BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad, by Diane

 

I was craving a BBQ chicken chopped salad, and decided to try my hand with some summer produce from my favorite stand and a high protein dressing- side note, I'm getting really good at my own dressings! This salad was SO SO good and honestly this dressing was maybe my best one yet. So crunchy and flavorful and definitely a filling lunch. YUM. 

Ingredients (3 big salads):

1 bag of sliced grilled chicken breast, chopped small (I just used this for ease)

2 cups yellow and orange cherry tomatoes, chopped

4 long sweet banana peppers in different colors, chopped

1/4 red onion, diced

1 bag chipotle cheddar salad mix by Dole

3 ears corn, grilled and charred then kernels cut off

1/2 avocado

1 bunch cilantro leaves

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup smoky BBQ sauce

8 oz plain greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Combine chicken, tomatoes, peppers, onion, corn, and salad portion of the mix together and toss well. For meal prep I divided this mixture evenly in 3 containers.

2. Make the dressing by blending remaining ingredients avocado through yogurt and adjust to taste.

3. When ready to serve, top each salad with dressing and tortilla chips from the salad bag (the salad bag also comes with cheese and an alternate dressing you can use if you like but I don't like either!).

Juicy Lucy Burgers, by Diane

 

Forming the burgers

Looking good....

The final product!

I saw this burger on a cooking show, it's known all around Minneapolis as a juicy cheeseburger that leaks cheese sauce everywhere when you bite it! The secret is that the cheese is stuffed inside the burger patties rather than being laid on top, and as the burgers cook the juice of the meat blends with the melting cheese. We tried this for our latest cookout along with some homemade thousand island made with grilled diced onions (to mimic in-n-out burger!), and man were these a hit!!! We also paired them with lightly grilled King's Hawaiian rolls. These will be on heavy rotation this summer for sure, and were a nice change from the normal cheeseburgers on rotation.

PS- all recipes call for processed American cheese singles, but we want to experiment to see if other cheeses melt differently!

Ingredients (this made 3 burgers):

1 lb Ground beef (make sure to use 80/20 as the fat content helps the cheese)

Seasoning (we used a blend but salt and pepper would also work)

3 slices American cheese singles

3 Kings Hawaiian rolls

Thousand Island dressing (we blended ketchup, mayo, 1 tsp vinegar, salt, minced garlic, sweet relish, and pan fried white onions- YUM)

Sliced raw white onions

Directions:

1. Season the ground beef and separate into 6 portions. Form each one into a thin patty (these will be 3 big burgers so each patty is half a burger). It helps if you slap the meat to make sure it's held together!

2. Break each cheese slice into 4 squares and place in the center of 1 patty, then top with the remaining patties and seal the edges so the cheese sauce doesn't leak out. See first photo for reference!

3. Grill patties until cooked well on each side, flipping only once so as not to disturb the cheese. 

4. Serve immediately so the cheese sauce stays hot on a grilled bun slathered with your dressing and raw onion slices. Bite carefully- the sauce will be hot and spill everywhere!

Georgia Mustard BBQ Pork Cauliflower Crust Pizza, by Diane

 

This is my second week of an anti-inflammatory and Whole30 protocol, and I am pretty limited on what I can eat. As part of a running theme in which I was determined to eat something other than just chicken and steamed veggies, I decided to get creative. I made my first cauliflower crust, without cheese like most of the recipes called for (this recipe used coconut flour as the binder). I also had to get creative with the bbq sauce, as I can’t have sugar or tomatoes. I love Georgia mustard bbq sauce with pork at my fave bbq joint, and so I sought to recreate it here on this pizza. 

This was absolutely outstanding!! This sauce was a hit and would be great on pretty much anything. It was also incredibly filling for being a cauliflower crust. Definitely a winner!!

