Hibiscus Lime Drumsticks

I was so excited to receive dried Hibiscus with my last Bountiful Basket order, but I have been having a hard time trying to use it.  This was an excellent way to use Hibiscus and added a light and delicious flavor mix with the lime. 

Ingredients:

 3 Tbsp Olive Oil

 Juice of 4 Limes

1-2 Handfuls of Dried Hibiscus

4-5 Leaves of Fresh Basil (Can be substituted to 1 Tbsp of dried Basil)

 Seasoning (Tarragon, Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt)

5-6 Chicken Drumsticks

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the Oil, Lime Juice, Hibiscus, Basil. and seasoning together in a bowl. Roll the drumsticks one at a time into the mixture and place into a deep pan (I covered with tinfoil to make cleaning easy). Once complete, pour the remaining mixture over top of the drumsticks in the pan and the sprinkle with additional seasoning. Cook for 40-50 minutes or until done all the way through. Serve & Enjoy!

Getting ready to cook :)

Mix up the ingredients to coat the chicken into :)

Bake and enjoy!

Hawaiian Chicken over Jasmine Rice

I was inspired by a similar recipe that I had made a couple of months ago, and Liam had really enjoyed it.  When we received two pineapple this week, I instantly thought of this recipe!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Seasoning (Barbecue, Mango Lime, Garlic Powder)
BBQ Sauce
2-3 Pineapple Rounds (Sliced)
1 Cup Jasmine Rice

Directions:
Add the oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium.  Add the chicken and season it generously.  Cook until browned on both sides and turn heat to low.  Cook the rice in a rice or steam cooker.  If you do not have one, you can also cook on the stove-top.  Pour the BBQ sauce over top and allow to warm and soak in.  Add the pineapples on top and cook for another minute or two.  Serve over a bed of rice & enjoy!

Add the chicken to the pan and season it generously

Add the BBQ sauce and cook until warmed

Add the pineapples and turn off the heat, allowing to sit for 1-2 minutes

Serve over a bed of rice and enjoy!

Orange Mint Chicken Drumsticks

I was wanting to do something with mint, and happened to have drumsticks needing to be cooked.  Viola; Orange Mint Chicken sounded delicious, and here you go:

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Orange Juice
1 tsp Orange Emulsion
1 Tbsp Dried Mint (Juiced)
Seasoning (Alpine Touch & Tarragon)
5-6 Chicken Drumsticks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the Oil, Orange Juice, Emulsion. and seasoning together in a bowl.  Roll the drumsticks one at a time into the mixture and place into a deep pan (I covered with tinfoil to make cleaning easy).  Once complete, pour the remaining mixture over top of the drumsticks in the pan and the sprinkle with additional seasoning.  Cook for 40-50 minutes or until done all the way through.  Serve & Enjoy!

Mix the Oil, OJ, Emulsion and Spices together in a bowl

Roll the Drumsticks in the mixture and place on a foil covered cookie sheet

Take out of the over after about 50 minutes

Serve & Enjoy!

Vote For My Menu: June Edition

I took a month off to catch up on being a full-time student, but it's that time again, come vote for my menu!  This decision is based solely on 4 main course and 4 dessert recipes that I choose and then you vote to come to a FINAL decision.  After a week's time I will cook my version of the selected recipe and provide step-by-step instructions along with photos!  To vote just comment your Number and letter choice.  Thank you all in advance for your continued support and participation!

Main Dish Options

Option 1: Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Glaze
I can only imagine how delicious these flavors would compliment one another.







Original Recipe: Pork tenderloin with pomegranate glaze












Option 2: Cheese Tortellini with Spinach & Slow Roasted Tomatoes
After many requests I have promised to always provide a vegetarian choice.  As much as I love meat, there are so many amazing recipes that do not need it, such as this one.

Original Recipe: Cheese Tortellini with spinach & slow roasted tomatoes








Option 3: Sweet & Sour Chicken-Apricot Skewers
I am intrigued by this recipe and would love to try it.

Original Recipe: Sweet & Sour Chicken Apricot Skewers










Option 4: Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa
This could be really awesome or really weird, let's try it!

Original Recipe: Salmon with Avocado








Dessert Options

Option A: Gooey Crock Pot Monkey Bread
I have been saving this amazing recipe for months, and can't wait to try it out!

