These Asian-inspired chicken thighs grill up tender and flavorful, and take only minutes to prepare. Chinese five-spice powder is a blend of spices that has the five different flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty. For this recipe, the five-spice (and a few other basic ingredients) are turned into a rub for the chicken. After grilling, the chicken thighs are tossed with a soy sauce and rice vinegar mixture and sprinkled with freshly chopped cilantro. To round out the meal, serve with steamed jasmine rice and some stir-fried veggies or an Asian slaw. Delicious!

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Tags: chicken thighs, Chinese five-spice, crushed red pepper flakes, Grilling, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce

If you're looking for a flavorful, exotically-spiced soup then you've got to try this recipe! I love the rich combination of curry, coconut milk, peanut butter and sweet potatoes! I made it for the first time a few years ago for Husband and some of his work buddies. The soup received raves from Husband and his pals.

Read more on Senegalese Peanut Soup with Chicken…

Tags: African, Chicken, cilantro, coconut milk, curry, peanut butter, peanut soup, Senegalese, sweet potatoes

Super Bowl and Mardi Gras are coming up so I thought I'd post a gumbo recipe. A true gumbo starts with a roux (pronounced "roo"), a slowly cooked mixture of oil and flour. Gumbo takes time to prepare and cook so this is one of those recipes that requires a little bit of planning. Don't let this scare you off, though. Gumbo is well worth the few extra steps involved in making it.

Read more on Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo…

Tags: Chicken, gumbo, roux, smoked sausage

This quick and easy Asian-flavored dish is perfect for a weeknight meal. I followed the recipe except for adding some red bell pepper that I needed to use up. The fresh linguine I used worked great, but next time I'll try the recipe using fresh Chinese noodles.

Read more on Pork and Broccoli Lo Mein…

Tags: broccoli, Chinese egg noodles, lo mein, pork, pork tenderloin

This fried rice is a delicious blend of sweet (pineapple), salty and savory (soy sauce and hoisin sauce). Plus, it's super fast to make so it's a perfect weeknight meal.

I used pork tenderloin instead of pork chops, and two cups of leftover steamed jasmine rice. The Asian chili-garlic sauce I used says "Sweet Chilli Sauce" on the label. It's the sweet-hot kind with little flecks of chili and chili seeds in the sauce.

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Tags: Asian, chili-garlic sauce, Eggs, fried rice, hoisin sauce, pineapple, pork, rice, soy sauce

This delicious chili is easy to make and loaded with flavor. I love the combination of the creamy avocados with the smokiness of the chipotle pepper. Mmmm, this recipe is a winner!

I started with cooking the beef most of the way then added the onions to the pot while the beef finished cooking (therefore eliminating the remove-the-beef-from-the-pot step). I then spooned off as much fat as I could and discarded it. Since my chili was a bit thicker than I wanted it, I added more broth and some beer to thin it out, then added a little more chili powder and cumin. I used beef broth instead of chicken broth to bump up the beef flavor.

Read more on Beef & Black Bean Chili with Chipotle & Avocado…

Tags: black bean, chili, chipotle, ground beef

I love stir-fry dishes! They're quick, easy to make, and a great way to eat more veggies.  My family is always thrilled to see beef on the menu so this meal was a hit (even with my Young Picky Eater). I particularly liked the sauce, which is flavored with hoisin sauce and sesame oil.

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Tags: Asian, Beef, broccoli, flank steak, garlic, ginger, red pepper, stir-fry

Here's a quick curry-flavored soup that is delicious and easy to make. You can even change up the flavors each time you make it by using different curries. I used curry powder this time (doubling the amount called for); next time I'll try red, green or yellow Thai curry paste.

Read more on Chicken Curry Soup with Coconut and Lime…

Tags: Chicken, cilantro, coconut, curry, lime, soup

If you like Buffalo Chicken Wings, you're going to love these sandwiches! They're easy to make, delicious and way more satisfying than those scrawny little chicken wings. I love the spicy red pepper sauce that coats the tender chicken breasts, and the tangy, extremely flavorful blue cheese spread that gets slathered on the bun tops. Basically, this sandwich ROCKS!

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Tags: blue cheese, buffalo chicken sandwich, Chicken, Frank's Red Hot Sauce

I brought this delicious soup to a friend's birthday luncheon recently. It's easy to make, hearty and loaded with all kinds of tasty ingredients, including Italian sausage, carrots, tomatoes, kidney beans, and elbow macaroni.

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Tags: italian sausage, kidney beans, macaroni, Pasta, soup