Category: MEMES & LINK PARTIES

PAN SEARED CHICKEN TENDERS & TRI-COLOR COUSCOUS with COCONUT LOBSTER SAUCE ~ MARX FOOD CHALLENGE

I ran across a MARX foods Recipe challenge – what fun!  I signed up and they sent me a box full of yumminess.  My box included tri-color couscous, coconut sugar, dehydrated lobster mushrooms, DeArbol chilies and Pasilla Negro Chilies.

The rules are that I had to use at least two ingredients from my box to create a new recipe.  I really wanted to try and use all five ingredients, but was only able to work in four of them.

Now for full disclosure. hubby hates mushrooms, especially cooked mushrooms.  He goes out of his way to avoid mushrooms.  He declared he would hate this recipe before its inception.  Seeing a pattern here?  I HAD to use the mushrooms just to prove him wrong, plus I LOVE mushrooms even more than he hates them.  This recipe is proof that you can mount your dislikes and change them with the right combination of ingredients.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN TENDERS & TRI-COLOR COUSCOUS with COCONUT LOBSTER SAUCE

2 pound chicken tenders
3/4 cup chardonnay
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons MARX coconut sugar
1 dried MARX Pasilla Negro Chilie, chopped
safflower oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
5-7 tablespoons heavy cream

  • Whisk together the chardonnay and chicken broth until well blended.
  • In a medium bowl combine mushroom pieces and chile pieces.  Pour the chardonnay mixture over the mushroom mixture.  Allow to set for 2-3 hours to rehydrate the mushrooms and chilies.  Stir them around every now and then so all surfaces are able to absorb the liquid.
  • When ready, drain mushrooms and chiles through a sieve, reserving the liquid.
  • Whisk coconut sugar into reserved liquid.  Set aside.
  • In a small food processor pulse mushroom and chile pieces into a fine grind.
  • In a medium sauce pan, melt butter.
  • Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until roux is a golden brown.
  • Gradually add the reserved liquid until well blended.
  • Add in the mushroom and chile pieces, stirring until well distributed.
  • Add cream 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.
  • Simmer gently while preparing couscous and chicken.
  • Coat a large skillet with safflower oil.
  • While oil is heating, wash and pat dry chicken pieces.
  • Pan sear chicken pieces, salt and peppering as needed until golden outside and cooked through.
  • Pour 1 cup of couscous in a large bowl.  Pour 1 ¼ cups boiling water over top.  Cover the bowl and let it sit for five minutes, then fluff with a fork to separate the granules. 
  • Plate couscous in the in the center of serving platter.
  • Arrange chicken pieces around the couscous.
  • Spoon sauce over couscous and chicken.
  • Serve immediately.

By the way, hubby who was so dead sure this recipe would suck gave it 2 thumbs up and then proceeded to eat it 2 nights in a row.

SAUTEED CHEESE ~ COOKING WITH CHAYA

This is a tasty creamy treat which I wish, I could take credit for.  I found the recipe on the blog of Girlichef, a place where you will find other outstanding recipes.  Heather even makes her own cheese.


One look at this wonderful sauteed cheese and I just had to try making it.  I used four different kinds of cheese but only two of them, retained their shape.  The cheddar and goat cheese melted down into a delicious mush.  The other two stayed intact and were a real treat.  I would make even the mushy ones again; that is how good these are.

Sautéed Cheese
Ingredients:  
Feta Cheese, Cheddar, Goat and Mozzarella
brown rice flour  (try this with Panko crumbs)
olive oil
I used no seasoning with the flour, guessing the cheese was strong enough to hold its own which it did.

Method:
  • Cut the cheese into slices 1/2 inch thick. 
  • Pour some flour onto a plate.  Dredge each piece of cheese in flour, shaking to remove excess and set aside for a moment. Place a large cast-iron (or nonstick) skillet over medium-high heat.  Spray on a thin layer of olive oil, and once it is very hot, add a few cheese pieces to the pan (being careful not to overcrowd) and brown for ~1 minute per side.   
Heather  made sauces for these but I was too impatient to do this and ate them out of the pan. Heavenly.
These are the cheeses that melted.
These retained a shape.

These are definitely a favorite of mine.
My apologies about the photos.  I didn’t take any others and these are not the best.  Regardless, take my advice and try this.  I do want to find a way to make this in the oven, in order to eliminate the oil.


Stop by my blogs and say, “hello.”
Bizzy Bakes
My Sweet and Savory



CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE with BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Hi everyone, I’m the newbie here and am really excited to be the new dessert queen. Please be sure to also stop by and see me at my home blog, Paper Plates & China for more fun and recipes.
I’ve been looking for a reason to try this much talked about cake and this seemed like the perfect time. It’s made with a cake mix, which usually isn’t my preference. I’m glad I didn’t let that discourage me from making it. The frosting is incredible! It will now be my go-to recipe for buttercream icing.

