Bacon Wrapped Chipotle Stuffed Chicken Thighs

I had chicken thighs and I had bacon...I went in search of an online recipe, which I found at this website *click to view*. I didn't have everything the recipe called for, so I did what I love to do - improvise and customize!

 

I chopped half a sweet onion and sauteed it in a bit of butter.  I finely chopped 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (comes in a can, I always have some in the fridge waiting to be added to a recipe here and there). I mixed the onion with the chipotle in a bowl. After the onions cooled a bit, I added about 1/3 cup of shredded pepper jack cheese (I'm sure cheddar cheese would work nicely too!). I then added 2 tablespoons of mayo to the mix.


I added lemon pepper to the inside of the chicken thighs which I had placed in a baking dish waiting to be stuffed and wrapped. I spooned the "goop" into the center of the chicken. I folded the chicken around the mixture and wrapped 2 pieces of bacon around the chicken. I baked them at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.




I kind of had what was needed for the sauce...butter, honey, freeze dried cilantro and parsley which I used.... I added a bit of salt, lemon pepper, and (not fresh) bottled lime juice. I ended up burning the first batch and having to start over...*dang Facebook distractions!* The sauce was very liquidy - so I added a tablespoon of corn starch to thicken it slightly. Not sure I would do that again...just leave the corn starch out.

The Verdict - fantastic array of flavors I would make again! It wasn't very "spicy" hot, just a nice smokey flavor. The sauce was a very nice touch I would have never thought of on my own. I served it with a nice salad, and easy cheesy broccoli from the "Steamers" frozen food selection.

No-Oil Veggie Stir-Fry

They say you should eat the rainbow for a healthy selection of vitamins and minerals. I have been experimenting a lot with no-oil stir-fried veggies. I make sure I always have an assortment of vegetables available in your fridge and freezer (and fruits!).

Did you know... you can stir fry veggies with or without oil? I was stoked to find out I didn't need the oil to make this healthy snack.

What I did: This is a quick and delicious way to snack/lunch on some stir-fried veggies. All I did was throw together some frozen broccoli, frozen green beans, baby carrots, and grape tomatoes together. I cooked them until tender with seasonings of my choice. Here it was garlic, salt, pepper, and onion powder.

If your carrots or any of the veggies are still a little crunchy, that's ok. There are more nutrients in raw vegetables.

Experiment! Try some parmesan cheese and/or seasoned breadcrumbs in your stirfry.  Or, if you want something more oriental, try sesame and soy sauce. You could always use tereaki sauce or nuts as garnish.

I've been eating a lot of veggies in this manner. I'm finding it more enjoyable than eating them plain. Enjoy, and...

Be Fierce!!

Briauna Mariah (: