Firecracker Chicken

I don't know where I found this recipe, but I decided D should make it. He said there was a ton of sauce left so when I figured out the WW points, I halved the recipe in the tracker.
Don't use all the sauce anyway, because your nose will run. This is SPICY!!

But it is also really good.

We used bone-in skin-on thighs, because that's what we had.  We had with rice and broccoli.

Will have again.

Firecracker Chicken

Photo by ALB

30 minutes to prepare
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (used bone-in, skin-on thighs)
1/2 cup Sriracha hot sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a small saucepan, combine the hot sauce, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and pepper flakes, and cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Meanwhile, in a medium cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet), heat oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper, and cook until browned, 3-5 minutes per side.

Brush some of the sauce over the chicken, and transfer skillet to oven.

Bake until chicken is cooked through, 10-15 minutes, basting chicken with sauce every 5 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven and serve with leftover sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from 12 Tomatoes


9 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 4 servings)

Easy Chicken Tamale Burrito Bowls

We've now had this twice, and both times, I can't get enought of it.  It is so smokey and then the cheesy polenta adds just the right cool down.

Easy Chicken Tamale Burrito Bowls

Photo by ALB

Adapted by halfbakedharvest
COURSE: main course
CUISINE: mexican

Prep time 10 minutes; Cook time 30 minutes; Total time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or thighs (boneless) (I used a mix of both - you may also use pork beef or lentils for a vegetarian version)
2 cups red enchilada sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 onion sliced
2 red pepper sliced
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans drained and rinsed if using canned (use the whole can)

CHEESY POLENTA
2 cups fat free chicken broth
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup dry polenta
4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese shredded plus more for topping if desired
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

FOR TOPPING
1 avocado mashed with a pinch of salt and pepper
4 ounces queso fresco cheese crumbled (didn't use)
fresh cilantro chopped
crushed tortilla chips (didn't use)

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a very large skillet over medium- high heat and add the olive oil. When the skillet is hot, but not smoking (if it starts to smoke, turn heat down a bit and wait 5 minutes before adding the veggies) add the onions and red and orange peppers. Stir fry the peppers for 3-5 minutes, until they just begin to soften. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Keep warm by covering the plate with foil.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is browned all over add the the enchilada sauce, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic and onion powder and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer the chicken in the sauce for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through and shreds easily.

Meanwhile, make the polenta. Pour the chicken broth and milk into a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is soft and thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Keep warm and then just before serving, stir in the cheddar cheese and butter, season with salt and pepper. If the polenta seems a little thick you can add a tablespoon of butter or extra milk.

When the chicken is done cooking remove the chicken from the heat and shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the sauce. If your peppers have cooled off too much I would toss them with the chicken to get them warm again. Toss in the black beans until warmed through.

To assemble the bowls, add a nice serving of polenta to each bowl. Top with the peppers and saucy chicken. Finish the bowls off with a dollop of mashed avocado, crumbled queso fresco, chopped cilantro and crushed tortilla chips. 13 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 6 servings)

Gochujang-Glazed Ribs

This is an odd recipe, in terms of how D made it.  He smoked the ribs.
I don't know how to smoke ribs, and I wasn't paying any sort of attention.  So if you know how to do it, it is probably easy to adapt the recipe. If you don't, you'll have to bake in the oven.

Anyway, the ribs were great, and I really enjoyed them. We had with avocado potato salad.

Gochujang-Glazed Ribs

Photo by ALB

Servings 6
Author Lisa Fain from Homesick Texan

Ingredients
For the gochujang sauce:
¼ cup gochujang paste
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Salt
For the ribs:
2 2-pound racks baby back ribs (used 1 rack of Spare Ribs)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ tablespoon black pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnishing
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, for garnishing

Instructions
To make the sauce, stir together the gochujang paste, soy sauce, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, brown sugar, and ginger until well blended. Taste and add salt if needed.

For the ribs, salt and pepper each rack on both sides. Line two sheet pans with foil, then lay out 2 (2-feet) pieces of foil and place this foil on top of the sheet pans. Place each rack on the foil, starting with the meat-side down.

Take half the sauce and then evenly spread the sauce on the racks on both sides, reserving the remaining sauce for the final glazing. With the meat-side up, wrap the ribs with the foil leaving the seam on top, then refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.

To prepare the ribs, preheat the oven to 300°F and remove the ribs and their sheet pans from the refrigerator. Once the oven has heated, slide the ribs into the oven and cook covered for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

After this time, remove the ribs from the oven and gently open the foil and pull it back to expose the meat. The meat should be tender but if you desire it to be more so, return the ribs to the oven and continue to cook until they’re how you prefer.

Once tender, remove the ribs and turn the heat up to 450°F. Gently open the foil and pull it back to expose the meat. With tongs, flip the ribs and spread a couple of tablespoons of the remaining sauce on the bony side. Flip the ribs back over and evenly coat the meaty side with the rest of the sauce. Slide the ribs back into the oven and cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes or until the sauce is beginning to blacken.

Remove the ribs from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds before serving.

Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash and Guacamole Rice Bowls

D and I decided to have this recipe.  Of course it was all about cooking on a sheet pan, and he was like, Dutch Oven.  There was also some confusion about whether the rice was cooked or not (measuring 2 Cups).  As someone who doesn't eat a lot of rice, next time I'll assume it was cooked (way too much).

So yes, we both liked it and would have again.

Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash and Guacamole Rice Bowls

Photo by ALB

Sheet pan roasted chicken breasts, butternut squash and red onion served with black beans, brown rice and guacamole make this a nutritious meal in a bowl.

SERVES: SERVES 4

Ingredients
2 cups Cooked long-grain brown rice (make enough to make 2-2.5 Cups)
1 15-ounce can black beans
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground chili pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cups cubed butternut squash
1 red onion, sliced into ¼-inch slices
2 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 8-ounce package Wholly Guacamole® Dip of your choice

Instructions (I'm not really sure how D made it...he used a Dutch Oven)
Cook the brown rice according to package directions, Stir in 1 cup of the cilantro and keep warm. Warm the beans in a small saucepan or the microwave and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a 9 X 13-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

In a small bowl or ramekin, mix the cumin, chili powder, kosher salt and pepper together. In a medium size bowl, add the butternut squash and onions. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix. Toss and spread out the veggies on the sheet pan.

In the same bowl, add the chicken and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with the remainder of the seasoning and toss to coat well. Place the chicken on the foil lined sheet pan. Do not layer on the vegetables, but instead lay alongside.

Place the sheet pan on the middle rack of the hot oven and cook for 11-13 minutes. Do not disturb the vegetables or chicken so that they develop a caramelized crust. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil, then put the baking sheet back into the oven and cook the vegetables for an additional 5-7 minutes or until desired doneness.

Slice or chop the chicken breast. Assemble the bowls by layering the chicken with 1 cup brown rice, ¼ of the black beans the butternut squash and roasted onion. Top with guacamole and garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.

10 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 4 servings with 1/2C rice serving)