Garlic Lime Chicken

This chicken recipe is one of the best that I've ever made and I plan to make it often. It was quick to prepare but consider mixing up the spices the night ahead of time if you are going to be rushed for time--you may even want to mix up extra and store it in a jar. It would be great on seafood as well. I served it with sauteed zucchini and grilled corn on the cob.


Garlic Lime Chicken


1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (can be omitted if you are tender-tongued)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or about 12 tenderloins
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons lime juice (I just squeezed 2 limes on top and didn't measure)

In a small bowl, mix together all seasonings, except the last measurement of garlic powder and lime juice. Dredge chicken breasts in seasoning mix on both sides. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté chicken until golden brown, about six minutes on each side. Sprinkle with remaining garlic powder and lime juice and cook 5 minutes stirring frequently to coat evenly with the sauce. Serves 6.

320 Calories; 9g Fat; 55g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate

Chili-Spiced Asparagus

This is a simple, fresh side dish that would compliment many meals. Try it when you are grilling to eliminate the need to use the oven. This is pictured with Grilled Lime and Chipotle Marinated Tuna.

Chili-Spiced Asparagus
Makes 4 servings

1 t. extra-virgin olive oil or canola
2 bunches asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder or 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (I used chili powder)
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar (I used red-wine vinegar)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and water; cook, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chili powder (or paprika), garlic powder and salt; cook until the asparagus is tender-crisp, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add vinegar and stir to coat.

Lime and Chipotle Marinated Fish

Lime and Chipotle Marinated Fish

6, 4-ounce fresh or frozen swordfish or tuna steaks, cut 3/4-inch thick (I used tuna from Trader Joes)
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
1/4 cup lime juice
1 T. chipotle chili powder or diced chipotle in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Thaw fish, if frozen. For marinade, combine lime peel, lime juice, chipotle, oil, garlic, cilantro, pepper, and salt. Place fish in a plastic bag set into a shallow dish. Pour marinade over fish in bag. Seal bag; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.
Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Place fish on greased grill rack directly over medium heat. Grill fish on a greased grill rack on medium for 6 to 8 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with a fork, turning once halfway through grilling time.

I served ours with grilled corn on the cob and Chili-Spiced Asparagus (recipe coming soon).

Dewey's Pizza - Grandview

We finally made it to Dewey’s Pizza in Grandview to try the pizza that we heard so much about. While I definitely won’t say it was bad, it was below what I was expecting. The building looks pretty small from the outside but appears to be rather large when you walk in, mostly due to the high ceiling. There isn’t a lot of seating, but since it was a Tuesday night at about 8:30, we were seated right away in a booth. A waitress came over right away to explain the menu and take drink orders. They have GREAT beer on tap...maybe 6 or 7 selections, but definitely higher quality beer, such as Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, seasonals from Bell’s and CBC, and the like. I actually do not remember what I ordered for beer and it isn’t listed on the online menu…it was a heifenwiesen though, and it was VERY good. He had the Stone Pale Ale, which is good if you like Pale Ale…it had a “fall” taste to me, but I have weird beer assessments like that. They also offer a couple of domestic bottles as well as a selection of wine. So far so good.

We ordered a ½ and ½ pizza so we could have some variety. Half was The Green Lantern with red sauce, mozzarella, minced garlic, mushrooms (which we declined), goat cheese, artichokes and pesto, and the other half was Southwest BBQ Chicken with white sauce, smoked cheddar and mozzarella, black bean corn salsa, amish chicken, roasted red peppers, and BBQ sauce.

When the pizza was brought out just a short time later, it appeared to have a thick crust and plenty of toppings. We both tasted the BBQ chicken first and upon picking it up from the pan we realized that we would need to eat it with a fork, as the bottom crust was rather thin and flimsy and drooped downward. The taste was really good though. We both liked the BBQ sauce a lot and wished there was more on it than just a thick drizzle. There was only 1 piece of chicken on my slice, but it may have just been the piece that I picked. The outer crust was very fluffy, but by the time we got to it we realized that it was very airy and had squished down to about a 1/3 of the original size…good flavor still though. Next we tried Green Lantern slices. I thought that there was enough of all of the toppings and that it was a great flavor combination. It wasn’t very saucy, which was probably good for this one because the flavors of the goat cheese and pesto were really able to stand out and the red sauce would have taken away from them if it were thicker. I liked this one a lot, but the crust was the same description as above. He didn’t like the flavors so he ate the BBQ chicken and I ate the Green Lantern.

Service was excellent---several different servers stopped by to check on us, rather than just one, so I’m not sure if that’s customary or just how it happened that night. It was nice though because we wouldn’t have felt like we had to wait around if we needed something---we could have just waved anyone down.

So while the beer, service, and flavors were great, it wasn’t our favorite pizza and didn’t really seem worth the $17.95 for a medium pizza, mostly because the crust wasn’t what we were hoping for. I did love that we could split a pizza down the middle as far as toppings though, because that would be very useful to us. I do recognize that a LOT of people really like this pizza though, so I don’t want to discourage anyone from trying it. As a matter of fact, I think everyone should try it…..pizza is personal and everyone likes different things when it comes to pizza. We both agreed that if someone else invited us to Dewey’s, we’d definitely go back, but we probably wouldn’t suggest it ourselves. I’d have to say I prefer zpizza when comparing the two.
Have you been to Dewey’s yet? What did you try and did you like it? What is your favorite pizza in Columbus---we’d be happy to do some more taste tests!

