Steel Cut Oats

(google stock photo)

I struggle with breakfast. I am just as happy having my protein shake EVERY SINGLE DAY. My kids really have suffered because of it. I make breakfast maybe once a month (although my last 2 posts have been breakfast....maybe turning over a new leaf?). Keaton (the boy who will eat and enjoy anything) does not eat hot cereal. I grew up on the stuff. I have not been able to find any he really loves (I have tried adding cocoa, brown sugar, honey.....all 3...no luck). We were watching good eats on Steel Cut Oats. Keaton said, "Mom that looks GOOD". I never pass up a chance like that so we made it. He loved it and so did the little one year old lady. Alton B. adds a lot of cream. I used skim milk and I am glad I did. It worked fine and saved a ton of calories, and fat.

Here is how to make the best bowl of Oatmeal EVER:

Saute:

1 cup oats

1 Tbsp butter

While that is sauteing boil 3 cups water. My water was boiling right as the oats got really toasty. Add the water to the saute pan (there will be lots of bubbles). Stir a bit, turn down to a simmer, cover and let cook for 1/2 hour.

After the 1/2 hour add 1 cup skim milk and gently stir every so often with the end of a wooden spoon. Cook about 10 minutes or until a nice creamy consistency (about 5 for me).

LASTLY add 1/2 tsp salt (be sure you don't add before or it won't be creamy). We topped with real maple and cinnamon. Keaton had seconds :)

Super Fast Skillet Quiche

(picture from Prudence Pennywise)

I am not one to make breakfast. For some reason most breakfast foods make me feel sick so I usually stick to a protein shake. This morning I was inspired and made this for Keaton and I. Ooooh Lala! Keaton said, "Mom you really should be the Next Food Network Star". If only he knew I stole the recipe from Prudence Pennywise the great. Remember to use just a small 6" skillet.

I made mine with french goat cheese, garden tomato's (sliced thin then drained on a paper towel), and fresh basil. I made Keaton's with garden tomato, Monterrey Jack cheese, and thin slice avocado. I used Panko for both. They were heavenly. Head on over to Prudence Pennywise to get the full directions. Enjoy!

Summertime Brown Sugar Pavlovas

I found this recipe 10 years ago in my Cooking Light magazine and just had to try it. Over the years I have modified it a little here and a little there and it has become a star player in my repertoire. It always is a crowd pleaser. I made it Sunday for a baby blessing and it once again went over fabulously. Over the years I have tried a 1/2 dozen other pavlova recipes and I don't really like them. This is also a VERY cheap recipe to do for a crowd! You can prepare the shells ahead and freeze them for up to a month. Not sure what makes this one a stand out but OH MY!

Brown Sugar Pavlovas

4 large egg whites

2 tsp corn starch

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Beat egg whites, corn starch, and salt at high speed till frothy. Add brown sugar and regular sugar one TBSP at a time until thick and glossy (see picture). Add vanilla. Shape into meringue nests on parchment or silpat making the nest part with the back of a spoon (you want the sides about an inch tall). Put them in the oven and immediately reduce the temp to 300. Let them cook for one hour. When they are done turn off the oven but leave them in there with the door closed for 4 hours or overnight (I think they are a little better overnight...not sure why). CAREFULLY remove from paper or silpat.

Now to dress those little precious nests. My all time favorite is sliced strawberries and blueberries mixed with strawberry jam. I pile that up atop some lite cool whip. DELICIOUS. The original recipe has you using a combo of tropical fruit (mango, kiwi, pineapple) and drizzling with caramel syrup...also good. I have also done raspberries and mandarin oranges. You pick what you like and what you have on hand. I have also done a large pie sized pavlova for a birthday cake. Quite impressive but harder to cut. Hope this becomes a favorite for you too!

muesli

My Dad served an LDS mission in Germany. Some nights my Dad would whip some of this up and we would have it with a little toast for dinner. My kids are not picky eaters but they snub oatmeal. This though they gobbled right up (anything is better with yogurt, right?). This was a healthy comfort food night for me :)

Muesli

fruit of your choosing (I used banana, plum, nectarine, blueberries, strawberries, and grapes)

Yogurt for a sauce (I use the low sugar yogurt which Keaton doesn't usually like but in this, he was good)

whole rolled oats

Mix and serve soon.