Original Recipe: Gooey Crockpot Monkey Bread









Option B: Pear & Pistachio Crisp
I really wonder what this combination would taste like.

Original Recipe: Pear & Pistachio Crisp









Option C: Rice Pudding with Cherries

Rice Pudding AND Cherries, and there is also WHITE chocolate, I am salivating just thinking about it!

Original Recipe:

Rice-pudding-with-cherries

Option D: Bourbon Cake with Caramel Glaze
This sounds so exciting and yummy

Original Recipe: Waterford Reserve Bourbon Cake with Caramel Glaze

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

I try to do my best to ensure that the least amount of food is wasted in my house so when I noticed that I had a couple of slices of pineapple left, I immediately wanted to make something delicious with it!  Here is the result and it turned out fabulously!  Very quick and easy and delicious!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Seasoning (Barbecue, Hickory Balsamic, Tarragon)
BBQ Sauce
2-3 Pineapple Rounds (Sliced)

Directions:
Add the oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium.  Add the chicken and season it generously.  Cook until browned on both sides and turn heat to low.  Pour the BBQ sauce over top and allow to warm and soak in.  Add the pineapples on top and cook for another minute or two.  Serve & enjoy!

Add the chicken to the pan and season

Brown all the way through

Add the BBQ sauce

Add the pineapples on top

Serve & Enjoy!

Basil Orange Lime Chicken Drumsticks

I received so many limes with my bountiful basket yesterday that I had to do something with a few of them.  Orange Lime Chicken sounded delicious, and here you go:

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Orange Emulsion
2 Limes (Juiced)
Seasoning (Alpine Touch, Basil, Oregano)
5-6 Chicken Drumsticks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the Oil, Orange, Lime Juice and seasoning together in a bowl.  Roll the drumsticks one at a time into the mixture and place into a deep pan (I covered with tinfoil to make cleaning easy).  Once complete, pour the remaining mixture over top of the drumsticks in the pan and the sprinkle with additional seasoning.  Cook for 40-50 minutes or until done all the way through.  Serve & Enjoy!

Get all of your ingredients ready

Mix up the liquid ingredients

Roll the drumsticks in the marinade and then top in the pan with remains, and add a dash of seasoning

Cook for 40 to 50 minutes, remove, serve & Enjoy!

Chicken Quesadillas

I am always trying to do different things with chicken, because I feel like it can be one of the more boring meats and it's harder to eat leftover for me.  Flipping through recipe ideas I got a craving for quesadillas and remembered that I had a nifty quesadilla maker sitting on a shelf in my garage that was being severely under utilized.  *Don't get discouraged if you do not own a quesadilla maker, you can still make this recipe just fine in a pan on the stove.  This is a very quick and delicious recipe.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Chicken Breasts (Thinly Sliced)
Seasoning (Alpine Touch, Lime Pepper, Cumin Powder)
Pack of flour tortillas
Shredded Cheese
Toppings (Mix and match in whatever way you desire)
Red Pepper (Seeded & Sliced)
Green Onions (Chopped)
Avocado (Seeded, Peeled & Sliced)
Salsa
Sour Cream
Cilantro

Directions:
 Add the butter to a skillet and place the sliced chicken into the pan, add the seasoning  Cook until down all the way through.  Pre-heat the quesadilla maker (or the pan if you prefer).  Get a tortilla for the bottom of you quesadilla.  Sprinkle shredded cheese on the bottom and top with a couple pieces of the cooked chicken.  Add the accoutrements (peppers, green onions, avocado) and top with a final sprinkle of cheese.  Place on the quesadilla maker (or in the pan on med-high) and add a top tortilla to cover.  Cook for about 30-60 seconds to warm all the way through (if cooking in a pan flip after 30 seconds and cook for another 30, once you start to see melted cheese you should be good to go).  Remove and cut along the grooves made by the quesdilla maker (if using a pan just cut to preference).  Serve with salsa and Sour cream with cilantro on top.  Enjoy!

Add the chicken and seasoning to the butter in the pan

Cook thoroughly

Get out your bottom tortilla and add cheese and chicken

Add the peppers, green onions & avocado

Top with more cheese and place on the quesadilla maker)

Add the top tortilla

Cook for 30-60 minutes

Remove and cut along the grooves

Serve & Enjoy!

