#907: Crack Potatoes

Let me first start by saying I HATE the name of this recipe.  I almost changed it in the title because it's so stupid.  But it's not my recipe so I decided to leave it as is.  Okay, rant over.

As far as the taste of the potatoes go though, I loved these.  They had a little too much sour cream in it for my liking, but that can easily be changed next time.  I also used real bacon bits as instructed but I would definitely use real bacon next time too. 

Allison, Matthew and I enjoyed these a lot.  Brian thought they were pretty good, but didn't like how they reheated.  Chloe (my non-potato lover) didn't enjoy them at all.  Who doesn't like potatoes?! 

2 (16oz) containers sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 (3oz) bags real bacon bits
1 package Ranch Dip mix
1 large (28 - 30oz) bag frozen hash brown potatoes - shredded kind

Combine first 4 ingredients, mix in hash browns. Spread into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes.

#906: BBQ Meatloaf Muffins

On our way home from school Allison asked what we were having for dinner.  I told her Meatloaf Muffins (but not that it was a new recipe) and she got super excited!  I didn't realize she liked meatloaf muffins that much!  We all like meatloaf muffins, except for me because I have to clean the muffin pan when we are done.  Last time I made them I tried baking them together in a cake pan.  I had grease everywhere and they were soggy.  I had to brown them up in a frying pan first.  Fail! 

This time I decided to make them in a foil lined muffin tin.  The tops were crunchier, the clean up was a snap, but the bottoms still weren't as crispy/dry as we like them.  So I think I'll have to just get used to the fact that I'll have a muffin tin to clean when done. 

Anyhow, back to THIS recipe.  These meatloaf muffins were pretty good.  You can definitely taste the BBQ sauce in it, but we surely didn't mind.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it too.  I'd make these again. 

1 egg (I used egg substitute)
1 pound extra lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1/2  red pepper, minced  (I omitted)
2 ribs celery, minced  (I omitted)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 white onion, minced
1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce
2 tbsp whole grain mustard  (I used yellow mustard)
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and spray a muffin tin with non fat cooking spray.  In a small bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce and whole grain mustard.

In a large mixing bowl combine the ground beef, celery, red pepper, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 of the barbecue sauce and mustard mixture. Mix until just combined to keep the meat from toughening up.

Fill each muffin tin with the meat mixture to create 12 meatloaf muffins.

I skipped this step: Then using a spoon or pastry brush, brush a layer of the barbecue sauce and mustard mixture on each muffin.

Bake for 18-22 minutes until kicked through.

 

 

#905: Spinach Smoothie With Avocado and Apple

I had an avocado sitting on my counter and I needed a recipe to use it in.  So I went to my Pinterest board and found this recipe waiting for me.  I also had everything I needed on hand, so it was pretty much fate to make it.  

The girls and I were not fans.  Matthew thought it was okay and I was able to get him to drink a little.  A little is better than nothing I guess.  I don't think I'd make this again...not for me anyway.  If I had all of this in the fridge I'd make a small batch for Matthew but only if I really wanted to use up leftover ingredients.  I can think of a better way to use spinach, an apple and an avocado! 

1 1/2  cups  apple juice (I used water)
2  cups  stemmed and chopped spinach or kale
1  apple—unpeeled, cored, and chopped
1/2  avocado, chopped
 

Combine the apple juice, spinach, apple, and avocado in a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute, adding water to reach the desired consistency.

#904: Neighborhood Bean Soup

After our Easter dinner my mom made me keep my ham bone.  She told me to make pea soup, but I'm not a big fan of it.  Then I remembered that I've been looking at this recipe for a long time now but never had a ham to put into it.  So I made a big crockpot full of this 15 bean soup and took it for lunch to share with my co-workers.  I'm pretty sure no one enjoyed this as much as I did.  Unfortunately I didn't have several of the spices so I just use a little dried thyme, sage and 2 bay leaves.

I also made this in my crockpot.  I soaked the beans in water overnight.  And I didn't pre-sautee the veggies, I just threw it all into my crockpot (including a frozen hambone) and let it cook on low for about 10 hours.  When I got home I shredded the meat and threw it back into the pot.  Done!  I would definitely make this again. 

2 cups dried great northern beans

5 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
2 to 3 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules (I omitted)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram (I omitted)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon dried savory (I omitted)
2 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil (I omitted)

Sort beans and rinse with cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let soak for 1-4 hours or until beans are softened.

Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Return beans to pan; add broth, 3 cups water, ham bone, bouillon and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onions, carrots and celery in oil until tender; add to soup. Cover and simmer 45-60 minutes longer or until beans are tender.

Remove ham bone; cool slightly. Remove meat from bone and cut into chunks; return to soup. Discard bone. Skim fat from soup. Yield: 10 servings (2-3/4 quarts).

 

  

#903: Grilled Chicken Tenderloins (Without The Grill!)

Well now this was a super easy dinner recipe.  I put the dressing ingredients in my magic bullet to really mix/combine it and then threw it all in a Ziploc bag in the fridge until I got home from work.  It heated up really quickly on the stovetop and dinner was ready in a about 20 minutes.  Everyone loved this, especially Allison.  This is another recipe that will go into her grown-up recipe book for sure.  I'll definitely make this again!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips. 

1 cup zesty Italian dressing
2 teaspoons lime juice

3 teaspoons honey

 

Place chicken in gallon ziploc bag. Combine all other ingredients and pour over. Seal and marinate for at least an hour. 

 

Pour all ingredients into a large skillet and cook over medium heat until liquid evaporates and remaining marinade becomes thick and caramelized. Coat each piece of chicken in marinade by rubbing it around on the bottom of the pan before removing it. 

Product Review: Green Giant Veggie Snack Chips

Recently I was invited to join a BzzCampaign through BzzAgent for Green Giant Veggie Snack Chips.  These chips are available at the Kroger Line of stores.  Want to see if you have one near you?  Check out this link: Kroger Store Locator. 

I was super lucky to be able to try these chips for free.  See the photo at the left...that all came free in my kit!  Deliciousness in a box!!  (Why are you not all BzzAgents yet...go apply!). 

Back to my kit: There are 2 different flavors of Veggie Snack Chips: Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips with Zesty Cheddar  and Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips with Sea Salt.  The Roasted Veggie ones reminded us a little bit of Doritos (which we like) but we all agreed the Multigrain Sweet Potato ones were our favorite (or at least preferred choice). 

  

I seriously think these are one of the best snack foods I've eaten in a long time!  They are light and crispy and have a fantastic taste.  Kind of like a chip...only way better!  Actually it reminds me a little bit of Sun Chips in the texture (but not the taste).  I love them.  LOVE them.  I've already gone thru 2 bags and need to go buy more so I can have them in my lunches this week.  They are so good they are addicting.  You know the slogan/saying "you can't eat just one?"  It's true, you can't!  I love these, my kids love these...I wish I could say my husband loves these but since it's a veggie, he won't even try them.  Oh well, more for us. 

 

I love their little snack bags too.  See the photo to the right above?  That's how many was in one of their little snack bags.  It's a perfect portion...you'll need it otherwise you'll eat way more than you should!!

I love that these chips are made with whole grains and real veggies so I don't mind giving my kids "chips" when they ask for it.  And I'm definitely always looking for a way to sneak in those veggies, especially for Matthew!! 

 

Find out more about Green Giant products by visiting their website.  Don't forget, you can also follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

Product Review: Crockpot Pork Tenderloin

Recently I was invited to join a BzzCampaingn thru BzzAgent for Kroger Spring Dinners.  One of the products I was able to try for free was a "Moist and Tender" pork tenderloin.  So I started going thru my recipes on Pinterest to see which bookmarked meal I would make.  I decided to try this recipe with my pork tenderloin.

