For those of you out there without access to an outdoor barbecue, summer in the kitchen can be brutal. There are all these wonderful recipes for grilled meats and vegetables, and you fall further and further into a deep pit of depression as you scroll through your Pinterest fee. Well have no fear, The Lavender Apple is here! This is a wonderful receipe for barbecued chicken breasts, no grill required! The flavors are certainly on point for summer, but you could also make this in winter when your grill is buried under 3 feet of snow. Gulp. This chicken is moist and so full of smokey garlicy barbecue flavor. You will love it. We paired this with some delicious almond smoked (also baked) green beans that you will go crazy over. 

Ingredients for BBQ Chicken: 

2 tablespoons butter

3 chicken breasts

lavender salt and pepper 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons peach preserves

16 ounces BBQ sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, diced

Directions: 

Melt your butter in an oven safe skillet. Add your onion, salt and pepper it, and saute on medium until softened. Add your Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 of your barbecue sauce, and your peach preserves. Stir on medium heat until everything is combined. Add your garlic to the sauce at the end. 

Salt and pepper your chicken, then place it in your skillet. Make sure it gets a nice coating of the sauce all over it. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 60-90 minutes depending on the size of your breasts, until heated to 165 degrees. Serve with the additional 1/2 of your barbecue sauce drizzled over the top of your chicken. 

Ingredients for the beans: 
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup smokey almonds, chopped

Directions: 
Wash and trim your beans. Chop your almonds into small pieces. Coat your beans in lavender salt, peppers, olive oil, and the smokey almonds. Scatter them across a baking sheet and place in your 400 degree oven for the last 15 minutes of so while your chicken cooks. 

These classic barbecue flavors marry so beautifully and come together without the help of a barbecue! Its such a delicious meal. Enjoy!

Tonight we made some tangy messy barbecue whiskey burgers for dinner. They smelled heavenly as they were marinating in the sauce, and they certainly lived up to my expectations once I was able to bite into these juicy babies. The burgers have a sweet tang from the barbecue sauce, and its kicked up a notch by the whiskey glaze. You will love this non-traditional take on a traditional week night burger. 

Ingredients: 
4 hamburger buns
2 tablespoons butter
16 ounces ground beef
lavender salt, pepper
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup whiskey
1/2 cup bbq sauce

First, divide your meat into 4 round patties. Sprinkle each side of each patty with lavender salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter into a pan. Add your patties and brown/char on each side (about 5-6 minutes per side, until the middle is just barely pink). Remove the patties from the pan and set aside. To the remaining grease and your onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add your whiskey to deglaze the pan. Let that boil for a couple minutes. Then add your barbecue sauce and stir until everything is nice and bubbly. Add your patties back into the mix and heat/cover in sauce until everything reduces down. Its a big delicious looking mess. 

Add the burgers to your buns with extra sauce and onions to your liking. 

 This was such a wonderful tangy sweet burger. It will definitely make it into your regular rotation. 

Original Recipe Inspiration Here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/12/spicy-whiskey-bbq-sliders/

I usually feel like I am shirking my home maker duties when I serve quesadillas for dinner. They are simple, boring, and easy. Well this quesadilla recipe is none of those things. When my husband tasted this, his reaction was like "wow, this is a keeper!" and I totally agree. The onions in these quesadillas are packed full with this deep rich flavor. You get the subtle bite of the arugula, the thick herby mushrooms, the melty cheese. It's even vegetarian! So so good, you won't believe your mouth. 

The downside? You'll need to dirty 2 pans, and caramelized onions aren't quick. But these babies are worth it. Total cook time is about 20 minutes.  
Serves 2 adults + 1 toddler :) 

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp packed brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 pkg baby portabellos, thinly sliced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh stripped thyme
salt & pepper
10 corn tortillas
1 cup melty white cheese
2 cups arugula 

In one pan, some heat some olive oil and begin to caramelize your onions on medium heat. (Don't forget to add salt and pepper to your onions.) 

In another pan, melt your butter and a bit of olive oil and begin to cook your mushrooms. (Don't forget to salt and pepper your mushrooms.) 

Stir both pans occasionally, let everything reduce and get golden. 

To your onions add your sugar and vinegar. Let the liquid reduce down and get absorbed by the onions. Remove from pan. 

To your mushrooms add your garlic and thyme. When the garlic is fragrant and a bit soft, remove the mushrooms from the pan. 

Make sure both your pans still have a good coating of oil. Place your tortillas down, cover with a layer of onions, mushrooms, cheese, arugula, and another layer of tortilla. Cook until the tortilla is golden and crispy, then flip and do the same on the other side. 

Cut into quarters and serve immediately. You will seriously be blown away by the amazing unforgettable flavors of these quesadillas! I am already dreaming of what I can whip up with these flavorful onions next!