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Corned Beef and Cabbage (1,000 Foods to Eat Project)

March 14, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post raves about Corned Beef and Cabbage!

Slices of corned beef and cabbage on a plate — Corned Beef and Cabbage

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What Is Corned Beef?

The Irish classic dish Corned Beef and Cabbage is the only way to go when March 17 rolls around!

Corned beef is salt cured beef brisket. It is typically served with cabbage, or it is sliced and used in sandwiches. The Reuben sandwich is made with corned beef and it is one of my favorite sandwiches.

Why Do We Eat Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick's Day?

I discovered that the reason we eat these foods on St. Patrick's Day has to do with Ireland's history of exporting salted meats. Ireland produced and exported a LOT of corned beef. However beef was too expensive for much of the population. Therefore most people ate salt pork, which was a cheaper alternative.

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Easy and Delicious Connecticut Steamed Cheeseburgers!

March 12, 2019 by Grace 4 Comments

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about Connecticut Steamed Cheeseburgers!

Connecticut Steamed Cheeseburger and Pickle

Last October it was privilege a to visit New England for the first time. Unfortunately we didn't make it to Connecticut (officially the Constitution State), so missed out on exploring New Haven (home to Yale University), world class museums, and some great culinary adventures.

One iconic food that Connecticut is known for is the Steamed Cheeseburger. Yes, you read that right! I never in my life even considered cooking a cheeseburger in this way, however after having done so I am a steamed cheeseburger convert. Try this recipe and you will be too!

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Budget Friendly Fun in Lindale and Tyler, Texas

March 11, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

This page may contain affiliate links. So I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about a budget friendly fun visit to Lindale and Tyler, Texas!

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Our family recently took a trip to North Texas, and stayed at the Coyote Creek Cabin, a dog friendly Airbnb, in Lindale. This was part of a budget friendly fun visit to Lindale and Tyler, Texas.

We had never been to Lindale or Tyler before, so everything was a fresh and new experience for us.

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Linguine With Pancetta and Peas

March 9, 2019 by Grace 2 Comments

I love pasta dishes. They are usually quick and easy to prepare, budget friendly, and super satisfyingly delicious. Linguine with Pancetta and Peas checks all of those boxes.

This pasta dish is super savory due to the addition of the pancetta. Pancetta is Italian pork belly which has been salt cured, and it is so very very good!

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Lovely Stay at Coyote Creek Cabin - Lindale, TX

March 7, 2019 by Grace 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

We started staying in vacation rentals a few years ago. It was important to take our Great Pyrenees dogs Curley and Dante with us whenever we went traveling, and Airbnb's and VRBO's were the way to go.

We no longer have Curley and Dante with us. Now we have Toby, our St. Bernard. He LOVES traveling, as did Curley and Dante.

So we continue to look for great vacation rentals that the 3 of us can stay in.

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The Amazing Caper! - 1,000 Foods to Eat Project

March 6, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post helps to answer the question: What are capers?

Alaskan Salmon, Cream Cheese, and Capers Bagel

I loove salty foods. When given the choice between sweet and salty, I'll take salty any day. Maybe that is one reason why I adore capers.

Capers come from the capparis spinosa plant. They are the flower buds of this plant, (also known as caper bush or Flinders rose), which is native to the Mediterranean.

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Cobb Salad (1,000 Foods to Eat Project)

March 5, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

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I can't believe it took me so long to try a Cobb salad. This salad is absolutely delicious, colorful, and calorific! In short, it's terrific. 🙂

The Cobb salad is one of foods listed in the 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die book by Mimi Sheraton. It is also the #4 item on my quest to try each of the 1,000 foods listed in this incredible book.

I have included in my recipe instructions on how to make this salad "from scratch." However you can buy precooked chicken, eggs, and bacon to save time when assembling this salad.

You can view my recipe for a Californian Inspired Cobb Salad here.

1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die Front Jacket

Enjoy one of the 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die foods, and get a taste of California at the same time!

West African Soupe Gumbo - 1,000 Foods to Eat Project

March 4, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about delicious West African Soupe Gumbo!

The Gambia, West Africa

It has been many years since I had the privilege of traveling to West Africa, but I remember much of it as if it was yesterday.

We made a trip to The Gambia, and also spent a little time in Senegal. These countries were the most exotic and amazing places that I had been to at the time. I was blown away by the scenery, by the endless possibility for adventure, but most of all blown away by the people.

Cows on the beach in The Gambia (West Africa)

The people were so friendly, and full of joy. I hope to make it back there again someday!

1,000 Foods To Eat Project

I wasn't a foodie back then, so unfortunately didn't focus in on the food. However, I am now keen on trying as many different types of foods as I can, and working my way through my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project. This project is based on the book 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, by Mimi Sheraton.

West African Soupe Gumbo

One of the foods in the book, and in my project, is Soupe Gumbo, from West Africa. When many of of us think of gumbo, we probably think of Louisiana style gumbo. However, did you know that the seeds from the okra pods originally came over to the Americas from slaves who came from West Africa? Per Mimi Sheraton in 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, "the American "gumbo"comes from the Bantu word for okra."

There is a description for a Soupe Gumbo from the Ivory Coast in the book, but not a recipe. I played around with the ingredients of this soup and was able to come up with an absolutely delicious version, which I hope might taste like something you might find on the Ivory Coast!

