Crispy Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

Once upon a time, I was repulsed at the idea of seafood in a taco. I had the ridiculous notion that tacos should be filled with one of two things: beef or chicken. Fortunately, I came to my senses several years ago, partially thanks to one of my favorite restaurants in DC, Ceiba.

Ceiba has this amazing happy hour menu with stuff like shrimp and crab nachos, ceviche, queso fundido, and pig-shaped molcajetes full of guacamole. Oh, and sangria. I can't forget the sangria. They also have the seafood tacos that officially sealed my conversion from a person who was wary of the concept, to a person who was in love with it. I haven't been there in quite some time since they are located across from the 10th Circle of Hell my old office, and I like to stay safely in my beautiful current building a full mile away.

P.S. Ceiba, if you're reading this, there's a crappy Au Bon Pain kitty-corner from my office. Please commandeer it, throw their nasty food away, and open another Ceiba location. You make DC a tastier place.

By the way, if Ceiba knows me, it's only as "often tipsy girl who frequently forgets to close her bar tab" so no, they did not make me write about my adoration for their food.

Anyway, back to seafood tacos. These don't really resemble Ceiba's tacos in any way, except for the fact that they both contain seafood, and they're both delicious. These have a good kick to them, and even this spice fiend had to take a swig of milk to cool my mouth. I try not to say this too often, because when I say it I want you guys to know I mean it: this is one of my favorite recipes on the blog. Out of 200+ recipes, this is top 10 material. Serve this with some tortilla chips and tomatillo salsa (which I'm aware looks like pickle relish in the photo), and you have a stupendously scrumptious meal for two.

Here's what you'll need:

For the Shrimp:

2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Salt and pepper
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

For the Chipotle-Lime Drizzle:

1 cup fat-free greek yogurt
2 chipotle peppers from a can of chipotles in adobo
3 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo
1 teaspoon lime juice

For the Fixin's:

1 ripe avocado, chopped
Purple cabbage, shredded (Tip: get it from the grocery store salad bar! Super easy.)
1 Jalapeno, sliced (remove the seeds if you like your food less spicy)
4 Small Flour tortillas, warmed

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and chipotle powder with a fork. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Rinse and dry shrimp. Place in a large bowl, and toss with the flour mixture until all of the shrimp is thoroughly coated. You might have a bit of flour mixture left over, which is a-okay.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Cook the shrimp for 3-4 minutes, until cooked through and opaque.

While your shrimp are cooking, place the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and lime juice in the bowl of a mini-food processor. Puree until smooth, and fold mixture into the greek yogurt. Season to taste with salt.

As soon as your shrimp are done, remove from the heat and assemble your tacos. Serve immediately with chips and salsa!

Source: A Bitchin' Kitchen original
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Broiled Tilapia with Mustard-Chive Sauce

If you need a healthy dinner that is lick-your-plate amazing, put this on your menu NOW.

I made this a few weeks ago on an obscenely hot day when I was craving something light and summery for dinner. While you do need to heat up your kitchen to broil the fish and roast the asparagus, the end result is so healthy and fresh that I think this is the perfect summer meal. Although...I will say that I am completely ready for summer to be over. I was at the grocery store a few hours ago, and they already had pumpkin beers on the shelf! I am counting down the days to sweaters, cold weather, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin beers, and pumpkin pies.

In the meantime, make this...but be sure to crank the AC down to about 65 degrees first.

For the fish:

Cooking spray

2 (5-6 ounce) tilapia fillets 

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Kosher salt and black pepper

For the sauce: 

3 tablespoons low-fat greek yogurt

1 teaspoon honey 

1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons finely minced chives 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Allow the fish to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking. Preheat the broiler, and spray a small glass baking dish with cooking spray. Drizzle the tilapia fillets with olive oil on both sides, and rub it in so the fish is evenly coated. Place in the baking dish in a single layer, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Cook under the preheated broiler for 6-8 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. 

While the fish is cooking, make the sauce. Mix the yogurt, honey, and dijon in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the lemon juice and chives, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

After fish is done, transfer to a serving plate and drizzle with the sauce. Delicious served with roasted asparagus! 

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Recipe adapted from: Giada De Laurentiis via Food Network

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Hi friends. Sorry I disappeared on you. Truth be told, I've had a really crappy two and half weeks, and when I'm "in my dark place" (see the 4:25 mark in the video) as Annie and I like to say, it just feels really phony to post here about brownies and cookies while acting like all is right in the world.

However, I made these amazingly delicious red velvet cheesecake brownies 3 weeks ago tomorrow, and holding out on you for much longer due to my less than stellar mood just didn't feel right. These take all of 15 minutes to mix up, and allow you to get your cheesecake fix and your brownie fix in one dessert. I made these to bring to a get together at a friend's house, and actually had to make a second batch because I scarfed down a few too many from batch number one. I'm completely powerless around cheesecake. Make these this weekend for your friends, and be sure to act humble when the compliments pour in.

Update (12/27/12): I've been told by a couple people who have made these that they've needed to bake them for up to 50 minutes. I've baked these twice in my oven using the time range posted below, but be advised that they may require additional baking time! My oven might be too hot. 

