Calling all FOODIES

Happy Monday!

I have a recipe to share that is really outstanding. I went to a friend's house this weekend (just to say hi) and she MADE me try her fish recipe because she knows how much I like spice.

 

So I did. (And ended up eating the entire thing even though I wasn't hungry!)

 

The best part? It's from Weight Watchers.

 

They have great recipes and  I found out that Laaloosh is where you can get them.

This recipe calls for salmon, but my friend said it's just as good with tilapia too!

Chili Glazed Salmon with Siracha Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs salmon, cut into 6 fillets
• 1/3 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 ½ tbsp Siracha sauce
• 1 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise or Vegenaise (skipped--not needed)
• 1/4 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup scallions, diced

Instructions

1. To make chili glaze for the salmon, combine chili sauce, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, and 3 garlic cloves. Mix well.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and spray with an olive oil mister or non-fat cooking spray.
3. Place salmon on baking sheet, and spoon glaze evenly over each fillet. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. While salmon is marinating, make Siracha cream sauce by combining yogurt, mayo, Siracha, lemon juice, salt and remaining garlic clove. Mix well and set aside.
5. Preheat broiler, and spoon any marinade remaining on baking sheet over salmon fillets. Broil salmon without turning until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet.
6. Serve each salmon fillet with a drizzle of the Siracha cream sauce and garnish with green onions.

Delicious! Lo- cal. And great for summer!

I had never heard of Laaloosh before, but I'm going to check out more of their site!

***Also, a quick note: the lovely ladies over at Writing 4 Two will have me for their "Friday Feature" this Friday. I'll be hosting a giveaway of KISSING KENDALL so I hope you can stop by!

Have a great week! And Happy Earth Day!

Have you heard of Laaloosh before?

Don't Judge a Recipe by its Name

Happy Monday!

Can't wait until Thanksgiving this Thursday!
I love it for TWO reasons in particular:

1) it's a no pressure holiday--

I don't have to buy gifts for anyone. I don't have to make sure the house is decorated. No cards. It's just about being grateful--and of course, the FOOD.

I'm all over that.

2) my sister-in-law ALWAYS cooks Thanksgiving.
(My gig is Christmas Eve)

Again. I'm all over that.

The only thing I have to do is show up.
Oh, and bring dessert.

*cough cough*

I happen to be bringing this recipe:

                  Pumpkin Dump Cake

 

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
• 1 10 oz can Evaporated Milk
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted
• 1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans

 

How to Make

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray a 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking/baking spray
3. In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
4. Pour into your prepared pan.
5. Sprinkle your entire box of cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers.
6. Pour your melted butter evenly on top. (I was told NOT to melt it, cut it up and sprinkle on top)
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are lightly browned.

Yeah, I know, couldn't they have called it something else?
Like Pumpkin Oh-So-Good Cake? or Pumpkin Hurry Up and Get in My Belly Cake?

Trust me. Don't judge this cake by its name
THIS IS SO Fantastic!!!!
I'm making homemade whipped cream to go with it.

Whatever you're making or eating, have a Happy THANKSGIVING!!

985 and other things

IN THE NEWS: An inebriated moose trying to get more fermenting apples apparently lost its balance and ended up stuck in an apple tree in Sweden. Read more HERE.

Why 985?

It's a nice number.

Well, that and...I'm on blog post 985!!!!
Thank you, thank you. Hold the applause.
(Actually, now that I think about it, this is blog post 986. But I digress...)

Wow, so many blog posts, so many rambles, so close to 1,000. Hmm...I feel as if I should do some sort of blog post celebration giveaway--ya know, due to my prolificness. Will need to think on this...

On another note, I wanted to give a big shout-out to fellow author Adelle Laudan, who put together a sweet (literally and figuratively) cookbook called Sweet Sunshine: Baking Sweet Memories.

This is a Charity Cookbook, with all proceeds going to the Sunshine Foundation of Canada http://www.sunshine.ca/ Within these pages, several featured authors (including ME) have shared a childhood memory, some pictures of us as little kids, recipes, and a few have written a story, complete with artwork and coloring pages. Recipes include; Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Desserts, Fudge & Smoothies!

It's really a nice cook book. So much so that I plan on doing a giveaway of this around the holidays because I think it'll make a great Christmas gift. So stay tuned!

Before I close out this week, I have to ask, what is your favorite thing to win on blogs? Books, gift certificates, food items, jewelery, or fun gift baskets? Have you won anything on a blog?

A to Z Challenge: V is for...

Ah, the letter V.
Now, I could be all cool and writerly and talk about "voice", but I'm not feeling cool or writerly. :)



Instead, V is for: Vegetarian!



I am not a vegetarian--although I think I easily could be. (The dang meatarian family is holding me back) But I try to cook a few meatless meals a week. Anyway, as I was cleaning out various drawers I found some recipes that I had cut out of the newspaper. (They were yellow so it had been a while)
There was a recipe for Mexican Vegetarian Lasagna so I decided to make it. It was great! In fact, it's even better the next day.


So here it is:

cooking spray
5 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 large egg
16 ounces regular sour cream
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided use
1 bunch green onion (for 1/2 cup chopped)
1 (2 1/4 ounce) can sliced black olives (optional)
Change Measurements: US Metric

Directions:
Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 1 1/4 hr
1 Preheat the oven to 400 F; Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking oil spray; Set aside.
2 Stack the tortillas on a cutting board, and slice through them lengthwise into 3 strips each (The strips will not be uniform because of their circular shape; This is OK) Set aside.
3 Pour the corn and black beans into a colander, and rinse with warm tap water to begin defrosting the corn and rinse the beans; Set aside to drain.
4 In a small bowl, stir together the tomatoes with their juice, the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and sugar; Spoon about half of the sauce into the bottom of the dish; Cover the sauce with 5 of the tortilla strips (it's fine if they overlap somewhat).
5 Break the egg into a medium-size mixing bowl, and beat with a whisk or fork until foamy; Add the sour cream and 1 cup of the cheese; Stir to mix well; Spoon half of the sour cream mixture evenly over the tortilla layer and spread it out with the back of a spoon; Scatter half of the corn and black beans over the sour cream mixture.
6 Place 5 more tortilla strips evenly over the corn and black bean layer; Top with the remaining sour cream mixture, and the remaining black beans and corn; Place the remaining tortilla strips over the dish; Pour the remaining tomato sauce mixture over the tortillas, and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon to moisten all of the tortilla strips.
7 Cover the dish with foil, and bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
8 While the dish bakes, rinse and trim the green onions; Slice the green onions thinly, using all of the whites and enough of the tender green tops to make 1/2 cup; Set aside.
9 If using the black olives, drain them well, and set aside.
10 After baking lasagna, scatter the green onions and olives, if using, evenly over the dish; Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, for 5 more minutes.
11 Remove the dish from the oven, and scatter the remaining cup of Mexican cheese evenly over the dish.
12 Return the dish, uncovered, to the oven, and bake until the cheese melts, about 3 minutes.
13 Remove the lasagna from the oven, and let it stand 10 minutes; Slice into squares and serve.

**The kiddo especially loved this meal!

Do you cook vegetarian? Any good recipes you'd like to share?

A to Z Blogging challenge: Q is for...

Hey, all! I went on a little day trip with the family yesterday, but I'm back now and feeling refreshed. (Bought a new dress too!) Bonus!

Anyhew...back to the challenge:

Q is for: Quail egg!

(Yes, you read right.)

I've eaten quail egg.

Raw quail egg.To clarify, it was a quail egg broken on top of a piece of sushi and eaten all together. So it's not like I just cracked a quail egg in my mouth or something. I mean, sheesh! I have some standards!

