sesame brussels sprouts salad with sriracha vinaigrette

Let's ease into this week simply, shall we?

Do you get into food ruts? I definitely do - but the thing is, I totally don't mind them. I sort of love getting the same salad at Whole Foods every time I go. Avocado toast every single morning? I'm into it.

This salad is a twist on that food rut salad from Whole Foods, also known as the Cabbage Crunch Salad. I can't get enough of that thing. But then I swapped out the cabbage for brussels and threw in some sriracha and boom... a new lunch rut was born.

I think that's a good thing?

Sesame Brussels Sprouts Salad with Sriracha Vinaigrette
serves 2

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon sriracha
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, shredded
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, toasted

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, honey, sriracha, mustard, and garlic. Add brussels sprouts, almonds, and sesame seeds to the bowl. Toss everything together to combine. Serve!

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sriracha mac and cheese

There are few indulgences in this life that are more comforting, satisfying, and dangerously irresistible than homemade mac and cheese. It's rare that I go down this treacherous path because we simply cannot stop eating it. Martha's recipe has been our favorite for years... until now.

Yeah, I said it. Sorry M-Stew.

This mac and cheese is beyond heavenly. It's got just the right amount of spice from the sriracha, and a little something from that fresh ginger that makes it absolute perfection. It's a game changer. I can't sing its praises enough!

Bonus: while most mac and cheese recipes feed an army, and that is sometimes necessary, I've adapted this recipe down to just 2 normal human servings. My waistline appreciates this.

Sriracha Mac & Cheese (adapted from Shutterbean)
serves 2

you'll need:
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 lb. small pasta (I used bowties)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons sriracha, plus more for serving
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a small baking dish (I used a 6-inch round dish; a 9x5 bread loaf pan would also work well.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt, then add pasta and cook about 1 minute less than suggested on the package.

Heat the milk in a pot over medium heat for 3-4 minutes (don't let it boil). Remove from heat.

Heat the butter in a separate pot over medium heat. When the butter has just melted, add the flour and whisk constantly for about 3 minutes, until light brown. Remove from heat.

Slowly pour in the warm milk into the flour mixture, whisking constantly. Set the pot back over medium heat and continue to whisk constantly, until the mixture is thick and silky. (To test the consistency, dip a metal spoon into the sauce. If the sauce coats the spoon and doesn't slide right off, it's ready!) Remove from heat and stir in the salt, cheese, ginger, butter, and sriracha.

Your pasta should be ready now. Drain, rinse with cold water, and then add to the pot with the cheese sauce and stir to combine everything.

Pour the cheesy, saucy pasta into your prepared pan and sprinkle the top with panko. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the topping is turning golden and everything is hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Spoon into bowls, drizzle with more sriracha, and indulge.

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sriracha lime salmon

Love her (me!) or hate her, Gwynnie has got to be your BFF when the new year rolls around and you kick it into high clean-eating gear. Gal's got some seriously great recipes (evidence) that are also healthy and simple. What's not to love?

This salmon is too delicious. It's got a perfect balance of flavors and couldn't be easier to throw together. Paired with the best brussels sprouts ever, this is pretty much all I want to eat from now on.

P.S. I've blogged a few recipes from It's All Goodbut that doesn't begin to scratch the surface on how much I've made and LOVED from it. So, I want to give you guys one! I promise you, the recipes in here are awesome and are perfect for starting the new year off right. All you have to do is like Little Kitchie on Facebook, then leave me a comment letting me know you did (or that you already do, which if so, thanks!). You can also follow on Twitter or Pinterest  for extra entries, just comment and let me know. I'll choose a winner at random next Friday, January 31. Good luck! xo

Sriracha Lime Salmon (slightly adapted from It's All Good. Actually the only difference here is not making my own sriracha because sanity.)
serves 2

you'll need:
zest of 1/2 a lime
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha
1 tablespoon maple syrup
kosher salt
2 pieces of salmon (mine were about 6 oz. each)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Whisk together the lime zest, juice, sriracha, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, place salmon on top, and pour the mixture over it.

Roast salmon for 12-15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with cilantro. Enjoy!

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crockpot honey sriracha chicken tostadas + a giveaway! {closed}

I know I make a lot of food on here that I tell you is so delicious, to die for, blah blah blah. But this chicken is a whole new category of so delicious. Oh this chicken.

I've had this recipe pinned for a while now, but somehow just got around to making it. Don't wait like I did - make this as soon as you can! It's as easy as can be - throw all the ingredients into a crockpot and forget about it the rest of the day. We ate ours on tostadas, which I highly recommend, but it would also be fabulous in sandwiches, wraps, tacos, on top of a pizza, over rice... endless possibilities! The only really important thing is that you have this insanely flavorful chicken!

The chicken gets its flavor from some of my all-time favorite ingredients: onions, garlic, honey, toasted sesame oil... and SRIRACHA. I can't get enough of this stuff, and it frequently tops eggs, avocado toast, tacos, and just about everything else in our house. A few weeks ago I mentioned falling in love with this adorable Sriracha-inspired tea towel, and Sunday Drive Designs was sweet enough to send me one! It's now proudly hanging in our kitchen, declaring our undying love for hipster ketchup!

Happily, Sunday Drive Designs also sent me one of these darling tea towels to give away to one of you! If you're like me and love fun, quirky tea towels, this is definitely one you want in your collection!

***To enter the giveaway, simply like Little Kitchie and Sunday Drive Designs on Facebook, then leave a comment telling me you've done so. For an extra entry, visit the Sunday Drive Designs shop and leave a comment telling me what you'd love to have (I've got my eye on this Julia Child tea towel!) I'll announce a winner next Friday, August 9th. Good luck! Congrats to Mickie Pho on winning the Hipster Ketchup Tea Towel!

Crockpot Honey Sriracha Chicken Tostadas (chicken adapted from Foodie with Family)

makes 12 tostadas

you'll need:

3/4 cup ketchup

1 onion, peeled and chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup raw honey

3 tablespoons of Sriracha

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

12 tostada shells

for serving: guacamole, cojita cheese, cilantro

Add ketchup, onion, garlic, honey, Sriracha, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil to a blender and blend until smooth. Lay chicken breasts into the bottom of a crockpot, then pour the blended sauce over the top. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

When chicken is done, use tongs to transfer it to a large bowl. Pour the sauce from the crockpot into a saucepan and place it over medium high heat to reduce, stirring frequently. While sauce is reducing, use two forks to shred the chicken. Add it back to the crockpot, turn it to the warm setting, and cover.

Once the sauce is reduced, pour it over the chicken and toss thoroughly to coat.

To serve, spread guacamole on a tostada shell, pile chicken on top, and sprinkle with cojita cheese and chopped cilantro.

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