Category: RECIPES

ITALIAN GARLIC SUPREME – NUMERO UNO / ROUND TABLE PIZZA COMBO

One of the things we miss most here is our favorite pizza. Round table Pizza has an Italian Garlic Supreme that is our ALL time favorite pizza.  When I was a kid though my favorite was NUMERO UNO, a southern California local favorite.  So I set out to try and recreate both of these and believe I have actually succeeded.

ITALIAN GARLIC SUPREME
1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees ONLY – If it is to hot, it will kill the yeast!

1 package or 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon avocado oil*
1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon corn meal
3 cups flour
TOPPINGS
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup favorite pizza sauce
1/2 pound cooked and crumbled mild Italian sausage
Pepperoni slices
Mozzarella cheese
chopped green onions
chopped tomatoes

*I am probably the only person in the western hemisphere that does NOT like olive oil.  Feel free to substitute it for the avocado oil if you prefer.

  • Add water, sugars and yeast to a bowl and stir well. Let sit 5 minutes until creamy.
  • Add milk, butter, oil, salt and corn meal to yeast mixture and mix with wire-whisk until well blended.
  • Pour into mixer bowl.
  • Add 2 1/2 cups of flour and mix with paddle for 5 minutes on low.
  • Scrape the sides of the bowl and form dough into a ball. Pour remaining flour (1/2 cup) around the outsides. Use dough hook, and mix for 5 minutes on low.
  • Remove dough from mixer and place in a well greased glass bowl large enough to allow the dough to double in size.
  • Place damp towel on top of bowl, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size. (for best results, place bowl in a 180 degree oven – keep the towel damp)
    • Cut dough in half.
    • On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin and roll dough to your desired thickness and shape. If your using a metal pizza pan, or a cookie sheet, lightly grease the surface and sprinkle graciously with corn meal.
    • Place shaped dough on the pizza pan and let rise for 10 minutes.
    • Brush with garlic and oil mixture.
    • Add toppings.  (save green onions and tomatoes for the last 5 minutes)
  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
  • Place pizzas in preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees, and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the pizza looks done.

If you’re only making one pizza you can freeze the other one for up to 3 months. When you are ready to use it, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for at least 12 hours. Bring the dough to room temperature about 30 minutes before stretching out the pizza.

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CROCK POT BUFFALO CHICKEN

My favorite slow cooker took a dive this past week so I ordered a new one and I love it!! My old one was great, it was a west bend with a non-stick surface and griddle base, but was a bit limiting when trying to make say a pot roast.  I did a bit of research and found this one:

It’s only 3.5 quart and has latches for carrying making it perfect for pot lucks AND is the perfect size for two!  It came with a little recipe book and since I woke up with a cold I did a little juggling on my menu and made this recipe.  Because I felt so bad I adjusted it to what I had on hand, which included “GASP” canned soup and I hate to admit it was YUMMY! 

I will make a few additions next time, and there WILL BE a next time, and I will adjust for “REAL” soup base as well as serve it over mashed potatoes instead of the noodles for our personal preference.

CROCK POT BUFFALO CHICKEN
1 can Cream of chicken soup or 1 batch real soup base
1/4 cup bleu cheese or ranch dressing (I used Ken’s Sweet Vidalia Onion)
1/4 cup Cayenne pepper sauce (I used Frank’s original hot pepper sauce)
1 stalk celery, sliced
+1 small onion, chopped
+1 carrot, chopped
4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack (I used half jack, half medium cheddar)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 batch of your favorite mashed potatoes

  • Whisk together the soup, dressing and hot sauce.
  • Fold in carrots, celery, onions and half the cheese.
  • Spread into crock pot base and layer chicken pieces in a single layer.
  • Cover and cook on low 6 hours.
  • With 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.
  • Add remaining cheese and stir well.
  • Serve over prepared mashed potatoes.
  • Enjoy!

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

Fall is here, but we are still having seriously warm weather, like Indian Summer warm weather, but I don’t care.  I WANT SOUP!

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP
2 medium potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1 Sweet Vidalia onion, diced
1 small red pepper, roasted, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups mashed potato flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
3 green onions, chopped (green part only)
sour cream (optional)

  • Preheat oven to 400°. 
  • Bake potatoes one hour or until cooked through. 
  • Remove them from the oven to cool.
  • Roast red pepper until singed on all sides.
  • Set aside to cool.
  • As the potatoes and pepper cool, start soup by melting butter in a large saucepan.
  • Sauté onion until light brown. 
  • Add the flour to the onions and stir to make a roux.
  • Add stock, water, cornstarch, potato flakes, and spices to the pot and bring to a slow boil. 
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • When potatoes are cool enough to touch, but still warm gently peel the skins away and discard.
  • Do the same with the pepper.
  • Chop potato into chunks about 1/2 inch in size.
  • Chop pepper into pieces about 1/4 inch or smaller. 
  • Fold in the potato and pepper pieces to pan as well as the half and half and bring to a slow boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, until desired thickness.
  • Ladle soup into bowls.
  • Top with cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions.
  • For a bit of complete decadence also add the sour cream.

SIMPLE MAC & CHEESE – FLAVOR your way

In most worlds THE comfort food is a good MAC & CHEESE. I believe this is one of the simplest, but yet the MOST flavorful recipes I have ever made.  I simply change the cheese and/or seasoning to match my mood or whatever else I’m cooking.

SIMPLE MAC & CHEESE – FLAVOR your way

2 cups Dried Macaroni or penne for a dressier look
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons All-purpose Flour
1 cup 1% Milk
3/4 cup buttermilk 
OPTIONAL: 2 heaping teaspoons Coleman’s dry mustard (I omit because of allergy)
**1/3 pound smoked Gruyere cheese, Grated
**6 slices thick quality (Tillamook) medium cheddar cheese – 4 slices set aside, 2 broken into pieces
1/2 teaspoon sea Salt,
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Paprika

  • Cook pasta. Pasta should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain WELL.
  • In a small bowl, whisk egg.
  • In a large saucepan, melt butter and sprinkle in flour whisking until smooth and cooking for five minutes, whisking constantly. Do NOT let it burn.
  • Pour in milk, add mustard if using, and whisk until smooth. 
  • Cook for five minutes until very thick.
  • Slowly add 1/4 cup of the sauce into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg whisking until well blended.
  • Pour egg mixture into the sauce, whisking constantly stirring until smooth.
  • Add grated and broken pieces of cheese stirring until melted and well blended.
  • Add salt, pepper, and paprika. 
  • Taste sauce and add more salt/seasoning as needed! DO NOT UNDER SEASON.
  • Fold in pasta until well coated.
  • Spoon into a buttered baking dish, top with cheese, slices.
  • Top with buttered Panko crumbs – optional.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top. 
  • For a dressier look I stir the melted cheddar on top into the mac & cheese and spoon into a serving dish.

**The beauty of this recipe is that you can simply change the flavor by changing the types of cheese and/or the seasoning.

CINNAMON GRANOLA STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

CINNAMON GRANOLA STUFFED FRENCH TOAST serves 4
TOAST
8 slices think bread – your choice

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Toast bread in oven until golden.

FILLING
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered vanilla
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

  • Mix together all the ingredients until smooth.

DRY COATING
3 cups granola, crushed
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon powdered vanilla
1 teaspoon orange zest

  • Place all ingredients in a large ziploc bag.  Using a rolling pin, gently crush the cereal to a coarse bread crumb consistency and then mix all together in a shallow dish for dredging.

WET COATING
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon heavy cream

  • Whisk eggs and cream together. Pour into shallow dish for dredging.

SYRUP
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup PURE maple syrup

  • Whisk zest and syrup together in a small saucepan.
  • Heat under low flame.

ASSEMBLY
2 tablespoons butter

  • In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
  • Spread an even layer of the cream cheese filling over 4 of the toasts.
  • Put tops on each piece making 4 sandwiches.
  • Coat each sandwich in the egg mixture until well coated and then dredge through the cereal coating.
  • Place in pan and cook until golden on each side.
  • Serve immediately with warm syrup.

SPICY PIMIENTO CHEESE

As a kid I hated Pimiento Cheese. What I didn’t realize is what my family put out with crackers was NOT real food LOL. You know the jelly jar cheese spread you find at the grocery store. Jack Allen’s Kitchen serves a small dab of their Pimiento Cheese with a cracker as a nibble before you order and it is fantastic! I even bought a jar to bring home and it was the first recipe I tried from their cook book when it arrived. At home we tried it with all sorts of crackers before deciding a simple Ritz cracker was the best.

SPICY PIMIENTO CHEESE
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 pound Medium Cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
1 large Red Bell Pepper, washed, seeded, roasted and chopped fine
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Sherry Vinegar*
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Vinegar and salt until smooth.
  • Blend in the grated Monterey Jack cheese and grated Cheddar cheese.
  • Fold in bell pepper until well distributed.
  • Chill well.
  • Serve with crackers.

*I didn’t have any so I used Golden Balsamic Vinegar which also worked beautifully

CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN

This started out as Chicken Francaise from Recipe 30.  Then I realized I had forgotten to purchase one ingredient (a lemon so I used a lime) and accidentally purchased something different (cilantro) from what the recipe actually called for which was parsley.  So I did what I always do, I substituted the most likely ingredients and voile’, we have a new recipe. I also don’t like olive oil so I substituted avocado oil. I used significantly more garlic also.  When the chicken was gone I poured the remaining sauce over the carrots and they were really good.

CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN
4 chicken steaks or 2 large breasts, halved
WONDRA flour for dredging
2 JUMBO eggs
1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped fine
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 cup Moscato white wine
1 cup chicken stock
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Avocado oil
4 tablespoons butter
Juice of 1 large lime
Salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat oven to warm.
  • Whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, half of the cilantro and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Pour into a shallow dish large enough to fit a chicken breast.
  • Season eggs with salt and pepper, give them a light beat.
  • In another shallow dish, add the flour and a little more salt and pepper.
  • Heat the Avocado oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat. 
  • Dredge the chicken thoroughly in the flour followed by the egg wash, coating to cover well.
  • Cook on each side about 4-5 minutes (depending on thickness) until golden and cooked through.
  • Remove chicken to warm plate in oven and let rest.
  • Turn the heat up under the same pan and add your wine whisking well.
  • Add the crushed garlic.
  • Add the lime juice.
  • Add the chicken stock.
  • Add the remainder of chopped cilantro.
  • Add the remainder of butter and reduce the sauce for 2 minutes on full heat until it starts to thicken.
  • Return the chicken to the sauce and turn to coat in sauce.
  • Plate chicken immediately and top with sauce.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with CHILE LIME GRAVY & THREE CHEESE BLOOMING POTATO

I’ve been binge watching Junk Food Flip and The Great British Baking Show lately at night trying to play catch up and clean out the DVR list.  I was so happy when Nadiya won The Great British Baking Show this year!  She was so cute and sweet and won so many of the technical challenges and star baker that it was only fitting.  I really liked Flora too, but in the end she just tried too hard to do too much when she should have been focusing more on the specific challenges.

It was an episode of Junk Food Flip that inspired this dish for us.  Bobby Deen was making a piece of fried chicken for a sandwich and to lessen the fat and carbohydrates he used a rice flour and then only the egg whites whisked with hot sauce. It looked and sounded so good that I just had to try something similar.

I was also seeing these blooming potatoes all over Facebook and wondered what they were all about so had to give it a try too – only seemed reasonable with an experimental meal. I used 1 really LARGE potato for the both of us and then split in half after the baking.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with CHILE LIME GRAVY 
          & THREE CHEESE BLOOMING POTATO & SWEET and SOUR TOMATOES

4 chicken steaks (think cut breasts)
1/3 cup rice flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons Frank’s Chile Lime Hot Sauce
fresh ground Salt & Pepper, to taste
1-3 tablespoons butter**

  • Whisk together the flours in a shallow dish for dredging.
  • Whisk egg whites and Frank’s Chile Lime Hot Sauce in another shallow dish.
  • Heat pan with butter or oil over medium high.
  • Pat dry chicken breasts.
  • Generously salt and pepper each breast.
  • Dredge each breast in flour mixture, then egg mixture and then flour mixture again shaking off the excess.
  • Place chicken in heated pan searing the first side for about 5 minutes.
  • Turn chicken and sear other side until cooked through.

CHILE LIME GRAVY
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons rice flour
1 small can green chile sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons heavy cream

  • Melt butter over medium high heat.
  • Whisk in rice flour until smooth and golden.
  • Add chicken broth and green chile sauce alternately, whisking until well blended.
  • Bring to a SLOW boil, backing off to a simmer as soon as it begins to boil.
  • Add heavy cream whisking until well blended and smooth.

BLOOMING POTATO adapted from The Gunny Sack
1 potato per person
avocado oil
butter
salt and pepper
grated medium cheddar
grated Parmesan
grated smoke Gruyere

  • Preheat oven to 425°.
  • Cut the top off of the potatoes.
  • Use a small, thin, flexible knife to cut rings around the inside of the potato.
  • Flip the potato over and make cuts all the way around the potato, leaving a small space at the top uncut. I also put my thumb on the top of the potato and made the cuts around it leaving a small strip of uncut skin. These cuts go all the way through to the center of the potato.
  • Carefully flip the potato back over and place in baking dish.
  • Brush the whole potato with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
  • Bake for 30 minutes of baking. 
  • Pour melted butter into potatoes and brush all around the top.
  • Sprinkle with more sea salt. Return to the oven for an additional 30 minutes. 
  • Add cheeses and return them to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes to melt and toast the cheese.

SWEET & SOUR TOMATOES
1 box cherry tomatoes, halved or cut into thirds if they are large
fresh ground salt & pepper, taste
1 tablespoon sugar
splash avocado oil
1 tablespoon STAR golden balsamic vinegar

  • Toss tomatoes with all the ingredients.
  • Chill.
  • Enjoy.

NOTE: **I use a copper non-stick pan and don’t need much oil at all so adjust for your cooking pan.

SOLE MENUIERE with BALSAMIC BROWN BUTTER LEMON SAUCE

We have been eating more fish and green veggies lately. When I went to Costco yesterday they had some GORGEOUS fresh caught Dover sole that was calling my name.  So I found this recipe over at food network and dinner was perfect. I made only a few changes for our liking and what I had on hand.

The term meunière refers to both a sauce and a method of preparation, primarily for fish. The term meunière itself means “miller’s wife”. So to cook something à la meunière is to cook it by first dredging it in flour. A meunière sauce is a simple rustic preparation of brown butter, chopped parsley, and lemon.

SOLE MENUIERE 
       with BALSAMIC BROWN BUTTER LEMON SAUCE

Total Time: 40 min     Prep: 10 min     Cook: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings

4 (6-ounce) sole fillets, skin removed
2 cups milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons AVOCADO oil
1 cup flour
Salt, pepper
4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
6 tablespoons butter
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
Lemon slices, for garnish

  • Soak fillets in milk for 20 minutes. Remove from milk and pat dry.
  • Generously season fillets with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the avocado oil over a medium high heat.
  • Put flour into a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Dredge fillets in flour, shaking off any excess flour. Dip the fillets back into the milk and then again into the flour. 
  • Place fillets in saute pans and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. 
  • Transfer fillets from pans to a platter, sprinkle with parsley.
  • Wipe the skillet clean and add the butter. 
  • Heat until the butter begins to brown. Add lemon juice and cook a few minutes.
  • Remove from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar. 
  • Pour sauce over fish and serve. 
  • Garnish with lemon slices.

TBY’s COOKIES aka MONSTER COOKIES or KITCHEN SINK COOKIES

My cousin who is quite a few years younger and her husband were in town this week with their 4 young children (ALL boys ages 7 months to 10 – God giver her strength) and we had dinner with them, her dad and another cousin I don’t get to see very often so all was good with that night.  My uncle grilled burgers, I made pasta and potato salads and Jenn brought fruit salad and tater tots for the boys.

While we were setting up Suzy was entertaining the boys and started telling them all about the strange words Jenn made up as a kid for foods – like calling hamburgers hinkleburgers LOL.  When Jenn and her sister, Michelle were little they could not say “m”s.  As a result I became better known as Tby for quite a long time, in fact Suzy (we’re the same age) still calls me that.

Jump to today when I made up a new cookie recipe and I asked hubby what I should call them.  He suggested Monster cookies because they are so full of things, but that name has been done so much as has Kitchen Sink so he suggested Tby’s Cookies.

I’ve also incorporated some unusual techniques to infuse the flavors I wanted.  I hope you give them a try and let me know what you think.  When Jenn was little I visited often. I baked a lot of cookies back then.  I liked walnuts in my cookies, but my uncle hated them so I began grinding the peanuts and incorporating the flour into the cookies for flavor.  HE NEVER CAUGHT ON! LOL

TBY’s COOKIES aka MONSTER COOKIES or KITCHEN SINK COOKIES
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons quick oatmeal flour – see note – this is easy
1 tablespoon peanut flour – see note – this is easy
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (high quality)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

  • Sift the above ingredients together and set aside. 
  • Preheat oven to 350°.

2 cups butter (high quality)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla

  • Cream butter with sugars until smooth and creamy.
  • Add eggs one at a time, blending until incorporated after each one.
  • Add vanilla, blending well.
  • Add flour mixture gradually, blending well after each addition.

Now on to the good stuff!
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup small walnut pieces
1/3 cup caramel baking balls, cut in half (Kraft)
1/2 cup Heath bar pieces
8 ounces dehydrated pineapple, chopped small
1 cup coconut rum soaked golden raisins**

  • Add the above items while the mixer is running.  I like to add a little of each one in a rotating manner so that the ingredients get well dispersed into the dough and there are no big clumps of any one item. ADD THE RAISINS LAST AND SLOW THE MIXER TO THE SLOWEST SPEED TO NOT BREAK THEM TOO BADLY.
  • Drop by small scoop or small spoonfuls to a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silpat on it.
  • Bake 11-12 minutes.

NOTE: Using a cuisinart junior blend oatmeal or nuts until they become powdery.

**About an hour before I plan to bake I pour about 1/4 cup of Malibu Coconut Rum over the raisins and then stir them periodically.  I start draining them as I begin to cream the butter.  While you want nice plump raisins you do not want to add a tone of liquid moisture so draining these well  is a key step.

MEATBALLS MARINARA

I cut this recipe from one of my aunt’s old magazines because it sounded SOOOO good – just simple enough to NOT take ALL day, but flavorful enough to make everyone’s palette stand up and take notice.

The recipe calls for great big meatballs served over pasta which are often better in theory than in practice and while they were tasty I will make twice as many next time at half the size – just personal preference for hubby and I.

Most meatball recipes call for equal amounts of pork and beef, but theirs uses much more beef than pork – a mixture that held its shape well, but allowed for very moist meatballs. I made just a few changes to use what I had on hand and hubby said it was some of the best I ever made.

MEATBALLS & MARINARA serves 8 easily
recipe CHANGES in red

ONION PORTION
1/4 cup olive avocado oil
2 3 onions, chopped fine
1 shallot, chopped fine
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  • Cook onions and shallot until golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Transfer half of onion mixture to large bowl and set aside.

MARINARA PORTION
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup water
4 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil leaf
Salt
1 – 2 teaspoons sugar, as needed

  • Add tomato paste to remaining onion mixture in pot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add wine and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in water and tomatoes, simmering over low heat until sauce is no longer watery, 45 to 60 minutes.
  • Stir in cheese and basil and adjust seasonings with salt and sugar.

MEATBALL PORTION
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread extra sour dough
3/4 cup milk
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck (80 percent lean)

  • Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees.
  • Mash bread and milk in bowl with reserved onion mixture until smooth.
  • Add remaining ingredients, except ground beef, to bowl and mash to combine.
  • Add beef and knead with hands until well combined.
  • Form mixture into 2 1/2-inch meatballs (you should have about 16 meatballs), place on rimmed baking sheet, and bake until well browned, about 20 minutes.
  • Transfer meatballs to pot with sauce.
  • Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over pasta. (Meatballs and marinara can be frozen for up to 1 month.)

TROPICAL PORK KEBABS

I’m continuing yet again with my experimentation streak and another recipe torn from the pages of a magazine.  At least this time I know It was from Cooking Light September 2011. I made a few changes to accommodate my family’s likes and my pantry and am VERY pleased with the final recipe.

Since it’s just the 2 of us I also make two recipes at a time when I need to use the grill – it’s just plain easier! LOL the hard part is making sure that I use the right sauce on the right meat.

TROPICAL PORK KEBABS
1 1/4 cup SMUCKERS apricot PINEAPPLE preserves*
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch pieces
Fresh ground salt and pepper, to taste
PAM

  • Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
  • Place preserves in a 2 cup measure cup and heat on high in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir and heat for another 30 seconds.
  • Stir in soy sauce, lemon juice and garlic.
  • Place 2/3 cup of the mixture in a large Ziploc bag.
  • Add pork to bag and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  • Remove pork from bag, discarding the marinade.
  • Thread pork pieces evenly onto skewers.**
  • Generously salt and pepper skewers.
  • Coat grill rack with PAM.
  • Arrange skewers on hot grill.
  • Baste with a third of remaining sauce.
  • Grill 3-4 minutes.
  • Turn pork over and baste again with another 1/3 of sauce.
  • Grill another 3-4 minutes.
  • Baste with remaining sauce.

*I prefer apricot pineapple, but the original recipe called for apricot only preserves.
** I use Fire wires. They are flexible cable skewers. These are AMAZING!!!!! If you don’t have a set, you NEED a set!