Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi

I consider myself a pretty big foodie and  I love trying new foods!
I am pretty picky so I don't always love everything that I try,
but when one of my best friend introduced me to Bahn Mi sandwiches,
I immediately knew I wanted to recreated it in my own kitchen!

I did what I do quite often and turned to Google in search of a recipe.
I found quite a few ideas, but decided to use this one,
and modify it slightly to make the sandwiches to my liking.
Keep reading to see how I made them!

The Goods:

Serrano Chilis

Jalapenos

Fresh Lemongrass

Green Onions

Coconut Sugar

Tamari

Rice Vinegar

Carrots

English Cucumber

Radishes

Tomatoes*

Spinach*

Limes

Fresh Ginger

Garlic

Chicken Thighs

French Rolls

*Include in your shopping list if wanting to make salad instead of sandwichs

In a blender, add the following:

2 Serrano chilies - thinly sliced

1 lemongrass stalk -smashed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 green onions - thinly sliced

1 teaspoon coconut sugar

6 tablespoons tamari

1 lime - zested

10 inch piece of ginger - peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves - peeled and smashed

Puree for about a minute until paste like consistency.

Pour half of the mixture into a large lidded container.

Add your chicken thighs...

And cover with the remaining half of the mixture.

Cover and let marinade for at least 30 minutes,

but can be marinaded for up to 24 hours!

While meat is marinating, make your quick pickled vegetables.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the following:

2 Teaspoons Coconut Sugar, juice from one lime and 3 Teaspoons Rice Vinegar.

Add 2 grated carrots, 1 thinly sliced Serrano chili and 1/3 of an English cucumber.

Mix well and let sit at least 10 minutes, or refrigerate overnight. 

Heat your grill to medium high, wipe off excess marinade and place chicken on hot grill.

Grill each side about 5 to 7 minutes.

Let grilled chicken rest a few minutes...

And then chop it all up into bite sized pieces!

Make sure to grill your french rolls so they're nice and toasty,

and then assemble the sandwich to your liking.

Mmm mmm mmmm!

Looking at this picture, I can just taste the deliciousness of the sandwich!

Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich

Adapted from Goop

3 Serrano Chilis

1 Jalapenos**

1 Stalk Fresh Lemongrass

2 Green Onions

2 Teaspoons Coconut Sugar

6 Tablespoons Tamari

3 Teaspoons Rice Vinegar

2 Carrots Carrots

1/3 English Cucumber

2 Radishes**

3 Limes

10 inch Piece Fresh Ginger

2 Cloves Garlic

1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Thighs

French Rolls

**Used for Sandwich Garnish

1. In a blender, add 2 Serrano chilies - thinly sliced, 1 lemongrass stalk -smashed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, 2 green onions - thinly sliced, 1 teaspoon coconut sugar, 6 tablespoons tamari, 1 lime - zested, 10 inch piece of ginger - peeled and chopped and 2 garlic cloves - peeled and smashed. Puree for about a minute until paste like consistency.
2. Pour half of the mixture into a large lidded container, add the chicken thigh and cover with the remaining half of the mixture. Cover and let marinade for at least 30 minutes, but can be marinaded for up to 24 hours.
3. While meat is marinating, make your quick pickled vegetables. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the following: 2 Teaspoons Coconut Sugar, juice from one lime and 3 Teaspoons Rice Vinegar. Add 2 grated carrots, 1 thinly sliced Serrano chili and 1/3 of an English cucumber. Mix well and let sit at least 10 minutes, or refrigerate overnight. 
4. Heat your grill to medium high, wipe off excess marinade and place chicken on hot grill. Grill each side about 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Let grilled chicken rest a few minutes,then chop it all up into bite sized pieces.
6. Grill the French rolls so they're nice and toasty,and then assemble the sandwich to your liking.

Grilled S'mores!

Summer will be gone in less than a week.

And while I'm REALLY excited for Fall,

(Hello boots, scarves and sweaters!!!),

I'm going to miss a few things about Summer.

And one of those things is s'mores!

Of course you can make s'mores year-round,

but there's just something about the hot Summer months

that just make it perfect for s'more making!!!

I even started my Summer making them Memorial Day weekend at the beach.

Now if you're like me and crave s'more year round,

I have a super easy solution for you!

Having a nice bonfire to roast your marshmallow is nice,

but it's not a necessity for s'more making.

I bought a grill this Summer and was grilling everything possible.

I quickly realized I didn't need a bonfire to make s'more,

and could use my newly purchased grill instead.

You don't get the same effect as sitting around a fire, but they're just as tasty!!!

The Goods:

Large Marshmallows*

Chocolate Bars

Graham Crackers

*I purchased S'mores specific marshmallows with HIGH hopes,

but sadly they didn't roast as easily as regular large marshmallows.

The weight distribution seemed off or something.

Get all your ingredients prepped before starting to roast your marshmallows.

My grill has easily removable plates,

so I took them off to get closer to the flame.

Roast the marshmallows on a stick like usual.

Once your marshmallow is golden brown and gooey,

 sandwich between two graham crackers and some chocolate.

Take a bite of the deliciousness,

 getting marshmallow all over your face,

and enjoy this yummy treat!

Steak & Chicken Kebabs

I purchased a propane grill in May and have been grilling nonstop!

The day I bought it I made a mental note of all the things I wanted to grill.

Kebabs have been a favorite of mine since I was a child,

so they were at the top of the list of yummy foods to make!

I like to marinate what I'll be putting on the kebabs

and that includes not only the meats,

but the variety of veggies you'll be using too.

You can use any marinade you like,

even store bought would be fine,

but I like to whip something together myself!

The Goods Part 1:

Chicken Breasts

Sirloin Steak

Zucchini

Yellow Squash

Bell Peppers

Red Onion

Cut up your meat and veggies so that it's the size of about two bites.

Try to get everything similar sized so your kebabs cook evenly. 

The Goods Part 2:

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Fresh Lemon Juice

Course Dijon Mustard

Garlic

Fresh Rosemary

Salt

Pepper

I'm a bad blogger and didn't measure anything out,

so I don't really have instructions for my marinade.

I just dump the goods into a gallon zipper bag, seal and mix up.

Add your chopped meat and veggies to the marinade.

Let sit at least an hour, but up to overnight.

Now the fun begins...time to skewer your kebabs!

I like to do all of the same type of food on one kebab,

because cooking times vary for different foods.

Again, this will help your kebabs cook evenly.

Fill your grill with your kebab skewers and start to cook them.

Keep an eye on them, turning the skewers every few minutes until fully cooked.

MMMmmm my mouth is watering just looking at those kebabs!!!

Remove the food from the skewers and serve with a yummy side like cauliflower rice! 

And make a little extra because kebab leftovers are some of the best!!!

Favorite Things To Do For 4th of July!

Happy Friday you guys!!!

I'm back today for another Friday Link Up!

This week, I'm linking up with THREE different groups.

Make sure to check them all out at the bottom of this post!

It seems my five favorites are all holiday weekend themed recently.
Last month I posted about my Five Favorite Memorial Day recipes.
And since it's now the Friday before the 4th of July, I'm posting about my
FIVE FAVORITE THINGS TO DO FOR 4TH OF JULY!

While watching fireworks seems pretty typical for 4th of July,
I'm shockingly NOT including that in my list today!
I'm still planning to go see them somewhere in Los Angeles
but wanted to talk about other fun things to do this holiday weekend!

ONE

It's been HOT in LA and I've been loving my pool.

It's forecast to be scorching this weekend,

 so you'll probably find me here at least once!

TWO

I prefer to cool off in the pool over going to the beach,

but I'll deal with the sand to see a sunset like the one above.

If you throw in a beach bonfire, I'll be there even faster!

THREE

Summer holiday long weekends and grilling just go hand in hand to me.

I have absolutely no clue what I'll be making on it just yet,

but you better believe at least one meal I make will be grilled this weekend!

FOUR

And you can't forget a festive dessert to round out your grilled meal!

I made this Fruit Pizza for my aunt's birthday AND 4th of July last year.

It's really that good and can easily be made ahead of time.

FIVE

Lastly, make a batch of seasonal cocktails like my Blackberry Whiskey Punch!

Depending on the number of people you'll be celebrating with,

the above recipe can easily be doubled or halved.

Hope you all have an amazing and safe 4th of July weekend!!!

Now for more Friday Link Up Fun, check out the blogs below!

Andrea and Erika's blogs from Friday Favorites.

April and Christina's blogs from 5 on Friday.

Karli and Amy's blogs from oh hey friday!

Favorite Ways to Wrap Up Summer!

TGIF you guys!!!

I'm back today for another Friday Link Up!

And again, I'm linking up with THREE different groups.

Make sure to check them all out at the bottom of this post!

I feel like I JUST posted about Summer Musts,
but that was already a few months ago!
And with the Summer almost over, it's time to talk about
FAVORITE WAYS TO WRAP UP SUMMER!!!

We still have a month or so of hot temps in Los Angeles,
but I know that it will be Fall before I know it.
So today I have just a few suggestions
on ways to capture the last essence of Summer! 

Grilling Outside
Get in some grilling while the weather is still nice and warm.
Burgers, chicken, tacos and much more!!!

Turkey Burgers
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Blackened Tilapia Tacos

Movies in the Park
If you're local to Los Angeles, there are three fun options!
I've only been to Cinespia, but I hear great things about all three.

Cinespia

Street Food Cinema

Eat See Hear

Outdoor Games
Get some friends together for some outdoor games.
Take advantage of the sun being out late
because soon it will be sundown around 5PM!

Bocce Ball

Horseshoes

Volleyball/Badminton

Summer Color Mani/Pedi 
I don't know about you, but I tend to think bright colors for Summer.
Get your last fun, bright mani/pedi before dark Fall colors are all over!

Essie Fashion Playground
Essie Watermelon
DND Gel Pinky Kinky

Back To School Shopping
(Options in high and low price points!)
I'm not in school (and haven't been for years) but I love Back to School time!
New clothes, a new planner and a new bag were always a must for me.

Paige Verdugo Jeans
Erin Condren Life Planner
Tumi Nora Tote

Target Jeggings
Target Planner
Target Tote

Now for more Friday Link Up Fun, check out the blogs below!

Andrea and Erika's blogs from Friday Favorites.

April's blog from 5 on Friday.

Karli and Amy's blogs from oh hey friday!

Grilled Blackened Tilapia Tacos

I've made fried fish tacos many times and even blogged about it here.
Until recently I hadn't thought (or maybe wanted to) try them any other way.
With the new year, I'm trying to be extra healthy and make good food choices,
so I thought I'd be a good girl and stay away from frying the fish.

After some quick online research, I decided to grill the fish and make
GRILLED BLACKENED TILAPIA TACOS!!!

The Goods:

Tilapia

Corn Tortillas

Blackened Seasoning

Cabbage

Tomato/Onion Relish*

Avocado Cream Sauce**

Fresh Limes

I like to cut my fish into smaller pieces.

It's up to you, but I feel it makes it easier to eat.

Next, coat both sides of the fish with blackened seasoning.

Get your grill (or grill pan in my case) nice and warm over medium-high heat.

Once heated, I spray it with a lil cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Now it's time to cook your fish. 

Each side will take about 4 to 5 minutes.

Your fish is ready when the outside is blackened and flakes easily.

Next, simply assemble your tacos to your liking, serve and enjoy!

And if you have extra and feel like sharing,

 package up a to-go container for your neighbor to enjoy too!

*To make the tomato onion relish, I diced tomatoes and onions,

then combined and mixed in a bowl with fresh lime juice.

**This recipe is great, but I only used it for the sauce - not the entire meal! 

Sunday Night Dinner: Take 31 - Part 1

Another Sunday Night Dinner post, but this one is Part 1 of 2 for the meal! Keep your eyes posted for Part 2! Until then, let me tell you about tonight's amazing dinner!!

Yesterday, while I was planning out my meals for the week I decided I was going to make some homemade pesto and make Pesto Grilled Chicken for dinner tonight and to enjoy a few more times this week! With the chicken, I would have Herbed Basmati Rice and Grilled Peppers and Onions. YUM!!!

I pretty much just ate this meal, but I'm getting hungry again just thinking about it... Go make this meal and see how delicious it is for yourself!