Honey Chipotle Lime Chicken Bowls

These bowls were so full of flavor and delicious. You have a bed of cilantro-lime rice, topped with spinach and other veggies, and then you add the grilled chipotle chicken and finish it off with a cilantro-lime ranch dressing. So much flavor! The leftover dressing and grilled chicken really dress up a plain salad, too. You can make the cilantro-ranch ahead, plus set the chicken to marinate. 

Honey Chipotle Lime Chicken Bowls   

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

Honey Chipotle Lime Chicken:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (I use bottle key lime)
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, mostly sauce if you can (I use jarred paste)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper
2 pounds thin cut boneless skinless chicken breasts 

Bowls:

Spinach, lettuce or spring mix
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped or sliced avocado
Fresh limes

Pickled jalapenos or banana peppers
Cilantro lime rice, recipe below
Cilantro lime dressing, recipe below

1.  For the marinade, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, chipotle peppers and sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the top. Make sure the chicken is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours (the flavor gets better the longer it marinades).

2,  Cook the chicken on a grill, in a skillet or in the oven (broiled) until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side, depending on how it’s cooked. Let rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice the chicken into strips and serve with any or all of the bowl ingredients. (Add your own to the list, too!)

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 tablespoons butter
1 ¼ cups rice, long grain white rice or jasmine rice works best
2 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice and zest of 1 large lime (I used 2 TBS key lime juice)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Rice cooker (stovetop directions below)- Add all of the ingredients to your rice cooker except the lime juice and cilantro. Turn the rice cooker on to cook. When rice is done cooking, stir in the lime juice and cilantro with your rice paddle. Serve. 

Stovetop- In a skillet or medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the rice. Stir, letting the rice and butter cook for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 15-16 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

½ cup buttermilk (I used buttermilk powder + water with good results)
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream, light or regular
¼ cup salsa verde or a small can of Hatch chilis
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from about 1 medium lime (I used bottle key lime)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon onion powder
Pinch of dried dill, about 1/8 teaspoon
Pinch of salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper, I use coarsely ground black pepper
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 green onion, white and green parts coarsely chopped, or small bunch of chives (can be left out if needed)

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender (or use an immersion blender) and process until smooth. Thin with additional buttermilk, milk, or lime juice, if you want to adjust the consistency. Refrigerate until ready to serve (the taste gets better with time – it can be made several days in advance).

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Rosemary Ranch Grilled Chicken

The whole fam loved this grilled chicken. It was quick and easy to prepare, too. I set aside some of the marinade to brush on veggie skewers that we also threw on the grill. We had homemade Ranch (from the packet) in our fridge so we used that. If you have bottled Ranch on hand, I'd just use that- I wouldn't make homemade just for this. After making this, I started brushing veggies with just Ranch before grilling them; it's pretty good, and provides a lot of flavor. (I use bottled salad dressings often for a grilled veggie marinade; they're always tasty.)        

Rosemary Ranch Grilled Chicken

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

¼ cup olive oil
½ cup ranch salad dressing 
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ – 2 pounds chicken breasts (I like chicken tenders)

1. For the marinade, whisk together all the ingredients except the chicken until well-combined.
Place chicken in shallow dish or a large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over the chicken, turning the chicken to coat evenly. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.

2. Grill the chicken on medium-high, about 3-4 minutes per side (exact time will depend on the thickness of the chicken) until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F at the thickest part of the chicken. Tent the chicken with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Lemon-Garlic Grilled Chicken

I loved this recipe- it was super quick to put together, easy to grill, and everyone loved it.  The chicken was so tender and flavoful.  This is great by itself but would also be awesome added to a Caesar Salad.  

Lemon-Garlic Grilled Chicken

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Juice of 1 lemon, approximately 3 tablespoons
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic, about 2 medium cloves
1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 to 2 pounds thin chicken breasts cutlets or tenders

1.  Whisk together all the marinade ingredients.

2.  Place chicken in a ziploc bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over chicken, tossing to coat the chicken evenly with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but up to 18 hours.

3.  Preheat grill to medium- or medium-high and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees at the thickest part of the chicken. (The chicken can also be cooked in a skillet on the stove or broiled in the oven.)

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Grilled Steak Marinade

If you feel like marinating your steak before grilling, this is a great recipe for it.  It adds a lot of flavor and goes great with grilled veggies.  I used to make this all the time but haven't in a while; everyone enjoyed this.

