Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

Do you ever have those recipes you haven't made in a while, then when you break them out again you're like, "um....why haven't I been making this every week?"  Hello coconut chicken fingers.  Thanks to the panko, these crisp up really nicely in the oven and they have a nice subtle curry flavor that gives the coconut flavor just a little bit of extra punch.  Oh so tasty.  I'm not gonna lie though, I rarely have chicken tenderloins on hand so I almost always just use chicken breast cut into small pieces.  Still delicious, don't worry.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

Number of Servings: 3-4
Time to Prepare: 35 minutes

• 2/3 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• a pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 8 chicken tenders (or 2-3 chicken breasts cut into pieces)
• olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine coconut, panko, and spices in a shallow dish and mix well. Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the eggs in another.  Dredge one chicken tender in flour, then dip in egg, and finally coat in coconut mixture.  Press in with your fingers to make sure the entire thing is well coated.  Repeat with remaining chicken.

Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the chicken.

Bake in your 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. This could take more or less time, depending on the size of your chicken pieces so just keep an eye on them.

Source: adapted from Our Best Bites

Spicy Thai Noodles

Recovering from an extended "vacation" always takes longer than I think it will.  I've been back for over a week (from a month long trip to see family) and we are just barely settling back into a normal routine.  Thankfully, I have a good number of super quick and easy meals up my sleeve and they have been my go-to dinners while I try to get my life back in order.  These Thai-inspired noodles are a nice change from heavy Italian-type pasta dishes and the spiciness is easily adjustable to your preference (we like just a hint of spiciness...no burn-your-face-off spicy food for us).  The toppings make it fun and colorful, and you can just work with what you have.  They end up a little bit different every time I make them, just based on what toppings I have available in my fridge and pantry.  Added bonus: this is totally vegetarian (but still really tasty and filling).  I served this with a cabbage salad the other night and after dinner my husband said, "Dinner was really good.  You didn't even notice it was a vegetarian meal."  High praise indeed.

Spicy Thai Noodles

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 20 minutes

• 3 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or more, if you want to increase the spiciness)
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 lb linguine
• selected toppings: thinly sliced celery, thinly sliced or shredded carrots, diced bell pepper, edamame, chopped green onion, chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts, etc.

In a small saucepan, heat the sesame oil and red pepper flakes on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Pour the oil through a fine strainer into a liquid measuring cup and discard the pepper flakes.  (It's ok if a couple of the flakes somehow make it in...that always seems to happen to me and it's fine.)   Whisk the lime juice, rice vinegar, honey, and soy sauce into the oil.

Cook the linguine according to package directions. Drain the noodles and place them in a large bowl. Toss the noodles with the oil mixture.  

Serve with the desired toppings sprinkled on top.  (I've only ever eaten these warm, but they would probably be good at room temperature or cold too.)

Source: adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Lime, celery, carrots, bell pepper, edamame, green onion, cilantro

Slow Cooker Jalapeno Popper Chili

The level of spiciness on this fun version of chili is low (and I have a pretty low threshold for spiciness), but if you're really worried about it, you can do it with one jalapeno instead of two. Alternatively, if you love spicy food, you can leave the membranes and seeds in your peppers to ratchet up the heat.  Either way, you're going to love this creamy, chunky chili.  As long as you have plenty of liquid, in the crock pot, you don't even need to soak the beans overnight--the many hours of cooking time will soften them right up.  But if it makes you nervous (or if you want to cook the chili on high for less time), go ahead and soak away.

Slow Cooker Jalapeno Popper Chili

Number of Servings: 6-8
Time to Prepare: 8 hours 30 minutes

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 chicken breasts or thighs (on the smaller side is fine)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomato
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb dry white beans, rinsed and sorted
• 1 cup frozen corn
• salt
• pepper
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

Add all ingredients except cream cheese and bacon to the crock pot.  Cook on low for 7-9 hours.  

Remove chicken and shred with two forks, then stir back in to the chili.  Using an immersion blender, pulse a few times to thicken the chili (you don't want it smooth, just some of the beans pureed).  If you don't have an immersion blender, take a few cups of the chili out and blend it in a regular blender, then stir back in.

Break the cream cheese up into 6 or 8 chunks, place it in the crock pot and let it melt for about 10 minutes.  Stir to combine and mix in crumbled bacon.  Add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Source: slightly adapted from Everyday Reading

Produce Used:  Onion, jalapeno, garlic, bell pepper, corn

Sweet Potato Cornbread

This is a great little variation on cornbread.  The sweet potato adds a great depth of flavor as well as a little additional moistness.  I really love the nice orange-y hue it gives the bread, too.  The recipe calls for already cooked and mashed sweet potato so add in some extra time if you're starting with uncooked potatoes.  I usually do one large sweet potato and cook it for about an hour at 400 degrees (wrapped in foil).  Once it cooks, the peel will come off really easily and you can mash up the potato with a fork.

