Five Ingredient Chicken with Sweet and Spicy Broccoli

I realize it’s been two whole months since I posted a recipe so am way overdue. I made this delicious meal last month, and it’s super easy to put together. I cooked the chicken on top of the stove, but you can definitely use the grill if that’s your preference.

Ingredients

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. chile paste (like Sambal Oelek)

Directions

Preheat burner to high.
Using 2 tbsp. olive oil, cook chicken for 4-5 minutes without moving them, then turn over and finish cooking on the other side.
Transfer chicken to a small plate or bowl and set aside.
Combine vinegar, soy sauce, honey and chile paste in small saucepan. Stirring with a whisk, bring to a boil, and continue cooking for four minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup.
Pour sauce over chicken, as much or little as desired.

Sweet and Spicy Broccoli

Ingredients

12 oz. package of broccoli
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. dark sesame oil
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Directions

Cook broccoli using your favorite method. (I prefer to steam)
Combine all ingredients (except broccoli) in a small bowl, stir well and drizzle over broccoli.

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Pan-Seared Tilapia with Cilantro, Soy, Ginger and Avocado

I was perusing recipes yesterday that used avocados, as I had four ripe ones ready to eat and knew I didn’t want to make guacamole or add them to a salad, but rather in some kind of main dish. I came across one from Tyler Florence which sounded delicious using sushi-grade tuna, and decided to try it with the tilapia I had on hand. Needless to say, it was fabulous, in addition to being easy to make. Oh, and it’s healthy, too!

Ingredients

2 big handfuls fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeño, diced
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
2 limes, juiced
2 tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
Pinch of granulated sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tilapia filets, about 3 oz. each
1 ripe avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeño, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Stir the ingredients together until well incorporated.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining 1 tbsp. of olive oil.
Add the tilapia to the pan with half of the cilantro mixture and sauté until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Serve with the sliced avocado and remaining cilantro sauce, drizzled over the fish.
Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

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Pub-Style Chicken and Caramelized Onions with Spinach

I am always on the lookout for new recipes which are both easy and delicious, and this one definitely fits the bill. I have to thank my Mom for sharing it with me, as it has quickly become my favorite chicken dish. And when I tell you it’s delicious, that’s really an understatement. Seriously, it is the bomb! This recipe calls for fresh spinach, but I opted to go with creamed spinach simply because I love it.

Ingredients

Chicken

3 oz. reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tbsp. molasses
1 tbsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. pepper, divided
large zip-top bag
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups sliced sweet yellow or white onions
1 tbsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2/3 cup french-fried onions
1/4 cup refrigerated Caesar dressing
1/4 cup light honey mustard dressing

Spinach

1 bag fresh spinach (6–9 oz)
1 tbsp. garlic herb butter
1/2 tsp. Bakery bread-dip seasoning (Parmesan blend)

I had a hard time finding the bread-dip seasoning so I made my own using 1 tsp. Parmesan, 1/2 tsp. each: oregano, garlic powder, and kosher salt, 1/4 tsp. each: dried basil, parsley flakes and onion powder, and 1/8 tsp. each: thyme and tarragon. Grind spices until fine, then add the Parmesan to spices and mix well. Store in container until ready to use.

Directions

Chicken

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Combine soy sauce, molasses, garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
Place mixture in bag and add chicken, turning to coat. Let stand at least 10 minutes (the longer, the better) or overnight in the fridge to marinate.
Toss fresh onions with oil, salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper.
Place onions in 13 x 9-inch baking dish; top with chicken.
Bake 20–25 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F.
Top chicken with crispy onions and cheese; bake 2–3 more minutes or until cheese melts.
Combine both dressings; microwave on HIGH 20–30 seconds or until hot. Drizzle sauce over chicken and serve.

Spinach

Place spinach in microwave-safe bowl and cover; microwave on HIGH 4–5 minutes or until tender. Drain, if needed.
Stir in butter and seasoning, and serve.

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Sweet and Spicy Baked Chicken Wings

On a recent episode of The Chew, Daphne Oz and Mario Batali had a chicken wing cook-off, and after seeing Daphne’s ingredients (and that hers were baked), I had to try them right away. Needless to say, they did not disappoint. I love the fact that the marinade on these babies caramelize while baking, which makes them a bit crispy. Oh, and the dipping sauce… yummy!!! Since I’m a huge fan of anything sweet, the sauce was perfect for me, but if you’d like it with a little more twang, reduce the half cup of honey by a couple of tablespoons (1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons).

Ingredients

For the Wings:

2 dozen chicken drumettes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves (minced)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Dipping Sauce:

1 tbsp. sambal chili paste
1/2 cup Honey
2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. grated ginger

Directions

Combine all the ingredients for the drumettes in a bowl and toss the wings to coat.
Place in the refrigerator and marinate a minimum of two hours and preferably over night.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove drumettes from the marinade and season with salt and pepper.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the drumettes so they are not touching. Brush generously with the leftover marinade.
Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until deep golden brown, rotating the tray half way through and flipping the wings over.
While chicken is baking, combine all of the dipping ingredients and whisk together.
Serve the drumettes with the dipping sauce.

Shown with my guiltless blue cheese dressing.

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Steak Marinade

If you’re searching for an extremely tasty and easy marinade for your steak, look no further! A couple of weeks ago, I posted a recipe by Paula Deen for another marinade which is really good, but may just like this one a little bit more. I made this last week to use on some tri-tip and it was amazing, and just whipped up some more to marinate a Rib-Eye… can’t wait to cook it up for dinner!!

Ingredients

1/2 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or red wine)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp. dried
1 tbsp. Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tbsp. brown sugar (optional)
2 (1 lb) steaks

Note: For my dinner tonight, I only had one rib-eye (approx. 1 lb.), so used about half of the marinade and froze the remaining to use another time.

Directions

Put all ingredients (except steaks) in a blender (or food processor), and blend until smooth.
Place steaks in a large, resealable plastic bag.
Pour marinade over steaks, seal and refrigerate for about 3 hours.
Take steaks out from fridge and let them come to room temperature (30 min-1 hr.) *
Remove steaks from bag, discarding remaining marinade.
Cook on a preheated grill brushed with oil on high, for about 7 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness is achieved, or place in a skillet, over medium-high heat for same amount of time as above. (I cooked my tri-tip on top of the stove).

* It is always best to cook meat from, or near, room temperature. This will help the meat cook consistently across the interior by reducing the amount of time that it takes to cook the meat. But… I have cooked them after just a few minutes of sitting out, and they’ve come out delicious.

Tri-tip steaks — Marinated tri-tip steaks

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Marinated Raw Tuna

Back in June, I posted a recipe for Edamame/Wasabi puree by Tyler Florence that went along with marinated tuna, however, I didn’t try his tuna at the time. About a week ago when I was in one of my sushi-craving modes, I decided to see what all the rave reviews were about and made the tuna. WOWZA! When I tell you that it melted in my mouth, it is no exaggeration. This is truly the best marinated tuna I have EVER tasted! And I’ve tasted a lot! The awesome thing about this recipe is that it’s super easy and ready in 20 minutes. And when you pair it with the Edamame puree, the combination of flavors will tantalize your taste buds. Seriously.

Ingredients

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. sake
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. red chili paste, such as Sambal
1/2 pound sushi-quality tuna, such as ahi, yellowfin, maguro or bluefin, cut in 1/4-inch strips (or smaller, if you prefer)

Directions

Whisk together the soy sauce, sake, brown sugar and chili paste until the sugar dissolves.
Arrange the sliced tuna in a single layer in a shallow dish.
Pour the marinade over the tuna, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Don’t marinate the tuna any longer because it will start to “cook” and the texture will be mushy.
To put together, dollop a spoonful of the edamame puree (if using) on a wonton crisp or cracker, then lay a slice of tuna on the top.

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