Muddling mojitos The mambo music was turned up, the mojitos were muddled – we were all set for a festive evening when our dear friends Karin and Tony and their two little kids arrived for our Cuban-themed dinner party this past weekend.
The table is set When I visited Cuba about ten years ago on a business school study trip, I was absolutely struck by the vibrancy of the culture – the people, the music, the food. It was my first inspiration when McCormick Gourmet, in conjunction with their Dinner Party Chain promotion, challenged me to come up with a creative, gourmet dinner party incorporating their spices. I was excited to relive fond memories of “La Habana” with a fun, family friendly, Latin-tropical spread for our friends.
The menu
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Chicken, Caramelized Onion and Mango Quesadillas

Yesterday, for me, was one of those “and this too shall pass” kind of days. You know the ones where every last thing seems to go wrong – spills, leaks, costly repairs, overcharges, email snafus, you name it.

I’m turning the page on yesterday – today is a new day and we’re going to start fresh. To send some positivity out into the universe, I want to share a little anecdote from my high school days. It has absolutely nothing to do with these Chicken, Caramelized Onion and Mango Quesadillas that we had for dinner over the weekend…except to say that, like this story, the bright colors and flavors in these fantastic quesadillas remind me that there are lots of little “good things” we encounter every day. We just have to open our eyes to notice them.
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Maple-Pecan Crusted Chicken
Just hearing the words “maple-pecan crusted” I’m already interested. I’m thinking about something a little sweet, a little nutty, definitely crunchy – a foray into a satisfying bite. Even though I’m not usually a big fan of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, the promise of this coating – made even crunchier with panko bread crumbs – convinced me to give Maple-Pecan Crusted Chicken a try.

I have a love/hate relationship with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. On the one hand, they’re so easy – they cook fast and it’s lean protein. I can easily chop them up for my kids without having to navigate around bones. But they can turn out dry so easily (in restaurants they almost always seem to be inedibly dry) and they’re often just so blah, flavor-wise. I much prefer a juicier bone-in, skin-on chicken breast or, better yet, thighs.

That said, I’m still open to trying recipes involving boneless, skinless chicken breasts if there’s a flavorful marinade, goodies like prosciutto and cheese stuffed inside, or (as in the case of today’s recipe) there’s a great crust. This chicken turned out to be terrific – crunchy and gently sweet on the outside, moist on the inside. As you can probably tell from the photos, these pieces were on the huge side, so my trusty meat thermometer once again came in handy to ensure I cooked the chicken to the right temperature (but not a degree more!). The only small addition I made to the recipe, which I found on the back of a box of Progresso panko bread crumbs, was to season the chicken before applying the coating.

That’s it – start to finish in under 30 minutes, perfect for a weeknight dinner. While the chicken was baking, I pulled together some Vanilla Glazed Baby Carrots and Lemon Jasmine Rice with Peas and Mint (I’ll be sharing that recipe soon!) to serve on the side.

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Rocky Road Brownie Pudding Pie

April 12, 2012

This Rocky Road Brownie Pudding Pie is one of those recipes that separates the serious rich chocolate dessert fans from the rest. To take it on, you have to be willing to bake a pan of brownies ahead of time so that you have one bar to crumble into the pie. It requires you to crush [...]

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Petit Pain au Chocolat (Chocolate-Filled Croissants)

March 26, 2012

Bookmark this recipe for your next brunch potluck – this recipe for Petit Pain au Chocolat couldn’t be easier and the results will score you huge points among your chocolate loving friends (at least it did with me). For this simplified version, you just wrap puff pastry around some good chocolate, brush on some egg [...]

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My Top 9 Favorite On-the-Side Recipes…Celebrating 3 Years!

March 21, 2012

Three years ago this week I decided to branch out from panini-making a bit and start this blog “on the side”. I hoped to discover some hidden gems among the recipes I found printed on the food labels in my kitchen…I wound up finding a real treasure trove. To celebrate Cooking On the Side’s blogoversary [...]

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Yogurt Mixed Berry Pie

March 14, 2012
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“It dee-WISH-us!!” That’s the highest level of culinary praise from my two-year-old son. That and plate licking…both his own plate and that of his big sister. This Yogurt Mixed Berry Pie, from a recipe on the Chobani Greek Yogurt package, beat out even chocolate chip cookies among my kids this weekend. It’s got to be [...]

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Asparagus Quiche

March 13, 2012
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Can someone please explain tart pans to me? I finally bought one over the weekend – the last remaining holdout in my baking arsenal – and, wow, was it a pain to use! Like literally – I ended up with no fewer than ten superficial quarter-inch cuts all over my hands following 20 minutes of [...]

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Blueberry Streusel Muffins…and a White Lily Cuisinart Baking Giveaway!

March 6, 2012
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Some people dedicate space in their house for special bottles of wine – I have the special White Lily section of my pantry . It’s where I keep “the good stuff”. You Southerners who can find this super-light flour in any local grocery store are so lucky! I have to pay a pretty big premium [...]

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Chicken Tomato Saute + Nonstick Skillet Giveaway!

February 21, 2012
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There are only 2 teaspoons of olive oil in this entire heart healthy Chicken Tomato Sauté dish – I was amazed! Most recipes usually call for 2 tablespoons of oil, but when you’re using a nonstick pan you scarcely need any at all. I often forget this about my nonstick pans. I usually just glug in a tablespoon [...]

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