Category: OKK MEMES & PRIOR CONTRIBUTORS

MELTING MOMENTS SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Martha from A Sense of Humor is Essential here to fill in for Joanne and to share a special shortbread recipe that is easy to make, with ingredients readily at hand, and has a nice, not too sweet taste, which goes wonderfully with coffee and tea. These cookies are also always a hit at baby showers,  bridal showers, and as hostess gifts too.

MELTING MOMENTS SHORTBREAD COOKIES
1 cup salted softened butter
5 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup corn starch 1 1/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Mix all ingredients using mixer for approximately 3-5 minutes until a soft ball dough is formed. The dough will look like cornmeal prior to the dough ball forming.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Drop by teaspoons unto un-greased cookie sheets.
  • Bake until golden at edges, approximately 12 – 15 minutes.
  • Allow cookies to completely cool on cookie sheet. 
  • Frost with glaze or frosting if desired. Refrigerate if necessary. 

Fire Day Friday: Spicy Peach-Molasses Grilled Chicken

I’m having a bit of a creative block in the kitchen.  Which then also translates to a slight writers block when it comes to posts.  I can say that it all has to do with how much I’ve been working lately, but honestly, I really do think I’m just in a slump.  But, nice thing about being in a slump these days is that we always have the internet to help give us inspiring new ideas!  Or it can at least give us recipes we can play with to create a fantastic meal in the kitchen.  This is one of those meals.  I was uninspired and needed to use up some peach preserves I had in the fridge, so I stumbled across this recipe on Grilling.com…. it was perfect!  Simple, delicious, and, well, let’s be honest, I didn’t have to think too hard when it came to putting this together….exactly what I needed 🙂

Spicy Peach-Molasses Grilled Chicken
Adapted from Grilling.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/4 cup peach preserves
1 teaspoon molasses
3/4 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together except the chicken.  Spread half of the mixture of the chicken – reserve the other half for later.  Allow the chicken to marinate in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
Preheat grill to 375-400 degrees.  Oil the grill grates.  Place the chicken over the fire and allow to grill for 5-8 minutes or until nice and brown.  Flip the chicken and spread remaining sauce over chicken.  Allow to grill for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 3 minutes before cutting into the chicken.  Enjoy!

TURKEY MILANESE ~ CLASSIC GOOD EATS

8 turkey cutlets, pounded down to about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness
Salt and black pepper
1 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons butter
Oil for frying

  • Generously season the turkey cutlets with salt and pepper and set aside.
  • Sift together the bread crumbs, panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil oregano and parsley until well blended.
  • Set three shallow bowls side by side on your counter.  Fill the first one with the flour, the second one with the beaten eggs and the third one with the bread crumbs mixture.
  • Dredge cutlets, one at a time, first in the flour, then in the egg and finally, in the bread crumb mixture. Shake off any excess crumbs and reserve on another plate.
  • Chill the cutlets in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  This will help the coating stay intact when you fry it.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to come up about 1/4-inch high.  Add butter.  Add cutlets and fry until cooked through and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.  Do NOT crowd the pan.  If necessary, do this step in batches.  As each cutlet is cooked, transfer to a platter.   You can keep the cutlets warm in a low oven.
  • Serve with rice pilaf, mashed potatoes, buttered parsley noodles or some lemon wedges.
  • Top with minced parsley.
  • Serves 4.

STIR FRIED RICE – Lovin’ The Leftovers


I love Asian food, using up leftovers, and cleaning out my fridge. A wonderful and versatile dish, stir fried rice, does all three with ease and delight.


Here is my current version of this dish today using the ingredients of:
2-3 cups cooked white rice (brown rice is also delish)
1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped fresh vegetables including broccoli, carrots, green onions. *
1/4 cup diced ham
1 egg beaten
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup toasted nuts, toasted lightly in a seasoned pan, then set aside
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil for stir frying

Sauce
Mix in measuring cup or small bowl with whisk:
4-6 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1-2 tablespoon Ponzu sauce
1-2 tablespoons Rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Asian style salad dressing
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar

  • Heat oil in wok or fry pan over medium high heat.
  • Cook minced garlic until translucent, approximately one minute.
  • Add vegetables, brown for 1 minute while stirring with spatula. Cover with lid to steam for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add cooked rice and mix ingredients, allow to heat through.
  • Add diced ham, stir ingredients thoroughly, and then push rice mixture to one side of pan.
  • Use this open area to scramble the beaten egg.
  • After the egg is scrambled, stir into rice mixture.
  • Add the sauce to pan, stir fry for another minute until bubbling and hot.
  • Sprinkle toasted nuts prior to serving.

Other ingredient suggestions include tofu, pineapple, leftover pork, chicken, or steak, peas, corn, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and whatever else you have in your pantry, freezer, or refrigerator.


*Drained and defrosted frozen vegetables can also be used. 
Thank you so much and what variations and ingredients do you enjoy?

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Here’s a simple casserole made using leftovers! It’s so good that when I’m making mashed potatoes for a meal I intentionally double the batch so I can make this with the leftovers the next day. You can use fresh mashed potatoes or boxed in a pinch.

What you will need: mashed potatoes, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions (not shown).

Just mix the sour cream with the mashed potatoes (use a little sour cream or a lot, that’s up to you). Spread in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until heated thoroughly. Top with cheddar cheese, cooked crumbled bacon. Pop back in the oven until cheese is bubbly. If desired add thinly sliced green onions for extra flavor and garnish.

If simple cooking is your style be sure to visit me at Seaside Simplicity for lots of quick and easy ideas!

BANANA BUNDT CAKE with PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM GLAZE ~ Save Room for Dessert

I brought this cake to work for a meeting, a breakfast meeting, and it was gone in moments.  To me peanut butter and banana have a wonderful affinity for each other.  If you want to really pump it up, toss in some chocolate chips to the cake batter…whatever you choose to do, be sure to save room for dessert, even if it’s 9:30 am…
Banana Bundt Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream Glaze
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature.
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 very ripe bananas, mashed, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups
1 cup sour cream
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray or generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan (After a disastrous cake inversion, I now use this)
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  • Beat butter until creamy; add sugar and vanilla, beating until fluffy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after you plop in each egg
  • Unless you want to be splattered with batter, reduce the speed to low and add the bananas.
  • Then, add in half of the dry ingredients, the entire cup of sour cream, and then the rest of the dry ingredients.
  • Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. During the baking time, check after about 30 minutes, and if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
  • Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before inverting to cool completely.
  • Pour on Peanut Butter Buttercream Glaze or just dust with powdered sugar.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Glaze
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk, or more
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt

  • In a microwave safe bowl, heat butter and milk until butter melts.  Add peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until mixture is smooth.
  • Add 1 cup powdered sugar, mix well.  Add more powdered sugar or milk to achieve desired consistency.

Cake recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours

Mom’s Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrot Salad

This recipe is one of my mom’s best and one of our most favorite.  It is perfect for Memorial Day or any backyard BBQ!

Mom’s Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrot Salad
1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
10-15 sliced carrots
1/2 diced red onion
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup mayo

Directions:  Wash vegetables.  Cut up broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and red onion.  Combine sugar, mayo and apple cider vinegar.  Pour the dressing over the vegetables, mix and refrigerate.

Wash and cut off stems from broccoli.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Wash and cut off stems from cauliflower.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Slice up carrots.  I used about 15 baby carrots.

Measure out 3/4 cup mayo, 3/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar.  Mix until the mayor is absorbed.
Dice 1/2 of a red onion and then pour the dressing over the veggies.

Veggie Tales by Kris: Smoothies!

SMOOTHIE TIME! Smoothies are a great snack, small breakfast, and they make your skin look fabulous from all of those vitamins and nutrients! Get creative!

Here’s my smoothie recipe!
Very Berry Banana Smoothie:
Toss the following into a blender: 1 handful blackberries, 1 handful raspberries, 1 handful blueberries, 6 large strawberries, 1 banana (cut into pieces first). Add 3/4 low fat milk or carrot juice for dairy free. Blend away then slurp up! You can add a little peanut butter too and then it would be like a PB&J Smoothie! For the adventurous… you can add 2 large handfuls of spinach or kale to the blender. You won’t taste it I promise. It’s a great way to get more fiber, vitamin c, k,  and iron!

Fire Day Friday: Zucchini Spiedini

Grilling, it’s not just for meat anymore….

Technically these are not true spiedini since they are vegetable, but c’mon, the name just sounds hilarious. I try to make all of my grilled side dishes take 10 minutes or less to grill. That way I can cook them on the grill as the meat is resting. This is one of our favorite quick veggies during the week.
Speedy Zucchini Spiedini
Servings: 2
2 ea zucchini
½ cup Italian dressing (or any vinaigrette)
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 oz feta cheese
Cut zucchini into ½ inch slices. I like to cut them on a bias just for appearance sake but it’s not necessary. Place sideways on kabobs.
TIP:  To get the stripes like above, run a veggie peeler lengthwise down the zucchini in a few places before slicing.
Marinate kabobs in the vinaigrette for 30 minutes. Remove from marinade and season both sides with season salt.
Grill for 3 minutes a side over a 350f fire.
Sprinkle with fine crumbled feta cheese or pecorino romano cheese.
Also, it’s not too late to enter my May BBQ Giveaway over at Nibble Me This.   You have until Saturday Night at midnight.  It’s sponsored by Bush Beans and comes with all of these great BBQ and bean accessories.  Yes, that includes the Emile Henry bean pot pictured. 

MAITAKE MUSHROOM LACED CASHEW CHICKEN

This is a recipe I revamped to include the awesome dehydrated mushrooms that I received from Justin at Marx Foods a while back. I was NOT disappointed and you won’t be either.  Marx Foods has some great quality bulk online wholesale foods available.  These mushrooms added a rich nutty flavor that complimented the cashews perfectly.
4 chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
1 small bunch green onions, sliced
1 ounce dehydrated Maitake mushrooms, re-hydrated and then chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons oil
2 cup hot chicken broth
2 teaspoon lemon juice
½ cup cashews
cooked rice
  • Heat canola oil over medium high heat until JUST sizzling.
  • Saute’ green onions and mushrooms until tender. Using a slotted spoon remove onions and Maitake mushrooms to drain on paper towels.
  • Stir fry chicken in hot oil in frying pan or wok until chicken is lightly brown and tender, about 8 minutes. 
  • Remove chicken from oil and drain excess oil from the pan. 
  • Whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and  the  Worcestershire sauce. 
  • Blend well, then add chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened. 
  • Add lemon juice; add chicken pieces, onions and mushrooms and reheat. Do not boil. 
  • Taste to correct seasonings. 
  • Add cashews. 
  • Serve over hot rice.
He all but licked his plate!

KUNG PAO CHICKEN

I looked everywhere for hot chile paste. I have no idea what it is. I haven’t found it at my local grocery stores so when I decided to make this recipe that called for hot chile paste, I just subbed hot red pepper spread. It’s super spicy by itself but delicious in sauces. It worked. This was awesome. I’ll for sure make it again.

I’ve made several versions of Kung Pao chicken recipes but this is my favorite. I also cut WAY down on the peanuts. Kung Pao chicken is known for having a lot of peanuts in it. This recipe called for 4 oz. Well, 4 oz. of peanuts was more calories than the chicken so I decided just to put in a few. Again, it worked and it seemed fine. You are welcome to add more peanuts if you’d like. My husband ate this over rice and as usual, I chose to put it over broccoli. While it had a wonderful flavor, it wasn’t overly saucy so if you want a lot of sauce, go ahead and double the sauce. It was fine for me, I enjoyed it. The egg roll was just from Asian Sensations. I love egg rolls.

Kung Pao Chicken
1 pound boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoon white wine, divided
2 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
2 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon hot red pepper spread (or hot chile paste)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 teaspoon brown sugar
4 green onions
1 tablespoon
chopped garlic
1 can water chestnuts
3 tbsp chopped peanuts

To make marinade: 

  • Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch water mixture and mix together. 
  • Place chicken pieces in plastic bag and add marinade for about 30 minutes.
To make sauce: 

  • In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chile paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together.
  • Add green onions, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. I
  • n medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic. 
  • Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in large skillet until meat is done. 
  • When sauce is done, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens. 
  • Serve over rice or broccoli.
Total calories = 1015
3 servings = 338 calories