Blackberry Chicken Thighs #BBQWeek

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BBQWeek. The sponsors, Rainier Foods and Intensity Academy, generously provided samples to participants to aid in the creation of the #BBQWeek recipes and prize packages to give away to the readers. However, all opinions are mine alone.

Blackberry Chicken Thighs

Blackberry Chicken Thighs serve moist, tender grilled chicken topped with fresh blackberries in a smoky-sweet blackberry sauce. A bit of red wine and Chambord add richness to an easy recipe that will kick up any BBQ or weeknight meal. Rainier Foods Blackberry Smoky Honey Seasoning & Rub is in the sauce and sprinkled on top.

Welcome to day 5 of the third annual #BBQWeek hosted by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. We are excited to have 15 bloggers sharing over 50 recipes this week as we head toward grilling season. The amazing sponsors have donated some great prizes for the #BBQWeek giveaway. The giveaway is below, but make sure to read about the prize packages and our generous sponsors!

Intensity Academy Saucy Queen Prize Package

The Intensity Academy Saucy Queen has competed in the fiery food industry for over 15 years. Her all-natural gourmet hot sauces have more than 55 national awards. In 2019, the Saucy Queen earned the Tampa Bay Businesswoman of the Year in Manufacturing, Business Leader’s Woman Extraordinaire and Working Women of Tampa Bay’s! Not only does she sell amazing sauces, spice mixes, and dips, but she has anchored her career in service and non-profit organizations and helping local companies take their products from recipe to store shelves.

A prize package of 4 popular sauces:

  • Carrot Karma – A mild hot sauce made from a blend of carrots, habaneros, and a touch of lime.
  • Garlic Goodness – An essential garlic hot sauce! Each batch contains over 100 pounds of slow roasted garlic.
  • Honey Hype – A blend of crystalized honey natural rub. The crystalized honey melts perfectly over meats and veggies.
  • Chai Sweet Chili – A light sauce made with peppers and organic Chai tea that won the 2012 Golden Chile award.

Rainier Foods Prize Package

Life’s too short for boring food, spice it up with Rainier Foods. Rainier Foods is a family company located in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. They have a dedication to provide premium quality food products. Rainier Foods can source the best ingredients available to help you create delicious meals which sets them apart from other companies. All their products are made locally ensuring their products are the best that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. A portion of all sales are donated to the Washington National Park Fund.

A prize package of a meat thermometer and trio of spice mixes:

    • Meater+ wire-free meat thermometer – monitor your cooking from a phone or tablet. Monitors internal and ambient temperature at the same time.
    • The Essentials Seasoning – Salt, garlic, and pepper are the essentials of most seasonings. Three different types of sea salt blend with garlic and pepper in this delicious seasoning.
    • Smoky Honey Seasoning & Rub – Made with Pacific Northwest clover honey, Cherrywood Smoked Sea Salt, and Smoked Paprika. This seasoning blend creates a deliciously sticky and sweet flavor on anything you grill.
    • Gochu (Go-Choo) Seasoning & Rub – Gochugaru Chilis combine with sea salt and pepper along with a few other spices makes this blend unique adding an unmatchable flavor profile to everything you cook.

Connect with our sponsors on social media for new, recipes and more!

Intensity Academy Saucy Queen
https://www.saucyqueen.com/collections/gourmet-sauces
https://www.facebook.com/IntensityAcademy/
https://www.instagram.com/saucyqueen/
https://twitter.com/saucyqueen

Rainier Foods
https://rainierfoods.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Rainier-Foods-1164573733695432/
https://www.instagram.com/rainierfoods/
https://twitter.com/Rainierfoods

Don’t forget to scroll down and enter our giveaway and get more great #BBQWeek recipes!

Fruit and chicken really go well together. I love orange chicken, and chicken salad with grapes…

Pecan Chicken and Grapes Salad

and of course, berries and chicken.

