I had a spurt of creative energy that came through about a week ago. I was busy making a new marinade, trying out different sauce and spread. All homemade of course. The pictures made it to Instagram first. Sometimes that will happen from time to time so definitely follow me on Instagram if you have the app.
This past week was a blur! Sunday we went to her Kindergarten class’ end of the school year pool party thrown by the teachers, and then Julie had her last day of school the following Wednesday. It’s bittersweet because you are so proud, like she did it and we made it! On the other hand you realize that it’s like the ending of a chapter, she is really is growing up and not a baby anymore.
To new beginnings! *Cheers. Speaking of which, I would like to try my hand at catering and event planning. I have been doing alot of research and reading for quite some time. Back home in Maryland, we used to host events for our family and friends all the time, and everyone looked forward to Julie and Gio’s annual combined birthday barbecue. Though, it will be a gradual transition, I am slowly treading out of R&D mode. I would like for my interests and ventures to compliment each other even if it means scaling back on others. No sooner than I considered that and spoke it out into the universe, the contract with FF came to a screeching halt as of Friday. It may resume months later/down the road, it may not. Sometimes, I get the feeling that I’m being aggressively redirected in career life.
I have two new videos coming up. As for the recipes in this post, the Greek Chicken Salad is the one that I recorded, though I wished I had recorded the chili lime marinade instead. However, both recipes came out quite tasty, I have to say out of both of the recipes, the Chili Lime marinade was my favorite outcome! The marinade had an amazing aroma, very robust flavor, with just the right amount of spice. I used the chili lime marinade on a package of chicken leg quarters. We grilled brisket and corn on the cob too. I will definitely use this marinade again and again because it was that good! I think it would go great on shrimp and fish as well.
Recipes
Chili Lime Marinade
2 Red Chili peppers
Juice of 2 Limes
4 Garlic Cloves
1 Tblspn of Garlic powder
1 Tspn of Coriander
1 Tblspn of Onion powder
1 1/2 Tspn of Smoked paprika
1 Tspn of Kosher Salt
Combine all ingredients and mix (liquefy) in the blender.
Tzatziki Sauce
3-4 Bunches of Fresh Dill
Juice of 1 Lemon
Approx. 16 Oz of Greek Yogurt (I used 3 5.3 oz containers of Chobani Greek Yogurt---use your favorite!)
3-4 Cloves of garlic
1 peeled, seeded, diced, and drained of water
Kosher Salt (Sprinkle the diced cucumber with kosher salt to help dry it out)
Ground Black pepper
Combine all ingredients in the blender and pulse until smooth.
Other uses for Tzatziki Sauce: You can use your Tzatziki sauce for gyros, as a dip for crackers or veggies, as salad dressing, as a dressing for chicken salad, for dipping sauce for wings, you can also use it as a marinade. Yes, a marinade. I marinated chicken breast and they came out so tender! I would definitely use it again as a marinade. (If you would like for me to share that recipe then just post below in the comments).
Olive Tapenade
1 Small can of anchovies (I only used 1 filet)
2 Tablespoons
Juice of 1 lemon
5 Garlic Cloves
1/4 Cup of Feta Cheese
1 to 1 1/2 Cups of Calamata Olives (I used chopped and already pitted variety)
1-2 Bunches of fresh Basil
1-2 Bunches of fresh Oregano
First combine your herbs, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice in the blender. Then add your olives and last the feta cheese. Store excess in a nice air tight container. It should store up to at least a week.
I used the Tzatziki sauce as a dressing for my chicken salad (Greek Chicken Salad). I topped it over a bed of fresh spinach on a croissant. On the other side I spread a good amount of the olive tapenade. I would probably spread the tapenade beneath the spinach next time and use a little less. The sandwich has a very unique flavor and is quite tasty. It is a healthy option since the dressing for the chicken salad is not mayonnaise based but Greek yogurt based.
What creative spin will you put on your food with homemade chili lime marinade, tzatziki sauce and/or a homemade olive tapenade?
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