Tangy Mustard Chicken

I've been using chicken thighs more often lately--they have more flavor than chicken breasts and cost less too. The thighs do have a higher fat content than the breasts do, but still have less fat than beef or pork. Used in moderation, chicken thighs are a good addition to your dinner menu.

Tangy Mustard Chicken

1/4 cup yellow mustard

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 Tbsp dry mustard powder

1/4-1/2 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 Tbsp olive oil

4 chicken thighs

Combine yellow mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard powder, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 of the sauce in a separate bowl.

Baste chicken thighs with sauce.

Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan. When hot, add chicken thighs. Cook 8-12 minutes (depends on size of thigh) on one side without disturbing. Flip thighs over, baste with sauce, and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes or until done. Top with reserved mustard sauce.

Grill-Roasted Turkey Breast (for Gas Grill)

Last Sunday I was planning to toss this turkey breast in the slow cooker, go to church, and come home to a delicious dinner. That plan failed when I realized my slow cooker is much too small to even consider putting something this size in it.

I ended up searching online and found this great recipe from Cook's Country. It's simple, fairly quick, and honestly one of the best tasting turkeys I have ever had.

Grill-Roasted Turkey Breast

1 bone-in whole turkey breast (5-6 lbs), thawed

3 Tbsp brown sugar, divided

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2-3 Tbsp butter

Rinse turkey breast in cool water. Pat dry with paper towels.

Combine 2 Tbsp brown sugar and salt in a small bowl. Gently loosen skin on turkey. Rub brown sugar and salt mixture onto and under skin. Wrap turkey tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Remove plastic wrap. Pat turkey dry again with paper towels.

Combine remaining 1 Tbsp brown sugar and pepper in a small bowl. Rub onto and under turkey skin.

Use a skewer to poke numerous holes throughout the turkey breast.

Cut butter into very thin slices. Scatter butter slices under skin.

Turn all burners on gas grill to high. Cover, and let heat for 15 minutes.

Leave primary burner on high. Turn off all other burners. Place turkey breast, skin side up, on cooler part of grill.

Cover and grill. Lift lid only once, after about 40 minutes, and rotate turkey breast. Continue cooking until thickest part of meat registers 160 degrees on meat thermometer (about 70-90 minutes). Remove from grill. Cover with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Serve.

Creamy Quinoa Primavera

Have you tried quinoa? It seems to be the newest wonder food that's popping up in recipes everywhere. Quinoa is a grain that is unique because it is also a complete protein (like meat). The name is pronounced KEEN-wah and it tastes like a mixture between oatmeal and brown rice.

Creamy Quinoa Primavera

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
5 cups finely chopped assorted fresh vegetables
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
4 oz cream cheese
2 tsp dried basil

Rinse quinoa in warm water. Combine quinoa and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat slightly, keep covered, and allow to cook until all broth is absorbed--about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash and chop vegetables. Anything will work. I used zucchini, sweet onion, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, and broccoli.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add garlic and vegetables. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Once all the broth has been absorbed by the quinoa, add cream cheese and basil. Continue stirring and cooking until cream cheese is well-distributed. Add vegetables. Stir to combine. Top with Parmesean cheese if desired. Serve.

World's Best Pasta Sauce

I'm usually pretty skeptical of "world's best" claims, but this pasta sauce really is the best sauce I've ever had. This will work with any kind of pasta--I used orecchiette.

World's Best Pasta Sauce

8 oz ground Italian Sausage, sweet or mild flavored

6 oz ground beef

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

14 oz can crushed tomatoes

6 oz can tomato paste

8 oz can tomato sauce

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Combine sausage, beef, onion, and garlic in medium frying pan. Cook until meat is no longer pink.

Combine sausage mixture with remaining ingredients in a crock-pot. Cook on low for 4 hours. Serves 6.

Taco Seasoning

Why buy the packaged stuff from the store when you can easily make an even better seasoning yourself? I suggest making a triple or quadruple recipe and storing it in the pantry so that it will always be ready to go. Thanks to Winco and their cheap bulk spice prices, this cost me about $0.35 to make.

Taco Seasoning

2 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp ground cumin

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.

To use, simply add 1.5 to 3 Tbsp of seasoning and a little water to 1 lb of cooked ground beef. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes. It is also great as a tortilla chip dip when mixed with a 50/50 combination of sour cream and mayonnaise and allowed to sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Teriyaki Chicken

This teriyaki chicken is quick and absolutely delicious. It's my new favorite recipe. It's good hot for dinner and then cold for lunch the next day. Plus, chicken thighs tend to be fairly cheap.

Teriyaki Chicken

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 chicken thighs

2 tsp sesame seeds

Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, pepper, and garlic in a large plastic bag. Add chicken thighs and toss to coat. Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for one hour, tossing chicken every 15 minutes or so.

Place chicken skin side down on a broiler pan. Broil for 6 minutes. Turn chicken over, and cook for an additional 6 minutes. Top with sesame seeds. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and move oven rack to middle shelf. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Let sit for 2-3 minutes. Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders

Here's a slightly more sophisticated chicken nugget with honey mustard--although the Wendy's version is delicious too!

Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp yellow mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp honey

Salt and Pepper

1 lb chicken tenders

2 cups panko bread crumbs

Whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, vinegar, and honey. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1/4 of the sauce in a separate bowl.

Place chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into strips) into a pie dish. Pour in remaining sauce. Turn chicken to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least four hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place panko bread crumbs into another pie dish. Remove chicken from the refrigerator. Pick up each individual piece, place in the bread crumbs, and stir to coat.

Bake chicken on a greased cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes. Then turn on broiler and broil for an additional 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly browned.

Serve with reserved sauce.