Dinner, Lunch

Conveyor Belt Chicken with Chicken Fat Ciabatta Croutons

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Samin Nosrat’s genius simple chicken thighs are SO GOOD you will want a conveyor belt to run it into your mouth.

It’s kind of a one ingredient dish – Conveyor Belt Chicken.  In Samin Nosrat’s cooking bible (it’s not just a cookbook) Salt Fat Acid Heat, she refers to this “recipe” in a page of text that reads like a book – it’s because there really isn’t an ingredient list, or much for instruction.  It’s the kind of recipe that teaches you how to cook – simply.  Hot cast iron conducts heat so well for a crispy skin sear that rivals chicken from a fancy restaurant – made in minutes.  I LOVE this chicken.  My family loves it.  Anyway, it’s a good one – make it!

Conveyor Belt Chicken with Chicken Fat Ciabatta Croutons

Print Recipe
Crispy Skin Chicken Thighs served with Ciabatta croutons, simple and delicious.
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken thighs, ciabatta croutons
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

  • 3 - 4 lbs deboned chicken thighs with skin ON
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • fresh thyme and red pepper flakes
  • lemon wedges for serving with the chicken
  • 1/2 loaf ciabatta bread torn into croutons about 4 cups of torn bread

Instructions

  • You likely will need to debone the chicken thighs, which isn't horrible, but it's a bit of a task. Make sure to check for any small cartilage pieces when finished. If you can buy the thighs deboned from your butcher even better!
  • At least 30 minutes before cooking, HEAVILY coat both sides of the chicken thighs with kosher salt and black pepper. I also use thyme and red pepper flakes, but the salt and pepper are great alone too. Set the chicken aside until ready to cook (if more than 30 minutes ahead, place in fridge and remove 30 minutes before cooking). If you have longer, you can salt it up to 8 hour ahead - it just penetrates deeper.
  • When ready to cook, heat a heavy cast iron skillet over medium high flame and prepare a smaller skillet to weigh down the chicken during cooking. You can use a second skillet, a foil wrapped brick, a lid with weights - anything to put decent pressure on the chicken to help render the fat during cooking.
  • If your chicken thighs have a lot of skin, you won't need oil. However, if skin is minimal (not overhanging the actual chicken thigh itself), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the hot skillet. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, being careful to not overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of the thighs, this would be 2 or 3 at a time. Place your smaller second skillet on top of the chicken, to weigh it down, and let cook for aboue 5-7 minutes, depending on size. You want the skin brown and crispy, and the thighs cooked almost all the way through before flipping. When ready, flip and cook just 2 minutes more . Remove to a plate and prepare the next round until all the chicken is cooked.
  • When through cooking the chicken, leave all the drippings in the pan, and toss in the ciabatta croutons, stirring to coat evenly in the fat. Sprinkle with kosher salt and cook until golden brown and crispy all over. Serve with the chicken thighs, sprinkled with more salt and fresh thyme leaves - a squeeze of lemon juice can brighten things up.

Notes

This recipe is minimalist cooking at its finest - use only the best ingredients, and don't be afraid to use high heat.  The pan might splatter, but your weight pan or lid will help keep this in check.  
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Appetizers/Snacks, Sweet

Easy Homemade Salted Caramel Popcorn

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Simple ingredients working together to make this perfect salty sweet popcorn.  You can make it ahead, and it’s dangerously delicious…

Salted Caramel Popcorn – the quintessential ball park treat that makes a most indulgent ice cream topping and all around spectacular snack!  This recipe is rich with equal parts butter and brown sugar to perfectly balance the salty sweet situation that makes this popcorn so dangerously addicting.  Makes an excellent gift to include with the homemade hot fudge sauce from yesterday’s post.  

The hot caramel takes only minutes on the stove top, and uses simple ingredients you will have on hand – an all natural simple treat.  

Salted Caramel Popcorn

Print Recipe
Ultimately delicious and rich combination of salty and sweet - the perfectly balanced treat that is super easy to make.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword caramel, popcorn, caramel popcorn, homemade, easy, make ahead, cracker jacks

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup popcorn kernals
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • malden sea salt flakes for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
  • Pop the popcorn - yielding about 8-10 cups total. I used an air popper but you can easily do this on the stove top using a dutch oven with a tablespoon of canola oil - just make sure to shake the pan often and keep the heat at medium. Set the popped corn into a very large mixing bowl while you make the caramel.
  • In a medium saucepan, melt the butter completely, then add the brown sugar and salt, bring to a low boil for 4-5 minutes. The mixture will look thick and lumpy but don't worry.
  • Off the heat, stir in the vanilla and baking soda. Pour over the popcorn and work quickly to coat all the kernals with the thick hot caramel - be careful as it can burn you easily. Use a rubber spatula to combine everything.
  • Line a 1/2 sheet baking pan with parchment paper and qickly pour the popcorn onto the baking sheet to spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt and bake at 250 for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Keeps for days, but best fresh off the pan.

Notes

This popcorn is great to give as a gift with the hot fudge sauce - the combination with vanilla or coffee ice cream is to die for.  
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Sweet

Ultimate Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

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Four ingredients to heaven on a spoon – the world’s best hot fudge sauce, easy to make and keeps forever!

This recipe is a long standing Wales family tradition – made for the holidays, and I’m bringing it back for summer, and the rest of the year!  This is the ultimate hot fudge sauce you can make ahead, and keep for weeks in the fridge.  Easy and honestly, to die for delicious.  Make this – today.  You will thank me.

I have tripled the original recipe here, mostly because it goes fast in this house, but also for gifts.  After an incredibly challenging year for everyone, I’m planning to give some of this to my kids teachers as a small token of appreciation.  You can buy mason jars in flats everywhere these days, so grab some, fill them up, and share some chocolate love!  

Ultimate Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

Print Recipe
Ultimate hot fudge sauce - homemade heaven on a spoon with just four ingredients.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword hot fudge sauce, chocolate sauce, ice cream sundae

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 6 oz bittersweet baking chocolate
  • 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and chocolate together stirring until smooth. Add the sugar, stirring until completely dissolved into the mixture. Remove from the heat, and whisk the heavy cream into the chocolate until fully blended - it will be silky smooth and amazingly declious! This keeps in the fridge forever, so make extra.

Notes

I have tripled the original recipe for this post - it's the amount I always make, as the sauce makes a great gift.  This year, some very deserving teachers may find this on their desk.  Pour into mason jars with lids and refrigerate until ready to use.  Feel free to cut back on the amount if you are keeping it all to yourself.
This is a Wales Family special tradition that is made every year for the holidays.  I make it all year round, and often, as you kind of always need hot fudge sauce on hand.    
 
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Appetizers/Snacks, Dinner, Lunch

Oven Baked Taco’s with Cilantro Ranch

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A home baked version of crispy beef taco’s with a cilantro greek yogurt ranch sauce on the side – a healthy and super versatile make-ahead meal.

Tonight is game 6 of the Bruins vs. Islanders in the Stanley Cup playoffs (GO B’s!!).  It’s also baseball playoffs for one of our kids, among other sports practices.  This means it’s a make ahead night.  Enter, another recipe inspired by Half Baked Harvest – she made a baked taco with ground chicken, and I updated it here with ground beef and pretty much doubled the recipe.  These have become a favorite in our house as they are super easy, make-ahead, and keep great for leftovers, though there usually aren’t any.  You can use any meat or even chopped vegetables.  I have done this with black beans and oven roasted sweet potatoes and it was delicious!  If you have varying preferences in your home, make 1/2 with chicken and 1/2 with beef, etc.  Since the filling is pre-cooked, everything can be assembled and baked as desired.  The best accompaniment is the cilantro greek yogurt ranch.  Another genius Tieghan move – taco’s with ranch.  THE BEST.  

This is a dip to make time and time again – I posted a very similar version of Chive Ranch with the BBQ chicken recently, and this one has the cilantro twist.  Other than that, it’s the same easy recipe.   Make extra – you will be glad you did.  

The taco’s are formed on a sheet pan using soft corn tortillas that are filled with the beef and cheese, coated in olive oil, folded and baked.  If you have a hard time keeping them folded before baking, compress them with a wire cooling rack while cooking – I have to do this with mine.  

The crispy baked taco’s are great on their own, but served with the ranch and a few drops of taco sauce are even better.  These are great warm, cold – however you find them.  They make a great lunch for packing up the next day!