Chocolate Chip Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Chip Cake
1 Box White Cake Mix
1 cup AP Flour
1 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean scraped
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites (room temperature)
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Grease (2) 9-inch round pans
  • In a large bowl whisk cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt.
  • Add remaining ingredients and mix until well blended.
  • Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove when inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove cakes from pans after about 10-20 minutes. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
Vanilla Bean Buttercream
3 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 vanilla bean-scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 -2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/2-3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Mix powdered sugar and butter until light and fluffy on low speed.
  • Add vanilla bean scrapings (or vanilla extract) and whipping cream. Start with 1 tablespoon and increase as needed for desired consistency.
  • Once cakes are cool, frost the top and sides of one layer. Stack the 2nd layer on top of first, frost the sides and top. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.
Recipe adapted from Recipegirl.com (wedding cake) 

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!

Fire Day Friday: Annato Chicken Wraps

If I’m smoking or grilling a chicken, I cook two. There’s just always so much you can do with leftover cooked chicken, right?
Here is something I came up with with this week’s extra chicky-chick. Annato is used in many Latin dishes and gives a bright orange color. 
Most grocery stores around here carry it now but if you can’t find it, you can substitute paprika. You’ll get the color effect but not the same flavor.
Annato Chicken Wraps
serves 4
4 ea flour tortilla, burrito sized
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup Bush’s seasoned black beans
¼ cup white onion, finely diced
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
Annato Oil
¼ cup oil
1.5 tsp ground annato
1 tsp season salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Chile Lime Mayo
½ cup mayonnaise
1-2 tsp Cholula Chili Lime Hot Sauce
To make the annato oil, mix the oil, annato, pepper, and season salt and heat 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Toss the chicken in the oil mix to coat, drain off the excess.
Mix the mayo and hot sauce together.
Place ¼ cup of the rice on the tortilla. Add some beans, onion, ½ cup of the chicken and top with some cilantro. Drizzle with the chile lime mayo.
See how orange the chicken comes out?
Fold the top down, bottom up and roll to form a burrito.  Cut in half and serve.

SLOW COOKED BUFFALO CHICKEN WRAPS

You want quick and easy?  You got it!
You want something super, duper tasty!  This is it!
This may be my new favorite meal.  It took very little effort and it was SO good!  I’ve actually made this several times and it seems to get better and better. 
My favorite is Frank’s buffalo wing sauce.  It’s a good flavor and it works perfect in this. 
I spooned a bit of light ranch over mine because I am a condiment junkie.  Hubs thought his was fine as it was.  Blue cheese would be good too.
Buffalo Chicken Wraps Recipe

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce
3/4 cup ranch dressing, light
10 – 100 calorie whole wheat tortillas
Lettuce

  • Place chicken and salt in the crock pot.  
  • Cover and cook for 6 – 7 hours on low.  
  • Remove chicken and empty crock pot of water. 
  • Shred the chicken and add back to the slow cooker.  
  • Mix ranch and buffalo wing sauce in a small bowl.  
  • Add the sauce to the chicken and stir.  
  • Serve on tortillas with lettuce.

Total calories = 2755 calories
10 servings = 276 calories per wrap

**I didn’t measure how much meat went on the tortillas but I THINK that we got 10 wraps out of this.

COTTAGE CHEESE DINNER BUNS

I have posted this recipe here before. Before I had a camera and before anyone visited! It is another one from my old little black binder, splattered and made many times over. These are simple, easy and delicious. My three favorite categories! You know the reason folks love to cook, is because not every recipe they make and enjoy is difficult. Lets be honest here, if every meal was a big challenge or difficult, the fun would disappear. Learning about and enjoying these simple, easy and delicious recipes is what begins the journey to other more challenging recipes and fun projects.
If you are a bread lover, fresh bread can turn the most humble dish into dinner. And fortunately yeast doughs are not fussy at all and very forgiving. Yeast dough will wait in the refrigerator, to be baked right before dinner. And of course that wonderful aroma will call the family to dinner, you won’t have to. But enough about my love of bread, lets make some dinner buns.

Cottage Cheese dinner buns
source unknown, in my little black binder
350 degrees, for baking

1 package (1 scant tablespoon) yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cottage cheese
2 3/4 cup flour – divided

  • In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water, add the sugar, stir.
  • Gently warm the cottage cheese, and add to the yeast mixture along with the egg, salt, soda and 2 1/2 c of the flour.
  • Slowly blend the flour into the wet ingredients, then mix well until mixture leaves the sides of the bowl, adding last 1/4 c flour if needed. Scrape down sides of bowl, when completely mixed. NOTE: dough is sticky.
  • Cover and let rise until double in bulk.
  •  The rising will take about 1 hour.
  • Stir/punch down dough. Spoon into 12 prepared muffin cups.
  • Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
  • If not ready to bake after 30 minutes, remove towel. Otherwise it may stick to the dough. If you need/want to store the dough, oil the tops lightly and cover loosely with wax paper and then a towel, put in the refrigerator.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350, bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and done. 
  • Makes 12 buns.

As always thanks for dropping in,
I do appreciate your stopping by.

For more great recipes, visit Mom’s Sunday Cafe!

TIME TO TAILGATE!

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 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!

Nacho Slide-Size Burgers

Nacho Slide-Size Burgers from Rachel Ray
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 15-ounce can lard-free spicy re-fried beans
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1/4 cup grated onion
2 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon ancho or other medium-heat chile powder (about a palmful)
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin (about 1/2 palmful)
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander (about 1/2 palmful)
1/2 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika or sweet paprika (about 1/2 palmful)
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) or vegetable oil, for drizzling
24 tortilla chips
2 cups shredded yellow sharp cheddar, smoked cheddar or pepper jack cheese
1 heart romaine lettuce or 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Pickled sliced jalapeño chile rings, drained, for serving

  • In a medium saucepan, bring about 1/2 cup water to a boil. In a small cup, mix the tomato paste with a few spoonfuls of the boiling water to thin the paste. Add the re-fried beans to the pan, stirring with the water in the pan to thin out a bit while they heat through. Lower the heat and keep the beans warm.
  • Place the beef in a bowl and add the reconstituted tomato paste, onion, garlic, chile powder, cumin, coriander and paprika; season with salt and pepper. Form the meat into 8 small patties (thinner at the center than at the edges). Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle the patties with EVOO, add to the griddle and cook for a couple of minutes on each side.
  • Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the broiler. Place the burgers on a rack-covered baking sheet and top each with about 2 tablespoons beans. Spread 3 chips with some of the remaining refried beans and pile on a burger (the beans are the glue between the chips). Repeat with the remaining chips, beans and sliders. Top the chips with the cheese and broil for a minute to melt.
  • Scatter the lettuce on plates or a platter and top with the sliders, tomatoes and pickled Jalapeños.
Here’s what I started with:

  • Measure out some tomato paste.  Put 1/2 cup of water on to boil.  Once it is boiling, put a few spoonfuls of hot water into the tomato paste.
  • Put some re-fried beans in with the remainder of the boiling water.
  • Put 1 1/2 pounds of ground sirloin into a bowl and add 2 grated garlic cloves in with the meat. 
  • Add 1/4 cup of onion, the reconstituted tomato paste, and all of the spices.
  • Shape the burgers and put them into a medium-high cast-iron skillet.
  • Turn on the broiler.
  • Pull the burgers out of the skillet and put them on a baking sheet.  The burgers did fall apart a bit.  Next comes a couple of tablespoons of the re-fried beans onto the burger with some tortilla chips and cheese.
  • Into the broiler for a couple of minutes.
Here’s what you’ll end up with:
These little sliders are perfect for Sunday football and they give you the taste of two favorite tailgating foods; nachos and burgers.  They did fall apart a bit while in the skillet but I was able to form them back together on the baking sheet and then “glue” them together with the re-fried beans.  The actual ground sirloin and herbs could definitely be used in tacos and would taste great!
I served them on a bed of lettuce with some tomatoes, jalapenos, sour cream and salsa on the side.  I ended up just tearing my burger all apart and basically made a “nacho/taco” salad out of mine.

Fire Day Friday: Grilled Steak Burgers

It is that time of year when folks are transitioning from summer back yard cook outs to fall tailgating.  If you want to make something other than the same old burger, drop the burger and make a “steak burger” instead.

This isn’t so much a recipe as it is just a trick – use cubed sirloin steak in place of ground beef burgers. 

The sirloin steak comes out tender and has a great beefy flavor.  It’s LIKE a ground beef burger but…..different. 

Grilled Steak Burgers
www.nibblemethis.com

4 ea cubed sirloin steaks
Kosher salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
1 cup shredded cheese
4 buns

Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper.

Preheat your grill to 450f.  Grill the steaks for 4 minutes.

Flip the steaks, sprinkle each with the Worcestershire sauce and top each with 1/4 cup of the cheese. 

Cook for 4 more minutes. 

Serve with your favorite toppings, condiments, and side dishes like bacon wrapped tater tots. 

Our boys love these burgers every time I make them and I hope you will too!  Today is the first day of Fall – everyone enjoy it.

CHICKEN COUNTRY CASSOULET

CHICKEN COUNTRY CASSOULET
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
1 pound fat sausages of choice, cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, sliced
1/2 pound snap peas, washed and deveined
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
1 14-ounce can petit diced tomatoes, basil, garlic & oregano
1 tablespoon Classico sun-dried tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
2 +/- cups chicken stock
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs**
salt and ground black pepper

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Brown the bacon until browned and crumbly in Dutch oven casserole dish.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
  • Add chicken and sausages and brown on all sides. Remove from fat and set aside. 
  • Add the onions and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. 
  • Add the carrots, snap peas and parsley, sauteing 3-4 more minutes.
  • Add tomatoes, tomato puree, spices and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add meat back in.
  • Add enough of the stock to just cover the meat and veggies, you don’t want things swimming around too much.  You can always add more stock during the cooking if needed. 
  • Cover dish and cook 1 hour.
  • Add more stock if necessary. Spread crumbs over the top and cook uncovered for 40 more minutes or until browned. 

**Try adding other vegetables such as broccoli or white beans for variety.   I used crushed Ritz crackers today and they worked reallllllllllllllly well as a substitute!