Jul 10

Zesty Grilled Chicken

There is no need to buy a marinade to add great flavor to your chicken. If you do much cooking, you should have most, if not all of the ingredients for this delicious recipe already. A marinade of white vinegar, ketchup and spices add a moist and zesty flavor to your chicken you will love. Add these chicken breast to your next cookout and enjoy!

Zesty Grilled Chicken

6 Tbsp. white vinegar
3 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. ketchup
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/8 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

In a large plastic bag, combine the first 10 ingredients; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally.

Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

Jul 07

Chive Red Potatoes

Peeling a small strip from around each potato adds an artful touch to these simply dressed red potatoes. A quick yet elegant side that can be served any night of the week. Enjoy!

Chive Red Potatoes

2-lbs. small red potatoes
1/3 C. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. minced chives
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Peel a narrow strip around the middle of each potato. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Combine butter, chives, salt and garlic powder in a small bowl. Drain potatoes; drizzle with butter mixture and toss gently to coat.

Jul 01

Refrigerated Dill Pickles

Pickles are another favorite of mine. This is an easy, quick recipe that doesn’t involve the whole canning process. Just over night in the refrigerator. Great for this time of year if you have a garden full of cucumbers, or like to visit your local farmers market. I borrowed this recipe from the blog One Perfect Bite. Enjoy!

Refrigerated Dill Pickles

1 1/2 C distilled white vinegar
1/4 to 1/3 C sugar
4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
3/4 tsp. dill seeds
2 C hot water
2 lbs Kirby cucumbers, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3/4 C coarsely chopped fresh dill
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

Combine first six ingredients in a heatproof bowl. Add hot water and stir until sugar dissolves and liquid is clear. Cool to room temperature.

Place cucumbers, dill and garlic in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Pour brine over all and turn to coat cucumbers. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night, stirring once or twice. Transfer to an air tight container, and store for up to two weeks.

Yields: 1 quart

Jun 27

Almond Poppy Seed Bars

Oh so yummy! These bars are so good it’s hard to just eat one. This time I replaced the milk with buttermilk and loved how moist and tender the cake turned out. Either way they are delicious. Enjoy!

Almond Poppy Seed Bars

2 1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 C milk
1 C oil
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 C. all-purpose flour
4 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Creamy Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 15×10 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat sugar, milk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract at medium speed until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture beating until combined; spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool until slightly warm. Spread Creamy Frosting over warm cake. Cut into squares to serve.
Yields: 30 bars

Creamy Frosting

3 C confectioners’ sugar
1/3 C butter, melted
3 Tbsp. milk

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, butter, and milk; beat at low-speed until smooth.

Jun 21

Baked Mushroom Chicken

Baked mushroom chicken is a great dish for a weeknight dinner, but elegant enough for dinner guest. Flattening the chicken makes it tender, and shortens the cooking time. Enjoy!

Baked Mushroom Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 C. chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/3 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C. sliced green onions

Flatten each chicken breast half to 1/4 inch thickness. Place flour in a resealable plastic bag; add chicken, a few pieces at a time. Seal and shake to coat.

In a large skillet, brown chicken in 2 tablespoons butter on both sides. Transfer to a greased 11×7 baking dish. In the same skillet, saute mushrooms in the remaining butter until tender. Add the broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Spoon over chicken.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheeses and green onions. Bake 5 minutes longer or until the chicken juices run clear.

Jun 17

Green Beans with a Twist

This is a great way to jazz-up your green beans.

Green Beans with a Twist

1 pkg. (16-oz) frozen French-style green beans
1 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 Tbsp. butter
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

In a skillet, saute the beans and mushrooms in butter. Sprinkle with dressing mix, toss to coat. Just before serving, sprinkle with bacon.

Yields: 4-6 servings

Jun 08

Black Bean Salsa

Delicious and healthy! Serve Black Bean Salsa with chips, or with grilled chicken and an ice-cold drink this summer for a healthier and lighter meal. If you don’t care for avocado leave it out. If cilantro isn’t your thing you can substitute with parsley. Enjoy!

Black Bean Salsa

2 (15-oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (17-oz) pkg. frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large avocado, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
1/8 to 1/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro leaves (or parsley)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Cover and chill overnight. Taste and add salt, pepper, or more lime juice as necessary. Serve with tortilla chips as an appetizer, or with grilled chicken breast as a meal.

Jun 04

Pecan-Crusted Salmon

Pecan-crusted salmon has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. Soaking the salmon will help remove the strong taste salmon tends to have. Use whatever you have on hand whether it is milk, half and half, buttermilk, or cream. I also like to use half butter half olive oil instead of the vegetable oil. Using a cast iron pan, I brown the salmon on one side, flip it and immediately put it in the oven. Remember, the cooking time depends on the size of fillets you have. Enjoy!

Pecan-Crusted Salmon

4 salmon fillets (6-oz. each)
2 C. milk
1 C. finely chopped pecans
1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 C. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. seasoned salt
2 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Place salmon fillets in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow dish; add milk. Let stand for 10 minutes; drain. In a shallow bowl, combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar, seasoned salt and pepper. Coat fillets with pecan mixture, gently pressing into the fish.

In a large skillet, brown salmon in oil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a baking sheet. If using a pan that can go to your oven there is no need to transfer salmon. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Jun 01

Marinated Cheddar Cheese

CHEESE….what can I say I love it! I do eat more than I should, but hey I can’t help it. This recipe calls for mozzarella cheese, but I use sharp cheddar. I need more flavor. I upped the sun-dried tomatoes too, because to me the more the merrier. I have made this with dried herbs and fresh, fresh garlic and garlic powder; both are delicious. Served at your next party, guests will love it. Enjoy!

Marinated Cheddar Cheese

1/3 C. olive oil
2-4 Tbsp. chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped basil, or 1 tsp. dried
1 tsp. minced chives
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or 1 clove minced
1 lb. cheddar cheese, cut into 1-in. cubes

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first seven ingredients; add cheese cubes. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish; serve with toothpicks.

Yields: 8-10 servings

May 28

Sweet ‘n’ Sour Coleslaw

Another great summer time side dish. Quick prep, and great flavor. Enjoy!

Sweet 'n' Sour Coleslaw

5 1/2 C. coleslaw mix (14 oz. bag)
1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
1/4 C. sugar
3 Tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large serving bowl, whisk the whipping cream, sugar, vinegar and salt. Add the coleslaw mix to bowl and toss to coat. Chill until serving.