Category: MEMES & LINK PARTIES

YUCATAN CHICKEN ~ ACHIOTE PASTE – YUCATAN STYLE SAUCE

YUCATAN CHICKEN 

1/2 cup achiote paste
2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chile pepper
1 ripe banana
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons kosher salt
10 large boneless chicken breasts

  • Blend marinade ingredients in a food processor until the mixture is thick. 
  • Pour into a sealable plastic bag, add the chicken and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. 
  • Barbeque with marinade on chicken, being careful not to burn the chicken as it cooks. 
  • Watch closely. The finished chicken will have nice orange red color. 

RASPBERRY GLAZED ROSEMARY CHICKEN BREASTS

Don’t you just love all the things you can do with chicken?  I love trying new toppings and glazes.  It just seems fun to be able to dress up a chicken in different ways.

The rosemary was the predominant flavor on this. If you love rosemary, you will love these. The raspberry preserves resulted in a very nice sweetness that wasn’t overpoweringly tasting like raspberry. They really were well flavored and sweetened. I would make these again for sure.Raspberry Glazed Rosemary Chicken Breasts1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (I used 3 – 6 oz. breasts)
1 tablespoon crushed rosemary
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1/2 teaspoon honey mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves (I left this out)

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, stir together crushed rosemary, sage and oregano. Rub each side of the breasts with herb mixture. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour broth over chicken. Bake for about 20 minutes. Place raspberry preserves in microwave and heat for 20 – 30 seconds to soften. Stir in honey mustard and fresh rosemary. Spread preserve mixture evenly over each breast. Bake about 10 minutes more or until chicken is done.

Total calories for 18 oz. of chicken = 902
3 servings = 301 calories per chicken breast

CHOCOLATE PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE PASTRIES

CHOCOLATE PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE PASTRIES
1 package Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 egg, beaten
4 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1-8 ounce can crushed pineapple, well drained
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons hot water

  • Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature until they’re easy to handle (about 45 minutes).
  • Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
  • Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.
  • Beat together the softened cream cheese, sugar and pineapple.
  • Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10-inch square. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 (5-inch) squares. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.
  • Spread 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture in the center of each pastry square.
  • Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips on top of cream cheese mixture.
  • Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg.
  • Fold each pastry in half over the cream cheese mixture and chocolate chips and press the edges to seal.
  • Place the filled pastries onto the baking sheets.
  • Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastries are golden. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove the pastries to a wire rack and let cool.
  • Place the remaining chocolate chips and the butter into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds or until the chocolate is starting to melt. Stir until the chocolate mixture is smooth. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Stir in the water, adding additional water, if necessary, until the icing is the desired consistency.
  • Drizzle the icing over the pastries.

EASY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Easy Chicken Enchilada adapted from Taste of Home
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoon oil
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 can (14.5oz) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
1 tub (10 oz) Philadelphia Santa Fe Blend Cooking creme, divided
1/2 cup Mexican-style shredded four cheese
8 flour tortillas
  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
  • Cook and stir onions in hot oil in a large skillet on medium heat 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Stir in chicken, tomatoes, 3/4 cup cooking creme and shredded cheese.
  • Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up.  Place, seam-sides don, in 13×9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining cooking creme.  Cover.
  • Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.
Here’s what you’ll need:
I put the chicken breasts into some water to cook. Just thought that I would show a picture of the Philadelphia Santa Fe creme cheese blend.  I think it is a fairly new product and it is yummy!
While the chicken is cooking, chop up an onion.
Saute the onion in some olive oil for about 5-6 minutes.
 

Shred the chicken.
Put the chicken in with the onions.
Add a can of drained diced tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the Santa Fe creme..
Add 1/2 cup of Mexican-style cheese and mix.
Put some of the chicken mixture in a tortilla and roll it up.
Put the tortillas in a greased 13×9 baking dish, seam side down.
Cover with more of the Santa Fe creme.
Add some more cheese.
Pop into the oven for about 20-25 minutes and here’s what you’ll end up with:

Fire Day Friday: Beef Teriyaki

I think most food bloggers fantasize about having their own cook book.  Sure, we know that it won’t likely happen but it is fun to daydream, right? 

So it was nice to see fellow food blogger Matt Armendariz of MattBites succeed in having his book On A Stick! published this year.  It is a creative concept of “80 Party-Perfect Recipes” impaled on kebabs. 

Here is an adaptation of one of the recipes from Matt’s book.

Beef Teriyaki
adapted from On A Stick!

1 flank steak
16 bbq skewers
2 tsp sesame oi
salt & pepper

Teriyaki Glaze
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes.

Start your grill for medium heat (300-350f).  In a small sauce pan on the grill, mix together the soy sauce, sugar, honey, mirin, garlic and ginger and simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir frequently and keep an eye on your heat.  Sugary sweet sauces like this will burn quickly if your temps get away from you.

Stir together the corn starch and water and stir into the teriyaki mixture.  Simmer another 5-7 minutes.  Remove from heat. 

Bring the grill heat up to 400f.  Slice the steak across the grain in 1/4″ strips like this.

Thread the steak onto the skewers in a weaving fashion.  Grill for 2 1/2 minutes then flip.

Grill another 2 1/2 minutes and flip again.  Brush the top with some of the teriyaki glaze and cook for 2 more minutes.

Flip, brush with glaze and cook for a final 2 minutes.

Remove, sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro. 

Remove sticks before eating…..

The salty sweet (or is that sweet salty?) taste was exactly what you want for beef teriyaki.  This dish is one that Vlad the Impaler would be proud to serve.

TRY A NEW RECIPE: Caribbean Crab and Rice

This is a truly Caribbean recipe. A one pot meal, using what’s readily available: Seafood! It’s rather easy and fun to eat!

I usually use mangrove crab like this guy
but didn’t have any and it wasn’t really crab ‘season’ so i opted for Alaskan king crab which you will have easier access to anyhow. However they were cooked. I usually make this recipe with raw crab.
Although they were clean I still washed them with water and lemon.

Here is the recipe. It makes 2 servings only. It’s my recipe and I usually cook for one.

-4 crab quarters
-2 cups brown rice
-2 cups fresh spinach
-1 small onion, chopped
-1 celery stalk, chopped
-1 tbsp parsley, chopped
-1 tbsp chives, chopped
-1/3 white wine
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-2 tbsp curry powder
-1 tbsp oil or butter
-1/2 habinero pepper
-1 tbsp Caribbean green seasoning
-Salt & Pepper to taste
-1 1/2 to 2 cups water

First I seasoned the crab with the Caribbean Green Seasoning
Then added the onion, celery, parsley, chives and habinero

Heat oil or butter
Add crab and chopped veggies. (when using raw crab I sautee the crab first then add the veggies later). The veggies i had (except the onion) were bought fresh then frozen.Stir. The veggies will give off some liquid, time to add the white wine
Add spinach and cover
Once the spinach is cooked, time to add water, soy sauce and curry
and rice
Stir in rice and cover
cook rice as directed
and voila! Caribbean Crab and Rice. The fun part besides the taste is getting the crab out of the shells

Bon Appetit


BOSTON CREAM PIE

When I was a little girl Boston Cream Pie was my FAVORITE Sunday dinner dessert and my grandma made it for me regularly until I was about 10 years old and then Sunday dinners as we knew them stopped on a regular basis. Since then I have craved Boston Cream Pie on a regular basis and finally have resurrected her recipe.

According to about.com, Boston Cream Pie is “Not a pie, but not your average cake, Boston Cream Pie is one of the city’s signature recipes. A descendant of pudding-cake pie, the Boston cream pie is considered to be the creation of French chef Sanzian of the Parker House Hotel (now the Omni Parker House). In 1996 the Boston Cream Pie was named the official dessert of Massachusetts.”


CAKE
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 JUMBO egg
  • 1 1/4 cup cake flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup whole milk

CUSTARD***

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • scant 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 3 JUMBO egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

GLAZE

  • 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons hot water

CAKE

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9 1/2-inch springform baking pan. I use a square one to make pieces easier to cut.
  • Combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Cream together using an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each one.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Combine with the creamed mixture and add the milk.
  • Pour batter into the prepared pan*. Bake in the middle of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.
CUSTARD
  • Combine the cornstarch, sugar, milk, eggs, cream, vanilla extract, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk until smooth.
  • Bring the custard to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Continuing to whisk, let the custard boil for two minutes.
  • Remove from heat, and whisk in the butter. Set custard aside to cool, continuing to whisk occasionally.
GLAZE
  • In a double boiler, melt together the chocolate and butter until smooth. remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in hot water 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.
BUILDING THE PERFECT PIE
  • Remove the cake from the pan and cut it in half horizontally with a long serrated knife.
  • Place one half of the cake on a plate with the cut side facing up. Top with custard.
  • Place the other half of the cake on top, with the cut side down.
  • Coat the top of the cake with glaze allowing it to drip down the sides.
  • *I like to use my square spring form pan for a couple of reasons; it make cutting pieces a lot easier since the slices when it is cut as a pie tend to try and fall over and my serving plate is rectangular in shape.
  • ***The traditional custard substitutes in this recipe for a pineapple custard which is what we like to do.

Tabbouleh (Lebanese Parsley Salad)

Tabbouleh is a well known Lebanese dish, and they even have a National Tabbouleh Day held each summer in Beirut. I am sure like many nationally known dishes each family has their own version of how they make it. Some will use flat leaf parsley and some use curly parsley, but where mine differs from an authentic Lebanese tabbouleh is the amount of parsley. They use mostly parsley and a little bulgar thrown in, so it’s mostly green in appearance.
I still have to get used to eating mostly parsley, which is supposed to be very good for you. The bulgar (cracked wheat)used in the salad is small or fine, which is soaked soft before using. If you can only find medium soak it a little longer. I used sumac in mine, but you can skip it if you can’t find it, it’s a little lemony in flavor.

Dressing:
1 tablespoon sumac
1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp Lebanese mixed spice

Mmmm..smell that nothing like beautiful squeezed lemons…so fresh…gosh I sound like Giada!

Ingredients:
2 bunches flat leaf parsley (washed and dried)
4 green onions (sliced thin)
1 handful fresh mint or basil (sliced thin)
1/2 cup bulgar (soaked and drained well)
3 tomatoes (diced)
salt and pepper
Cabbage or romaine lettuce leaves for serving

After the parsley is washed and dried chop it finely, try not to overwork the parsley…you don’t want to bruise it. Make sure parsley and the bulgar are dry, mix together in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together until well mixed, squeeze on the lemon juice, and then olive oil, you don’t want it too wet, just nice and moist. Salt and pepper and one last toss together and you have a refreshing summer salad!

Of course you can adjust the amounts and ingredients to what you like. I made it once with diced cucumbers…just a small amount mind you, but my husband (who doesn’t like cucumbers) could really taste them in the salad, and he didn’t like that. So now I leave them out. Oh, and you can make yours more authentic by adding mostly parsley and making it look green!

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with BROWNED PARSLEY BUTTER

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with BROWNED PARSLEY BUTTER
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
flour for dredging
4 tablespoons butter
1 large green onion, sliced thin
salt, pepper and paprika to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime

  • Place chicken between the folds of a clean cheesecloth towel.  
  • Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thick.
  • Cut each breast in half.
  • Generously season both sides of chicken breasts.
  • Dredge chicken in flour.
  • In a large skillet melt butter over medium high heat.
  • When butter is sizzling, but not browning, add onions and chicken pieces.
  • Generously season AGAIN!
  • Cook chicken 4-5 minutes on each side.
  • Plate chicken and keep warm.
  • Add parsley, lemon and lime juices, cooking until browned. 
  • Pour over chicken pieces.
  • Garnish with parsely.

CHICKEN POT PIE, the HEALTHY WAY

When I was growing up, we ate a few too many Swanson frozen chicken pot pies.  For years and years, I wouldn’t eat the stuff.  No way, no how.  But, not too long ago, I asked a co-worker what she was eating, and she gave me a taste, and it was delicious!  It was nothing like that frozen stuff I had growing up.  So, I got to thinking how I could make it taste good and healthy at the same time.  The solution was simple!

CHICKEN POT PIE
2 12-oz cans of white meat chicken (this is the only thing I will eat with canned chicken)
1 can 98% fat free cream of celery soup
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 bag (10-12 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
salt and pepper to taste

Mix chicken, soups, and vegetables in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour in a baking dish.  Unroll the crescent dough.  Place on top of the chicken mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until center is no longer doughy.
This is such an easy recipe.  It served my family of 5 with a serving left over.  Dividing this recipe by 6 servings, each serving has 12 grams of fat and 340 calories.  Enjoy!

BLACK & BLUE COBBLER

BLACK & BLUE COBBLER BOWLS
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup whole milk
1 cup self-rising flour*
1/2 cup butter + 2 tablespoons, both melted separately
3/4 cup fine sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

  • Mix together the fine sugar and flour.
  • Whisk in the milk.
  • Whisk in 1/2 cup melted butter.
  • Pour into well greased bowls.
  • Distribute berries evenly on top of batter.
  • Mix 2 tablespoons melted butter with brown sugar until crumbly.
  • Sprinkle on tops.
  • Bake 45-60 minutes until golden and toothpick comes out clean.

*If you prefer a heavier crust, use bisquick

RASPBERRY TURKEY TENDERLOINS ~

RASPBERRY TURKEY TENDERLOINS
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/8 dried thyme
4 turkey breast tenderloins
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:  In a small saucepan, combine the jam, vinegar, mustard, orange peel and thyme.  Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.  Set aside 1/4 cup for serving.
Sprinkle turkey with salt.  Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack.  Grill turkey, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat for 13-18 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees, turning occassionaly.  Baste with remaining sauce during last 5 minutes of cooking. 

Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.  Serve with reserved sauce.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Put jam, apple cider vinegar, mustard, and orange peel in a saucepan on low.

Add the thyme.

Salt the turkey breasts and put them on the grill for 16-18 minutes or until 190 degrees in the center.  Use some of the sauce to baste the turkey.

Pull off the grill and let rest.  

Pour the remainder of the sauce of the turkey breast.

Here’ what you’ll end up with: