Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

huli huli chicken

I hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day Weekend! We are heading to the beach, but I wanted to post a quick recipe that is perfect for your holiday BBQ.

Huli apparently means “turn” in Hawaiian. Turn the chicken a few times on the grill and you have a great start for dinner. I always pound my chicken breasts out all over to about 3/4 inches thick before grilling and I swear that is the best tip ever for evenly cooked juicy grilled chicken.

I revised the recipe to feed just my family, but the original recipe from Taste of Home feeds a crowd.

Enjoy!

Huli Huli Chicken
 
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sherry (or chicken broth)
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, pounded to 1-2 inch thickness and cut in half
  • Directions
  • In a small bowl, mix the first six ingredients. Reserve ½ of the marinade
  • for basting; cover and refrigerate. Add chicken to remaining marinade in a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
  • Drain and discard marinade from chicken.
  • Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink; baste occasionally with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes.

Instructions
  1. #instruction#

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Best Ever Strawberry Shortcake

Best Ever Strawberry Shortcake

First a quick public service announcement….I wanted to let anyone in the Raleigh area know that if you are looking for a Realtor in the Triangle (or know of someone who is,) my husband, Jim (Jacobs), is now working with RE/MAX in Cary. Check out his site here. Thank you:-).

So, here is one more of my mom’s recipes.  This really is the best way to make strawberry shortcake.  There is just something about the sweet biscuit with the mashed strawberries and freshly whipped cream that creates the ultimate in yummy desserts.

My girls devoured theirs and I savored every sweet bite.

Hurry, while you can still get fresh strawberries and make this.  Here in NC we probably have a few more weeks.

Enjoy!

Best Ever Strawberry Shortcake
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups flour
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 tablespoons cold butter (cut into small pieces)
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup of chilled whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
  • Fresh Strawberries (2-3 pints) – hulled and cut into quarters
  • Additional Sugar

Instructions
  1. Combine flour ⅓ c. sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Make well in center.
  2. Mix together buttermilk and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture, just until ball forms.
  3. Knead gently 5-6 times on floured board. Pat into ¾ thickness. Cut into 3″ rounds. Place on baking sheet. Lightly brush with milk. Sprinkle with sugar.
  4. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are a light golden brown.
  5. To make whipped cream place the cream in a bowl and beat until it starts to thicken a bit. Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla and confectioner’s sugar. Continue beating until thick (but do not over beat.)
  6. Place cut strawberries in a bowl and add enough sugar to sweeten to your liking. (when strawberries are in season you may need less sugar than you would off-season.) Let the strawberries sit for about 20 minutes and then mash to break up the berries into smaller pieces.
  7. To assemble, cut shortcakes in half through the center. Place one half on a plate and top with strawberries. Place the other half of the shortcake on the strawberries and then top with a generous dollop of whipped cream.
  8. Enjoy!

 

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11 Things I Learned From My Mom – Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day Mom!

So much of what we do or who we are in life comes from our Mom. I was reading an article earlier this week that was talking about how people say that children are so resilient and can overcome tragic events early in life. The article rejected this notion by pointing out that our childhood is the most formative time in our life and the good or the bad that happens to us during our childhood shapes who we are as adults.  Not only does our childhood shape who we are, but just as importantly it shapes our values.  I thank my mom for all the good she brought to my life as a child.

When we look at our values they  form two things in us: 1)who we are and 2)who we strive to be.

I don’t claim to be a perfect adult. As a matter of fact I often think, gosh, what could I do to be a better person, mom, wife?  However, I do think I do pretty darn well.  I am happy and content and my kids seem happy, too.  We all have our days, but in general I thank my mom (and dad and God) every day for the life I have been given and the values that she instilled in me as a child and even now as an adult and a mom.

So in honor of Mother’s Day I wanted to share 11 things (values) that I have learned in life from my mom.  Some things I think I do pretty well with and others I work on every day.   My mom isn’t perfect either, although she was the perfect mom to my brothers and me.  So here they are in no particular order……

  1. It never helps to yell and definitely don’t swear (the yelling part is hard as a mom sometimes:-))
  2. Plant a garden and take good care of it (both veggies and flowers)
  3. Always have dinner with your family (even when you are incredibly busy – find the time)
  4. Go to church every Sunday and be a good Christian (working on this one, but definitely getting there)
  5. Work hard (both at home and at work)
  6. Always put a square meal on the table (protein, vegetable and a starch)
  7. Almost always cook from scratch (but it’s ok to buy something pre-made every once in a while , too.)
  8. Volunteer (I do better at this at certain times than others)
  9. Keep your kids busy and well-rounded (not just sports, but music, drama and church activities, too)
  10. Family comes first (but take time for yourself, too)
  11. Be thrifty (even if you have money to spend)

I hope my daughters have this same list one day, too……………..

Mom

Here is the link to a collection of  my mom’s recipes on BWL.  Her strawberry pie is one of my most popular posts right now.  My all-times favorite is still her Zucchini Bread.

I love you mom and thank you for all that you have given me in life.  You are the best!

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Cilantro Lime Chicken Chopped Salad

Cilantro Lime Chicken Chopped Salad

One of my favorite weeknight time savers lately is to cook a chicken on the weekend and then divide the meat (and broth) between two easy meals through the week.  While chicken and dumplings or enchiladas are always family favorites, sometimes I like to lighten things up with a chicken salad.

This salad is originally from Your Homebased Mom and I knew I would like it when she said it was from the Nordstrom Cafe.  I have only eaten there once, but I remember my lunch being sooo good.  The real star of this salad is the dressing.  On another day we combined the dressing with some mayo and Greek yogurt and poured it over some chicken in a wrap.  I love the taste of chipotles especially when they are combined with lime, honey and cilantro.  This was super flavorful and just spot on.

Here is a yummy recipe for Herb Roasted Chicken.  Another easy way to cook a chicken is to place the cleaned chicken in a dutch oven.  Cover with water and simmer for about an hour and a half or until the chicken easily pulls apart.  Let the chicken cool slightly and then place in the refrigerator for a few hours.  When you are ready to use the chicken and broth you can skim the fat off the top and then shred the chicken.  I usually make dumplings or chicken and noodles with the chicken and the broth.  You can also cook the chicken like this with some veggies in the water for a little extra flavor.  This is just how I like to do it.  Doesn’t get much easier and it tastes delicious:-)

Some other  great recipes from BWL if you need to use up leftover chicken:

Chicken and Brown Rice Bowls with Chipotle Cream Sauce

Chicken and Refried Bean Enchiladas

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Mexican Spicy Chicken Pizza

Source:  Adapted from Your Homebased Mom

Linked Up at: Six Sisters’ Stuff Strut Your Stuff Link Party

Cilantro Lime Chicken Chopped Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cilantro
  • 2 -3 tsp chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped small (depending on how spicy you want the dressing)
  • ⅓ cup rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp honey
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup canola oil
  • For Salad (Enough for the amount of salads you will be serving)
  • Chopped Romaine and Iceberg Lettuce
  • Pinto Beans – drained and rinsed
  • Roasted and shredded chicken
  • Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
  • Crushed Tortilla Chips (we used baked blue corn chips)
  • Chopped Tomato
  • Frozen corn – thawed

Instructions
  1. To prepare dressing roughly chop cilantro. Puree chilies in food processor and then add vinegar, lime juice, garlic, honey and salt. Blend and then slowly add the oil to to make an emulsion. Add cilantro and pulse until combined.
  2. Prepare salad and then toss with the dressing. Enjoy!

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Farmhouse Barbecue Beef Muffins

Farmhouse BBQ Muffins

This is a fun little recipe and a yummy weeknight treat.  Great with a side salad and your whole family will enjoy!

Kids can definitely help with this one.  I cooked the ground beef and then Taylor and Grandma put the biscuits in the muffin pans and added the ground beef mixture and cheese.  How easy is that?

Enjoy!

Source:  Taste of Home

Farmhouse Barbecue Muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tube (10 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Separate dough into 10 biscuits and flatten into 5-in. circles. Press each onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased muffin cup; set aside.
  3. In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and chili powder; add to beef and mix well.
  5. Divide the meat mixture among biscuit-lined muffins cups, using about ¼ cup for each. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

 


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