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

Banana Oat Muffins

Adapted from AllRecipes.com.

Prep: 15 min / Cook: 25-30 min.
Yield: 12-18 muffins

1 cup + 1 Tbs rolled oats, divided
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 large very ripe bananas
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Streusel topping:
1/3 cup rolled oats
4 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbs. butter, chilled
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray muffin tin or line with paper muffin cups

Place 1 cup rolled oats in a food processor and process until ground.  In a large bowl, combine ground oats with flours, 1 Tbs. rolled oats, chopped nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the banana and vanilla.  Stir in sour cream.  Mix oat/flour mixture into the egg mixture.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan.

To make topping, combine 1/3 cup rolled oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in 1/4 cup chopped nuts.  Generously sprinkle muffins with topping.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Notes:
- One reviewer said she chose not to process the oats because she liked their texture, so do what you want.
- The original recipe also called for 1 tsp. of baking soda but neglected to say when to add it.  I completely forgot about the baking soda and the muffins turned out just fine.
- I didn't pre-mash my bananas even though the original recipe said to.  I'm getting lazy.
- I was short on sour cream and ended up using a Tbs. or so of vanilla yogurt to make up for it.  No problems.

Stuffed Zucchini

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Yield: 6-8 servings

4 medium zucchini (about 8 oz each), stems removed
4 Tbs. olive oil
3 medium red potatoes (about 1 lb), cut into 1/2" cubes
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 medium tomatoes (about 1 1/4 lbs), seeded and chopped
1/3 cup shredded fresh basil leaves or 1 Tbs dried
6 oz (about 1 1/2 cups) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper

Adjust one oven rack to the upper-middle position and one to the lowest position, then place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on each rack.  Heat oven to 400F.

Meanwhile, halve zucchini lengthwise.  Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds and most of the flesh so that the walls are about 1/4" thick all the way around.  Brush the cut sides with 2 Tbs of the oil and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the potatoes with 1 Tbs. olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Spread in a single layer on the hot baking sheet that has been preheating on the upper rack; return to oven.

Place the zucchini halves, cut-side down, on the hot baking sheet that has been preheating on the lower rack; return to oven.  Roast the zucchini until slightly softened and skins are slightly wrinkled, about 10 minutes, while simultaneously roasting the potatoes until they are tender and lightly browned, 12-14 minutes.

When the zucchini has finished roasting, remove it from the oven using tongs, flip the zucchini halves over on the baking sheet, and set aside.

While the zucchini and potatoes are roasting, heat the remaining 1 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes and cooked potatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in basil, 1/2 cup cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

Divide filling evenly among zucchini halves on the baking sheet, packing it lightly; sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Return the zucchini to the oven, this time to the upper rack, and bake until heated through and cheese is spotty brown, about 6 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Notes:
- I felt like the zucchini flesh was going to waste, but I was so preoccupied with everything else I was making for dinner that I forgot about it.  I wonder how it would be to chop it up and add at least some of it back in with the onions and garlic.
- The original recipe uses 1 whole medium onion and 5 large cloves of garlic.
- Perhaps pepper jack cheese would be yummy, too.

Portobello & Basil Cheese Tortellini

Adapted from Simple & Delicious (June/July 2011), page 51.

Prep: 15 min / Cook: 30 min
Yield: 4-6 servings

1 pkg. (19 oz) cheese tortellini
1 lb. sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbs. minced fresh basil or 3 tsp. dried basil

Cook tortellini according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender, adding mushrooms a couple minutes into cooking.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Stir on broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.

Add the cream, half-and-half, salt, and pepper.  Cook 4-5 minutes longer or until slightly thickened.  Drain tortellini; add to the skillet.  Stir in cheese and basil.

Notes:
- Check your tortellini package to see how long it cooks and then add it to the boiling water that much before you'll add it to the skillet.  It's never fun to have your pasta cooked way before the rest of the food.
- I love basil, so I'm tempted to say it needs more.
- My sauce didn't really thicken.  I might add a little cornstarch or flour next time, but just a little.

Southwest Sourdough Chicken Panini

We came up with this recipe based on ingredients we already had on hand, and it turned out to be delicious!  Matt has said multiple times how much he liked it.

Prep: 10 min / Cook: 5 min.

Yield: 3 sandwiches

6 slices sourdough bread
1 tomato, sliced
6 slices pepper jack, Monterey jack, or provolone cheese
3 tsp. diced green chilies
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp chipotle adobo sauce, or to taste
Grilled chicken, sliced (we prefer to use this Southwest rub)

Mix together mayonnaise and adobo sauce.  Spread on each slice of bread.  Cover with cheese slices.  Spread diced green chilies on half of each sandwich (so 3 slices of bread).  Place chicken and tomato slices over chilies.  Cover with other half of sandwich.

Grill in a panini press for about 5 minutes on high, or until cheese has melted and bread is golden and crispy.  You may also make these in a skillet, flipping them over to grill both sides.

Notes:
- I recommend starting with a little less adobo sauce and adding more until it reaches the heat you'd like.  You can chop up part of a chipotle pepper to mix in with the mayo, too, if you like.
- We used some leftover grilled chicken that had been seasoned with a delicious southwest rub.
- Instead of making your own chipotle mayo, you can buy it at the store if you like.

Havarti Shrimp Quesadillas

Adapted from Taste of Home (June/July 2010), page 22.

Prep: 10 min / Cook: 5 min each
Yield: 6 quesadillas

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp. canola oil
2 tsp. butter
6 Tbs. apricot jam
6 flour tortillas
6 oz. Havarti cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
1/2 lb cooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped

In a large skillet, saute mushrooms in oil and butter until tender.

Spread 1 Tbs. jam over half of each tortilla; top with cheese, shrimp, and mushrooms.  Fold tortillas over.

Grill quesadillas, uncovered, over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted.  Cut and serve.

Notes:
- Diced fresh tomatoes would probably be really good in these.