I got the picky kid to eat mustard!

Meet B.

He's basically at fault...er...responsible for bringing J. into my life. B. is my second cousin (or third, or something like that. Who knows really?) and J.'s best friend. Brother by a different Mother, if you will. And yes, I mean that in the cheesiest way possible. He was the best man at our wedding, and he continues to be the ultimate third wheel in our marriage (he even invited himself to our 1 year anniversary, but I nixed that pretty quickly). I would not have it any other way! We don't see him as much as we used to when we lived up north, but he comes down for a night or two about once a month. Tonight was one such night. I had a recipe up my sleeve that I wanted to try, and I had been planning on making it for J. and P. (see the Buffalo Chicken Mini Night.) I invited them over too and set to meal planning. I was a little bit nervous though, because B. is the second pickiest eater I have ever met (ironically, the 1st pickiest is my ex's best friend. Must be a side kick thing). J & P didn't come over, but B. was pretty thrilled with dinner. "What is the spice that is on this? It has a kick!" It took me a minute to realize he was talking about the Dijon glaze. He was so proud of himself when I told him he was eating mustard, and liking it!

Mustard Glazed Chicken

Adapted from Dinner for a year and Beyond

5 chicken breasts

Poultry seasoning (I used Pampered Chef Sun Dried Tomato Mix)

Marinade:

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

3 clove garlic chopped

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup red wine

Glaze:

3 tsp Dijon Mustard

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

3 clove garlic chopped

Mix marinade ingredients together in plastic bag. Place chicken in bag and put in fridge for at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place chicken in 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning.

In a small bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Pour over chicken. Bake chicken for about 20-25 minutes, basting 2-3 times during cooking time. Serve in baking dish with a large spoon so guests can help themselves to the extra glaze!

Cilantro Rice

Adapted from Aggie's Kitchen

1 cup minute rice

2 cups cold water

3 cloves garlic, chopped

Large handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

2-3 green onions, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Worcestershire sauce

Splash white wine

Make rice according to package direction, with the addition of garlic. Fluff with a fork. Toss in cilantro, onions, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and white wine.

Cinnamon Apples

Recipe by Me!

5 Small to Medium apples (I used Honeycrisp because that's what I had, Golden Delicious would be better for this though)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp Nutmeg

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup real maple syrup

2 Tbsp butter

Peel and slice apples.

In large mixing bowl, mix sugar and spices. Toss with apples. Add Maple syrup, toss to coat.

In skillet, melt butter. Add apples. Cook until tender and sauce is thick and bubbly.