• 26Jun

    Tequila Lime Marinade

    I wanted to grill chicken for supper tonight but didn’t want to use the same old seasonings I usually do. I came up with this quick and easy marinade, and it worked really well with the chicken.

    Tequila Lime Marinade
     
    1/4 c. tequila
    1/4 c. lime juice
    1 tbsp minced garlic
    1 tsp kosher salt
    1/2 tsp ground cumin
    1/2 tsp ground black pepper
    1/2 tsp smoked paprika
    1/2 tsp onion powder

    The chicken marinated for about six hours. We took the meat off the chicken thighs and ate it wrapped up in a tortilla with a shredded Mexican cheese blend and lettuce (for those who wanted it). The chicken turned out really good, and I had Matt cook two extra thighs so I could have some chicken tomorrow at lunch.

    Permalink Filed under: Other Tags: , No Comments
  • 22Oct

    NRD: Monte Cristo Waffles

    Eggs every morning for breakfast tends to get boring rather quickly in our house. I’m always looking for inspiration and ideas to liven things up. This morning, when I was thinking about what I needed to put together my daughter’s lunch, an idea came to me. The kids love waffles. They also love Monte Cristo sandwiches. Why not combine the two?

    I did, and they loved it.

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Permalink Filed under: Main Dish Tags: , , , , No Comments
  • 12May

    NRD: Super Nachos

    Matt was out of town yesterday, and I wanted to make a quick and easy meal for supper. The last time we were at my in-laws’ place, we had nachos with meat and cheese, and the kids loved it. I decided to make that.

    It’s really not all that difficult. Prepare some ground beef as if you were making tacos, using your favorite spice blend (packed or scratch doesn’t matter as long as you like it). Put a layer of tortilla chips on a microwave safe plate or in an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle 1/3 to 1/2 (depending on whether you’re doing two or three layers of chips) of the taco meat on the chips. Sprinkle sharp cheddar or a Mexican blend of cheese over that. If you want to put salsa in, put little dots of it over the ships. You don’t want to do too much salsa or the chips will turn into a soggy mess.

    Put on another layer of chips, and repeat with meat and cheese (and salsa). If you’re doing three layers, repeat the process a third time.

    Once your nachos are assembled, put them in the microwave or oven until the cheese has melted. If you want, you can then garnish it with finely sliced green onions, cilantro, or whatever else floats your boat.

    Permalink Filed under: Main Dish Tags: , , No Comments
  • 07May

    NRD: Jerk Chicken Drumsticks with Grilled Potatoes and Onions

    The menu for yesterday had “grilled chicken and salad” for supper. So informative and helpful, I know. The salad was easy, as I had a Caesar salad kit in the fridge (got those on sale for half price). I had several different kinds of chicken in the freezer, but I decided to go with the drumsticks. When they were thawed, I sprinkled jerk seasoning on it and let it sit at room temperature for half an hour. That acted as both a quick marinade, plus getting the meat to room temp makes it cook more evenly.

    I’ve also kind of been craving potato salad, but I was feeling too lazy to make any. I decided to grill the potatoes instead. I took the potatoes (Klondike Rose – the red skinned yellow-fleshed potatoes) and sliced them about 1/4″ thick. I tossed them in a bowl with a bit of oil, salt and pepper. Then I sliced up a Vidalia onion (those were on sale too last week) into thick rings.

    To cook, I just put everything on the grill at high to medium high heat. (This is a brand new grill, and we’re still learning its quirks.) By the time the chicken was cooked, the potatoes and onions were done.

    Everything turned out well. I won’t get that brand of jerk seasoning again, as I feel it was more hot than flavorful (and the first ingredient on the list was sugar, which I didn’t realize until I looked to see why the chicken was charring so quickly). I’m also going to put garlic powder in with the potatoes next time, and drizzle a bit of oil on the onions, as they really stuck to the grill.

    And there will be a next time for both the onions and the potatoes, and the monkeys gave them two thumbs up.

    Permalink Filed under: Main Dish, Side Dish Tags: , , No Comments
  • 27Mar

    NRD: Smoked Bratwurst with Peppers and Pasta

    Tonight’s another No Recipe Day. Smoked Bratwurst with Peppers and Pasta is really just a fancy way to say sausage and noodles.

    1 package smoked bratwurst
    1 package frozen three bell pepper and onion mixture
    red wine
    1 – 28 oz can Italian tomato sauce (Meijer had it on sale)
    8 oz. pasta (I’ve got penne and rotini in the cupboard, I’ll just grab whichever one I find first)

    First thing, I get a large pot of water boiling to cook the pasta. I don’t add the salt until the water is boiling, then I cook the pasta until al dente. Typically, if a time range is listed for the pasta on the box – say, 8-10 minutes – I pick a time in the middle and it usually comes out perfect for my family’s tastes.

    As soon as I turn on the water to cook the pasta, I start assembling the sauce.

    The smoked brats are already cooked, so all you really need to do is heat them through. I slice them up, either into rounds or on the bias (depending on how fancy I’m feeling at the time), and fry them up (with a little bit of olive oil) in a pot large enough to hold everything when I’m finished cooking. When the sausage is nicely browned on either side, I take it out of the pot and set it aside. I throw the frozen peppers and onions into the pot, sprinkle them with a little bit of salt, then put the lid on the pot. Turn the heat down to medium, and let cook for about 10 minutes. Take the lid off the pot and, stirring occasionally, cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the onions get a bit of color.

    At that point I throw the sausage back into the pot, stir it all up again, and let it cook for another minute or two. I now put in a couple of glugs (yes, a very scientific measurement – usually comes out to about 1/4 cup) of red wine in, and let it cook for a minute or so. Then I pour in the tomato sauce, give it all a really good stir, then set the stove to medium low and let it simmer until the pasta is done.

    When the pasta is done, I drain it, put it into the pot with the sauce, mix it all up and then serve.

    Pretty simple, really, and one of my kids’ favorite meals.

    Permalink Filed under: Main Dish Tags: , , , No Comments