You know you’ve stumbled on gold when a family gives you one of their prized and favorite recipes. It feels sacred and special, sometimes passed down from generation to generation.
Three families in our Inspirada community have shared their family-favorite recipes below. The recipes are as varied as the families; a Mediterranean salad, a twist on typical spicy wings, and a simple-to-make snack that kids will love.
Beth and Don’s Mediterranean Salad
This Mediterranean salad is one of those recipes that is simple to make and yet a crowd favorite. Add protein to the salad to make it a meal or serve it as a side.
Ingredients
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and chopped
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives, halved
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 ounces (½ cup) feta cheese, crumbled
Recipe
- In a large bowl, add the lettuce, cucumber, onion, grape tomatoes, olives, and chickpeas.
- In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper with a whisk.
- Pour dressing over the chopped vegetable mix and toss to coat. Top with feta and serve.
Scott’s Fire-Station-Favorite Spicy Asian Chicken Thighs
Scott serves the community as a firefighter and his crew loves when he makes these spicy Asian chicken thighs at the station. Scott recommends serving the chicken with coconut rice.
Ingredients
- 6 green onions, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- Rice vinegar, about half of a 12 oz. bottle
- Sriracha, to your desired amount for spice level
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Yoshida’s sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 3.5 lbs.
Recipe
- Place chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper, making sure all sides are seasoned. Let the chicken sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high. Use the canola oil to clean and grease the grates.
- While the grill is preheating, mix up the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk garlic, rice vinegar, sriracha, soy sauce, Yoshida’s sauce, and honey to combine.
- Cook chicken on the grill for 10 minutes per side. Once cooked, toss in sauce. Top with green onions and serve with coconut rice.
Brittni’s Peanut Butter “Snails”
Brittni’s peanut butter “snails” recipe is her go-to snack to make her son when he’s hungry for an afternoon bite. The peanut butter adds a dose of protein and the finished product is almost too cute to eat. Almost.
Ingredients
- Celery
- Peanut butter
- Apple
- Dark chocolate chips
- Pretzels
Recipe
- Slice celery into three-inch-long pieces. Place them on a plate, with the hollow side facing up.
- Using a knife, spread about a half tablespoon of peanut butter into the hollow sections of the celery.
- Cut the apple into slices and place the straight edge down into the peanut butter, forming the snails “hump.”
- Place two dark chocolate chips on the remaining space of the peanut butter to be the eyes.
- Finish the snack by chopping the arches of the pretzels and place the ends into the peanut butter, in between the eyes and hump, forming a stylized “v” that looks like a snail’s antenna.
These recipes are perfect to make while relaxing on weekend, especially since it’s always the perfect grilling weather here in Henderson. We hope you enjoy these recipes from our Inspirada community. If you’re interested in enjoying sunshine year-round, our neighborhood is the perfect place to call home.