Dewey's Pizza
1327 W 5th Ave
Columbus, OH 43212
(614) 487-8282


1327 W 5th AveColumbus, OH 43212(614) 487-8282

Nacho Spuds

I changed this Rachael Ray recipe a bit, but the concept is still the same---I just added some veggies and used salsa instead of tomatoes. I forgot to take a picture. It was very good and (relatively) healthy.
Nacho Spuds
Adapted From Every Day with Rachael Ray

2 large baking potatoes (1 1/2 pounds total), sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil – I used spray oil, so less than 2 T.
Salt and pepper
Chopped onion and garlic, if desired (maybe a 1/2 an onion and 2 cloves garlic)
Chopped zucchini or other veggie, if desired
1/2 pound lean ground beef sirloin
One 15-ounce can black or pinto beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (Ortega is GF)
1-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used about 1 cup)
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered lengthwise (I used salsa, which I stirred into the cooked meat)
Sour cream and shredded lettuce, for serving

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil or spray with cooking oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray or drizzle with oil. Cook onions and garlic until softened, if using -- (I also added chopped zucchini at this point, because I had a ½ of zucchini to use). Add ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the beans, taco seasoning and 3 tablespoons water. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring, until heated through, about 10 minutes. If it’s starting to get dry, just add a little more water.
Transfer the potatoes an oven-safe dish or pan (9x13 pyrex or a pizza pan). Sprinkle half of the cheddar on top, spoon on the meat mixture, then top with the tomatoes and remaining cheddar. Since I didn’t use actual tomatoes, I just stirred the salsa into the beef mixture before spreading on the potatoes. Place in the oven and turn off the heat. Let stand until the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with the sour cream and lettuce.

***The recipe calls for another ½ T. olive oil to cook the meat…I never need extra oil when cooking ground beef – even using 93% lean. I don’t have any problem with it sticking in my cast iron pan. If I’m cooking onions in the pan first, I’ll spray it with cooking spray for those.

Blondies are more fun...

Not literally, but these blondies are a great substitute for brownies. They taste similar to a chocolate chip cookie, but are softer and have a slightly stronger brown sugar flavor. I made these for a weekend trip and they traveled well. They aren't very thick so they aren't overwhelmingly sweet....like the Poor Man's Caramel Apple that I ate at the fair last Thursday. Take them to a picnic or party instead of brownies and people will be impressed...plus they are super quick to mix up and pretty hard to screw up...

Chocolate Chip Blondies

1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I used mini chips and didn't measure, so I probably used more than 1 cup).

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla just until blended. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to brown sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Yield: 3 dozen.

Calorie: 102 Fat: 4 g Chol: 19 mg Sodium: 72 mg Carb: 16 g Fiber: 0 g Protein: 1 g

Happy Hour- Bodega

If you like “good beer” I strongly encourage you to go to Bodega for a happy hour.
They have 50 beers on tap, which change throughout the months – all of which are ½ price during Happy Hour from 4 – 8 p.m. Monday-Friday. I believe that bottles are also discounted, but I don’t know the exact discount. As far as food goes, on Mondays they serve $1 grilled cheese, and they have an incredible Brie Plate appetizer. We also split a pizza, which was good, but not crazy-memorable.

I’ve read some reviews complaints that service is terrible and that the place is full of “hipsters”, but when we went, we didn’t have any trouble with service during the 3 hours that we sat there and I don’t really care what other “kind” of people are at a bar, so I didn’t even notice. I take reviews pretty lightly because rarely are they similar to my experience.

Bodega · 1044 N High St · 614-299-9399

Mexican Mash-Up Recipe

Call this recipe whatever you'd like, because I just made it up. It's a very healthy but filling dish and can be altered as much as you'd like. I didn't get a picture of it, but I don't know how attractive the pic would have been anyway...Enjoy!


Mexican Mash-up

1 lb. chicken breast
1 bag of frozen peppers, sliced or diced (I used Trader Joes Melange a Trois)…could also use fresh
½ - 1 onion, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
Oil or butter for pan
Mexican seasonings of your choice
Avocado
Salsa as topping (optional)
Serve with corn tortillas, cooked rice, or over lettuce or spinach