Oven Baked Taco's with Cilantro Ranch

Print Recipe
A ground beef taco with soft corn tortilla's, baked crispy in the oven, served with a side of greek yogurt cilantro ranch sauce.
Course dinner, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword beef taco, tortillas, ground beef, tacos
Servings 6

Equipment

  • baking sheet with a wire rack

Ingredients

For the Taco's

  • 2 lbs ground beef, turkey, chicken, or even beans and veggies
  • 1 small white onion, chopped
  • 4-6 tsp Taco Seasoning - recipe below
  • 8 oz grated sharp cheddar or pepperjack
  • EVOO for the pan and taco assembly
  • 12 soft corn or flour tortilla's - 6 or 8 inch size

Taco Seasoning

  • 4 tsp chili powder
  • 4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 tsp kosher salt

Cilantro Ranch Sauce

  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 Tbsp chopped chives
  • 2 tsp dried parsley flakes
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Taco Meat (or veggies)

  • Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and saute the chopped onion until just soft. Add the ground beef, chicken, turkey, or veggies, and saute until cooked through. Add a few teaspons of the taco seasoning to a small bowl with some hot water and mix until no dry powder exists. Stir the seasoning into the beef or veggies, and taste to make sure you have enough spice. Add more as needed. This taco seasoning will keep well in a sealed jar for weeks.

Make the Taco's

  • Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Use two sheet pans and cover both with olive oil in a thin coat on the pan. Lay the soft corn tortilla's open faced (6 on each 1/2 sheet pan) slightly overlapping. Add a touch more olive oil on this side of the tortilla's. They will be overlapping, but spread some of the grated cheese on each tortilla, then spoon a few tablespoons of the meat or veggies, a touch more cheese and then fold in half. If your taco's won't stay folded down, you can use a wire baking rack (for cooling cookies) to hold them into their folded position.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the outsides of the tortilla's are somewhat crisp. Set aside to eat at room temperature or fresh off the pan. Serve with the Cilantro Ranch Sauce.

Cilantro Ranch Sauce

  • Stir all ingredients together, and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, or more lime juice as needed. Keep cool for up to a week - we use this on everything, but mostly it's a great dip for taco's, and veggies!

Notes

This recipe is very versatile.  For a veggie taco base, I suggest doing black beans and chopped cut sweet potato (you can roast the sweet potato in the oven for 10-12 minutes at the 425 temp used for the taco's.  It's great with chicken and turkey too!
This is a Tieghan Girard recipe (not exactly) - both the taco and cilantro yogurt dip come from her incredible food blog, Half'Baked Harvest!
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Sweet

Summer Lemon Tart

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Creamy Lemon Tart with a Salted Pretzel and Graham Cracker Crust – light and refreshing at the same time!

Summer dessert perfection is here.  Simple ingredients come together to make a creamy cool tart that tastes like a lemon bar but so much better!  The best part is the salted pretzel graham cracker crust, which balances out the deliciously decadent filling.  This versatile recipe comes from the imitable Tieghan Girard of Half Baked Harvest (halfbakedharvest.com). My version is slightly bigger (my tarte pan is 10 in. vs. 8/9 in) and I increased a tiny amount of salt in the crust.  The flavors are perfect, and this is a gem of a recipe.  It will seem like you spent hours on it – trust me, you won’t.  All you need is time to chill before serving, so plan ahead and make this the morning of, or even the day before.

With minimal ingredients, you need to source the best for this one.  The saltiest pretzels, freshly squeezed lemon juice, cold cream, and fresh local summer berries to top it off.  Note that this recipe makes extra filling, which you could fill into juice glasses and eat like a pudding for breakfast!

One of my favorite friends celebrated her birthday this past weekend, and this was what I made for her – I think she liked it…

Summer Lemon Tart

Print Recipe
Light and creamy Lemon Tart with a salted pretzel graham cracker crust.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Lemon Tart, graham cracker crust, lemon pie
Servings 8

Equipment

  • Tarte Pan (mine is 10 inches, but you can scale back for 8 or 9 inch)

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 12 graham cracker sheets about 1.5 packages
  • 1.5 cups salted pretzel twists
  • 1 stick melted butter
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the filling

  • 4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • NOTE: My tarte pan is 10 inches, but many are smaller, so you can adjust the recipe and scale back a bit as needed.

To Make the Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 350, and set a rack in the middle of the oven.
  • Combine the graham crackers, pretzel twists, and salt, in a food processer and blend together until you have fine crumbs. Stir the honey into the melted butter, and slowly pour the mixture into the crumbs while running the food processer until you have a pasty consistency.
  • Dump the crumb mixture into the tarte pan, pressing to form a molded shell base for the lemon cream filling. Push the crumbs up the sides of the pan as well. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and fairly set. Set aside to cool.

