The TRUTH About Motherhood

Tag: recipes

Sweet & Savory Citrus Honey Grilled BBQ Chicken & Watermelon Feta Salad Recipes

Recently, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Kikkoman and Latina Bloggers Connect to create a recipe or re-work one a favorite dish. I had so much fun experimenting and it was compensated! I’ll give you a hint, Kikkoman is more versatile than you can imagine. Think outside of the Asian inspired box. I did. Kikkoman can actually be used in lieu of salt in every type of cuisine. In fact, to reduce the sodium content of your dish by 1000 mg swap ½ teaspoon of Kikkoman Soy Sauce in place of ½ a teaspoon of salt.
Anyways, if you are like me, the minute you hear the name Kikkoman, you instantly think of soy sauce for your sushi but Kikkoman is so much more than just soy sauce, they make Teriyaki sauce, Ponzu and many more products than I ever knew about. After all you can’t get much more perfect than Kikkoman soy sauce when cooking because 19 generations and 300 years of living by the family philosophy of it’s founder, “Isogaba Maware” (Make Haste Slowly; Advance and grow with tremendous thought and care) can’t be wrong. All this means is that Kikkoman takes it’s 6-month natural brewing process seriously and has since the seventeenth century. We should all advance and grow with such thought and care. True haste without thought will surely make waste in everything from food ingredient choices to life choices.
I actually adapted two recipes for dinner last night using Kikkoman soy sauce.
I chose Citrus Honey Grilled BBQ Chicken and paired it with a nice, refreshing summer watermelon and feta salad.
Here is the recipe for the Citrus Honey Grilled BBQ Chicken
Ingredients:
6 Large Chicken Breasts
Marinade:
1 ½ cup of Orange Juice
½ cup of olive oil
¼ cup of La Preferida hot sauce
½ cup of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of grated orange zest
2 tablespoons of Kikkoman soy sauce
½ cup of honey
Dash of Paprika

Glaze:
1 stick of unsalted butter
½ cup of honey
½ cup of orange juice
¼ cup of brown sugar
½ cup of honey BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons of grated orange zest
Between ¼- ½ cup of Dijon mustard (to taste)
3 tablespoons of Kikkoman soy Sauce
Directions:
Whisk together orange juice, olive oil, hot sauce, Dijon mustard, Kikkoman soy sauce, orange zest, honey and paprika together in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts to the marinade and toss to combine and cover chicken breasts. Cover bowl with lid or saran wrap and let marinate overnight or at least 1 hour, but for best results marinate over night in the refrigerator.
When ready to cook, pull chicken out of fridge and let it come to room temperature before you grill. Room temperature meats cook more evenly and don’t lose as much moisture. Prepare the grill and set to medium and direct heat.
Drain your chicken breasts from the marinade and pat dry. Grill for 5 minutes on each side, then turn heat down to medium-low, close the grill lid and continue cooking for 25 minutes.
While the chicken breasts are on the grill for those 25 minutes, start making the glaze. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat or on grill burner. Whisk in honey, orange juice, brown sugar, honey bbq sauce, orange zest, Dijon mustard and Kikkoman soy sauce. When it’s time to glaze the chicken breasts, reserve some of the glaze in a separate container to serve with the meal, in case someone wants more sauce on their chicken. I, personally, love my food saucy but some others don’t so reserve some. Stir occasionally. Check that poultry is cooked to 160 degrees before serving.

Then brush chicken breast with glaze, flip glaze side down, glaze other side and then continue cooking for 3 more minutes. Glaze once more, flip over, glaze top, cook for 3 minutes more. Then take chicken off the grill, loosely tent with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes, so the juices will reabsorb into the meat.
The interval when my chicken was on the grill for 25 minutes was when I started my side dish Watermelon Feta Salad. It’s quick and easy but you need 20 minutes to let it refrigerate it so you can totally make this ahead of time.
This recipe for Watermelon Feta salad serves about 6 people, generously.
Ingredients for salad:
4 cups of cooked quinoa (cooked and cooled)
4 cups of fresh watermelon (cut into bite sized cubes)
2 tablespoons of Kikkoman Soy Sauce
12 ounces of Feta cheese (crumbled)
2 cucumbers (cubed)
Ingredients for dressing:
3/4-cup fresh organic basil {packed}
Fresh squeezed juice from 2 large lemons
1/2 cup olive oil
Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of Kikkoman soy sauce on the watermelon as a flavor enhancer.
Then combine the quinoa, watermelon, feta cheese and cucumbers in the bowl.
Using a food processor, process basil, lemon juice and olive oil together until well combined then gingerly toss sauce with quinoa/watermelon/feta combination. Cover and chill for 20 minutes in refrigerator to allow flavors to combine appropriately.
Serve as a side to the Citrus Honey BBQ grilled chicken. It is absolutely delicious; light, filling and mostly guilt-free. My girls and husband gobbled it right up. The dinner table was quiet and that is always a good sign.
So were you surprised with how I used my Kikkoman soy sauce? My husband even used it in his recipe for sausage gravy and biscuits. It was one of his best batches and none of us knew it had soy sauce in it until he told us and think of how much better it was for our health with less sodium.
How could you use Kikkoman in your favorite recipes?
2014/07/24
Delicious Summer Rum Cocktail Recipe
Craving a deliciously cool cocktail recipe to celebrate summer vacation with?
Summer vacation is almost over. We’ve been so busy that it’s been one great adventure, trip or event after another, every weekend since May. I’m not complaining, really, I’m not but as in most things, too much of a good thing can be a little overwhelming. I honestly feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. I’m sure you know what I mean. You know, just a moment to sit in the sun, close my eyes and be still with no worries of putting myself in danger of a heat stroke. It’s the little things people.
Anyways, I’ve partnered with International Delight to try out some of their new flavors and I’ve become a little obsessed with finding ways to use them other than just rocking my coffee. Last month, I came up with a recipe for a Mexican Hot Chocolate milkshake that blew my families minds. Apparently, I really crave cold weather comfort drinks but adapted for the hot weather.
As I was sitting by the pool, wishing it was a little less humid and watching my kids do cannonballs, I began imagining myself on a tropical island (because I’m melting as one does when on a tropical vacation) and then my daydream went off into a completely odd direction and as I was sitting on the beach, it began to flurry and I was trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue, like I did when I was a little kid, but I was in my bathing suit which was odd. The point is, it made me smile and I thought to myself, why can’t I have a little snow right this very minute. Obviously it’ll never snow in July but with the courtesy of International Delight Cinnabon Creamer I could have a little bit of snowflake on my tongue, right here in July.
I never have been one for taking no for an answer so here’s the recipe I used to make this deliciously cool and refreshing cocktail, Dulce de la Nieve.
Fill cocktail shaker ½ way with ice. This helps chill the shaker and the ingredients as you add them. Leave plenty of room for shaking, so if your shaker is small use less ice.
1 part Rum Chata Rum
1 part heavy cream
2 parts International Delight Cinnabon Creamer
¼ teaspoon of sugar
¼ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Grip firmly, shake vigorously for 30 seconds to blend dairy products well. Typically when shaking drinks you need only employ the slow count to 10 method. Once the shaker is frosted, you are ready to strain and pour into an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sip for maximum effect.
The only problem I have with this drink is that it is so sinfully delicious that I always want more. Just like you can’t just catch one snowflake on your tongue, you can’t just drink one Dulce de la Nieve. It’s also a fantastic drink to enjoy around the holidays. It reminds me a lot of the Rompope my dad used to bring back from Mexico but lighter and sweeter. It’s a very delicate and delicious variant on eggnog, minus the eggs and incorporates some Cinnamon buns.
Now, that I am now cool and refreshed, I think I might go take a nap on this lazy summer afternoon. I deserve it and so do you!
What’s your favorite cocktail to cool down with on a hot summer’s day?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.
2014/07/21
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays Giveaway
Ree Drummond has another fantastic cookbook coming out in just a couple of days, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays. If you are a blogger, you already know that Ree Drummond is the Martha Stewart for busy moms. She is the only “expert” I need. She has a family to take care of, clothes to wash, kids to homeschool and a ranch to tend to yet she still manages to cook delicious meals and make it look easy. I’ve tried many of her recipes and I can attest to the fact that if you can boil water and follow a recipe you can make your family some awesome meals with the guidance of Ree. This latest cookbook A Year of Holidays is a fantastic collection of tasty recipes, gorgeous photos and a pinch of Ree’s signature humor sprinkled in to help you celebrate all through the year. You know you want it.
