Tequila Lime Chicken with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

I had to be crazy to grill today.  It  literally poured the entire day - even the dogs had no interest in going outdoors.

However, yesterday my husband and I returned from a mini vacation to Arizona.  The weather was perfect and the food, spectacular!   I was so inspired that I couldn't wait to get home and cook. 

Although I had something specific in mind to prepare this evening, my daughter begged me to make something using a salsa.   I decided on Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken Breasts with Grilled Pineapple Salsa.  For a side dish I prepared Roasted Golden Beets with a Citrus Vinaigrette, both were light and delicious.  The salad was inspired by a restaurant we dined at in Arizona.  I'll share that recipe on my next post.

I started by marinating my chicken breast halves this morning so they'd have plenty of time to absorb the flavors.  My salsa I whipped together this evening while the grill was fired up.  This dish would be fantastic with grilled chicken, sea bass or halibut.  I hope you like it.......

Tequila Lime Chicken

serves 6

1/8 cup tequila

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (approximately 2 limes)

1/8 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (I used Clementines since I had an abundant amount)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except chicken breasts in a large zip lock baggy and blend.  Add chicken breasts, seal, and swish around to coat all the chicken breasts.  Set bag in a bowl and place in refrigerator for 2-24 hours.

Preheat grill, then remove chicken breasts from marinade sprinkling with additional salt and pepper if desired.   Place breasts on grill what would be skin-side down, even though they're skinless, for approximately 5 minutes.  Flip chicken and grill for another 7-10 minutes or until just cooked through. (Check out my tips for Grilling the Perfect Chicken) Remove from grill, cover tightly allowing to rest for about 5 minutes.  Serve hot or at room temperature with Grilled Pineapple Salsa.

The Tequila Lime Chicken was adapted from Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style.  I did change the recipe slightly by adding olive oil and reducing the ingredients by two-thirds.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

serves 6

Ingredients:

1 large fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into 10 rounds

1 large orange bell pepper, seeded and diced

3 Roma Tomatoes, diced

1/2 small red onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 jalepeno, minced

1/3 cup cilantro, minced

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Grill pineapple rounds until nicely charred on each side.  Remove from grill and dice 4 of the rounds.

Add all ingredients to a medium size bowl and blend.  Cover and set aside until ready to use.

To Serve:

Place a round of grilled pineapple onto each plate.  Top with grilled Tequila Lime Chicken Breasts.  Spoon salsa over the top, and garnish with additional cilantro.  Serve.

Note: I created the salsa recipe as I do most of the ones I make.  Making your own salsa is so easy - simply use ingredients on hand and use spices that will compliment your dish.  You really can't go wrong.

Enjoy!!!

How To Make A Delicious Heart-Healthy Green Smoothie

When the weather gets warmer do you find yourself craving more fresh fruits and vegetables?  I know I do!  In fact, right before I go out for a run or bike ride I love to make this luscious and nutritious green smoothie.

Don't turn your nose up until you've tried it.  After sharing this recipe in many of my culinary classes, I've literally turned 100% of the "oh I don't think I want to try a green smoothie" comments to, "is there enough for seconds?"

In this brief video I'll show you how to make this simple emerald green smoothie.  For written instructions you can view a previous post.

If you try this, please let me know what you think.  Do you have a green smoothie recipe you'd like to share? Please post it in my comments section for everyone to see.  

Nothing makes you feel better than when you nourish your body from the inside out.  I even turned my 91 year old mother onto this beverage.  If she loves it, you will too!

Enjoy life to the fullest by eating well, exercising, laughing and spending time with those you love and who make you happy.

Have a great weekend!

Mango Sorbet over Pineapple Carpaccio with Raspberry Sauce

In April I was invited to join the 5 Star Makeover Challenge.  A group of bloggers that come up with culinary topics each month, for members to create dishes and share at the end of the month.  In April the topic given was Restaurant Wars.  Members were divided up into teams of 3 and each team was asked to create a theme or use a specific ingredient, plus name their restaurant. We had until June to present it.

Our team elected to do a menu of Raw Food and the name of our restaurant was "Eating In The Raw."  Unfortunately due to circumstances out of our control, we had to bow out of the event.  However, since I already put my dish together, I decided to share it with you today. You can view other team creations here.

We were to make an appetizer, entree' and dessert.  I was elected to make the dessert.

The raw food diet is based on the belief that the most healthful food for the body is uncooked. Although most food is eaten raw, heating food is acceptable as long as the temperature stays below 104 to 118 degrees Fahrenheit (the cutoff temperature varies among those in the raw food community).

Cooking is thought to denature the enzymes naturally present in food. According to raw foodists, enzymes are the life force of a food, helping us to digest food and absorb nutrients. If we over consume cooked food, our bodies are forced to work harder by producing more enzymes. Over time, a lack of enzymes from food is thought to lead to digestive problems, nutrient deficiency, accelerated aging, and weight gain.

I decided to make a Mango Sorbet and after a bit of research I came up with this dish.

Mango Sorbet over Pineapple Carpaccio with Raspberry Sauce

serves 4-6

Sorbet Ingredients:

4 Mangoes

juice of a lime (about 4 teaspoons)

zest of a lime

1/3 cup Agave Nectar

2/3 cup Pure Coconut Water

Pineapple, sliced paper thin on a Mandoline

Raspberry Sauce Ingredients:

6 ounce container Raspberries, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons Agave Nectar

1 1/2 teaspoons water

Directions for Mango Sorbet:

Peel the mangoes and cut the flesh away for the pit.(Facts about and directions for cutting a mango).

Cut the flesh into chunks and put them in a blender with the next 4 ingredients.  Puree the mixture until smooth.  Taste, and add more agave nectar or lime juice if desired. 

Chill the mixture for about 2 hours then place in ice cream machine and swirl according to manufacturers instructions. 

  

Can serve immediately or remove from ice cream machine and place in a plastic container with lid and place into the freezer until ready to serve.  Let set out for about 15 minutes to soften before serving.

Raspberry Sauce Directions:

Puree the raspberries, water, and agave nectar in a food processor until smooth.  Then, strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.  Press the solids against the strainer to get as much of the sauce as possible.  Pour into a squirt bottle if you have one, this makes decorating the plate with the sauce easy.  The raspberry sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Pineapple Directions:

Cut off top and bottom of a fresh pineapple, then cut off the sides just leaving the flesh.  With a mandoline, starting at the top or bottom slice 1/8-1/4 inch slices.  (You may need to shape the sides of your pineapple to fit the top of the mandoline so the pineapple can slide easily). 

Plating this Dish:

Lie one slice of pineapple at one edge of the plate then slightly overlapping add 2 more slices.  Place the 4th slice on the opposite edge of the plate lying flat. 

Place a scoop of Mango Sorbet on the flat piece of pineapple.  Drizzle with Raspberry Sauce.  Serve.

Each component of this dish is delicious on it's own and can be served numerous ways, so let your creativity flow.  If you prefer not to use agave nectar where it's used in this recipe you could substitute honey or sugar (double the amount of sugar). 

Enjoy!

Bourbon Grilled Chicken Breasts

Have you ever had the Bourbon Chicken that they serve in the food courts at the malls?  I used to eat there with my kids when they were younger, and we'd stop there for a bite before or after the movies.  It was easy and with such an array of food vendors both my kids would find something that they liked.  I especially loved this chicken dish from one of the Asian vendors.  They would serve it in bite size pieces and smothered in the sauce. 

As usual my photo doesn't do it justice.  However,  Ann from Cooking Healthy For Me reminded me about this chicken when she posted a comment this past week about it on her blog.  With Labor Day tomorrow I thought it would be a great alternative to grilled chicken for those of you having a BBQ. 