For the red velvet batter:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

For the cheesecake swirl: 

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch, metal baking pan with aluminum foil, overlapping to create an overhand on all four sides. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a microwave-safe container, combine chocolate and butter. Melt for 1 minute in the microwave, stirring halfway through, until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, red food coloring, and salt. Add in the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Gently stir in the flour until no streaks remain.

Pour the batter into the baking pan, and prepare the cheesecake swirl.

Using an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until creamy and combined. Drop dollops of the mixture over the red velvet batter, and gently swirl with a butter knife.

Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until golden around the edges, and just barely jiggly in the middle.

You're supposed to let these cool before cutting them, but I tried one warm because I'm rebellious like that. You should probably refrigerate these if you plan on keeping them around for awhile, due to the cheesecake swirl.

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Source: Adapted from Baking Bites

Sesame Soba Noodle Salad

Something momentous happened yesterday.

I became the first food blogger ever* to nearly mess up boiling noodles.

I whipped up this awesome sesame noodle salad for dinner last night, and after I finished boiling the edamame, I looked at the medium-sized saucepan and thought to myself, "That entire package of noodles will totally fit. Spatial relations skills and common sense are for losers," as I stuffed the noodles into the undersized pot.

I'm sure you can see where this is going. I turned my back for about 20 seconds after putting the noodles in, and boiling water was spewing everywhere. Not just a little overflow - I'm talking a full on boiling tidal wave. Most normal people would've taken the pot off, drained some water, and moved on. Not this braniac. I wielded a ladle in one hand, and a slotted spoon in the other, and scooped out water ladleful by ladleful, hurling the excess water into the sink as I went, while simultaneously stirring the noodles.

Please consider this a cautionary tale. Use a large pot when cooking soba noodles.

Do as I say, not as I do. Because I do dumb things.

(*at least I hope...)


Here's what you'll need:

For the salad:

1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup finely minced cilantro
1 1/2 cup frozen edamame, cooked according to package directions and cooled for a few minutes
1 8.8-ounce package of soba noodles
Sesame seeds, for garnish

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoons honey
Salt, to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

In a large bowl, combine the red pepper, green onions, cilantro, and cooked edamame.

When the water is boiling, add the soba noodles, and cook until they're done. These cook much more quickly than traditional pasta, so make a note of the cooking time indicated on the package, and start checking for doneness about a minute before time is up.

While the noodles are cooking, whisk all of the ingredients together for your salad dressing.

When the noodles are done, drain in a colander and immediately rinse with cold water. Add the noodles to your bowl with the vegetables and toss with the dressing. Check to see if you need more salt, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and enjoy!

Source: Daily Garnish (If you're not already a reader of Emily's site, do yourself a favor and check it out. She pretty much has the cutest baby ever. And she went to culinary school, so I'm doubly jealous!)
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Banana Buttermilk Muffins

Guess who has electricity again?! This moi.

I've already made 3 new recipes since the power came back. I was extremely glad that it was back in time for the 4th of July. A friend of mine has a view of the Washington monument from his balcony, and had people over yesterday to watch the fireworks. Since I don't like showing up to a party empty-handed, I brought Audra's lemon-blueberry cupcakes, and a jalapeno popper dip that I will share here once I tweak the recipe a bit (it was good, but way too mild for my tastes.)

The 3rd recipe that I made was this banana muffin recipe. I had half a carton of buttermilk leftover from making the cupcakes, and 3 blackened bananas sitting on the counter. These quick muffins are delicious, perfect for using up leftovers, and make an excellent breakfast or snack (especially when they're slathered with peanut butter.) I don't know the nutrition info for these, but they are butter free, and only contain 2 tablespoons of oil, so I have a feeling that they're not that terrible for you. They're definitely not a cupcake masquerading as a muffin like so many muffins tend to be. 

Here's what you'll need:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup well-mashed ripe banana (about 2 1/2 bananas)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mashed banana, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir together with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not over mix.

Using a level 1/3 cup measurement, add batter to the prepared muffin tin. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes (mine took 17 minutes), or until a toothpick comes out with crumbs attached, and the tops are light golden brown. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Makes 13 muffins.

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Source: Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

4th of July Recipe Roundup

I don't have a new recipe for you today.

This isn't due to kitchen laziness. I do most of my blog-related cooking on the weekend, but thanks to Mother Nature being a royal pain in the tookus, I could not. You see, there were crazypants storms in the DC area on Friday, and as I type this on Sunday evening, I have no power, and am sitting in a hotel room drinking beer while huddling next to an air conditioner that is spewing out 65 degree air. I'd be remiss not to mention that it has been 100 degrees here for 3 days. Clearly my efforts to escape the heat go far beyond sitting still in the dark like a normal person.

Since my name isn't Laura Ingalls Wilder, and I haven't yet figured out how to cook with fire or cure deer meat or do whatever she did to nourish herself, I have no new recipe today, and I am giving you some 4th of July recipe ideas from my archives instead.

Please pray that my power comes back soon. I'm a major germaphobe, and hotels frighten me. Whenever I stay in a hotel, I put the remote control in a plastic baggie and use it through the bag. That way germs can't get to me. It's science.

Now for some regurgitated content!

Are you barbecuing this weekend? May I suggest making these scrumtrulescent green chili cheeseburgers?

Maybe you're not the burger type. That's cool, because you can make barbeque pulled pork sandwiches. Is it just me, or is pulled pork total summer food?

