“You haven’t planned a dinner in a while,” my husband said recently as I stirred a bolognese sauce on the stove. Though I’d planned on making bolognese for dinner that day, I recognized the truth in the statement. Even though I’ve never been big on meal planning, I have always been a plan-ahead girl when it comes to dinner — ready with an answer for the ubiquitous question: “What’s for dinner?” Until I wasn’t.

Suddenly, I never seemed to know what we’d be eating. And it kind of drove me a little batty since every evening I ended up in a mad dash to figure it out at the last minute. Not fun.

Oddly enough, Shawn commented it on that just as I re-found my ability to plan ahead for meals. (I say that with great relief — this was a part of me that I needed to reclaim.)

Moreover, I’ve been making some creative dinners that the kids are really into. Like Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice with Avocado and Tomatoes. The kids loved this — and so did my cousins, who were the happy recipients of a dinner delivery recently.

Cilantro and lime is one of those flavor combination that just works. The combination of the citrus, the fresh cilantro and a little garlic makes an amazing marinade for the chicken here. Then the rice is tossed with lime zest (flavor without the acid!) and more cilantro. Once the chicken is broiled to juicy perfection, it’s all served with creamy avocado slices and sweet tomatoes.

Perfect. Easy. Ready.

 You just have to try this. Trust me.

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You know what? This chicken is seriously good. Every bite is a creamy, crispy, earthy, rich delight. I mean, this is the kind of dish that renders the dinner table silent as you all dig in and enjoy. It’s just that delicious.

It’s pretty easy to make too. You cook the chicken on a rack, which lets it bake up with a crisp outside without getting soggy on the bottom (as happens with baked breaded chicken sometimes). While it’s cooking, you brown some mushrooms and whip up a creamy cheese sauce. It’s about 40 minutes total — and about 30 minutes of hands on cooking. Not bad for something that will have your family practically licking the plate clean, eh?

This is totally the kind of thing you would try at a restaurant and then tell all your friends about. (Psst! You should totally tell them about it anyway. Just sayin’.) But it’s better — and it won’t set you back a car payment or two (seriously, is it just me or are restaurant prices through the roof these days?).

And the biscuit? It’s the perfect side for this — you can even sop up the cheese sauce with it. Mmm.

Cheesy Smothered Breaded Chicken with Buttermilk Biscuits
serves 4

1 lb thin-cut chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten well
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
9 oz package sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Jarlsberg cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese
4 frozen Pillsbury Grands! Buttermilk Biscuits, prepared

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a baking rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.

Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Dip each alternatively in egg and then breadcrumbs, turning to fully coat. Place on the rack.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.

Meanwhile, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet. Add the mushrooms and salt lightly. Cook, stirring lightly, until the mushrooms are browned and tinged with golden spots — about 10 minutes.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium sauce pan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, until bubbly and smooth. Whisk in the milk. Continue cooking, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened. Whisk in the cheeses until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To serve: Top each chicken breast with mushrooms and cheese sauce. Serve with a buttermilk biscuit each.

——————————

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Pillsbury. All opinions are my own.

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These. These are what I love to toss in the oven when we’re sitting down to watch a game on Sundays. These are the snack (or, ahem, dinner) I love to dig into while my favorite teams (Go Raiders! Go Giants!) take to the field. These are something that Shawn, the kids and I can all agree on. That’s something big.

Yes, I really do watch football on Sundays … after soccer, grocery shopping and everything else we do on Sundays.

Honestly, there’s just something about watching football with your family and a big ol’ pile of wings on a Sunday. It’s a relaxing way to end the weekend — no matter how busy it was.

And these wings? Well, they have it all. They are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. And the sauce they are tossed in? It’s a sweet-salty masterpiece. But I can’t take total credit for the combination. It’s actually based on my very favorite wings at a Connecticut sports bar named TK’s. They call their version Pterodactyl wings. But I’m just going to call it what it is: Teriyaki Barbecue Wings. Whatever you call it, these are messy, but so worth it.