Grilled Steak Marinade
adapted from Allrecipes

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced garlic
black pepper, to taste

1. Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and garlic in a small bowl. Season pepper.  (Marinade has plenty of salt already; no need to add more.)  You can make this in a large bowl, or large ziplock bag.  Add the steaks to your bowl or bag.  Marinate at least 2 hours.  

2.  Grill on an outdoor grill as desired. 

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4-Ingredient Grilled Pork Chops

These are SO easy to make and very good.  Just make sure you don't grill the pork too long, or it will get a little tough.  You can marinade for 3 hours or up to 24 hours.  To make the small amount of marinade go further, place the pork and marinade in a large ziplock bag (instead of using a bowl or other container).

4-Ingredient Grilled Pork Chops
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

4-6 boneless pork loin chops
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon steak seasoning (I used Penzey's Quebec Beef Spice- use your fave spice/seasoning mix)

1.  Mix olive oil, soy sauce and steak seasoning together in a small bowl.  Add the pork chops to a large ziploc bag or flat dish and pour the marinade ingredients over the top. Refrigerate and marinade for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

2.  Heat a charcoal or propane grill to medium and grill the chops 6-8 minutes per side (depending on how thick they are) until an instant-read thermometer registers between 145 and 155 degrees F. Don't grill too long or they will be dry.

3.  Remove the chops from the grill, tent them with foil, and allow them to rest for 5-7 minutes. Serve.  Slice the chops across the grain.

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Grilled Rosemary Buttermilk Chicken

This recipe is SO quick and easy.  I loved it.  It's also only 3 ingredients, including fresh rosemary. The buttermilk makes it really tender, and this is a good way to use up extra.  Just now I realized it calls for 1 quart of buttermilk- that's a lot- 4 cups.  I'm not sure if I used that much.  I think I just used 2 cups, and I used 5 or 6 chicken breasts.  You just need enough buttermilk to cover the chicken. This recipe is super flexible. In Italy, everyone has fresh rosemary growing in their yard, so I just went outside and picked some.  I recommend getting a plant if you don't have one- it's nice to have on hand and super hearty.  I bet one could try other fresh herbs in this recipe, though.

Grilled Rosemary Buttermilk Chicken

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-4 cups buttermilk
5-6 sprigs fresh rosemary

1.  Place the chicken breasts in a large ziploc plastic bag. Pour in the buttermilk to cover the chicken. Add the rosemary sprigs. Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight, about 8-10 hours.

2.  Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. With tongs, take out each chicken breast one by one, shaking off excess buttermilk and removing the rosemary sprigs. Grill for 4-6 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through but still moist. Tent with foil for about 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Syrian Beef Kabobs

To represent Syria in our 7 Countries Dinner, I made Syrian Beef Kabobs.  We've had similar kabobs before, when we had an Afghan food night once.  These Syrian kabobs paired beautifully with all of our other food, and we really enjoyed them.

Syrian Beef Kabobs
adapted from Food

2 lbs fatty ground beef, like chuck (I used half lean, half fatty)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2⁄3 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons salt
1 lemon, juiced
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 dashes cayenne
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1⁄3 cup pine nuts
oil, to brush on grill rack
lemon wedges, for serving

pita, for serving, optional

1.  Combine all ingredients but oil, lemon wedges, pita and salad in a bowl, and knead very well into a paste. (I combined ingredients in my food processor- was easiest way to make it pasty.)

2.  Hold a flat metal skewer - not nonstick, and at least 12 inches long - point up in one hand. Dip other hand in a bowl of water, take a handful of meat mixture and form it around base of skewer in a small sausage shape with pointed ends. Repeat, working your way up the skewer. Each skewer should hold three or four kebabs. (You can also just form meat into large patties.)

3.  Lay finished skewers on a sheet pan, and smooth kebabs with fingers, making sure they are fairly smooth and secured on skewers. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

4.  Prepare charcoal grill, or turn gas grill to medium-low. Spray or brush oil on clean grill rack, and set within a few inches of the fire. Fire should not be too hot, and rack should be at least several inches from heat source.

