Honey Harissa Grilled Chicken Tacos with Lemon Mint Crema

 Today I'm sharing my third and final entry into the Stella Rosa recipe contest. My Honey Harissa Grilled Chicken Tacos with Lemon Mint Crema are so fresh and full of flavor! Sweet and spicy grilled chicken is topped with quick pickled onions, crunchy cucumbers and a greek yogurt mint sauce and they're served in grilled tortillas (I like mine super charred)

Why should Tuesday have all the fun? Let's start our week off with taco night!

Honey Harissa Grilled Chicken Tacos with Lemon Mint Crema

¼ cup honey 

2 tablespoons harissa paste 

1 teaspoon coriander 

1 teaspoon cumin 

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 

2 teaspoons garlic salt 

1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cut into 2 inch cubes 

1 cup water

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/4 cup white distilled vinegar 

1 tablespoon sugar 

½ teaspoon caraway seeds 

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 

1 small red onion, thinly sliced 

Zest of 1 lemon 

½ cup plain Greek yogurt 

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise 

¼ cup mint, chopped 

¼ teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon pepper 

10 corn tortillas 

1 English cucumber, cut into small sticks 

½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped

 

In a large bowl combine the chicken, honey, harissa paste, coriander, cumin, apple cider vinegar and garlic salt. Stir the mixture around until the chicken is evenly coated and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours, or preferably, overnight.

Bring the water, apple cider vinegar and white vinegar to a boil in a small sauce pot and place the sliced red onions in a glass jar or bowl. Whisk in the sugar, caraway seeds and salt until the salt and sugar dissolve. Pour the mixture over the onions and set aside to cool.

Place the lemon zest, yogurt, mayonnaise, mint, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Place in the fridge to chill.

 Pre-heat a grill to medium high heat and remove the chicken from the fridge, allowing it to come to room temperature. Working in batches, cook the tortillas on the grill until brown and charred around the edges. Once charred, remove the tortillas from the grill and wrap in foil to keep them warm. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers and grill for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue to cook until the chicken is fully cooked, and juices run clear, about 3-5 minutes more.

To assemble the tacos, break apart the chicken with two forks creating bite sized chunks. Fill each tortilla with an even amount of cucumber sticks, shredded chicken pieces, pickled onions, chopped cilantro and drizzle with the lemon mint crema.

Grilled Spinach Feta and Kalamata Chicken Patties with Creamy Harissa Sauce

This is my second entry for the Stella Rosa wines recipe contest and it is a stunner! Super simple to make, only 12 ingredients and BIG on flavor! Lean ground chicken is packed with fresh spinach, crumbled feta and kalamata olives then grilled and served with grilled lemon and a spicy creamy sauce. What's not to love?! 

These are fabulous as-is but equally good next to a salad, with rice or wrapped in a tortilla. I always make the mixture and form the patties in the morning and place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet so they're ready to be cooked when we are but they're so quick to throw together they can easily be made and cooked in less than 30 minutes!

If you're not familiar, harissa is a North African chile paste that happens to be one of my favorite new finds! If you can't find it, no worries, just sub sriracha or chili garlic paste but I promise you, if you make the effort to get some it'll be well worth it!  

Grilled Spinach Feta and Kalamata Chicken Patties with Creamy Harissa Sauce

4 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped 

1 cup feta cheese crumbles 

½ cup diced kalamata olives 

2-pounds ground chicken 

1 teaspoon garlic salt 

1 teaspoon pepper 

1 Tablespoon harissa 

½ cup marinated roasted red bell peppers 

½ teaspoon cumin 

1/3 cup mayonnaise 

1/8 cup Greek yogurt 

1 lemon 

Heat a gas grill to medium high heat.

 In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, feta, olives, ground chicken, garlic salt and pepper. Form into 8 equal sized patties and set on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet to chill in the fridge.

 In a mini food processor or blender puree the harissa, roasted red bell peppers, cumin, mayonnaise and Greek yogurt until smooth. Set in the fridge to chill.

 Slice the lemon in half and place on the hottest part of your grill, cut side down. Allow the lemon halves to get well charred and remove from the heat. Place the patties on the grill, cover and allow to cook 5-6 minutes, flip and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, or until patties are fully cooked through.

 Squeeze the grilled lemon over the patties and serve with dipping sauce.

Grilled Charcuterie Panzanella Salad

Charcuterie boards are really having a moment right now and I am so here for it! I always, without fail, have a charcuterie board out when entertaining. It's so easy, can be made ahead and has a little something for everyone! Anything goes when I'm putting together a board - clean out your fridge, pantry and veggie drawer! Cheeses, meats, crackers, bread, olives, pickles, veggies, fruit- it's all delicious and really beautiful when placed together making you look impressive with very little work put into it.

When I saw that Stella Rosa wines was hosting a recipe contest looking for grilled dishes to be paired with their wine I knew what I was doing! Grilled Charcuterie Panzanella Salad - it's all of your favorite items from a fabulous charcuterie platter grilled to give it a little extra crisp and smoke and then mixed into this gorgeous salad that pairs perfectly with wine!

If you're not familiar with Panzanella, don't be scared by the name. It's just a traditional Italian salad made with bread, tomatoes and basil. So instead of going the traditional route, I grilled everything and loaded it with all the best from a charcuterie platter! Whether you use it as a side dish, or the main event, I promise you'll love it! Cheers! 