Mmm.

The secret to these wings is getting a crispy baked coating on them before tossing with the sauce. To do that, I use a battering process inspired by White on Rice Couple’s Teriyaki Wings. They dip their wings first in oil and then in flour to create a crispy outside. I tried it that way, and loved the crisp outside but found that the flour flavor was a little strong in the final result so I tweaked it a bit to my tastes. For my version, I dip in seasoned flour first and then oil, which allows the floury coating to cook to a crisp without any residual flour flavor. Score.

Then the crispy cooked wings are tossed in the teriyaki barbecue sauce so that it totally coats them in sticky goodness. When you sit down to watch football next Sunday, you need to be munching on these wings. Trust me on this one.

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A salad like this is a perfect ending to a cheery day. It hits all the right notes — crisp, crunchy, sweet, savory and belly-filling. And despite the length of the ingredients list, it’s ready in 10 minutes or less. An invaluable recipe to have in your repertoire, right?

This healthful salad was actually the ultimate finish to my Friday, the last weekday of spring break for my kids. We’d had a playful day filled with laughter, thrills and our collective favorite place — the beach. Yes, again.

What really made it significant though was that the whole week had been filled with memory-making good times. That’s no small feat, considering it was a work week for me. It was as though I had a fundamental shift in thinking that allowed me to just let go and enjoy — while still keeping up with all my work responsibilities. Good times, people.

But I will be the first to admit that the merriment of Spring Break 2012 is a complete 180 from previous years. In the past, the words ‘spring break’ have made me shudder. I struggled to balance work with having the kids home, and never seemed to do it well. Instead of enjoying spring break, the inevitable disruption in our schedule was an overwhelming challenge. And then there were all my good intentions of being one of those families that actually traveled during spring break. It never happened, a reality that inevitably produced dreaded feelings of inadequacy. Spring break in past years was just a bundle of blech.

This year was different. Anticipating the start of spring break, I was excited for the welcome respite. We’ve been in a whirlwind of activity for the past few months, including the week we were away. The beautiful weather and not wanting to travel (yes, really) made a difference too.

You know what else made a difference? Being a little spontaneous. Little excursions — to the playground, to the beach (um, twice) and even to track practice with friends — made the week really count. The little things can really mean so much.

So spring break this year? It was awesome. Summer vacation can’t come fast enough now.

While I can’t fast-forward through the last two months of school (and really, I wouldn’t want to … there is something to be said for anticipation), I can clutch a tiny bit of summer by trading the heavy foods of winter for the lighter bites of summertime — like this Edamame Chicken Dinner Salad.

A little more about the salad … This is crazy simple to make. Start with a bed of lettuce. Top with cucumber, tomatoes and roasted red peppers. Fry up a slice of bacon (yes, just one) and then brown edamame in the grease (ok … that I could have made a little healthier, but everything in moderation, right?). Top the salad with the bacon (crumbled, of course), edamame, a sliced grilled chicken breast (perhaps leftover from last night?) and a little oil and great quality balsamic vinegar. Oh, and a touch of salt and pepper.

Done. Grab your fork and dig in. It’s calling to you. Seriously.

So tell me … how do you feel about spring break? Is it something to look forward to, or a total dread fest?

Edamame Chicken Dinner Salad
serves 1

2 cups sweet baby lettuce
1/2 cup peeled, sliced and quartered cucumbers
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers
1 slice bacon
1/4 cup shelled edamame (frozen is ok)
4 oz grilled chicken breast, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar (best quality)
salt and pepper, to taste

Arrange the lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and roasted red peppers in a large bowl.

Heat a small skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook till crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and let cool. Add the edamame to the skillet and cook, shaking the pan occasionally for 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned.

