 

lime juice (i squeezed fresh limes) 

black pepper (fresh ground is best)

oregeno (i used italian blend) 

garlic powder 

salt (i used kosher) 

chilli powder

cumin 

tortillas 

DO: 

mix together in a big zip lock bag:

olive oil

grapefruit juice  (about a half a small can full)

lime juice (i squeezed fresh limes--2 of them) 

black pepper (fresh ground is best)--i used quite a bit

oregeno (i used italian blend)--about 1 T

garlic powder about 1 T

salt (i used kosher) about 1.5 tsp

chilli powder 1-2 T

cumin- 1-2 T 

add chicken to bag and let marinade up to 5 hours--i had an hour so that is what i did

toss the veggies (minus tomatoes) with cumin, chilli powder, salt and pepper. let them sit on a board all ready to go 

put tomatoes in a bowl so they are ready to go (1/4 to 1/8 of tomato chunks) 

put some oil in a cup/small bowl so it is ready to go 

preheat grill--turn one side to HOT and put cast iron skillet on this side. turn the other side to med-med high.

grill chicken breasts whole until BARELY cooked through on this side. when chicken has a few minutes to go, quickly dump the oil into the hot skillet and then throw peppers and onions in. Let "blacken" while you cut chicken on the bias. Add chicken to the pepper mixture in the skillet and let the juices all mix. when the veggies are almost to the texture/consistency you want, add the tomatoes and let sear.  the skillet is hot so i put all the mix into a bowl to bring inside.

while all this is happening--i recommend having your spouse "toast" the tortillas in a hot ungreased skillet for 5-10 seconds on each side and keeping them warm in the oven. 

i served with cheese and sour cream on the side.

you know it was good when jack told me it was good chicken....look at that clean plate. and luke devoured his  before giving me the thumbs up :)

SO TASTY! the grapefruit juice was a super tasty addition! bon apetit!