Tomatos!

I just Couldn't wait until my tomato's are in! We ran out of our supply of diced tomato's a couple months ago and the store bought ones just don't do it. When our produce co-op had 20 pounds of tomato's for 7 bucks I grabbed 2! Lee and I processed the 40 pounds of tomato's in about 2 hours. Many people have asked how we do it so....

(sorry this is so BLURRY!)

First I put an x on the bottom of each tomato.

We then drop them in boiling water for about a minute until they start looking like this. The peel then just falls off! I have read other people that then put them in ice water to stop the cooking. I myself hate an extra step. We use the tomato's in soups and sauces so I don't see the big deal if they are partially cooked.

We then dice them up and put them in ziptop bags in the freezer. We LOVE the fresh taste this produces. We also have put them in canning jars and boiled the jars for 15 minutes. They are great that way too!
****My friend Lisa's Mom suggested just throwing the whole tomato in the freezer. When you are ready to go let it defrost a moment then squeeze the pulp out. This works too, just a little more messy and bigger chunks then we prefer.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

The other night I had one of those: what do I make for dinner with all these odds and ends moments. I came up with these Chicken lettuce wraps and they were divine if I do say so myself. This is SUCH a healthy meal for your family. TONS of vegetables (8 were in mine shown above). Here you go:



1 1/2 pounds chicken

1/2 of an onion grated on a box grater (this makes you just have the flavor without the texture problems many kids have)

3 cloves of garlic grated on a box grater (you already have it out, this makes it SO easy!)

2" of fresh ginger (you probably guessed, grate that up too after you peel it)


1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup (or to taste) Yoshida's or Teriyaki sauce (I highly recommend Yoshidas although it is higher in sugar...I AM trying here)

beansprouts, red pepper, carrot, cucumber for toppings

large leaf lettuce

Slice chicken up pretty thin (if you do not thaw it all the way it is much easier). Heat skillet with about a tsp of olive oil. Give the onion garlic and ginger a little spin in there (maybe a minute or so). Add the chicken and celery and cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the mushrooms and stir fry the whole lot of it until the mushrooms start getting soft. Add the Yoshida sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes while you prepare the toppings. I think it is fun to make "ribbons" to go on top. I use my potato peeler to "peel ribbons" off the red pepper, cucumber and carrots.

Apples, Apples, Apples....

I think I need to start this post by saying all apples are not created equally. Every week we get a set of apples from our produce co-op. Some are lovely ones, perfect for eating (have you had an American Cameo apple?!?!)....others not so good. So, after a couple of weeks we find ourselves with a drawer of the not so good apples.
Tonight I had my drawer pretty full so I went to work. First we made my friend Lori's apple chips. EASY SQUEEZY! I used my handy dandy peeler, corer, slicer (please note it is MY slicer but LEE is always the operator :). I peeled and cored the apples then I boiled them in some white grape juice from last season I had in the freezer (Lori just uses apple juice). I left them in the boiling juice for just a couple minutes until they were tender. Then just spread them out on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan. Her directions said to cook at 250 for 20 minutes until brown and crisp. Mine took 40 minutes, maybe mine were thicker? They also never actually crisped but tasted like a really good dried apple.
*I sprinkled a little cinnamon on before I threw them in the oven.

With the rest of the apples I did a big batch of Apple sauce to throw in the freezer. Last time I did apple sauce it was flavorless and the kids wouldn't eat it (and my kids eat anything). I ended up making it into apple butter. My Mother-in-law suggested adding cinnamon and sugar. I am sure that would work but we are trying to eliminate sugar where we can. This time I sliced, and peeled the apples (Lee again) then boiled them in the white grape juice. I then put them through the food processor with some of the juice. So sweet, so yum! Much better then tree top. I will let it cool then put it in quart ziplocs to freeze ( you can bottle it if you want).

Roasted Butternut Squash

I am not a butternut squash fan. When we were kids my Great Grandma would watch us. We loved her house and had a great time. She served us butternut squash and potato's everytime we came. I loved them there but for some reason not anywhere else (dog on kids) UNTIL NOW! We got 2 butternut squashes in our produce basket last week and I was determined to not let them go to waste. I found a recipe by Ina Garten where she roasts them. EVERYTHING tastes better roasted SO...I gave it a try. Her recipe calls for 1/2 cup brown sugar and a stick of butter. I cut that in 1/2 and it was perfect. I think the full amount would have been sickly sweet (please note I did give up sugar but I still occasionally put a small amount in recipes).

Roasted Butternut Squash

2 large butternut squashes (peel them with a potato peeler and then cube them about 1/2 to 1 inch cubes....OR buy the Costco ones that are already done!).

1/4 cup of butter melted (I think next time I will try Olive Oil, let me know if you do!)

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp pepper (I used a pretty rough cracked pepper in the photo)

Mix together everything but the squash. Add the squash and coat well. Place on cookie sheet lined with Silpat or foil. Bake for 50-60 minutes turning once at 1/2 hour.

Grill party!

Lee and I have been trying to really up the fruits and veggies we eat. We are also trying to cut out sugar and flour for the most part (me more then Lee on that part). The other night I grilled our whole dinner (I had some frozen cooked brown rice that I warmed in the micro but no one really touched it). Here is what we did:

Lee had caught 21 TROUT with his brothers. I never really knew how to cook it. Lee's brother Andy said he soaks it in teriyaki for a couple of hours. He then cuts it open flat and grills it on foil for about 10 minutes. It was FABULOUS!

We also grilled CORN (my favorite) we used THIS link for great directions. Try it, you won't turn back.

We got TWENTY baby bok choy from THIS produce co-op this week. We used this great grilling recipe. They turned out really yummy.

Lastly, I had some MUSHROOMS that needed to be used. I took about 2 oz of cream cheese, 2 TBSP of chopped green onions, 3 mushroom stems finely diced, and about 2 oz. cheese. I mixed it all up well and stuffed the mushrooms. I then grilled them. Oh, they were good.

As you can plainly see there were tons of extras. Next time we need to invite the neighborhood. Gotta love all the fresh produce of summer!

THE Strawberry Salad

This recipe comes from my sis-in-law Maralee. The first time I met her family she served this great salad. I have not made it since that I have not had a request for the recipe. I know it will be a WOWZA recipe for you too! My sister has used it quite a bit in her catering business and it is a favorite there too. Without further ado....Strawberry Salad!

Salad:

****all amounts are subject to change, put in what you like

Mixed greens (we like red leaf lettuce but the boxed greens at Costco are really pretty too)

1/2 purple onion sliced

3/4 pound strawberries sliced

1/2 cup crisp crumbled bacon

1/4 pack of wonton wrappers cut in 1/2 inch strips then fried till crisp

1 recipe salad nuts (we LOVE cashews in this but pecans work fine)

1/2 cup chopped red bell (I actually have never put this in)

Dressing:

Whirl together in a blender:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup oil

3 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup strawberry jam (please don't use freezer jam...too much sugar not enough berries)

Salad Nuts

We have had a rough month. 2 Ambulance rides, 2 hospital stays, for 2 kids, ARGH! One good thing did come out of it though....a GREAT recipe. My friend Kim brought us dinner BOTH times (she really is up for sainthood). The first time she brought a salad with the best candy pecans ever. I have candied nuts for special occasion salads before but I have done them on the stove and it seems I always burn them or they go hard. These were light and crisp. As an added bonus they are EASIER!

Candied Salad Nuts
3/4 c brown sugar (please note you leave a lot of this behind)
1/8 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 cup chopped nuts
Mix first three together then add nuts. Spread on baking sheet lined with silpat (or sprayed real good). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes turning 1/2 way through.

Lentil Soup

We are nearing the end of soup season here. I thought I needed to send this one out there while we still have some warm days. I love this soup. Maybe it is because it reminds me of my childhood. It is cheap and easy to make (which I think we are all looking for right now). I leave out the mint (YUCK). I took a picture and it didn't do it justice so you will have to imagine :) Also, the leftovers make a great burrito filling! This is vegetarian at it's finest. Even my meat lovin' husband makes yummy noises over this one :)

Mom's Lentil Soup
1 1/2 cups lentils
8 cups water (or unsalted chicken stock is what I used)
bay leaf (I was all out so I left this out)
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sage
2-3 cloves minced garlic
4 medium tomatoes blanched and peeled or 16 oz can or chopped tomatoes (which is what I did for times sake)
1 large red onion diced
2 1/2 TBSP fresh minced mint (yuck, trust me on this)
2-3 stalks of celery (when I get celery in my produce co-op I always slice it and freeze it, I used about a cup of this)
butter
EVOO
salt and pepper

MAKES 10 cups
combine lentils, water, and spices in a pot. Boil for 2 hours until soft. Saute the onion in a little butter and EVOO for a couple minutes. Add the garlic and celery. Cook until the celery starts to soften. Add the tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes. Combine the veggies with the lentils. Season with mint (yuck), salt and pepper. Let simmer until ready to serve.

Granola bars

(photo from little birdie secrets)
Last night I made the best granola bars ever. I am always looking for snacks to send with Lee that will help him get through the day. I found these on Little Birdie Secrets have you checked her out? She is the ultimate in cool. LOVE her blog. I have made granola bars many times before. They were always good but very crumbly. This is one of those recipes that you can switch around a lot. I did not have sunflower seeds so I used more oats. I used 3/4 cup of raw almonds (what I had) and used 1/4 cup raw pecans (they give it a good flavor but I used mostly the healthier nut). For the fruit I only had about a 1/2 cup of raisins so I put 1/2 cup coconut in the toasting part. This turned out FABULOUS. I wrapped mine in wax paper and put them in the freezer. That way they aren't consumed in one sitting :)
click HERE to link to Birdie for this GREAT recipe!

Addictive and Healthy Peanut Butter Balls

My sis-in-law and I were talking about using the powdered milk in our food storage. We like to rotate but just didn't have a lot of use for powdered milk. This recipe is so easy, full of protein, and pretty healthy (as far as treats go). Check out this link for the source.

Peanut Butter Balls
1 cup light (or regular) peanut butter
1 cup dry milk (fat free or low fat is fine)
1/2 cup honey (use 1/4 cup if you are doing light PB since it is sweeter)

Mix all together and form in 2 tsp. balls. With clean hands roll to smooth out. Put in fridge for an hour. Yum!

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

I am always looking for good treats that won't throw my blood sugar for a loop (after a time with gestational diabetes I am much more aware). These are the perfect pack of protein with a little sweet. When I go to the mall I LOVE the smell of the roasted almond cart. I am way too cheap though to buy them :) These are good and very inexpensive to make (I got my raw almonds for 2 bucks a pound at Winco). This recipe comes from the California Almond Board. We have been making them for years!
Roasted Almonds

3 cups whole raw almonds

2 egg whites at room temp

4 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

Preheat oven to 325 place butter on a jelly roll pan and place in oven to melt. Meanwhile beat eggs until frothy, gradually add sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in almonds and cinnamon. Pour almond mixture in pan and toss with butter. Bake 40 minutes turning every 10 minutes until almonds are crisp. Almonds store for up to 2 weeks.

*Please note you will loose a good bit of the sugar....don't worry. You will think it is not going right....it is fine. You will think they will be naked when you are done....they won't be :)

Best and QUICKEST chicken taco soup

This month has been a good month for recipes at work. One of the girls I work with brought this and the smell drove me crazy! I had to ask her for the recipe. I only work 2 days a week but since I got the recipe I have brought it to work every Friday. This is one of those deals that you can make in an instant and it is even better when it sits in the fridge a couple of days. I have been freezing single servings and it defrosts GREAT. Lee and Keaton like it all dolled up as shown. I like it just plain or with a dollop of light sour cream.

Chicken Taco Soup

2 or 3 frozen chicken breasts (I use these chicken shreds)

1 pack Taco seasoning (I make my own)

1 pack of Ranch Dressing mix

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can black beans

1 can Kidney beans

1 can White beans

1 can Vegetarian baked beans (use the small can or 1/2 of large can)

1 can corn

This is the easy part! Throw it all in the crock pot in the order listed. Do not drain anything just throw it in. Cook on low 6-8 hours if using raw chicken. 1-2 if using shreds.

Voila!

OATMEAL chocolate cake

A gal that works with me handed out this recipe the other day. She said it was really good....and she was right. This was the moistest chocolate cake I have ever made. It uses Oatmeal and that is health food so this is good for you....RIGHT?!?!? I also used wheat flour....so Super health food :) If you love German chocolate cake you are gonna love this!

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup oatmeal

let stand for 5-10 minutes

add to oatmeal mixture and mix well:

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c sugar

mix together then add to wet:

1 cup flour (I used 7/8 wheat)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup cocoa

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes frost when warm.

Coconut frosting

2 c powdered sugar

4 Tbsp butter

2 cups coconut

1/2 cup milk

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes until thick.Do not over cook. Spread on warm cake.

Lemon Sorbet

I have to be honest with you. I have NEVER stopped at the 1/2 cup serving size on ice cream. I get started and bad things happen :) The other night I was wanting a treat and I had lemons from my Bountiful Basket but didn't want to make heavy/ time consuming lemon bars. This was a 3 minute fix and WONDERFUL. It was so refreshing and summery and was the perfect end to the day. The best part is I was completely satisfied after my 1/2 cup. Even better it was still great the next day (I think most homemade ice creams are not). I based this loosely on a Cooking Light recipe from ages ago. I am sorry there are no pictures. We were too busy enjoying. Maybe I will add them next time :)

Lemon Sorbet
2 cups water
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon rind
1 cup lemon juice

Mix all together until the sugar is dissolved (2 or 3 minutes). Put into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer directions. When it is done take out and let it ripen in the freezer for an hour. Enjoy your taste of summer!

2 STEP Ice Cream/Lemonade Pie

This ice cream dessert is soooo easy, thus the name.

Step 1. Mix softened vanilla ice cream with semi-thawed frozen pink lemonade concentrate
Step 2. Dish into 2 graham cracker crusts (then Freeze em up - to be firm. of course :))

and Wa Laa your done.

Variations : Light vanilla ice cream and Crystal light lemonade powder (add water enough so it looks syrup-ish)

Or you can use Raspberry lemonade

ENJOY!!

Beans, beans and more beans!

In these lean economic times we are all looking for healthy ways to feed our family on a dime. It is even better when the results are better then what you can get in the store!

I started doing my own beans a little over a year ago and have not bought store bought beans since. It is so easy to do up a pot of beans and have them in the fridge for lunches, a quick side or dinner. I have given this recipe out a hundred times and it is a staple for a lot of my family. I had 2 requests for it this week so I thought I better get it posted. I originally got this recipe from Amy over at Sisters Dish. She is a great one for build your own Mexican food.

This process you can use to make any kind of beans. I have done white beans, and black beans using this same technique. I have also frozen the cooked beans and used them in soups and they defrost perfect.

I buy my pinto beans at Costco. You can get a 25 pound bag for about 10 bucks. Honestly we went through our first bag in about 6 mos. I buy my spices in bulk from Smiths or Winco. They are a tiny fraction of the cost there.

Smashed Beans

The night before I rinse and soak 3 cups of beans. My sister Meesha soaks 6 cups and then uses 1/2 and freezes 1/2 so her next batch is pre-soaked......genius. If you see any foam on top you will want to scoop it off. This is the name of the game in keeping your beans from being gassy. Anytime during the process if you see foam....scoop, scoop, scoop. In the morning...or when you get to it...rinse the beans with fresh water (another digestion helper). Put the beans in a crockpot (just the regular size not the huge size) with 3 Tbsp bacon grease (I always leave the grease out and it is still great). Cover them with water (you want to have about 2 inches over the beans). Cook them on high for 6 hours, or low for 8-10 hours. Remember watch for foam and check to be sure the beans stay covered in water. The cooking time is not an exact science. Older beans take longer to cook. You will know it is done when you can easily mush one on the counter.