Ree sent me a signed copy to have and I was pretty excited because, as you all remember from this past BlogHer, I am a fan of The Pioneer Woman. There is just something about the Lucille Ball, Ethel Merman, Vivien Liegh combination of Ree that just makes her far too endearing to not be. The accidental country girl, award-winning blogger, Food Network personality, and #1New York Times bestselling author not only curates the most scrumptious recipes, she is also one of the sweetest and kindest people on the Internet.
In her latest book, Ree demonstrates how to ring in your favorite holidays with inspired menus for breakfasts, brunches, lunches, dinners, parties, deliveries, and feasts, accompanied by fun instructions and step-by-step photos. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays is filled with creative and flavorful ideas for intimate dinners, group gatherings, and family meals. It includes nineteen recipes for Thanksgiving alone.
I have to say, aside from the Thanksgiving section, my favorites are Mother’s Day and Cinco De Mayo. My favorite recipe of all is the homemade tortillas. When I was little, I remember my own grandmother making homemade tortillas and they were just about the best thing I had ever tasted. As Ree would say they truly are the bomb diggity dog diggity bibbity bobbity boo! I never learned how to make homemade tortillas from my grandmother and she’s since passed so I am looking forward to making this recipe and teaching my daughters to make homemade tortillas.
The book is full of great recipes to keep your family fed and beautiful photos of Ree’s own beautiful family and the recipe process. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays is a fantastic collection of a variety of dishes for every occasion. I told you that you’d want one.
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays is available in stores October 29^th but you can win your very own signed copy here at The TRUTH about Motherhood. I am giving away 3 copies. To enter to win all you need to do is be a subscriber to The TRUTH about Motherhood and leave a comment below telling me your favorite recipe from The Pioneer Woman. You can also earn extra entries via rafflecopter. Contest starts today and will end Friday November 1^{st at}11:59 pm.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

2013/10/27
Best French Toast Recipe
I love long lazy summer weekends almost as much as I love homemade french toast. You know the ones where you don’t have to be anywhere or do anything in particular? The weekends when everything is easy and slow; the kids sleep in, no one has to be anywhere or do anything. Worries just float away. Weekends with no obligation are my favorite kind. Those are the weekends that you file away in your mind as the best weekends of your life.
Of course, our summer has been filled with constant running since the last day of school. In the past 4 weeks, we have been someplace else other than our home for 3 of those weeks. I’m vacationed out. In fact, I have been spending a lot of time dreaming of my own bed. Me, the insomniac, dreaming of sleeping in is quite funny.
It got me to thinking of one of my favorite weekends ever. The girls were 2 and 4 and it was before my husband lost his job and we started the 3 years of commuter hell. It was a Saturday, just like many other Saturday mornings in our home. The girls slept in until about 10 am (of all the things I miss about them getting older, I miss them sleeping in the most). The Big Guy and I slept until we woke up on our own. You remember those days? Waking up on your own is such a luxury these days.
We both woke up at about 9 am. He made coffee and we enjoyed it on the deck in our pajamas, as the warm late May sun washed over us. I remember his smile as we joked about our girls still sleeping. It felt like we shared a special secret that no one else in the world knew. Then one by one, two tiny beautiful angels emerged from the sliding doors, simultaneously rubbing the sleep out of their eyes and shielding themselves from the suns bright good morning greeting.
We greeted them with big smiles, we know that we are blessed, and to see that the two halves of us could make two such incredible wholes makes our hearts happy. Gabi clamored onto my lap, nearly knocking my sweet, warm coffee to the ground, as her sister did the same to the Big Guy. Soon they were stretched out like cats basking in the sun. All of us, in our pajamas, on a warm summer morning just being.
Everyone got hungry and the Big Guy decided that the occasion demanded French toast and bacon with fresh strawberries. As I cleaned and cut fruit, as the smell of bacon wafted through the kitchen from the oven, the Big Guy and the girls made the French toast.
It’s a very simple French Toast recipe but it bears the most amazing French toast and is our absolute favorite.
Ingredients
• 4 (1-inch) thick slices King’s Hawaiian Bread
• 4 large brown eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• Butter for frying
• Pecan Praline syrup
Preparation
1. Slice bread crosswise so that each slice is about 1-inch thick. Set aside.
2. In a shallow mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, vanilla and cinnamon.
3. Quickly dip slices (do not soak) in egg mixture and cook until golden brown on both sides.
4. Keep egg mixture stirred and spices well blended.
5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with warm pecan praline syrup.