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Number of Servings: 1 loaf
Time to Prepare: 1 hour 30 minutes

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup mashed sweet potato

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.

Combine the cornmeal and sugar in a large bowl.  Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs slightly.  Add the sour cream, vanilla, and butter and whisk until the mixture is creamy and thick.  Stir in the mashed sweet potatoes until thoroughly blended.  Add the sweet potato mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just enough to moisten.  Spread the batter in the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Transfer pan to a rack and cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely.

Source: slightly adapted from Treehugger
Produce Used: Sweet potato

Caramelized Green Beans

Since I waxed poetic about bacon the other day, I thought it seemed fitting to post another bacon recipe.  And nothing says bacon-lover like adding bacon to otherwise healthy green vegetables.  Green beans with bacon is kind of a classic combination, but these green beans take it a step beyond, adding in some sauteed red onion and sweetened soy sauce mixture that really give some great depth to the beans.  I almost always use frozen green beans, but if you want to use fresh green beans in this recipe, just blanch them for a minute before adding them to the onion and garlic and you'll be good to go.

Caramelized Green Beans

Number of Servings: 6
Time to Prepare: 25 minutes

• 1 lb frozen green beans
• 1/2 lb bacon
• 1/2 medium red onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• pepper

Rinse green beans under cool water to thaw and set aside to drain.

Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.

If you had fatty bacon, drain out some of the drippings, otherwise just leave all the drippings in the pan (you want 2-3 Tbsp of drippings).  

Add onions and garlic to bacon drippings and cook over medium-high heat for a couple minutes, then add green beans and stir-fry for 2-3 minute.  While the beans cook, mix the sugar, soy sauce, and kosher salt in a small bowl, then pour on top of the beans.  Keep stir-frying until the sauce beings to coat the beans. 

Crumble the bacon and stir into the beans.  Season with pepper to taste and keep stir-frying until the beans are cooked through and everything is glazed with the sauce.  Transfer to a serving dish and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.

Source: slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

Produce Used: Green beans, red onion, garlic

Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

You can wrap just about anything in bacon and I will devour it.  The other day I had bacon-wrapped water chestnuts and about died from the deliciousness.  More things should be wrapped in bacon.  No offense to any vegetarians or vegans out there, but.....BACON.  It just makes life better!  And combined with this delicious homemade teriyaki sauce and the sweet pineapple, it's really hard to beat!  You can use the store bought teriyaki sauce on this, but I really recommend trying the homemade at least once--it is so tasty!  Also, if you're getting your pineapple on, these little skewers are delicious with the lime cilantro pineapple rice recipe I posted a couple days ago.

Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Number of Servings: 4-5

Time to Prepare: 5 hours

• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp cold water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 lb chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1" or 1 1/2" chunks (you want about 36 pieces of chicken)
• 12 slices of bacon, cut into thirds
• 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained (I've also used fresh pineapple and it turns out great)

In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, and pepper and whisk together.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat and allow to cool while you prep the skewers.

Wrap a piece of bacon (1/3 of a slice) around a chunk of chicken and secure with a toothpick, then top with a pineapple chunk.  Place in a sturdy, gallon-size Ziploc bag and continue with remaining skewers until you've used all the bacon and chicken. 

Reserve about 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce and pour the rest over the skewers in the bag.  Seal and let marinate in the fridge for 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place skewers on a rack (I just use a cooling rack) over a rimmed baking sheet and baste with half the reserved teriyaki sauce.  Bake for 10 minutes, turn over, and baste with remaining teriyaki sauce.  Bake another 10 minutes.

Source: slightly adapated from Our Best Bites

Produce Used: Garlic, pineapple

Lime Cilantro Rice with Pineapple

Honestly, it's a little embarrassing how much I love this rice.  The fresh zing of citrus from the limes, the brightness of the cilantro, and the sweetness of the pineapple combine so beautifully.  I have been known to make my entire lunch consist of leftovers of this rice and nothing else.  (It has fruit in it so it's good for me, right?)

Lime Cilantro Rice with Pineapple

Number of Servings: 4-6
Time to Prepare: 25 minutes

• 1 cup (uncooked) rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp butter
• juice from 2 small limes (about 4 Tbsp)
• 16 oz crushed pineapple, drained (I usually just do about 3/4 of a 20 oz can)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• salt
• pepper

Place rice and water in a rice cooker or saucepan and cook until the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat.  Place butter on top of rice and put the lid back on to let the butter melt.  When ready to serve, stir lime juice, pineapple, and cilantro into the rice.  Salt and pepper to taste, then serve immediately.

