Easy Grilled Chicken Breasts

Grilled chicken is a go-to staple food especially during warm summer months plus it's a healthy lunch or dinner option.

There are countless ways to use it from salads, sandwiches, soups, pizza and more. But if you've got an all-purpose grilled chicken this juicy and tender you'll be happy to serve and eat it all on it's own and the whole crew will love it!

It's also great for meal prep since it keeps for several days in the fridge after being cooked (or you could even freeze it).

There's just a few simple keys to success here like allowing enough time for the chicken to soak in the liquid mixture and closely monitoring internal temperature of the chicken toward the end of grilling (chicken breasts dry out quickly past 165 degrees).

This is also a very versatile base recipe, you don't have to make it exactly as done here. There are plenty of substitutions and variations you could try (see ideas listed below). Just stick to the method and you'll be good to go from there.

Easy Grilled Steak Recipe

Grilled steak is an essential summer food, truly a highlight to the best backyard dinners.

Cooking steak on the grill keeps the heat out of the house and the smokiness outside so it's nice when you've got company to feed.

It's also a great option when you've got a handful of people to serve because of the obvious fact that on a gas grill or charcoal grill there's a lot more space to work with, while indoor pan searing only allows space for cooking 1 to 2 steaks at a time.

Just plan a little bit of extra time to let the steaks rest before you grill them. Beef needs time to rest!

Then to complete the steaks you can finish with a classic potatoes side of some sort (potato salad is a great option for summer BBQs) and other fresh vegetables to bring some nutrition to the meal (and you might as well grill those veggies while you've got it going). Add a bottle of steak sauce to your table if that's your thing. And if you want to go all out, serve them with warm dinner rolls and fresh jam like they do at the homestyle steakhouse.

Easy Tri Tip Roast

This has been a go-to recipe at our house for the last few months because it's incredibly easy to make, you only need a handful of ingredients, and it’s made with a less expensive cut of beef.

You can usually find tri tip steak quite a bit cheaper than most steaks (which are getting very expensive lately). We just buy a 2-pack at $7.99 per pound at our local Costco and freeze the second one for later (for best quality use frozen tri tip within 3 months). You can also get this cut at a butcher—or substitute bottom sirloin or California cut.

The key to a good tri tip is in the seasoning and the cooking method. Here we give it a nice spice dry rub for added flavor, let it rest at room temp a while, then roast it in a moderately heated oven, and last finish it by reverse searing (baking then skillet browning) for a few minutes in a scorching pan with a few tablespoons of oil.

It's the perfect beef roast!

What is Tri Tip?

• Tri tip is a cut of beef that comes from the bottom of the sirloin of a cow. It is usually cut in a triangular shape.
• You'll find it has a nice beefy flavor and great tender texture when cooked to a medium doneness.
• Its name comes from its triangular shape and the fact that it's cut at a tapered tip, at the very tip of the sirloin.
• Options available are select, choice and prime grades. Select is lowest quality, choice is good quality, and prime the best quality. I recommend buying only choice or prime.

It's supremely delicious and destined to be a highlight of any dinner or celebration!

Upgraded Old Fashioned Chocolate Cream Pie

This is one of the dreamiest pies with its trio of layering, its silky smooth texture, and its abundant decadence of chocolate flavor. You’ll find it’s even a step up from the traditional old classic since chopped chocolate is included as well rather than just cocoa powder.

It tastes just like chocolate pudding but in pie form!

Sure during the holidays we all love our fruity pies but some sort of chocolate pie is always a welcome change and definitely deserves a place in the line up. Chocolate lovers will thank you.

It will be savored down to the last creamy topped crumb and may likely become a repeatedly requested tradition each holiday season!

There are a few steps to it, especially if you prepare the homemade pie crust but it's worth every bit of effort and overall it is a straightforward easy method to follow. A critical step is just that you ensure the filling is thickened well over the stovetop so you're pie will be firm enough to hold up when sliced.

If you find you are short on time to make this completely from scratch pie you could try my easy chocolate mousse pie instead (then save this recipe for when time allows). It's super fluffy and equally as tempting!

The BEST Roasted Chicken

I've made this chicken every week for the last month! We just can't get enough of it. It's amazing how it turns out so well without even being slathered in butter or oil.

The acidic buttermilk tenderizes the meat, adds flavor, and promotes the skin browning. The salt keeps it juicy (as long as you don't over-bake it of course), it tenderizes and seasons as well. And the herbs and garlic lend fresh flavor.

It's an absolute breeze to prepare, they key is just to plan ahead. The night before you plan to make it, begin soaking it in the brine. A lengthy brining is a must for juicy chicken. No shortcuts.

Then the next evening when you get home from work or running errands, simply transfer it to a cast iron pan (you don't even need to truss the bird) and roast in a hot oven.

You can serve it with some simple sides. I suggest going with the classic meat and potatoes pairing for a hearty meal.

Parmesan roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes (or slow cooker potatoes) are great options. Or for something quick you can do on the stovetop go with a lemony couscous.

Cajun Seasoning to Taste

The great thing about making your own homemade cajun seasoning is that you can control the heat and the sodium, simply by adjusting the cayenne pepper and the salt to taste.

It’s also handy if you are ready to make a recipe but you are out of your go-to store-bought option. You will likely have most of the ingredients ready in your pantry! Plus, if you buy spices in bulk this is a great inexpensive option.

You’ll find it has the perfect blend of sweet and vibrant spices and flavor-enhancing herbs for southern cuisines like Caribbean (hello, Jamaican Jerk Chicken!) and Creole.

It’s easy enough it can be thrown together in minutes so you might as well try it out. Homemade spice blends are such a great way to go!

This recipe proves that it's often the simplest ingredients that can yield the best end results.

What is Naan?

Naan is flat-like, yeast leavened, oven baked bread. It originates from Iran and Central Asia. It's a very popular bread in India, where you'll usually find a slightly thicker variation.

Naan can be leavened or un-leavened, the Indian versions are usually leavened. It's common to use torn pieces of naan for scooping and eating food by hand.

Traditionally Indian Naan is cooked in a tandoor oven but not many of us own one of those. So here we make it without a tandoor oven and use a heavy cast iron skillet instead to get a very similar result.

I've tried making naan several different ways using different ingredients like water, buttermilk, milk, or yogurt. I've also tried with and without egg, or with just egg yolk. Then using different fats.

Of course there's also the option to use different types of flour (bread flour, all-purpose flour, or even wheat flour). Then you'll notice some recipes include baking powder.

You’ll also find a variety of mixing methods and dough consistencies.

This recipe is my favorite blend of ingredients for it, with the ratios and method to achieve a super soft, lightly chewy, perfectly fluffy and bubbly naan. It's my idea of the best Naan!

What is Filet Mignon?

Filet Mignon (pronounced fee-le mee-nyawn) is a lean yet incredibly tender type of beef steak that is taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin coming from a cow's back.

There are many ways to cook it such as stove-top pan searing, grilling, baking, cooking in a sous vide, or smoking.

Here we use a reverse sear method which is a combination of both oven and stove-top.

So what's so great about the reverse sear method? This method cooks the steaks low and slow in an oven for maximum tenderness and even cooking, then it's quickly seared in a smoking hot skillet for a gorgeously browned, crisp crust on the exterior.

The quick searing after baking is where it get's the name "reverse sear", because commonly meats are seared before baking.

It is a popular cooking method for filet mignon among chef's and it's what you'll find in many fine dining restaurants.

This method creates hands down one of the most tender steaks you'll ever eat! You should be able to easily slice through it with a butter knife.

Tender, juicy, browned, flavorful, and finished with one of your choice of four optional sauces(see below). Such an impressive yet simple entree that's sure to get rave reviews!

Just be sure with this method you have an oven safe leave-in probe thermometer, it is critical to not over-cooking the steaks. And trust me they are worth the investment! I use mine nearly every day.

Looking to make those pretty swirly-shaped cookies? Try my butter cookies recipe.

Shortbread - The Perfect Christmas Cookie

These are such simple, humble cookies with rich and tempting flavors. They are delicious classics on their own, but they are also very easy to customize (see variations ideas below).

All that butter does the trick in this Scottish-style shortbread. A lot of the best foods start out with a generous dose of butter, don't they?

Not only does quality butter bring an abundance of rich flavor, but it also gives them their distinctive crumbly and flaky texture.

Sure, you have lots of options to buy store-bought shortbread this time of year... but homemade buttery shortbread cookies are a game changer. They are fresher, cheaper, have a better butter flavor and a more tender texture. You'll definitely be able to taste the difference with homemade shortbread.

Plus, these travel and ship well so they are great for holiday gifting or Christmas cookie swaps. Tis the season for cookies, so let's get baking!

What is kalua pork?

Kalua pork is a smoked shredded meat. It is the main dish and most common food served at traditional Hawaiian luaus and feasts. It is a centuries old tradition that uses a rather laborsome process of cooking a whole pig underground (this recipe uses just a cut of pork and a simplified cooking method to make it more realistically doable for everyone).

How is it traditionally made?

In Hawaii kalua pork is cooked in an underground pit called an imu. The world "kalua" actually translates "to cook in an underground oven" in the Hawaiian language.

To make the oven and cook the pig:

• A large pit is dug into the ground about 3 - 5 feet deep.
• Koa or Kiawe wood is placed at the bottom of the pit and topped with large rocks.
• The kindling is lit and it's allowed to heat for several hours.
• After that the pit is lined with vegetation (usually ti leaves or banana leaves).
• A whole pig is then salted, stuffed with some of the hot rocks, sometimes topped with vegetables, and wrapped or covered in more damp leaves.
• Then it is placed in the prepared underground oven and covered with a layer of soil.
• From here it is left to cook underground for about 6 to 7 hours.
• Finally it is removed and the meat is shredded to make pulled pork.

As you can see it is quite the process but a neat tradition. It is the tastiest, most authentic method but definitely not something all of us are able to do.

Easy Kalua Pork Recipe

This version of kalua pork couldn't be easier to make! 3 ingredients added to a slow cooker - and let the crockpot do the rest!

Since most of us don't all have a underground oven dug out to cook this the traditional way I think this is the next best option, still cooking it low and slow.

It is amazing what a lengthy cook time can do for a cut of meat like a pork shoulder. You'll really will be impressed at the tender end result.

It's perfect for backyard parties, summer get togethers, and really just a simple dinner you can serve any day of the year.

And then with leftovers freeze them for a second meal—just store in an airtight container in the freezer. It makes plenty!

To keep it super simple just pair it with rice and a steamed veggie for a no-stress, almost entirely hands-off dinner with incredible taste. Bonus points for the traditional Hawaiian mac salad for a plate lunch. (I also love to sprinkle these on nachos or make pork tacos or burritos!)