Crumble the bacon onto the salad. Top with edamame and chicken breast (hot or cold, it’s your choice). Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

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On Sundays, I cook. Maybe it’s cliche, I don’t know. But Sunday is the day when I make a big batch of something for lunch that we can nibble from during the week. Hopefully that something is also good for Will’s lunch on Monday too. It’s also the day that I usually bake to fill the cookie jar, which is a fun indulgence. Oh and I test out new recipes too.

Sunday is also the day that we go to the library and enjoy fresh donuts from the local bakery. If I have time, I sit on the couch and read too, getting lost in books. It’s a good day.

This past Sunday started out busy. Too busy. I was rushed, so my breakfast was merely the coffee I drank before dashing out the door with the kids. Don’t worry – they ate, polishing off special toasted bread, berries and more. By the time we arrived home for lunch, I was beyond starving, which added some pressure. Lunch couldn’t be complicated. No, it needed to be fast, simple and still be worth making and eating.

Fortunately, I have a few tricks that I turn to for a quickie meal for the kids and I. First, I keep chicken sausage in my fridge (and freezer). Precooked chicken sausage is so easy to heat up and serve. I’ve served fat apple maple links with omelets for lunch. Sweet Italian chicken sausage with sauce for dinner. Caprese sausage with mashed potatoes. This weekend, we were down to two varieties: spicy mango or chicken chorizo. I opted for the latter.

Second, beyond having a treasure trove of uses for the sausage, I have my standby dish, which is basically a formula for a foolproof throw together pasta: 8 oz dried pasta (cooked) + 4 cooked and sliced sausage links + cheese of choice + tomatoes, peppers or vegetables, all tossed with a touch of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. It couldn’t be easier.

For this week’s dish, I combined the slightly spicy chorizo with salty feta and sweet diced tomatoes. It was a symphony of flavors and textures that was different enough to not seem repetitive, but familiar enough to make us enjoy it. With the mere addition of salt, pepper and walnut oil, the dish was transformed from a bunch of random ingredients into something that the kids couldn’t wait to eat again (a good thing, since we had it for dinner tonight too).

There’s already been requests for me to make this again. Sounds like a winner.

Do you have a go-to dish? What is it?

Toss Together Chorizo, Feta and Tomato Pasta
serves 4

8 oz medium shells pasta
4 chicken Chorizo sausage (precooked)
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp walnut oil (or extra virgin olive oil, if you prefer)

Prepare the pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the Chorizo up (I do it in the oven at 375 for about 8 minutes). Let it cool slightly and then slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds.

Once the pasta is done, drain it well and then add to a large bowl. Add the sausage, tomato and feta. Toss well. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Toss again.

Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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When Will saw me starting to steam broccoli for this dish, he couldn’t help but let out a little cheer. It’s his very favorite vegetable — and has been since he was a toddler. Even though he’s loved it for much of his six years, I am always caught off guard by his excitement. When I was a child broccoli wasn’t high on my list. Unless it was drowned in cheese sauce, of course, but that kind of defeats the purpose. No?

But even though his enthusiasm for broccoli surprises me, I try really hard never to let my preferences color Will’s or Paige’s. I never ever want them to not try something — or worse, to dislike something — because I’m not as excited by it. I’d much rather they make their own decisions about foods — and they do.

These days though, I do like broccoli too. But I especially like it when it’s tossed with a delicious sauce like in this Baked Ginger Sesame Chicken and Broccoli. It’s a sweet-salty-savory dish with Asian inspiration. The marinated chicken soaks in all the flavors of the marinade, and then the steamed broccoli is enhanced by a quick toss with some reserved marinade, which really ties it all together.

This dish starts with an easy homemade ginger sesame sauce/marinate. You whisk the four simple ingredients together and reserve a little. Then the rest is used to marinate the chicken. You can grate your own ginger for this, or use some of this frozen crushed ginger. Either works great.

Marinate the chicken in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Longer is better though. Then you bake it — it takes about 14 minutes in the oven, total.

