Category: MEMES & LINK PARTIES

Jerk Chicken Wraps – Fire Day Friday

Ahhh, the holiday parties have passed but don’t look now…NFL playoffs are starting and tailgate parties are popping up.  

I know, chicken wraps can seem a little boring, but not these.  These wraps are packed with the bold flavors of Carribean jerk seasoning and are great portable “party food”. 

Jerk Chicken Wraps
Serves: 10 wraps

Ingredients

  • 4 ea chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
  • 2 1/2 cups jerk marinade  (1/4 cup reserved for mayo)
  • 10 ea flour tortilla, burrito size
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
  • 4 oz cheese, sliced thin (monterey jack, colby jack, or pepper jack)

For the spicy mayonnaise

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup jerk marinade

Instructions

  1. Marinade the chicken according to the marinade directions.  You can use a commercial brand, Walkerswood is a popular brand but I’ve never tried it.  I prefer to make my own with a blend of dry seasonings, onions, chilies, and liquids (recipe here).  
  2. Mix the mayo ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
  3. Preheat a charcoal grill to medium heat (350f).
  4. Grill 8-10 minutes a side or until the chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 160f.  
  5. Let chicken rest for 15 minutes before slicing as thin as you can across the grain.
  6. On each tortilla, smear 1 tablespoon of the spicy mayo to one side.  Top with two slices of cheese, a handful of lettuce, and several slices of chicken.
  7. Fold the top of the tortilla down, the bottom up and roll up burrito style. 
  8. Slice in half and serve.

Notes

  • You can cook the chicken a day in advance.  These wraps are delicious served hot or cold.
  • I use a lower grill temp for chicken because I don’t want the savory marinade ingredients to burn.  But if you like to grill at high temps and 4-6 minutes a side, knock yourself out.  
  • Also makes a tray of 20 appetizer servings.
  • I like to wrap ours in deli paper before slicing, it holds them together better if making a tray of them.
Jerk usually uses bone in chicken but tastes great on boneless chicken too!
Place to the side like this, fold top down, bottom up and roll left to right.

CHICKEN KIEV ~ CLASSIC GOOD EATS

8 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 large whole eggs, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
2 cups Panko crumbs + 1/4 cup for filling
1/4 bag frozen broccoli florets, chopped
salt and pepper to taste for chicken pieces
Safflower oil for frying

  • Combine butter, parsley, tarragon, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer. 
  • Fold in broccoli floret pieces.
  • Place mixture on plastic wrap or waxed paper and roll into small log; place in freezer.
  • Place chicken breasts, 1 at a time, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Spray chicken lightly with water as well as the top of the plastic wrap. Pound to no less than 1/8-inch thickness. Season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper.
  • Lay 1 chicken breast on a new piece of plastic wrap and place 1/4 of the compound butter and 1 tablespoon bread crumbs in the center of each breast. Using the plastic wrap to assist, fold in ends of breast and roll breast into a log, completely enclosing the butter; roll very tightly. Repeat with each breast. 
  • Place chicken in refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to overnight.
  • Place egg and water mixture in 1 pie pan and 2 cups bread crumbs in a different pie pan.
  • Heat 1/2-inch of safflower oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat until oil reaches 375 degrees F.
  • Dip each breast in the egg mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs. 
  • Gently place each breast in oil, sealed-side down, and cook until golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. 
  • Remove to a cooling rack set in sheet pan and allow to drain for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Nutty Brown Balls – Cooking with Chaya

I had two cups of leftover rice so I decided to mix some other ingredients in and bake myself brown rice balls. I knew right away, I wanted nuts and veggies, in this recipe so off I went to create. I did read a bunch of recipes for something similar, but when push came to shove, I used what was in my fridge and cabinets and did not worry about anything, I had read about.

Baked Nutty Brown Rice Balls 

2 cups fully cooked and cooled brown rice 
1/2 cup ground walnuts 
1 carrot, shredded 
1 zucchini, shredded 
1 onion, shredded 1 teaspoon soy sauce 
1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 
1/4 cup sliced green onions 
1 beaten egg 1/4 cup flax seed meal
  •  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
  • Combine all of the above ingredients. Mine did not stick well so I suggest either another egg or a little bit of liquid, added. Mix well. 
  • Fill 18 mini muffin cups with rice mixture. I used a tablespoon cookie scoop to get approximately the same size balls. 
  •  Bake in a 325 degree oven for 23 minutes. They brown a little. Remove from tins and serve. These have a nutty flavor to them. 

Baked Pears with Butterscotch Sauce–Save Room for Dessert

Baked Pears with Butterscotch Sauce
4 ripe but firm pears
1/2 lemon
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. Scotch whisky (optional)
  • Heat the oven to 375°F.
  • Cut pears in half lengthwise and, using a melon baller or spoon, scoop out the cores.
  • Rub them all over with the lemon half to prevent browning.
  • In a large (10-inch), heavy-based, ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and brown sugar and stir to dissolve.
  • Arrange the pears in the pan, cut side down, in a single layer.
  • Bake the pears uncovered, basting occasionally with the liquid in the pan, until they begin to soften and color slightly. Depending on the pears’ ripeness, baking time can range from 20 minutes to 1 hour (mine only took about 25 minutes).
  • Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Transfer the pan to a burner and boil the mixture left behind over medium-high heat until it reaches a rich, golden-brown color and smells like caramel, 2 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk the cream into the caramel until smooth. Add the vanilla, salt, and Scotch, if using. Serve the sauce over the warm pears.

TAILGATING TIME 2.0

IT’S OFFICIAL – FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE!
We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add – of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.

It doesn’t matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!

If any of you would like to host along with us you can click –> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that’s up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can. 
 
 We can’t wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

TAILGATING TIME

We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add – of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.


It doesn’t matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!


If any of you would like to host along with us you can click –> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that’s up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can.
We can’t wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

Grilled Potato Rounds – Fire Day Friday

A simple side dish to go with just about anything.  These little babies are good in the winter, summer, spring, and fall.  And if you can’t dig your grill out this time of year, no worries, you can easily do these on an indoor stove top grill, or in a 425 degree oven (about the same amount of time, but keep an eye on them).  Either way you do it, this will definitely become a family favorite.



Grilled Potato Rounds
Created by Jenn’s Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:

1-2 russet potatoes (depending on the size)
extra-virgin olive oil (about 1-2 Tablespoons)
2 large garlic cloves
salt (I used either Kosher salt or sea salt)
black pepper

Directions:

Scrub potatoes under running water.  Slice into 1/4″ disks.  Place in a pot and cover with water.  Slice the garlic cloves into quarters and place in water with potatoes.  Over high heat, as soon as you start to see the water bubble (even just a little), set the timer for 5 minutes.  Immediately remove from the heat and run quickly under cold water.  Drain completely.  Cover potatoes with olive oil.  (I start with 1 Tbls and add until nicely covered.)  Season liberally with salt and pepper. (I sometimes use cayenne pepper or Italian seasoning too, depending on what I’m making.  The point is, you can use any seasoning you desire.)  Toss to combine.
On a preheated grill (medium-low to low), place the potatoes directly on the grates and grill for 15-20 minutes, turning frequently to reduce burning.  When finished, potatoes should be crispy on the outside and still nice and tender on the inside.  Remove from grill and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.  Enjoy!

 

BUFFALO CHICKEN SHEPHERD’S PIE

I have a friend who hates to have her food touch other food. She’s very particular about keeping it all separate on a plate.
I wonder how she’d be with Shepherds Pie?
I think Shepherds Pie is just an excuse to play with your food and throw it all in a pile and eat it. 
It helps that it’s extremely delicious too!
I’ve been on a buffalo kick and I find myself throwing it in just about everything.  I’ve made this Shepherd’s Pie a couple of times and am always amazed at how incredibly tasty it is. 
Buffalo Chicken Shepherds Pie Recipe

Adapted from Once A Month Mom

2 pounds boneless chicken breast
1 tablespoon oil (I used bacon grease)
3 stalks celery, diced (6 oz)
2 carrots, diced (6 oz)
1 large onion, diced (12 oz)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 teaspoons paprika
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Franks)
1/4 cup ranch dressing, light
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, part skim, shredded
6 potatoes (I used 3 pounds)
1/2 cup sour cream, light

Cook chicken with salt and pepper.  Remove and dice or shred.  In same pan, combine celery, carrots and onion with oil and saute for 6 – 8 minutes. Add garlic. Saute for a couple more minutes.  Add chicken, cherry tomatoes, paprika and more salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and buffalo wing sauce.  Stir to combine.  Reduce heat and simmer. 
Boil potatoes until done.  Mash and combine with 1/2 cup sour cream.  Set aside.
Pour the chicken mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 in. pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Add the ranch to the top and the mozzarella cheese. (you can use blue cheese instead of ranch and mozzarella if you like).  Spoon the potatoes on top of chicken mixture.  Bake at 375 for 25 – 30 minutes. 

Total calories = 3699 calories
8 servings = 462 calories per serving

Buffalo Chicken Shepherds Pie = 462 calorie dinner

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cream Cheese Cookies–Save Room for Dessert

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with family and friends.
White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cream Cheese Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 oz bag of white chocolate chips
2 cups macadamia nuts
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside until later.
  • Beat the cream cheese and the butter on medium speed until creamy and light, should take about 2 minutes.
  • Add the brown sugar and then mix well.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and add the egg and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
  • Slowly, add the flour mixture a little at a time, until well combined.
  • Fold in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
  • I suggest placing the dough in the freezer or refrigerator for a few hours. In my experience the cookies come out better. But, this step isn’t necessary. Roll dough into walnut size balls then place on a greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden in your pre-heated oven. Let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely

TAILGATING TIME 2.0

IT’S OFFICIAL – FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE!
We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add – of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.

It doesn’t matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!

If any of you would like to host along with us you can click –> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that’s up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can. 
 
 We can’t wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

TAILGATING TIME

We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add – of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.


It doesn’t matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!


If any of you would like to host along with us you can click –> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that’s up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can.
We can’t wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

Blue Cheese Dip for Hot Wings – Fire Day Friday

The college football bowl season is gearing up and one of the frequent bowl game foods is chicken wings.  
Whether you grill them, bake them, or fry them, it’s almost obligatory to serve them with blue cheese or ranch dressing and celery sticks.  While it is tempting to just crack open a jar of bottled dressing, I like to have more of a thicker “dip” than a thin “dressing” like most bottled varieties.  It sticks better to the wings and celery sticks.
I grilled some wings last week and this is the blue cheese dip that I made as a condiment.
Blue Cheese Dip for Hot Wings
source:  www.nibblemethis.com
Ingredients
  • 1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Dukes)
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, coarse ground
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp celery seed
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, ground

Instructions

  1. Mix together all ingredients except for the blue cheese.
  2. Blend in the blue cheese, making sure to break up any big clumps.
  3. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors meld.