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

Maple-Glazed Salmon with Pineapple

Posted by: Maggie

The weather has been insanely gorgeous here in Virginia over the past several days. Temperatures have been in the low 70s, with bright sunny skies and no humidity to speak of.

I'm trying really hard to enjoy this weather, and to ignore the thoughts of the 95-degree days and humidity that await this area of the country in just a couple short months. For those of you who don't know, I live in Northern Virginia, a few miles outside of Washington, DC. There is a popular misconception that our lovely city was built on a swamp, and while it's technically untrue, it certainly feels accurate from May through September each year. You literally can't walk a block before you start sweating like a whore in church. It's terrible. After 5 summers here, my coping mechanisms include sundresses, ponytails, and copious amounts of cold showering, whining, and complaining. I'm a delight to be around - believe me.

In the interest of celebrating this brief period of nice weather, I wanted to make something light and fresh, instead of the soup recipe that I'd planned to make. I pinned this recipe from Real Simple several weeks ago, and thought it fit the bill perfectly. The original recipe suggests serving this with white rice, which was part of my plan, until I burnt it to an inedible crisp. Oops.

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup maple syrup (the real stuff, not pancake syrup!)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 6-ounce salmon fillets
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

Preheat your broiler.

Add maple syrup and mustard to a small saucepan, and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool and thicken for 10 minutes.

Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil, and place salmon fillets in the pan, skin side down. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter pineapple and jalapeño around the fish.

Transfer half of the maple dijon glaze to a small container, and brush the remaining half over the fish, discarding any that is leftover. Broil fish for 7-10 minutes, or until it flakes easily and is cooked throughout. My fish was still slightly frozen in the center when I started to cook, so mine took longer than 10 minutes. Start checking for doneness around 7 minutes, because overcooked salmon is dry and icky!

Serve the salmon with the reserved glaze for drizzling.

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Source: Real Simple

Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Posted by: Annie

Boxed cake mixes, boy do you confuse me. I am not supposed to like you, because as someone who enjoys baking I should make everything in the world from scratch (ha!), but when you make a cake as good as this, I must buy you and use you over and over and over again.

I do not exaggerate when I say that this chocolate cake does not taste like anything that comes from a mix. Granted, it is very "jazzed up," but as someone who enjoys the homemade, I always become a little nervous when I see a mix in a recipe. Well, my judgments are over when it comes to this awesome cake! I discovered the recipe back in January and made it for Scott's 30th birthday, and I have made it two additional times since then! It tastes good alone, with ice cream, heated up, from the fridge, and of course as a breakfast treat!

What you will need:

For the cake: 

1 box cake mix (I use Devil's Food Cake)

1 box (3.5 ounces) instant chocolate pudding

2 cups sour cream

3 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 

3/4 cup mini-chocolate chips (for garnish) 

For the ganache:

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, pudding, sour cream, eggs, oil and water on medium speed, until well combined. Next, fold fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan, and bake for 50-55 minutes.

Cool cake on a wire rack for fifteen minutes. 

While the cake is cooling, place chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan, and bring the cream just to a boil. Pour cream over the chocolate and butter, and stir until smooth.

Once cake is cooled, pour the ganache over the top of the cake and either allow to drizzle down the sides, or spread with a rubber spatula to smooth. (I have done it both ways, and both are equally delish!) Top with mini chocolate chips. 

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Source: adapted from That's So Yummy