Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Strawberry Smoothie

Whew, that title is a mouthful but this is such a great smoothie recipe it is worth it!

Have you ever seen this stuff??

Powdered peanut butter, crazy hey! This one happens to be chocolate peanut butter but you can get regular too.

You use it like you would regular peanut butter, just mix it with water. It has way less calories and fat than regular peanut butter.

As soon as I saw it I knew I had to try some. I thought a smoothie was the perfect way to start.

What you need,

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1 frozen banana

4-5 frozen strawberries

1 heaping tbsp. powdered chocolate peanut butter

½ cup Greek yogurt

¾ cup 1 % milk

Combine all the smoothie ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.

I can’t wait to try some other recipes using this crazy new peanut butter. If you have ever used it, let me know what your favorite recipes are.

Enjoy!

Jen

Rhubarb Muffins

Every year at this time I go crazy with the rhubarb. The season is pretty short so I try use as much as I can before it is gone for another year.  I always start with a couple of good old rhubarb crisps before I start making anything else, they are my absolute favorite!

These rhubarb muffins are a close second. They are moist and sweet with a little crunchy topping. They are the perfect muffin to have with a cup of coffee in the morning. You can also turn them into a nice dessert; just serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, delish!

What you need,

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2 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar

2½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt (I skipped the salt and used salted butter instead)

1 cup sour cream

½ cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups diced rhubarb

3 tbsp. granulated sugar + ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

Combine in a small bowl to use for topping the muffins.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees and place the rack in the middle position. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. I ended up with 16 muffins so I had to use 2 muffins tins.

In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt if you are using it.

In a large bowl beat the sour cream, melted butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold gently until they are just combined. Stir in the rhubarb, don’t over mix.

Divide the batter between the muffin tins; sprinkle each muffin with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for 18-22 minutes until they start to turn golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan then transfer to a rack to cool completely.  I suggest you make a cup of coffee and eat one warm, they are insanely good warm‼

Store for up to a week in an airtight container, or you can freeze them up to a month.

I love rhubarb season so much. I have to get some extra to chop up and put in the freezer so sometime in the winter when I need a crisp or these amazing muffins I can whip up a batch!

Enjoy!

Jen

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking

Hoisin Peanut Grilled Chicken

I am so into grilling right now, I think I use the BBQ 4 times a week at least. I love the flavors it imparts in the meat plus it keeps the house from getting hot from the oven!

This hoisin peanut grilled chicken is a great new way to spruce up some plain old chicken breasts. The sauce is crazy easy but tastes great and the topping has so much texture it really makes this simple dish feel complex.

What you need,

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½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

3 tbsp. dry-roasted, salted peanuts, chopped

1 large shallot

1 tsp. all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 small jalapeno, diced finely

3 tbsp. hoisin sauce

2 tbsp. pineapple juice

1 tsp. sriracha sauce

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salt and Pepper

Start by thinly slicing a shallot into rounds. Dust the rings lightly with flour. In a frying pan heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots to the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes until brown and crisp. Remove the crispy shallots from the pan and drain on a paper towel until cool.

In a small bowl stir together the parsley, peanuts, jalapeno and crispy shallots, set aside until you are ready to serve.

In a small bowl stir together the hoisin sauce, pineapple juice and sriracha.

Heat your barbeque to medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place on the hot grill.

Cook for 6-8 minutes per side until brown and cooked through. Baste the chicken with half the sauce just before you take it off the grill.

Serve the chicken with a spoonful of the shallot mixture and the extra sauce on the side.

This chicken was delish! Nice flavors and textures, we really enjoyed it!

I served mine with some simple soba noodles and a green salad, YUM!

Jen

Recipe adapted from Chatelaine

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches

When I was at Superstore the other day I noticed they had Hawaiian style sweet buns as a new item. I knew I had to make something with them immediately! I love Hawaiian sweet buns!!

These grilled Hawaiian chicken sandwiches were the perfect thing. The marinade is simple but full of great flavors.  I love grilled pineapple and what is more Hawaiian than pineapple so I had to add that. For the cheese I wanted something that melted easily but didn’t have an overwhelming flavor, the mozzarella worked perfectly!

What you need,

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2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded to ½ inch thickness

2 tbsp. pineapple juice

1 ½ tbsp. soy sauce

1 ½ tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. molasses

1 ½ tsp. lemon juice

½ tsp Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic minced

2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

4 Hawaiian style sweet buns

2 tbsp. butter

4 slices mozzarella cheese

4 fresh pineapple rings

Leaf lettuce

Sriracha mayo

In a large zip top bag combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, honey, molasses, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic and ginger. Shake well to combine.  Add the pounded chicken pieces into the bag and let it marinade in the fridge for at least 4 hours, overnight would be fine.

When you are ready heat your grill to medium high. Grill the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until well browned and cooked through. Melt a slice of mozzarella cheese on each piece of chicken just before removing it from the grill.

Place the pineapple rings on the upper rack of the barbeque and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until warmed through.

Butter the bun halves and place cut side down into a frying pan or on the grill. Cook until just lightly browned and warm.

Place some of the Sriracha mayo on each bun half, top with a piece of the chicken, a leaf of lettuce and a pineapple ring.

For the sriracha mayo I combined ½ cup mayo with 1 tsp. soy sauce, the juice of ½ a lime and 1 tbsp. sriracha sauce. You can adjust the hot sauce to your liking. This sauce will stay good in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

These beauties were amazing! We loved the bold flavors of the marinade with the spicy mayo. The texture of the warm pineapple was perfection!

Enjoy!

Jen

Favourite Things Friday Vol 77 - Summer Cocktails

Fridays + Warm Days = Summer Cocktails!

Here are a few of my all time favourites.

First up is the Mojito. The combination of rum, fresh mint and lime is the perfect way to cool off after a long hot week!

If you want to change it up a little bit try a Cherry Mojito or a Strawberry Rhubarb Mojito or a Watermelon Mojito. The possibilities are endless!

I am also a huge fan of a Classic Margarita. I love the tangy lime with the bite of the tequila and always salt the rim, ALWAYS!

Another classic is the Caesar. It is cold and spicy, a perfect drink for a backyard barbeque.

Last year I found an old recipe written by my Grandma Clarke for a Rhubarb Drink. It made a batch and just loved it! It is refreshing and different give it a try.

If you are looking for something a little less boozy try this homemade Lemonade. It is tart and sweet and the absolute best I have ever had.

(a little splash of vodka never hurt this one either)

So grab yourself a glass and make a tasty summer drink. Have a great weekend everyone!

Jen