Of course it wouldn't be a BBQ without some kind of cold salad. This spicy pasta salad that's full of chipotles and smoked gouda is one of my favorite recipes of all time.

Lastly, you really need a dessert with some patriotic colors. This summer berry tart is super tasty. 

For my American readers, happy Independence Day, and I hope these recipes help you plan your menus. For my international readers, happy random day in July! I hope you eat something tasty even though it's a regular day for you. I hope to be back soon with some new content, as soon as I have electricity and can cook again! 

Strawberry Milkshakes (and a giveaway!!!)

Earlier this month, I was invited to participate in the "Great Shakes 2012 Virtual Blog Party" to celebrate the paperback release of Adam Ried's book "Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes: 100 Classic and Contemporary Recipes."

I happen to love milkshakes (and really, who doesn't?) so I quickly agreed to join in, and anxiously awaited my copy of the book in the mail. I may have mentioned before that I love cookbooks, and tend to read them straight through like novels whenever I get a new one. I basically did the same for this book, and after drooling over creations like a Maple-Bacon Shake, and the Peach Shake with Brandy and Nutmeg, I settled on making an old classic - the Strawberry Shake.

Whenever I get a milkshake at a restaurant, I always opt for the strawberry version, and am usually disappointed by their lack of actual strawberry flavor. In the book, Adam Ried uses strawberry sorbet as a component of his strawberry shake recipe, and makes a point that oftentimes sorbet tastes more like actual strawberries than the fruit itself. Even when strawberries are in season, half the time they're shipped from 800 miles away, and just don't live up to their full potential. That is, unless you wake up at the bumcrack of dawn to go to a farmer's market and buy berries, which I do not.

I am please to report that this strawberry shake is the best shake I have ever had. It is super thick, and almost reminds me of a Wendy's Frosty in consistency (only like, 1,000 times more delicious.) There may be a straw in the photo, but I actually couldn't drink this through the straw until it got melty towards the end. Best of all, it is full of strawberry flavor, thanks to the author's brilliant idea to use sorbet. (Also, it's totally healthy because it is fruity and has tons of calcium. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.)

Now, for the giveaway! (Update: Congrats to the winner, Lianna!) The nice people at W.W. Norton & Company were awesome enough to agree to give away a copy of "Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes" to one of you!

To enter, just leave any comment below, with a valid email address so that I can contact you if you win, by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, July 2, 2012. I love you all, but only U.S. readers are eligible for this giveaway! One entry per person, please.

Lastly, if you're interested in learning more about this book & chatting with the author, join me & the rest of the participants in a Twitter party tomorrow (Monday) night - just follow the hashtag #GreatShakes at 8 p.m. EST to join in!

Disclosure: This giveaway is provided to you by W.W. Norton & Company. I received a copy of this book free of charge, but was not monetarily compensated for this review or giveaway. All opinions, as always, are my own!

Here's what you'll need to make 2 strawberry shakes:

1/2 cup cold whole or low-fat milk
2 tablespoons strawberry jam or preserves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 14-ounce container strawberry ice cream, softened 'til just melty at edges
1 14-ounce container strawberry sorbet, softened 'til just melty at edges

Add the milk, jam, and lemon juice to a blender, and blend about 15 seconds, until mixed thoroughly. Add the ice cream and sorbet, and pulse several times to start breaking them up. With the blender turned off, use a flexible spatula to mash the mixture down onto the blades. Continue pulsing, stopping, and mashing until the mixture is well blended, thick, and moves freely in the blender jar - about 30-90 seconds. Add another splash of milk if necessary to adjust the consistency. Pour into glasses, top with whipped cream if desired, and serve immediately.

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Source: Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes: 100 Thick and Creamy Shakes You Can Make at Home

Blackberry Cornbread

I had a moment today where I realized that my taste is....well, questionable. Allow me to explain.

Exhibit A:

I have listened to this song about 400 times over the past month. Roughly 10-15 of those times occurred this morning during the two hours that I spent getting ready for work. I'm sure you've all heard it at this point, but just in case you haven't, have yourself a listen:



It's one of those songs that is just so awful and contrived, yet somehow manages to be completely addictive. I just have one issue with it...given our text-happy, phone-fearing culture, I feel like the song would kind of make more sense if it was "Text Me Maybe." Seriously. Side note: how can I get pigtails like Carly Rae's at 1:05? I have enough hair for about 4 people, and I look more like The Bad Seed when I attempt that hair-do.

Exhibit B:

I'm typing this post while watching The Bachelorette. With the exception of maybe Jerry Springer, Maury, and Cheaters, this show is the epitome of bad taste, yet I can't look away. Anyone else on team Sean?!! Arie is a close second.

Exhibit C:

I'm currently drinking this:

(Pardon my naked nails...)

It's a margarita malt beverage. I don't think I need to say anything else.

I would like to reassure all of you all that despite my seemingly questionable tastes, this cornbread is straight-up good taste. I ate some as a snack yesterday, and a piece for breakfast this morning. I'm tempted to have a piece for dessert right now. It's an anytime of day kind of treat, and is a stupendous way to use one of my favorite summer fruits.

Here's what you'll need:

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups blackberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish, and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and butter.

Pour liquid mixture into the dry mixture, and stir until thoroughly combined. Evenly spread batter into the prepared pan.