I hope you will enjoy this hearty and delicious soup which contains okra, chicken, onions, and one of my favorites - scotch bonnet peppers. 🙂

Enjoy a taste of West Africa! This is #3 on my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project.

West African Soupe Gumbo

Grace

Try this hearty and delicious West African Soupe Gumbo! Spicy and fiery, serve with lots of white rice, and enjoy a taste of the Ivory Coast!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Main Course

Servings servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb chicken thighs
2 scotch bonnet peppers diced
1 onion diced
100 grams okra topped and tailed
2 cups chicken broth
15 oz tomato sauce
1 ts pepper
salt to taste
4 green onions sliced for garnish

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a skillet on med high. Add the chicken thighs, and fry each side for approximately 4-6 minutes until browned. Remove to a plate, and allow to cool. Once cooled shred the chicken.
Add scotch bonnets and onion to a food processor, and process until diced.
Top and tail your okra. Cut into bite sized pieces.
Heat up stove to med high, and add to a stock pot the chicken broth, diced scotch bonnets and onion, okra, and shredded chicken.
Add the tomato sauce, pepper, and a pinch of salt, and bring to the boil.
Turn down to medium low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt if desired.

Notes

This dish is meant to be hot and fiery! However if you'd like to try it but are not keen on hot and spicy foods, either leave out the diced scotch bonnets, or leave it whole and add to the soup whole when you add the okra, rather than diced. Enjoy this with lots of white rice and garnished with green onions!

Keyword Soup

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

New York Hot Dogs (1000 Foods to Eat Project)

March 4, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

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New York Style Hot Dog Sauerkraut Ketchup and Spicy Brown Mustard — New York Style Hot Dog

Hot dogs! Who doesn't love a hot dog?!

Hot dogs are one of foods listed in the 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die book, and #2 item on my quest to try each of the 1,000 foods listed in this incredible book.

Most of us in the US have tried hot dogs, however there may be many of us who have not tried a New York Style Hot Dog. Let me tell you these are delicious!

Your taste buds will thank you when you try this delicious hot dog topped with sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard and a cayenne infused ketchup!

You can view my recipe for a New York Style Hot Dog here.

Enjoy one of the 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die foods, and get a taste of New York at the same time!

Easy and Delicious Spicy Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken!

February 27, 2019 by Grace 2 Comments

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Spicy Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken in a cast iron skillet

Christopher Robin Movie Night

On a recent movie night, we watched the 2018 film Christopher Robin, with Ewan McGregor playing Christopher Robin. In this version, Christopher is all grown up. He meets his childhood friend Winnie the Pooh once again, who helps him rediscover fun and the joys of life. If you love the story of Winnie the Pooh, then most likely you will enjoy this film.

On movie nights, I cook a meal for that evening that has something to do with the film we are watching. The inspiration for the meal is usually the setting of the movie, or food actually eaten or highlighted in the film.

In the case of Christopher Robin, it was pretty easy to decide to cook with Pooh bear's favorite - honey!!

Jar of honey with a honey dipper poised above it — Photo by Art Rachen on Unsplash

Spicy Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken

Spicy honey mustard garlic chicken ended up on our plates that evening, served with a side of mashed potatoes.

These ingredients are all you will need to make this delicious dish:

Chicken thighs
Garlic cloves (minced)
Thai chilies (if you don't like spicy food I have got you covered! just reduce the number of chilies or omit entirely)
Honey
Dijon Mustard
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Green onions (optional garnish)

You will devour this moist chicken, rich with the sweet flavor of the honey, and the wonderful punch of Dijon spice! The Thai chilies give this a fruity flavor with heat which I know you will absolutely love.

It's Super Duper Easy To Make This Dish!

It takes around 20 minutes to make Spicy Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken. All you have to do is:

Pan fry some chicken thighs which have been seasoned in some olive oil until browned.

Chicken thighs browning in oil in a cast iron pan

Remove the browned chicken (keep warm in a low oven) and then stir fry the chilies and garlic.

Garlic and Chilies in oil in a cast iron pan with a wooden spoon

Then add honey and Dijon mustard, and whisk away until all the ingredients are well combined, adjusting for seasoning if needed.

Sauce including garlic, chilies, honey, and dijon mustard in a cast iron skillet with a whisk

Then add the chicken back to the skillet and coat with the incredibly delicious sauce that you must whipped up!

What To Serve With Spicy Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken

Spicy Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken garnished with green onions

My favorite way to serve this dish is with heaps of mashed potatoes! Rice or crusty bread to mop up all the juices are some other wonderful alternatives to accompany this dish.

You also can't go wrong with adding sliced green onions as a garnish. So good!

June Barrera's Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken

I hope you will enjoy this Spicy Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken!

Here Are Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!

The BEST Tomato Basil Chicken

Belizean Stewed Chicken

Russian Ground Chicken Cutlet

If you'd like to come along on this food journey with me, please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here. 🙂

Cheers!

Grace

Spicy Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken

Grace

Try this delicious honey mustard garlic chicken, spiced up with Thai chilies! So quick and easy to make, and full of incredible flavor!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Total Time 22 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings servings