Mediterranean Chicken Phyllo Cups

There are two things that I love about being invited to a dinner party.  First, I don't have to clean the house.  Second, I don't have to worry about the main course.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore having people come over whom I get to feed.  But there's a delightful ease to being a guest...the host assigns you to appetizer/vegetable/dessert duty and all you have to do is take your assignment and run with it.  It's a great time to try new dishes, knowing the weight of the meal doesn't rest alone on your shoulders.  So when the hubs and I were assigned to appetizer duty for a dinner party last night, I was tickled Greek.  Literally.

Roasted Sesame Stir Fry

There is nothing quite as disheartening as an atypical ingredient in a new recipe you're all jazzed to try.  Fenugreek?  Cardoon?  How about jaggery?  Definitely not your standard pantry dwellers.  Lemongrass is one that I struggle with in particular, always wanting that truly authentic flavor but never being able to find it at a local market (anyone in Ohio reading this, hook a foodie up).  Typically I steer clear of these oddballs, but here I embrace my favorite specialty oil - roasted sesame.  Trust me, this is an ingredient you need to try, especially in this deliciously healthy and easy little stir fry.

Roast Vegetable Gravy - a.k.a. The Last Gravy Recipe You'll Ever Need

For better or for worse, everyone has a signature dish for which they are known.  Gourmands may be recognized for something spectacular such as tartare, artisan bread or decadent chocolates.  Others are known for frozen pizza, refrigerated crescent rolls or the ever popular blue box mac & cheese.  Be they on the high or low end of the spectrum, the hubs and I enjoy all of these food items on occasion.  As for me....well, I'm not exactly sure of where I fall on this spectrum for I am known for a holiday condiment.

Hazelnut & Brown Sugar Roasted Hens w/ Butternut, Grape & Sage Stuffing

After the spending an abundance of summer days in front of the barbecue, there is nothing that the hubs and I enjoy quite like a roast bird.  Not only does it make an excellent and super fancy-shmancy dinner, but the oven also helps heat the house.  Cooking absolutely has its perks.  Warm home, delicious dinner...that's a win-win combo.

Grilled Chicken Cornbread with Peaches & Pepper Jack

So the hubs was out of town last week, which meant I really got to play in the kitchen.  Perhaps it's the fact that we're still pretty-newlyweds, but I usually try to stick with dishes that he will enjoy throughout the week.  Granted, he gives me a pretty wide berth with things like Watermelon Habanero Gazpacho and Pesto Pomegranate Pasta.  But when he goes out of town, I tend to get even wackier.  Why not have an artichoke white wine sauce with my turkey meatballs?  Sure I'll try a goat cheese, strawberry and asparagus breakfast burrito.  (For the record, both of those were delicious.)  But one of my little creations absolutely took the cake last week!  Or should I say cornbread?  This will be recreated for the hubs without a doubt.

Peachy Hazelnut Crusted Chicken

What's the first thing you crave when you see fresh peaches at the market?  You probably imagine sinking your teeth into that fuzzy exterior, the scent of freshly baked peach pie and crumbly dutch cobblers.  Thoughts of sweet and tender fruit dance like sugar plum fairies around in your head. Odds are you are not being swept away by thoughts of sriracha and a gas grill...unless you're me.  As soon as these pop up in the produce section, I pounce thinking of one thing:  barbecue sauce.  It's time to pull out the chicken and hazelnuts to make my all-time favorite chicken recipe - Peachy Hazelnut Crusted Chicken.  Oh yeah.

Roasted Mexican Soup

It seems that every year, some crop is absolutely gorgeous.  Right now, I'm totally stuck on the glorious ears of  corn that are cropping up left and right (pun intended!).  These gorgeous ears can't make it to my mouth fast enough.  We've been grilling them up left and right, using our special family recipe and other fabulous creations.  But what I've been making more than anything is Roasted Mexican Soup.  I absolutely love this stuff in the summer.

Jalapeno Pepper Pasta

Long, long ago I taught three year-olds at an early childhood development center.  And they did not like bell peppers because "peppers are hot".  Last week I went to grab fajitas with a co-worker, who ordered hers without peppers because "peppers are hot".  Typically, I laugh manically and try to explain that bell peppers are pretty much the opposite of hot.  Sweet, fresh and bright are better words to describe their flavor.  However, there are times when my little three's class and co-workers are right...and peppers are hot.  Jalapeno, habanero and serrano will all set your mouth ablaze.  It just so happens that the hubs and I love both bell and hot peppers.  So it is with fond recollection of these individuals that I bring you this recipe tonight.  We're making bell peppers hot, folks.

Buffalo Pesto

My all-time favorite way to eat chicken is grilled with Frank's RedHot sauce and fresh basil.  I've been eating it this way for so long, I don't even remember where I came up with the idea to pair these two disparate items.  But for some reason, they are insanely good together.  Everyone I've ever fed this combo to has been delightfully happy with the flavor.  And justly so, because what's not to love?  Zesty RedHot, fresh basil and tender chicken breast...all wonderful.  So good, I wanted to put it on everything I ate.  So I figured out a more spreadable solution by transforming the duo into a pesto.  Mayo and mustard never knew what hit them.   

Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash

I am an absolute fiend for Frank's RedHot Sauce.  Spicy, bright and tangy, I sprinkle this on chicken about once a week.  No need for fancy the Barbecue or Smokey flavors, please pass the classic RedHot.  This delicious condiment is the essential ingredient to one of America's classic favorites - buffalo sauce.  (*pause for mouth wipe*)  Toss that name in front of anything and it sounds about 20 times more delicious.  Buffalo chicken, buffalo pizza, buffalo cauliflower...I want to eat them all.  But one of my absolute favorites ways to serve this sauce is a la spaghetti squash.

Thai Chicken Nachos

You know what they say about great minds thinking alike?  Even more true when you're married.  This dish absolutely the best disparate yet tag-team cooking act that has come out of our kitchen.  One brings the idea, the other executes.  That's what marriage is all about for a couple of foodies.

Everyone knows Thai chicken pizza.  And to know this dish is to love it.  Creamy peanut sauce, tender chicken, fresh veggies and crunchy peanuts are all so very lovable.  Just throw it all together on a crust, bind it with a bit of cheese and voila, delicious Thai flavors served up Italian style.  But why stop at Italy?  Why not sail away to South America and mix it up with Mexico?  Hence, the Thai Chicken Nacho was born.

Thai Peanut Chicken & Zucchini Tartine

Forget cocoa puffs.  I go coo-coo for zucchini.  And with very good reason.  Any vegetable that can be baked with chocolate, layered with cheese, breaded with panko, grilled with garlic or mixed into lemon loaf is a winner.  This fabulous veggie is filled with moisture that makes your breads tender, your pancakes pop and your grill basket grin (not the best, but I like alliteration).  

Though I grew up with a garden where I could pluck a zucchini at whim, our second floor apartment is not exactly primo zucchini planting ground.  Most of the year, I am limited to the wee zucchinis available at the local market.  Delicious, but small.  Fortunately, has been a lovely hot summer with perfect zucchini-growing conditions.  Friends have zucchini bursting out of their ears and are feeling extra generous.  Needless to say, when someone left a zucchini the size of my thigh on my desk, I did not turn up my nose.  Rather, I took to the challenge with glee.  It has brought out some very creative and delicious new recipes, such as these delicious grilled zucchini tartines with Thai peanut chicken.  

Green Goddess Pasta & Parmesan Baked Chicken

Avocados are nature's butter.  Pretty much anything you would ever think of topping with a pat of butter, I counter you with a hunk of avocado.  Smear it on any carb and you have a delicious and far more nutritious fat source.  It's amazing on biscuits, burritos, eggs, chickpea salads, guacamole....you can mash it, slice it, dice it or serve it whole.  I love the stuff.

Baked Coconut Chicken Nuggets

I've been on a coconut kick!  The use of my leftover coconut milk in my Roasted Root Vegetable & Coconut Milk Soup with Fried Sage inspired me to experiment in new and different ways.  So I decided to take the classic chicken nugget and dress it up a bit.  These babies are a hybrid between coconut shrimp and chicken nuggets, and are definitely a bit hit with the hubs for lunch.  The pup looked pretty envious as well....

Low-Fat Green Chile & Chicken Enchiladas

We love Latin American food.  Seriously, it's almost inappropriate.  We eat various cuisines from south of the border 3-4 times a week.....for dinner.  Throw breakfast and lunch in there, and woah buddy.  Generally, we head for the super spiced foods such as jalapenos, chorizo and picamas (a Guatemalan hot sauce.....so good!)  But we also love green chiles.  They have less heat and a great flavor that is all their own.

grilled polenta with goat cheese, spinach & tomato chicken

For those of you who are not regularly enjoying all the delights that polenta has to offer, you need to get on board!  It is AMAZING!  You can have it soft, grilled, savory, sweet, for breakfast, dinner, dessert....whatever.  It's incredibly versatile, delicious and healthy, being high in vitamins A and C while low in sodium.  It is gluten free, so those with celiac disease or other dietary concerns can eat this scrumptious dish.