Cook and shred chicken breast in your preferred method, seasoning well with whatever mexican spices you prefer. If you don’t have a pre-mixed Mexican spice, consider using some cumin, cayenne, garlic, chili powder…whatever you like. I put my chicken in a crockpot and sprinkled heavily with Fajita Magic and squeezed half a lime on top. After 4-5 hours on high, it was cooked through, shredded, sprinkled with more seasoning to taste, and put in the fridge until dinner the next day. When ready to prepare meal, slice onion into thin-ish slices. Heat oil or butter in pan on low-med and start cooking the onions, stirring every few minutes. Chop the garlic if using fresh and toss in with the onions once the onions start to soften. When the onions start to brown lightly, dump the peppers in to cook. If using frozen peppers there will be a lot of liquid to cook down once they thaw…just keep cooking until the liquid has evaporated and the peppers start to brown. If using fresh, cook until they are tender and beginning to get browned. The browning gives them a grilled flavor, but probably isn’t necessary if you don’t feel like waiting around. While those are cooking, dice the avocado and sprinkle with some Mexican spices (even taco seasoning mix would work). Top the warmed chicken with the onions and peppers and serve in your preferred method. Don’t mix the avocado throughout if you are going to have leftovers because it will turn brown and gross.
Serve on rice, corn, tortillas, or over spinach as a salad…which is my favorite way. With the avocado, you don’t need any type of salad dressing or cheese.

Green Bean Snack

Green Bean Snack
Since I picked up my first quart of green beans at the Pearl Alley Farmer’s Market a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been “needing” to have crisp, cold green beans as an afternoon snack. These are very simple and I can prepare and package them in advance.

1 qt. green beans
Pepper
Sea salt
Lemon-Pepper Seasoning (I have a grinder of this from Trader Joes that costs $1.99)
Half a lemon

Bring enough water to a boil to cover beans while washing and snapping the stem ends off the beans. Once boiling, add the green beans and watch closely. You want them to remain bright green and crisp, so don’t overcook. After a couple of minutes, I’ll scoop one out and run under cold water and bite it to check to see if it’s “done” enough. This will be based on your preference, but don’t let them get soggy. While beans are boiling, I’ll fill a large enough bowl with ice water, so that when they are done, I can drain the beans and place them in the ice bath so that they stop cooking. Sometimes I need to change the water so that they cool down enough. When cooled, drain and squeeze the lemon over the beans and sprinkle with the desired amount of seasonings. I like mine heavily seasoned.

I divide between 3 containers and take in my lunch to snack on right from the fridge.

The Time Traveler's Wife

I just finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and I absolutely LOVED it (thanks, Ashlee!). I'm not usually a fan of fiction with a slight science fiction or fantasy twist, but it was so well-written and such a good story that it was impossible to not get drawn in. You may have seen previews for the movie, which I believe will be in theatres on August 15th, so you may want to read the book between now and then. Stop by your local library to see if a copy is available. If not, a new copy is only $8.22 through Amazon.com and is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping. Click below to buy from Amazon...

Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe

At some point I came across some recipes for homemade taco seasoning mix. Since I always have all of the spices, it made sense to just make up a batch of my own instead of getting mad and sending Loren to the store every time I needed a packet of taco seasoning. So…I don’t know where this recipe came from, as with many of the recipes that I have, but it is pretty good. You can adjust any of the seasoning amounts if you’re looking for a different flavor. Sometimes I add some chipotle chili powder for a smoky taste and because I’m obsessed with chipotles. Does anyone else make a homemade taco seasoning? If so, please give me the recipes so that I may try your version.

Taco Seasoning1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container. Use as you would any taco seasoning…you’ll have to estimate the amount that you’d use in place of a packet.

Savory Pancakes and Cast Iron Pans

I threw together some ingredients last weekend for a breakfast/brunch dish and was really pleased with how easy and good they were. I was going to make regular pancakes, but didn’t have any bacon or sausage links or patties to serve on the side. I did have some browned loose sausage in the freezer that I thought I could throw in with the batter to incorporate the meat into the dish. I really don’t have measurements for any of this, but you can add as little or as much of anything that you’d like

Savory Pancakes

1 batch of pancake mix, mixed accordingly to directions on the box or a homemade recipe
1 cup or so of browned sausage crumbles or crumbled bacon
½ shredded zucchini, if desired (or other veggie)
Savory spices according to your preferences, this is approximately what I used:
Crushed red pepper flakes
Garlic
Basil
Thyme
Onion powder
Oregano
Salt
Pepper

After the batter is mixed, stir in meat and zucchini if using. I didn’t want sausage in all of the pancakes so I cooked a batch before I stirred in the sausage. Shake desired amount of spices that you’d like to use—don’t worry about measuring, just guess. It’s always better to use a little less than more if you aren’t sure. I probably used at least 1/4 of a teaspoon of each of the above spices, some probably more of. Prepare skillet or griddle with nonstick cooking spray, butter, or oil and heat until drops of water sizzle when dripped into pan. Pour batter into skillet and flip after bubbles start to pop on the surface of the pancakes. Remove from heat when both sides are golden brown. Serve with a touch of syrup if you like to mix salty and sweet or possibly even some sort of gravy if you’d prefer your dish to be completely savory.

If you have a cast iron pan, they work great for pancakes. I ordered one of these Lodge Logic Cast Iron Pans (the 12 inch) from Amazon and I will be getting more because I use it for so much and want other sizes. They come preseasoned, so they are easy to care for from the start. These ship free with a $25 purchase from Amazon and are part of the Buy 3, Get the 4th free promotion (they don't have to be the same item...just part of the promotion). They are American-made

8 inch Cast Iron Pan


10 inch Cast Iron Pan


12 inch Cast Iron Pan