I highly recommend grilling up some pineapple as well.  The two combined make the chicken taste even that much better.  Serve it with a nice tossed salad or cole slaw, grilled veggies and baked potato fries and you've got a great BBQ meal for all.  This recipe is so simple.  Pick up the ingredients today to marinate the chicken in overnight and you're set to throw it on the pit tomorrow.  If you don't see this post until tomorrow don't worry,  marinating it for 4 hours will be fine as well. The longer you marinate the more intense the flavor will be.

Here's my version of the recipe for Bourbon Grilled Chicken Breasts. 

Happy Holiday & Happy Cooking!

Bourbon Grilled Chicken Breasts

serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons  red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
• 2-4 tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste
• 1 green onion, sliced thin
• 2 thin slices ginger*
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon Asian Chili Sauce (Sriracha)

Directions:

       

Place the chicken breasts in a zip lock baggie. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Zip and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Move the bag around occasionally to make sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade.

Turn the grill on high to preheat, once preheated turn to medium and cook 4 minutes a side or until a meat thermometer reads at least 170F degrees Fahrenheit.  You can also check for doneness by using the touch method which is my favorite way.  However, for true accuracy use your meat thermometer.

To grill pineapple, slice into strips and take about 3 tablespoons of melted butter and toss with the pineapple.  This will keep it from sticking to the grill and give it superior flavor.  Afterall, everything tastes great with butter.  You could also rub it with oil or spray with non-stick spray to be healthier.

*Note: Fresh ginger can be stored in the freezer in a zip lock bag until ready to use, over and over again.

Bourban Chicken can also be cut into bite size pieces and placed on skewers alternating with pineapple chunks, then grilled.  Serve on a bed of whole grain rice this way.

Enjoy!

National Pina Colada Day!

Did you know that yesterday was National Pina Colada Day?  Well, I'm sure you're not alone, no one that I know knew except for me.  So in honor of the day I decided I'd whip something up.

If you read a recent post of mine for Coconut Encrusted Scallops with Banana Colada Sauce you'll know how much I love the stuff.

In fact, as a little girl my family would always go away for the Christmas Holidays to either Florida or Puerto Rico.  So every year we would have lots of virgin Pina Colada's.  I grew to love them so much and of course having spent quality time with my family (Mom, Dad, and two sisters) during the holidays and someplace tropical, I have very fond memories of Pina Colada's. 

When I finally reached the age of 21 I could have a juiced up Pina Colada but for some reason it just didn't do it for me.  I love what I grew up with and adding the Rum ruins it for me.  However, in the recipe that I'm going to share with you, feel free to add some Rum if you like.

Since it's summer I thought I'd make a Pina Colada Granita, which is a type of Italian dessert, similar to sorbet or frozen flavored ice.  The ingredients are simple and quick to put together.  I've just added a touch of lime which I think lends a special touch. 

I would suggest making this a day ahead of time to insure that it gets done in time for serving.  I'm on vacation and made it yesterday planning to have it ready by dinner time but whether it was the freezer where we're staying or the altitude it took longer than normal.

Follow these simple steps and guaranteed you'll be in Pina Colada and Granita heaven.  This cool refreshing treat is just what the doctor ordered on a hot summers day.  Oh and one other thing, you can use this technique to make any type of Granita that you desire.

Pina Colada Granita
serves 6

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups water
2/3 cups sugar
1 (13.66 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk (2 cups)
1/2 cup pineapple juice
Juice and zest of 1 lime

Directions:

Make a simple syrup by adding the water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves. 

Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool, and then stir in the coconut milk. 

Add the pineapple juice, lime juice and zest and blend.

Freeze Granita:

Pour the granita mixture into a wide and shallow container.  Cover with foil and freeze for 1-2 hours until the edges are frozen. 

Take container out of the freezer and scrape the ice with a fork as though you were shredding it. 

At this point you will only be able to do the edges since the center will still be gushy.  Place back into the freezer and continue to repeat this method every half hour to an hour until the entire mixture has frozen and you have been able to scrape it into tiny ice crystals creating your Granita.

