CHICKEN ADOBO – MEXICAN PHILIPINO CROSS – CHICKEN ADOBO ala TAMY

When  you look up recipes for Chicken Adobo ou have to choose between either a Phillipino recipe or a Mexican recipe.  I couldn’t choose so I decided to combine my favorite ingredients from each of them and make my own recipe.

Chicken Adobo
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  3tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced VERY thin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon achiote seeds
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Cover achiote seeds with boiling water. 
  • Cover and set aside overnight. 
  • Drain seeds discarding water.
  • Place seeds, orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar, cayenne, paprika, cinnamon, honey, salt, pepper and garlic in a food processor. Grind until well blended.
  • In a large wok or skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on one side until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and sear the other side for another 5 minutes.  
  • Add the onions over the chicken.
  • Pour the seed mixture over chicken and heat through.
  • Serve hot over rice and vegetable sides.  

Mock Filet Mignon with Roasted Green Chile Cream Sauce

This past spring, the American Heart Association granted three cuts of beef their “Heart Check Mark” designation of Extra Lean.  They have less fat and unsaturated fat than a boneless, skinless chicken thigh.  One of these cuts is the “top sirloin filet”.  
I had already tried the top sirloin petite roast and was thrilled with how close it was to a beef tenderloin roast but with way less fat and almost half the cost.  So I was excited to try the filet.  
Mock Filet Mignon with Roasted Green Chile Cream Sauce
servings: 2
Source:  Nibble Me This
Ingredients
  • 2 eight ounce top sirloin filet (substitute real filet mignon if you can’t find sirloin filet)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
For the cream sauce
  • 1 ea jalapeno
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp paprika 
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat grill to 450f (medium high heat).
  2. Roast jalapeno over grill until blackened on all sides. Place in a zip top bag or a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 5 minutes.  Split open, scrape out seeds and then scrape off most of the charred skin.  Finely dice the pepper.
  3. In a medium sauce pan, simmer the cream over medium heat until the volume is reduced by half (about 5 minutes once simmering).
  4. Stir in the jalapeno, and remaining ingredients.
  5. Season the steaks with the salt, pepper and garlic.
  6. Grill the steak 4-5 minutes per side, or until they reach an internal temperature of 127-130f for medium rare.  
  7. Rest steaks for 10 minutes.
  8. Ladle 1/4 cup of the roasted green chili cream sauce onto a plate and top with a grilled filet.  Repeat.

Notes

  • The taste was excellent but the texture wasn’t as tender as a tenderloin filet (filet mignon).  I was surprised because the roast I had tried was every bit as tender as a beef tenderloin.

Disclaimer:  I received no compensation for this post and paid full price for all products mentioned. 

Minamalist in the Making

Martha from Minimalist in the Making asked me to write a post for her.  I was initially at a loss, but then realized that the topic really fits my recent mindset.

Martha and I met several years ago and hit it off and have been fast friends since.  We have similar interests, beliefs and values.  We have begun two separate blogs together that we feel are successful, but still life overwhelms you and things change.  That change has happened to not just me, but also Martha.  Some of it I believe is happening to many of us just because of the state of the world, but for me it’s deeper.  Taking care of family has had a deep impact on me, but deeper yet is the cancer.  Ironic, but I got my quarterly test results today and they are “in range”, a good thing, but still mind altering as you deal with the materialistic side of life!!

Below is my post I submitted to Martha.  Please stop by and see what she has to say and what her other guest posters have to say.  You may find that this is a topic that affects you too!

Life can change in a heartbeat.  Ever hear that phrase before?  I always did, but wasn’t sure what it really meant – until recently.  Because of our travels around the country to care for family members and in search of a VA solution to red tape topped off by our extended stay in Texas because of my Ovarian cancer we have learned to live without many things.  Those things are all in storage collecting dust.  Every month I pay the bill to store these things.  The things in storage are/were our prized possessions.  The things still in the house are the pragmatic items.  When it comes right down to it, we don’t really need any of it.
My search for minimalism really began with my cancer diagnosis.  I thought of all the unfinished projects, unread books and cherished family items that the boys would have no clue about without my notes and how I didn’t have time to write out all those notes.  Then I thought about those same family items and wondered if anyone after me really cares about them?  Tradition just doesn’t seem to be a strong point with boys in particular, but also with today’s generation.
Our goal was to get back west with family so we came home to the snowy north with just what we had acquired along the way via a moving company that was a part of a huge scam, but that’s another story yet.  Besides being a scam that we are filing charges against, they lost furniture and boxes and have no remorse or desire to find them.  They just want to throw money at it. The insurance doesn’t begin to cover the damages to family pictures or missing furniture.  In my younger years I would have been devastated by this.  Now I just shake it off, deal with the paperwork and move on.  In the big picture things just aren’t worth the effort to get all worked up.  Maybe it’s my new lease on life, but either way I’m ecstatic to get my minimalist life going!
Our goal was to finish a few projects and sell the house.  Things happen all the time that change our (collective term here – you may be next) grand plans.  You know the old saying, “Man plans, God laughs”.  Well He’s having one heck of a belly laugh on my account.
                                                  
Years ago when we first started out, hubby and I rented a small cabin  (small closet, single bed, couch, refrigerator, small table and a TV) in the mountains near Los Angeles.  It was an old officer quarters – hot in the summer, cold in the winter and simple!!  We had some of our happiest early moments in that cabin and have joked over the years about how we’d do it all over again.  More than ever I’m convinced that I want less, less and less!!  We’ve decided to sell everything we can and start a simpler life!

RITZY CARROT & BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

Grams made this as a broccoli casserole for years and I recently converted it to include carrots (I love the color combo) and removed the yucky for you condensed soup.

RITZY CARROT & BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
4 medium carrots
2/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons butter
pinch cinnamon

  • Wash, peel and slice carrots diagonally.
  • In a saucepan combine the water, salt and sugar.
  • Add carrots. Bring to a boil.
  • Turn down heat to simmer and cook until JUST tender crisp.
  • Drain.
  • Toss with butter and cinnamon.

6 broccoli crowns, washed and trimmed into 2 inch pieces (stalks also)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Jumbo egg
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cups ritz cracker crumbs**
4 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cook broccoli in boiling, salted water or steam until JUST tender.
  • Drain well, cool slightly and toss with carrots and onions.
  • Layer into a greased 9×9 baking dish.
  • Top with cracker crumbs.
  • Melt butter in bottom of saucepan. Whisk in the flour until smooth.
  • Add the chicken broth, milk, mayonnaise and egg, whisking until smooth.
  • Pour over broccoli mixture.
  • Cover and bake 40 minutes.
  • Top with cheese and bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes.
  • Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.
**I love to substitute Keebler buttery garlic club crackers and add a few cloves of garlic!