5.  When rack is heated through, gently squeeze the kebabs to be sure they are secure on the skewers, and place skewers on grill. Meat should start sizzling gently; it should not spit and turn black. Cook undisturbed until deep brown, at least 7 minutes. When meat lifts easily from grill, slide a spatula under kebabs and turn over. Continue grilling until browned on both sides and juicy, but cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes total. Serve hot with lemon wedges and pita that has been warmed on the grill. 

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Grilled Balsamic Zucchini

When we grill lately, we've been grilling this zucchini to go with whatever we're grilling, and it's almost always my favorite part of the meal.  It's so flavorful, plus super easy and healthy.  We had these when we grilled the Serbian Sausages recently.

Grilled Balsamic Zucchini
by What a Dish!

zucchini
olive oil
balsamic vinegar (I've used both thin regular and thicker aged)
salt
freshly ground pepper

1.  Rinse zucchini and trim off ends.  Slice lengthwise, not too thick and not too thin.  Lay on a platter and drizzle with oil and vinegar.  Then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill on a hot grill, turning once, until they get dark and a little crispy on the edges.

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Cevapcici (Serbian Grilled Sausages)

We had a Slovenia adventure a few weeks ago.  I never posted about it, but maybe I will later.  (I only have phone pics.)  We ended up needing to be towed back to Italy because our car died, and we had a barbecue with our tow truck driver the night before we left.  His friends came (all Slovenians seem to speak English) and we ate delicious food, including Grilled Serbian Sausages.  I wanted to re-create them at home.

I would say these are more like Cevapcici-inspired, since I couldn't even find lamb to use.  (I only tried one butcher, but the Italian gentleman told me "It's too hot for lamb right now!"  That's why they didn't have it.  I never buy lamb, so I know nothing.)  Anyway, I used a mix of equal parts pork and beef.  The flavor of these was very good, but not quite the same as what we had in Slovenia.

Cevapcici (Serbian Grilled Sausages)
adapted from Allrecipes

1 kilo mixed ground pork/beef (roughly 1 lb. beef, 1 lb. gound pork, can also use lamb)
1 egg white
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground black pepper

dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1.  Preheat a grill for medium-low heat.  In a large bowl, combine the ground meat and egg white. Add the garlic, salt, baking soda, black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika. Mix well using your hands, and form into finger length sausages about 3/4 inch thick. (Can form these ahead of time and store in fridge, covered, until ready to grill.)

2. Lightly oil the grilling surface. Grill sausages until cooked through, turning as needed.  

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Moroccan-Spiced Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Cucumber Salad

I saw this delicious-looking chicken recipe on David Lebovitz's blog recently and made it soon after. I couldn't find the flatbread I wanted, and I didn't want to make it myself, so I picked up a few packages of Italian "Piadina" bread- it's like a large wrap bread.  It's really, really large, lol; I had to cut them in half for dinner.  (Usually I can find "Arabic Flatbread" here locally but I couldn't find it anymore.  Just use your favorite flatbread.  Homemade Naan bread would be great too.)

You make the chicken yogurt marinade ahead and let everything sit in the fridge for a while.  I made my own Moroccan spice mixture- Ras El Hanout, from a recipe I found online.  Then I made cucumber-feta salad from David Lebovitz.  I didn't even realize, until I was making it, that I've made the Cuke Salad before, a lot!  It's one of my favorite things.  I make it differently, usually, with tomatoes and olives added.

Moroccan-Spiced Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Cucumber Salad
adapted from David Lebovitz

6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small onion, peeled
3/4 cup (180g) whole milk plain yogurt, preferably Greek-style
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 teaspoons Ras el Hanout spice mix, recipe below (I just used the whole mixture)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2-pounds (900g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed of fat, cut into 1 1/4-inch (4cm) pieces

1. Finely mince the garlic. Grate the onion with the large holes of a grater. (Alternately, you can cut the garlic and onion into smaller pieces and finely chop them together in a mini-chopper- I used a mini food processor.) Put onions and garlic in a large zip-top freezer bag. You may also put them in a medium bowl and marinade the chicken in the bowl.

2. Mix in the yogurt, lemon juice, Ras el Hanout, salt, black pepper, paprika, red pepper, and chicken. Before you close the bag, push most of the air out of it, then seal the bag. Massage the chicken pieces so that they are all covered. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.