But what I'm trying to say is that I enjoy trying different kinds of food. Some might even say I have an adventurous tongue. Hmm...that doesn't sound right, but you know what I mean. To prove my point further, here are some other funky things I've eaten:

Snails ** Escargot, really. But snails are snails no matter what you call them. And they're yummy drenched in all that butter and garlic.

Frog Legs **Tastes like chicken. Really!

Raw octopus** It kind of goes with the whole sushi thing, but this was kind of weird because it was so tough to chew.

Ostrich **When I saw this on the menu at a local restaurant, I had to order it. Or more accurately, I had to have my hubby order it so I could try it. It's been a while, but I don't think it tasted like chicken. Isn't that a surprise?

Buffalo** Hey, when in Montana...

Caviar** I had the cheap stuff and the $$ stuff in all its salty goodness.

Oxtail** Just had this when I was in the Bahamas a few days ago. Tasted like veal mixed with gelatin.

Rabbit** Sorry Bugs Bunny.

Alligator** Now this DID taste like chicken!

Foie Gras** Do you actually know what this is? It's the liver of a duck or goose that's been overly fattened up. Is that the correct phrase? Oh well. Gross, yes. But delicious.

Gefilte Fish** Maybe this isn't interesting if you're Jewish, but since I'm not, I found it very interesting-but only somewhat tasty. Maybe I had a bad batch or something.

Cow Brains** Yes. Cow brains. And I'm ashamed to say, I had it more than once in my life and nobody even held a gun to my head. My mom made this a few times when I was growing up. Kind of strange to see a brain soaking in your kitchen sink when you come home from school, but I think you have to in order to devein it properly.

Okay. I'll shut up now since most of you haven't had breakfast yet. :)



Do you like to try new foods? Eat anything funky lately?

A to Z Blog Challenge: K is for...

Maybe this word goes along with the whole exercise kick I've been on but I'm loving this vegetable right now, so I have to share.

So K is for: Kale!

(I know. You're probably thinking, "For real, Jennifer?" Yes, for real.) LOL

Did you know that Kale is the mother of all vegetables? That Kale is the "queen of greens"? That Kale is a nutritional powerhouse? And that Kale is one of THE healthiest vegetables on the planet?

Well, it is. So there.

Which is why I have been eating so much of lately. That, and the fact that I think it's so tasty. :-) In fact, I've been craving it a lot. (And no I'm not pregnant). But I have been on a kale kick lately. My friend even gave me a great soup recipe that I've been having almost daily for lunch. The best part of this recipe is that there are no real measurements. You just kind of dump everything together. Bonus!

Vegetable Soup with Kale:

Saute in a soup pan, one small white onion, lots of garlic, a few sticks of celery chopped, a few sticks of carrots chopped, and a few sticks of parsnips chopped in a small amount of olive oil.

Once veggies are softened and garlic browned, add a quart of organic chicken broth and 4 cups of water to the mix. Add one can diced tomatoes with juice. Add one head of fresh cauliflower (cut up) Add one head of kale (cut in small pieces) Let all come to boil. Then cover and lower heat and simmer until all veggies are tender.

Voila! You can add some salt, if you want. And I add LOTS of fresh pepper. I LOVE this soup. I eat it a lot. And it's sooooooooooooo good for you too!

Try it!

Have you ever tried kale? Did you know how healthy it is for you?

T-day break!

Well, it's the inevitable that I would have to take a blog break this week to prepare for Thanksgiving.

I'm hosting, so I'm responsible for the turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (homemade of course), creamed spinach, and pecan pie.

My sister-in-law will bring the pumpkin pie.

And my mom is bringing the sweet potatoes and kielbasa.

Um...yes, I said kielbasa

Just like the Pilgrims... LOL

Okay, not really. But I'm half Polish, so it wouldn't be Thanksgiving with a little kielbasa and sauerkraut on the table. Just one those little things that make our turkey day a little unique. Along with my family famous pecan pie!

How about you? Does your family have a special food tradition for Thanksgiving?

PS. This is my last post for the week. If I don't get a chance to wish you a happy holiday on your blog, I'll say it now.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

And see you next Monday!

Quick Meal Ideas for Writers #2

MOOD STATUS: "Bleh". Feeling yucky since Sunday. No real symptoms--headaches and tired a lot. Just...BLEH.

This is what I had for dinner last night--and last Sunday. What can I say? I love salmon and this recipe is so easy and tasty. (PS. the kiddo gobbles it up)

And the best part? It takes like 10 minutes.

Ginger-glazed Salmon

1Tbsp dark brown sugar (although I have used light brown sugar and it's just as good)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 salmon fillets ( 1/2 inch thickness and about 1 1/2 lbs total)

Preheat broiler to high.
Line broiler pan with tin foil and spray a little cooking spray on top.

Mix sugar, mustard, soy sauce, and ginger in bowl. Make little shallow cuts across salmon (this will speed up cooking and let the glaze settle into the fish) Brush salmon with brown sugar mixture and broil about 5 or 6 minutes or until fish is flaky and done.

**note: sometimes my fish is thick, so I broil a few minutes without the glaze then brush glaze and broil the 5 minutes on top of that so it's done**

Serve with a side of rice and a nice salad.

Oh, you're welcome. :)

Now go write and have a nice weekend!

Quick Meal for Writers on the Go #1

IN THE NEWS: Would-be teen robber asks clerk not to tell mom. Read more HERE.

I haven't posted a recipe here in AGES, which is a shame because I've been trying a lot of good ones lately.
But I figured it was about time to find some really good quick ones here. Because if you're like me, you like to eat. But again, if you're like me, you don't want to waste a lot of time cooking when you'd rather be writing.

(or reading blogs)

Anyhew... My family and I LOVED this one and it only took 20 minutes. Yes.

20 minutes!!! If you can't spare 20 minutes to whip up a nice meal, you need to loosen up your schedule a bit. :) And it only takes 4 ingredients.
Okay, 9 ingredients, but 4 main ones. :)

Here it is:

Cajun Shrimp and Rice (courtesy of the Food Network Magazine)

1 tBsp butter
2 tBsp olive oil
3 gloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Cajun seasoning (I actually used Tony Chachere's creole seasoning).
1 pound large shrimp, peeled & deveined
salt & pepper
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 bunches scallions, chopped
3 cups cooked rice
few tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the butter, olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Add the Cajun seasoning and shrimp and cook, stirring, until the shrimp begin to curl, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes and scallions to the skillet and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the rice and 1/4 cup water and continue to cook until the rice is warmed through and the shrimp are opaque, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the parsley.

Voila! Makes 4 servings.

My seven year-old gobbled it, clean up was a piece of cake since it was only one skillet, I was adored by my hubby, and in the end I had more time to write.

Don't you just love a happy ending? :)

Keep the Cookies Coming!

Good news! You still have until midnight tonight to enter my cookie swap contest!

I know. You don't want to part with your old great aunt's cookie recipe, right? Well, I'm sorry, but it's time.

So if you DO decide to share the recipe, post HERE and let me know what kind of cookie.

Thanks to all who entered so far! They all sound so delicious!!

Good luck!

A Break...and a Cake!

IN THE NEWS: Ohio man dressed as Breathalyzer accused of DUI. Read more HERE.

I'm officially on break. (Until Monday) :)

The kiddo is off from school (teacher's convention) and the hubby is taking a half day, so we're going to spend some time doing...something. Not sure what yet, but we are going out to breakfast now. Woo-hoo!

So I'm leaving you with a cake recipe. Carrot Cake to be exact.

I made this last weekend for my church's luncheon. I was asked to bake the cupcakes. I said, "Sure!"

72 cupcakes and 6 hours in the kitchen later...I began thinking, "WHY did I say 'sure'?"

But they were a huge hit! I even colored some of the frosting and made little "carrots" on top.
So cute!

Anyway here's the recipe:

Carrot Cupcakes
Bake in preheated oven 325 degrees for 45 minutes for cake layers and 35 minutes for cupcakes.

1 1/4 cups canola oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups grated carrots (about 1 pound)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raisins (I omitted because I forgot to buy them and I wasn't going back out again)

Combine sugar, oil and eggs. Sift flour, soda, salt and cinnamon, add to the sugar mixture and beat well. Add vanilla, carrots, pecans and raisins. Bake in 3 - 8" layer cake pans which have been well greased.
( Made over 24 cupcakes in regular size cupcake pans lined with cupcake papers.)

Amanda's Cream Cheese Frosting for Carrot Cake
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
6 cups 10X sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Have a great weekend!

Cool Food Link!

MOOD STATUS: "Productive". Checking off a lot on my "to be done" list this week. :)

Somebody sent me this link and I thought it was neat. Especially because I'm one of those people who obsess over shelf life dates. What do "sell before" dates really mean? I mean, if I buy it on that date how much longer do I have to eat it? Ugh.

I just want a simple "do not eat beyond this date or you will go blind" sticker. Very simple. Is that so hard?

Well, this site answers all your worrywart questions about food and storage: http://www.stilltasty.com/

Here are some sample questions answered there:

Can You Safely Drink Milk After the Sell-By Date?

Are Eggs Still Safe After the Expiration Date?

Should You Store Bread on the Counter or in the Fridge?

I Left Pizza Out Overnight - Is It Still Safe to Eat?

Should You Eat Steak That's Turning Brown?

Does Olive Oil Last Longer if You Store it in the Fridge?

Is Bottled Water Still Safe To Drink After the Expiration Date?


Check it out!

It's So Easy Eating Green...

IN THE NEWS: "Pair trying to catch fish net $87,000 in cash." Read more here.


<-- This looks bad but it's a food addiction of mine--Salsa Verde.

I spoke about my favorite food-- Salsa Verde --in January. Well, I'm afraid I haven't kicked the habit. I still eat this stuff as if it were chocolate wrapped in chocolate. But I recently ran into a problem. I haven't see Pace brand Salsa Verde is MONTHS!

Was this stuff taken off the market? (Don't tell me if it was)

It's okay. I've taken up making my own anyway. I found out there's a Latino market right in my very own town. Lucky me! Yep, and it only costs me $1.50 to get a pound of tomatillos and 2 jalapeno peppers.

What's a tomatillo, you ask? (See below) They look like green tomatoes but have a papery husk.

Anyhew, I've made this salsa three times last week. I couldn't keep it on hand for longer than a day. It's so good with tortilla chips. And I especially like it over chili.

Here's the recipe:

Salsa Verde

1 pound of tomatillos
2 jalapenos with the seeds removed cut into strips
1 cup of coarsely chopped onions
1 cup of loosely packed cilantro
1 lime for juice
Salt to taste
2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Heat a non stick fry pan with a little PAM or vegetable oil and saute everything but lime juice and cilantro. When tomatillos soften and onions begin to brown, remove and place in food processor or blender. Add cilantro and lime juice. Blend until chopped but still has body. Season with salt. Then devour.

I LOVE it!

Are you a salsa fan?

Lobstah Roll

MOOD STATUS: "Upbeat". My jury duty service is done! (For at least three years)

No, I didn't make a mistake with my post title. I meant to spell lobster as lobstah. And if you lived up in New England for any length of time, I would not need to explain why. :)


I actually made my own lobster rolls the other day. Lobster was $4.99 lb at the supermarket so after I was assured that they would steam them for me and I would not have to deal with them live, I bought some.


PS. That's a cheap as all get out price for lobster, folks!

Anyhew... if you've never had a lobster roll, well, I'm sorry. So here's a great recipe, so you can make it for yourself at home. My little one loved it, too!

Lobster Roll

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped celery (from 1 to 2 celery stalks)
1 pound freshly picked lobster meat, chilled and chopped into chunks, or 5 pounds live lobsters, steamed and meat removed
1/2 c good quality mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 hot dog buns

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the lobster meat, celery and mayonnaise and gently toss until well mixed. Season with the salt and pepper and chill for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight) before serving.
Preheat a large heavy skillet over medium flame. Lightly butter both sides of each bun and cook for 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. (The buns may also be toasted under a broiler or grilled.) When toasted, stuff them with the chilled lobster salad and serve immediately with mixed greens on the bun.

YUM!

This USA Today article goes on to say how prices on lobster have dropped.
So now's your time to eat up!

When was the last time you've had lobster?

Fun Food!

IN THE NEWS: "Did Mexico beat it? Fans go for 'Thriller' record." Read more HERE.

Can playing games be any more fun?

Apparently not since some classic board games are now edible!

Monopoly: I was never a huge fan of this one. But adding chocolate playing pieces could definitely entice me into playing a round. This one will be sold at Target.com in November, too.

Scrabble: Scrabble cheese crackers! There combining two of my favorite things here. And there's a game board on the back of the box. How clever!

Operation: No dexterity tests or anxiety-producing buzzers in this one. Just fun fruit snacks.

Hey, I don't know about you but I want to know where the edible Candy Land game is. :)

I personally think that would be a HUGE hit.

I'm not much for regular board games. Probably because I STINK at them. But the game Apples to Apples is growing on me--even though I still haven't won a single game.

What's your favorite board game?

Grilled Chicken with Mango-Pineapple Salsa

IN THE NEWS: Ill. man faces 6 months in jail for yawning. Read more HERE.

RECENT IPod Download: "Barracuda" by Heart

My brother and his family are coming to dinner on Saturday. Yay!!
I thought I should share this recipe since this chicken and mango meal has been my new summer "people are coming to dinner and I need to really wow them" dish. :)

(Luckily, I don't have a mango allergy like I thought I did, so I'm safe eating this. Whew!)

Grilled Chicken w/ Mango-Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
Salsa: (I double the salsa ingredients even though it serves four because I eat a lot of it)
2/3 cup diced peeled ripe mango (1 medium)
2/3 cup diced fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Chicken:
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup pineapple juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Dash of crushed red pepper
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. To prepare salsa, combine first 8 ingredients. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. To prepare chicken, place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Combine pineapple juice and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.
3. Prepare grill.
4. Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done.
5. Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 5 minutes). Drizzle over chicken. Serve salsa with chicken.

I serve it with a side of brown rice and grilled green and red bell peppers.

YUM!!!!
PS. My daughter LOVES this dish-- but she practically drowns the rice in soy sauce. :)

Do you have a dish you especially like to make for company?

Blueberry Coffee Cake!

IN THE NEWS: Man claims he found condom in French onion soup. Read more here.


Tis the season for blueberries! And there's nothing like fresh blueberries where I live. They're super cheap now, too. I've been buying them by the tons and freezing them. (I've been doing the same thing with corn, too)

Anyhew, I found a recipe in one of my old Cooking Lights for a blueberry coffee cake and decided to make it since I had so many blueberries. Well, my hubby and mother went completely wild for it.

It's easy to make and so good in the morning with a cup of coffee. :)

Here it is:

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla, egg, and egg white; beat well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.
4. Spoon half of the batter into a 9-inch round baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup blueberries. Spoon remaining batter over the blueberries; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup blueberries. Sprinkle the top evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Dessert for a Crowd

MENTAL STATUS: "Tired". Still trying to play email and house catch-up.


I made a fantastic dessert for July Fourth: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding. I also happened to make this for "cousin's weekend", too, and let me tell you it was a real crowd pleaser!

As far as what my friends and family know, the recipe is my own, but in actuality I got it from author Holly Jacobs. But it's been over a year and I've made this thing many times that it's now become MINE.
(Either way, I'm sure she won't mind me sharing it) :)

WARNING: This dessert is RICH and fatty-fat fattening. (which is probably why it's so good)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding

Ingredients:
1 bag Oreo cookies
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 & 1/2 c peanut butter
1c powdered sugar
2 boxes instant chocolate pudding
1 giant tub Cool Whip
1 box instant vanilla pudding
4 & 1/2 c milk


Crush half a bag of Oreos, and line the bottom of a trifle bowl (or you can use a 9X13 pan).

Take cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sugar beat. Fold in a little more than a third of the giant tubs of Cool Whip. Add to pan/bowl. Crush and add 1/4 of the package of Oreos.

Take two boxes of instant chocolate pudding. Add only three cups (instead of four) of milk, beat. Fold in another 1/3 of Cool Whip. Add to pan/bowl.

One box of instant vanilla pudding, 1 1/2 cups of milk (not two). Beat. Fold in the last 1/3 of Cool Whip. Add to the top of chocolate pudding.

Top the dessert with the remaining 1/4 of the Oreos...crushed. Refrigerate for at least two hours

Easily serves 16-18 of the most fanatic peanut butter fans. :)

YUMMO!

Avocado Salsa!

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I'm one of those people who mangle perfectly good unsuspecting food magazines when I get excited over a recipe. I rip recipes out and immediately stash them like a squirrel with nuts into my recipe file. (Yes, I have a recipe file. Many recipe files, actually. Color coded, too)

Last weekend the hubby informed me that we were having last minute guests over. Eeep. In my frenzy to be a good hostess, I quickly checked my recipe file, saw I had all the ingredients for a certain appetizer, and immediately got to work.

That's how I found this little treasure: Avocado Salsa.
It's from my June 2008 of Cooking Light. And oh man, is it ever good. Actually, good is too tame a word.

It's excellente!
(Unless you happen to be allergic to avocados. In which case, you have my undying sympathy)

Here's the recipe anyway:

Avocado Salsa

2 cups finely chopped onion (I used red onion)
3/4 c finely chopped red bell pepper
3 TBsp olive oil
3 TBsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 avocados, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped seeded plum tomatoes
2 TBsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp pepper sauce

Combine first 9 ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours. Stir in avocado and rest of ingredients just before serving.
* I served it with blue corn chips

I'm making it again for Memorial Day. It's just THAT good.

Have a great weekend!

Black Bean Burgers!

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I'm not a vegetarian but I could easily be one. EASILY!! If only it wasn't for my meat-loving family bringing me down, that is.

I guess I've been pushing my luck recently with all my veggie meals, because my hubby told me that although he liked this recipe for black bean burgers I made, he was feeling crotchety since this was the second meatless dinner I served him in the past two days.

Ooops.


Anyhew, I thought this recipe I tried was VERY tasty. And the "burgers" really held together nicely, like a real hamburger. Of course, I served it with sweet potato fries to really send my family over the edge. LOL!



Black Bean Burgers

2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice (I used basmati since I LOVE basmati rice and it's what I had on hand)
1/8 c walnuts (OMITTED since the kiddo is allergic)
1/4 c roasted red pepper
1 med onion (I used 1/2 med red onion)
1 bunch cilantro
3 TBsp chopped basil
2 TBsp FRESH lemon juice
5 cloves garlic, roasted (I sauteed them with the onions for a little bit)
1 TBsp cumin
1 TBsp paprika
1 TBsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste



Combine all in a food processor and coarsely chop. Shape mixture into patties. Heat olive oil in skillet over high heat. Brown patties on both sides (2 to 3 min). Serve on bun with fixings.

Yum!
Better than a real burger.
(For me, anyway) :)