Then you serve it over rice with the broccoli. It’s easy — and fairly fast to make. We like it as a simple school night dinner, but it works any night.

Time to switch gears … I just don’t have a good transition for this one. Let’s just pretend I do. Please?

On to Eat. Live. Be. … Earlier this week, I sent Cate a quick message asking her what this week’s theme was for Eat. Live. Be. Reboot. I was so relieved when she said online. I knew just what I would be talking about.

See, when Eat. Live. Be. was in full swing earlier this year, I gave myself a big boost by joining Weight Watchers Online. It was just what I needed right when I needed it — the accountability, the structure, the reality-view of what I was eating. But then summer came and tracking became a nuisance. Toward the end of summer, I canceled my subscription. Throughout that whole time, I kept my weight off — despite not tracking.

It’s amazing how quickly you can get off track though. For me, it started with my asthma acting up. I wasn’t exercising. I ate more. And then, I had to take a very necessary medication to fix my asthma problem — that causes two serious side effects in me: a huge, unstoppable appetite and sleeplessness. Then the holidays came and before I knew it, I had drifted far from my healthy habits.

When I made the commitment to reboot my efforts though, I knew I needed that kick in the pants to really get moving and back on track fast. Guess where I turned? Weight Watchers Online again. I like that the program is flexible enough to accommodate my unusual lifestyle — which includes testing at least a half-dozen recipes each week — but structured enough to create a boundary for me when it comes to eating. I really need boundaries. I have high hopes.

Be sure to check in on the Eat. Live. Be. For a Better 2011 Facebook page to see what all the ELB’ers are up to this week, and where they are finding inspiration and motivation online.

Baked Ginger Sesame Chicken and Broccoli
serves 4, plus leftovers

1 1/2 lb raw chicken breast tender pieces
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp grated ginger
4 cups broccoli florets
sesame seeds (optional)
white rice, cooked

Rinse the chicken under cool water and then place in a large bowl to marinate.

Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and ginger. Reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade and then pour the remainder over the chicken. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes to marinate.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet, discarding any used marinade. Bake for 7 minutes then flip and cook for another 7 minutes, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, steam the broccoli until tender (about 10 minutes). Once it’s cooked, remove to a medium mixing bowl and toss to coat with the reserved sauce/marinade.

Serve the chicken and broccoli over rice.

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The other night, when I was at Cate‘s house for our Blogger Thanksgiving fest, we were reheating a batch of these Homemade Seasoned Baked Chicken Nuggets that I made for the kids. Cate asked me if they were done right after I’d checked on them, and I said “No, they aren’t humming yet.”

It never occurred to me that would be a weird thing to say. It never occurred to me that the idea of food humming is something that not everyone thinks. Or hears. Or says. Yea. But Patsy, Joanne and Cate set me straight. It’s definitely a Sarah-ism. (In my defense, that’s really what I look for whenever I reheat food — the hum of sizzling warmed food.)

So, about the chicken nuggets … honestly, I had never thought of making my own until a recent Skinny Chicken Nuggets post on Tablespoon set off a wild obsession with baked chicken nuggets for me. My kids love chicken nuggets (I think it’s written somewhere in the kid handbook that they have to), and I like feeding them good, wholesome, homemade food that doesn’t take long to make.

Ding. Ding. Ding! We have a winner.

These start with fresh breadcrumbs made from leftover bread (I use the ends of loaves). Just whirl it in a food processor into fine crumbs. Why fresh? Two reasons: one, the taste is just better and two, you can control the type of bread you use — like that favorite 12-grain that is omnipresent in your kitchen. So, once you have those fresh crumbs, you toast one cup of the crumbs with a clove of chopped garlic in a hot skillet until golden brown. If you have extra breadcrumbs, toast them in a resealable bag and freeze until ready to use.