Source: Our Best Bites

Produce Used: Lime, cilantro, pineapple

Quick and Easy BBQ Bacon Pizza

This is no wood-fired, artisan masterpiece but it is tasty and it is also just about the easiest dinner ever.  We had BLTs the other day and since I knew I was planning to make this pizza, I just cooked up the full package of bacon and reserved some for the pizza.  With the bacon already cooked and waiting for me in the fridge, this was doubly easy.  And obviously you can switch up the toppings however you like.  Cheater pizza?  Probably.  Preserved sanity on a hectic day?  Definitely.

Quick and Easy BBQ Bacon Pizza

Number of Servings: 6
Time to Prepare: 25 minutes

• 1 tube crescent rolls
• 3-4 Tbsp barbecue sauce
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• kosher salt (optional)
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan.  Lay the crescent rolls out flat and place into the pan.  Press to seal the perforations and to reach the edges of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes (it should not be completely cooked, just slightly golden).

Spread barbecue sauce over the crust.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Spread red onion, tomato, and bacon evenly over the cheese.  Sprinkle with a pinch or two of kosher salt (I like it to give the tomatoes a little oomph, but maybe that's just me).  Bake an additional 7 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with cilantro.

Source: Myself
Produce Used: Red onion, tomato, cilantro

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Can I tell you how much I love salmon?  It is one of the most perfect foods in the world.  Unfortunately, we don't get to eat it often, what with it costing significantly more than things like chicken or pasta.  That means when we do occasionally splurge on such a delight, I want to make sure the recipe I use it in is worthy of such a treat.  I don't want to waste my precious salmon!  This recipe definitely fits the bill.  I do tend to be a balsamic lover so that may have something to do with it, but this glaze is just heavenly and is a great compliment to the salmon.

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Number of Servings: 6
Time to Prepare: 30 minutes

• 6 (approx 5 oz) salmon fillets
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp white wine
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 tsp Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• oregano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic; cook and stir until soft, about 3 minutes. Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.  (It will smell really strongly of vinegar when you are making the glaze....don't worry, the flavor won't be as overpowering as you think.)

Arrange salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush fillets with balsamic glaze to coat and reserve the remaining glaze. Sprinkle with oregano.

Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to transfer fillets to serving platter, leaving the skin behind on the foil.

Source: All Recipes
Produce Used: Garlic

French Onion Pasta

This dish is a different kind of pasta than you've probably ever had before.  I know it was for me the first time I tried it, but as soon as I saw the recipe for this I wondered why this isn't being done more.  It is delicious!  Such a fun twist on the idea of french onion soup and it is pretty quick and easy.  Plus it is super versatile.  I change up what kind of pasta I use, I switch out the shallots for red onion, I throw in some chicken or some steamed asparagus....the possibilities are endless.  Make it your own!

French Onion Pasta

Number of Servings: 3 to 4
Time to Prepare: 35 minutes

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1/2 pound pasta (I usually use penne or rotini)
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and stir continually until soft and fragrant.  Add the mushrooms and cook until softened.

Add the marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck on pieces of garlic/shallot.
Add the stock and soup mix packets, and boil lightly for about 20 minutes (the sauce will reduce a lot during that time).  Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Whisk flour into half and half.  Pour into sauce, stirring continually until well incorporated and thickened.  Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to coat.

Pour into a 2 quart, oven safe dish. Top with the mozzarella cheese and set it under the broiler until the cheese begins to get browned.

Source: adapted from Stephanie Cooks
Produce Used: Shallot, garlic, mushroom

Raspberry Custard Puff Pancake

The soft, custardy texture of this puff pancake is a bit unexpected...it is really smooth and creamy with just a hint of sweetness, and it won me over pretty much immediately.  My husband didn't love it the first time we had it.  He is weird about texture...it took me about a year to teach him to like flan, which of course he loves now, but it only took try number two to get him singing a different tune on this baby.  I took this picture right out of the oven so it hasn't fallen yet (and I haven't put on the powdered sugar yet), but don't worry when yours falls--that is normal.  I would love to pretend that I make this (or anything that takes longer than 5 minutes) for breakfast, but mostly we eat it as breakfast-for-dinner.  The baking time is a little long, but the prep could not be easier.  Serve it up with some eggs and bacon, or just with some fruit if you're feeling lazy (I was) and you've got a winning breakfast/dinner.

Raspberry Custard Puff Pancake

Number of Servings: 6
Time to Prepare: 50 minutes

• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 Tbsp additional granulated sugar
• powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heavily grease a 9" round baking dish.

Combine milk, eggs, flour, 2 Tablespoons sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla in a blender and blend on low for about 10 seconds or until smooth.

Pour into prepared dish, then scatter the raspberries across the top, and sprinkle with the 1 Tablespoon of sugar.

Bake for 45 minutes, until the edges are very puffy, the top is golden-brown, and the center is set (it will still be somewhat jiggly, but should not be liquidy).

Let cool for a few minutes, dust with powdered sugar, and serve. (It is really not overly sweet so feel free to be generous with the powdered sugar.)

Source: slightly adapted from Everyday Reading
Produce Used: Raspberries