Grilled Chicken Tostaditas w/ Queso Fresco, Charred Tomatillos & The Supreme Bacardi & Ginger Ale

We vowed to start off 2013 on a healthy note and we have been doing fairly well in our test kitchens, what about you? No worries if you haven’t, the year is still young and we have plenty of ideas to help keep you on track while still enjoying the most of each and every day. 

Today’s ROTD: Grilled Chicken Tostaditas w/ Queso Fresco is a play on a recipe we picked up at a local Spanish restaurant that makes the most amazing Queso Fresco & Charred Tomatillos in house you could ever imagine having. For this version we chose to use skinless breasts, but should you prefer to use boneless skinless thighs they work just as well if not better than breasts. 

Also included is an incredible drink that pairs perfectly with this meal in the form of a classic Rum & Ginger Ale, a delicious drink that’s not so strong that it takes away from the marvelous flavor of your meal.

Enjoy!!

(click Read More for the entire recipe)

ROTD: Chicken, Sausage & Peppers

Chicken, Sausage & Peppers, is one of those recipes that anyone can do, almost anything can be used to make it pop that much more and it doesn’t take but a few minutes to pull together. 

One of those great, sobering up meals that can be made in mass amounts to help friends before they hit the road after a long night, this Chicken, Sausage and Peppers recipe is an old school classic that just about everyone I know enjoys eating especially after a few strong drinks.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 TBS unsalted butter

¾ lb sweet or hot Italian sausage or chicken & apple  sausage, cut into ½“  chunks

¾ lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 TBS all-purpose flour

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp Creole seasoning

1 small onion, chopped

2 Italian green frying peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

½ cup dry white wine

¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

2 jarred pickled cherry peppers, chopped, plus 2 TBS liquid from the jar

Directions

Heat 1 TBS butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook the sausage until golden, about 2 minutes.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper then toss with the flour, paprika, cayenne, Creole seasoning; add to the skillet and cook until browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Add the onion, peppers, garlic, ½ tsp Kosher salt, and pepper to taste and cook 3 minutes.

Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits; bring to a boil and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.

Add the broth and bring to a gentle simmer.

Cover and cook until the sausage and chicken are cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the chicken, sausage and vegetables to a platter with a slotted spoon. Increase the heat to high and stir the parsley and cherry peppers and their liquid into the skillet; boil until reduced by one-third, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 TBS butter.

Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture.

Recipe Of The Day: Mango, Habanero & Chipotle Grilled Chicken

Summertime is the best time to put your grillin' skills on display. It is usually around the time of a good BBQ, that you hear someone talking about how hot they like their food and how no one makes anything spicy enough for them to enjoy. 

This Grilled Chicken recipe combines the intense heat from a few minced up Habanero Peppers, the smokey fired up flavor from a couple of Adobo Chipotle Peppers and the mellowed out smooth tang by way of some delicious fresh Mangos. 

A recipe such as this deserves a great sidekick and we love to always have plenty of our Black Bean & Roasted Corn Salad on hand whenever we whip this chicken up for our friends.

The Chicken and Salad are the prefect way to finish up a long day of drinking, swimming, working around the house and or just trying to eat healthier than we normally have the time to do. A meal such as this provides a multitude of valuable nutrients we all need as well and it tastes GREAT.

Enjoy this with some great mixed drinks amongst your friends.

Recipe Of The Day: Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

There is nothing like having some good homemade food to start off your work week. Especially when the dish is healthy and loaded with delectable flavors. The subtle piquant aromas and tastes supplied but the adobo chiles, cayenne and paprika are what truly gives this dish its depth. Don't forget your pico de gallo and guacamole. I enjoy this usually with a side of roasted corn and Jalapeno peppers and our secret recipe sweet pinto beans.

Recipe Of The Day: Slow Cooked Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs w/ Jamaican Rice & Peas

We have been getting some emails from people who love our Recipe Of The Day ideas, but after a long 10 hr day at work, they just don't have it in them to stand on their feet any longer to make dinner.  The sad fact is, in this economy no one has the time to stand in the kitchen and cook all day.
When money is as to hard to come by as it is lately, people are being forced to eat meals that cost less and do not pack nearly enough of the daily nutrients we all desperately need to survive.
Just because the economy is forcing us to work ten times harder, doesn't mean that we have to work that hard in the kitchen to get a great meal that is full of flavor and is easy to clean up after creating.

I took a few moments and put together a slow cooker recipe that should bring back some good home cooking memories for some. For others this recipe should help you begin to understand that great food can come out of a crock pot, its just about what you put in it and more importantly, when you put it in.
I hope you enjoy the Recipe Of The Day: Slow Cooked Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs w/ Jamaican Rice & Peas.

Recipe Of The Day: Spanish Style Chicken w/ Saffron Rice (Arroz Con Pollo)

Those who follow the site closely know that we have a certain fondness for chicken. Especially when it is accompanied by an incredibly flavored side dish such as Saffron Rice. A little known fact to some, saffron is one of the most expensive ingredients to use because of the ratio of what you get for what you pay. But have no fear, most stores carry saffron threads for a mere few dollars and that amount alone will be more than sufficient for the average cook for a year or more. The key to this recipe is not overcooking either the chicken or the rice but yet allowing everything the proper amount of time to come together when cooking.  This is a healthy dish overall that should feed about 4 people. Although it packs a little punch from the cayenne, I usually double up on the cayenne and also add some Sriracha sauce (I know its an asian styled hot sauce but its great on this dish.) For those of you who are like myself please do this dish the justice it deserves and enjoy it with a cold beer or a strong mixed drink.