Main Dishes

Chicken Coconut Sticky Rice Bowls with Mango Puree

Chicken Coconut Sticky Rice Bowls with Mango Puree  |  Lemon & Mocha

Do you like cooking out of your comfort zone? To me, cooking out of my comfort zone is when I cook with an ingredient or technique I haven’t used before, or cooking something I normally only order at a restaurant. I usually resist it, but sometimes I take the chance and it’s not only easy, but crazy delicious.

Chicken Coconut Sticky Rice Bowls with Mango Puree  |  Lemon & Mocha

So what exactly is this meal? Creamy coconut sticky rice piled high with savory chicken and fresh mango puree. Each bite is like a comforting explosion of sweet and salty flavors balancing each other perfectly.

Chicken Coconut Sticky Rice Bowls with Mango Puree  |  Lemon & Mocha

I’ve had sticky rice plenty of time at restaurants, but I’ve never thought to make it at home. Sticky rice is different than say sticky sushi rice; sticky rice, which is also called sweet rice or glutinous rice, is very, very sticky and a little sweet. Oddly, even though it is called glutinous rice there is no gluten in it. We’re cooking it in coconut milk so it soaks up all that creaminess and richness.

Chicken Coconut Sticky Rice Bowls with Mango Puree  |  Lemon & Mocha

The chicken is cooked right in a skillet and the soy sauce adds a saltiness that pairs really well with the sticky rice. The final component is a simple mango puree. I say simple because it’s literally fresh (or thawed frozen) mangoes blended until smooth with a little salt and pepper.

Chicken Coconut Sticky Rice Bowls with Mango Puree  |  Lemon & Mocha

You’re going to want to be very generous with your mango puree serving and make sure you drizzle it over every nook and cranny of your Chicken Coconut Sticky Rice Bowl. Matt couldn’t believe the sauce was just mango and proceeded to use the leftovers on everything he could find in the fridge. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Chicken Coconut Sticky Rice Bowls with Mango Puree  |  Lemon & Mocha

Chicken Coconut Sticky Rice Bowls with Mango Puree
 
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup glutinous or sweet rice
  • 1¼ cups water
  • 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1-inch piece ginger, grated
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Sauce)
  • 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 3 mangoes
  • Salt and pepper
  • Sesame seeds, for garnish
  • Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Directions
  1. Soak the rice in the water for 30-60 minutes. Then, add the rice, soaking liquid and the coconut milk to a small medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover halfway to allow steam to escape and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
  2. While the rice is cooking, make the chicken. Season the chicken. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat then sear the chicken on both sides. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, ginger, hot sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. Cover the skillet and continue to cook on low heat until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, leaving the sauce. Shred the chicken then return to the sauce and mix well.
  3. While the chicken is cooking, make the mango puree. Peel and pit the mangoes. Puree in a high-speed blender with a little salt and pepper until smooth. To plate the meal, scoop some sticky rice into each bowl then top with the chicken, sesame seeds, chopped cilantro and plenty of mango puree.

Recipe adapted from Stuffed: The Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook.
Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for my referral. This does not affect the retail cost of the item. Thank you for supporting Lemon & Mocha!

Blue Cheese Crusted Steak

Blue Cheese Crusted Steak  |  Lemon & Mocha

I still remember the day Matt and I bought our cast iron pan. Of course I do, it’s a food-related memory! We were in our very first apartment right out of college and Matt had seen someone online make steak in a cast iron pan. They seared it on the stove-top then finished it off in the oven resulting in a charred outside and juicy, tender inside.

Blue Cheese Crusted Steak  |  Lemon & Mocha

When Matt gets convinced he wants to make something it usually happens right away, much unlike my years and years worth of recipes piled up, so we walked to the nearest hardware store and bought the cast iron pan. Thankfully we didn’t have to walk far because this thing is heavy! Matt cooked us up some steaks and they were pure perfection. All these years later we’ve gotten a little fancier with our cooking and now prefer to sous vide our steaks, but this recent recipe had me go back to our cast iron steak roots.

Blue Cheese Crusted Steak  |  Lemon & Mocha

This recipe came from my favorite little cookbook, “Cook This, Not That!” and was one we hadn’t tried before. It’s incredibly simple: steak is cooked then topped with a panko breadcrumb and blue cheese mixture that gets crispy and bubbly in the oven.

Blue Cheese Crusted Steak  |  Lemon & Mocha

We already know blue cheese and steak is a winning combination from my Grilled Steak with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce recipe and the crunch from the breadcrumbs adds great texture and flavor. Matt and I gobbled this down for dinner and even had the leftovers the next day for lunch – we couldn’t wait for dinner. I told you we’ve been living the good life with our meals!

Blue Cheese Crusted Steak  |  Lemon & Mocha

I have a delicious salad side that made a great meal alongside this steak and I’ll share it with you all later this week. In the meantime, enjoy this recipe and the rest of your Monday!

Blue Cheese Crusted Steak  |  Lemon & Mocha

Blue Cheese Crusted Steak
 
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 sirloin or tenderloin steaks (4-6 ounces each)
  • Salt and pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the panko, blue cheese, parsley and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
  3. In a large cast iron pan or oven safe pan (see note) heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the steaks all over with salt and pepper then sear the meat for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the steaks from the heat and top with the panko mixture. Transfer the steaks to the oven to finish cooking, about 6 minutes. For medium, the internal temperature should be 140 degrees F. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
If you don’t have an oven safe pan, cook on the stove-top in sauté pan then transfer to a baking sheet or baking dish for the oven step.

Recipe from Cook This, Not That!.
Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for my referral. This does not affect the retail cost of the item. Thank you for supporting Lemon & Mocha!

Elote Stuffed Zucchini

Elote Stuffed Zucchini  |  Lemon & Mocha

Another elote dish?! I know, I know, I just can’t get enough of it during the summer! Elote, also known as Mexican street corn, is fresh, zesty, creamy, cheesy and everything you want in a summertime snack.

Elote Stuffed Zucchini  |  Lemon & Mocha

To recap, here on Lemon & Mocha I have recipes for Elote Wonton Bites, Elote Pizza, Elote Hot Dogs and Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad. Now add in this dinner-worthy Elote Stuffed Zucchini. Zucchini and corn are already a classic summer pairing so it all made sense to hook them up together in this new elote twist.

Elote Stuffed Zucchini  |  Lemon & Mocha

In addition to the traditional lime, chili powder, salt and cotija cheese, which is a crumbly Mexican cheese, I’ve added in ground chicken to make the meal a little heartier as well as some shredded mozzarella to make it extra cheesy. As always, feel free to increase the cheese quantities if you are a cheese fanatic.

Elote Stuffed Zucchini  |  Lemon & Mocha

Of course, the best part, as with all elote dishes, is the toppings that get put on after the dish is done. For these stuffed zucchinis, we’re adding plenty of salty crumbled cotija and a generous drizzle of a quick lime mayo after they come out of the oven. Yum!

Elote Stuffed Zucchini  |  Lemon & Mocha

If you’re looking for something to make with the extra zucchini flesh since we’re scooping out the inside of the zucchini to make these you could follow my lead and make this Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread. I just grated up the little melon-balled zucchini chunks even though they were partially cooked and the bread still came out as moist, chocolatey and delicious as always. Elote Stuffed Zucchini for dinner and Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread for dessert? Yes, please!

Elote Stuffed Zucchini  |  Lemon & Mocha

Elote Stuffed Zucchini
 
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
for the zucchini
  • 4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
  • ½ pound ground chicken
  • 1 15-ounce can corn, no salt added (about 1½ cups corn kernels) drained
  • ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ small red onion, finely diced
  • Zest from 1 lime
  • Juice from ½ lime
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Cotija cheese, for topping (see note)
for the lime mayo
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
  • Pinch chili powder
Directions
for the zucchini
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 13x9” pan with cooking spray. Lay the zucchini halves, cut side down, in the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
  2. While the zucchini is baking, sauté the ground chicken. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until cooked through, breaking up as needed. Remove from the heat and add to a large mixing bowl. In the mixing bowl with the chicken, add the corn, mozzarella cheese, red onion, lime zest and juice, cilantro, smoked paprika and salt. Stir until combined.
  3. Carefully flip over the zucchini halves so they are cut side up. I move a few at a time to a cutting board. Use a melon baller to scoop out the inside of the zucchini, leaving a ¼” border. Place the zucchini back into the pan, cut side up, then fill with the chicken and corn mixture. Add ½ cup water to the bottom of the pan, cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
  4. When the elote stuffed zucchini come out of the oven, carefully remove them from the pan to plates or a serving dish. Serve hot, topped with plenty of crumbled cotija cheese and a generous drizzle of the lime mayo.
for the lime mayo
  1. Combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, remaining ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika, ground cumin and chili powder in a small bowl. Pour into a squeeze bottle if you have one.
Notes
If you can’t find cotija cheese, substitute queso fresco. If you can’t find either, use feta cheese.

 

Lemon Artichoke Shrimp Scampi in a Foil Packet

Lemon Artichoke Shrimp Scampi in a Foil Packet  |  Lemon & Mocha

Remember when I said I had exciting dinner recipes to share with you all? Well get psyched to start cooking because this is one of those recipes! In fact it was so good that I bumped it way up in the schedule just so you could have access to it sooner. This Lemon Artichoke Shrimp Scampi in a Foil Packet is fresh, zesty, garlicky and just the right amount buttery.

Lemon Artichoke Shrimp Scampi in a Foil Packet  |  Lemon & Mocha

Like last week’s Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil, this dish is on the table in under thirty minutes making it perfect for weeknight mealtime. Also like last week’s dinner recipe, it tastes gourmet enough for company. Even better is that all the cook time is either on your grill or in the oven giving you plenty of time to hang out with your guests or relax with your feet up and a glass of wine until dinner is ready!

Lemon Artichoke Shrimp Scampi in a Foil Packet  |  Lemon & Mocha

I pulled this recipe from one of my food binders. It was a random side-column weeknight recipe in an issue of the Food Network Magazine from a couple years ago. Normally I skip over these recipes, but I’m so glad I saved it! Never would I have thought it would be so delicious. Now I’m really motivated to continue cooking through my food binders to see what other hidden gems have been sitting in there for all these years!

Lemon Artichoke Shrimp Scampi in a Foil Packet  |  Lemon & Mocha

These foil packets have artichoke hearts, lemon slices and shrimp all layered together and cooked with garlic, oregano, fresh parsley, olive oil, white wine and a little butter. The best part is after they’re cooked you top them with a crunchy breadcrumb mixture of toasted panko, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, grated Parmesan and more garlic. I served the shrimp over whole wheat cous cous, which is both super quick to make and soaked up all the extra lemony-butter sauce perfectly. I like serving extra veggies with dinner so I steamed some broccoli, too, but that definitely made the portions too big since the packets on their own are pretty shrimp-packed.

Lemon Artichoke Shrimp Scampi in a Foil Packet  |  Lemon & Mocha

I made these foil packets in our big toaster oven so I included the oven instructions in the recipe below. If you’re making them on the grill I included the instructions from the original recipe, although I have not tried these foil packets on the grill so I can’t guarantee the recommended cook time. If you do make them on the grill just follow the instructions to check them after ten minutes to see if the shrimp are cooked through or not. I found in the oven the shrimp took longer than I thought to cook through, which is why I listed seventeen to twenty minutes for the oven cook time. I think it was because they were wrapped up in the packet so it took them longer than if they were just on a baking sheet directly exposed to the heating element. Also, I found the shrimp in the middle of the packet, which means they were under the thickest, folded part of the foil, were the shrimp that were taking the longest to cook. I hope you all try this one soon!

Lemon Artichoke Shrimp Scampi in a Foil Packet  |  Lemon & Mocha

Lemon Artichoke Shrimp Scampi in a Foil Packet
 
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus ½ lemon, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic (1½ cloves minced, ½ clove grated)
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
  • 4-5 ounces frozen quartered artichoke hearts, thawed
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¾ pounds large peeled and deveined shrimp
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • Salt
Directions
  1. If using the grill, preheat to medium-high. If using the oven, preheat to 400 degrees F.
  2. Heat the 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and cook until toasted and golden, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and put the toasted panko in a small mixing bowl. Add the Italian seasoning, lemon zest, grated garlic and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
  3. Tear off 2 sheets of aluminum foil large enough to fully enclose a single layer of half the shrimp. Divide the artichoke hearts between the 2 foil sheets. Season with a little salt and divide the dried oregano between the 2 foil sheets. Place the lemon slices over top then add 1 tablespoon of butter to each packet. Season the shrimp with salt and then divide between the 2 packets, placing on top of the lemon slices and artichokes. Season with the red pepper flakes, fresh parsley and minced garlic. Drizzle with the dry white wine and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided between the two packets. Fold in the sides of the foil packets then bring the other 2 ends together to fold over and completely seal. There should be a little room left in the packet for heat to circulate.
  4. If grilling, grill until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 10 minutes. If baking, cook in the oven until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 17-20 minutes. Carefully open the packets and sprinkle with the panko mixture before serving.
Notes
If you would prefer to use canned quartered artichoke hearts simply rinse and drain well.

 Recipe from July/August 2017 issue of Food Network Magazine.

Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for my referral. This does not affect the retail cost of the item. Thank you for supporting Lemon & Mocha!

Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil

Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil  |  Lemon & Mocha

Look at this sizzling skillet of juicy pork chops and caramelized peaches! Ugh, this meal was so good. Both Matt and I decided we would love to have these Skillet Balsamic Pork Chops with Feta and Basil along with the Summer Peach Greek Quinoa Salad every week this summer.

Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil  |  Lemon & Mocha

Of course that will never happen since I’m always too busy trying out new recipes, but I’m determined to fit it into our busy meal schedule at least a few more times this summer because I already cannot wait to eat it again.

Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil  |  Lemon & Mocha

This was my first time cooking bone-in pork chops and I was super impressed with how flavorful and juicy they were being cooked in our cast iron skillet. The pork chops get a nice sear on the stove-top before adding in an easy sauce of balsamic vinegar, honey and oregano that gets thickened as the pork chops cook. Fresh peach slices are added to the skillet and then the whole dish is broiled in the oven so the peaches can get caramelized.

Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil  |  Lemon & Mocha

Final touches include some salty feta and sweet basil and you have yourself a drool-worthy, company-worthy and easy dinner. I was skeptical of how the finished dish would taste since I had previously tried a peach and chicken dish that I did not care for, but the peach and pork combination is a definite winner.

Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil  |  Lemon & Mocha

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet you can use any oven-safe pan instead, or you could sear in a pan then transfer to a baking dish for the broiling portion, but I highly recommend getting yourself a cast iron skillet so you can easily make stove-top to oven dishes like these Skillet Balsamic Pork Chops, this Strawberry Dutch Baby or this Caramelized Onion and Apple Dip. I hope you all enjoy this meal as much as we did!

Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil  |  Lemon & Mocha

Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil
 
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 bone-in pork chops, about ¾” thick
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 peaches, pitted and sliced
  • ⅓ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
  • Feta, for topping
Directions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. When the olive oil is hot, add the pork chops and sear both sides for 3-4 minutes each. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
  2. While the pork is cooking, whisk together the balsamic, honey and oregano. When the pork has 2 minutes left in cooking time, pour the balsamic mixture over the pork. Remove from the heat when the pork has reached 145 degrees F and add the peaches. Broil the skillet for 4-5 minutes or until the peaches are lightly charred. Top with the basil and feta before serving.

Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for my referral if you purchase something. This does not affect the retail cost of the item. Thank you for supporting Lemon & Mocha!
Recipe slightly adapted from Half Baked Harvest.