Chili-Glazed Chicken

I made this one over the summer, and it was SO fantastic! The chicken was so flavorful! I will definitely make this again soon...in fact, probably this week!

Of course, to make this safe for Derek I will have to omit the chili sauce for his, because he's also allergic to tomatoes now...so, his list is now...wheat, eggs, milk, peanuts, and tomatoes. And, of course, we are also having to avoid ALL nuts and all shellfish. :( This is becoming increasingly difficult, I must admit. I thought the WEMP free stuff was hard, but at least there are things we CAN substitute...but tomatoes?! There's not much you can substitute for tomato sauce or ketchup or any other tomato based product! :(

So, for now, I'll just have to make his separate and exclude the chili sauce :( Poor little man! I hope he outgrows this stuff soon!!!!

I pulled this recipe from Grilling Magazine (Spring 2010). Although, I used chicken thighs, where it called for drumsticks.


Chili-Glazed Chicken

Ingredients:
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce (wemp free of course!)
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp chili sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions:
1. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For marinade, in a small bowl, combine oil, soy sauce, honey, chili sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag; turn to coat chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours, turning bag occasionally. Drain chicken, reserving marinade.
2. For a gas grill, preheat grill to medium high heat. Place chicken on grill over low flames, and cook until chicken is no longer pink, brushing occasionally with reserved marinade. Turn chicken over after about 10 minutes to cook underside. Discard any remaining marinade.

Creamy Veggie Pasta with Bacon - WEMP FREE!!!!

OK, so I took an older recipe that we like (that my brother created years ago) and changed it up just a bit and gave it a whole new flavor! The kids LOVED it this way!!!

I never think to...because I never think out of the box!...BUT, you could probably add some cooked chicken to this for a well rounded meal! :) Maybe next time!

Ingredients:
1 lb whole wheat OR corn/rice/potato angel hair pasta
2 small yellow squash, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 small zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small bell pepper (red/yellow/orange), cut into 1 inch pieces, optional
1/2 small onion, optional
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 tsp fresh basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, optional
1/4 cup pre-cooked bacon pieces
about 1/3 cup Rich's Coffee Rich non-dairy creamer (in freezer section at grocery store!)
parmesan cheese, optional (of course, not for WEMP-free!)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook pasta, according to directions on package.
2. In large stir fry pan, heat oil until very hot. Add garlic and onion and saute for a minute or two. Add squash, zucchini, and bell pepper. Add white cooking wine, basil, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper, if desired. Turn heat to medium and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until veggies are a bit tender. Stir in bacon and non-dairy creamer and heat until hot again. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Drain pasta when finished cooking, and put onto plates. Top with veggies and the oil/wine sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Cuban Pork Wraps

I don't have the recipe yet, but Hillary made these for us for dinner the other night and the kids LOVED them!!!!

Tuna Stuffed Avocado

OK, so I have HATED tuna from a can since childhood...but this was actually really good!

This was one of the few meals I was able to eat and enjoy in Guatemala before getting the news about my dad :(

It was SO great though that we ate it the week after we came home! :) Although, I recommend only one half of an avocado per person (as Ana served it) because two is a little too much...well, tuna from a can :)

Ingredients:

3 Avocados

1 can of tuna fish, drained

l lemon

salt

2-3 Tbsp mayonnaise

Directions:
1. Cut each avocado in half, and remove seed.
2. In a bowl pour the tuna fish, add some drops of lemon juice, salt, and mayonnaise. Mix it together.
3. Top each avocado half with a spoonful of tuna salad. On the top you could add some sour cream and a pea in each avocado.

***NOTE: Ana Maria served each avocado half with sour cream and a pea...she didn't miss any opportunity to show her love and appreciation! ***

Pan Seared Scallops & Pasta

This was my birthday lunch today! :) It's become not only my most favorite dish, but also the dish that I crave most often...YUM!!!!

I got the original recipe from recipezaar, but used someone's suggestion that was posted for the sauce & pasta!

Ingredients:
1 lb large scallops
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
parmesan cheese
1-2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup white wine
dash pepper
1/2 cup half and half
2 clove garlic, minced
angel hair pasta

Directions:
1. Cook pasta, according to package.
2. Dip scallops in lemon juice, then roll them in breadcrumbs.
3. Put olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet; stir and heat until hot.
4. Add scallops, turning once, until browned on both sides (3-4 minutes); remove scallops from pan.
5. Sprinkle scallops with parmesan cheese.
6. In pan used to cook scallops, add 1-2 Tbsp butter, white wine, pepper, half and half, and garlic. Heat until boiling and continue boiling for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Serve scallops over pasta, pour sauce on top.