Saturday, February 28, 2009

Mesquite Lime Chicken

serves 6

Found this one off the McCormick website.


1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons McCormick® Grill Mates® Mesquite Seasoning
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Mix lime juice, Mesquite Seasoning, oil and honey in small bowl. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

Refrigerate 15 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

Grill over medium heat 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning frequently.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Caesar-Style Steak Sandwiches

serves four

My dad gave me a lifetime membership to a cooking club. I get the magazine every month and find at least one tip and recipe that I want to try. This month, we're trying this one. (Yes, we do grill during the winter. Doesn't everyone?)


1 1/2 lb. beef sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 baguette, halved horizontally, cut crosswise into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup refrigerated Caesar salad dressing
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese*
8 romaine lettuce heart leaves
8 tomato slices


Heat grill. Sprinkle steak with pepper. Grill, covered, over medium-high heat or coals 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Remove steak; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 5 minutes before thinly slicing.

Meanwhile, brush cut sides of baguette with oil. Grill, covered, 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Brush cut sides of bread with dressing; top bottom pieces with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, steak and remaining bread.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Roasted Paprika Chicken

serves four

Another Everyday Food recipe to try. I tend to stick with either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or whole chickens when cooking. I thought I'd stretch my limits a little :)


1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces


Preheat oven to 475 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a small bowl, combine paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet; rub with spice mixture. Roast on upper rack, basting with pan drippings once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.

When chicken is done, transfer to a plate, and loosely tent with aluminum foil (reserve baking sheet with drippings).

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Rotini and Cheese with Broccoli and Ham

serves six

Because you just can't have enough variations on macaroni and cheese. I have in my notes to make sure you whisk in the spices before you stir in the cheese* because as I recall, if you don't you end up with tongue-burning clumps of spices in your pasta. Which is no good if you're trying to convince your two-year-old to just try a bite.


4 quarts water
2 cups uncooked rotini (about 8 ounces corkscrew pasta)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) cubed light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped reduced-fat ham


Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add pasta; cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli; cook an additional 5 minutes or until pasta is done; drain.

While pasta cooks, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a medium saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat; stir in cheese and next 4 ingredients* (cheese through pepper). Combine pasta mixture, cheese sauce, and ham.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Cheese Delight Chicken

This is another recipe from Joanna's and my childhood. It was a favorite of mine because after it was cooked and eaten, the spilled coating in the bottom of the dish could be scooped out with a fork and eaten as a cheesy crunchy treat! Mom and I would partake without fail. I don't recall Joanna or Dad being very interested in our greasy little piece of heaven.

Ingredients
Boneless chicken breasts
1 clove garlic
1/2 c. oil
1 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt

Steps
  1. Add garlic to oil and let stand for 20 mins.
  2. Preheat oven to 350
  3. Remove garlic from oil.
  4. Mix bread crumbs, cheeses, pepper and salt.
  5. Dip chicken in oil, then crumb mixture. Place in a large shallow baking pan: tucking sides under to form meat roll.
  6. Pour remaining oil over chicken pieces.
  7. Bake uncovered for about 45 mins or until done.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Skillet Pizza Caserole

Been meaning to add this one for a few weeks now. We are having it tonight, so it seemed apropos. We both love this recipe. It is one of the few that Jenny can count on me cleaning out the leftovers.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 c. marinara sauce
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
1 (10 oz.) package refrigerated pizza dough
1 Tbs. grated Parmesan

Steps
  1. Preheat oven to 425. Cook beef in ovenproof or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drain and return to skillet.
  2. Add marinara sauce; mix well. Sprinkle mozzarella over top.
  3. Unroll pizza dough and spread over mixture in skillet. Trim any excess with scissors.
  4. Sprinkle top of dough with Parmesan. Bake in skillet until crust is brown, about 15 mins. Remove from oven and let stand about 5 mins.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs with Mint-Feta Sauce

serves four

At some point during my freshman year at LSU, my best friend Stacy took me to a Greek-Lebanese Cafe. I had never had Greek food in my life, but was too embarrassed to refuse. Thank goodness. Now I love hummus and gyros and pita and feta and all manner of Greek flavors. We've had these Greek kebabs before and they were delicious!

I made the mint sauce this time and it was SUPER minty. We were not fans. Next time we'll stick with a more traditional tzatziki sauce.


1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into twenty-four 1-inch pieces
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into sixteen 1-inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, quartered, layers separated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup fresh mint leaves


In a resealable plastic bag, combine chicken, zucchini, onion, oil, oregano, and 2 tablespoons vinegar; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and teaspoon pepper. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to overnight).

Heat grill or grill pan to medium. Soak eight 6-inch wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes.

Onto each skewer, alternately thread 3 pieces of chicken with 2 of zucchini and 2 of onion (see below). Grill skewers, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, make dipping sauce: In a food processor, blend feta, yogurt, mint, and remaining tablespoon vinegar until smooth. Serve kebabs with dipping sauce.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

French Toast Apple Bake

serves six or so

In our Sunday School class, we take turns bringing in breakfast for the class. I like things we can make ahead. After our first experience with the Breakfast Pizza, we decided that trying to prepare everything the morning of just creates too much stress (and yelling). Today was our turn again so we made this. It has absolutely no redeeming qualities ... which means that of course it was delicious.

Side note: Putting a cookie sheet underneath the pan to catch overflow while cooking is a good idea. Letting it overflow and THEN putting a cookie sheet on the bottom rack of your oven results in an oven fire :) Just so you know. (And just in case you're in the kitchen taking the kids out of their high chairs and you look over and see flames in your oven, FIRST turn off the oven (DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR) and then unfasten the kids as fast as possible and shove them in the living room to go yell for Daddy. And once the fire is out and cleaned up ... put some bowls of vinegar around your house and in your oven to absorb the smoke smell.)

3/4 C butter, melted
1 C brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (more, if your palate pleases)
2 (21 oz) cans apple pie filling
15 to 18 slices white bread
8 eggs
1 3/4 to 2 C milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Syrup (for later)


Grease/Pam/Butter a 9X13 baking dish

Pour butter into the dish and then sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon into the dish.

Top with the apple pie filling.

In a mixing bowl whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla

Layer the bread slices on top of the apple pie filling, pressing down firmly so that they get all nice and smooshed down onto the apple pie/butter mixture. You can alternate layers of bread with pouring the egg mixture so that every layer is thoroughly saturated. Make sure that you pour SLOWLY, so as to avoid spillovers

Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Uncover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Drizzle with syrup and put in the broiler for a few minutes to caramelize.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Italian Pot Pies

serves four

Another one from Everyday Food. We're giving this a try tonight to see how it goes. It sounded interesting ...

Oh yum! The biscuit topping was so good. And the flavors in the meat were delicious as well. This one joins the regular rotation for sure!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound ground beef sirloin, thawed if frozen
2 cups homemade or best-quality store-bought tomato sauce
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup whole milk


Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, Parmesan, baking powder, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; make a well in center, and add butter and milk. Stir just until dough comes together.

Spoon meat mixture into four 8-ounce ramekins; mound dough on top. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in topping comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Honey Chicken Skewers

serves four

These were on the same page as the Teriyaki Burgers in the Real Simple magazine. They sounded good as well so on the menu they went.


1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts



Place twenty 8-inch wooden skewers in water to soak. Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, and Worcestershire sauce; set aside.

Slice the chicken lengthwise into twenty 1/2-inch-thick strips. Thread each strip onto a wooden skewer. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Lightly oil the grill. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes, basting with the ketchup mixture during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Quick Grilled Chicken

serves six

This is off the McCormick website. We grill chicken this way quite a bit. It gives the chicken a great flavor, but it's not overwhelmingly taco-flavored. I'll grill more than we can eat to have extra chicken leftover for salad or sandwiches or casseroles. Yum.


1 package McCormick® Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves


Mix Seasoning Mix, oil, water, lemon juice and vinegar in small bowl. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

Broil or grill over medium-high heat 6 to 7 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through, turning frequently.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Teriyaki-Glazed Burgers

serves four

One from Real Simple magazine. I just needed something for dinner that used ground beef, but wasn't meatloaf or some homemade form of Hamburger Helper. Oh, and if it broke out of the Italian theme I've got going lately, all the better. We did not serve ours on English muffins. The kids and I ate ours without buns and Dave used slices of bread. I also didn't trouble with the tomatoes or cucumber. Instead I heated up some leftover fries from Chik Fil A and called it good. We just bought a cheap jar of Kroger brand teriyaki sauce.

Results: The flavor wasn't very teriyaki. If I make these again (and I might since I have most of a bottle of teriyaki sauce left), I think I'd mix in some teriyaki sauce with the meat when forming the patties. We liked the flavor, there just wasn't enough of it :)


1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
4 English muffins, split
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
3 Kirby cucumbers, cut into spears


Heat grill to medium-high. Form the beef into four 1/2-inch-thick patties and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Grill the burgers to the desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium, basting with the teriyaki sauce during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Grill the English muffins until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Sandwich the burgers in the muffins. Serve with the tomatoes and cucumbers.