For the sauce:

1 cup yellow mustard

1/2 cup brown sugar (I subbed date syrup)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 

2 tbsp butter (I subbed ghee)

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I subbed a mix of the main ingredients of tamarind paste, coconut aminos, and cloves)

1 tsp each salt, black pepper, celery seed, Tabasco sauce

For the crust:

2.5 cups riced cauliflower, cooked and cooled to room temp

1 egg

2 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano (I omitted this since it wasn’t an Italian pizza)

Toppings:

2 cups shredded pork

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 small handful cilantro, rough chopped

Directions:

1. Mix all the bbq ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer for 10 min. Combine with pork and set aside.

2. Strain the cauliflower with a tea towel until all liquid is removed, and combine with remaining crust ingredients. 

3. Preheat oven to 425. 

4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and spread the cauliflower mixture out into a rough circle (don’t go thinner than 1/4 inch or it will break apart). Bake for 15-20 min or until golden brown on top. 

5. Remove from oven, top with pork and onions, bake for another 10 min or until onions begin to cook.

6. Remove from oven and top with cilantro. 

Cocktail Chicken BBQ Pineapple Meatballs, by Diane

I got this recipe from @therealfoodrds on Instagram, and wow did I love this dish! Healthy, easy, and tasty- these will be a new staple for sure! They would be a great party app too, they made about 12 meatballs per recipe so double or triple up if serving to guests!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken (use both dark and light meat)
1/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp each garlic and onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried parsley
1 cup bbq sauce of choice
8 oz can crushed pineapple, with juice
3/4 cup chicken broth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine chicken through parsley and form into golf size balls. Place evenly on the baking tray, bake for 12-15 minutes until cooked through.

3. While the meatballs cook, heat a saucepan over medium high heat and add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

4. When meatballs are finished, add them to the sauce for a few minutes then serve!

Slow-cooker Pulled Pork, by Diane

This recipe could not have been simpler, and was the perfect meal to come home to after a long day because everything was already waiting to be assembled into a sandwich and eaten! For me, I would have liked some spice in it. But overall, a great dish. I served it with potato rolls, pickles, coleslaw, and of course, lots of extra BBQ sauce. I also served it with a side of amazing Red Hot and Blue Potato Salad (see above post!).

The recipe is from here: http://www.food.com/recipe/pulled-pork-crock-pot-131018

Ingredients:

4 lbs. pork roast (shoulder/butt)
2 large onions
1 cup gingerale
1 bottle BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

Directions:

1. Slice the onions, putting one on the bottom then the meat and then covering that with the second one. Add gingerale.

2. Cook on low for 8 hours.

3. In the last 2 hours, shred the meat and disgard the fat and liquid. Add the BBQ sauce, stir, and cook for the remaining time.

Korean BBQ Tacos, by Diane

I cannot say enough great things about this recipe!! I found it in a summer issue of cooking light, and thought it was an interesting way to mix Mexican (my favorite) and Korean (haven't tried a lot of it but like the Asian flavors!). The result was a super easy and quick meal that I am already making again tonight (just had it last night and there were NO leftovers in sight!!). Once you throw together the quick marinades and let it stand for an hour, the cooking process is no more than 5 minutes. What makes this dish really awesome is the combination of textures and flavors- the melt-in-your-mouth beef is seared with a sweet chili and soy marinade, the fluffy rice is flavored with sesame oil, and the crunchy cabbage is marinated in chili, garlic, and vinegar for a nice cold tang at the end of your bite that pairs so well with the warm steak and rice. Wrapping it all in a grilled warm corn tortilla is perfection. Yum!


Ingredients:

Beef:
1/3 cup sugar

5 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tablespoons chile paste (such as sambal oelek)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

12 ounces flank steak, sliced against the grain into thin strips

1/8 teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

Quick Pickled Cabbage:

3 cups chopped napa cabbage

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons chile paste

Rice:

Brown Rice, prepared according to package

1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

Salt (my addition)

Sesame seeds (my addition)

Garnishes:

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

3 tablespoons sliced green onions


Directions:

1.  Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Add steak to dish; cover. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, turning after 30 minutes.

2. Place cabbage in a medium bowl with garlic. Bring vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and chile paste to a boil. Pour hot vinegar mixture over cabbage; toss. Let stand at least 30 minutes. 

3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

4.  Remove steak from marinade, and discard marinade. Thread steak onto 8 (8-inch) skewers; sprinkle with salt. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

5. Grill tortillas 30 seconds on each side or until lightly charred; keep warm.

6.  Serve with rice, cabbage, green onions, and tortillas.