The "BEST Chicken Marinade"

I found this on Facebook I think and it is really SO good!  I've used it with both chicken thighs and chicken breasts and they are equally good!!  The original recipe was from momontimeout.com

THE BEST CHICKEN MARINADE

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/8 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup brown sugar (I dropped this to just less than 1/2 because that is a LOT of sugar)
2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 Tbsp. Dijon or spicy brown mustard
2 tsp. salt (can decrease)
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
6 chicken breasts or 3.5 lbs. of chicken parts

Combine all ingredients except for chicken in a large bowl or measuring cup and whisk together.

Marinate chicken for 4-24 hours in the marinade or combine the chicken and marinade in a plastic freezer container or baggie and freeze for up to 2 months.  Grill or bake chicken until done.

Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad

This is another recipe I found on Facebook and it is SO good!  A great salad for summer that could easily be a meal in itself but we had it with some yummy grilled chicken and a green salad the first time we tried it.  

GREEK TORTELLINI PASTA SALAD

1 lb. cheese tortellini pasta (either fresh or dried, cooked according to package directions)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 red onion, diced

1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

DRESSING

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

black pepper to taste

juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, cover and shake well.

In a large bowl, combine tortellini, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, olives, feta cheese and basil.  Pour dressing over the top, then toss to combine.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry

I found this recipe on Facebook but it comes from iwashyoudry.com.  It is really good, has a few ingredients, is easy to prep ahead of time so all in all, it is a fantastic meal for when you don't have a lot of time!  Perfect for after work or after a busy day!

Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry

1 lb. raw shrimp, thawed, peeled and tails removed

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced ginger

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-3" pieces

1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

1/2 onion, sliced

cooked rice, if desired

Place the cleaned shrimp in a bowl and set aside.  Combine the honey, soy sauce, garlic and ginger in a small bowl and pour half over the shrimp (reserve the other half for later), stir the shrimp to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp. oil.  Once melted, adding the asparagus, bell pepper and onion, and saute until crisp-tender and slightly charred, about 4 minutes.  Remove from skillet to a plate to keep warm.

Add the remaining Tbsp. of oil to the skillet and add the shrimp (discard any used marinade).  Cook shrimp about 1 minute per side, or until caramelized and cooked through.  Quickly add the veggies and reserved sauce to the skillet and heat through.  Serve over rice if desired.