Category: PROTEINS

OLD FASHIONED MEAT LOAF

OLD FASHIONED MEAT LOAF
MEATLOAF
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, but retained
2 pounds hamburger
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated aged cheddar
1/4 cup minced parsley (fresh)
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Jumbo eggs, beaten
5 slices bacon
SAUCE
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup Frank’s sweet chili sauce
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Pour cream over bread slices and allow it to soak for several minutes until mushy.
  •  Add beef, onions, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, celery salt, sea salt, white pepper and parsley.
  • With clean hands, mix the mixture together until uniform in consistency.
  • Add beaten eggs and mix again.
  • Form into mixture into a loaf.  I use an actual loaf pan and then lift it out.
  • Line a jelly roll or broiler pan with foil. This avoids a huge mess.
  • Place loaf in center.
  • Lay bacon slices over top of the meatloaf.
  • Arrange retained bread crusts along edges of meatloaf about an inch away to absorb the grease and liquids that cook off the meatloaf.
  • Make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together.
  • Spread half the sauce over the top.
  • Bake for 45 minutes.
  • Spread remaining sauce over the top.
  • Bake another 15 minutes.
  • Discard bread edges.
  • Enjoy.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN BREAST with APRICOT RUM GLAZE

PAN SEARED CHICKEN BREAST with APRICOT RUM GLAZE
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rum
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup apricot pineapple jam
8-12 dried apricots, finely sliced
salt and pepper to taste

  • Melt butter in a large skillet.
  • Salt and pepper both sides of chicken pieces.
  • Brown chicken, turning once, until cooked through – about 4-5 minutes per side.
  • Remove from skillet and keep warm.
  • Reduce heat and add onion, sauteing until tender.
  • Add apricots, rum, wine, lemon juice and vinegar, simmering until reduced by half.
  • Add jam, blend well and simmer to desired consistency.
  • Serve over chicken and white rice with fresh kiwi.

SMOTHERED BBQ CHOPS

Hi there, Tamy from Classic Good Eats Thursday here covering for Kris who is way under the weather.  I hope you all like it.  We loved this recipe that I adapted from the Flavor section of the local newspaper.  Be sure and stop by my food blog, Always Eat On The Good China for other tasty recipes.

SMOTHERED BBQ CHOPS
2 + 2  tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup BBQ sauce
4 3/4 inch bone-in pork chops
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced on an angle
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut
1/3 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 lemon, thinly sliced (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large skillet heat butter on medium high.
  • Sprinkle paprika, salt and pepper on both sides of pork chops.
  • Brown pork chops on both sides until browned (5-6 minutes).
  • Transfer to a plate.
  • Add remaining butter and onion to skillet and saute until tender.
  • With a slotted spoon remove onions to a small bowl.
  • Add carrots, beans, parsley and peas to skillet sauteing a few minutes.
  • Add rice and broth.  Heat to boiling.
  • Move rice mixture to baking dish sprayed with PURE.
  • Layer pork chops over rice mixture.
  • Layer lemons over pork chops.
  • Spoon onions over lemons.
  • Spread BBQ sauce over all.
  • Cover and bake 30 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

SMOTHERED BBQ CHOPS

SMOTHERED BBQ CHOPS
2 + 2  tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup BBQ sauce
4 3/4 inch bone-in pork chops
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced on an angle
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut
1/3 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 lemon, thinly sliced (optional)
minced parsley
salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large skillet heat butter on medium high.
  • Sprinkle paprika, salt and pepper on both sides of pork chops.
  • Brown pork chops on both sides until browned (5-6 minutes).
  • Transfer to a plate.
  • Add remaining butter and onion to skillet and saute until tender.
  • With a slotted spoon remove onions to a small bowl.
  • Add carrots, beans, parsley and peas to skillet sauteing a few minutes.
  • Add rice and broth.  Heat to boiling.
  • Move rice mixture to baking dish sprayed with PURE.
  • Layer pork chops over rice mixture.
  • Layer lemons over pork chops.
  • Spoon onions over lemons.
  • Spread BBQ sauce over all.
  • Cover and bake 30 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ OVEN BBQ CHICKEN

OVEN BBQ CHICKEN
Whole chicken pieces cut up, washed and dried
BBQ Marinade (recipe below)
BBQ Seasoning (recipe below)
BBQ Sauce (recipe below)

  • Rinse Chicken well and pat dry.
  • Loosely layer chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour BBQ marinade over and sprinkling BBQ seasoning over each layer.
  • Refrigerate overnight.
  • Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes before you plan to put it in the oven. 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a jelly roll pan with PURE.
  • Place chicken pieces on pan.
  • Generously brush with BBQ sauce.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until cooked through and crisp.
  • Brush with more BBQ sauce.

BBQ MARINADE
2 cloves roasted garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, crushed
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons BBQ seasoning
1/3 cup Champagne vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil (I prefer Canola)

  • Whisk all the dry ingredients together until well blended.
  • Add oil, whisking until dry ingredients are well incorporated.

BBQ SEASONING
1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • Blend ingredients together well.
  • Store in an airtight container.

BBQ SAUCE
2 cups Heinz ketchup
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 packed tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • In a large saucepan combine all the ingredients, stirring to blend.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for an hour, stirring frequently.

EASY CHICKEN PESTO

Surprisingly, this pesto chicken is one of my kids’ favorite meals! I think it has to do with the melted cheese and chicken. The pesto makes the dish, and the kids do not complain. And with three ingredients, it is affordable and quick to get to the table. I have also used sun dried tomato pesto and mozzarella cheese and it was super good.

PESTO CHICKEN
4 boneless , skinless chicken breasts
4 teaspoons pesto
4 slices provolone cheese
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
  • Place chicken breasts in a oven proof casserole dish. 
  • Spread 1 teaspoon of the pesto evenly over each piece of  chicken.  
  • Place the cheese slices on top of the pesto.
  • Cover and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the cheese is melted.if you want the cheese browned a bit, uncover the chicken for the last 5 minutes or so until is is a light golden brown.
Come on over to THE FLOWERING DOGWOOD for more great recipes! Have a great week!

STOVE TOP HERBED CHICKEN

I was having a very hard time trying to come up with something for dinner tonight.  I looked for recipes and racked my brain.  Finally, I just decided to “wing” it.  I had these beautiful herbs that I did not want to go bad so I knew that I had to incorporate all of them.

Stovetop Herbed Chicken
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bunch fresh parsley
2-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2-4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 green onions or scallions
olive oil

Directions:  Mince all herbs.  Sprinkle (or press) herbs onto both sides of chicken breasts.  Pour olive oil in a large pan.  Cook chicken 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat; turn and cook on the other side.  (Chicken will get a crust on the outside with the herbs).  Cook until chicken juices run clear.

Here’s what you’ll start with:  (Pay no attention to my sink and to the soap on its side-LOL)
Mince the herbs.
Coat both sides of chicken breasts with herbs.
Place chicken in pan and cook until juices run clear.
 Here’s what you’ll end up with:  (Yummy!!)
Of course, dried herbs can be used instead but fresh is best!  I served these with Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary.

CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ OVEN BBQ CHICKEN

OVEN BBQ CHICKEN
Whole chicken pieces cut up, washed and dried
BBQ Marinade (recipe below)
BBQ Seasoning (recipe below)
BBQ Sauce (recipe below)

  • Rinse Chicken well and pat dry.
  • Loosely layer chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour BBQ marinade over and sprinkling BBQ seasoning over each layer.
  • Refrigerate overnight.
  • Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes before you plan to put it in the oven. 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a jelly roll pan with PURE.
  • Place chicken pieces on pan.
  • Generously brush with BBQ sauce.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until cooked through and crisp.
  • Brush with more BBQ sauce.

BBQ MARINADE
2 cloves roasted garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, crushed
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons BBQ seasoning
1/3 cup Champagne vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil (I prefer Canola)

  • Whisk all the dry ingredients together until well blended.
  • Add oil, whisking until dry ingredients are well incorporated.

BBQ SEASONING
1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • Blend ingredients together well.
  • Store in an airtight container.

BBQ SAUCE
2 cups Heinz ketchup
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 packed tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • In a large saucepan combine all the ingredients, stirring to blend.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for an hour, stirring frequently.

This recipe is linked to:
Recipe Swap
Prairie Story’s Recipe Swap Thursday
Fun with Food Friday
Recipes I Can’t Wait to Try  

    Fire Day Friday: Grilled Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce

    I am extremely excited about co-hosting Fire Day Friday with Chris from Nibble Me This!  My name is Jenn from Jenn’s Food Journey and I love to grill….uhmmm, wait… I mean I LOVE to grill…so when Chris asked if I would co-host with him, I was not only honored but ecstatic!!!  A place where I can talk about food being cooked over fire…HEAVEN!!  So I’ll be here every other Friday and if you get lonely and want to come see me between those days, come check out Jenn’s Food Journey, you’ll never know what you might find!  And thanks again to Chris and this amazing community of bloggers on Our Krazy Kitchen!

    Now on to the good stuff!!

    I live in Arizona, so I can grill comfortably all year long.  And I do just that.  My favorite thing to grill:  Chicken!  Some people have a hard time grilling chicken, they tend to over cook it out of fear of under cooking it.  The only way to grill good chicken is to practice, practice, practice!  The more you do it, the better you will get at it.  I don’t want to toot my own horn, but sometimes, I even forget to turn on my timer, I just know by the look and feel that it’s done.  I do not recommend that method though, I have come up with shoe leather a time or two also.  One way to perfect it: use a meat thermometer!  They are every grillers/cooks/chefs must have tool.  When cooked properly, chicken should register an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  Though I always take the chicken off just a tad bit before, as it will continue to cook a little after you have taken it off the fire.

    ANYWAY…I ramble sometimes, sorry!  The chicken…it was fantastic!  Just a simple little spice mix that just always says “barbecue” to me.  Most people have these spices already on hand, so it’s an inexpensive way to end up with a tasty piece of chicken!  And the sauce, well, I’m a self proclaimed sauce girl (or is it saucy girl, I’m not sure), so I LOVED it.  It has the perfect little tang that compliments the slightly spicy chicken.  This is definitely a must try!

    Grilled Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce
    Spice mix created by Jenn’s Food Journey, Sauce adapted from MyRecipes.com
    Printable Recipe 
    Ingredients:
    4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    For the spice mix – 
    1 Tablespoon paprika
    1 Tablespoon brown sugar
    1 teaspoon black pepper
    1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
    1/4 teaspoon onion powder
    For the sauce – 
    1/2 cup mayonnaise
    2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
    1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard (you could use Dijon instead)
    1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
    1/8 teaspoon black pepper
    1 teaspoon horseradish

    Directions:
    In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the spice mix.  Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.  Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken, covering both sides of each piece.  Place on a plate and cover or wrap in plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator for 2-4 hours (you could always do it for longer, it can’t hurt one bit!).

    In another small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce.  Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

    Preheat grill to 400 degrees.  Rub grill grates with oil.  Place each piece of chicken directly over the fire and cover the grill.  Let grill for 5-8 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.  Remove from grill; serve with white barbecue sauce.  Enjoy!

    CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ BLOOD ORANGE CHICKEN

    BLOOD ORANGE TART CHICKEN

    1/4 cup chopped tart dried cherries, diced
    1/2 cup white wine
    12 chicken thighs, skin on
    1 can Kern’s Apricot nectar
    3 tablespoons blood orange vinegar
    3 cloves roasted garlic, minced
    1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin4 tablespoons butter, divided 1 + 3
    salt and pepper to taste

    • Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
    • Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet.
    • Brown chicken, salt and peppering generously and to taste until skin is crisp.
    • Drain fat, reserving any crisp bits to add to next step.
    • Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet.
    • Saute’ onion and roasted garlic.
    • Add cherry pieces, vinegar, wine and apricot nectar – simmer 20 minutes on low.
    • Spray a large baking dish with PURE.
    • Lay chicken pieces in a single layer side by side.
    • Top with onion mixture.
    • Bake uncovered 30-45 minutes uncovered.
    • Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.