Green Chili Sauce for Pork or Poultry

Adapted from Weber's On the Grill.

Yield: about 1 cup

1 Tbs. roughly chopped roasted green chilies
1 medium garlic clove
1 Tbs. lime juice
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise

In a food processor or blender, puree the roasted green chilies, garlic, lime juice, cilantro leaves, and salt. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise and process until smooth.

Notes:
- Matt brushed the sauce onto the chicken prior to grilling it.  We wished we had reserved some for serving, but oh well!
- Although you can roast your own chilies, we opted to just use some diced green chilies from a can

Mango Barbecued Jerk Chicken Thighs

From Healthy Cooking (June/July 2011), page 56.

Prep: 20 min + marinating / Cook: 20 min
Yield: 4-6 servings

This chicken is absolutely delicious!  It is so tender and full of bold, yummy flavors, even without adding the extra barbecue sauce.  My two-year old (who doesn't typically devour meat) asked for seconds.

2 Tbs. orange juice
1 1/2 tsp. lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbs. Caribbean jerk seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs

Barbecue Sauce:
3 Tbs. mango chutney
1 1/2 tsp. lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 tsp. minced fresh ginger root
1 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted
1 tsp. grated orange peel

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, jerk seasoning, and garlic; add the chicken.  Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

For barbecue sauce, combine chutney, lime juice, honey, mustard, five-spice powder, and ginger; set aside.  In another small bowl, combine cilantro, sesame seeds, and orange peel; set aside.

Drain and discard marinade.  Broil chicken 4-6" from heat for 7  minutes.  Turn and broil for 6 minutes.  Divide barbecue sauce, using half to baste chicken and saving the rest for serving.  Broil 3-5 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear.  Place on a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro mixture.  Serve with remaining sauce.

Notes:
- I used Jamaican jerk seasoning; I'm not sure if there's a difference.

Nutrition Facts:
- 1 chicken thigh = 232 calories, 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 76 mg cholesterol, 297 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 21 g protein

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Lime and Cilantro

Adapted from FoodNetwork.com.

These grilled sweet potatoes are quite delicious!  The salty-citrus flavor from the seasoning really complements the sweetness from the potatoes.

3 sweet potatoes, with peels (see first note!)
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. finely grated lime zest
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Canola oil
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Parcook the potatoes: Place in a pot of water and boil until fork-tender, about 20 minutes; let cool.  Slice each potato lengthwise into eighths.

Preheat a grill to medium or place a cast iron grill pan over medium heat.  Mix salt, lime zest, cayenne pepper, cilantro, pepper, and oil.

Brush the potato wedges with oil mixture.  Grill until golden brown on all sides (including the skin) and just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.  Serve.

Notes:
- Make sure you buy actual sweet potatoes, not yams.  Sweet potatoes are lighter in color and the uncooked flesh is a pale, pale yellow or cream when you scratch a little of the skin off; yams have darker skin and pinkish flesh.  (Most sweet potato fries you buy are actually yams, but I prefer to make this recipe with sweet potatoes.)
- Our potatoes don't have any grill marks on them, probably because we cooked them over indirect heat on the grill (other food had already claimed the direct heat seat.)
- Next time I think I'll increase the lime zest or squeeze a little juice over the potatoes--I'd like a little more of that lime flavor.
- The original recipe has you brush the potatoes with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and grill.  The lime zest, cayenne pepper, and salt are mixed together and sprinkled over the potatoes, along with the cilantro, after grilling.  We've tried both ways and actually prefer the way I've written the recipe (which was actually a complete accident the first time we made these).

Steak Rub / Marinade

Yield: 3 1/4 tsp. (dry)

1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. dry minced onion

3 tsp. lime juice
3 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbs. orange juice

For dry rub, mix dry ingredients together and rub all over steak.

For marinade, mix dry ingredients with lime, lemon, and orange juice and add to a Ziplock bag.  Add steak and marinate at least 1 hour.

Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

From the food blog Cookin' Canuck.

Prep: 30 min. + chilling / Cook: 8 min.
Yield: 4 burgers

These are absolutely delicious!  The texture of the patty is obviously not meat, but it is good and tasty.  We will definitely be eating these again.

Burgers:
4 slices stale or toasted whole wheat bread, cubed
2 Tbs. olive or canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. minced jalapeno pepper, membranes and seeds removed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Cilantro-lime Mayo (recipe follows)
4 whole wheat buns, toasted if desired
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Tomato, sliced
Avocado, sliced

Pulse bread in a food processor to form breadcrumbs.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until soft.  Add garlic, jalapeno, and ground cumin.  Saute for 2 more minutes.

Scrape mixture into food processor.  Add black beans, brown rice, lime juice, salt, and pepper.  Pulse until beans are chopped but not pureed.

Remove bean mixture into a large bowl.  Add cilantro and 1/2 of the breadcrumbs; stir mixture until combined.  Add more breadcrumbs if needed.

Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties.  Place on a baking sheet or large plate lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook burgers 4 minutes per side.

Spread Cilantro-lime Mayo on both interior sides of bun.  Top with black bean patty, cotija cheese, tomato, and avocado.

Cilantro-lime Mayo
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbs. finely chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lime juice, ground cumin, cilantro, and pepper.  Stir well.

Notes:
- I probably only used about three slices-worth of bread crumbs.
- One small jalapeno will be about the right amount; however, it wasn't spicy at all to me, so I may use a large one next time.
- Next time you make brown rice, set some aside and make this recipe the same week.  It will save you a lot of time waiting for the rice to cook so you can make your burgers (brown rice takes a lot longer to cook than white rice).
- I didn't really measure my lime juice: I used half a lime for the burger and the other for the mayo.
- We ate ours on wheat kaiser rolls--yummy!
- Cotija cheese is a salty, crumbly, cows milk cheese from Mexico.  Most grocery stores have it.
- Confession: I didn't chill the patties at all because we were hungry and didn't want to wait half an hour to eat.  I don't think it made a difference, but I guess I'll know better next time I make these . . . correctly. Just know that if you're short on time, you'll be fine skipping the refrigeration!
- Use mayo with olive oil--it's all I buy anymore!

Chicken Fajita Salad Wraps

From the Betty Crocker 2010 calendar.

Prep: 30 min / Cook: 0 min
Yield: 8 wraps

These were super easy and quite delicious!  Perfect for a hot summer night when you don't feel like cooking--or any other night, for that matter.

Chipotle-Lime Dressing
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 Tbs. finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
Juice and zest from 1 lime

Wraps
3 cups chopped cold deli rotisserie chicken (from 2-2 1/2 lb chicken)
2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 (11 oz) can southwestern style corn
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Flour tortillas
Salsa, if desired
Sour cream, if desired

In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients; set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together chicken, lettuce, corn, and tomato.  Add dressing and toss to coat.

To assemble each wrap, spoon 1/8 of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; top with cheese, salsa, and sour cream.  Roll up.

Notes:
- This is my modified version of the recipe; click the link under the title if you want the original.
- I used chicken from the Baked Slow Cooker Chicken recipe instead of buying a rotisserie chicken.
- Because we didn't plan to eat all 8 servings in one sitting, we decided to mix the dressing into the filling  as we ate it.  This kept it from getting all soggy.
- We ate this in freshly cooked Tortilla Land Uncooked Flour Tortillas, which we bought at Costco.  So delicious.  Regular tortillas will never be the same.
- Meatless Version: Replace chicken with black beans, kidney beans, or pinto peans.

Salmon Soft Tacos

Serves: 6-7.

I wanted salmon; Matt wanted burritos.  I think our little compromise came out pretty well.

1 lb. salmon fillets
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. Mexican style chile powder
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. lime juice
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbs. canola oil
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Marinate salmon in lemon and lime juices for 5-10 minutes at room temperature.

Mix together dry ingredients.  Rub over both sides of salmon.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook salmon 5-6 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until cooked (fish will flake easily).

Pull salmon into chunks using a fork.

Serve in tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Topping suggestions:
Brown or Mexican-style rice
Cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole
Black beans
Corn
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Jalapeno yogurt dip (Skotidakis is a great brand)

Notes:
- If you don't have special paprika or chile powder, just use what you've got!  (Though I really do love smoked paprika.)
- Don't marinate your fish too long or it will start to "cook."
- We recently discovered the Tortilla Land uncooked tortillas at Costco.  So delicious.  Try some out (I'm sure other brands are good, too!).
- This salmon is really good in quesadillas--that's how my son likes it.  I'm sure it would also be delicious in a salad.

California Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, & Shakes, page 34.

Makes 4 burgers.

Avocado Relish:

2 ripe Haas avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped

1/2 small onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno chile, finely diced

Juice of 1 lime

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Burgers:

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

4 slices Monterey Jack cheese

4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

1 small bunch of watercress

4 slices ripe beefsteak tomato

To make the avocado relish, combine the avocados, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and cilantro in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. The relish can be made up to 1 hour in advance and kept at room temperature.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 oz. each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4"-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.

Cook the burgers, using the oil and topping each one with a slice of cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking. (Click HERE to see Bobby's cooking times for burgers.)

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and top each one with a few sprigs of watercress, a slice of tomato, and a dollop of the avocado relish. Cover with bun tops and serve immediately.

Notes:

- I use less oil because I cook in a nonstick pan.

- I also make thinner burgers because I buy big buns and I like the burger to be in every bite.

Southwestern Turkey Soup

Adapted from AllRecipes.com, submitted by Doug Matthews.
Serves 8 (each serving is 1 1/2 cups).

Prep time: 30 minutes (less if the meat is already cooked).

Cook time: 30-40 minutes.

Only 210 calories per serving! (Though it depends on the brands, etc. that you use.)  Goes great with corn muffins!

1 1/2 cups shredded cooked turkey

4 cups vegetable broth

1 (28 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1-2 Tbs. lime juice

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1 Tbs. fresh, chopped cilantro

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Puree or blend half the can of tomatoes.

In a large pot over medium heat, combine turkey, broth, canned tomatoes, green chiles, fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, and lime juice. Season with cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes.

Stir in avocado, black beans, and cilantro and simmer 15-20 minutes, until slightly thickened. Spoon into serving bowls and top with shredded cheese.

Notes:

- I used 2 cups shredded chicken instead of turkey because that's what I had.

- I put the garlic through a garlic press instead of just crushing it.

- Before adding everything to the pot, I sauteed the garlic and onions in some water until they were a little soft.

- The soup wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be, but it tasted good. It left me with a hint of heat after I finished the bowl. I might consider adding a little bit more next time.  My mom added 1 diced jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed.

Tangy Lime Chicken for Two

Story: One night Matt said to me, "You know what sounds really good? Lime chicken." From that small dinner suggestion, this delicious creation was born! I've already made it again, but with modifications (example: I left soy sauce out of the sauce--it's so much prettier when it's green instead of brown). I'll let you know if I make any more changes . . .

2 chicken breasts, cut in half

1 Tbs. honey

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. lemon or lime juice

1/2 tsp. grated/minced fresh ginger

Zest from 1/2 lime

Juice from 1/2 lime

Microwave lime zest, all juices, ginger, honey, and soy sauce on high for 10 seconds. Mix well.

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbs. oil over medium heat. Add chicken. Pour half of above mixture over chicken pieces and cook for about 8 minutes. Flip chicken and coat with remaining mixture. Cook until chicken is done, approximately another 8 minutes.

Lime Sauce:

1 Tbs. honey

1/2 Tbs. butter or margarine

1/2 Yoplait Light Key Lime Pie yogurt

1/2 tsp. grated/minced fresh ginger

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Zest from 1/2 lime

Juice from 1/2 lime

1/2 Tbs. butter

1 Tbs. flour/water mixture

Several drops green Tobasco sauce

Salt & pepper to taste

Cook first 7 ingredients over low heat. Add butter; once melted, mix into sauce. Add flour/water mixture and turn the heat up slightly. Stir to keep from burning. Once thickened, add Tobasco sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle over chicken to serve.

Notes:

- If you have time, marinate the chicken for about an hour before cooking it.  You could also put it in a ziplock bag in the freezer to use another time.

- I also want to try making the chicken on the grill instead of in a skillet.

Honey Lime Grilled Chicken

From Quick Cooking (July/Aug. 2000), page 38.

Prep: 5 min. + marinating / Cook: 15 min.
Yield: 4 servings

½ cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup lime juice
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

In a resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container, combine the honey, soy sauce and lime juice; mix well. Add chicken and turn to coat. Seal or cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Drain and discard marinade.

Grill chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for 6-7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

Note:
- I didn’t discard the marinade. Instead, I boiled it, using part to baste the chicken and served the other part with it.
- Use reduced-sodium soy sauce.

Flank Steak with Orange Sauce

From Quick Cooking (Jan./Feb. 2006), page 8.

Prep: 15 min. + marinating / Broil: 15 min.
Yield: 4 servings.

¾ cup orange juice
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1 beef flank steak (1 pound)

In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cover and refrigerate ½ cup for serving. Add oil and ginger to the remaining orange sauce; pour into a large resealable bag. Add the flank steak; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade. Place steak on a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 7-8 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, warm reserved orange sauce until heated through. Thinly slice steak across the grain; serve with sauce.

Notes:
- Use reduced-sodium soy sauce.