I first came across a recipe by Rick Bayless who is one of my favorite chefs since he specializes in foods from Mexico.  I found that his recipe, although delicious, would be a bit challenging for most with all the specialized ingredients. I tried to make it a bit easier here although there are lots of ingredients.  If you have a difficult time locating the chilies and chili powders you can try an International store near you or just rely on good ole’ Amazon! Don’t let the ingredient list scare you because once you have purchased everything, you will have plenty of ingredients to make it over and over again.     Ingredients: 3 lb. lamb shoulder 1 TBS. Avocado Oil 1 cup chicken stock or beer Salt and pepper 1 large white onion sliced Rub: 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into large pieces 1 tsp. Ancho Chili Powder 1 tsp. chipotle chili powder 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped 1 ½ cups tomato puree 1 TBS. coconut sugar 1 ½ TBS. Apple Cider vinegar 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. Cinnamon ½ tsp ground espresso powder ½ tsp. Smoked paprika 1 tsp. Oregano To Serve: Corn tortillas or Siete grain free tortillas Salsa Guacamole Feta Cheese   1. In a very large (12-inch) skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat.  Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Sear lamb on all sides. Make sure that each […]

Do you have any extra cherry tomatoes that need to be used up.  Candied Cherry tomatoes are absolutely delicious and are so easy to make.  If you don’t have the available time you can use olive oil marinated sun dried tomatoes which are just as delicious. This chicken tender recipe is really easy and so so good!!!  It was an impromptu discovery and it is now a family favorite!  I hope you enjoy it!     Ingredients: 4 chicken tenders 1/2 cup candied tomatoes (you can replace these with oil marinated sundried tomatoes) 14 large basil leaves 4 oz. goat cheese 2 egg whites 2/3 cup chopped walnuts 3 TBS. olive oil salt & pepper   Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp knife, slice chicken tender in half but not all the way through. 3. Spread goat cheese in the center of the chicken tender, layering sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. 4. Chop walnuts into small pieces. 5. In a small bowl, beat egg whites with a fork until frothy.  Add salt and pepper. 6. Close chicken tender tightly around center ingredients.  Gently dip into egg whites and then roll to coat with the walnuts. 7.  Place on parchment covered sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. 8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is done (165 degrees using an Internal Read Thermometer) 9.  Serve alongside some brown rice pasta drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan!!!  

I first came across this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, “Plenty” by Yotam Ottolenghi. I loved this recipe at first sight and wanted to make it while on vacation at the beach. My only problem was that I didn’t have everything the original called for. So, being me, I decided to wing it and make up my own version. It turned out fantastic! We gave it a little Italian twist and now, after some polishing, its a solid recipe I make often and wanted to share with you all. The warm weather temps have got me thinking of all the delicious dishes that I can make with beautiful, ripe, farm fresh tomatoes; this dish is definitely one of them. I would serve this as a brunch dish but it could also be a very satisfying dinner alongside a green salad and some whole grain bread. Yum, eat up and enjoy! Ingredients: 2 red bell peppers 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, sliced 1 large or 2 medium onions, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 6 roma tomatoes, diced or 15 cherry tomatoes, halved 2 TBS. chopped rosemary 2 TBS. chopped basil 6 eggs 1 TBS. olive oil Salt and pepper to taste ½ tsp. crushed red pepper (optional) Crusty whole grain bread Directions: 1. Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. 2. Add 1 TBS. of olive oil and all the sliced peppers and onions and saute for 5-10 minutes or until you get a nice color […]

    Ingredients: 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Salt and pepper Avocado oil Herbs de Provence Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 and heat up some avocado oil in a cast iron skillet, (or oven proof skillet of choice) 2. Coat chicken breast with salt and Herbs de Provence 3. Sear chicken breast on both sides until nicely browned. 4. Pop into a 350 oven for 7-9 minutes (7 minutes for a small chicken breast and 8 to 9 for a large chicken breast.) 5. Remove chicken from skillet and allow to rest for 10 minutes on a plate covered in foil. Slice thinly and serve.

You all know how much I love grilling season! This might be the simplest marinade recipe of all time yet it is so incredibly delicious. My favorite way to serve this skirt steak is to make a big platter with tortillas, delicious salsa, guacamole, grilled spring onions and jalapenos. Everyone can make their own taco or just eat it smothered in guacamole or my tomato and red chili salsa. The presentation looks rustic and beautiful with the charred veggies and there are options for everyone’s taste. Mexican food is one of my favorite things to make! I just love the fresh flavors especially this time of year when all the veggies are in season. Skirt steak can tend to be a bit tough so a marinade really helps to break down the meat and then with just a quick sear on each side it turns out perfectly. I get my skirt steak from Riven Rock Farms, they have amazing pasture-raised meat that is not ridden with GMOs and their animals are healthy and humanely raised. They have incredibly high standards which means the meat I get from them is out of this world delicious. This marinade is the simplest but shockingly delicious. The original recipe comes from Rio Grande Cafe which is one of our favorite Tex- Mex restaurants in Washington DC. Our friends, David and Jackie were able to obtain their  secret and sweetly shared it with us! The pineapple juice has enzymes that not only help to tenderize […]