Spiced Honey Lemon Chicken and Sweet Carmelized Brussels Sprouts

Jeff and I celebrated my Grandma's 80th birthday today with the rest of the Berger clan at The Oyster Bar in Bellingham, right on Chuckanut Drive.

We had a great time celebrating with family, and the sun came out just in time to enjoy a beautiful view from the private room in the restaurant.

We came home exhausted and after trying to figure out "what to do" tonight after a failed attempt at finding Dogfish Head's Punkin Beer at Fred Meyer, we settled on making dinner together. Wow! What a great choice - we found ourselves a keeper recipe, from one of my favorite blogs Crepes of Wrath. This truly was a 30-minute meal and super simple to make. Jeff worked on the chicken while I did the brussels sprouts, and it was done in no time!

Spiced Honey Lemon Chicken

Adapted from Crepes of Wrath

2 chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness (we used chicken thighs and they were fantastic)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter, melted

3 tablespoons honey

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1. Combine all of your ingredients in a small bowl, then pour over the chicken. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge, but you can marinate the chicken for 24 hours, and longer is better!

2. You can either grill or broil the chicken. To grill, preheat the grill to medium-high heat and grill over high heat for 3 minutes on each side, then over indirect heat for 5 minutes on each side. To broil, heat the oven to 400 degrees F and cook for 10-15 minutes on each side, until cooked through and the juices run clear.

Sweet Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into 3 tablespoons

1 onion, thinly sliced (my quick tip: get the bag of pre-chopped onions from Trader Joe's - cuts down on time and weepy eyes!)

kosher salt

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, quartered (another Trader Joe's quick tip: get the bag of "microwaveable" brussels sprouts, because they are already washed and prepped - all you have to do is a quick chop!)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup water

4 slices of bacon, sliced into 1-inch pieces and cooked until crispy (we didn't have bacon, but that would only make this recipe even better!!!)

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the combined vinegar and sugar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 minutes.

2. Quarter the brussels sprouts length wise. Heat the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the brussels sprouts and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown at edges, 6 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and 3 tablespoons butter. Sauté until most of water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 minutes. Mix in the cooked, crispy bacon and serve and top with the onions. When you eat them, mix the onions in with the sprouts so you get a little bit of everything in each bite. Serves 3-4.