When the beans have about a 1/2 hour left to cook add: 5 jalapeno rings (I keep a jar in my fridge just for this, you could probably do fresh), 1/2 T season salt, 1/2 T garlic salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1 T chili powder. After the 1/2 hour scoop the beans into a food processor (or blender, or hand mash). Add 1 cup cheese and enough liquid to bring it to the consistency you would like (don't skimp on the liquid, it makes them great). Good luck!

Spaghetti Pie

This baked spaghetti is out of the Best Of Cooking Light book. It is comfort food at it's finest without the guilt. You can substitute ground chicken or turkey and it is great too. It is quick to put together and a great meal for kids!
Spaghetti Pie
1 pound of ground round (I did the ground beef I had and then after I browned it I ran it under really hot water in a colander to get the extra fat off)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2- 8 oz cans of tomato sauce with garlic (who has that in their pantry? not me! I just used regular tomato sauce and added 1/4 tsp garlic powder per can)
1 1/2 cups low fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 oz light cream cheese
8 oz hot cooked spaghetti (about 4 cups)
1 1/3 cups reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
Brown then drain meat. Return to pan and add salt, pepper, and sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes (great time to cook the pasta). Combine the sour cream, onions, and cream cheese in a bowl. Place noodles in a 9x13 pan, spread sour cream mixture on noodles, spread meat mixture on that, sprinkle with cheese. Cook at 350 covered for 25 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5 minutes.

BBQ Salmon

I am afraid this picture does not do justice to this great meal. This grilled salmon I have been making for years. I paired it with this squash-rice casserole from cooking light. The casserole could really be a light meal on it's own. It will be a great way to use up some zucchini in the summer.
BBQ Roasted Salmon - Cooking light
marinade:
1/4 cup pineapple juice (I open a can of rings and throw those on the grill with the fish)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Marinate 4 6oz salmon fillets in a ziptop bag with the juices for an hour turning occasionally.

rub:
2 Tbsp brown sugar
4 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp grated lemon rind (when I get lemons cheap I always buy extra and juice them and grate the rind. both freeze well.)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Mix together to form rub. Rub over fish. You can then bake it at 400 for 12 minutes, OR do our favorite and grill it. Fish is done when it flakes easily.

English Toffee

English Toffee...yum. I have a certain brother in law that would do just about anything for the wonderful Christmas time treat. I think it is a shame it is a one time a year deal. It is so easy and so yummy! I think this year I am going to make a batch to share with my girl friends for Valentines. I am giving you the recipe now so you can make a practice batch before Valentines!

English Toffee
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter
3 tbsp water
about 1 cup chocolate chips
about 1/2 cup chopped almonds

This moves fast folks so have everything unwrapped prepped and measured like Paula Deen :) Put a large saucepan on high heat. Warm your sugar in the pan for about 30 seconds. Add the water and stir till wet. Add the butter. Stir until the color of toffee (a light copper penny color). It will bubble and fuss and then you will see it start to darken (about 7 minutes). You will want to stir it every so often and constantly towards the end. Pour on a silpat lined sheet (or a heavily greased pan if you don't have a silpat....but you REALLY need silpat if you don't have it :). After 30 seconds sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let sit for 2 minutes then spread the chocolate. Sprinkle with chopped almonds (I kinds press them into the chocolate so they don't fall off). Let sit for about another hour (at least) then crack into pieces.

UNBELIEVABLE Asian Chicken

My little 4 year old loves "chicken on the bone". He thinks that is the only way to eat chicken (no one bother to tell him that is the "cheap" way to eat chicken. I made this Asian BBQ Chicken out of my Cooking Light Book the other day. I marinated it with skinless bone in thighs. Keaton took one taste paused looked at me and in all seriousness said...."UNBELIEVABLE". I think that is pretty rave reviews!

Asian BBQ Chicken Marinade

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (I used fresh lemon and threw a tad of rind in there for kicks)

1/2 tsp red crushed pepper (I used closer to 1/4)

1/4 tsp curry powder

3 garlic cloves minced

8 skinned thighs

Put all ingredients in a ziptop bag 4 hours to overnight. Squish it all together. Every so often turn the bag. Grill (I used my Panini press layed flat, an indoor grill would also work as would the oven if you REALLY had to :).