Whiskey Glaze

I have been sitting here staring at a blank computer screen for an hour and can't seem to come up with a good way to work into this recipe.  I'm tired - it's only Tuesday, but it's been a long week already, and I keep trying to wrap my brain around the devastation that happened yesterday in Moore, Oklahoma.  So, instead of continuing to struggle, I am just going to tell you, quickly, how this recipe came into being.  I recently saw a commercial for TGI Friday's Jack Daniel's glazed entrees, which my husband and I love.  It made me hungry for something similar.  I looked online and found many copycat recipes, but decided that I didn't want to go the "copycat" route.  Yes, it gave me inspiration, but I wanted my own distinct recipe. 

Here's your Cast of Characters.

1/2 Cup good whiskey (I like Pendleton, but you can use your favorite)
1/2 Cup apricot pineapple preserves
1/8 Cup, each, Worcestershire and soy sauces
1/3 Cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 Tsp., each, Lawry's season salt, onion powder, garlic powder and beef bouillon granules
1/2 Tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tsp. Frank's RedHot Sauce

In a medium saucepan, add all ingredients and whisk together.

Turn to high heat and bring to a boil.  Once a full, rolling boil has been achieved, turn to medium-low and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes, or until it has reduced and is slightly thickened.  Stir frequently so it doesn't burn.  Don't cook until it has really thickened because it will end up like glue when it cools!

Use on any grilled meat:  chicken, pork chops, brisket or even burgers, but my favorite is ribs.

Here it is on a nice London Broil.  A little sweet, a little spicy and with a zesty little kick from the whiskey!

The leftovers will keep in a sealed container, in the fridge, for 2 - 3 weeks.

Enjoy!

Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Pepper Poppers

Have I ever mentioned that I love jalapeno pepper poppers?  No?  Well, I do!  They are a particular weakness of mine.  I think that I could eat them every night for dinner and not get tired of them.  So, if regular pepper poppers are good, what could make them better?  Let's see.......exchange the deep-fried crispy crust for bacon and throw it on the grill!  Bingo, we have a winner!  I mean, really, is there anything that bacon doesn't make better?!  Can't think of anything?  No, me either.

I realize that I am not the first one to think of putting bacon on pepper poppers, or even the first one to grill them, but I like to think that these have my own little touch.  I chose not to go with just a cheddar or cream cheese filling, but mixed the two together and added a few other things to create a delicious little treat.

Here's your Cast of Characters.

12 - 14 Large jalapenos
6 - 8 slices of bacon (half of the amount of peppers) - cut in half
1 Cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 Cup chopped cilantro
1 Tsp. Lawry's season salt
1/2 Tsp. Pepper
1 8 - Oz. tub cream cheese with onions and chives

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together cheeses, cilantro, Lawry's and pepper.

It will smell really good, but try not to eat it straight from the bowl!

Next, take a pepper and slice it length-wise.  Remove seeds and membranes.  You don't want these to be so spicy that you can't taste the filling.

(Sorry the photo is a little blurry.  My daughter was helping me out by taking pictures while my hands were messy.  She's only 12, but usually does a great job.  I think she was just too excited to start eating them that she rushed the photo.)

Spoon filling into each side, being careful not to overfill.

Press the halves together, and wrap with a half-slice of bacon, securing with a toothpick.

Continue with remaining peppers.

Place a large piece of foil on the grill, then heat to between 375 - 400 degrees.  Put peppers on foil, with a little bit of space between them.

Turn frequently to brown bacon evenly and cook the peppers through.  It should take about 10 - 15 minutes.

You want the pepper skins to start browning a little and loosen.  That's when they are perfect!

Enjoy!

Honey Spice Snack Cake

I am having a hard time believing that school is out in less than 2 weeks!  How can it be so close to Summer Vacation when Spring has just arrived in my neck of the woods?  But, if I needed further proof that school is coming to a close, I will get it tomorrow.  It is my son's State Fair in his classroom.  At the beginning of the year, each student was asked to choose a state and learn about it all year.  Throughout, they have had to gather facts, keep notes and try to collect anything they can from that state, in order to put together a short power point presentation, as well as a table that visitors can check out.  The teacher also allows them to bring some foods to share, if it comes from their state.

I was so pleased to find out that Tanner chose Missouri, where I grew up and most of my family still live, as his state.  I have also been slightly embarrassed to find out that he has learned more bits of trivia about my state, in just one short year, than I did in 17 years of living there.  However, I was able to dig up one fact that he didn't - in 1889, Aunt Jemima pancake flour, invented at St. Joseph, Missouri, was the first self-rising flour for pancakes and the first ready-mix food ever to be introduced commercially.  So, what was I doing today?  Buying a box of Aunt Jemima pancake mix and trying to figure out a snack to make from it.  Luckily for me, there was a recipe on the back of the box for a spice cake.  I just needed to amp it up a bit, adding more than just cinnamon as the lone spice in a spice cake, and a few other tweaks.

Here's your Cast of Characters.

2 Cups Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Complete Pancake and Waffle Mix
2 Tsps. cinnamon
1/2 Tsp., each, nutmeg and dried orange peel
1/4 Tsp., each, ground cloves, allspice and ginger
1/4 Cup honey
1/2 Cup melted butter
2/3 Cup milk
2 Eggs

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan VERY well with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

Add wet ingredients and whisk until all the large lumps are gone.  A few small ones are okay, though.

Spread into prepared cake pan.

Bake 16 - 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes, before turning out onto wax paper.

While the cake is cooling, mix 1/3 cup powdered sugar with 1 tsp. cinnamon.  When cake is on wax paper, use either a sifter or a small sieve to dust cake with powdered sugar mixture.

Let cool completely before cutting and serving.  I cut into small, pop-able bites, to serve more people.

Enjoy!

Quick Thai Chicken Pizza

I think a while back I mentioned a new favorite restaurant:  MacKenzie River Pizza, Grill and Pub, and I wanted to reiterate, if you get the chance, eat at one.  They have amazing food and a great atmosphere, and you won't regret it.  My favorite thing is their Thai Pie, which is what inspired tonight's recipe.  It has Thai peanut sauce, basil chicken, Mandarin oranges, scallions, red peppers, peanuts, cilantro and mozzarella.  The flavors compliment each other superbly, and I just can't get enough.  Unfortunately, I don't get to Bismarck that often so I knew I would have to come up with my own version.  Mind you, it doesn't compare to the real thing, but it was still pretty tasty and gave me the fix I needed.

When I was contemplating making it, I knew I wanted it to be as easy as possible.  Enter store-bought pizza crust and peanut sauce, and leftover boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Perfect for even a weeknight meal.

Here's the thing, I didn't take very many pictures, and no Cast of Characters one, because originally I wasn't going to put it on the blog.  Then, about halfway through, I thought to myself, "Self, why not share this recipe?  There are others who would enjoy it, too."  That's when I decided to grab my camera and get to work.

Here's your Cast of Characters:

1 Tube store-bought, thin crust pizza dough
1 - 2 Cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced and tossed with 1/2 tsp. dried basil (I had leftover Curry Chicken Breasts, which worked beautifully)
1 Bottle of your favorite peanut sauce
1 Small can of Mandarin oranges, drained
3 - 4 Green onions
Red pepper flakes
Salted, roasted peanuts
Cilantro
Mozzarella cheese

Spray a 10 x 15 pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Line it with the pizza crust.  Precook for 5 minutes.  Remove and spread a thick layer of peanut sauce on top.  Sprinkle chicken pieces, pepper flakes and Mandarin orange slices evenly over crust.

I kept a little row free of orange slices since I wasn't sure my husband would like it, which was needless.  He was a fan of both ways.

Next, use kitchen shears to chop green onions and cilantro over the top of the chicken.  Sprinkle peanut halves all around.

Top lightly with mozzarella.  Remember, the cheese is meant to hold things together but not to overpower the other ingredients.  Drizzle a little more peanut sauce all around.

Bake for another 10 - 12 minutes, or until heated through.  Turn broiler on low to brown the top just a little.

Slice up, and serve immediately.

 

 

Enjoy!

 



 

Peanut Butter Honey Breakfast Bars

For a while now I have been hunting for a guiltless breakfast bar recipe.  I wanted something with peanut butter, honey and old-fashioned oats but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.  Finally, I just decided to come up with my own.  This was my first attempt, so I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, especially since I was using the microwave.  Thankfully, I kept it simple and was pleased with the finished product.

I wasn't the only one who liked it - my kids thought it was great.  They really couldn't believe that it wasn't a dessert, and was okay to eat for breakfast.  I kept reassuring them that it was actually very healthy, as well as filling, and I meant for it to be a quick breakfast food.  They snatched them up!

Here's your Cast of Characters.

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Cup natural peanut butter
1/2 Cup honey
2 Cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 Cup flax seed
1/4 Cup wheat germ
1/2 Cup salted, roasted peanuts
1 Tsp., each, vanilla and cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, add butter, peanut butter and honey.  Microwave on high for 1 minute.  Stir well.  It should be very smooth and creamy, at this point.

Microwave for another minute.  It should be just starting to bubble now.

Mix again.  Microwave for another 30 seconds.  Stir in remaining ingredients, mixing well.

Microwave one final time, for 1 minute.  Stir the crumbly mixture again, before patting into a greased pan.

For thicker bars, you can use an 8 x 8 square pan, or a cake pan for thinner bars. 

Let cool completely before cutting, and eating, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Shallot and Pecorino Romano Twice-Baked Potatoes

Twice-baked potatoes are one of my son's favorite foods, and a couple of weeks ago he requested them for Sunday dinner.  He asked so nicely that I couldn't refuse, but I didn't have any of the ingredients that I usually put in them.  That's when I started to peruse my refrigerator for inspiration.  Luckily, I spotted shallots and the recipe started to build itself from there.  I was only hoping that my son would like these as well as my normal potatoes.  Thank goodness I didn't have anything to worry about!  He gobbled them up, and promptly told me that he liked this kind of twice-baked potatoe even better.  Whew!

Here's your Cast of Characters.

4 - 6 Medium potatoes, baked right before starting this recipe (I particularly like Yukon Golds)
1 Medium shallot
3 Garlic cloves
2 Cups Pecorino Romano, shredded and divided
1 Tsp. peppercorns
1/4 Tsp. fennel seed (optional)
1 Tsp., each, Lawry's seasoning salt and McCormick Perfect Pinch Garlic & Herb seasoning blend
1/2 Cup fat-free half & half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cake pan with foil.  Finely dice the shallot and garlic.

Saute, with a drizzle of olive oil, until garlic is golden brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Crush peppercorns roughly, then add in fennel seed, crushing a little more.  You don't want these to be too fine, though.

By now, potatoes should have cooled a little.  Use a sharp knife to slice potatoes lengthwise, leaving them attached at the bottom.

Use a large spoon to carefully spoon out the flesh of the potato, leaving a thin layer so the skin doesn't tear.

Place the potato skins in the cake pan.

Mash the flesh with the shallots, garlic, 1 1/2 cups cheese, seasonings and half & half.

Spoon the filling back into the shells, filling very full.

Divide the remaining cheese among the potatoes, placing it carefully on top.

Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes to 1 hour, until heated through and starting to brown.

Enjoy!