Sweet & Sticky drumsticks

Sweet and Sticky Chicken Drumsticks

½ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup honey

½ cup light brown sugar, packed

¼ cup soy sauce

5 fresh rosemary sprigs

5 garlic cloves, halved

10-12 chicken drumsticks

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, & garlic cloves in large bag. Shake & squeeze contents of bag to dissolve honey and brown sugar. Add drumsticks to bag & seal, squeezing out all the air, Marinate at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450. Line baking sheet with foil. Remove chicken from bag, reserve the marinade, and arrange on baking dish. Bake until skin is carmelized, 30-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, place marinade in small saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat & simmer & cook on low heat, 15 minutes.

Use pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds & chopped parsley. 

Cheesy Chile Chicken

Cheesy Chile Chicken

4 (6oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

¼ tsp ground red pepper

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp garlic powder

2 tsp EVOO

1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chiles

½ cup shredded Monterey-jack cheese

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap & pound to ½ inch thickness.

 Combine salt & next 4 ingredients; sprinkle over chicken.

Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken, cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove pan from heat; top chicken with chiles & cheese.

 Cover & let stand 2 minutes or until cheese melts.

Jamaican Chicken with Mango Salsa

Jamaican Chicken with Mango Salsa

 ½ tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning (Spice Islands)

½ tsp salt, divided

4 (6oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

cooking spray

¼ cup minced fresh cilantro

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp fresh lime juice

¼ tso pepper

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

1 (16 oz.) jar sliced peeled mango, drained & chopped (DelMonte SunFresh)

Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Sprinkle seasoning & ¼ tsp salt evenly over chicken. 

Coat chicken with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan, cook 4 minutes on each side.

While chicken cooks, combine ¼ tsp salt, cilantro, & remaining ingredients. Serve salsa with chicken.

Chipotle Beef Sandwiches

Chipotle Beef Sandwiches

*Crock Pot recipe*

This was a very different recipe for me, I am branching! We got some great ciabatta rolls for these & it totally made them even better! 

1 large sweet onion, halved & thinly sliced

1 beef sirloin tip roast (3 pounds)

1 jar (16 oz.) chipotle salsa

½ cup beer or nonalcoholic beer

1 envelope beefy onion soup mix

10 kaiser or ciabatta rolls, split

Place onion in a 5 qt. slow cooker. Cut roast in half, place over onion. Combine salsa, beer & soup mix. Pour over top. Cover & cook  on low 7-8 hours.

Remove roast. Shred the meat with 2 forks & return to slow cooker. Heat through. Using slotted spoon, spoon shredded meat onto each roll. 

Corn Pudding

Corn Pudding

So I love corn, cornbread, all of it!

I found this recipe for a great side dish of corn pudding & it is super simple to make. I really enjoyed it, especially drizzled with a little honey!

1 box Jiffy corn mix

1 can creamed corn

1 can corn, drained

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

½ stick butter, melted

Mix ingredients & put into greased ceramic or other serving dish-

This will make enough for a 9X9 or 9X13 or a nice oval dish.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Cuban Ropa Vieja

Cuban Ropa Vieja

So I got Eva Longoria's new cookbook, Eva's Kitchen, and let me tell you that it is amazing! I rarely buy cookbooks, but this one is a must! I am so excited to make a lot more Mexican dishes now. Here is my first one & it is sooooo good! This recipe will make your entire house smell so amazing, just like a Mexican kitchen!

Ropa Vieja translates to old clothes, which is what this shredded meat brings to mind. This is a simple recipe that you just throw in the crock pot!  You can also halve the recipe like I did, because the original recipe makes enough to feed 8-10 people. Serve with some flour tortillas & you could do rice, pinto or black beans on the side!

You will need:

2 1/2 pounds beef flank steak

6 Tbsp ground cumin

4 Tbsp EVOO 

2 cups beef broth

(2) 8-ounce can's tomato sauce

(2) 6-ounce can's tomato paste

2 Tbsp distilled vinegar

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 large yellow or white onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded & sliced into 1/2 inch strips

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded & sliced into 1/2 inch strips

1 bunch cilantro, leaves chopped

To make:

Rub the steak with 3 Tbsp cumin on both sides. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp EVOO over med-high heat. Add steak & cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to Crock Pot.

In large mixing bowl, mix together the broth, tomato sauce, paste, vinegar, garlic, salt, & remaining 3 Tbsp cumin. Then add the remaining 2 Tbsp EVOO. Stir well. Then add onion, bell peppers, & cilantro. Stir again & pour mixture over steak in crock pot.

Cook on high 4 hours or low up to 10 hours. The meat is ready when it falls apart when pierced with a fork. Use 2 forks to shred the meat. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Then serve inside flour tortillas, use some white rice to soak up the yummy juices, serve with a side or refried or black beans!

Enjoy! 

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 ½ tsp bottled minced garlic

¾ pound chicken breast tenders, cut into bite sized pieces

1 tsp chipotle chile powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 cup water

¼ tsp salt

1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 cup crushed baked tortilla chips

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Heat oil in large saucepan over med-high heat

Add minced garlic & chicken; sauté 2 minutes. Add chile powder & cumin; stir well. Add water, salt, broth, & tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, & simmer 5 minutes. Top each serving with tortilla chips & cilantro & serve with lime wedge.

pot roast

Flavorful Pot Roast

2 boneless beef chuck roast (2 ½ pounds each)

1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

1 envelope brown gravy mix

½ cup water

My husband was thrilled that I made this dish, he couldn't stop raving about how good it was! I liked the fact that it was SO simple! I just threw it in the crock pot and let it go! I made mine with baked potatoes & steamed carrots.

Place chuck roasts in 5 qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing & gravy mixes; stir in water. Pour over meat. Cover & cook on low 7-8 hours or until tender. If desired, thicken cooking juices for gravy.