Once the crumbs are toasted, whirl them again in the food processor with the garlic, salt, pepper and paprika. This will ensure that the seasonings are well-distributed throughout.

Now, for the chicken, you need to cut chicken tenderloins into nugget size pieces. Don’t worry. It only takes a minute or two. Aim for 1″x1″ pieces.

Dredge the chicken in the seasoned breadcrumbs.

Seasoned Baked Chicken Nuggets
serves 4

Cooking oil spray
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (run a slice or two through the food processor)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 lb chicken tenderloins, cut into 1″ pieces

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil (or regular foil sprayed with cooking oil).

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat on the stove. Spray lightly with cooking oil spray. Add the breadcrumbs and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to a food processor and add the salt, pepper and paprika. Whirl until well combined. Pour into a bowl.

Spray the chicken pieces with cooking oil spray. Then, dredge each one into the breadcrumb mixture, coating all over. Transfer to the baking sheet. Nuggets can be super close together, but shouldn’t touch. Once all the nuggets have been breaded, spray lightly with cooking oil.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the downside is golden. Flip all the nuggets. Then bake for another 5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

To reheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cooked chicken nuggets on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until they are humming sizzling.

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For awhile there, my freelance writing business was booming. In fact, it was so big that I ended up letting go of a few lower paying clients. But this summer, one of my clients cut my workload (and my pay) in half. At first, it was kind of an abstract this sucks kind of thing.

But this month is when it really hit me. My income was substantially reduced, and suddenly I need to budget really well again. That means no more trips for after-school lattes for me and cake pops for the kids. That means using coupons again and paying attention to the sales flyers. That means seeking out work and making due in the meantime. (Anyone looking for a recipe developer/journalist/writer/blogger?)

As a result, I’ve been looking to less-expensive meals that are both easy and meet our expectation for really delicious dinners. Chicken drumsticks are a great budget-stretching meat to have in the rotation. Not to be confused with the mini ones that are a popular game day food, chicken drumsticks are larger and meatier. Two pounds of drumsticks with a couple of sides is perfect for my family, though you might want to go to three pounds if you are big eaters. The glaze recipe could be stretched to glaze another pound of drumsticks — or it’s easy to make a little extra.

These Baked Sticky Orange Chicken Drumsticks are delicious. They go perfectly with Kale and Bacon Fried Rice and a salad. And it can all be ready in under 30 minutes — totally easy too.

Also see Crunchy Oven-Fried Chicken Drumsticks.

I came up with this recipe after spying a similar one in an old food magazine. The original recipe from Every Day Food called for basting with marmalade only. However, I find marmalade to be too tart for our tastes. But combining the marmalade with soy sauce and rice vinegar, the sharp tartness is toned down and a richness is added without losing the orange flavor. The reaction was huge — everyone loved the sticky coating.

Do you have to watch your food budget too? How do you do it?

Baked Sticky Orange Drumsticks
serves 4
adapted heavily from Every Day Food, April 2009

2 lbs chicken drumsticks (5-6)
kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Then, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper all over. Arrange on the baking sheet (don’t let the pieces touch).

Bake for 10 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, whisk together the marmalade, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Pull the chicken out and baste with 1/2 of the marmalade mixture. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.

Take the chicken out again and baste with the remaining marmalade mixture. Return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes more.

Let cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

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As a result, I try hard to not have leftovers from dinner. I make just enough. But sometimes leftovers can’t be avoided. For instance, earlier this week I was working on a recipe for Tablespoon that called for using leftover roasted chicken. I ended up buying a whole roasted chicken at the grocery store but only used a portion of it to finish off the recipe. A little of the chicken became Paige’s lunch one day, but there was still a good amount left. I hated seeing it there, knowing that it would go to waste if I didn’t do something.

Of course, I didn’t want to just eat it. With chicken especially, I am much happier when it becomes part of a whole new meal. Putting it on a salad was an option. But I had nachos on the brain and I’ve been on a long quest to make chicken work on nachos. Often, I feel like when you pair chicken with traditional nacho toppings it ends up seeming out of place — like your Thanksgiving dinner got into an argument with fiesta night. The flavors is just so different.

But I had an epiphany recently. If the chicken’s flavor was more Tex-Mex then it would blend in better. It’s a matter of narrowing the gap between the flavors. So I tried it (what good is a theory if you don’t?). It worked. All it takes is shredding the chicken and mixing it with a little salsa to make it a perfect nacho topping. Sweet.

Making these nachos, which make a perfect easy dinner, is simple as can be. Tortilla chips are topped with the chicken mixture, a load of black beans and red peppers. Then it’s all baked with a blanket of cheddar. Serve it with salsa, sour cream, guacamole or whatever you love with your nachos.

Did I mention that it’s ready in a mere 15 minutes, start to finish? Go ahead. Try them tonight. You totally have time.

What do you do with your leftovers?

Shredded Chicken and Black Bean Nachos
serves 4

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (such as from a roasted chicken)
1/2 cup salsa (I use mild for the kids but prefer hot myself)
tortilla chips (roughly 4 cups)
1 15.5-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh red bell pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc as desired

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together the chicken and salsa.

Arrange the tortilla chips in a 9×13 baking dish. Top with the chicken mixture and the black beans. Sprinkle with red peppers. Spread the cheddar all around.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is all melted.

Let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving.

—————-

More Recipes for Leftover Chicken:

- Chicken, Avocado and Red Pepper Rice Bowl

- Greek Chicken Salad Sandwiches

- Lighter Chicken Enchiladas

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Ahoy, me hearties. Today be buccanneer tide at me office. Me work shipmates an’ I dressed up like sea dogs. Thar be sea dog foods, games an’ treasure. It be a great, grand day.

I’m a big, huge, gigantic pirate fan. After hearing legends as a child of Captain Kidd allegedly burying treasure off the New England coast, I just fell in love with the lore and romantic pirate histories. Of course, the reality was far less romantic. My interest is more Captain Jack Sparrow than real-life pirates. (And for the record, I know that real life pirates are nasty … nothing like Jack.)

When my editor suggested we have a pirate party to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day this week, I was all for it. I might have yelped in glee, but who’s counting? Today was our party (though the actual day was Sept. 19).

This was our treasure chest — filled with a few fun prizes for the pirate trivia game (I won!) and the hook game (we had to use a homemade hook hand to pick up five pretzels. That takes skills. Did I mention that my coworkers are awesome?

Oh, and of course we dressed up. Why would anyone skip the opportunity to dress like a pirate? Arggggg!

For my contribution to lunch, I brought a plate of Chicken Daggers, a fun take on skewers that’s fashioned after daggers (as in the knife). My coworkers brought fun pirate foods like anti-scurvy fruit salad and walk the plank cookies.

Making them is simple – you marinate strips of chicken (I cut mine from chicken breasts) until they are filled with flavor. Then you thread the chicken onto skewers with a thick slice of pepper and a pineapple chunk (the dagger handle). Once that’s all done, all you need to do is cook them.

Fun, right?

And hey, these aren’t just for Talk Like a Pirate Day. They’re allow a perfect food for a Halloween party. Think how awesome the daggers would look on a spooky buffet.

Chicken Daggers
serves 4

1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into strips
jerk or teriyaki marinade
thick-sliced peppers
pineapple chunks

Special: wooden skewers, soaked for 30 minutes right before using

Place the chicken into a resealable bag and add marinade to coat. Seal the bag and chill for 2 hours.

Prepare the daggers: Thread one strip of chicken onto each skewer, followed by a pepper slice and a pineapple chunk. Repeat until all the chicken as been used.

Heat your grill to its medium setting. Once it’s hot (about 5 minutes), cook the skewers for 3-5 minutes/side until cooked through. Remove from the grill.

Serve hot or cold.

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