Grilled Chicken with Spicy Green Beans and Thai Sweet Potatos

So my boyfriend is a gourmet chef and told me this was the best thing I had made him. I took that as an awesome compliment. My aunt Judi gets credit for the sweet potatoes.

Chicken marinade
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (the thighs are so much better than the breasts)
2 jalepenos
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 cloves garlic
2 tbs olive oil
Combine ingredients in a blender until smooth. coat over chicken and let marinate for about 6 hours. grill chicken over medium heat until done.

Green Beans
1 heaping tablespoon of the siracha brand garlic and chili paste, it comes in a smaller screw on lid container and is available at any Asian market and some grocery stores.
1 tbs grated fresh ginger
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
coat over green beans about 30 minutes prior to cooking. Cook the beans in a perforated grill wok until just tender, perforated heavy duty tin foil can be substituted. However I totally recommend getting a grill wok, you can find them at the amazing Target.

Thai sweet potatoes
3 large sweet potatoes
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 tsp panang or red curry powder
salt and pepper
1 tbs butter
Combine the sweet potatoes with the coconut milk, curry powder, and salt until smooth. Top with small cubes of butter and bake in a oven proof dish in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Serve the potatoes garnished with cilantro and green onion, topped by the green beans and the chicken. Enjoy

Grilled Sirloin with Smokey Salsa Verde

I love tomatillo salsa, and I love steak. The combo works out great when you do both on the grill. Make extra salsa and serve it with chips as an appetizer.

Steak Marinade
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 tbs red wine vinegar
cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. I just estimate amounts and throw in a little bit

coat over steak and marinate in the fridge, the longer the better. Grill on medium heat until medium rare. let rest then slice into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Salsa Verde
6 tomatillos
2 jalepenos
3 large serrano peppers
1/2 white onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tbs cilantro
1 tbs brown sugar
salt

grill tomatillos and jalepenos whole, cut onion into large pieces so they will not fall through the grill grates. Grill until slightly charred and soft. Remove the seeds from 1 of the jalepenos,and 2 of the serranos, unless you want your salsa spicier. Remove the hard stem/core of the tomatillos. Combine ingredients in a blender until smooth. refrigerate until cooled.

Serve the sirloin with a side of the salsa verde. The grilled meat and the smokey and spicy salsa go perfect with ice cold beer.

Latin Cesar Salad

I have to give credit to my aunt Judi for this one. Its perfect for summer time

3 heads romaine washed and torn
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated manchego cheese

toss together all ingredients except the cheese until well combined

Dressing
1/4 cup mayo
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs siracha
2 tbs lime juice

combine well with a fork, add to the salad mixture and toss until well coated. Add the grated cheese and continue to toss until fully incorporated. serve immediately. I like to limit the red onion depending on what I'm serving it with, and make sure it is very finely chopped.

Grilled Asparagus and Mozzarella Bread Salad

So while I was on the crouton kick I made this also.

1/3 large loaf sourdough bread
3 tomatoes cut into wedges
Fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 bushel asparagus
1/4 red onion finely chopped

cut bread into 1 inch cubes and toast at 350 until crisp
season asparagus with grill seasoning and grill until just tender, cut into 1 inch pieces.

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
garlic powder
salt and pepper
finely chopped fresh basil
lemon zest

whisk ingredients until well combined and pour over salad. toss with tongs until well coated, let sit in the fridge for 20 minutes then serve cold.
The bread should soak up just enough dressing to be coated and chewier but not saturated. The basil with the tomatoes and mozzarella is delicious of course.

Feta and Tomato Salad with Lemon Mint Dressing

There is a coffee shop/bakery across the street from the restaurant where I work. The guy who runs the bakery always brings us the day old bread he cannot sell anymore, so I had an abundance of delicious bread I needed to use. My favorite thing to do with it was make croutons. They ended up being perfect for this recipe.

Salad
half a loaf of yummy crusty bread (i used ciabatta, but sourdough would work too)
3 large tomatoes, diced into large pieces
2 large heads romaine lettuce torn and washed.
1 container of crumbled feta

cut the bread into 1 inch cubes, and toast in the oven at 350 until crisp and toasted.
combine all ingredients in a bowl

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2tbs red wine vinegar
1tbs lemon juice
1tbs mayo
about 4 or 5 sprigs dried mint, crumbled. If you roll in in your palms it breaks down nicely
slightly less than 1 tbs honey
salt and pepper
whisk dressing until well combined and pour over the salad, toss the salad with tongs until everything is well coated. Serve immediately.
The feta combined with the lemon and mint is perfect for summer.