Peach-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops

I've been inspired to try some new recipes this month (you know, being festive and all) and I came across this recipe which was originally published for pork tenderloin.  I thought Justin bought tenderloin at the store, but I pulled it out of the freezer and found pork chops, so I made the recipe exactly the same way as it called for tenderloin and it worked out really well.  As you know by now, I like to post recipes on here that I've "vetted" based on three criteria:  Easy to make (and easy-to-find ingredients), delicious + healthy, and presents well.  This is a dish that would be great to make on Christmas Eve or New Year's if you're looking to make an impressive spread with little effort.

A note about the ingredients.  I didn't have bourbon on hand so I subbed whisky.  Also, I didn't need the chicken broth at the end...my pork chops were saucey enough in the dish when they came out.  But I left that instruction in in case you need it.  Enjoy!

Peach-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops (Adapted, Southern Living)

Ingredients

• 3-4 pork chops
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup peach preserves
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 2 tablespoons country-style Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and black pepper. Cook in hot oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
2. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat; add shallot, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes until tender. Remove from heat, and stir in peach preserves and next 3 ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, 1 minute or until preserves are melted. Pour over chops.
3. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 150°. Transfer to a cutting board, reserving drippings in skillet. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, stir broth into reserved drippings, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Serve with pork chops.

A Season for Traditions

As they say, it's the most wonderful time of the year!  I think many of us would agree, some of the best rituals during the holiday season are the parties and the food!  We Southerners love a good reason to eat, drink, and be merry, and a good tacky sweater party never hurts either. 

So along with this revelry comes the recipe swapping, and pulling out those old family recipes.  My recipe folder holds many gems I've gotten from friends, and I have to say, it warms a girl's heart to know that her recipes are loved by others and used to spread comfort and joy outside her circle.  In fact, today I happily sent a quick text to a friend of mine to let her know I was making one of her recipes for Christmas gifts.  Building our own collection of "tried and trues" is a treasure in Southern homes, and quite possibly, one of those items I would take with me if I had to leave the house with only a few items.  Especially being far from home, I love opening my recipe folder and finding my girlfriend's recipe for apple crisp in her handwriting, or my grandmother's recipe for chicken casserole.

I am blessed to come from a family of excellent cooks, and years ago, my great-uncle published a family cookbook based on favorite recipes we all submitted.  All the infamous family favorites are in there, and it has become a wonderful keepsake particularly now that some of these family members are no longer with us.  We can still have a taste of home, years and miles later.

I am also lucky (yes, lucky!) to have two mothers-in-law... my husband's mother and his step-mother.  Both Southern girls, they know how to be fantastic hostesses.  I asked Justin's mother once how she always seems to have a delicious spread readily available for guests, and she told me that it was a skill she learned growing up, when her father was a Congressman.  In the political circle, you just never knew who would drop by the house, so one must always be prepared.  It's something I'm working on, not that I have high-profile guests, but I do have dearly loved friends and I always want to have some homemade happiness on hand for them... nothing says "welcome" more than that!

So, my goal is to share some recipes with you over the next week that are perfect for holiday entertaining and that you can keep on hand for "just in case."  Below is the gifty recipe I made today that I got from my friend several years ago after a party at her home.  Nothing complicated, just a quick snack item that also goes great on salads.  Today I made this Spicy Glazed Pecans recipe with mixed nuts, so feel free to use your favorite variety.  Place in a vellum bag and tie with a festive ribbon for a delicious gifted snack.  Enjoy!

Spicy-Glazed Pecans

• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 c. warm water
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. chili powder

1. Pour 1/4 cup sugar into warm water to dissolve.  Add pecans to sugar water and let set for 10 mins.  Drain.
2. Put remaining sugar and chili powder in a Ziploc bag and toss to coat.
3. Place pecans on foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 mins at 350.

Feastin'

Friends, it's been way too long since I've posted anything.  Shame!  So, I figured I should at least put something out there for Turkey Day tomorrow.  If there's anything Southerners know how to do well, it's cooking a mess of delicious food to enjoy with family and friends, in celebration of our country's beloved gluttonous holiday.

I came across a yummy sweet potato recipe recently and made it as a side dish for dinner one night.  I had a bit of leftovers, so decided to use it to make my own on-the-fly version of a sweet potato casserole.  (Back story:  Aubrey's Thanksgiving party at preschool is today, and the parents are bringing dishes to share.  I needed something gluten-free and kid-friendly, and had to whip it up in a pinch because he originally wasn't going to school today since my parents are in town.  But plans changed, and I was super thankful that he could still go and party with his buddies!)  So, I got to cooking at 7 am, but this was pretty easy.

I used my leftover Orange-Glazed Sweet Potatoes (recipe below), layered them with some slices of baked apple (recipe following the first) and topped it all off with a light layer of marshmallows, and baked it up in the oven until everything was gooey and melty.  YUM!  I highly recommend trying out the sweet potatoes, and perhaps you'll  find Thanksgiving inspiration in the casserole.  Gobble gobble!

Orange-Glazed Sweet Potatoes (Southern Living)

Ingredients

• 6 medium sized sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. orange zest
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Peel potatoes, cut into 1 inch thick slices; arrange in a single layer in 2 lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dishes.
2. Stir together brown sugar and next 5 ingredients; pour over potatoes.  Cover with aluminum foil.
3. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until fork-tender.  Uncover and bake 5 more minutes or until glaze becomes syrupy.

If making this casserole, apples can cook at the same time as the potatoes.  Peel and thinly slice 4 gala apples, and place them in a baking dish.  Drop in two pats of butter, a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until tender.  Stir once halfway through.

Once sweet potatoes and apples are cooked, layer the apples over the sweet potatoes and top with marshmallows.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until melted. 

Weekend Breakfast: Strawberry Oven-Puff Pancake

Speaking of strawberries, this recipe is a favorite of mine this time of year, when they are in peak season.  This makes the perfect weekend breakfast, served along with some hot, crispy bacon.  Heaven!  The "pancake" is similar in texture to a popover, but the dish itself is surprisingly filling.  I originally found the recipe on the "Rita's Recipes" blog, and I have adapted it.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Oven-Puff Pancake

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced
• powdered sugar, sifted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Melt butter in a 9 inch pottery pie plate in the oven while it preheats, until butter is melted and bubbly.
2. Whisk together eggs through vanilla.
3. Remove pan from oven and add the batter.  Do not stir.
4. Return to oven and bake about 18-20 minutes, until puffed high and golden.
5. When pancake is done, remove from oven and fill the center with the strawberries.  Generously sift powdered sugar over top.

Summer Soul Food: BBQ Chicken and Easy Peach Cobbler

A funny thing happens when you live on a tropical island, where there are no seasons to speak of and it is perpetually 83 degrees and sunny.  I've found that there is no way to guage time here, and the holidays and events that happen throughout the year, which you just instictively do back home based on Mother Nature's mood swings. 

For me, living in the Southeast for the last 30 years meant these things...the heat of the summer and that signature thick, humid haze signals fresh veggies from the garden, gorgeous blooms from the yard, barbecues and days spent by the pool.  When the weather cools in the fall, you get excited to wear sweaters and boots again, to pick apples and pumpkins, and to sit in the backyard at night by the firepit with friends and a  good glass of wine.  The winter (or any time the temperature falls below 60 degrees in South Carolina) is a time to hibernate inside in front of the fireplace, and at least buy a cute coat for the times you do venture out.

So checking my calendar I realize that it is almost the end of June and the July 4th holiday is approaching.  And something in me craves food from the grill and fruit pies.  So last night I cooked in a way that made our insides happy, but not without a touch of nostalgia for my grandmother, who was the ultimate Southern home cook.  My memories of her always include a hot, steamy summer kitchen, fresh butter beans, chicken and dumplings, cobblers, and foods she had canned herself.  So during this time when I've been missing home, I think of her and want to cook like her, and miss her dearly.

The barbecue chicken is my own recipe that I just throw together and cook in the crock pot, so here it is, and please excuse the lack of technicality.  As I've said before, slow cooker recipes for me are loosey goosey, and they always turn out just fine.  But don't miss the peach cobbler recipe below.  This one tastes like childhood to me, and was so good my husband said it was worthy of a "food-gasm."  So umm, try to control yourself.  Happy summer and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• dash of Worcestershire
• dash of hot sauce
• 2 tbsp.  Montreal steak seasoning
• 2 slices uncooked bacon

Preparation

1. Combine ketchup through seasoning, in a large bowl, and to taste.
2. Spoon some of sauce into slow cooker, enough to coat the bottom.
3. Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker, top each breast with 1/2 slice bacon, and pour remaining sauce over top to cover.
4. Cook 4 hours on high.

Easy Peach Cobbler (adapted, Southern Living)

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour 

2 cups sugar, divided

1 tablespoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup milk

4 cups fresh peach slices

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish
2. Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).
3. Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, lemon juice, and vanilla to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
4. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve cobbler warm or cool.

* Note:  I halved this recipe and used unsweetened, vanilla flavored almond milk instead of regular milk.  You do not need dairy milk for this if you are lactose-free.

Strawberry Glaze Pie

Aloha friends!  We just got back from our whirlwind 10-day trip to the mainland, and had a blast with our families in Virginia and South Carolina.  It really made me miss home, especially this time of year when we would be boating, enjoying some fresh local peaches, strawberries and tomatoes, gardening in our backyard, and all the other fun festivities of summer in the South. 

My parents are both great cooks, and really spoiled us with all the comfort dishes we love.  Ribs, cornbread, fried chicken, slaw, and strawberry EVERYTHING  (Forest Gump moment here... strawberry cake, strawberry pie, strawberry ice cream!)  And speaking of strawberry pie, my mom's recipe has been one of my all-time favorites ever since I was a little girl, and now it's a summer tradition that I make it too at the peak of strawberry season.  (And Aubrey loves it, with homemade whipped cream!)

A dear friend requested the recipe for the pie this week, so this one is for Katie B., who I miss so much!  We were so blessed to see her and her two sweet babies during our layover in DFW, for breakfast and catching up after nearly a year since her family's move to Texas.  Needless to say, we are both missing our former lives in South Carolina, but embracing the change that God had planned for us.

(And also shout-outs to my Greenville friends who we got to spend time with, and my long-time friend Kimberly who surprised me all the way from NYC for my 30th birthday!)

This pie couldn't be easier to make, and it is full of flavor and deliciousness.  And since I love y'all so much too, here is my mom's recipe for Strawberry Glaze Pie, which will be made every summer in my house for years to come.  Ahh, the sweet taste of childhood!

Strawberry Glaze Pie

Ingredients

1 c. water
1c. sugar
1 qt strawberries, cut into halves or quarters, to preference
3 tbsp. cornstarch

Preparation

1. Pre- bake pie crust according to directions. Set aside. 
2. In a pot, mix cornstarch with sugar. Add water and 1 cup of the sliced berries and cook until clear (may be pink, depending on berries.). Let cool.
3. Fill bottom of cooled pie crust with remaining berries. Pour glaze mixture over the berries. Chill before serving.

Two Potato Salad

This is my new favorite potato salad, and it's perfect for the hot months ahead!  It's gluten-free and dairy- free, so it's a lighter version of our mayo based favorites.  I love potato salad as much as the next Southern girl.  I'm embarrassed to admit, but the three foods my mom always makes sure to have when I come to visit are (in no particular order) chocolate tarts, country ham (and preferably with homemade sweet potato biscuits), and Mrs. Marshall's brand potato salad.  Cue Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie."  Ah well, who's counting calories anyway?!

I discovered this dish at a backyard barbecue recently, made by a friend who is on a strict gluten-free and dairy-free diet.  I just like it because it tastes good!  I have made it a couple times at home, and this last time, I accidentally picked up the local purple sweet potatoes instead of yams.  My excuse being, I was running through the store in my typical Supermarket Sweep fashion, only this time Aubrey was out of control (ie.  jumping out of his seat in the cart, landing like a cat on his feet, sending the cart flying into the wine racks... awesome.)  So, I was surprised to cut open the potatoes at home and find them to be purple inside, but I really liked them as an alternative to the yams.  While the sweetness is unique to the purple variety, it still works really well.  So, Hawaii friends, either kind will work.

This recipe comes from the Gluten Free Goddess blog, which I have been reading lately to find new recipes.  We are not trying to convert strictly to gluten-free at this point, but Karina has some great recipes that are fresh and healthy.  Check out the recipe here, and scan her blog while you're at it!

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/07/two-potato-salad.html

Miss Patty's Best Ever Salsa

Soon after we moved in, our sweet neighbor "Miss Patty", as Aubrey calls her, brought us an orchid plant and a mini mason jar of her homemade salsa as a welcome gift.  A woman after my own heart.  What began as a friendly gesture, turned into an addiction.  The salsa was the best I have ever had, and I could not stop eating it once I got started.  She brought me some more every so often, and if a few weeks went by, I found myself wondering when my next fix would arrive.  Usually her kitchen window is open, and if I happened to hear her food processor going in the afternoon I would get all excited hoping it was the good stuff.

I took it to a friend's house recently and everyone there loved it too.  So that was good, it was not all in my imagination!  (And just FYI, this is coming from someone who could have cared less about salsa before... not usually my go-to snack.)  I assumed that she made it from all fresh ingredients straight from the farmers' market, because I know she goes there every Saturday to get her produce.  So you can imagine my shock when I asked for the recipe and she said, "Oh it's so easy... Just a bunch of stuff from cans."  Say whaaaa?!  I'm intrigued.

Other than the cilantro and onion, it's true, everything else comes from a can but it still has a super fresh taste.  You have to use the specific brands though, so don't deviate.  I made some for our Cinco de Mayo festivities, and am pretty sure this will become a permanent fixture in my fridge. 

Miss Patty's Best Ever Salsa (Courtesy, Best Ever Neighbor Patty)

Ingredients

• 1 sweet onion
• 1 large bunch of cilantro
• 7 3/4 oz. can El Pato tomato sauce
• 7 oz can Herdez Salsa Casera
• 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes

Preparation

1. In food processor, blast onions, cilantro and tomatoes. 
2. Mix in tomato sauce and salsa casera.
3. Serve!

Chocolate Crepes with Orange Sauce

Once a week, an "EMFH" night shows up on our dinner board.  "Every Man For Himself" is a necessary night off from cooking for me, and the best way for us to clear out the fridge of this week's leftovers. 

Last week, I decided to spice up EMFH night with a fun dessert.  I found a recipe for chocolate crepes, and made my own orange sauce to go with them.  I had never made crepes before so I had some anxiety about this because they are very delicate, but they tasted great... I almost didn't share them with anyone.  (Flash to my fantasy world... a totally spotless and quiet home, with beautiful white furniture, and me eating chocolate crepes all by myself on my gorgeous couch that does not have crayon on it....sigh.)  But seriously, I love my family.

I may make this a habit around here.  A fun and easy dessert on EMFH night is great motivation to eat leftovers!  Or maybe I'll just skip dinner and go straight to dessert...

Chocolate Crepes with Orange Sauce (Adapted from cooks.com)

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 c. skim milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil

For Orange Sauce

• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor until well blended.
2.  Lightly coat small non-stick skillet with oil and heat to medium high.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Drop 1/8 batter into skillet and cook 30-40 seconds on each side until the top of crepe has dull surface and the edges begin to curl.
3. In a small saucepan, combine Orange Sauce ingredients and whisk together until well blended.  Heat to boiling, and then turn down to a simmer.  Let simmer for a few minutes, and remove from heat to cool slightly.  Sauce should be consistency of pancake syrup.
4. Serve crepes on a dessert plate, with sauce drizzled on top, and sprinkled with sifted powdered sugar.

Salmon Burgers

I had a rare "kid-free" day yesterday and almost didn't know what to with myself.  Except for the fact that I had a million errands to run, which actually was pretty painless without an antsy, grabby, two- year- old in tow.  And in the afternoon I got to spend time with friends, and amidst our gabbing, time got away from me.  Before I knew it, it was 5:45 and I got a text from the hubby along the lines of, "What's for dinner, AJ's hungry."  Eh.  So I raced home, put a bunch of stuff in the food processor, and dinner was served.  (That's the abbreviated version, but truly, it was that easy.)  My point being, this is another super quick and easy meal to put together.

More backgound info... in my attempt to incorporate more fresh fish into our diet, I've been doing a little experimenting. We're not usually big salmon lovers in my house, mainly because it has a stronger fish flavor than we like, but I really wanted to find a way to make it because it's generally pretty easy to cook with, and it has so many health benefits.  Our grocery store had some beautiful Alaskan wild salmon priced decently this week ( a little over $4 for 1/2 pound)  so I bought a pound and decided to try to make salmon burgers.  

I browsed the internet for the best recipe for salmon burgers, and adapated my own from what I found.  I based it off of one I liked the best, from Serious Eats Recipes, which originally came from Bitten. 

I realized as I was getting all the ingredients out that I had run out of breadcrumbs and forgotten to pick more up at the store.  In my typical fashion, I scourged the pantry for a substitute and found a sleeve of Carr's Water Crackers, Herb flavor.  I tossed them in the food processor, et voila... perfect breadcrumbs!

After all was said and done, I loved these burgers and found the flavor not to be too strong.  The lemon/parsley/mayo is a must, so do make it.  It adds a great tangyness.  I also am hooked on the Punalu'u sweetbread hamburger buns (mainlanders, it's like King's Hawaiian rolls, hamburger bun style!) and these add a nice balance of sweetness.  I served the burgers with baked sweet potatoes.

Enjoy!

Salmon Burgers

 Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless salmon fillets
• 2 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/2 white or yellow onion
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbs olive oil

For Mayo

• 1/3 cup mayo
• 1 bunch of chopped parsley
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation

1. Cut the salmon into large peices and place in food processor, along with dijon mustard and onion.  Process until the mixture becomes pasty, scraping down the sides as necessary.  (Think of ground beef consistency)
2. Turn out the mixture into a bowl and mix with breadcrumbs by hand.  Season with salt and pepper and shape into four patties.
3. Heat oil in skillet on medium high.  Once the skillet is hot, place patties inside and cook 2-3 minutes on each side, until patties feel firm in the middle.
4. Stir together the mayo, lemon juice and parsley and serve burgers on a bun.

The Heavy Spaghetti Alternative: Fresh Mint Pesto

If it seems like the blog has been on hiatus lately, it's because life has been crazy and I've been cooking in auto-pilot mode.  It's been just Aubrey and me for dinner a lot of nights lately because of the hubby's busy work schedule. 


But, I couldn't stay away for too long!  I wanted to share this recipe because it's so easy, and has an amazing freshness to it, which I often miss in pasta dishes.  I'm not much of a carb person (desserts excluded) so I don't do pasta all that frequently because it just feels so heavy.  For those of you back home, this is a great spaghetti alternative going into the warmer months. 


I do cut back the amount of garlic it calls for, because it would be overpowering with 4 cloves, as the recipe calls for, and I don't think we have a vampire problem here on the Big Island.  Otherwise, put it all in the food processor and you're done!  You'll notice this a pesto sans pine nuts... you totally won't miss them!


Spaghetti with Mint and Parsley Pesto (adapted from Dave's Dinners)


Ingredients


2 large bunches mint
2 large bunches parsley
3/4 cup EVOO
Juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves (or 1 large)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt


Preparation

1. Blend ingredients together in a food processor.
2. In a large pot, cook the spaghetti, drain, and toss with the pesto.

(Seriously... two steps.  Fresh dinner in a flash, mamma likes!)

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Last weekend I was having a craving for homemade cinnamon rolls.  I didn't have dry yeast in my pantry, so I was looking for recipes that didn't call for it.  I came across this one at the Gastronomy Blog, and let me tell you, these rolls were amazing!  The recipe calls for buttermilk, but I used sour cream instead, which is an acceptable substitution.  The hubs almost keeled over with sheer happiness when he ate one.  I'm not saying these are the healthiest, but sometimes we like to forget the rules on the weekends.  And I'm sure they're at least better for you than the canned cinnamon buns, which have all kinds of extra preservatives and fat in them.

Rather than copying all of the recipe here, link over to it and check it out:  http://gastronomyblog.com/2009/03/03/cinnamon-rolls-with-cream-cheese-icing/

Snack time for me, because this post just made me hungry!

Baked Chicken, Rice and Black Bean Casserole

This recipe has spread like wildfire among my friends, because it is so darn good, kid-friendly, and is a one-dish meal.  I started making this several years ago for our family, and then made it on a beach trip with our dear friends, the Bolings.  It was a hit with even the pickiest of eaters, and I have since made it for other friends, all who have incorporated it into their dinner rotation.  It's also gluten-free!  The hubby always says he doesn't understand having the carrot in it, but to me, any chance to sneak in some more veggies is a good thing! 

Bottom line, majority rules, you MUST try this one!

Baked Chicken, Rice, and Black Bean Casserole (Southern Living)

Ingredients

1 (10-oz.) package yellow rice mix

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained

1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

2 cups (8 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare rice according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, sauté onion, bell pepper, and carrot in hot oil in a medium skillet over medium heat 10 minutes or until tender.
3. Combine hot cooked rice, onion mixture, chicken, beans, diced tomatoes and chiles, and 1 1/2 cups cheese in a large bowl. Spoon into a lightly greased 3-qt. or 13- x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
4. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

In The Kitchen With Aubrey: Apple Bread



Perfect gift-giving bread!

 Aubrey loves to help me bake, and I love to have his help!  It's a fun activity for both of us, and he really enjoys feeling like a "big boy" and is so proud of the things we make.  Today was super windy here, so it wasn't a good day to be outside.  We decided to bake instead, using one of Aubrey's favorite ingredients... apples!  I used this recipe to make two mini-loaves and a half dozen muffins.  I plan to freeze one of the loaves and figure we'll have it for breakfast one morning next week when my brother-in-law is here visiting.  The other is for our sweet neighbor, who shares her amazing produce and homemade salsa with us. 

I highly recommend baking with your children.  They are never too young to help.  As some of you know, I am working on a homeschool pre-school curriculum with Aubrey, and this is a great activity to reinforce the things we are learning... counting (he counts out the cups of sugar, flour, etc), teamwork, and sharing with our friends.

I have some promising recipes to try out next week, and some are not Southern Living or Cooking Light (gasp!)  I'm finally revisiting recipes in my "Dave's Dinners", "Bon Appetit", and "Real Simple" cookbooks, and will share some next week.  Until then, enjoy!

Apple Bread (Southern Living)

Ingredients

• 1 (3-pound) bag small apples (12 to 14 apples)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted  **(I substituted walnuts because I was out of pecans)

Preparation

1. Peel and finely chop enough apples to equal 3 cups. Set aside.
2. Stir together sugar and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients; add to sugar mixture, stirring just until blended. (Batter will be stiff.) Fold in finely chopped apples and 1 cup pecans.
4. Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans, and cool on wire racks.



The muffins came out well too



Beach Shrimp

The infamous turquoise baking dish makes another appearance.  I love it so!

I made one of my all-time favorite recipes for dinner last night.  I haven't made it since last summer, and was so ready for some of this deliciousness!  I've made this dish off and on for several years now, and yes, I've made it during several beach vacations as well.  It's a crowd-pleaser and the leftovers are good too (which, admittedly, I had for lunch today.)  I add in corn on the cob, halved, and it works wonderfully with the shrimp.  Serve it with some hot French bread to soak up the juices and you're all set.  Be sure to try it out!

Beach Shrimp (adapted, Southern Living)

Ingredients

3 pounds unpeeled, large raw shrimp

3 ears of white or yellow sweet corn, halved

1 (16-oz.) bottle Italian dressing

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 lemons

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup butter, cut up

Preparation

1. Place first 4 ingredients in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish, tossing to coat. Squeeze juice from lemons over shrimp mixture, and stir. Add lemon and corn halves to pan. Sprinkle evenly with parsley; dot with butter.
2. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Serve in pan.  (*3 lb. frozen peeled, large raw shrimp, thawed according to package directions, may be substituted. Prepare recipe as directed, reducing pepper to 1/2 tsp)

Oven Chicken Risotto

Hi friends!  So, I have to apologize for not posting in a couple weeks.  Frankly, some things came up and I got lazy.  I'll attempt to compensate and post a few good recipes for you to try this week!

This dish is one that has been in my dinner rotation for a couple years now.  It's a snap to make, and filling and fresh at the same time.  And what's not to love about the classic tomato/basil/fresh mozzarella combo?!  Using a rotisserie chicken from the deli is a time saver, but if you don't have it, just cook up some chicken at home and it will still taste as good.  Other than that, I don't make any changes to this one.

Oven Chicken Risotto (Southern Living)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice (short-grain)
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped deli-roasted chicken
• 1 (8-oz.) package fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup shredded fresh basil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish; bake 5 minutes or until melted. Stir in broth and next 3 ingredients.
2. Bake, covered, at 400° for 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in chicken, mozzarella, and tomatoes; sprinkle with shredded basil. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

What's for Lunch? Cranberry-Apple Chicken Salad

Now that I'm home during the day with Aubrey, lunch-making is no longer the mad dash it used to be while getting everyone ready in the morning.  That's not to say that he doesn't still eat his fair share of lunch meat (although, I think he would be perfectly happy to have a turkey and cheese sandwich every day!) but I now have more time to get creative with lunch.

After a morning at the beach, I just wasn't feeling our usual lunch routine, so I threw together some chicken salad using ingredients I already had at home, and that packed in some extra nutrition through fruit.  I looked over several chicken salad recipes to figure out the mayo/spices combo to use, and this is what I ended up with.  We both enjoyed it, and I will definitely make this again.  It would make a great chicken salad to serve at parties too!

Cranberry-Apple Chicken Salad

Ingredients

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup peeled and diced Red Delicious Apple

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Stir together chicken and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Mile- High Quiche

Hi friends!  I wanted to share my quiche recipe with you because it's a great dinner alternative.  It also saves well in the refrigerator, so you can easily re-heat for lunch later in the week.  This is my version of a Quiche Lorraine, with some extra veggies added in there for good measure.  I call it the "Mile- High" quiche because it is packed full and will almost overflow your pie crust.  You may want to use your 11-inch deep dish pie plate for this one!

Meredith's Mile- High Quiche

 Ingredients

•  6 large eggs
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 c. chopped fresh baby spinach
• 1 large yellow onion, diced and sauteed
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1 1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese
• Refrigerated pie crust
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine eggs, cream, and salt and pepper in a food processor until well blended.
3. Layer onion, tomato, spinach, bacon and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust.  Top with egg mixture.
4. Bake 35-40 minutes until egg mixture is set.

*DO use the food processor... it adds air into the egg mixture, which will make it lighter and fluffier. 

Girly Grillin'... Burgers and Bacon

Holy Moses, am I excited about this post!  Yes, I like to cook healthy foods, but this would not be the "southern spoon" without a little bacon.  Please.  However, there are a couple ways you can make some dinner basics healthier and much less boring.

As you already know, I love avocado.  Thankfully avocados grow in abundance here, so they are one of the only grocery items that can be bought in Hawaii without having to mortgage my house.  They also pack a lot of nutrition and healthy fats, so they have become a produce staple at our house. 

As you probably do, we have burgers for dinner every so often.  If you want to take the boring out of burgers (ie. iceberg lettuce, ketchup, mustard, blah...), put your burger on a bakery-style kaiser roll, top with leafy field greens (healthier, more antioxidants), a slice of tomato, and a thick slice of avocado.  Spread some aioli sauce (garlicky French mayonnaise) on the top bun, and enjoy your tres chic and healthier burger!  Here's a recipe for a basic aioli sauce:

Aioli Sauce (from www.easy-french-food.com)

Ingredients

1 clove garlic

2 pinches salt

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Cut the ends off of the garlic, peel it, and either chop it or put it through a garlic press.
2. Put the garlic in a mortar and pestle with the salt and grind it into a paste.
3. In a heavy mixing bowl (one that won't scoot across the counter as you're mixing with one hand and pouring with the other), whisk (you can use an electric whisk) the egg yolks, lemon juice, and garlic mixture together until well combined, about one minute.
4. Start adding the olive oil, drop by drop, whisking all the while. You can add it a bit faster as you go along, but as with mayonnaise, the key to success is going very slowly at the start. When you are done adding the oil you can adjust the seasoning as suits your taste.

As for the bacon element of this post, jazz up a standard BLT with a slice of avocado and aioli sauce instead of plain mayo.  So much better!




Stuffing my face with a BLT at the Waimea Farmers' Market... local bacon, homemade "malasada style" Kaiser roll, aioli sauce.  The only thing that would have made it better is some yummy avocado!


And of course, it wouldn't be burger night without fries to go with it.  If you have 5 minutes to spare, please please please do not buy the frozen french fries!  Pick up a bag of new potatoes (the small red ones) and make my recipe for Roasted Parmesan-Rosemary Potatoes.  I make these every time... delicious and significantly less sodium and fat than freezer fries.

Roasted Parmesan-Rosemary Potatoes (Meredith's version)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs new potatoes, quartered
• Olive oil
• Rosemary (fresh or dried)
• Grated parmesan
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Place quartered potatoes in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat with olive oil, rosemary, grated parmesan and a dash of coarse Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  (This is to taste... you probably will only need a couple tablespoons of each.... just eyeball it.)
2. Spread potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, or until brown and tender.  Stir at the halfway point.