6. Top with fresh strawberries and a side of crisp bacon.
7. Enjoy.
After we ate, we spent the rest of the day hanging out at our home just the four of us; doing nothing but it meant absolutely everything. I think of this day often, especially on those hectic days when we barely have a moment to kiss each other good morning or ask one another how our day is going. Soon our lives will be back to normal. We finally sold our home and will soon be buying a new one. I can’t wait for another day spent doing nothing with the three people that I love most in this world.
What food reminds you of a special moment in your life?
This is our favorite french toast recipe. What is your favorite dish to share with your family? Comment below and you’ll be entered to win a $200 Grocery gift card King’s Hawaiian.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kings Hawaiian. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.
2012/06/26
How to Make a Nutella Sundae
Behold the Nutella Sundae
How to Make a Nutella Sundae~ I don’t do a lot of recipes on the TRUTH about Motherhood but sometimes a recipe comes along that demands to be shared. This is one of those recipes. (more…)
2012/02/12
Thanksgiving Recipe How to Roast the Perfect Turkey
Ever wonder how to roast the perfect turkey? I had no idea how to cook a turkey the first year I hosted Thanksgiving. I just knew I wanted all of my family together in one place. If that meant that I had to learn how to roast the perfect turkey, so be it. I’d do it. That’s how I learned how to roast a turkey.
I did a lot of research online and on Pinterest before I dove deep into this recipe. I wanted to prepare the best tasting, most moist turkey that ever graced a Thanksgiving tablescape and I did a pretty good job on my first year. By year two, I had all the kinks worked out and there’s been no turning back since.
This turkey recipe is very easy and has worked better than beautifully for me for the past 7 years. I am not a domestic diva but there are a few things that I can really cook so well that it will knock the taste right outta your mouth..turkey is one of those things. So, I want to share with you all my secret of how to roast the perfect turkey. Thanksgiving is my holiday our entire family, both sides come to our house because the Big Guy and I absolutely know how to roast the perfect turkey. I know people deep fry, rotisserie and all sorts of creative ideas but when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, I like my turkey traditional. Today I will share with you what I’ve perfected as the sure-fire way of how to roast the perfect turkey.
Easy tips on how to roast a turkey perfectly every time
1. Learning how to roast the perfect turkey starts with selecting the right turkey for your family. To calculate how much turkey you will need, I use the rule that allows for 1 pound of turkey for every adult and 3/4 pounds for every child that you will be feeding. You will have leftovers and there will be no fighting over portions. Everyone will have their fair share of the tryptophan high that Thanksgiving brings us all.
2. Start with preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Remove turkey from bag. We have found that buying a non-frozen fresh turkey works the best. It eliminates the headache of thawing. We found this out the hard way when we had our turkey thawing in our game room fridge and little people playing under the bar cabinets, accidentally knocked the plug out of the wall. ( I know so dangerous, please hold all judgment.) Keep in mind that a partially frozen turkey will take longer to cook.
4. If you need help deciding between fresh or frozen here are a few facts:
  - Fresh turkeys need no thawing and are ready to cook. Winning! This is my favorite tip on how to roast the perfect turkey.
  - Fresh Butterball turkeys are all natural.
  - Frozen turkeys can be purchased weeks in advance but require several days of thawing before roasting. A quick rule of thumb is to allow 1 day for every 4 pounds of turkey. We normally get about a 26-pound turkey. Yes, it takes forever to defrost in the refrigerator but it is less likely to give you salmonella than trying to defrost in cold water overnight. The water needs to be cold and changed every 30 minutes to prevent bacteria from growing. If you are not going with a fresh turkey, please defrost using the refrigerator.
5. Remove all the innards. Do not forget the neck-bone and giblets, sometimes if you have a frozen turkey the neck-bone and giblets try to stay inside. Just remember, every turkey comes with the neck-bone and giblets inside so if you don’t find them. LOOK HARDER they are most likely still frozen inside.
6. Drain juices and pat dry with clean paper towels. I like to rinse it once before I pat it dry.
7. Place turkey lifter across the full length of a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan, 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. Keep in mind that a dark roasting pan cooks the turkey faster than a shiny one.
8. Tuck wings back to hold the neck skin in place. Doing so will help stabilize the turkey in the pan and when carving. Place thawed or fresh turkey, breast up, on the turkey lifter. Raise one loop over wings and breast, and the other loop over drumsticks. Rest loops on turkey, not over the edge of the pan during roasting.
9. *Next, this is important.* I place my hand between the skin and turkey itself. Then, gently lift on the skin. This separates the skin intact without removing it from the turkey. ( I fully realize that this is about as gross as pulling out the guts from a pumpkin but I enjoy that too:) Then take pats of butter and place inside the space between the turkey and skin. While the turkey cooks the butter flavor will seep into the turkey.
10. This step is essential to ensuring moistness and a key factor in how to roast the perfect turkey, massage turkey skin with vegetable/olive oil ( I prefer olive oil) to prevent the skin from drying and locking in the juices, keeping your turkey moist.
11. Melt about a cup of butter ( unsalted preferably) and pour over the turkey while massaging it into the turkey. Then shower the turkey with salt and pepper. Massage again. ( This turkey is very relaxed by the time he goes into the oven.)
12. I do not stuff my turkey with stuffing. I do however quarter 2 lemons and 3 oranges and place inside the turkey along with some rosemary and thyme. There are a variety of things you can add inside your turkey for flavoring but oranges, lemons, rosemary and thyme are what I use. I keep it simple.
13. Turn oven down to 325 degrees for cooking. To cook the perfect turkey we preheat to 400 degrees because once you put the turkey in the oven, it seals in the juices an then immediately turn the oven down 325 degrees for cooking. If this is your first time, I don’t suggest waiting until turkey is in the oven before turning down temperature because there is a big possibility that you will forget and burn the outside of your turkey while the inside is still frozen.
14. Insert oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh muscle but not touching the bone. When the thigh is up to temperature and if the turkey is stuffed, move thermometer to center of stuffing. Stuffing should be 165 degrees when done.
READ ALSO: How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole
15. I do not stuff my bird with stuffing when roasting, it slows down the cooking process. I fear if I did, I’d have to title this post How to get Salmonella rather than How to roast the perfect turkey.
16. Place your turkey with a loosely tented piece of lightweight foil atop the breast and top of drumsticks to prevent overcooking in the pre-heated oven at 325 degrees. If you place your dark roasting lid on the turkey it will speed up the roasting process. I prefer to cook my turkey slowly. Think of that lid as Pitocin for your turkey, it will speed up the process but it might not give you the best results. The turkey may be drier than it would have been otherwise.
17. I check the turkey about every hour and baste it in its juices. This helps keep the skin moist and helps to brown the turkey. Yes, I do realize that I am obsessed with keeping my turkey moist. Have you ever had dry turkey? It’s almost impossible to eat and I don’t want to choke to death on Thanksgiving.
18. Use the roasting schedule below as a guide and start checking for doneness about 30 minutes before the end of recommended cooking times.
19. When the turkey is about 2/3 done, uncover the turkey to allow for the skin to cook to a beautiful golden brown. This is the perfect time to start preparing those final side dishes like the recipe for those delicious stuffed sweet potatoes I found on Lady and the Blog.
20. Your turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches the following temperatures:
180 degrees deep in the thigh. At this temperature, juices should be clear, not reddish pink when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.
165 degrees in the center of the stuffing, if the turkey is stuffed.
21. Lift roasted turkey onto a platter with turkey lifter and discard lifter.
22. Before removing stuffing and carving, let your turkey stand 15 minutes to allow juices to set. Garnish as you like, I use citrus and cranberries. This is how to roast the perfect turkey.
READ ALSO: Thanksgiving Recipes for the Perfect Holiday Dinner
How to roast the perfect turkey every time
Net Weight (lb.) Unstuffed (hrs.) Stuffed (hrs.)
4½ to 7 2 to 2½ 2¼ to 2¾
7 to 9 2½ to 3 2¾ to 3½
9 to 18 3 to 3½ 3¾ to 4½
18 to 22 3½ to 4 4½ to 5
22 to 24 4 to 4½ 5 to 5½
24 to 30 4½ to 5 5½ to 6¼
I know there are many ways to roast the perfect turkey but this is what has worked for me for many Thanksgivings. How do you roast your perfect turkey? What are your favorite Thanksgiving sides? What are your must haves at Thanksgiving? Stay tuned, I will be sharing a few of my favorite sides over the next week. How to roast the perfect turkey is the key to how to have a perfect Thanksgiving with your loved ones.
How to Roast a Turkey to perfection
2011/11/15