Chicken Pasta with Veggies

This is one of those easy to make dishes that you can do using mostly ingredients you probably have laying around the house plus chicken.  It is very quick and easy and delicious!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

10-12 Oz Penne Pasta

1 bag frozen veggies (California Style Blend)

2 chicken breasts chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Seasoning (Alpine Touch, Crushed Rosemary, Mediterranean Basil, Garlic Powder)

1 Jar Four Cheese Alfredo

1/2 Jar Half & Half or Whole Milk

*Optional Shredded Cheese

Directions:

Boil the veggies and pasta together for about 10-15 minutes.  In the meantime pour the oil into the pan and add the chopped chicken.  Season the chicken and cook until browned all the way through (about 8-10 minutes).   Strain veggies & pasta and add the pasta sauce and half and half to help the sauce to cover.  Stir in the cooked chicken.  Mix on low heat to warm, add extra seasoning to the pasta to taste.  Serve when warmed all the way through and enjoy.

*Optional serve with some shredded cheese on top

Boil the pasta and veggies together

Season the chicken and cook until browned all the way through

Add the sauce and seasoning to the strained pasta and veggies

Add in the chicken

Mix it all up to be warmed all the way through

Serve & enjoy!

Greek Lemon Oregano Chicken

I always love a nice easy baked chicken recipe.  This one is great in that it has minimal ingredients and minimal efforts for a very delicious meal.  Enjoy it!

Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts
4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 Cloves of Garlic (Mince)
Generous Seasoning of Mediterranean Sea Salt & Mediterranean Oregano

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil (to make for easier clean up).  Arrange the chicken on the cookie sheet with the smooth side up.  Sprinkle the lemon juice, garlic and seasoning on top of the chicken.  Cook until done (about 30-40 minutes).  Serve with pan juices and enjoy!

Get your ingredients out

Arrange the chicken smooth side up and sprinkle with lemon, garlic and seasoning

Cook for about 30 minutes

Serve & Enjoy!

Choose My Menu: March Edition!

Thank you for taking the time to come get your vote in!  It's that time again where YOU as my reader get to make the decision for what I will cook.  In one week's time, the votes will be tallied and I will be forced to cook whatever you choose!  This decision is based solely on 4 main course and 4 dessert recipes that I have carefully selected to give you a range of choices.  After the choices are made I will cook my version of the selected recipe and provide step-by-step instructions along with photos!  To vote just comment your Number and letter choice.  If you are having any issues selecting a profile to comment under, just go ahead and choose the anonymous option and leave your name if you would like.  Thank you again for all of your wonderful support and your much needed participation in this blog!  Let the voting BEGIN!

Main Dish Choices

Option 1: Chicken Pasta with Thyme Mint Cream Sauce
I love recipes that are out of the norm and this one sounds delicious!

Original Recipe: Chicken Pasta with Thyme Mint Cream Sauce







Option 2: Carne Asada
I love choosing unique and difficult recipes that I wouldn't normally try, but sometimes you just need to take it back to the basics for something delicious.

Original Recipe: Carne Asada








Option 3: Cheese Tortellini with Spinach & Slow Roasted Tomatoes
After many requests I have promised to always provide a vegetarian choice.  As much as I love meat, there are so many amazing recipes that do not need it, such as this one.

Original Recipe: Cheese Tortellini with spinach & slow roasted tomatoes







Option 4: Herb & Citrus Roast Leg of Lamb
I had to bring back this previous succulent choice from a few months back.

Original Recipe: Herb Citrus Roast Leg of Lamb

Desserts

Option A: Gooey Crock Pot Monkey Bread
I have been saving this amazing recipe for months, and can't wait to try it out!

Original Recipe: Gooey Crockpot Monkey Bread











Option B: Dark Chocolate Marshmallow Cake with Raspberry Buttercream
OMG!  This looks and sounds so amazing that I couldn't resist. 

Original Recipe: Chocolate Marshmallow Cake with Raspberry Buttercream










Option C: Pistachio Pudding Cupcakes
How can you go wrong with this easy and delicious recipe?

Original Recipe: Pistachio Pudding Cupcakes









Option D: Caramel Filled Brownies
I just couldn't resist bringing this option back.  The delicious warm gooeyness....  Yum

Original Recipe: Caramel Filled Brownies








Now you have all of your choices!  So comment your Number and Letter choices to submit your votes!