“You don’t always have to be doing something. You can just be, and that’s plenty.”
– Alice Walker
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
Our son and daughter-in-law celebrated their 22nd anniversary this week… had a family caricature done at a brewery in south Minneapolis. We have a tradition of buying an original art work for our anniversary each year, but took a hiatus over the Covid years and were ready to buy again this year. Last year I saw a painting by Andy Fletcher in a house I showed… both John and I loved it and vowed to get one of his works. This was the year… he was exhibiting at the Uptown Art Fair! Love his broad expanses of color… our painting is the one with the big blue sky and low, flat horizon. It reminds us of the North Dakota landscape. Turns out his other claim to fame is he did the painting on the Hamm’s beer carton that came out this spring!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
I was looking for a new way to cook chicken and found this recipe by Brooke Caison at delish.com… loved the flavor of the sauce. I didn’t have any BBQ sauce so substituted Heinz HoneyRacha sauce for the BBQ sauce and honey… it was good.
STRAWBERRY-JALAPENO CHICKEN
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 16 ounces strawberries sliced, divided
- 3 jalapenos seeded, chopped, divided
- 2 shallots, chopped, divided
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
Mix pepper, garlic powder and 2 teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Pat chicken dry and and rub seasoning into all sides of chicken breasts. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil, then add chicken and cook, turning occasionally, about 7-8 minutes per side, until instant-read thermometer register 160 degrees in thickest part. Transfer chicken to a plate.
While the chicken cooks, make strawberry salsa. In a small bowl, toss cilantro, 1 cup strawberries, 1/3 cup jalapenos, 2 tablespoons shallots, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
In the same skillet over medium heat, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cook remaining jalapenos and shallots and a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally, until shallots start to soften, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup vinegar and stir to deglaze, scraping bottom of skillet. Stir in chile, adobo sauce, BBQ sauce, honey and remaining strawberries. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and strawberries have started to cook down, 7-8 minutes.
Return chicken to skillet to heat through. Spoon sauce over chicken, then top with strawberry salsa to serve.
