Josh and I were so excited when we bought our home 2.5 years ago because we found a house with a side yard that was perfect for a vegetable garden. Josh and Liv plant the crops, and Liv and I pick whatever is needed for our recipes that day. Each year, we make sure to only use organic plants and soil so we know we’re only putting the best produce into our systems. This year, we planted 3 types of tomatoes, cucumbers, spaghetti squash, corn, kale, onions, garlic, 2 types of peppers, strawberries (Liv’s favorite to pick), and an herb garden with dill, cilantro, and mint. Already the herbs have begun to grow in along with the kale. Last night, Josh told me there’s an abundance of cilantro so we made a Blackened Chicken with a Cilantro-Lime “Butter” Sauce on the barbecue. In the coming months, we’ll be making a ton of recipes with fresh produce that we grew ourselves, so stay tuned…

Blackened Chicken with a Cilantro-Lime “Butter” Sauce

Name: Blackened Chicken with a Cilantro-Lime “Butter” Sauce
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 tbsp organic brown coconut sugar; 2 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp baking cocoa; ½ tsp salt; ½ tsp pepper; 3 tbsp avocado oil; 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 2 lbs chicken thighs; ⅓ cup non-dairy buttery spread, melted; ¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced; 2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped; 1 tbsp lime juice; ⅛ tsp pepper

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Recipe inspired by "Spiced Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Lime Butter" from Taste of Home

Chicken Marinade

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp organic brown coconut sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking cocoa

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

3 tbsp avocado oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 lbs chicken thighs

Cilantro-Lime "Butter" Sauce

⅓ cup non-dairy buttery spread, melted

¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced

2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp lime juice

⅛ tsp pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the 8 ingredients for the marinade. Pour into a resealable bag with chicken to coat.

Preheat barbecue on medium heat for 5 minutes. Coat the grill with a nonstick spray. Line the grill with the chicken thighs and cook for 15 minutes, then flip the chicken. Wait another 20-25 minutes until slightly charred and remove from heat.

In a small bowl, combine the "butter" ingredients and drizzle over the chicken before serving.