Grilled Charcuterie Panzanella Salad

2 Tablespoons fig preserves

2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar

4 Tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces ciabatta bread

½ cup jarred marinated artichokes, with 1 Tablespoon of the marinade

2 thick slices (3 ounces total) Italian hard salami

1 (6 ounce) ham steak

½ cup mini mozzarella balls

½ cup cubed manchego cheese (or any other sharp firm cheese)

1 cup mixed olives

½ cup cornichon, cut into ¼ inch pieces

4 Tablespoons golden raisins

½ cup multicolored baby tomatoes

3 Tablespoons fresh chopped basil

 

 Heat a grill to high heat.

 Whisk together the fig preserves, sherry vinegar and olive oil in a large mixing bowl.

Brush both sides of the bread slices with the marinade from the artichokes. Place the bread slices on the hot grill for 2 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning. Flip the bread over and allow the other side to toast and get grill marks. Remove from the heat and cut into ¾ inch cubes.

Place the ham and salami on the grill and allow them to cook and get grill marks on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and cut into bite sized pieces.

Add the grilled bread, salami and ham chunks to the vinaigrette and toss to evenly coat. Add the artichokes, mozzarella, manchego, olives, cornichon, golden raisins and tomatoes and stir. Pour the mixture onto a serving tray, sprinkle with basil and serve with lots of wine. Cheers!

 4-6 servings

  

Corn & Andouille Beignets with Don Pancho Cilantro Lime Crema

Here's my entry for the Don Pancho “I put Cilantro Lime Crema on EVERYTHING.” recipe contest! They are looking for creative ways to use their delicious Cilantro Lime Crema  for a chance to win a grand prize package worth more than $600!

My first entry is a combo of two of my favorite things - Cajun flavors and Tex-Mex. As many of you know, my dog's names are Roux and Beignet, so I obviously have a soft spot for the pillowy fried treat.

 This time, instead of going sweet, I went savory and created my "Corn & Andouille Beignets with Don Pancho Cilantro Lime Crema" which uses the crema in the batter and as a cool dip to dunk them in. Sweet corn, spicy andouille and the cilantro lime crema combine in a crispy on the outside, light on the inside fried ball of goodness. Be sure to have plenty of Cilantro Lime Crema and I think you'll like them as much as my family did!

Corn & Andouille Beignets with Don Pancho Cilantro Lime Crema

2 cups flour

½ cup cornmeal

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

6 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cajun seasoning

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup Don Pancho Cilantro Lime Crema

2 large eggs

1 large (about 4 Tablespoons) sliced green onion

1 cup diced andouille sausage 

1 cup roasted corn kernels

1 cup Don Pancho Cilantro Lime Crema, for dipping

In an electric fryer or large high sided skillet fitted with a candy thermometer, bring the oil up to 360 degrees over medium high heat.

In a small mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, cajun seasoning and baking soda. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, Don Pancho Cilantro Lime Crema, eggs, green onion, andouille and corn. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just barely combined. 

Once the oil is hot, using a small cookie scoop carefully drop balls of batter into the oil. Fry for about 4 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel lined cookie sheet and allow to drain. Serve immediately with Don Pancho Cilantro Lime Crema for dipping.

Makes 40 beignets

Cheesy Skillet Meatball Gnocchi

Well, it's happening. virtual school is starting tomorrow for my kids in what will be the continuation of the weirdest year ever. I think we're all a little nervous about how it'll pan out but I continue to be amazed at how resilient my kids can be, so here's to hoping it all goes smoothly!

No matter how tomorrow goes, I think we could all use a ridiculously easy, delicious one pan supper that will make you look like a rockstar while only taking less than 30 minutes to put together in our back pocket. Here's my "Cheesy Skillet Meatball Gnocchi" - little cauliflower potato dumplings from the freezer section are crisped in a skillet then topped with frozen meatballs, your favorite marinara sauce and loads of cheese. Bake until gooey and dig in! Literally couldn't be simpler.

I can guarantee you that this will disappear fast. If you are feeling extra fancy, throw a loaf of french bread or a green salad on the side!

Cheesy Skillet Meatball Gnocchi

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 (10 ounce) package frozen cauliflower gnocchi

30 frozen fully cooked (1 inch) meatballs, thawed

1 cup jarred marinara sauce

8 ounces Frigo Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, sliced

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 Tablespoons Frigo Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is very hot, add the oil and spread the gnocchi out in an even layer and allow them to sit undisturbed for 3 minutes. Once the bottoms are browned and crisped, flip the gnocchi over and cook for 3 more minutes.

Once the gnocchi have crisped on both sides add the meatballs to the pan, nestling them in between the gnocchi. Spoon dollops of the sauce evenly around the pan and place in the oven and for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and top with the mozzarella slices. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese gets soft and melty. Sprinkle with the basil and Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Watermelon Greek Salad Salsa

Hi there! It’s been a mess for a hot minute, but I am finally getting it together and I am beyond excited to be back in the kitchen creating new recipes and contest entries! The lovely folks at The Watermelon Board are looking for new twists on recipes from their site, so I decided to take their recipe for Watermelon Greek Salad and put a twist on it! Here’s my “Watermelon Greek Salad Salsa”

The sweetness of the watermelon is fantastic with the briney olives, salty feta crumbles and fresh mint! It’s so refreshing, cold and delicious it will help you forget that it’s 1,752 degrees outside!! 

 

Watermelon Greek Salad Salsa

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

2 cups watermelon, cut into small cubes

1 cup diced English cucumber

½ cup diced red onion

1/3 cup Kalamata olives, chopped

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

Pita chips, for serving

 

Whisk the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic salt and chopped mint together in a large mixing bowl. Gently stir in the watermelon, cucumber, red onion and olives. Pour the mixture into a serving bowl, top with feta and serve with pita chips.

 

 #WatermelonRecipeContest #recipecontest #chipsandsalsa #watermelonrecipes