Scatter 1 cup of the blackberries over the top of the batter, and press gently until mostly submerged. Scatter the remaining berries on top, and lightly sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown around edges and springy to the touch. Cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

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Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine via Shutterbean

Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad) with Garlic and Capers

Something seriously exciting happened yesterday morning.

My phone started ringing at 9 AM, and the caller ID showed a random number from New Hampshire. Since I was still half asleep, I angrily cursed at my phone while grumbling that I don't know anyone in New Hampshire, and immediately went back to bed.

An hour later I when I was actually awake, I listened to the voicemail that the mystery New Hampshire caller left.

Mr. New Hampshire reminded me that last weekend at the Vintage Virginia Wine Festival, I entered a contest to win a door prize. It turns out that I won the GRAND prize, which is four round-trip, all-expenses paid airline tickets.

He informed me that I could use the tickets to go anywhere, but when I picked up the paperwork yesterday afternoon it turns out that I'm somewhat limited in terms of cities. I can go pretty much anywhere in the United States or the Caribbean, but my European choices are limited to London, Paris, Rome, and Venice.  I am certainly not complaining - trust me. The only two countries I've been to in Europe are Switzerland and Liechtenstein, so I'm pretty open to going anywhere.

Now, here's where I need guidance from those of you who are a) from Europe, or b) have traveled to the above cities. I'm pretty much set on Paris. It has been my dream vacation for as long as I can remember, so it's definitely on the agenda.

Do any of you have thoughts on London versus Rome versus Venice? I probably won't be taking advantage of these tickets for about a year (gotta save spending money after all) but I'm really excited and interested to hear opinions from people who have been to these places.

I should probably stop rambling on about my trip and tell you a bit about this salad. If you have never had Panzanella, puh-lease consider it a must try this summer. You're going to want to make this during summer months only, unless you live somewhere that has good tomatoes and basil all year long, in which case, I would like to move in with you ASAP. I keep the air-conditioner on 67, waste a lot of paper towels, have been known to wake up in the middle of the night uttering nonsense like "bacon hair" (true story...) and sleep at incredibly odd hours, but otherwise I'm a good roommate.

Here's what you'll need:

1 large french baguette, cut or torn into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 anchovy fillets, minced
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced thin
1 shallot, sliced thin
1 large handful chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and adjust oven rack to the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.

Toss the bread pieces with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring halfway through. Set aside, and cool until room temperature.

In a large bowl, gently toss the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Transfer the tomatoes to a colander, and set over the bowl. Set aside to drain for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Whisk the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, minced anchovies, capers, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper into the drained tomato juices. Add the bread chunks, toss to coat, and let sit for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, shallots, and basil to the bread mixture. Toss to coat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

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Source: Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Cinnamon-Sugar Rice Pudding with Bourbon-Soaked Raisins

In my experience, there are certain foods that most people strongly like or dislike, with very little middle ground. Avocados, anchovies, mayonnaise, mushrooms, and olives all seem to fall into this category. I happen to love all of those foods, and I'm willing to bet that all of you reading have a strong opinion one way or the other about each of them as well. You never hear someone say that they could take or leave anchovies. Either you love 'em, or you don't.

This post is not about anchovies - it's about another food that is oftentimes polarizing. Most people either love rice pudding, or are completely put off by it. I've always been a fan, and when I was trying to think of a dessert to make that hadn't yet appeared on A Bitchin' Kitchen, rice pudding was one of the first things that came to mind.

I adapted a recipe from the Joy the Baker Cookbook, and threw in some raisins that I soaked overnight in bourbon and vanilla. If you make this, try and avoid eating too many of the booze-saturated raisins before adding them to your dessert. They are super-duper delicious, and I kind of wanted to just eat them as a snack...

Here's what you'll need:

For the pudding: 

1/2 cup raisins
Bourbon
Vanilla extract
2 cups water
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup long-grain white jasmine rice
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the topping:

1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Extra grated orange zest (optional)

The day before you want to make this, add your raisins to a small bowl. Pour bourbon over the raisins until they're just covered, and add a splash of vanilla. Stir to combine, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside somewhere away from curious pets and children. Warning: your home will kind of smell like a distillery until you're ready to use these.

When you're ready to make the pudding, drain raisins and set aside. Rinse the rice thoroughly (I swish it around in a big bowl of water, pour it through a fine mesh sieve, and repeat a couple times until it's no longer foamy.) In a large saucepan over medium heat, boil 2 cups of water. Add the orange zest, salt, and jasmine rice, and stir. Return to a boil, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Turn heat to simmer, and let the rice cook for 15 minutes (until water is absorbed) without opening the lid or stirring.

Remove the cooked rice from the saucepan and set aside. In a new saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and cinnamon. Heat over low until the milk is warm, and the sugar dissolves, whisking occasionally.

Add the cooked rice to the pot, and stir often until the milk reduces, and the texture becomes creamy and pudding-like, 20-25 minutes. It will look like there is a lot of liquid in the pot for the first 15 minutes or so, but trust me - it will thicken! If the mixture starts to bubble too much at any point, turn the heat down to simmer. Right before you're ready to remove the pudding from the heat, stir in the butter until it melts, and add in the drained raisins.

Allow the pudding to cool and thicken for 10-15 minutes before serving. This can also be served cold, but you may need to add a little milk after removing it from the fridge to loosen the consistency.

To make the topping, mix together the cinnamon and sugar, and sprinkle on top before serving.

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Source: Adapted from Cinnamon-Sugar Rice Pudding, via the Joy the Baker Cookbook

Green Chili Cheeseburgers

Hellooooooo, new favorite burger! For a long time, this blue cheese burger was number one in the place in my heart reserved for burger love. While it will always be a favorite, it has been bumped to make room for this.

What you see here is a perfectly seasoned burger patty with cheese and chilis mixed right into the meat, topped with a big hunk of monterey jack, and finally a honey-lime-green chili mixture. Usually, I like a lot of condiments on my burger - ketchup, mustard, mayo, and sometimes even ranch dressing makes an appearance. This doesn't need any help from condiments. The flavors are so spot-on that adding ketchup would be downright sinful...and not in the good way.

This recipe makes 4 burgers. I froze 2 of them for future dinners, an am trying to decide what to do with the rest of the green chili sauce. Thoughts anyone? I'm thinking it might be good in an omelette with some of my leftover Monterey Jack cheese.

Here's what you'll need:

1 pound ground beef (85/15 or 80/20)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilis, divided 

1.5 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into tiny cubes, plus more for topping burgers 

2 teaspoons honey 

Juice of half a lime

4 tablespoons grapeseed oil 

4 Kaiser rolls, toasted

In a bowl, gently combine ground beef, salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, garlic cloves, half a can of green chilis, and cheese cubes. Form into 4 even patties, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

In a small bowl, combine the remaining chilis, honey, and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

To cook the burgers, heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook burgers to desired doneness (mine took about 8 minutes to be medium-well/well-doneish), topping with cheese and covering pan with lid during the last minute of cooking. 

When ready to serve, top burgers with green chili sauce, place on a toasted bun, and enjoy! 

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Source: Adapted from How Sweet It Is

The Honey Badger: A Cocktail

Who here remembers the hilarious Honey Badger viral video from early last year? It's one of my favorite things on YouTube, and I highly suggest that you take a look if you are currently scratching your head, and wondering what the heck the title of this post is all about. (Warning: not safe for work, due to some fresh language.) 

No lie, I probably watch this video about once a month. As goofy as it sounds, I think that the honey badger's scrappy, fearless nature is something we should all strive to emulate. The honey badger doesn't see a challenge and back away - it just scrambles up a tree and takes what it wants (in its case, a cobra for dinner.)

While browsing through Pinterest a couple weeks ago, I came across a cocktail called "The Honey Badger." Obviously, I wanted to make it. I don't make a lot of mixed drinks at home - I mainly drink beer and wine, and the occasional bourbon and ginger-ale. My liquor collection is more often used for cooking than for drinking. Fortunately, I got some good news in my life last week that called for a bit of celebration - and what celebration is complete without some bubbly?

Even if you don't have something to celebrate at the moment you should make this drink. It's sweet and refreshing, and makes an excellent summer cocktail. Now that I have a mason jar full of honey syrup and a bottle of St. Germain at my disposal, I see myself making this many more times in the near future!

Here's what you'll need for 1 cocktail:

2 tablespoons honey syrup (see below)
2 tablespoons elderflower liqueur (I used St. Germain)
1 orange slice
Chilled Prosecco

To make the honey syrup, combine 1 cup honey and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Let cool completely, transfer to a container, and refrigerate. Bonus: making honey syrup makes your kitchen smell like heaven.

In a champagne flute*, pour 2 tablespoons of honey syrup. Next, add in 2 tablespoons of your elderflower liqueur. Squeeze an orange slice into the glass, and drop it in. Top off the glass with Prosecco, stir gently to combine, and enjoy! You will have enough honey syrup and champagne for many more cocktails.

*In case you're curious, my stemless champagne flutes came from here. I love them. I'm a klutz and they help prevent spills!

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Source: Adapted from Design Love Fest

Double Dark Chocolate Yogurt Muffins

Hi everyone! Sorry for the brief posting hiatus. It's extremely important to me that I only share recipes here that I love and that I know work well, so after two recipe fails last week I had no new material. Plus, I've been out of town for a few days sans laptop, and as much as I love my iPad, writing one of my long-winded blog posts on it was just not going to happen. 

After being gone from A Bitchin' Kitchen for 15 days, I knew I needed to come back with something extra awesome. I'd originally planned to make strawberry muffins, but when I got to the grocery store the strawberries were all moldy and rotting. Lovely. I don't even know why I bother trying to buy produce at stores other than Wegmans or Whole Foods. First world problems, I know. With no other recipe in mind, I quickly pulled up my Pinterest account on my phone and came across this recipe for double chocolate muffins. 

Dude. These were so delicious. Thank God for moldy strawberries! 

I'm still going to make strawberry muffins once I can get my hands on some decent fruit, but I was almost grateful that my plans were foiled once I ate one of these. They're incredibly tender and rich, and they're not even terribly bad for you thanks to the non-fat Greek yogurt. Don't forget that dark chocolate is full of antioxidants. These are practically health food. 

Lastly, as you may have read on Saturday, my co-blogger/sister Annie has made the sad decision to leave the blog. You can read more about her decision here. While I'm bummed, I'm very glad that she'll still be around for a guest post now and then!