To Make the Filling, and finish the Tart

  • In a large saucepan, combine the heavy cream, zest, and honey, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for at least 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla. Cool the mixture for at least 20 minutes out of the pot.
  • When ready to assemble, fill the tarte pan with the prepared lemon cream, until you reach the top. YOU WILL HAVE EXTRA! Don't overfill. When done, chill in the refrigerator for several hours, up to overnight. Serve with fresh berries on top.

Notes

This recipe is adapted slightly from Tieghan Girard's "No Fuss Lemon Tart" on Half Baked Harvest.  My version is a larger volume and has a touch more salt in the crust.  
This recipe could work well for muffin tins to make individual tarts too!
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Uncategorized

Summer Nicoise Salad

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Grilled Tuna and Shrimp with loads of roasted summer produce and herbs, tossed with a tangy vinaigrette and soft boiled eggs; a non-traditional spin on a French classic.

Nicoise Salad is a classic meal that is incredibly flexible to work with your own taste – it typically includes tuna, olives, green beans, potatoes, boiled eggs, etc… and an anchovy based vinaigrette.  My crew isn’t in love with that version, so I put my own spin on this.  You could make a vegetarian version as well – the vinaigrette is legit delicious and EVERYTHING can be made ahead.  Magical for entertaining – make it at 8 am and serve at 7 pm – it doesn’t matter!  It honestly tastes better after sitting.  

I chose a mix of shrimp and tuna, which originally I planned on grilling, but it was pouring rain.  I ended up buying the shrimp pre-cooked, and seared the tuna in a cast iron skillet.  I roasted the veggies in the oven, but normally would have grilled them all as well – both cooking methods are in the recipe so do whatever works best.  

Summer Nicoise Salad with Grilled Tuna and Shrimp

Print Recipe
Classic Nicoise updated with roasted summer vegetables, grilled tuna steak and shrimp.
Course dinner, Lunch
Cuisine French
Keyword nicoise, salad, grilled tuna, tuna, shrimp, vegetables, summer
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch asparagus woody ends trimmed
  • 1 cluster small vine tomatoes (5 or 6)
  • 3 ears corn
  • 1 lb fingerling potatoes, or other small roasting potatoes
  • 4 oz fresh arugula or watercress
  • 6 eggs
  • 1.25 lb tuna steak
  • 1 lb shrimp, raw or cooked I like 16-20 count or larger
  • 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, halved or quartered
  • 1 jar mixed olives
  • 1 bunch mixed herbs - chives, basil, thyme
  • 1 lemon

Vinaigrette

  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp finely chopppd shallot
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

  • This is a dish of many components that are all prepped in advance. It's worth the effort!

For the Vinaigrette

  • Combine the vinegars, shallots, dijon, along with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Shake in a mason jar with a lid, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Leave at room temp if using within a few hours, otherwise, keep in the fridge but give time to loosen up on the counter before serving - about 30 mins.

For the Tuna

  • Coat the tuna steak in a thin layer of olive oil, then season liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If cooking on a grill, bring to a medium high heat, and sear on each side about 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak. You will know to flip when the sides start to turn in color from red to a light grey. If using a skillet (I prefer cast iron for this due to its high heating consistency) preheat the pan to medium high and sear on both sides - same time as if grilling, about 3-4 minutes.
    You may need to tent the tuna with tinfoil while cooking to prevent smoke and help heat through evenly. I like tuna seared fairly rare - add time to the cooking as needed to reach your desired temperature.
  • When done cooking, set to the side and let cool to room temp, or if using later, keep in fridge until ready to serve. Don't slice until ready to serve. I like thick slices against the grain.

For the shrimp - if not cooked...

  • My favorite way to cook shrimp is to grill it quickly over relatively high heat, after coating with olive oil, salt and pepper. You need larger sized shrimp (16-20 count or bigger) to make sure they don't fall between the grates. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on them after cooking - they take literally 2-3 minutes total!

For the Hard Boiled Eggs

  • Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a full boil, then add the eggs carefully, cooking for 8 minutes. Immediately add to an ice bath and fully cool before peeling. Leave them in the shell until ready to serve to keep fresh.

The Vegetables (Grill or Roast)

  • Trim the woody ends off the asparagus. Slice any large fingerling potatoes in half, leaving them about 1 inch in size each. Strip the corn cobs of their husks and trim the ends. Throw the potatoes and corn on a 1/2 sheet pan - coat everything with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place the asparagus on another sheet pan, or reserve for use after cooking the potatoes and corn, also coating with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  • If Roasting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Keep the potatoes and corn on the sheet pan, roast, turning half way through, for about 22-25 mintues until cooked through and slightly carmelized. Remove from the pan, and roast the asparagus for about 5-7 minutes until tender but still somewhat crisp.
    If grilling, preheat the grill to a medium high heat. Prepare the vegetables as mentioned above and cook everything until tender crisp, as you would with roasting.
  • Set aside until ready to serve

Salad assembly and serving

  • Slice the tuna steak into strips. Cut the corn off the cob, and slice the tomatoes into bite size chunks, seasoning with salt and pepper. Toss the salad greens with some of the dressing in a medium sized bowl. Peel the eggs, and slice into halves.
  • On a large platter or cutting board, start to arrange all the ingredients in clusters, allowing people to choose what they want in sections. Group the potatoes, tomatoes, corn, tuna slices, shrimp, greens, drained artichoke and olives, as well as the hard boiled eggs. Chop the basil, chives and thyme, and coat the salad liberally with the dressing, topping with the herbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy at your leisure - this one sits well!

Notes

One issue with adding cool eggs to boiling water is the tendancy for cracks with the temp shift - I usually add some extra eggs to cover the mistakes.  
Honestly, grilling and roasting both lead to great results as long as you start with quality ingredients.  Both options make things easy to prepare in advance with incredible flavor - just make sure to not overcook the vegetables, especially the asparagus.  
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Appetizers/Snacks

Herb Marinated Goat Cheese

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Herby goat cheese packed with olive oil and red pepper flakes – perfect make ahead appetizer for all ages.

As simple as it gets, this classic combination of goat cheese with fresh herbs and olive oil is the ultimate make ahead appetizer to serve in the summer.  This recipe gets better as it sits, and can be served cold or at room temperature with veggies, crostini, crackers or pretzels.  Also makes a great topping for bagels in the morning.  A nod to Ina Garten, once again, for nailing it!

I use a lidded canning jar, but any bowl or jar will work and you can close it with plastic wrap if you don’t have a lid.  It gets better as it sits, but even an hour makes it great.  I like it more the next day!

Herb Marinated Goat Cheese

Print Recipe
Sliced goat cheese, marinated in olive oil, fresh herbs, and red pepper flakes.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword marinated goat cheese, appetizer
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 11-12 oz goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp chopped or torn fresh basil
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • good bread or crackers for serving

Instructions

  • Slice the log(s) of goat cheese into 1 ounce disks. Stack the goat cheese in one layer on the bottom of a large jar (usually fits about 2 1/2 slices, drizzle with some olive oil, sprinkle some of the herbs, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Repeat the process until you have all the goat cheese stacked in about 3-4 layers total.
  • Seal the jar with a lid or plastic wrap. and leave on the counter for 1 hour, or up to 24 hours in the fridge. Enjoy cold or at room temperature, with whatever you want on the side - veggies, crackers, bread, or pretzels.

Notes

A weck canning jar works well for this recipe.  
This also makes a delicious substitute for cream cheese on a toasted everything bagel!
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Dinner, Lunch

Beer BBQ Chicken with Chive Ranch Dip

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June 1st calls for some BBQ!  A gem here with homemade sauce, a Chive Ranch dip, and everything can be made in advance with little effort on the back end.  Food like this serves us well all summer for outings at the beach, camping, etc.  It travels well, and despite being a little messy, it’s a crowd pleaser for kids and grandparents, and everyone in between.  Cornbread recipe will come later too!

The sauce recipe is from Half Baked Harvest, a goldmine of incredible recipes and food inspiration.  My friend Liz introduced me to this site, and I cannot thank her enough!  Anyway – it’s legit.  Beer in the sauce.  BBQ perfection.  

Beer BBQ Chicken with Chive Ranch Dip

Print Recipe
Homemade Beer spiked BBQ sauce, slathered on grilled chicken strips, served with a cool chive ranch dip on the side.
Course dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword barbecue, bbq, chicken, bbq chicken, ranch, grilled chicken
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs chicken breast, sliced into strips for grilling

Beer BBQ Sauce

  • 3/4 cup beer - whatever you like to drink
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 3/4 cup runny honey
  • 3 tsp dijon mustard
  • 3 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tsp chili powder
  • 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Chive Ranch Dip

  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Make the BBQ Sauce

  • Combine all ingredients in a small to medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Continue simmer over low heat for at least 15 -20 minutes until slightly thickened. I usually do this a day in advance.

Make the Chive Ranch Dip

  • Stir all ingredients together and keep refridgerated until ready for use.

Grilled BBQ Chicken

  • Slice the chicken breasts into strips and rub with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Set aside
  • Slather a thin coat of the BBQ sauce on the chicken - you want to go light so it doesn't cause a flare up on the grill. I baste the back side of the chicken as I turn it, to boost the flavor without feeding the flames. You can use a grilling or pastry brush to do this. Add one final coat of the sauce when finished cooking - the chicken will absorb a lot of it and concentrate the flavor. Serve the chicken warm or make ahead to eat later - dip with extra BBQ sauce and the ranch on the side.

Notes

This recipe is adapted slightly from Half Baked Harvest - www.halfbakedharvest.com.  Tieghan Girard is a huge source of recipe inspiration for me, and I often find myself going back to her recipes time and time again!
Also - the Chive ranch is a big batch recipe because my family devours this - we use it with veggies, tacos, and even put it on sandwiches.  If you aren't as insanely addicted to ranch, you will likely be fine with a 1/2 portion of the recipe...
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Beverages

Aperol Spritz

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The Iconic Italian aperitif – summer in a glass!

This drink signals summer to me.  Despite the pouring rain and temps in the 40’s here for our Memorial Day weekend, I’m going for this cocktail in celebration of summer, coming, soon… Three ingredients, over ice, tastes like sunshine.  Here’s to making your own!

Aperol Spritz

Print Recipe
The iconic Italian aperitif; prosecco, aperol, and spash of club soda makes the perfect summer cocktail combination.
Course Drinks
Cuisine Italian
Keyword aperol, spritz, cocktail
Servings 2 cocktails

Ingredients

  • 4 oz Aperol
  • 6-8 oz prosecco
  • 2 oz club soda (I prefer pellegrino)
  • 1 orange, sliced for garnish

Instructions

  • Fill two glasses 2/3 full of ice cubes. Into each glass, start with the aperol (2 oz), top with prosecco (3-4 oz), and finish with a splash of pellegrino. Garnish with orange slices. I don't stir the cocktail, leaving the bubbles to do the work!
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Sweet

Dark Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

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These are just really good.  It’s that boring and simple.  I was originally going to crust the ice cream sides with toppings like heath bar and mini chocolate chips and sprinkles, but, it wasn’t necessary.  They are great as they are.  This is because the brownies that encase these magical bites are so flavorful and balanced that anything else would be too much.  Better to have something be simply good on its own, and not need embellishment.  All of this with due credit to Deb Perlman (Smittenkitchen.com) who perfected the brownie recipe – I have tested many and she wins, for two reasons; one, the batter is not too sweet and has a salty edge, and two, it doesn’t turn rock hard when frozen.

Dark Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Print Recipe
Homemade dark chocolate fudge brownies, baked thin and chewy, layered thick with ice cream between. Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword chocolate, dark chocolate, brownie, ice cream, ice cream sandwich
Servings 16 sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 3 oz Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup AP flour
  • 2-3 cups softened ice cream, for filling

Instructions

  • To make the brownie layers, line two greased 8x8 baking pans with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large glass bowl, combine the butter and chopped chocolate, and heat for 1 minute on high heat in the microwave. Stir the chocolate into the melted butter to dissolve any solid pieces, and reheat at 15 second intervals as needed to finish melting. Add the sugar while the chocolate butter mixture is hot to dissolve the granules.
  • When the mixture has cooled a bit, add the two eggs, vanilla, salt, and finally the flour. The mixture will be thick and rich, but don't overmix.
  • Divide the batter between the two pans evenly. Bake on a middle rack for exactly 12 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Cool the brownie layers in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
  • When the brownies have cooled, scoop the softened ice cream (I used oreo cookie, and Just Sprinkles) on top of what will be the bottom layer, to your desired thickness. Top with the other brownie layer, compacting gently with the empty brownie pan on top to make sure pressure is even. I continue to use the parchment paper beneath and on top to ensure things aren't sticking. Chill for 30 minutes.
  • Transfer the massive layered brownie sandwich to a cutting board, and cut into four slices each way, resulting in a total of 16 delicious nuggets! Top with melted hot fudge sauce (to come later), roll in sprinkles or mini chocolate chips - whatever you like. They are also insanely good as is...
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