Serve in a fancy glass with a slice of lime and if desired add a splash of rum.  YUM!!!

Enjoy!

Here are some links to other Pina Colada recipes that you might like to try:
http://in-homeculinaryclasses.blogspot.com/2011/06/coconut-encrusted-scallops-with-banana.html

http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2011/02/pina-colada-cupcakes.html

http://www.cherryteacakes.com/2010/05/pina-colada-donuts.html

BBQ Salmon with Pineapple

Before coming out to Colorado I stopped in at my local grocery store, Schnucks, to pick up a few things.  While there they have a stand called "Schnucks Cooks" where they share a recipe that they've created and offer samples to all the shoppers.

On that particular day they had Sweet and Sour Meatballs.  I love meatballs and although I try not to indulge too often in meat, I am always eager to see what new recipes they've come up with.  Well the meatballs were delicious, in fact, I wish I could have had another but, didn't want to sound like a hog, especially since they are offering samples to everyone.

So the other night I decided to make salmon for dinner.  My daughter suggested I BBQ the salmon just like she and my husband had out to dinner a few weeks before.  Of course, whenever I can, I'll BBQ fish just so I don't have any residual odors left in my house.  There's nothing worse than walking into a house that stinks like fish.  Wouldn't you agree?

Anyway, I remembered the Sweet and Sour Meatballs at Schnucks and thought that the combination of sauces they used would be great for salmon.

I went to the store to get my ingredients and indeed it was superb!  It's simply an equal blend of BBQ sauce and Apricot Preserves that you combine together and spread over the salmon.  I mean how easy is that?

If you wanted to change it up I think an Orange Marmalade would also be delicious or even Raspberry Preserves.  If you wanted to add even more flavor, although it's not necessary, add some butter and heat all three ingredients up in a saucepan and spoon over the salmon and grill, pouring some additional sauce over the salmon once cooked.

In addition, my daughter asked if I'd grill the pineapple that I had purchased which gets it nice and caramelized.  Following her wishes I ended up with a beautiful and healthy plate of food to serve to everyone.

There's nothing like a well balanced meal.  When the meal is over you're completely nourished and don't find yourself running to the refrigerator or cupboard to find something else to fill your belly.

Here's my recipe.  I hope you like it.  It couldn't be more simple and luscious, and pretty enough to serve to guests.

BBQ Salmon with Pineapple
serves 4

Ingredients:

4 (8 oz.) pieces of Salmon filets
1/3 cup BBQ Sauce (whatever you like or have on hand)
1/3 cup Apricot Preserves
1 fresh Pineapple, sliced into strips, core removed

Directions:

• Fire up the grill or turn on the gas grill to preheat. 
• Blend the bbq sauce and preserves together, combining well.
• Slice the top and bottom off the pineapple.  Carefully slice the skin off, slicing down from top to bottom.  Go around until all skin is removed.  Cut pineapple in half vertically, then slice each of those pieces in 1/2 and remove the core.  Continue to slice each section into 3 strips for a total of 12 strips. You can also slice the pineapple in rounds.  Here's a pictorial demonstration.
• Place the pineapple strips on the grill
• Add the Salmon with the skin on (no need to flip the salmon and with the skin on it's easy to remove it from the grates), skin side down.
• Slather the sauce over each piece of salmon, close the lid on the grill and cook for about 8 minutes on medium heat.
• After about 4 minutes open the grill and turn over each strip of pineapple.  Continue to grill until the salmon is cooked, for about 8 minutes total.
• With a metal spatula, place the edge between the bottom of the meat of the salmon and the top of the skin.  Gently glide your spatula under the salmon releasing it from the skin, remove it placing it onto a platter.
• Remove pineapple slices

To plate:

• Lay 3 strips of pineapple onto the plate
• set salmon on top of pineapple and pour additional sauce over the fish

Simple, healthy, delicious and beautiful!

Enjoy!