Friday, September 12, 2025

BBQ Chicken Bowl

 

BBQ Chicken Bowl

Ingredients

Chicken

  • Seasoning Blend for Chicken
    • 4 teaspoons olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
    • Salt and pepper
    • 1-1/4 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1/16 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
    • 1-2 lbs chicken tenders or breasts

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

  • 2 pounds (2 medium) sweet potatoes peeled and cut into thin quarters
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper

For Serving

  • 1 cup white/brown rice blend per bowl (4 cups uncooked)
  • 1 batch green goddess dressing
  • BBQ sauce
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 large avocado diced, optional
  • 1 batch pickled onions optional

Pickled Onions
  • 1 cup red onion very thinly sliced
  • 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar 

Green Goddess Dressing

  • 1-1/4 cups mayo see note 1
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon diced red onion
  • 1 tablespoon basil freeze-dried or fresh (finely chopped), see note 2
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro freeze-dried or fresh (finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon parsley freeze-dried or fresh (finely chopped)
  • 1 up to 1-1/2 tablespoons dill added to preference; freeze-dried or fresh (finely chopped)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions for dressing (make ahead and refrigerate)

  • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor in order listed. Season to taste; I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Blend until smooth, ensuring herbs are evenly mixed.
  • Taste the dressing and adjust salt, pepper, garlic, or herbs to preference. It will taste best after chilling in fridge.

Instructions for pickled onions (make ahead and refrigerate)

1. Slice 1 cup of red onions very thin
2. Stir remaining ingredients in bowl and mix in onions. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Instructions

  • Rice: Cook rice according to package directions. Or try my favorite method for baking rice.
  • Chicken: Mix all ingredients and then dip chicken in mix. Cook in pan on medium high until blackened and done inside. Slice into bitesized pieces.
  • Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt (about 3/4 teaspoon), and pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon). Spread on a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake for 27–35 minutes, flipping every 10–15 minutes, until charred and tender.
  • Sauce: Make green goddess dressing according to the recipe. Chill until ready to use.
  • Assembly: Divide cooked rice evenly among 4 bowls. Top with chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, and black beans. Add avocado and pickled onions, if using. Drizzle green goddess dressing on top then drizzle with BBQ sauce. Serve immediately.

Saturday, August 23, 2025

Pork Chop Marinade

A Great Pork Chop Marinade

 Prep: 5 minutes  mins  Cook: 10 minutes  mins  Total: 15 minutes

This marinade will make any pork chops or steak extra juicy as well as infusing it with great savoury flavour and a touch of sweet. Soy sauce is the secret ingredient – it does not taste the least bit “Asiany” or soy saucey. MINIMUM MARINADE TIME: 1 hr+ for thin chops, 3 hrs+ for thick. 

Ingredients

  • 4 bone in pork chops, 2 cm / 4/5″ thick about 280g/9 oz each (Note 1)
  • 1 tbsp oil

Marinade:

  • 1/3 cup (85 ml) soy sauce (light or all purpose, not dark)
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

  • 2 garlic cloves , minced

  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. Place Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag. Massage to combine.

  2. Add chops. Massage to coat in the Marinade. Marinate for 1 – 24 hours. (Note 2)

  3. Take the chops out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.

  4. Brush BBQ grill or drizzle oil in pan, heat on medium high. Add pork and cook for 4 minutes or until the underside is caramelised and the pork releases from the grill, then turn the chops and cook for 3 minutes (Note 2 for thin chops).

  5. Baste both sides with residual marinade in ziplock bag, then cook the basted side for 30 seconds before serving. The chops should have a great crust

  6. Transfer chops to a plate, cover loosely with foil. Rest for 3 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes:

1. Chops: I used thick, bone in pork chops that were just under 2.5cm / 1″ thick. On the bone, slightly trimmed but not much, I like keeping some fat on the edges to keep the pork really juicy! This recipe will work with any quick cook cut of pork – chops, steaks, even tenderloin.

2. Minimum marinade time:

* Thin chops: 1.25 cm/ 1/2″ thick – 1 hr+

* Thick chops 2 cm / 4/5″ thick – 3 hrs+

COOK TIME for just white (juicy, no pink, reduce by 1 min for hint of blush):

* Thin chops – 3 minutes first side, 2 minutes second side, then 30 seconds on each side for basting.

* Thick chops – 4 minutes first side, 3 minutes second side, then 45 seconds on each side.

If your chops are thicker than the Thick Chops, then I’d recommend starting on the stove and finishing in the oven at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 145F / 63C.

3. Troubleshooting / tips: Once you put the chops on the BBQ, DON’T TOUCH IT! Once it is cooked, it will release naturally from the grills. If it sticks, it’s not ready to turn. If your chops are cooking too quickly and start to burn because of the sugar in the marinade, turn the heat down. Remember, these chops are meant to have a gorgeous chargrilled crust!



https://www.recipetineats.com/a-great-marinade-for-pork-chops/#recipe

Chinese Broccoli with Garlic Sauce

 

Chinese Broccoli with Garlic Sauce

Chinese Broccoli with Miso Garlic sauce is an easy and delicious kid-friendly side dish that pairs well with any Asian inspired weeknight meal! Ready in less than 10 minutes!

Time: 5

minutes

 minutesTotal Time: 7

minutes

 minutes Servings: 4 Servings Calories: 127kcal Author: Jenni

Ingredients

  • 1 Pound Broccoli

  • 2 Tablespoons Vegetable oil

  • 2 garlic cloves minced

  • 1 teaspoons fresh minced ginger

  • 2 Tablespoons water

  • 1 ½ Tablespoons miso paste

  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

  1. Trim the broccoli into bite sized florets.

  2. Steam for 3 minutes. The easiest way to do this is to plate the broccoli in a microwave bowl with 3 Tablespoons of water. Top with a microwave plate and microwave on high for 3 minutes.

  3. Stir together the water, miso paste, soy sauce and sesame oil and set aside.

  4. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.

  5. Add in the vegetable oil, and when hot, saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 15 seconds.

  6. Pour the miso mixture into the skillet. Stir constantly for 15 seconds, until slightly thickened.

  7. Add in the steamed broccoli, being careful not to add any of the water from the bowl into the skillet and toss to coat.

  8. Serve.


Recipe from https://thegingeredwhisk.com/chinese-broccoli-with-garlic-sauce/#recipe

Sunday, August 3, 2025

Chocolate Lava Cakes

 

Chocolate Lava Cakes

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.9 from 150 reviews
  • Author: Sally
  •  
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  •  
  • Cook Time: 14 minutes
  •  
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  •  
  • Yield: 4 or 6 cakes

Chocolate lava cakes with their deliciously rich molten chocolate center come together with 6 simple ingredients. Ready in just 25 minutes, this surprisingly easy and quick dessert always impresses. If you don’t have ramekins, follow my instructions for using a muffin pan instead.

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces (170g) high-quality semi-sweet chocolate*
  • 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks*
  • optional for topping: ice cream, berries, and/or chocolate syrup

Instructions

  1. Spray four 6-ounce ramekins with nonstick cooking spray and dust with cocoa powder. This ensures the cakes will seamlessly come out of the ramekins when inverted onto a plate in step 7. Or spray half of a 12-count muffin pan and dust with cocoa powder. If baking in a muffin pan, the recipe will yield 6 cakes.
  2. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
  3. Coarsely chop the chocolate. Place butter in a medium heat-proof bowl, then add chopped chocolate on top. Microwave on high in 10-second increments, stirring after each until completely smooth. Set aside.
  4. Whisk the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt together in a small bowl. Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together until combined in another small bowl. Pour the flour mixture and eggs into the bowl of chocolate. Slowly stir everything together using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. If there are any lumps, gently use your whisk to rid them. The batter will be slightly thick.
  5. Spoon chocolate batter evenly into each prepared ramekin or muffin cup.
  6. Place ramekins onto a baking sheet and bake for 12–14 minutes until the sides appear solid and firm; the tops will still look soft. *If baking in a muffin pan, the cakes only take about 8–10 minutes.
  7. Allow to cool for 1 minute, then cover each with an inverted plate and turn over. Use an oven mitt because those ramekins are hot! The cakes should release easily from the ramekin. *If you used a muffin pan, use a spoon to release the cakes from the pan and place each upside down on plates.
  8. Add toppings. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can prepare the batter through step 4. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Allow to come to room temperature (takes a couple hours) before continuing with step 5. You can freeze the baked lava cakes for up to 3 months. Allow them to cool completely before freezing. Reheat in the microwave.
  2. Special Tools (affiliate links): 6-Ounce Ramekins or 12-count Muffin Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Baking Sheet
  3. Chocolate: Make sure to use high-quality chocolate, not chocolate chips. You won’t have much “lava” with chocolate chips. I always use pure chocolate baking bars (found in the grocery store baking aisle), such as Baker’s, Ghirardelli, or Lindt. They’re typically sold in 4-ounce bars, so you will need 1 and 1/2 bars total.
  4. Eggs: For this recipe, you need 2 whole eggs plus an additional 2 egg yolks. (Use the 2 extra egg whites in an omelet or in any of these recipes with egg whites.) After 10–14 minutes in an oven this hot, the eggs should be cooked to 160°F, which is considered safe to eat. If you’re concerned, you can take the temperature with an instant read thermometer to be sure.