Chicken On a Stick...Because apparently it's more fun that way?

Or so I've been told anyway.  I mean, it's the same little chunks of chicken, just cut up and placed on a stick.  Why that's more appealing escapes me.  But who cares.  These look, smell and taste amazing.  They may not be the world's cleanest chicken kebabs, but....you'll forgive me this one, right?  And besides, I'm balancing the rest out with lots of veggies, tons of water and no dessert.  There.  I feel better.

Sweet Maple BBQ Chicken Skewers (kebabs...on a stick, whatever!)


What You'll Need:

• 2lbs. chicken tenders
• 1 (packed) cup brown Sugar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• ¼ heaping cup pure maple syrup, meaning a little over ¼ cup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 2 teaspoons Paprika
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 

What You'll Do:

To make the marinade:

Mix brown sugar, ketchup, red wine vinegar, water, pure maple syrup Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, paprika, kosher salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place chicken tenders in marinade. Cover and let chicken marinade for at least 2-4 hours or overnight. I like to throw all the ingredients into a Ziploc bag and let it marinade this way.

To make the chicken:
Remove the chicken from the fridge, one piece at a time grab a tender and pierce through the skewer. Once completed drizzle extra marinade over the chicken, and let it sit while grill is heating up.

Heat gas or charcoal grill, remove chicken from marinade. Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill and cook 3 minutes, then turn over the kebab and cook another 3 minutes. At this point check the chicken. To know if the chicken is done the juices should be clear and the center of thickest part is cut (170°F). If not done, continue to cook, at this point I leave the lid open and just turn the kebabs so they are cooked evenly on both sides--about 8-10 minutes.

Remove from grill and serve immediately. Or cover with foil and serve later.  Great to serve with grilled corn on the cob and a tossed salad.  And while you've got the salad ingredients out, think about using the leftovers the next day for a grilled chicken salad.  If there are leftovers!

Deconstructed (and better for you!) Chinese Takeout

Every now and again, I splurge on Chinese takeout.  I usually regret it about 12 bites in, but I can't help myself....and I keep eating.  It's a guilty pleasure and one that thankfully I do not indulge too often.  Last week, I felt the urge creeping up.  I wanted a warm bowl of steaming rice and perfectly seasoned (okay, totally over-salted!) shrimp and veggies.  But I found willpower....and this recipe.  We are planning on making it this week, so you'll have to stick around if you want to get the full report.  I know what you're thinking..."Does this one land in the famous Make Again pile or is it destined to be shredded like the cabbage it contains?"  Stay tuned to find out...

Here's the scoop...it's Egg Roll in a Bowl.  Nothing deep fried, no crispy outer shell (wait, I'm starting to feel like I'm going to miss that...wait, nope, it's gone!)....just the warm goodness of the inside, outside!

What You'll Need:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 5 scallions chopped
• 3 Tablespoons Low Sodium Soy
• Pepper
• 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 bag coleslaw mix (not the premixed kind, just the already chopped cabbage and carrots)
• 2 bags Success® Jasmine Rice

What You'll Do

• Brown the pork with the garlic and scallions.
• Add in the coleslaw mix, soy and brown sugar. Season with pepper.
• Cook until the cabbage is cooked down and almost caramelized.
• Boil your 2 bags Success® Jasmine Rice according to box directions.
• Serve the pork mixture over the rice.
• Top with crispy wontons or duck sauce if desired. 

 
We don't desire, so we'll probably serve it with fruit salad instead.  I'm pretty excited to give this one a whirl.  Who knows we may even find a lingering fortune cookie from a previous takeout order?!