Well it certainly was easy to put together in the morning.  I just had to pretty much throw it all in the crockpot and turn it on.  And my house smelled really good when I got home. 

If you like pork, you'll probably enjoy this recipe.  Brian liked it, and I thought it was just ok.  The kids didn't really eat much of it.  I don't know if I'd make this exact recipe again for my family, but I would definitely get another pork tenderloin from Kroger and try a different recipe with it.  In fact, I have another recipe in mind already (on the grill).  So I'm sure you'll be seeing another pork post coming soon!  
 
3 lbs pork tenderloin

8 ounces of your favorite barbecue sauce

1 small onion (minced)
2 -3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 dashes hot sauce
salt and pepper

Salt and pepper pork loin and place in crock pot.  Add garlic and onion.  Pour BBQ sauce over meat.  Add hot sauce and stir to evenly distribute.  Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours.

Want to find out more about what's going on at your local Kroger?  Head on over to their website for more information and don't forget to follow them on Facebook and Twitter! 

#902: Crockpot Pork Chops

Apparently we are on a small pork kick.  Actually it's because pork and pork chops were on sale this week and I'm trying to keep our grocery budget down (even though that is one area I'm not very good at budgeting!)  Anyhow, I made this recipe because I was going to be home late one night for dinner and I wanted it to be an easy meal for Brian to get ready with the kids in tow. 

Personally, I really enjoyed these pork chops.  They were really moist and tender.  Brian thought they tasted like crockpot round steak and wasn't a huge fan.  He said he'd prefer the round steak instead.  The girls didn't eat much of it and Matthew wouldn't eat it at all until I let him sit on my lap and eat if off my plate...then he ate all of it.  :)  Of course he did. 

I personally would make these again but since Brian wasn't in love with them (and I have other ways I enjoy making pork chops) I probably won't make them again.  Not that they weren't good though. 

6 lean pork chops
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 cup chicken broth

 

Place pork chops in slow cooker.  In a separate bowl, combine soup mix and chicken broth, stir. Pour over chops.  Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.

#901: Crockpot BBQ Pork Tenderloin

When I found this recipe on Food.com it was actually called Couldn't Be Easier BBQ Pork Tenderloin in the Crockpot.  Yep, I'd say that sums up this recipe.  A little long for a recipe name, but at least it tells you how it is.  As I've mentioned before (and from the very few recipes posted in the pork category) I'm not a fan of pork.  I was a little nervous making this recipe for fear I wouldn't eat it and I'd be wasting my money.  But pork was on sale so I figured I'd give it a try.

Well it certainly was easy to put together in the morning.  And my house smelled really good when I got home. 

If you like pork, you'll probably enjoy this recipe.  Brian liked it, and I thought it was just ok.  The kids didn't really eat much of it.  Would I make this again for my family, probably not.  Would I eat this if someone served it to me, definitely.
 
3 lbs pork tenderloin

8 ounces of your favorite barbecue sauce

1 small onion (minced)
2 -3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 dashes hot sauce
salt and pepper

Salt and pepper pork loin and place in crock pot.  Add garlic and onion.  Pour BBQ sauce over meat.  Add hot sauce and stir to evenly distribute.  Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours

#900: Green Beans with Citrus Vinaigrette

I may have gone a little crazy with vegetable side dishes for Easter lunch.  I wanted to have several healthy options though.  And I cut out one or two other dishes I had planned on making.  Can you tell I come from a bigger family and enjoy cooking for a crowd.  Sometimes I can't figure out how to scale down my meals! 

This recipe looked super easy but just a tad more special than just regular green beans. I know the picture just makes it look like plain 'ole green beans but it has a nice fresh, citrus-y dressing on it.  I loved it.  It went over really well too.  Another veggie winner in my opinion!

2 pounds green beans, trimmed

5 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

3/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2 1/2 teaspoons fresh orange juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan, and add green beans. Cook beans for 4 minutes or until crisp-tender, and drain. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; cook 2 minutes or until shallots begin to brown, stirring constantly.

Combine the shallots, lemon rind, lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Slowly add 4 1/2 teaspoons oil, stirring well. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the beans, tossing gently to coat.

#899: Roasted Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

I was looking for healthy, easy side dishes to go with the ham I was preparing for Easter lunch and came across this recipe.  It was almost too simple to pass up, yet the asparagus seemed festive and the bacon was...well just yummy.  I know this called for Prosciutto but I didn't feel like trying to find it in the grocery store so I went with bacon. 

This was so easy and it was ridiculously easy to put together.  I would definitely make this again...with bacon too! 
1 1/4 lb thin asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed
extra virgin olive oil spray
fresh cracked pepper to taste
4 slices (2 oz) thin sliced prosciutto

Preheat oven to 400°.  Lightly spritz asparagus spears with extra virgin oil. Season with fresh cracked pepper and divide into 4 bundles.

Gather 1/4 of the asparagus and use a slice of prosciutto to wrap each bundle and place on a baking dish seam side down. Repeat with remaining, place on baking dish and bake 12 minutes or until asparagus is tender crisp.

#898: Copy Cat Honey Baked Ham

When my mom asked me if I would have Easter this year I asked if I had free reign over the menu.  She made me promise I'd make a ham (of course I would).  However, I've never made a ham before except for a small boneless one we get from Meijer that weighs about 3 lbs.  I knew this was not the kind of ham I was supposed to get.  In fact she was adamant that I needed a Honey Baked Ham.  Well I didn't know where to get one so I Googled it and was thrilled to find this recipe.  I'll admit I was also a little thrilled by the butane torch it called for using!

The recipe below is for a  3 1/2 lb ham.  My ham was 11 lbs!  I quadrupled this recipe.  And I ran to my friend Kim's house to borrow her butane torch.  :)   Personally the butane torch is not needed.  Yes I used it because I borrowed it and Kim went thru the trouble of finding it for me and dropping it off, but honestly it really didn't do anything for our meal. 

This was such an easy recipe and really, really good.  The juice and brown sugar mixture do NOT need to be doubled or quadrupled like I did.  It is way too much and I threw most of it out.  I would definitely make this again and I would say my first attempt at a ham was a success!

3 1/2- lbs ham (spiral cut smoked, fully cooked)
1/2 - cup pear or apple juice (I used a apple harvest blend)
1/2 - cup orange juice
1/2 - cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/2 - cup honey
hand held butane torch

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the ham, cut end down, in a large baking pan.

Mix the pear or apple juice with the orange juice in a bowl and mix.

Pour the juice mixture over the ham and bake for 15 minutes basting frequently with juices. Remove from oven.

Mix brown sugar and honey together in a small bowl.

Brush mixture over ham and bake for another hour or until internal temperature reads 140°F.

Using a butane torch carefully caramelize the glaze to the crust using small strokes.

#897: Honey Lime Fruit Salad

I was looking for a super easy, yet festive fruit side dish to go with our Easter menu.  I debated for about a week between this one and another recipe and ultimately (obviously) went with this one.  I liked that it had some canned fruit (one less step in prepping) and some fresh fruit as well. 

This was really good.  I loved the slight flavor of the lime in this one.  It doesn't last very long though because the kiwi and strawberries get soft.  I would make this just a few hours before you plan to serve it.  Or at least add the strawberries and kiwi at the end. 

 

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained well

1 can mandarin oranges, drained well

2-3 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced into thick half moons

1 cup green grapes, halved

1 cup strawberries, quartered

Zest from one lime, about 1 tablespoon

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)

 

Combine the fruit in a medium-large serving bowl. Add the lime zest and poppy seeds, if using, and gently toss. 

 

Drizzle the honey over the fruit and again, gently mix until the fruit is evenly coated with the honey.

#896: Sauteed Corn, Bacon, and Scallions (and Edamame)

The original recipe for this corn sautee did not call for shelled edamame, but looking at the photo I totally thought it had it in there.  So I decided to add it in.  I love edamame so why not?!  This was so easy to make and was delicious.  I loved it.  It would make a great side dish to just about any meal, any time of the year.  Next time I'm adding more bacon.  Everything is better with MORE bacon. 

4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch strips
4 cups corn kernels (I used frozen corn, thawed)

Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Pinch of red-pepper flakes

2 to 3 scallions, sliced
12 oz package of shelled edamame, thawed

 

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, 4 to 6 minutes.  Add corn kernels and edamame; season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring often, until corn is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in scallions. Serve immediately.

#895: BLT Deviled Eggs

Since it's Easter, I couldn't just make regular old deviled eggs, I had to make them a tad more special so I found a recipe for BLT Deviled Eggs.  Now those sounded good to me and they looked super simple to make.  I was hoping to impress my brother.  And it's a Paula Deen recipe so you know it has to be good. 

These went over very well.  Just like the classic deviled eggs I made, I also didn't eat these because I don't like deviled eggs, but I did try a little bit of the filling and I thought it was pretty good.  I'm happy to report that there were very few of these left and my brother took all the leftovers home with him.  I would definitely make these again (No, that's not true.  I'm never making deviled eggs again.  They are a pain in the butt to cook and peel.  But if I was going to make deviled eggs again, I would make these.) :)

6 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled plus more for garnish, if desired

2 cherry tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Halve the eggs lengthwise. Remove the yolks and add them to a medium bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork and stir in the mayonnaise, bacon, tomatoes, and parsley. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and blend well.

Fill the egg whites evenly with the yolk mixture and garnish with bacon, if desired. Arrange them in a container and store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

#894: Classic Deviled Eggs

I'm a little embarrassed to admit, with all of the cooking I do, I've never made deviled eggs.  That is partly due to the fact that I don't like deviled eggs.  But it's Easter and my brother Mike loves them so I was happy to make them for him.  I don't know if this is the recipe my mom uses or not, but it looked good enough for me to try. 

I also dyed these in food coloring before filling so I could easily distinguish between the two different kinds of deviled eggs I made.  (Super easy to do, just fill a glass with water and add about 4-6 drops of food coloring.  Let egg halves soak for about 15 minutes.)

I can't really review these because I didn't eat any.  But there were only a few left and my brother took the leftovers, so that's always a good sign.
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon Parsley Flakes

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

Paprika

Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; place in small bowl. Mash yolks with fork or potato masher.

Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, parsley and seasoned salt until smooth and creamy. Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.

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#893: Chocolate Chip Raspberries

Here's another "almost-not-a-recipe" post.  :)  I'm not even going to put directions on this one because you can obviously tell what to do with the chocolate chips.  You can use any kind of chocolate chips you have on hand (although I personally wouldn't use butterscotch or mint chips).  Dark chocolate chips would definitely be a good pairing though. 

Can I please tell you how delicious this is!?  I seriously might not ever be able to eat a raspberry plain again.  The chocolate chips give it a nice extra sweet crunch.  To die for!!

Ingredients:
Chocolate chips (I used white chocolate and semi-sweet)
Raspberries, washed and dried thoroughly

#892: Easy Pudding Tiramisu

This delicious looking dish is one of our desserts for Easter lunch tomorrow.  Doesn't it look yummy??  It is.  It was so easy to make too!  I actually changed the name of the original recipe though because it was called "Easy Jell-O Tiramisu," but there's no "Jell-o" in this recipe, just the brand name.  So now it's pudding tiramisu.  Or at least it is to me. 

Besides changing the name, the only thing I did different to the recipe was to add 1 1/2 tsp of instant espresso powder to the pudding mixture to give it a more "tiramisu" taste.  Easy, delicious and a tiny bit upscale looking.  I loved it.  So did Matthew and the girls.  I'm starting to wonder if this is why Matthew isn't sleeping well tonight.  Is the espresso powder keeping him up?!  No way...maybe??   No more for him just in case.  I really hope this tastes just as good tomorrow (18 hours later) as it was tonight!  
Oh, and instead of using my box grater to grate the chocolate square, I bought a bar of Ghirardelli and threw it in my food processor.  Just as good, ten times as fast.  Also, although that looks like a pretty single serving, I actually made this in an 8x8 pan.  And I doubled the recipe.  The above photo was what I had leftover that didn't fit in the pan.
 
1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
2 cups  cold milk
¾ cup  thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping
8 soft ladyfingers
1 square Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate, finely grated
1 1/2 tsp Instant Espresso powder

Beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in Cool Whip. Place 1 ladyfinger in each of 4 dessert dishes; cover with half each of the pudding mixture and grated chocolate. Repeat layers. Refrigerate 1 hour.

#891: Skinny Shamrock Shake

Pretend this is a super bright green color.  I just bought and now cannot find my food coloring!  Brian, Allison and I all looked all over the place to see if I maybe put it away in some obscure place but alas it is gone (hopefully temporarily because I need it for my colored deviled eggs!).  (PS...I eventually found my food coloring stuck in the bag w/my shallots in the pantry.  I knew I saw them somewhere!!) 

I love Shamrock Shakes.  I never get them though because I know they aren't very healthy and once I drink one, I want to go back daily to get another one.  So when I came across this healthier version I was excited to try it. 

This is quite close to the original recipe.  No it's not the same, but maybe if I had a McDonald's cup and their ridiculously large-holed straws, and if I had topped it with whipped cream, then maybe it would have been exactly the same.  Regardless, I loved it.  I loved it A LOT.  I want to make another one right now but I have to convince Brian to eat the rest of the frozen yogurt so I DON'T make more.  Mmmmm!!

¾ cup fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt (I used no sugar added vanilla ice cream from Edy's)
½ cup fat-free milk
⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract or mint extract
5 drops green food coloring
2 packages Stevia, your favorite sugar substitute (I omitted, it doesn't need it!)
3-4 ice cubes

Ingredients for Topping: (I omitted)
Fat-free or Light whipped cream, optional

Combine all shake ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.  Stop blender to stir with a spoon, if necessary, to help blend everything.

Pour into a 16 oz glass. Top with light whipped cream, if desired and enjoy immediately.

Makes 1 (16 oz) serving at 5.5 ww+ pts.

#890: Blackened Chicken (with Avocado Salsa)

The recipe below is for Blackened Chicken with Avocado Salsa.  You may have noticed in my title above I have "with avocado salsa" in quotes.  That's because in the end I didn't make it that way.  But I wanted to post the whole recipe and not just "blackened chicken."  Which one sounds more appealing?  Yeah I agree with you, avocado salsa sounds wonderful.  It sounds so good in fact, I might have to make it just to eat with tortilla chips in the near future. 

Anyhow, I didn't have avocado or papaya so I just omitted the salsa and ate the chicken.  We enjoyed this chicken and everyone ate it, but I personally thought it was a little rubbery.  I think it's because I finished it off in the oven.  It would have been really good and crispy if I would have just pan fried it like it starts out, but that's certainly not the healthiest way to eat chicken so I went with the recipe as described.  Would I eat this again, yes.  Would I make this particular recipe again, no. 

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb. total)

2 teaspoons blackened steak seasoning

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

Dash ground black pepper

1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped

2/3 cup chopped fresh or refrigerated papaya

1/3 cup chopped red sweet pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly sprinkle both sides of chicken with blackened steak seasoning. In a large ovenproof skillet heat the 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until browned, turning once. Bake about 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F).

 

Meanwhile, for salsa, in large bowl whisk rice vinegar, the 2 Tbsp. oil, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Stir in avocado, papaya, sweet pepper, and chopped cilantro. Serve with chicken. If desired, garnish with cilantro. Makes 4 servings.