Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwich

|
By
|
6 comments

I love the kinds of meals that are made with reinvented leftovers. Such was the case with these chicken sandwiches. I had made Huli-Huli chicken on Monday night, then on Tuesday Jon took the day off due to an unexpected issue with the hot water heater. I like doing something special when we’re all home for lunch on the weekends, so I figured I’d whip up something different with the leftover chicken in the fridge. Whenever I’m grilling chicken, I always like to toss an extra couple of pieces on the grill. Leftovers can always easily be turned into another dinner!

I’d seen a similar sandwich at my favorite local BBQ joint before, so I figured I’d go with it. I just shredded the chicken down, then added a little bit of additional bbq sauce for moisture’s sake. Tossed some fresh pineapple slices on the grill pan while I was making up the cole slaw  – looooove grilled pineapple. Then piled everything high on a toasted whole wheat bun. I ran out to the store to look for King’s Hawaiian hamburger buns, but alas, my plans were thwarted. It would have been a nice touch, but eh – they were great without them! A great sandwich to enjoy during these last few days of summer.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Sandwich

1 lb cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
4 1/2″-thick slices of pineapple
4 King’s Hawaiian hamburger buns
coleslaw, optional (recipe below)

Combine barbeque sauce and pineapple juice in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the shredded chicken, tossing to coat, and cover. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over high heat. Place the pineapple slices in the pan, and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, to slightly soften the pineapple and obtain grill marks. Remove from pan and set aside.

Split the burger buns in half, and lightly toast them in the grill pan.

Pile the barbequed chicken on the bun, topping with the grilled pineapple, and coleslaw if desired.

Source: adapted from So Tasty, So Yummy

Coleslaw

2 cups thinly shredded green cabbage
1 cup thinly shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup greek yogurt
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, greek yogurt, vinegar, and honey. Add in shredded cabbage, carrots, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Cover and refirgerate for and hour to let flavors meld before serving.

Zucchini Linguini

|
By
|
4 comments

Do you guys have zucchini coming out of your ears yet? I know in a couple of weeks we will, so I thought it would be a great time to share one of my favorite ways to prepare them. This is a recipe that I’ve been making for several years now, looking forward to it every summer. This is another recipe that my sweet neighbor Janie shared with me a couple of years before she passed. She always loved gardening, and sharing her bounty – including zucchinis! I’ve tweaked it a bit over the years, and it’s open to substitutions, depending on what looks good from your garden (or CSA share) that week.

This pasta couldn’t be simpler to make. While the pasta is cooking, you do a quick saute and sauce with the veggies – then toss everything together and top with breadcrumbs. Meals like this are a lifesaver when the weather climbs to 100+, and the idea of slaving over a hot stove makes you want to cry for mercy. I made a few changes to the recipe over the years – adding tomato and white wine to the mix, as I felt the dish was a bit dry without them. Have made this dish with yellow squash as well, and it was great.

Zucchini Linguini

Coarse salt
1 pound linguine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced very thinly crosswise
1 large tomato, diced (about 1.5 cups)
20 black olives, halved
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine (I used Vermouth)
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat oven to 425. Toss the breadcrumbs with 1 tsp olive oil and garlic powder. Place on a cookie sheet, and toast in oven until golden brown; about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Fill a 10-quart stockpot with 7 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons coarse salt. Add pasta, stir until water returns to a boil, and cook pasta, according to package directions, until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add oil and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, oregano, and red pepper flakes; season with salt to taste. Add white wine and simmer for a about 5 minutes.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Add pasta to skillet and toss to combine. If pasta seems dry, add reserved cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing between each addition. Transfer pasta to a large platter, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with bread crumbs; serve immediately.

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Flank Steak

|
By
|
4 comments

What a great summer dinner this was! I don’t do much with flank steak. I feel that it’s overpriced for the cut of meat that it is, usually going for upwards of $8 a pound. But, it’s a great option for a weeknight meal. So, when it went on sale for $3.50 a pound – I stocked up, planning to use it for fajitas and gyros throughout the summer. Luckily, that next week Tracey posted this delicious looking recipe that immediately caught my eye. I’m a fan of anything that calls for a marinade, letting the protein do it’s thing while I prep the rest of the items for dinner. A quick 10 minute grill, and dinner is on the table!

The leftover marinade was then cooked down into a sauce to serve over the sliced steak. Out of this world good! The bite from the bourbon, and the sweet-syrupy quality that the brown sugar lent was a sure fire winner. I’m glad I went ahead and cooked a whole flank steak, instead of a half, because the leftovers were amazing on a steak sandwich with a bit of arugula for lunch the next day. Definitely will be going to this one through the summer!

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Flank Steak

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup bourbon (or other whiskey)
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 1/2 to 2 lb flank steak

Whisk the soy sauce, bourbon, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Pour the ingredients into a resealable plastic bag, and add the steak. Let the steak marinate for at least 20 minutes or pop it in the fridge for up to 2 hours before grilling. Return the steak to room temperature before grilling.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Oil the grates lightly (I use the tongs to hold a paper towel that’s been dipped in oil and rub it over the grates).

When the grill is hot, remove the steak from the marinade, shaking off excess (no need to pat the steak dry). Set the marinade aside, don’t throw it away. Grill the steak for 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked to your desired doneness (the cooking time is going to depend on how thick your steak is, how hot your grill is, etc. I use an instant read thermometer to test the temperature for best results). Transfer the steak to a cutting board, tent with foil, and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.

While the steak is resting, pour the marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced and syrupy. Slice the steak thinly across the grain and serve with the sauce.

Source: Fine Cooking, via Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

Herbed Veggie Dip

|
By
|
5 comments

I know it’s kind of lame to post a veggie platter, but I get so many rave reviews on the dip, I thought it was worth sharing. It’s creamy, cool, herby, and delicious. I always make this for pretty much every cookout we have, and because of it’s portability, it’s great to take to a friend’s house for a potluck as well.

I’m sure lots of you folks are planning to do a little get-together in the backyard for Dad, so trash that overpriced store-bough plastic tray nonsense, and make a gorgeous platter yourself. My standard veggies to use are baby carrots, sliced cucumber, broccoli florets (blanch them for a minute), celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, and radishes. If you happen to have any leftovers, it makes for an awesome chopped salad!

I hope everyone has a lovely Father’s Day weekend with plenty of quality family time. We’re hoping to get some boat and beach time in. Haven’t made it out to the sandbar (a little strip of land off the coast only accessible by boat. Mostly locals, and a lot less crowded than Assateague Island beach) yet, had had some boat issues, which were taken care of this week. So, we’re hoping to get out there on Sunday and relax. I feel very blessed to have both a great dad, and a great husband in my life. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Herbed Veggie Dip

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped scallions (about 3), roughly chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Place the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Pulse 10 to 12 times, until just blended, but not pureed. Serve at room temperature.

Source: Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten