Easy Barbecued Chicken

I really like chicken when it’s cooked on the grill, not that I actually do it ~ Bill is the master of that.  It always turns out delicious and he says the secret to basting it is to not add the sauce until near the end of the cooking time or else the chicken will burn before it is cooked through.

This is a recipe I use frequently for the basting sauce.  It makes grilling the chicken quick and easy as it does not need marinade time.  It turns out juicy delicious every time!

The sauce is a cinch to throw together; tasting spicy with a little heat, making for a good barbecued chicken meal.  And it might be worth it to make extra chicken to have on a sandwich the next day or to toss in a salad. 

Easy Barbecued Chicken

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon hot sauce

½ teaspoon garlic powder

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Method:

Place chicken on grill and cook a few minutes on each side until no longer pink.

Mix remaining ingredients and baste chicken near end of cooking time.

Serve

ENJOY!!!

Visit my friend Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Cherry Clafouti ~ Bon Appétit!

I’ve never even tasted it, much less baked it but I have seen recipes for cherry clafouti countless times.

As you can see, my blog header has cherries on it so I obviously really like cherries and “red” also.  I had 15 pounds remaining in the freezer and made some more jam with most of it.  Then along came the magazine…

By being on the cover of the June issue of "Bon Appétit," Gwyneth Paltrow has done something few people have done. The Editor-in-Chief says they do it a few times a year with the right person and of course, he/she has to love food to bag the honor.  It’s an interesting article about Gwyneth and her passion for cooking; except, that isn’t really what attracted me to this issue. 

What naturally drew me in was the article with all the recipes for cherries, especially the clafouti.  Since I’ve never made cherry clafouti I wanted to attempt it though, I’m not sure I would make the dessert again ~ there are a plethora of cherry recipes out there!

I used red-tart cherries from a Wisconsin orchard but you can use Bing, Brooks, Early Burlat, Garnet or Rainier cherries.  As it’s close to the season, here’s the recipe that would be good for using fresh cherries, if you favor clafoutis:

Cherry Clafouti

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted or frozen pitted cherries, thawed, drained

1 cup whole milk

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

4 large eggs

½ cup flour

½ cup sugar

¾ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon kosher salt (I used ¼ teaspoon table salt)

Powdered sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter 10” springform cake pan or eight 2/3 or ¾ cup ramekins or custard cups.

Arrange cherries in a single layer in pan.

Combine milk and cream in a small saucepan.

Bring just to a simmer over medium heat.  Set aside.

Combine eggs, flour, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl.

Whisk to blend.

Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture; whisk until custard is smooth.

Pour custard evenly over cherries in pan. 

Bake clafouti until custard is set and top is golden brown, about 45-55 minutes for cake pan or 30 minutes for ramekins.

Let cool 3 minutes, then run a knife around pan sides to loosen clafouti (if using a cake pan).

Dust top with powdered sugar, cut into wedges and serve.

Note:  Clafouti is traditionally made with unpitted cherries for added flavor.  Leave the pits in if you like; just remind your guests!

Bon Appétit!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

My Dad and Father's Day Humor

My Dad with his grandson, Billy ~ February, 1971

My Dad with his grandson, Matt ~ 1974

  

I want to take time on this special day to remember my wonderful dad, Bud French, who passed away on February 15, 1994 and to wish my loving husband Bill, Happy Father’s Day!  

And, I wish a Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and others out there who are helping to guide kids on their way ~ keep on keepin’ on and have a fantastic day!

Macaroni Gruyère and Parmesan with Bacon

Macaroni and cheese is delicious but macaroni and cheese with bacon is decadently delicious!
 

We all know the way to a man’s heart:  through his stomach!  And what man doesn’t like macaroni and cheese?  So here is a good treat for that special man in your life, be it your husband, father, brother, uncle, grandpa or boyfriend!  You can show him how much you care and satisfy his appetite by cooking the food that he loves on Father's Day this Sunday.  

Gruyère melts smoothly and has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor that blends perfectly with Parmesan’s buttery, nutty flavors. Add the succulent, smoky bacon to the mix and it turns the macaroni into a mouthwatering dish.  This is a creamy savory macaroni and cheese main dish or side dish.

Be ready for a forkful of cheesy goodness when this comes out of the oven!  It had us saying, “Ah!!!” and I hope it will have the same affect on you and your loved ones!

 

Macaroni Gruyère  and Parmesan with Bacon

Ingredients:

4 strips bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips

8 ounces macaroni

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon dried mustard

4 cups milk

4 cups (12 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Chives for garnish, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Fry bacon until crisp.  Drain and set aside.

Cook macaroni according to package directions.  Drain well.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter.

Add flour and dry mustard to make a simple roux.

Stir in garlic.

Slowly pour milk into mixture, stirring constantly.

Add cheeses, except for ½ cup of Parmesan and blend well until mixture is smooth.

Scoop in cooked macaroni and coat well with the cheese and milk mixture.

Fold in crisp bacon strips.

Season with salt and pepper.

Pour mixture into 3-quart casserole that is coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle with reserved Parmesan.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serves 4-6

Yum!  It’s great with Gruyère, Parmesan and smoky bacon!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Sriracha Beef Stir-Fry with Broccoli and Cauliflower

I made this last night and it’s a winner! Stir fry is always a good option for a quick filling meal and we really liked the combination of the vegetables, beef and sauce in this dish. 

Sriracha Chili Sauce is a little tangier, sweeter and thicker than most hot sauces so adjust the amount to cut down the “heat.”  Freeze the beef for several minutes if it is hard to slice.  Be sure not to overcook the vegetables since they will be simmering in the sauce later with the beef.  Substitute chicken for the beef, that’s good also; add red bell peppers for color and a little more flavor.

This is satisfying and mighty tasty:   much better than take-out and you know exactly what is in it!

Sriracha Beef Stir-Fry with Broccoli and Cauliflower

Ingredients:

2 cups rice

1 pound boneless top sirloin steak or flank steak, cut into thin slices

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon Sriracha Chili Sauce

2 tablespoons oil, divided

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

3 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 cups broccoli florets

1/3 cup onions, chopped

¼ cup water

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Cook rice according to package directions.

While rice cooks, combine beef with 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and sugar. 

Stir together remaining vinegar and soy sauce with beef broth, cornstarch and Sriracha sauce.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add beef mixture; sauté 3 minutes or until browned.

Remove beef from skillet and set aside.

Add remaining oil to skillet.

Add ginger and garlic to pan, cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add cauliflower, broccoli, onions and water; cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add beef mixture and broth mixture.

Cook for 2-3 minutes until beef is heated well and sauce is thickened.

Add salt and pepper, if desired.

Serve beef mixture over rice.

4 servings

Have a great dinner tonight (maybe this?)!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway! 

Lima Beans Stewed with Jalapeños

I wish I could take credit for this dish; however, it is one of Stephen’s creations over at The Obsessive Chef.  I’ve been following his blog for a long while and I can tell you he has created many unique dishes.   Stephen previously lived in Denver where Tucker Shaw, food editor for the Denver Post, lauded the obsessive home cook and his food blog.  Be sure to check out his novel blog!

My favorite vegetable might just be lima beans but, it wasn’t always so:  Growing up, Mom had many dinner parties and this particular evening, one guest at the dinner table, a couple of years older than myself, caught my attention.  All I remember of the evening is her chowing down on Mom’s lima beans.  I was mesmerized as I thought this was one of the worst veggies on earth and, how could she stand eating those disgusting things?

Some time later, Mom served us lima beans for dinner and I was baited, remembering Carols’ devouring them.  A taste led to a serving of them and I’ve never turned them down since.  Then I graduated to Mom’s succotash at Thanksgiving time.  

I usually just cook lima beans in a little water and serve with salt and pepper so this recipe of Stephen’s intrigued me since I knew I would’ve never considered adding jalapeño peppers to the beans.  It was delicious ~ Bill and I both liked it.  The jalapeños added a little fire and stewing them in chicken broth added rich flavor.  I used a fresh jalapeño pepper, nice and spicy; no cilantro here though.  I still haven’t learned to like that!

Here’s Stephen’s recipe:

Lima Beans Stewed with Jalapeños

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs olive oil

1 16 oz bag frozen limas, thaw them

1/2 cup chicken stock

6 oz can jalapeños (I used 1 fresh, chopped)

salt and pepper to taste

cilantro for garnish

hot sauce for garnish (optional)

This is super easy. Heat the butter and oil Add the beans and stock and cook at a low simmer for 20 minutes. Add the jalapeños, salt and pepper and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve up with cilantro and hot sauce. This is true comfort food.

Thanks, Stephen!  This is a keeper for sure!

Visit my friend Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Chiles Rellenos

Here’s a great Mexican dish that takes some time to make but is worth every minute of it. This is the first time I’ve made chiles rellenos and they turned out really tasty with a little heat so this recipe is a keeper for me.

Poblano chiles are used in the recipe but, Anaheim or ancho (dried poblano) could be used as well.  They are charred and then their skins are removed.  After being coated in a batter, they are stuffed with cheese, fried and then baked.  The chiles are pan-seared instead of deep fried.

While speaking of chile peppers, I came across an interesting and informative book about them:  The Great Chile Book by Mark Miller.  It describes the varieties, regions where they are grown, degrees of hotness (1-10) and includes photos of more than 90 fresh and dried chiles with many recipes.

Back to this recipe ~ it was in “Cooking Light” magazine and I made a couple of changes.  The recipe called for ¼ cup cilantro to be added to the tomato salsa; I don’t care for cilantro so omitted it.  It included reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, I used regular because I had that on hand.

Charred

Skinned, remove seeds

Fried, ready to bake

I really like the salsa in this dish!  With using medium salsa verde, there is a little heat; if you like more heat, use the hot.  It’s a great recipe and I hope you give it a try if you like chiles rellenos!

Chiles Rellenos
Adapted
Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1¼ cups coarsely chopped onion
2 cups chopped tomatoes
½ cup low-sodium salsa verde
¼ teaspoon salt
4 poblano chiles
1 cup (4-ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 tablespoons goat cheese, divided
3 large egg yolks
3 large egg whites
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cornmeal
¼ cup canola oil

Method:

Preheat broiler to high.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium
high heat.
Add onion, sauté 4 minutes.
Stir in chopped tomatoes, salsa verde and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Cook 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.
Place tomato mixture in food processor and process until
smooth.  Set aside.
Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Broil 3 inches from heat for 8 minutes or until blackened and
charred, turning after 6 minutes.
Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly.
Let stand 15 minutes.

Peel and discard skins.

Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile; discard seeds, leaving
stems intact.
Spoon ¼ cup Jack cheese and 1½ teaspoons goat cheese in
cavity of each chile.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly beat egg yolks in a small bowl.

Place egg whites in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high
speed until stiff peaks form.
Fold egg yolks into egg whites.
Combine flour and black pepper in a shallow dish.
Place cornmeal in another shallow dish.
Dredge poblanos in flour mixture, and dip into egg mixture.
Dredge in cornmeal.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot;

reduce to medium heat.
Add coated poblanos to oil.
Cook 6 minutes or until crisp, turning to cook on all sides.
Place chiles on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8
minutes or until cheese melts.
Serve with salsa.

Buen apetito!

Visit my friend Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Jerk Pineapple Pork Chops and Awards

Fresh pineapple is my favorite sweet, sunny fruit and always reminds me of the pineapple plantations we saw in Hawaii ~ not to mention the Pacific Ocean, beaches, palm trees and Hilo Hattie.

During Colonial days, the striking visual attractiveness, the rarity and the expense of the pineapple made it the ultimate exotic fruit.  It was served only on special occasions and quickly became a symbol of hospitality.  

This recipe is from our local newspaper, The Northwest Herald.  It combines the jerk seasoning with pork chops and pineapple.  In Jamaica, the jerk method of cooking involves seasoning meat with a sweet-hot secret mixture of peppers, spices and herbs, then slowly cooking them.  The blend of allspice and thyme in this recipe captures the taste of the islands perfectly.

Its Jamaican jerk, made with thick, juicy pork and succulent fruit.  Pineapple has a meatier side and if you like flavorful dishes, this sweet and savory dish is for you! 

Jerk Pineapple Pork Chops 

Ingredients: 

1 small pineapple 

1 bunch scallions, sliced cross-wise into 1-inch pieces 

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded 

2 teaspoons dried thyme 

4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled 

1½ teaspoons ground allspice 

4 bone-in pork chops 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

2 teaspoons olive oil 

Method: 

Cut four ½-inch-thick rounds from pineapple; set aside. 

Cut remaining pineapple into large chunks, discarding core. 

In a food processor, combine pineapple chunks, scallions

chile, thyme, garlic and allspice and pulse until coarsel

chopped. 

Reserve ¾ cup pineapple marinade and refrigerate. 

Season pork with salt and pepper and place in a 9-by-13-inch

glass baking dish along with pineapple rounds. 

Top pork and pineapple with remaining pineapple marinade 

and turn pork and pineapple to coat. 

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 4 hours). 

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over

medium-high. 

Working in two batches, brush pineapple mixture off pork 

and cook chops until browned and cooked through, about 20

minutes per batch, flipping once. 

Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. 

Brush pineapple marinade off pineapple and cook rounds

until golden brown in spots, about 5 to 7 minutes, flipping

once. 

Serve with pork and reserved pineapple marinade. 

It’s tropically delicious!!!

Now it’s award time:  Times flies and a while back my Cajun friend, Marguerite at Cajun Delights, presented me with these 8 awards.  I thank Marguerite and am honored that she chose my blog.  Marguerite not only posts great Cajun recipes, she has music and dancing videos also.  If her blog is new to you, you should check it out!  

I am supposed to pass these 8 awards rolled into one off to 15 of my favorite foodie bloggers.  So I am going to pass them on to these great people who inspire me with their winning recipes, and writing, and who are supportive of me with their comments.  Here they are, in no particular order: 

Martha @seasidesimplicity 

Betty @scrambledhenfruit 

Larry @bigdudesramblings 

Kathy @thesugarqueenbakes 

Lynda  @lyndasrecipebox 

Biren @rotinrice 

Rita @sagecuisine 

Judy @atastythought 

Lyndsey @tinyskillet 

Kristy @kristygourmet 

Jeannie @chinadoll-bakingdairy 

Claudia @pegasuslegend-whatscookin 

Carol @theresalwaysthyme 

Linda @mykindofcooking 

Dave @bigdaddydavesbitsandpieces 


Please visit them all and let them know I sent you!  Thanks for stopping here, and have a wonderful day!