Here's what you'll need for 15 standard-sized muffins:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (I'm a Fage devotee) 

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and prepare cupcake pans with paper liners. 

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in sugar, and set aside. 

In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and oil. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. 

Using a 1/4 cup measure, divide batter evenly among paper liners. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert on wire rack to cool completely. 

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Source: Adapted from Knead to Cook 

Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers

Posted by: Maggie

Surely some of you are thinking, "Chicken fingers? Has Maggie regressed to childhood?" I assure you that I have not, and I'm here to tell you how to turn a traditional kid's meal into a fancy grown-lady meal in 4 easy steps:

1) Make it from scratch. Who needs dinosaur-shaped mystery chicken? Not you! I made these last night after only eating a granola bar all day, and was really tempted to just buy frozen chicken fingers. I'm so glad I didn't. These take about 20 minutes worth of effort, and the results are a million times tastier than the frozen kind.

2) Serve with a snazzy dipping sauce - not ketchup. I like ketchup as much as the next gal, but my favorite honey mustard or some homemade BBQ sauce will elevate chicken fingers from kid food, to fancy grown-lady cuisine.

3) Enjoy your chicken fingers while watching something wildly inappropriate, and meant for grown-ladies on TV. 20 years ago, I would've eaten chicken fingers while watching Full House or Clarissa Explains it all. Last night, I enjoyed them while finally watching the first two episodes of Girls. You think Clarissa Darling had problems? Girlfriend had nothing on Hannah Horvath.

4) Last but not least, wash your chicken fingers down with a beer. Duh.

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 large egg whites
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Cooking spray
3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch wide strips (I trimmed the excess fat off mine, sliced off about an inch from the flat, narrow end of the breast, and cut into 4 even strips.)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. In a large skillet, combine the panko and canola oil. Turn the heat on to medium-high, and toast breadcrumbs for 8-10 minutes, until golden-brown. Stir frequently to ensure that they don't burn! Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish and set aside.

In a separate shallow dish, mix together flour, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne, and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg whites, water, Dijon mustard, and thyme.

Place a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet, and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Dredge one chicken strip in flour, then egg mixture, and lastly in the breadcrumbs, shaking off excess in between steps. Place coated chicken on prepared rack, and repeat with remaining strips.

If you're like me and find breading food to be a colossal pain in the tookus, here are some tips:

- Leave the water slowly running while you bread the chicken. Yes, it's wasteful, but it really helps if you rinse the egg and panko clumps from your fingers in between breading each piece. The reason I suggest leaving the sink on is to avoid cross contamination between the chicken and the faucet.

- Use 2 dishes for the breadcrumbs. Keep the majority of the breadcrumbs in a larger dish, and before breading each strip, transfer a small handful to a saucer, and bread the strip there. That way, you can avoid getting big clumps of egg mixed in with all the breadcrumbs.

After all the chicken is breaded, spray the tops lightly with cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven to 12-16 minutes, and serve immediately.

(Update on 5/1: These are excellent leftover! Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Flip over halfway through.)

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Source: Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook, via Annie's Eats

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Posted by: Maggie

As promised yesterday, I'm not leaving you with a BBQ sauce recipe and no meat to slather it on! 

My birthday was last week, and my mom got me a beautiful, green, 8-quart, Le Creuset pot. I knew I needed to make something extra delicious to christen it, and after much internal debate between short ribs and pulled pork, I settled on the pulled pork.

Don't be intimidated by the fact that this recipe takes 6 hours - most of that is inactive time, and this recipe is actually extremely simple. Just pop this in the oven early on a Saturday afternoon, and it will be ready in time for dinner; plus you'll have lots of delicious leftovers!

Here's what you'll need:

For the dry rub:

2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 tablespoon cayenne

For the pork:

4 pound shoulder pork roast
2 cups apple juice
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

For serving:

Hamburger buns
Homemade Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce

Rinse the pork under cool running water, and pat dry. Combine all the dry rub ingredients in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the dry rub all over the roast, pressing into the pork to throughly coat. Place pork on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine liquid ingredients and garlic powder in a large bowl, and pour into a large dutch oven. Place pork in the dutch oven, cover tightly with foil, and place lid on top. Roast for 4 hours in preheated oven, or until the pork is fork tender and shreds easily. Every hour, brush the roast with cooking liquid.

Remove from oven and shred with two forks when the roast is cool enough to handle. Serve on hamburger buns with BBQ sauce.

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Source: Adapted from Paula Deen

Homemade Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce

Posted by: Maggie

Who here loves BBQ? I do, I do!

Actually, I was kind of indifferent towards it until Jeff and I got together 3 years ago. It's one of his favorite foods, and I learned to love it too.

I didn't realize for a long time how many different variations of barbeque sauce existed, and that if you go to a BBQ joint in South Carolina, Texas, or Missouri you're going to be getting drastically different versions of what they all claim as barbeque sauce. In South Carolina, they have a vinegar and mustard-based sauce, while the Texas kind is thin, slightly spicy, and not sweet (at least based on my delicious experience at Hill Country in DC!)

I've tried quite a few varieties, but my favorite by a landslide is the thick and sweet Kansas City-style sauce. I was on a Sweet Baby Ray's kick for awhile, and then I started making the Neely's recipe. It's super delicious, but I wanted something darker with more depth of flavor. I discovered this recipe last week, and with a couple very minor tweaks I knew I had perfection on my hands.

If you're wondering what I put this sauce on, you'll have to come back tomorrow! I decided to break up the sauce and meat portions of the recipe so that it wouldn't be too long.

Here's what you'll need:

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup steak sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons tamarind paste*
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely minced

In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, pepper, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together ketchup, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, lemon juice, steak sauce, molasses, honey, hot sauce, brown sugar, and tamarind paste.

In a large saucepan, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add onion, and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic, and saute for 30 seconds. Add the chili powder mixture, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This helps to release their oil-soluble flavors and gives the sauce more depth. Add the wet ingredients, and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid off. The sauce will thicken during this time. Taste the sauce, and adjust seasonings. I ended up adding an extra squirt of both honey and molasses since I like my BBQ sauce sweet.

If you don't want chunks of onion and garlic in your sauce, pass the sauce through a mesh strainer. I just left them in since I liked the texture it added.

*This is optional, since it may be difficult for you to find. I located it either in the Thai or Indian section at Whole Foods (I forget which since I spent about 20 minutes in the aisle trying to find it!), and the jar looks like this.

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Source: Adapted from AmazingRibs.com (a fantastic resource for all things BBQ - I spent a long time reading his site!)

Bourbon Banana Bread with Pecans and Dark Chocolate

Posted by: Maggie

Happy belated Easter! Lent is over! As you may remember, I gave up dessert for Lent, which kind of morphed into me giving up baking in general, including non-dessert items like banana bread.

In the interest of full disclosure, I did slip up once during Lent.

Alright, twice.

OKAY. Four times.

I had really good excuses though. I co-hosted a bridal shower, and couldn't resist a slice of cake. Look at it, could you resist? For those in the DC/Northern Virginia area - it came from Pastries by Randolph, which I highly recommend.

I also had cake on Jeff's birthday and my mom's birthday. I also completely forgot about Lent once halfway through, and had a bag of peanut M&Ms when I was deliriously hungry at a comedy show with Jeff. 

Long story short, I suck, but I made a valiant effort. I really missed baking though, particularly since I bought a copy of Joy the Baker's debut cookbook shortly into Lent. Helloooo, 208 pages of torture. I read the cookbook straight through like a novel, and bookmarked about 75% of the recipes. This recipe particularly stood out to me because I love banana bread, and love bourbon, but never thought to smoosh them together. Unsurprisingly, the results were amahhhzing. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to taste the bourbon in the final product, but it's definitely there. It's not overpowering enough to bother someone who doesn't like bourbon, but the flavor is strong enough for those of us who do enjoy it. 

By the way, like the new look of A Bitchin' Kitchen?! I was getting really annoyed with the standard template we were using before, because our pictures had to be small and/or square to fit properly on the page. I'm super excited that we can post larger, properly-cropped photos now. Thanks, Delicious Design Studio! If you're reading this in an RSS reader, click over to check out our new look! Hope you guys like it!

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons bourbon

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan, or spray it with a cooking spray that contains flour (I tried it for the first time with this recipe and I'm in love. Sooo easy.) Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, and beat between each addition for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat in mashed bananas, lemon juice, and bourbon until fully incorporated. 

Add in the flour mixture all at once, and slowly mix in until just combined. Fold in pecans and chocolate with a rubber spatula. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-65 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean (don't mistake a banana chunk for raw batter and over-bake it!) 

Cool bread in pan for 25 minutes before inverting on a wire rack to cool completely. 

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Source: adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes

Blackened Tilapia

Posted by: Maggie

When I made this recipe Tuesday night, I wasn't entirely sure that I was going to post it. I snapped a quick photo before digging in, and almost immediately regretted that I didn't try harder to get a great picture. It's hard to believe that something so simple could taste so incredibly delicious. 

Tilapia has never been my first choice when it comes to seafood - give me salmon, cod, or shrimp any day. This has made a tilapia lover out of me, and it certainly doesn't hurt that it's far less expensive than salmon!

This is a great weeknight recipe, since it literally takes minutes to prepare. I actually measured out all the seasonings and stuck them in a sandwich bag Monday night, so they were all ready to go when I fixed dinner on Tuesday. Easy-peasy.

Here's what you'll need:

For the blackening seasoning:

3 tablespoons smoked paprika (don't sub regular paprika)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried ground thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

For the fish:

1 pound tilapia fillets
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or another oil with a high smoke point if you can't find it)
Lemon slices

Mix together ingredients for blackening seasoning in a sandwich bag, and shake to thoroughly combine.

Rinse and thoroughly pat dry tilapia. Press a heaping tablespoon of the seasoning over both sides of the fillets, until liberally coated (you will probably have some seasoning left over.) Let the fish to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking.

In a large skillet, heat grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. When the oil barely starts to smoke, add the fish. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Squeeze lemon over each piece of fish, and serve immediately with lots of tartar sauce, extra lemon, and coleslaw!

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Source: Adapted from The Food Network

Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

Posted by: Maggie

I absolutely adore traditional eggplant parmesan, in all its heavy, cheesy, marinara-covered, fried glory. 

In case you didn't notice from the picture, this is not traditional eggplant parmesan.

