Spice-rubbed chicken tacos with BBQ onions and guacamole

We made these chicken tacos from Bobby Flay for dinner last week and they were delicious.  There are a lot of our favorite things in this one- roasted poblano peppers, tasty onions, and glorious guacamole.  The original recipe also had a homemade coleslaw, but we skipped it because there were already several steps to this one.  Here's the original link if you want to go for it, coleslaw and all...

SPICE-RUBBED CHICKEN TACOS WITH BBQ ONIONS AND GUACAMOLE

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

BBQ Onions:

2 sweet onions, skin-on, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

Canola oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup store-bought BBQ sauce

Chicken:

2 tablespoons ancho chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Canola oil

8 flour tortillas

2 roasted poblanos, sliced

Barbecued onions, recipe follows

Guacamole, recipe follows

Guacamole:

2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced

1 poblano, roasted, seeded, peeled, and diced

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

2 scallions, finely chopped

juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons canola oil

Salt and pepper

For the poblanos (2 for the tacos and 1 for the guacamole):

Heat the grill to high. Brush the poblanos with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chiles on the grill and cook until charred black on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill, place in a bowl and cover with plastic for 10 minutes. Remove the skin, seeds and stem, and cut into thin slices.

For the onions:

Brush the onions with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook until lightly golden brown and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Brush with some of the BBQ sauce during the last few minutes. Most of the skin should come off on the grill, but if not, take it off when the onions come off the grill.

For the chicken:

Heat the grill to high. Whisk together the ancho, cinnamon, cumin, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Season top side of the breasts with the rub mixture, turn over and season the back with the remaining salt. Drizzle with some of the oil and place on the grill, rub side down and grill until lightly golden brown and a crust has formed, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over, close the lid and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 6 minutes longer. Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

For the guacamole:

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.

To assemble tacos, grill the flour tortillas briefly, just to mark and heat, and fold each tortilla around some of the chicken, poblanos, onions, and guacamole.

Cinnamon toast

I hadn't given much thought to how we make our cinnamon toast until I read this post from the Pioneer Woman.  So we have since converted from layering the butter and toppings on the bread to this version where you mix the butter, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla extract and SPREAD it onto the bread.  So simple, yet so delicious!

Ingredients:

4 slices of bread (we use wheat)

4 Tbsp salted butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Smash softened butter with a fork. Dump in sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir to completely combine.

Spread on slices of bread, completely covering the surface all the way to the edges.

Place toast on a cookie sheet. Place cookies sheet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until golden brown and bubbling. Watch so it won't burn!

Remove from oven and cut slices into halves diagonally.

Creamy tomato soup

After weeks of warm spring weather, it has cooled off briefly here, and these rainy nights are perfect for soup.  This creamy, thick tomato soup from Real Mom Kitchen really hits the spot.  It has a few more ingredients and steps than the tomato basil soup recipe I also love, but if you have the time, thickening it with flour and adding Worcestershire sauce adds extra depth to the flavor.


CREAMY TOMATO SOUP
Yield: 5 cups

Ingredients

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper, to taste

2 cups half & half or heavy cream

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Place tomatoes in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.  In a large sauce pan, melt the butter. Add onion to the butter and cook until tender. Add flour, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute.  Add half & half  or cream slowly, while whisking.  Cook until mixture thickens. Add tomatoes, sugar and Worcestershire; cook until heated through (do not boil).

Chocolate chip cake bars with salted chocolate glaze

I LOVE sweet and salty combinations, and these chocolate chip cake bars from How Sweet It Is didn't disappoint!  I made these for the Bachelor finale and they were quickly devoured.  I sprinkled extra kosher salt on top because... it's just what I do.

Chocolate Chip Cake Bars with Salted Chocolate Glaze

6 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

3 eggs

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

For the salted chocolate glaze:

8 ounce high-quality chocolate, chopped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add vanilla; add eggs one at a time. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk and ending with the dry ingredients. Toss chocolate chips with a tiny bit of flour and them fold them into the batter. (This is supposed to keep the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom, but mine did anyway. Not a big deal, in my opinion).

