Spicy Orange Teriyaki Marinade and Glaze

Do you live in a house divided? Divided between sweet and spicy? I know I sure do. I love spicy food while Joel is definitely more of a sweet kind of guy (that’s my nice way of saying he’s kind of wimpy). Well, this is a nice marinade to know if you have a similar situation because it gets sweetness from orange marmalade and pineapple juice and a spicy kick from the chili paste. It’s the perfect compromise for our family. What makes it even better for us is that it consists of things I almost always have stocked in the kitchen.

I have tried this marinade on pork loin, boneless skinless chicken breasts and even salmon and it has been great on all three! I would have to say my favorite was the chicken with the pork a close second. This marinade also does double duty as a glaze. The glaze part is totally optional but totally worth it in my book because it adds so much more flavor. You can really taste the citrus and it’s yummy to have little bites of pineapple with the chicken. It’s almost like an updated version of sweet and sour sauce. Plus, who doesn’t love a little sauce for dipping? Noah is in a dipping stage right now so it’s pretty much a requirement around here to have a little dip dip as he would say.

Spicy Orange Teriyaki Marinade and Glaze
recipe from allrecipes.com

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili paste with garlic
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, juice reserved
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Chicken, pork loin or chops

1. For marinade: In a small, nonporous bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic chili paste, ginger, garlic powder, sesame oil, Chinese cooking wine, orange marmalade, pineapple chunks and cilantro, if desired. Mix well and pour over pork or chicken. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

2. Reserve marinade then grill chicken or pork until cooked through. Meanwhile, place reserved marinade and pineapple chunks in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a hard simmer and cook for at least 5 minutes. Drizzle meat with glaze then top with chopped cilantro.

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese {Crazy Cooking Challenge}

When I saw that the Crazy Cooking Challenge this month was grilled cheese…I knew exactly what to do! I immediately went over to Closet Cooking to peruse the whopping 24 options of grilled cheese that Kevin offers up. Yep, I said 24. So as you can imagine, it was pretty hard to select which recipe I would make and feature here for the challenge.

I managed to narrow it down to about 5 then gave Joel the options since I just couldn’t decide. He requested the Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese and I was pretty pleased with his choice. I kind of have a thing for buffalo sauce as evidenced here, here and here.

This fancied up grilled cheese sandwich was spicy, creamy, crusty, cheesy and filling. Everything you would ever want in a sandwich! I was really incredible and will definitely be gracing our table again and again.

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese
recipe from Closet Cooking

2 slices sourdough bread
1/4 cup cooked shredded chicken, warm
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 tablespoon mayo (optional)
1 tablespoon carrot, grated
1 tablespoon celery, sliced
1 tablespoon green or red onion, sliced or diced
1 tablespoon blue cheese, room temperature, crumbled
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, room temperature, grated
1 tablespoon butter

1. Mix the chicken, hot sauce, mayo, carrot, celery and onion in a small bowl.

2. Butter the outside of each slice of bread, sprinkle half of the cheeses on the inside of one slice of bread, top with the buffalo chicken salad, the remaining cheese and finally the other slice of bread.

3. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.

4. Add the sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

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Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Cast Party Wednesday.

Mexican Chicken Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette

In honor of Cinco de Mayo I wanted to bring you all one of my new favorite salad recipes, Mexican Chicken Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette. It was pretty much like an explosion in your mouth of Mexican flavor!

The vinaigrette was tangy, zippy and spicy which worked wonderfully with the cool greens, warm chicken, black bean pico and ranch dressing. I think this vinaigrette could be used as a quick and easy marinade for chicken this summer too.

Everything combines to create a light and refreshing salad that is surprisingly filling! Give it a try tomorrow for a yummy Mexican meal!

Mexican Chicken Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette
recipe from 4 Little Fergusons

FOR THE CHILI-LIME DRESSING:
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice (about 2 Small Limes)
1 teaspoon Grated Lime Zest
1 teaspoon Chopped Garlic
½ teaspoons Chili Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Pepper
¼ teaspoons Cumin
⅓ cups Olive Oil

FOR THE PICO DE GALLO:
1 whole Red Pepper, Diced
1 whole Yellow Pepper, Diced
½ whole Red Onion, Diced
⅓ cups Fresh Cilantro, Snipped
1 can Corn, Drained (15 Ounce Can)
1 can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed (15 Ounce Can)
1 whole Large Tomato, Diced

FOR THE SALAD:
8 cups Mixed Greens Of Your Choice
4 whole Grilled Seasoned Chicken Breasts, Cubed
1 whole Hass Avocado, Mashed
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
Mexican Cheese To Taste
Your Favorite Ranch Dressing
Crunchy Tortilla Strips

1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients and mix well.

2. Combine all of the pico de gallo ingredients and mix well.

3. To assemble salad: place mixed greens on each plate, add a generous helping of pico, some grilled chicken cubes and cheese. Add a dollop of mashed avocado (mix the avocado with the lime juice and some salt, to taste) to the top of each salad.

4. Drizzle with mostly ranch dressing and a small amount of the lime dressing. Top with tortilla strips.

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Cast Party Wednesday.

Spicy Crab in Cucumber Cups

I am starting my first vegetable garden this week. I gathered a lot of information in hopes that I will be successful in the square foot garden method. I don’t usually have much luck keeping plants alive so I am really hoping I can do it this time. I am going to attempt to grow zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, lettuce, carrots, onions and cucumbers.

Hopefully the cucumbers will at least survive so I can make more of these because they were a huge hit. They were creamy and refreshing…the perfect summer appetizer! I love the cucumber cup idea and am thinking of what else I could stuff in there.

Spicy Crab in Cucumber Cups
recipe from Domestic Fits

3 long cucumbers
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup crab meat, excess water removed
1 tsp hot pepper sauce (Tabasco or tapito)
1 tsp brown mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. minced green onion
Garnish with chili powder or paprika if desired

1. Remove the peel from the cucumbers using a vegetable peeler. Cut the cucumber into 2 inch slices. Using a small melon baller, scoop out most of the inside. You want to leave the walls and a thick portion of the bottom intact.

2. In a bowl, combine the sour cream and the cream cheese with a fork until well combined. add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Fill each of the cucumber cups with the crab dip. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve within 2 hours of making (this is important becuase they get runny and soggy after awhile).

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Cast Party Wednesday.