3. To cook, thread the chicken pieces on 4 to 6 skewers. Light the grill until the heat until it’s very hot. Brush the grill with a bit of oil and grill the skewers on one side until they are seared with grill marks, about 4 or 5 minutes, then turn the skewers and grill until the chicken is cooked through. They’ll take about 8-9 minutes, total. If you don’t have a grill, you can make these in a lightly oiled grill pan on the stovetop.

4. Serve with pita or flatbread and the Cucumber Feta Salad, recipe below.

Ras el Hanout 

adapted from Epicurious

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1.  In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients until combined well. Spice blend keeps in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 month. (Use the whole amount for the chicken recipe.)

Cucumber Feta Salad Recipe

adapted from David Lebovitz

1 large English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced into pea-sized pieces (I shredded it in my food processor)
coarse salt
8 ounces (225g) feta cheese (I used 6 oz- what I had)
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, peeled and finely-diced (optional)
1 tablespoon (each) chopped fresh mint, parsley and fresh dill

1. Place the cucumber pieces in a colander, mix with a light sprinkling salt, and let drain 30 minutes to an hour, shaking the colander from time to time. (If you choose to shred it instead, you can skip this and squeeze out water with your hands.)

2. Crumble the feta into a bowl and mash together with the olive oil, lemon juice, water, and a few turns of black pepper.

3. Mix in the cucumbers, onions, and herbs. Taste, and add more salt if desired.

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Thai-Inspired Grilled Chicken with Peanut Sauce

A friend made this dish for my family last summer and we all loved it!  I got the recipe and meant to make it right away, but I just got around to it about two weeks ago.  We still liked it- especially my 4-year old, who stuffed his face, which he never does!  Unless it's candy or Thai or Indian food, he's just not that interested.  He loves Thai and Indian food though.  He can't get enough.

Instead of threading the chicken through skewers, I copied what my friend did and we grilled this on a veggie grilling thingy- just layed the chicken out on that and flipped it as needed.  We had grilled bell peppers on the side.

Thai-Inspired Grilled Chicken with Peanut Sauce
adapted from The Splendid Table and JP

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Peanut Sauce, for serving (recipe follows)

1. Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Whisk all the marinade ingredients together in a separate bowl. (Or put everything in a large ziplock bag.) Pour the marinade over the chicken and massage the meat with your hands for 1 minute to coat the cubes well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.

2. Spray a grill rack with nonstick cooking spray and set the heat to high or use a grill pan. Use a veggie grilling tray on your grill. When the grill is ready, cook the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the chicken over half-way through. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Easy Peanut Dipping Sauce

from JP

serves 4, can increase for more servings

4T creamy peanut butter
4-5T warm water or more, to desired consistency
4 tsp hoisin sauce
4 tsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 T of lime juice

1, In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together.

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Grilled Chicken Kebab "Bowls"

These are kebab "bowls" in the sense that you can combine all the ingredients in a shallow bowl and eat, kind of like the burrito bowl idea.  I just put mine on a plate, though.  Of course, all of the flavors of these were great together.  I made these in the hurried last days of school before summer vacation, so I feel like I didn't get to really enjoy these much.... I need to make the whole thing again.

The chicken is marinated, then grilled.  Basmati rice is served with tzatziki sauce and there's a refreshing cucumber salad on the side. All of the flavors go really well together.  We love tzatziki in this house.  My kids were wondering where the naan or pita bread was, though.  Oh well, this was fine without it, and it's also gluten-free as written.  Note: I made my own tzatziki sauce; original recipe below (I didn't try that one).

Grilled Chicken Kebab "Bowls"

adapted from IWNEO

For the chicken:
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 2″ pieces
1 1/2 Tb olive oil
3 Tb lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste; I used about 1/4 tsp)

For the rice:
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
2 3/4 cups water
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 Tb grapeseed oil, or other neutral oil
3 Tb consumme powder or 1 bouillon cube
1/4 tsp salt

For the tzatziki:
1 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup grated cucumber
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1/4 tsp salt

For the cucumber salad:
1 english cucumber, peeled
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1 1/2 tsp chopped dill
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt or to taste

For marinating the chicken:
1. In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients except chicken.  Add the chicken, making sure that it is completely covered with the marinade.  Place it in the fridge and marinate for a minimum of 1 hour. This can also sit over night.