Spray a 9x13 cake pan or baking dish with non-stick spray. Layer with parchment paper and spray again. Pour batter in pan and spread evenly. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

To prepare glaze, melt the chocolate in a double-boiler, or in a glass bowl in the microwave (30 second increments). Stir in sea salt and pour over chocolate chip cake.  Sprinkle tops with kosher or seal salt, optional.

Spicy cinnamon-chocolate brownies

I made these spicy cinnamon-chocolate brownies from Giada de Laurentiis for our Bachelor watch party, and they were a big hit.  Who wouldn't love a brownie smothered with a thick layer of chocolate buttercream??  (If the word "spicy" scares you, then omit the cayenne pepper- but personally, I think spicy chocolate is a match made in heaven).

Ingredients

Brownies:

• Vegetable oil cooking spray, for greasing pan
• One 21-ounce box brownie mix, such as Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Chocolate Buttercream:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• Ground cinnamon, for dusting

Instructions

For the brownies: Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Line the dish with a 15-inch-square piece of parchment paper, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Blend together the brownie mix, eggs, vegetable oil, 1/4 cup water, cinnamon and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Beat the mixture for 1 minute using an electric hand mixer on medium speed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted about 1-inch from the edge of the baking dish comes out clean, 25 to 27 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour.

For the buttercream: Place the cream and chocolate chips in a medium bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and refrigerate until thick, 20 minutes. Add the butter and cocoa powder and beat the mixture on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Spread the buttercream over the cooled brownie layer. Dust with the cinnamon and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Lift the brownie layer from the pan, using the excess paper for handles. Run a thin spatula underneath the brownie layer to loosen it from the parchment paper. Cut into 24 brownies and serve.

Note: The buttercream can be made ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Allow the buttercream to come to room temperature for 30 minutes then beat until smooth enough to spread.

Beef and bean burritos

We made the Pioneer Woman's beef and bean burritos a few weeks ago for a quick, delicious dinner.  She mentioned a particular Mexican tomato sauce (El Pato hot tomato sauce), so I sought it out at my local Hispanic market.  A few days later I saw it at Target, so hopefully it's easily accessible for you, too!  (We made the basic version without optional fillings, and it really doesn't get any easier than this!)


BEEF AND BEAN BURRITOS
Yield: 6 burritos

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 of an onion, chopped
• 1 can (7 Ounce) Mexican Tomato Sauce Or Enchilada Sauce
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Cumin, Oregano, Chili Powder, Garlic To Taste
• 1 15 oz can refried beans
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 flour tortillas
• Extra Grated Cheese, For Sprinkling
• Extra Sauce, For Drizzling
• Cilantro, Optional
• Optional Filling Ingredients: Mexican Rice, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Green Chilies, Pico De Gallo

Instructions

Brown ground beef with onion and season to taste. Pour in sauce and simmer over low heat. Add water if mixture gets too dry.

Heat refried beans in a saucepan. Add cheese and stir in till melted. Keep warm.

Heat tortillas in microwave for one minute.

Spread a small amount of beans on each tortilla. Add meat. Fold over ends, then roll up. Place two burritos on a microwave-safe plate. Drizzle red sauce over the top and sprinkle with more grated cheddar. Microwave for one minute, or until cheese is melted and burritos are very hot. Serve immediately.

OPTIONAL: Fill burritos with any additional ingredients you like. 

Banana bread

A few weeks ago I was looking for something creative and simple to make for our weekly Bachelor watch party, when I came across this recipe for bourbon banana bread from Smitten Kitchen.  I had all of the ingredients on hand, so I whipped it up in no time.  I made two mini loaves so I could experiment a bit- one loaf from the original recipe, and one with chocolate chips added.  Usually the addition of chocolate chips is a no-brainer, but Robert actually said he preferred the plain version.  Go figure.  Both ways are delicious, and I'm sure there are other variations that would be a hit as well!  

3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup salted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, and mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Note: I made two mini-loaves versus one large, and baked them at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.