Grilled Chicken with Chipotle BBQ Sauce

I love the smoky, spicy taste of chipotle; it's one of my favorite ingredients! I take a can of chipotle in adobo sauce (which you can find in the Mexican food aisle), puree it in my food processor and keep it in my refrigerator for use. Here's a really yummy barbecue sauce that I found in an ad and substituted hot sauce with chipotle.

Grilled Chicken with Chipotle BBQ Sauce

2 c tomato sauce
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/2 c dark brown sugar
1/4 c honey
1/3 c dark beer
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp dried yellow mustard
2 tbsp pureed chipotle

1 lb chicken, cut up
Sea salt

In medium saucepan, combine sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 15 minutes. Take off heat and set aside.

Rinse chicken; sprinkle with salt. Cook chicken on grill, turning and brushing with BBQ sauce for approximately 30 minutes.

Chicken Carbonnade

I originally found this Belgian stew recipe in Bon Appetit - the flavor was good, but it was too greasy. So, I modified the recipe and my family loved it even more!

Chicken Carbonnade

4 large chicken thighs, skin removed
Flour
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pound onions, thinly sliced
3 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar, divided
4 small bay leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cup dark beer
1/2 cup beef broth
1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Coat large nonstick skillet with Pam and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with flour, salt, pepper, and allspice. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate.
Spray pan with Pam again. Add onions and 2 teaspoons brown sugar to skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and sauté until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in bay leaves, mustard, and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar. Add chicken, skin side down, then beer, broth, and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover skillet and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens, turning chicken occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and more vinegar, if desired. Serve over something starchy like egg noodles, rice, mashed or roasted potatoes.

Tequila-Lime Chicken

This is a very zesty and yummy chicken recipe! Be creative with it - great for tacos or taco salad and fajitas!

Tequila-Lime Chicken

Marinade
3 tbsp Honey
1/4 c tequila
1/4 c chicken broth
1/2 c lime juice
1/2 c fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
Zest of 4 limes
4 serrano chilis, seeded & minced

2 1/2 lbs chicken

Put all marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag & mix thoroughly. Add chicken and marinade for 24 hours. Grill on indirect heat (M-O-M) for approximately 5-10 minutes each side; serve immediately.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

This marinade recipe comes courtesy of my Uncle Russ. I like to make this chicken in bulk and then use it for sandwiches, salads, etc.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Marinade:
1/4 c olive oil
Juice from one lemon
Zest from one lemon
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
pinch of sea salt and black pepper

1 lb boneless chicken breasts, thin cut or pounded to approx 1/2" thick

Put all marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag & mix thoroughly. Add chicken into bag and marinate for approximately an hour, turning bag over every 15 minutes. Heat grill; cook chicken on indirect heat(M-O-M)for approximately 5 minutes on each side.

Steamed Artichokes

We love artichokes - they're not only yummy but very versatile as an appetizer, side dish or meal in itself! Here is a very easy recipe that gets huge raves from family and friends:

Steamed Artichokes

3-4 Large artichokes
White wine
1 tsp crushed garlic or 1 whole clove
1 tbsp lemon juice

Rinse artichokes, trim spiked tips off leaves & cut stem off. Place artichokes in a 4-6 quart pot, stem side down. Pour in 3 cups white wine and 1 cup water so that water is about halfway covering the artichokes; if you need to add more liquid, use the 3:1 ratio (so, if you need to add 1 1/2c more wine, add 1/2c water). Add garlic & lemon juice. Keep pot uncovered and set heat to high. Bring liquid to a boil; once boiling, cover pot and turn burner down to low/simmer. Steam artichokes for approximately 45 minutes or until an artichoke leaf pulls off easily. Once done, remove from heat, drain and serve immediately.

These are also great chilled! Make a few & stick them in your refrigerator; if you like them warm, just throw them in plastic wrap and reheat in microwave for 20-30 seconds.

Here's a couple of dips I serve with artichokes, as sometimes we need a break from the standard mayonnaise:

Quick Lemon Garlic Dip

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp crushed garlic, or to taste
1/4 tsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together until smooth & creamy; chill approx. 1/2 hr before serving.

Quick Chipotle Dip

1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp pureed chipotle, or to taste
1/2 tsp finely chopped scallions (optional)

Mix all ingredients together until smooth & creamy; chill approx. 1/2 hr before serving.

Our Favorite Summer Salad

One of our favorite summer salads is from a recipe that a friend of mine, Steve, gave to me when I ran into him at Trader Joe's! The dressing is my inclusion - I love vinaigrettes, but don't love all of the chemicals, preservatives, manufactured stuff. So, I went online & found an easy recipe that I played with to make it thicker & zestier! We make this salad at least once a week and often serve it topped with a grilled chicken breast or salmon fillet.

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette (feeds 4)

Strawberry Viniagrette (recipe follows)
1 bag spinach
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup candied walnuts

Mix vinaigrette in bottom of bowl; toss remaining ingredients together; serve immediately

Strawberry Vinaigrette

3 tsp strawberry jam or preserves*
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Whisk jam & vinegar together in bottom of salad bowl; slowly drizzle olive oil in while continuing to whisk, so that dressing can thicken. Season dressing with salt & pepper to taste.

*you can also substitute with raspberry jam or preserves; walnuts can be substituted with pecans or almonds

For Your Labor Day Grilling Pleasure....

My husband's friend & coworker, Billy, gave him this salmon recipe. It's fantastic and a staple in our home! Besides being delicious, I love the versatility of it - I can serve it with grilled veggies and rice or over salad.

Salmon a la Billy (feeds approx. 4)

1 large salmon fillet, with skin - I usually get a 1-2 lb fillet for our family
Zesty Italian dressing of your choice
Soy sauce of your choice
Brown Sugar

Rinse fillet and put in a Ziploc bag; mix 1 cup dressing to 1/2 cup soy sauce; pour marinade over fish, seal bag and refrigerate minimum 4 hours, up to overnight.

Grill on indirect heat (M-O-M). Before grilling, lay a sheet of foil on grill & spray with Pam. Place salmon on foil, skin side down. Sprinkle salmon generously with brown sugar and then grill until thoroughly cooked (usually 10-15 mins). To remove fish from grill, slide spatula between skin & meat. Serve immediately.

Side dish suggestions:
Grilled vegetables
Rice
Salad