[ Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs ]

 

I haven't made this.  Not my pic.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ¼ cup lime juice fresh squeezed, juice of 2 limes
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes or pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs or bone-off
• 1 pinch salt to taste
• 1 pinch pepper to taste
• 1 pinch fresh cilantro leaves to serve
• 2 lime slices or wedges, to serve

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
• In a medium-sized shallow bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil together with the lime juice, chopped cilantro, chili flakes, garlic, sugar and cumin. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade and toss to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate thighs for 15 minutes.
• Heat the remaining one tablespoon of oil in a non stick pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the thighs along with any marinade left over in the bowl, and sear chicken -- skin-side down -- for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crispy (chicken will not be fully cooked).
• Transfer to preheated oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through (about 15-20 minutes).
• Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and lime slices or wedges.
• Serve over steamed rice or cauliflower rice, and drizzle with the pan juices.

[ Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken ]

 

I haven't made this yet.  Not my pic.

Ingredients

CHICKEN:

• 6 large chicken thighs skinless and bone-in
• 1 tablespoon olive oil divided

RUB:

• 1 teaspoon paprika mild or smoked
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper

HONEY GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE:

• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 6 cloves garlic finely chopped or minced
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1 pinch salt 
• ½ teaspoon cracked pepper

ADDITIONAL:

• ¼ cup water or chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

CHICKEN:

• Pat dry boneless, skinless chicken thighs with paper towel. Combine ½ tablespoon of oil with rub ingredients. Season chicken, rubbing the mixture into the chicken.
• OPTIONAL SEAR: Heat remaining ½ tablespoon oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Sear chicken for 2 minutes each side to get a nice sear. (Do not cook chicken all the way through, this step is purely for flavour.)

  Transfer chicken thighs to a 6-qt (litre) slow cooker bowl.

SAUCE:

• Melt butter in the same pan the chicken was in, scraping up any leftover browned bits in the pan. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients; bring to a rapid simmer for 1 minute. 

  Remove from heat.

SLOW COOK:

• Pour sauce over chicken in slow cooker bowl, flipping thighs in the sauce to evenly coat. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH heat setting for 2-3 hours, or LOW heat setting for 5-6 hours. Baste with sauce half way through cooking.
• Transfer chicken onto serving dish and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• While chicken is resting: pour juices from the slow cooker bowl into a pot large enough to fit the liquid. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
• Whisk ¼ cup water (or broth) with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch/cornflour into a lumpfree slurry. Whisk into sauce and let simmer for a good 2-3 minutes, or until thickend into a syrup-like consistency. (Please note: sauce will thicken as it cools). 

  For a thicker sauce, repeat this step with 1 teaspoon extra cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water. Add into sauce and cook until thickened. Continue this step until reaching your desired consistency.

BROIL:

• Place slow cooked chicken thighs on a lined baking sheet. Baste chicken with some of the thickened sauce, about 2 tablespoons per thigh. Broil briefly for 1-2 minutes each side to char the edges.
• Slice chicken and serve drizzled with Honey Garlic Butter Sauce.

[ Parmesan Roasted Carrots]

                              

I haven't made these yet.  Not my pic.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds carrots washed and halved
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic large, minced, or 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
• 2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs or normal breadcrumbs
• 1 pinch salt to taste
• 1 pinch pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease or spray a baking sheet with cooking oil spray.
• Arrange carrots on baking sheet. Add the olive oil, garlic, parmesan, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Toss all ingredients together to completely coat the carrots. Spread out and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Toss with a spatula half way through.
• Remove from oven and serve immediately. Top with fresh parsley if desired.

[ Honey Garlic Roasted Carrots ]

 I haven't made this yet.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds carrots washed and peeled, or unpeeled
• ⅓ cup butter
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning
• 1 pinch black pepper cracked 
• 2 tablespoons parsley fresh, chopped 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking oil spray; set aside.
• Trim ends of carrots and cut into thirds.
• Melt butter in a pan or skillet over medium-heat. Pour in honey and cook, while stirring, until completely melted through the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant while stirring.
• Add the carrots and allow the sauce to thicken for a further minute, while tossing the carrots through the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Transfer carrots to baking sheet in a single layer so they cook evenly. Toss to evenly coat.
• Roast for 20 minutes, or until carrots are fork-tender. Broil (or grill) for 2-3 minutes on high heat to crisp/char the edges.
• OPTIONAL: Transfer them back into the skillet and allow carrots to simmer in the sauce over high heat for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce into a glaze. *SEE NOTES.
• Season with a little extra salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with parsley.
• Arrange onto serving platter and enjoy!

[ Peanut Satay Sauce ]

Haven't tried this yet. 

Ingredients

• 1 ⅔ cup coconut milk
• ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter all natural preferable
• 2 tablespoons Kecap Manis sweet soy sauce
• 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar packed
• 2 ¼ tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce optional - replace with soy sauce if desired
• ½ tablespoon Tamarind puree optional
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic minced
• 1-2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed, adjust to your tastes

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan EXCEPT for the lime juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer until combined and thickened (about 5-6 minutes). Once thickened, take off heat and stir in the lime juice (start with 1 tablespoon and adjust accordingly to suit your tastes).
• Serve over chicken, seafood, or beef!

[ Dr. Pepper Crock Pot Pulled Pork ]

 

I made this for Christmas Eve this year (2024).  It was a total hit.

PREP TIME 5minutes minutes

COOK TIME 4hours hrs on high OR 8 hrs on low

hourshours on hig

Ingredients

• 4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast or pork butt
• salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• 12 ounces Dr. Pepper 1 can
• ¾ cup barbecue sauce or to taste
• Rolls for serving 
• prepared coleslaw for serving

Instructions

• Rub the outside of the roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Place in Crock Pot.
• Pour the Dr. Pepper over the pork and cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 7-8 hours.
• The meat will be very tender. Using 2 forks, shred the pork and place back in the juices.
• Add barbecue sauce to taste. Allow to cook an additional 30-60 minutes if desired.
• Serve on crusty rolls with coleslaw.

Notes

Rootbeer or cola can be substituted for Dr. Pepper. Diet Dr. Pepper will work in this recipe.

A larger roast will need extra cooking time.

If you check the pork and it is not tender, it likely needs more time so cover it back up and let it keep cooking.

If your pork produces a lot of juice remove some of the juices before adding the shredded pork back into the mixture. We like to stir in additional BBQ sauce before serving.

Pork can be kept warm in the slow cooker.

Nutrition information does not include rolls.

[ The Best Green Beans ]

Made this for Kevin's family Christmas potluck ... it was SO GOOD

For approximately 14 people 

Ingredients:

7 handfuls - green beans
2 - shallots 
3 - rashers of bacon
1/4 cup - dried cranberries 
block of goat cheese

Directions:

1. pan fry the bacon til crispy, remove.

2. add shallots to bacon grease, til clear

3. boil green beans in a 2inch deep pan for 5-8min

4.  add cooked beans to shallot pan, add crispy bacon and toss.

5.  add cranberries (if desired)

6.  place in serving dish, sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese to garnish.