Chicken Diablo

Posted by: Maggie

You guys...

I did something really, really, really dumb.

I gave up dessert for Lent.

As I've gotten older, my sweet tooth has significantly lessened, but apparently not to the point where 40 dessert-free days and nights will be easy. As I type this blog post on Monday night, I am majorly jonesing for some ice cream. I know it's supposed to be a sacrifice, but dude...unfulfilled ice cream cravings suck.

Fortunately, I can still cook delicious things like this Chicken Diablo over the upcoming weeks. I know it doesn't look like anything special, but it is probably one of my favorite dinner recipes that I've posted on here. I hate bland food and under-seasoned food, and this is anything but! I'm planning on making it again sometime soon with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, to make it a bit healthier.

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup Frank's hot pepper sauce
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Sliced scallions, to taste
Cooked white rice, for serving

Combine pepper sauce, sour cream, ketchup, honey, paprika, and cumin in a medium bowl, and whisk well to combine.

Place chicken in a shallow dish, and pour half the sauce over the top, turning to coat. Cover, and place in the fridge for 2 hours to marinate. Cover the remaining sauce and store in the fridge.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Remove chicken from marinade, and place in the skillet (discard extra marinade.) Cook until browned and cooked through, turning frequently, for about 15-20 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, heat the remaining sauce in a small saucepan on low, until warmed.

To serve, scoop rice onto a plate, top with chicken, sauce, and scallions. Eat. Drool. Repeat.

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Source: Adapted from Bev Cooks

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Posted by: Annie

This is my least favorite part of the year. I feel guilty saying that there are actually months of time that I dislike, but in all honesty, I feel that February and March just drag on and on. On top of my dislike of the long winter months, I have also been struggling with repetitive dinner choices. Since moving in with Scott, I have been struggling with how "Scott-centric" our dinners have become. Clearly, I love chicken wings as much as the next gal, but I have eaten probably close to 100 chicken wings since January and I have been craving some variety in my dinner (sorry Scott!) 

In my effort to make some "Annie-centric" dinners, I have been looking for some meals that I can make ahead of time and simply reheat when I get home. This Chicken Tortilla soup was the perfect antidote to the food rut I felt I was in. Now if only I could fast-forward to April...

What you will need:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup white onion, diced
1/4 cup Anaheim pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked, and chopped into bite sized pieces
3 (6-inch) corn tortillas, diced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes
8 ounces shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
Tortilla strips for garnish

In a large pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat, and add in onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook gradually, for approximately 15 minutes, or until the onions appear translucent. In a separate large bowl, whisk corn starch and chicken broth together. Add the broth mixture, chicken, corn tortillas, lime juice, tomatoes, cheese, and spices into the pan. Increase heat to medium-high and stir constantly until the cheese has melted. When the cheese is melted and the soup begins to bubble, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Top with tortilla strips, and enjoy!

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Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Blueberry Muffins

Posted by: Maggie

How is it possible that Annie & I don't have a blueberry muffin recipe on here yet? 

We have Apple Cinnamon Butterscotch, Applesauce Oatmeal, Banana Chocolate Chip, Regular Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Cream Cheese, and Spiced Buttermilk, yet somehow managed to never make the most classic and possibly best beloved muffin out there.

(Sidebar: When I was listing muffins I couldn't help but think of this video and laugh. Bits O' Glass muffin!)

Anyway, one of the great things about this recipe is that it uses frozen blueberries. I generally only buy fresh blueberries during the late spring and summer when they're in season, so this will be a great recipe to have on hand during the winter months when fresh blueberries are all mushy and sour.

There are a few things to be aware of if you make this recipe. The batter is insanely thick, and you will fill your muffin cups to the top. They won't overflow; I promise! Also, my oven typically runs hot, yet I still had to bake these for 31 minutes. Start testing these at 25 minutes, but be aware that they might need quite a bit longer.

Lastly, while I added lemon zest and lemon extract to these, I wouldn't call them a blueberry-lemon muffin. Oftentimes, I think that blueberry muffins are kind of bland and flavorless, so I just wanted to brighten the flavor without making a full-fledged lemon-flavored muffin.

Here's what you'll need for 12 moist, delicious muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups sour cream (I used full-fat)
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
Zest of 1 large lemon
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

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

In a medium mixing bowl, vigorously whisk egg for 20 seconds. Pour in sugar, and whisk for 30 seconds. The mixture will be thick. Add the melted butter in 2 additions, and whisk to thoroughly combine. Whisk in the sour cream in 2 additions until combined. Lastly, whisk in the lemon extract and lemon zest.

Add the frozen blueberries to the dry ingredients, and gently toss to coat. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and fold together, just until no large patches of flour remain and the berries are evenly distributed. Don't overmix!

Spray a cookie scoop with non-stick spray, and evenly divide batter among the prepared muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-32 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time. Start checking muffins at 25 minutes. They're done when a skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, and the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven, and immediately turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

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Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, who adapted from Baking Illustrated