Chicken Kabobs with Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
Chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
Bell peppers, cut into strips
Mushrooms, cut in half
Red onion cut into wedges
Potatoes cut into bite sized pieces

Marinade:
Olive oil
Lemon Juice
Balsamic Vinegar
Worchestershire Sauce
Garlic
Dijon Mustard
Salt, pepper, garlic powder

Sauce:
Mayo
Dijon mustard
Worchestershire sauce
Garlic
Lemon Juice
Salt, pepper, garlic powder

1. Cut up chicken and vegetables.  Place each in a large bowl and toss in marinade.  Let marinate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
2. Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
3. Place potatoes in microwave safe bowl and cover with cling wrap.  Microwave for 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are slightly soft so they can be skewered.
4. Create kabobs by putting alternating chicken, vegetables, and potatoes on skewers.
5. Cook on BBQ for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Make sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a bowl, then refrigerating.
7. Serve kabobs with sauce.

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

• 2 lbs unpeeled shrimp
• 2 32-oz containers chicken broth
• 1 lb andouille sausage, cut into slices
• Oil
• 1 cup flour
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• 3 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsps creole seasoning
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2-3 tsp hot sauce
• 1/2 c chopped green onions
• Cooked rice

1. Peel shrimp.  Combine shrimp shells and chicken broth in large dutch oven and bring to a boil.  Simmer 20 minutes and strain; set aside.

2. Cook sausage in dutch oven until browned; remove sausage and set aside.  Add oil to drippings to total to 1/2 cup, then add flour.

3. Cook oil and flour mixture over medium-low heat for 34-40 minutes, whisking constantly to make a deep chocolate roux. 

4. Stir in onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic and cook until vegetables are tender.  Add in broth and stir in bay leaves, creole seasoning, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.  Simmer for 50 minutes.

5. Stir in shrimp, sausage, and green onions and cook until shrimp is pink (5-7 min max).  Serve over rice.

Coconut Chicken with Mango Salsa

• 2 Mangos, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• Chopped cilantro
• Lime or lemon juice
• Red wine vinegar
• Jalepeno, seeds removed, diced
• Salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder
• 4 chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups, unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• Egg/milk mixture

1. Make mango salsa by combining first 8 ingredients.  Refrigerate.

2. Slice chicken breasts in half to make thinner.  Setup two bowls; one with egg/milk mixture and one with panko/coconut/salt and pepper.  

3. Dip chicken in egg/milk, then coat with panko/coconut mixture.  

4. Pan-fry chicken until golden brown and chicken is cooked through.  Serve with mango salsa. 

Coconut Shrimp with Mango Sauce

• 1 lb jumbo shrimp tails on
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sweetened coconut shredded 
• salt and pepper to taste
• vegetable oil for frying

For Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 mango cubed about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp siracha
• 1/4 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro

1. Make the dipping sauce first by adding all the ingredients to a blender and blend for 1 minute or 2 until the sauce is smooth. Refrigerate the sauce until shrimp is ready for serving.
2. Fill a Dutch oven or a deep frying pan with vegetable oil, about 1 1/2 inches deep and heat.
3. While the oil is hot, prepare 3 shallow plates. Add the breadcrumbs to one plate, beat the eggs with salt and pepper in another plate and place the shredded coconut in the 3rd plate.
4. Dredge the shrimp through the breadcrumbs first, then dip them in the egg mixture, then finally dredge them through the coconut, making sure enough coconut sticks to them. Fry a few at a time about 2 minutes, depends on how hot your oil is, so they don't stick to one another, I did about 4 or 5 at a time, depending on the size of your shrimp. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
5. Serve the shrimp along with the spicy mango sauce together.

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) pkg. penne pasta
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• fresh basil, for garnish

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
3. Roll chicken mixture into 1-inch balls and place in skillet.
4. Brown meatballs on all sides and cook through completely.
5. Drain excess oil and pour spaghetti sauce over the meatballs in the skillet.
6. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until sauce is heated through.
7. Serve meatballs and sauce over cooked pasta and top with shredded mozzarella and fresh basil.

Roasted Pepper Mediterranean Chicken

• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• ⅔ cup chopped roasted red peppers (see note)
• 2 teaspoons italian seasoning, divided
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• thinly sliced fresh basil (optional)

1. Combine roasted red peppers, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender Pulse until smooth.
2. Grease a large skillet. Season chicken with remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Cook chicken in your greased skillet over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through and lightly browned on the outside. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
3. Transfer red pepper mixture to the pan and stir over medium heat 2-3 minutes until hot throughout. Add heavy cream and stir until mixture is thick and creamy. Add chicken and toss in the sauce to coat. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Mediterranean Chicken and Potatoes

• 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
• ¼ cup lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus extra
• 8 baby potatoes, halved
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 red bell pepper (capsicum), deseeded and cut into wedges
• 1 large zucchini, sliced
• 4 tablespoons pitted Kalamata olives
• Lemon slices, to serve

1. Pat thighs dry with paper towel. In a shallow dish, combine the lemon juice, 2 tablespoon of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley and salt.
2. Add the chicken to the marinade in the dish and coat evenly. Cover and marinate for 15 minutes if rushed; 1 hour if time allows; or over night, turning each chicken thigh occasionally in the marinade.
3. Preheat oven to 430°F. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large oven-proof pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden browned (about 4 minutes each side). 
4. Arrange all the vegetables except zucchni around each chicken thigh. Make more marinade, then drizzle the vegetables with the additional marinade, tossing them through the oil mixture to evenly coat.  Season with additional salt and pepper.
5. Cover skillet or dish with lid (or foil), and bake until the potatoes are soft and the chicken is completely cooked through (about 35 minutes). Change oven setting to broil setting, add zucchini, then cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until chicken and potatoes are crispy and golden browned. Serve with olives and lemon slices.