This is its deconstructed cousin, who is somewhat healthier, a lot crispier, just as scrumptious, and doesn't leave you in a cheese coma for 12 hours. Although, if I had to be in a coma, a cheese coma doesn't sound too bad.

Sidebar: I just stopped writing this post for 10 minutes while I googled "what is it like to be in a coma?"

I am now sufficiently freaked out, and can add comas to my list of things that I don't like thinking about. This list also includes: outer space, the size of the universe, the concept of infinity, the very real possibility of insects crawling into my ears while I sleep, and deep bodies of water that I can't see the bottom of.

Now that I've convinced all of you that I'm completely neurotic, here's the recipe!

2 small eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch slices
Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
2 14.5 ounce cans fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
3 tablespoons flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Sliced mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil

Liberally salt eggplant slices on both sides with kosher salt, and place in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove slices from colander, blot with paper towels to remove salt and residual moisture, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a wire cooling rack on a baking sheet, and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Lower heat to medium, and add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, and add in tomatoes (juices included.) Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened and liquid has evaporated. Set aside until you're ready to prepare the stacks.

While the tomatoes are cooking, prepare your eggplant slices. Dredge the slices first in flour, then in egg whites, and lastly in panko, pressing to help the crumbs adhere. Place the breaded slices onto the wire rack, and repeat until you've used all the eggplant. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes each side, 20 minutes total.

Build the eggplant stacks on the wire rack: spoon desired amount of tomato sauce over an eggplant round, top with 2-3 leaves of basil, and then 1 slice of mozzarella cheese. Place another eggplant slice on top. Repeat with remaining eggplant rounds, and put back in the oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

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Recipe adapted from The Novice Chef, originally from Simply Gluten-Free

Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Posted by: Maggie

Neither of us has posted in over a week. Sorry guys, just chalk it up to a bout of kitchen laziness. My life is generally uneventful and boring, but here's what I've been doing since last Thursday. 

1. Jeff and I got in a car crash. We're both totally fine, as were the passengers of the other car, but his car is not. It turns out that Ford Focuses crumple like tin cans when struck by another vehicle. This occurred on Saturday, while we were on our way to St. Patrick's Day festivities in DC.

We stood on a busy road in Arlington for an hour decked out in green garb while dealing with police and firemen. Yes, firemen. Smoke was billowing out from under Jeff's hood, and radiator fluid was oozing all over Washington Boulevard, which apparently made our situation a fire department matter.

Needless to say, our festivities were canceled, and St. Patrick's Day 2012 marked the first time in 9 years that I did not indulge in many green beers. (Mom and Dad, don't do the math...) We went bowling that night after he got all the insurance stuff squared away, where I bowled a 68. Just call me The Dude.

2. I watched the movie Young Adult. You know how sometimes movie trailers are totally misrepresentative of what the movie is actually like? (The Family Stone, I'm looking at you...) Holy crap, was this ever the case with Young Adult. I thought I was in for an entertaining movie about Charlize Theron acting like a FUNNY hot mess when returning to her hometown. Instead I got a depressing movie about Charlize Theron acting like an un-funny hot mess with narcissistic personality disorder. The movie was good, and definitely worth watching. But seriously, I wanted to drink myself into a stupor and slit my wrists when the thing was over.

3. While that movie was not about a high school reunion, it did involve the main character returning to her hometown after many years. My 10th high school reunion has officially been scheduled for this September. I haven't kept in touch with anyone I graduated with, so if I went I'd kind of be the Heather Mooney of the reunion, minus the all-black wardrobe and smoking habit. Has anyone gone to a reunion after not talking to high school people for years and years? Was it weird? I don't really understand the point of reunions now that Facebook exists.

4. I took Jeff to a birthday dinner at Ford's Fish Shack. I ate this lobster roll, and almost cried when it was gone.

5. I'm having brunch with Monique tomorrow! We've never met in person, so it's like a blind blogger date. We're heading to Founding Farmers, which I am extremely excited to try. (P.S. She's having a giveaway on her site today!) 

6. I made this chicken recipe. I hope I'm not boring you with the last few healthy recipes that I've posted. I have to be in a bridesmaid dress in 4 weeks for my lovely friend Julie's wedding down in North Carolina, and would like to ensure that it zips! 

While this recipe is healthy, it's also super-duper tasty. Even if the avocado salsa isn't your thing, you should try the chicken marinade. I only let my chicken soak for about 20 minutes, and it was still really flavorful. Although, if avocado salsa isn't your thing, I'm not sure that we can be friends. Just kidding, but seriously, learn to love avocados. 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Here's what you'll need:

For the chicken:

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

4 small boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves

Cooking spray

For the salsa:

1 cup chopped plum tomato (about 2)

2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion

3-4 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

Pinch of pepper

Avocado, peeled and chopped

For the chicken, add the first 3 ingredients to a bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the chicken, turn to coat, and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the salsa. Combine the tomato, yellow onion, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine.  Gently stir in the avocado. 

Coat a frying pan with cooking spray, and heat to medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add your chicken and cook for one minute on each side. Lower the heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 6-9 minutes, turning frequently, or until chicken is cooked through and 160 degrees in the middle. 

Top chicken with salsa, and serve with yellow rice (I just used the Goya stuff.) 

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Source: Adapted from Cooking Light