Hi gang,
Happy to say the Mexican inspired pot roast I made came out fabulous. So tender you can just turn a fork in it and have the meat fall apart. That is for dinner tonight with black beans, flour low carb tortillas and I haven't decided if I want to make rice or not.
I made the roast day before yesterday and put it in the fridge.
We haven't eaten any yet as we have been finishing the stuffed peppers.
That's the only problem when there's just two people for dinner. (And no...the peppers do not freeze well after they have been cooked as the get mushy, soggy and freezer burnt
). Not complaining because we looooooove the stuffed peppers and don't get them all that often but after 3 days I think it is time for something else.
TT....sorry your lasagne didn't turn out well. How disappointing.
I'm sure you'll find some good recipes and put out a winner for the next time.
I always go with the easy and crowd pleasing things if it is 6 or more people that I buy and make in bulk and that I can whip up using my crock pot, grill or broiler.
One of my favorite crowd pleasers is Citrus-Marinated Chicken Thighs. So easy to make and so yummy. What's nice is chicken thighs are usually cheap
This is a meal you take either way. You can 'dress up' and make it fancy by serving with a side of rice pilaf or over asian style noodles with steamed veggies. You can dress it down and make it a little more casual by serving with a potato or a green salad.
Citrus-Marinated Chicken Thighs (makes 8)
INGREDIENTS:
---2 bunches of green onions; thinly sliced with green and white parts separated
---1 bunch cilantro; leaves and tender stems only
---6 cloves garlic; finely minced
---2 teaspoons lime zest
---2 teaspoons orange zest
---1/2 cup lime juice
---1/2 cup orange juice
---1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
---4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
---2 Tablespoons Kosher salt
---pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste
---4 pounds BONE IN; SKIN ON CHICKEN THIGHS (do not substitute breasts or boneless-skinless thighs)
INSTRUCTIONS
1.) Set aside 1/2 cup of the sliced scallions (mix of green and white parts) and some of the cilantro leaves. This is for garnish.
2.) In a food processor pulse the cilantro, garlic, citrus zests, citrus juices, soy sauce, oil, salt and remaining scallions until it is blended to a coarse puree. Set aside 1/2 cup of the marinade in the fridge covered. You will use this later when serving the chicken.
3.) Put the rest of the marinade in a large resealable plastic zip lock bag and add chicken thighs. You may need to split the marinade and chicken equally into two bags to accommodate all the pieces. Seal the bag/s and turn the chicken to coat. Put in fridge. Leave there 2 -4 hours turning occasionally.
4.) Preheat broiler. Remove chicken from the marinade and place it skin side down on a foil lined broiler proof baking sheet. Throw away zip lock bags that had the marinade in it.
5.) Broil the chicken until lightly browned; about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and continue to broil until cooked through and an instant read thermometer temps at 165 F when inserted in the thickest part of the thighs and juices run clear. This should take 12-15 minutes.
6.) Add a dash of cayenne, if desired, to the reserved 1/2 cup of marinade. Serve chicken with the marinade and topped by scallions and cilantro leaves.
As for dessert I do like sugar and do not have a sweet tooth. I can honestly live without the stuff and don't miss it. So it is a rarity if I bake anything at all. If/when I do it is for other people to enjoy and maybe I'll do it from scratch once every two or three years.
Sorry can't help you out there as I have no quick baking recipes. The few I do have are labor intensive and from scratch.
There is one my husband has and used on occasion. It is kind of a 'cheater' as it is what I would term 'semi-homemade'. It uses all store bought ingredients you just kind of repurpose to make dessert. If you have popsicle or ice pop molds you can do this.
Strawberry-Vanilla Swirled Frozen Pops Recipe (makes 12)
INGREDIENTS:
--1 lb. strawberries, hulled and halved
--1/2 cup sugar
---2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
---2 pints premium vanilla ice cream
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.) Mash the strawberries in a large bowl with a fork or potato masher. Transfer to a 12" nonstick skillet along with the sugar and lemon juice.
2.) Bring strawberry mixture to a boil over medium heat stirring occasionally until slightly thickened; About 10 minutes
3.) Transfer to a bowl and let freeze, uncovered for about 10 minutes.
4.) Transfer ice cream to a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 30% power in 10 second intervals, stirring until softened. Should take a total of 50 seconds.
5.) Spread the ice cream evenly in a 13" x 9" baking dish and freeze while the strawberry mixture is still semi- frozen.
6.) When both are semi-frozen dollop tablespoons of the strawberry mixture all over the vanilla ice cream and then use a spoon to swirl it gently through the ice cream. Spoon the mix into the popsicle molds and add the sticks. Freeze covered until firm and ready to serve.
