Chipotle Chicken Kebabs with Avocado Cream Sauce

Right now I am kicking myself for not making these Chipotle Chicken Kebabs with Avocado Cream Sauce earlier in the summer. I immediately bookmarked the recipe when I saw it on Annie's website way back in June, but just got around to making it this past weekend. Why did I have to wait until the end of grilling season to try this recipe for the first time? To be fair, we don't have a grill, or any outside space for that matter, at our apartment. However, the chicken can also be grilled on an indoor grilling pan. I can now see myself making this meal all-year round.

The chicken itself is coated in a simple marinade- mainly lime juice, garlic, chipotle and a number of spices. The marinade provides great flavor, but isn't overly spicy. Even my boyfriend, who tends to shy away from foods with a lot of heat, loved this chicken. I also think it would be good to shred this chicken and add it to a homemade burrito or taquito. Don't skip the avocado cream sauce either- it is one of the best parts of the meal!

Chipoltle Chicken Kebabs with Avocado Cream Sauce
Recipe from Annie's Eats

For the chicken:
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup vegetable oil
 1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 chipotle in adobo, seeded and minced
2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
Fresh cilantro, minced, for serving

For the avocado cream sauce:
1 avocado, split and pitted
1/2 cup low-fat plain greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, combine the lime juice, vegetable oil, garlic, brown sugar and chipotle. Whisk until combined. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and toss until well coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

Heat a grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates. When the chicken is ready, thread the pieces onto skewers for grilling. If using wooden skewers, be sure to sure them first to prevent burning. Place the chicken kebabs on the grill and let cool until all sides are slightly browned. The internal temperature should read 160 degrees F when ready. Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

To make the sauce, combine the avocado, yogurt, garlic and lime juice in a blender. Process until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken kebabs for dipping.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

I think I could eat Panera everyday for lunch and never get sick of it. I literally love every soup and salad on their menu. Even though there are a million different lunch options in downtown Boston, I always find myself at the Panera conveniently located across from my office. 

One of my favorite soups at Panera is the Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup. It is light and refreshing, even during the hot summer months. I don't know about you, but I crave soup all year-round. What makes this one of my favorite summer soups is that it is not overly rich or heavy like some of my other favorites soups can be. And the lemon flavor is present, but not overpowering. What are your favorite soups to enjoy during the summer months?

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light (via Tide and Thyme)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
8 cups chicken broth
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 2 lemons
1 bay leaf
8 oz. (1.5 cups) orzo
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce to low heat. Cook for about 20 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken and orzo. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the orzo is tender.

Discard the bay leaf. Add the fresh parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ritz Cracker Crusted Chicken Fingers

I love the week leading up to the Super Bowl because blogs are filled with recipes for appetizers and other party foods. Everywhere I look there are soft pretzel bites, chips with cheesy dips and desserts shaped like footballs. This is a great sight for someone like me, who is a big time snacker. I don't need there to be a main course served at my Super Bowl party. I am all about snacking on different appetizers and desserts throughout the night. And ever since the Patriots were eliminated from the playoffs two weeks ago, I find that I am more excited about the food than I am about the game itself. 

In order to get ready for the Super Bowl, I decided to make chicken fingers, aka my boyfriend's favorite meal in the entire world. I think that he could live on chicken fingers if I let him. For this recipe, I made Ritz Cracker Crusted Chicken Fingers. Only three ingredients and 25 minutes in the oven! Super easy and delicious. From what I have learned, there are two secrets that result in crispy chicken fingers from the oven. First, make sure to line your baking sheet with an oven-safe rack. If you do not have an cooking rack, you can always just bake the chicken on a cookie sheet. But the chicken fingers will be a lot crispier if you use the rack. Second, make sure to use a non-stick cooking spray before placing the chicken onto the rack.  Using these two secrets, you can serve crispy chicken fingers just like you get at your favorite restaurant. 

Ritz Cracker Crusted Chicken Fingers

from My Life as a Mrs.

1 pound chicken tenderloins

1 sleeve ritz crackers, crushed

1/2 bottle ranch dressing

salt and pepper to season

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take an oven-safe cooking rack and place inside of a cookie sheet. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. 

Pour ranch dressing on to a plate. Combine  ritz cracker crumbs in a bowl.

Season chicken tenderloins with salt and pepper. One at a time, place seasoned tenderloins in the plate of ranch dressing and cover completely. Then transfer to the bowl of ritz cracker crumbs. Make sure that each tenderloin is completely covered with in the ritz cracker coating. Place each tenderloin on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for about 25 minutes. Using a meat thermometer, make sure that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of at least 170 degrees. 

Enjoy :)