Blackberry Chicken Thighs

Wine also goes well in chicken dishes. Normally I use white wines with poultry but today we go with red. Why red? Red works better with blackberries and smoky flavors. A bit of Chambord gives a raspberry undertone to the sauce. Rainier Foods Blackberry Smoky Honey Rub & Seasoning dissolves easily in the wine. The more berry flavor the better, right?

Next, I add fresh berries right into the saucepan. Fresh blackberries cook down to juice and bits in the sauce. The berry juice easily blend in when strained. You can reduce the sauce to desired thickness.

Blackberry Chicken Thighs

I like using chicken thighs. Dark meat is more forgiving on high heat like a grill. The meat stays moist inside. You can use chicken breasts but I would sear it on the grill and finish in the oven.

Serve topped with sauce or sauce on the side.

Blackberry Chicken Thighs

Blackberry Chicken Thighs

Blackberry Chicken Thighs

Servings 4 each

Ingredients
  

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Rainier Foods Blackberry Smoky Honey Seasoning & Rub
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Sauce

  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1/4 cup Chambord
  • 1/4 cup Rainier Foods Blackberry Smoky Honey Seasoning & Rub
  • 2 cups fresh blackberries, divided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat grill to medium high. Brush thighs lightly with vegetable oil. Season with salt and Blackberry Smoky Honey Seasoning & Rub. Grill over medium heat until internal temperature reached 180 degrees. Remove from grill and keep warm.

sauce

  • In a 2-quart saucepan, whisk together wine, Chambord and Blackberry Smoky Honey Seasoning & Rub. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to ow-medium and add 1 cup blackberries. Simmer, stirring frequently until sauce begins to thicken and berries cook and break apart, about 5 minutes. Strain and return strained sauce to pan. Continue cooking until reached desired consistency.
    Remove from heat. Fold in remaining berries and spoon over chicken.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday #BBQWeek Recipes

Starters and Sides

Dinners

Desserts

Thank you #BBQWeek sponsors Saucy Queen and Rainier Foods for donating the prizes for this event. The #BBQWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner are checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning.
Two (2) winners are selected at random from entries received. The prize packages are fulfilled by and sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. #BBQWeek bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household are not eligible to enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #BBQWeek posts or entries.

Posted in #BBQWeek, barbecue, berries, chicken, picnic, What's For Dinner? | 13 Comments

Smoky Blackberry Grilled Fruit Salad #BBQWeek

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BBQWeek. The sponsors, Rainier Foods and Intensity Academy, generously provided samples to participants to aid in the creation of the #BBQWeek recipes and prize packages to give away to the readers. However, all opinions are mine alone.

Smoky Blackberry Grilled Fruit Salad
Smoky Blackberry Grilled Fruit Salad serves your favorite grilled fruit in a new way. A touch of smoke, sweet honey and tangy blackberry dressing made with Blackberry Smoky Honey Seasoning & Rub by Rainier Foods.

Welcome to day three of the third annual #BBQWeek hosted by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. We are excited to have 15 bloggers sharing over 50 recipes this week as we head toward grilling season. The amazing sponsors have donated some great prizes for the #BBQWeek giveaway. The giveaway is below, but make sure to read about the prize packages and our generous sponsors!

Intensity Academy Saucy Queen Prize Package

The Intensity Academy Saucy Queen has competed in the fiery food industry for over 15 years. Her all-natural gourmet hot sauces have more than 55 national awards. In 2019, the Saucy Queen earned the Tampa Bay Businesswoman of the Year in Manufacturing, Business Leader’s Woman Extraordinaire and Working Women of Tampa Bay’s! Not only does she sell amazing sauces, spice mixes, and dips, but she has anchored her career in service and non-profit organizations and helping local companies take their products from recipe to store shelves.

A prize package of 4 popular sauces:

  • Carrot Karma – A mild hot sauce made from a blend of carrots, habaneros, and a touch of lime.
  • Garlic Goodness – An essential garlic hot sauce! Each batch contains over 100 pounds of slow roasted garlic.
  • Honey Hype – A blend of crystalized honey natural rub. The crystalized honey melts perfectly over meats and veggies.
  • Chai Sweet Chili – A light sauce made with peppers and organic Chai tea that won the 2012 Golden Chile award.

Rainier Foods Prize Package

Life’s too short for boring food, spice it up with Rainier Foods. Rainier Foods is a family company located in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. They have a dedication to provide premium quality food products. Rainier Foods can source the best ingredients available to help you create delicious meals which sets them apart from other companies. All their products are made locally ensuring their products are the best that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. A portion of all sales are donated to the Washington National Park Fund.

A prize package of a meat thermometer and trio of spice mixes:

  • Meater+ wire-free meat thermometer – monitor your cooking from a phone or tablet. Monitors internal and ambient temperature at the same time.
  • The Essentials Seasoning – Salt, garlic, and pepper are the essentials of most seasonings. Three different types of sea salt blend with garlic and pepper in this delicious seasoning.
  • Smoky Honey Seasoning & Rub – Made with Pacific Northwest clover honey, Cherrywood Smoked Sea Salt, and Smoked Paprika. This seasoning blend creates a deliciously sticky and sweet flavor on anything you grill.
  • Gochu (Go-Choo) Seasoning & Rub – Gochugaru Chilis combine with sea salt and pepper along with a few other spices makes this blend unique adding an unmatchable flavor profile to everything you cook.

Connect with our generous sponsors on social media for news, recipes and more!

Intensity Academy Saucy Queen
https://www.saucyqueen.com/collections/gourmet-sauces
https://www.facebook.com/IntensityAcademy/
https://www.instagram.com/saucyqueen/
https://twitter.com/saucyqueen

Rainier Foods

https://rainierfoods.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Rainier-Foods-1164573733695432/
https://www.instagram.com/rainierfoods/
https://twitter.com/Rainierfoods

Don’t forget to scroll down and enter our giveaway and get more great #BBQWeek recipes!

Grilling fruit brings out tremendous flavor. I lightly brush a bit of vegetable oil on sliced fruit and cook on a hot grill. I only preseason the fruit with light salt because I find it sticks less that way. Just grill the slices until a bit of char marks appear. Check frequently so it doesn’t overcook.

grilled fruit

You can grill almost any fruit that can handle heat without disintegrating. I love to use watermelon, pineapple, peaches, strawberries, pears, apples, whatever is in season. Avoid citrus unless you use it for garnish. Use the juice from juiced oranges, lemons or limes instead.

For this version I used watermelon, pineapple and pears. Kiwi is added as fresh, peeled slices.

grilled fruit
Fruit cooked this way doesn’t need to be marinated for very long. Rainier’s Blackberry Smoky Honey Seasoning & Rub adds all the undertones grilled fruit needs. I add this delicious granulated seasoning to rice vinegar, oil and a bit of salt. Toss chopped fruit in dressing and that’s it.
grilled fruit salad and jar

Smoky Blackberry Grilled Fruit Salad
Smoky Blackberry Grilled Fruit Salad

Smoky Blackberry Grilled Fruit Salad

5 from 1 vote
Servings 4 1/2 cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 slice watermelon
  • 1 slice fresh pineapple
  • 1 pear
  • 2 kiwi peeled and sliced

dressing

  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Rainier Foods Blackberry Smoky Honey Seasoning and Rub plus more for sprinkling
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush fruit slices with vegetable oil. Sprinkle fruit slices with salt. Grill over heat until fruit is lightly charred and marked, about 2 minutes per side. Remove cooked fruit and cut into bite-sized pieces. Fold in kiwi slices.

dressing

  • Whisk together vinegar, oil and seasoning.
  • Add cut fruit to dressing. toss and marinate several minutes before serving. Sprinkle portioned fruit with additional seasoning as desired.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday #BBQWeek Recipes

Starters and Sides

Dinners

Desserts

Thank you #BBQWeek sponsors Saucy Queen and Rainier Foods for donating the prizes for this event. The #BBQWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner are checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning.
Two (2) winners are selected at random from entries received. The prize packages are fulfilled by and sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. #BBQWeek bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household are not eligible to enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #BBQWeek posts or entries.

Posted in #Back2School, #BBQWeek, berries, fruit, grill, salad, What's For Dinner? | 15 Comments

Chai Teriyaki Shrimp Salad #BBQWeek

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BBQWeek. The sponsors, Rainier Foods and Intensity Academy, generously provided samples to participants to aid in the creation of the #BBQWeek recipes and prize packages to give away to the readers. However, all opinions are mine alone.
Chai Teriyaki Shrimp Salad

Chai Teriyaki Shrimp Salad serves tender shrimp coated with rich, spicy teriyaki mayo with a hint of chai. Layers of flavor made possible with Intensity Academy Chai Thai Teriyaki Sauce!
Chai Thai Teriyaki Sauce

Welcome to the third annual #BBQWeek hosted by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. We are excited to have 15 bloggers sharing over 50 recipes this week as we head toward grilling season. The amazing sponsors have donated some great prizes for the #BBQWeek giveaway. The giveaway is below, but make sure to read about the prize packages and our generous sponsors!

Intensity Academy Saucy Queen Prize Package

The Intensity Academy Saucy Queen has competed in the fiery food industry for over 15 years. Her all-natural gourmet hot sauces have more than 55 national awards. In 2019, the Saucy Queen earned the Tampa Bay Businesswoman of the Year in Manufacturing, Business Leader’s Woman Extraordinaire and Working Women of Tampa Bay’s! Not only does she sell amazing sauces, spice mixes, and dips, but she has anchored her career in service and non-profit organizations and helping local companies take their products from recipe to store shelves.

A prize package of 4 popular sauces:

  • Carrot Karma – A mild hot sauce made from a blend of carrots, habaneros, and a touch of lime.
  • Garlic Goodness – An essential garlic hot sauce! Each batch contains over 100 pounds of slow roasted garlic.
  • Honey Hype – A blend of crystalized honey natural rub. The crystalized honey melts perfectly over meats and veggies.
  • Chai Sweet Chili – A light sauce made with peppers and organic Chai tea that won the 2012 Golden Chile award.

Rainier Foods Prize Package

Life’s too short for boring food, spice it up with Rainier Foods. Rainier Foods is a family company located in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. They have a dedication to provide premium quality food products. Rainier Foods can source the best ingredients available to help you create delicious meals which sets them apart from other companies. All their products are made locally ensuring their products are the best that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. A portion of all sales are donated to the Washington National Park Fund.

A prize package of a meat thermometer and trio of spice mixes:

  • Meater+ wire-free meat thermometer – monitor your cooking from a phone or tablet. Monitors internal and ambient temperature at the same time.
  • The Essentials Seasoning – Salt, garlic, and pepper are the essentials of most seasonings. Three different types of sea salt blend with garlic and pepper in this delicious seasoning.
  • Smoky Honey Seasoning & Rub – Made with Pacific Northwest clover honey, Cherrywood Smoked Sea Salt, and Smoked Paprika. This seasoning blend creates a deliciously sticky and sweet flavor on anything you grill.
  • Gochu (Go-Choo) Seasoning & Rub – Gochugaru Chilis combine with sea salt and pepper along with a few other spices makes this blend unique adding an unmatchable flavor profile to everything you cook.

Connect with our sponsors on social media for news, recipes and more!
Intensity Academy Saucy Queen
https://www.saucyqueen.com/collections/gourmet-sauces
https://www.facebook.com/IntensityAcademy/
https://www.instagram.com/saucyqueen/
https://twitter.com/saucyqueen

Rainier Foods
https://rainierfoods.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Rainier-Foods-1164573733695432/
https://www.instagram.com/rainierfoods/
https://twitter.com/Rainierfoods

Don’t forget to scroll down and enter our giveaway and get more great #BBQWeek recipes!

My Chai Teriyaki Shrimp Salad lets you add a cold protein dish made your way to your barbecue or picnic. Shrimp cooks fast on the grill, in a pan or steamed. It doesn’t matter how you cook it. Just remember to add Chai Thai Teriyaki Sauce to the dressing!
Chai Teriyaki Shrimp Salad

I also like to add a bit of crunch with some celery and onion.
Chai Teriyaki Shrimp Salad

You can serve this shrimp salad over greens, as a side or even a main meal!

Chai Teriyaki Shrimp Salad

Chai Teriyaki Shrimp Salad

Chai Teriyaki Shrimp Salad

Servings 4 1/2 cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
  • 1/4 cup diced celery
  • 1.4 cup diced red onion
  • 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons Intensity academy Chai Thai Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced parsley

Instructions
 

  • Season shrimp on both sides with seafood seasoning. Grill or pan fry for about 2 minutes per side over medium heat until opaque. If steaming, cook until opaque, about 3 minutes in a covered pan. Chill cooked shrimp.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, cream together mayonnaise, Chai Thai Teriyaki Sauce, parsley. Stir in chilled shrimp, celery and onion. Serve chilled.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday #BBQWeek Recipes

Starters and Sides

Main Dishes

Thank you #BBQWeek sponsors Saucy Queen and Rainier Foods for donating the prizes for this event. The #BBQWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner are checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning.
Two (2) winners are selected at random from entries received. The prize packages are fulfilled by and sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. #BBQWeek bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household are not eligible to enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #BBQWeek posts or entries.

Posted in #BBQWeek, bbq, salad, shrimp, What's For Dinner? | Tagged | 16 Comments

Fresh Baked at Home with Wildgrain review

I received a sample Wildgrain box for review. I received no further compensation. All opinions are my own.
Wildgrain breads
Wildgrain is the first membership box that delivers bake-from-frozen sourdough breads, fresh pastas, and artisan pastries to your home. All of their products are baked within 25 minutes (no thawing!) and are made with clean ingredients.

To me that’s a win, win.

My sample box included Sourdough Sesame Bread, Sourdough rolls and Fermented Cranberry Pecan Bread.
Look at how airy these breads turn out. Light yet chewy with a crisp crust. Amazing!

Wildgrain Cranberry

Wildgrain sourdough

Also two kinds of pasta were included. Tonnarelli which is a thin noodle and Fettuccine. I’ll be using these noodles in an upcoming post! 😉

Wildgrain noodles

Don’t forget dessert! My box included chocolate croissants!

Wildgrain croissant

Light, flaky and full of fudgy chocolate filling.

Wildgrain croissant cut

Wildgrain is perfect for quick meals that still have homemade quality and for making hosting family and friends extra easy, delicious, and special! Use their products as needed. No commitment, you can reschedule, skip or cancel at any time.

Wildgrain
Wildgrain collage

My tips for using Wildgrain products:

  • Check on baking goods at least 5 minutes before suggested bake time. Do not overbake.
  • Store pasta products in freezer where these will receive minimal shifting and no weight on top. This helps keep pasta from breaking.
  • The desserts are best served warm. Reheat leftover baked goods for a few minutes in the oven.

Check out Wildgrain FAQ page for all the information on membership, products, reviews and more.

Stay in touch with Wildgrain on social media.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildgrainbox/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildgrainbox/

What kind of frozen-to-bake baked goods or frozen-to-cook pasta would you like to try? I’d love to hear your ideas in a comment below!

Posted in bread, breakfast, dessert, fresh ingredients, pasta, What's For Dinner? | Comments Off on Fresh Baked at Home with Wildgrain review