Orange-Grilled Chicken with Herbs

1 tsp orange peel (grated)
2 cloves garlic (pressed)
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp black pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 lb chicken breasts
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl to make the herb mixture.  Take each chicken breast and slip your fingers between the skin and flesh of the chicken, leaving the skin attached.  Slide some of the herb mixture under the skin of each breast, pulling the skin back over each breast when finished.  Prepare an outside grill with an oiled rack set 4" above the heat source.  On a gas grill, set the heat to high.  Mix together the orange juice, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.  Grill the chicken breasts for 3 - 4 minutes on each side, turning once and basting with the orange juice mixture, until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the skin before eating.

Canning

I recall seeing my grandmothers and my mom can fruits, vegetables, pickles, jams and jellies, but for the life of me, I wouldn't know how to do it.

I found the following instructions in my grandma's recipe binder.

Pack prepared food into hot jars, leaving head space (1/2" to 1" below the top of the jar rim)
Carefully run a wooden spoon down through the ingredients to remove trapped air
Wipe the jar rims with a damp cloth to remove food from the rim
Place a cap on each jar
Screw the lid onto the jar - do not over tighten
Place jars on a canning rack and drop into canner filled with hot water.
Jars should be covered by 1 - 2"
Cover with lid and bring to a boil.  Boil for the time stated in your recipe.
Turn off heat and remove jars from water.  Place on a dish towel and allow to cool for hours
Check seals.  Lids should be lowered in the middle and not move up or down when you lightly press them.

Blueberry Cinnamon Jam Recipe

3 pints fresh blueberries or 1 quart frozen berries
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
grated zest of 1 medium sized orange
2 medium-size sticks whole cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan.  Bring mixture to a boil and turn down heat to a slow simmer.  Continue cooking for 30 minutes until a small ball forms when dropped in a dish of ice water.

Pour immediately into hot sterilized pint jars and seal.  Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes or cool and store in refrigerator.

Yukon Gold and Sweet Potato Mash

1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 1/2" chunks)
1 lb sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 1/2" chunks)
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Place potatoes and sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until very tender when pierced with a fork ( 20 - 25minutes).

Drain the potatoes, then mash them in the pot to desired consistency.  Place milk and butter in a small bowl and microwave on high until the butter is mostly melted and the milk is warm (30 - 40 seconds).  Alternatively, place in a small saucepan and heat over medium until the milk is warm.  Stir the milk mixture, sugar, salt and pepper into the mashed potatoes until combined.

Tropical Chicken with Grilled Pineapple

In a zip-top bag, combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp grated ginger , 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp red pepper flakes, and 2 Tbsp canola oil.

Marinate 8 pieces bone-in chicken (breasts, legs, and thighs) in the mixture in the fridge for 3 - 8 hours.  Heat grill to medium and discard marinade; grill chicken skin side down over direct heat for 5 - 6 minutes.  Turn and cook 6 - 8 minutes more.

Slice 1 peeled pineapple into 1/2" rings and sprinkle each with 1/2 tsp sugar.  Grill, turning once, until marked and just soft, about 3 minutes; serve alongside chicken.  Serves 6 - 8.

Bar Nuts

2-1/4 cups assorted unsalted nuts (including peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans and whole unpeeled almonds)
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp butter (melted)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet.  Toast in the oven until light golden brown ( about 10 minutes).

In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne pepper, sugar, salt and butter.  Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm.

Once you eat these, you will never want to stop.

Grilled Chicken Summer Salad

This is a good one!  I found it in the coupon section of the Sunday paper last weekend and just had to try it.  It was a hit with the family.

This recipe will serve three - adjust as needed.

1 cup bottled Poppyseed Dressing (divided)
3 boneless chicken breast halves
1 pkg (10 oz) Romaine Salad Blend or other variety
1 can (15 oz) Mandarin Oranges (drained)
1 cup sliced strawberries

Remove 1/4 cup dressing for chicken.

Grill or broil chicken 5 - 10 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink in center, brushing occasionally with 1/4 cup reserved dressing.  Discard any remaining dressing.  Cut chicken crosswise into 1/2" thick slices.  (See my post for "Fool Proof Chicken Breasts")

Line 3 individual plates with salad blend.  Arrange chicken, mandarin oranges and strawberries over salad.  I use my Strawberry Slicer so all slices come out pretty and evenly.  Serve with remaining 3/4 cup of dressing.

I slice up 1/4 of a red onion and sprinkle thin slices over the top.

Oh, so good!

Kiwi Grapefruit Salad

3 (about 3 oz each) kiwi fruit (pared and sliced)
1 grapefruit (peeled and sectioned)
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
Yogurt-lime dressing

Arrange fruit on platter; sprinkle with almonds.  Serve with yogurt-lime dressing

Yogurt-Lime Dressing:  Combine 1/4 cup plain yogurt with 1 tsp honey and 1/2 tsp grated lime peel; mix well.

(I don't like grapefruit, so I replace the grapefruit with two oranges.)

BLT Overnight Salad

2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes (halved)
9 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
8 slices bacon (diced and cooked crisp)
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
8 oz sour cream
3/4 cup Miracle Whip
1 Tbsp milk
1 pkg (.4 oz) dry ranch dressing mix

In a large serving bowl, layer tomatoes, lettuce, bacon and cheese.  In medium bowl, combine sour cream, Miracle Whip, milk and ranch dressing mix.  Spread enough dressing over top of salad to completely cover cheese; refrigerate remaining dressing for other uses.  Chill for several hours or overnight.  Just before serving, toss until well mixed.

Makes 8 - 10 servings.

I found this recipe on the Dierbergs website.  It makes a great dish to make and take to any gathering.

Roast Potatoes with Lemons

1 1/2 lbs fingerling or small Yukon Gold potatoes
1 lemon
2 garlic cloves (minced)
3 Tbsp fresh thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 .  Scrub potatoes and dry with a paper towel.  Cut in half lengthwise; place in a bowl.

Cut lemon into quarters lengthwise, removing any seeds.  Cut each quarter in half crosswise, then squeeze juice onto potatoes.  Add juiced pieces to bowl.  Add garlic, thyme, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Toss thoroughly.

Spread mixture over bottom of a large roasting pan.  Place in oven and roast about 30 minutes, turning potatoes from time to time so they are evenly browned.

Cinnamon Orange Pork Tenderloin

2 tsp orange zest
1/2 cup corn flakes cereal, or whole wheat flakes cereal (crushed)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 lb boneless pork tenderloin chops
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp plain yogurt
1 1/2 Tbsp orange juice

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, mix cereal, brown sugar, zest and cinnamon.  In a small bowl, mix yogurt and orange juice; brush over pork.  Dredge pork in cereal mixture.  Placed on a rack in a roasting pan.  Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Baja Citrus Marinated Shrimp & Vegetable Kabobs

This is another McCormick recipe.  I find so many good ideas on their website www.McCormick.com.

1 pkg McCormick Grill Mates Baja Citrus Marinade
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp water
2 lbs large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
4 cups assorted fresh veggies (such as yellow squash, zucchini, red onion, mushrooms, peppers, etc.)

Mix marinade mix, oil, vinegar and water in small bowl.  Place shrimp and vegetable s in 2 separate large resealable plastic bags.  Pour half of the marinade into each bag; turn to coat well.

Refrigerate 15 minutes.  Remove shrimp and vegetables from marinade.  Discard shrimp marinade; reserve vegetable marinade.  Alternately thread shrimp and vegetables onto skewers.

Grill over medium heat 6 - 8 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, turning frequently and basting with reserved vegetable marinade.

Spicy Chicken with Grilled Pineapple

8 scallions (chopped) plus 1/4 cup dark-green 2" long thin strips for garnish
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (pressed)
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (plus additional for grill)
1 jalapeno chile (chopped) (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 1/2 lbs chicken (your choice of breasts, thighs, or drumsticks)
1 fresh pineapple (about 4 lbs)
2 1/2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

Make a marinade:  Place first 12 ingredients, except scallion garnish, in a food processor or blender and puree until almost smooth.  Transfer half of puree to a small bowl and keep chilled, covered, for sauce.

Place remaining puree in a large heavy-duty resealable plastic bag with chicken and seal, turning to coat well.  Marinate, chilled, turning bag occasionally, at least 8 hours or overnight, placing bag in a large bowl to catch any leaks.

Preheat grill and lightly oil rack.  Let chicken stand in marinade at room temp for 30 minutes before grilling.  Meanwhile, cut sides and ends off pineapple.  Cut crosswise into 15 slices about 1/4" thick.  Sprinkle one side of each slice with 1/2 tsp packed light brown sugar.  Place sugared side down on rack and grill, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a platter, alternating slices with scallion garnish.

Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and grill over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 35 - 45 minutes, depending on size.  Transfer to platter with pineapple and serve with remaining sauce on side (exercise caution; sauce is spicy if you include the chile pepper).

You have to admit we have the cutest grandkid on the planet!

My birthday is just around the corner - And I have a new couch!  Don't you think I'm cool?

Buttery Grilled Sweet Potato Bundles

I usually fix my sweet potatoes with brown sugar or maple syrup and then add butter and marshmallows.  I love them extra sweet.  This recipe eliminates the sweet and is an interesting twist.  Try this next time you're grilling.  They are perfect with steak, pork, or chicken.

4 Tbsp butter (melted)
1 Tbsp McCormick Grill Mates Garlic & Onion Medley Seasoning (Mmmm good!)
2 lbs sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into wedges)
1 large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil

Mix butter and seasoning in large bowl.  Add sweet potatoes; toss to coat evenly.

Place sweet potatoes in center of foil.  Bring up sides of foil; double fold top and ends to tightly seal packet.

Grill over medium-high heat 30 - 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender, turning packet over halfway through cook time.

Melon Kiwi Pops

If you're looking for a healthy homemade treat for your kids this summer, here is one they're sure to love!  It's quick and affordable too.

3 cups cubed and seeded watermelon
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 kiwi fruit (peeled and each cut into 6 slices)
3 ounce paper cups (I use Dixie cups)
Freezer pop sticks

Combine watermelon, sugar, and lime juice in blender and blend at high speed until smooth.  Divide watermelon puree among 12 paper cups.  Place cups in a 9 x 13" baking pan.  Push wooden stick through the center of each kiwi slice about 1 1/2".  Place kiwi slice on top of each cup inserting the stick into the puree.  Freeze on a level surface until firm, at least 4 hours.

Peel away paper cups when ready to serve.


This recipe appeared in the June 2010 Everybody Cooks published by Dierbergs.

Fluffy White Chocolate Cheesecake

Jell-O White Chocolate Pudding is one of my favorite products.  Following is one of my standby recipes for when company is coming . . .

1 pkg (8 oz) Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
1 1//4 cups cold milk, divided
1 pkg (3.3 oz) Jell-O White Chocolate Instant Pudding
1 1/2 cups (1/2 of an 8 oz tub) thawed Cool Whip
1 Honey Maid Graham Pie Crust (6 oz)

Beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup milk in large bowl with whisk until blended.  Add remaining milk and dry pudding mix.  Beat 1 minute.  Stir in Cool Whip; spoon into crust.  Refrigerate 4 hours or until set.