For the rice:
1. Heat the oil in a pot with fitted lid over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook until they are translucent, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the rinsed rice and stir to coat the rice with the oil and onions. Add the water and turn the heat up to high.  Add the consumme powder and salt. Mix.  When it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Turn the heat off and let the rice steam for an additional 10 minutes. 

For the tzatziki:
1. Place the grated cucumber in a mesh strainer over a small bowl.  Sprinkle with the salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes.  Using your hands, squeeze as much of the water out of it as possible.  Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, and garlic together in a bowl.  Add the drained cucumber and mix. Taste and add more salt if needed.  Place in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.

For the cucumber salad:
1. Place the sliced red onions in a bowl filled with ice water. This will take away some of the sharpness of the onion. It’s optional. (Do this!  It really works!!!!)

2. Cut the peeled cucumber in half, lengthwise.  Using a spoon, scoop out the seeded middle of the cucumber and discard.  Cut the cucumber into 1/4″ slices.

3. Mix together the sliced red onions (drain them first), cucumber slices, dill, lemon, olive oil, and salt.

Grilling the chicken:
1. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium to medium-high heat. (Make sure you have soaked your skewers for at least 30 minutes if you are using wooden ones.)

2. Skewer the marinated chicken cubes making sure they aren’t too crowded on the stick.

3. Oil the grill so the chicken doesn’t stick.  Grill the kebabs for 5-6 minutes on one side, flip and grill the other side for 5-6 minutes as well.

Construct your bowls by place a nice heap of rice on the bottom of each bowl. Top with cucumber salad, tzatziki, and chicken kebabs. Enjoy!

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Cilantro-Jalapeno Marinated Pork Chops

We've enjoyed these pork chops twice recently.  I got the recipe from a friend and I'm so glad I did- these are just so flavorful!!  We've made them with bone-in and boneless pork chops and they're both good.

I used jalapenos instead of Serrano peppers, used a bit less oil, and thew the whole bunch of cilantro in there (instead of the half-bunch.  I just didn't want the rest of mine to go bad).

Cilantro-Jalapeno Marinated Pork Chops
adapted from Hispanic Kitchen

For Cilantro-Jalapeno Sauce:

1/2 cup(packed) cilantro stems (OR- just use the whole bunch of cilantro)
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1-3 jalapenos, sliced (remove ribs and seeds for less heat.  My marinade wasn't spicy at all)
Juice of 1 large lime
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano (I had fresh, so I used it)
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/4- 1/2 cup olive oil (I added about 1/4 cup instead of the 1/2 cup)

For the chops:
6 bone-in pork chops, about 2 pounds (boneless chops also work)
Salt and pepper
Oil for grilling

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Season the pork lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Place in a dish or in a heavy plastic storage bag. Pour about 3/4 of the cilantro-jalapeno sauce over the pork chops and coat evenly. (You only need to reserve some marinade if you want to use it later on the meat or some rice... if not, you can pour it all on.) Seal or cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.

2. When ready, remove chops from refrigerator 30 to 40 minutes before cooking. Preheat gas grill (or charcoal.... or can cook on stove-top grill.) Cook for 4 minutes per side. If thicker than 1/2 an inch you may have to cook for another 2 minutes per side. The ideal internal temperature for a moist pork chop is 145ºF. Remove from heat onto plate. Cover loosely and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve with extra sauce (if you had set aside some before).

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Andalucian Pinchitos- Spanish Saffron Skewers

I've been wanting to make more Spanish food, and came across a recipe for these a while ago.  They were popular in the region of Spain I used to live in.  My mom remembers eating them at restaurants.  They are also popular Feria (fair) food.  The reipe can be made with pork or lamb, or chicken, which is what I chose to use.  We had this with saffron rice and some kind of veggie- can't remember now!  :)  I think I will make these for our next Tapas night.  

Andalucian Pinchitos- Spanish Saffron Skewers

adapted from Food

Meat Skewers:
500 g boneless skinless chicken breasts or 500 g lean lamb fillets or 500 g lean pork fillets
8 pre-soaked wooden skewers, about 15cm long, OR
5-10 metal skewers, about 25cm long

Marinade:
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed, roughly ground
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, roughly ground
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, roughly ground
2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 pinch saffron, infused with
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf, crumbled
2 teaspoons sherry wine vinegar or 2 teaspoons wine vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil

Garnish:
chopped flat leaf parsley or chopped coriander (Cilantro)

1.  Cut the chicken breasts,lamb or pork into cubes about 1" in size. Flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand.  Place the meat in a large bowl and add the dried spices, garlic & salt, saffron infused water, oregano, bay leaf and vinegar - mix thouroughly.

2.  Add the olive oil - mix again thoroughly, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for between 2 & 12 hours, so the flavours mingle and marinade into the meat.

3.  Light the barbecue about half an hour before cooking and allow the charcoal or wood to flare and then glow.  Or, pre-heat your gas grill.  (If cooking inside, turn the grill up to high, or use a smoking hot griddle or griddle pan.)

4.  Thread the meat on to the skewers.  Grill for about 5 minutes on each side, or until the outside is charred and the inside is still juicy but cooked. (NOT pink for pork and chicken - but pink for lamb).  Season well with salt (if needed) and pepper and sprinkle with chopped flat leaf parsley or fresh coriander (Cilantro), serve with a selection of salads, flat breads, pickles and Sherry vinegar dressing, optional.  (We served with Saffron rice and a veggie.)

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Greek Chicken Gyros

These were so good.  They were a little time-consuming, since I made the flat bread, tzatziki, chicken, and prepped the veggies, but it was worth it.  You can prepare the tzatziki the day before to save on time, and marinate the chicken a few hours before.  If you live in an area where you can buy good flat bread, you can also choose to do that.

Greek Chicken Gyros
adapted from Cooking Classy
Yield: About 6 servings

Chicken Soulvaki:
1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For serving:
6 - 8 Greek Pita Flatbread, homemade or store-bought (recipe follows)
Tzatziki sauce, homemade or store-bought (recipe follows)
Garnishes and Toppings: Diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, chopped Romaine lettuce, diced red onions, feta cheese, and Kalamata olives

1.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, chopped red onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, coriander and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Place chicken in a gallon ziploc bag (or covered bowl), pour marinade over chicken, seal bag while pressing out excess air and transfer to refrigerator to marinate 2 - 4 hours. Remove chicken from the fridge during the last 30 minutes of marinating to rest at room temperature before grilling (leave in marinade).

2.  Brush grill grates lightly with oil and preheat grill over moderately high heat. Once hot, add chicken and grill until cooked through (internal temperature should register 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer), rotating once halfway through cooking. Remove from grill, transfer to plate, then cover with foil and allow to rest 10 minutes. Dice into strips.

To assemble gyros:  Layer chicken in a row along center of flat bread, top with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, red onion, feta, and tzatziki sauce. Wrap and serve.

Tzatziki Sauce:
1 medium cucumber, seeded* (or use an English cuke; no need to seed)
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried)
Freshly ground black pepper

1.  In a food processor, shred the cucumber.  Squeeze handfuls of shredded cucumber into a bowl to get rid of excess water.  Discard liquid.

2.  Add in Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, mint, and dill and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in cucumber.  Store in refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days.
*To seed the cucumber, slice in half lengthwise, then use a spoon to scoop the seeds out.

Greek Flat bread:
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
2/3 cup warm water, 110 degrees
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp milk, heated to 110 degrees
1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour (can add up to 1/4 cup more flour as needed)

1.  In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whisk together yeast, sugar and warm water until yeast has dissolved then let rest 5 minutes. Add in warm milk, olive oil, salt and 1 1/2 cups bread flour and fit mixer with whisk attachment and blend mixture until well combined. Switch attachment to hook attachment, add in remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and knead mixture on low speed until blended, then increase to medium-low and allow to knead about 5 minutes longer until smooth an elastic (dough should not stick to sides of the bowl, so add more flour if necessary). Transfer dough to bowl lightly coated with oil, cover with a damp towel and allow to rest in a warm place until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

2.  Press dough down and divide dough into 6 - 8 equal portions. Working with one piece at a time, roll dough out into a round (I made 6 large 8-inch pitas) on a lightly floured surface. Heat a large non-stick skillet slightly over medium heat. I used a bit of cooking spray for this, and my electric skillet.  Once hot, add flat bread and cook until bubbles begin to appear on surface and bottom is golden brown, then flip and cook opposite side until golden brown. Transfer to a large plate, cover with foil leaving a small opening for excess moisture to escape. Repeat process with remaining flat bread. Store in an airtight container (best served day prepared. I'd rewarm mine wrapped in damp paper towels in the microwave).

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **