Marinated Pork Kebabs

This recipe was in our local paper yesterday. I made it for dinner tonight. I modified it a little. It was very tasty. I served it with rice pilaf. I wish I would have taken a picture. They looked very tasty also.

MARINATED PORK KEBABS

1 lb. pork loin, cut into bite size chunks

8 oz. mini-portobello mushrooms

1 large sweet onion, cut into chunks

1 large red pepper, cut into chunks

1 large green pepper, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons rosemary

2 teaspoons thyme

3 cloves garlic, minced

Thread the pork, mushrooms and vegetables on skewers. Mix marinade ingredients together. Put kebabs and marinade in gallon size Ziploc bags. Marinate for at least 2 hours. Grill on medium heat appx. 7 minutes per side until meat is done. 4 servings.

Raspberry/ Blueberry Pie Bars

I found this recipe (click on link below) on Pinterest last night. I let the ladies at a shower this morning be the guinea pigs for it. It was actually very good. I didn't have blackberries so I added 4 1/2 cups of raspberries and 1 1/2 cups of blueberries instead. I'm pretty sure any fruit would work. I used almond extract as I didn't have lemons. I loved the almond flavoring in these!

http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2011/07/blackberry-pie-bars.html

Blueberry Pecan Coffee Cake

I was at a garage sale several years ago and a lady was selling a cookbook she published, called Berried Treasures, A Blueberry Raspberry Cookbook. This recipe is from that book. I brought it to a shower recently and decided to add a glaze just to pretty it up. The recipe calls for lemon peel and as I didn't have a lemon I just added about 1 teaspoon or so of lemon juice.

BLUEBERRY PECAN COFFEE CAKE

Topping:

¼ cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter

¼ cup finely chopped pecans

Cake:

1 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup sour cream

2/3 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350˚. Butter a spring form pan. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the pecans. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, lemon peel and butter until light and pale, about 1 minute. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture in 2 batches alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the sour cream. Fold in blueberries. Spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle with topping. Bake 25-35 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack about 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and remove pan sides.

Optional glaze:

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 ½ tablespoons milk

½ teaspoon vanilla

Mix and drizzle on cake.

Almost Big Boy Slim Jim

My sister Maria gave me this recipe for a Big Boy Slim Jim sauce. I made them last night with left over ham.

1 cup mayo
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish (I chopped up dill pickle)
2 tablespoon dill pickle juice

Mix ahead and let be in fridge awhile if possible. (I often don't.)

Hoagie Buns
Ham
swiss cheese
tomato
lettuce

Brown ham. I prefer regular left over ham, not lunch meat.

I heat a frying pan and liberally grease it with butter. Then put the hoagie bun face down and lightly brown. Flip bun over on frying pan and spread Big Boy sauce on bottom (or both) sides of bun. Layer ham, swiss cheese, tomato and lettuce. Close bun and flatten with spatula. Serve and demolish!

Banana Split Cake

BANANA SPLIT CAKE

1 ½ cup Nilla Wafers, Crushed Finely

1-¼ cup Sugar, Divided

⅓ cups Butter Or Margarine Melted

16 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

28 ounces, weight Crushed Pineapples, Well Drained

4 whole Bananas

2 cups Cold Milk

5-½ ounces, weight Instant Vanilla Pudding

2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

¼ cups Powdered Sugar

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1 cup Chopped Pecans

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan. Beat together remaining sugar and cream cheese until well mixed. Carefully spread over cookie crust. Top with pineapple. Slice bananas and layer over the pineapple.

In another bowl mix together cold milk and vanilla pudding and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together whipping cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Remove 1 cup of whipped cream and mix into the pudding. Layer pudding over the bananas.

Spread remaining whipped cream over the pudding and sprinkle with pecans. Chill for 5 hours before serving.

I made this dessert today at work. I got it from tastykitchen.com. It was so good. I did a few changes. I didn't have vanilla wafers so I used graham crackers instead. I also used only 1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple. I also used 2% milk instead of cream. Instead of whipping cream and adding powdered sugar and vanilla, I just used Cool Whip.

Sweet Mustard BBQ Pork Chops

I found this recipe online. Can't remember exactly where. (Kohler Created, maybe) I made them at work and plan to make them tonight for supper. They were delish!!! Just don't over cook them. Maybe 6-7 minutes per side on medium heat.

Sweet Mustard BBQ Pork Chops

4 1-1/4 inch thick pork chops
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

Combine brown sugar, honey, dijon mustard, lemon juice, soy sauce and garlic in a bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves.

Place pork chops in ziplock bag. Pour marinade over pork shops; seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally.

Sprinkle chops with pepper. Grill pork chops about 5-7 minutes per side.

BLT Pizza

One of the girls at work mentioned that she was going to pick up a BLT Pizza for one of the residents to try. I told her that I could probably make one and found a recipe from Taste of Home. It was excellent.

Here it is: www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/BLT-Pizza

Hawaiian Chicken

HAWAIIAN CHICKEN

½ cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz. each)

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon bouillon granules

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1 can (20 oz.) unsweetened sliced pineapple

½ cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 medium green pepper, cut into rings

Hot cooked rice

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time and shake to coat. In a skillet, brown chicken in oil. Transfer to a greased 9 x 13-inch pan.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, bouillon and ginger. Drain pineapple into a 2-cup measuring cup; set pineapple aside. Add enough cold water to juice to measure 1 ¼ cups. Stir in vinegar and soy sauce. Gradually whisk into sugar mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Pour sauce over chicken; top with green pepper and reserved pineapple. Bake, uncovered, at 350˚ for 20-30 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 170˚. Serve over rice.

I made this the other day at work. I got it from Taste of Home. If I knew how, I'd just put a link to this recipe but since I don't, I had to type it. It was really tasty. I used crushed pineapple as that is what I had and will probably use it again instead of the rings. I also chopped up the green pepper. (It's a bit sweet so you could cut down on the sugar.)

Rueben Soup

I made this soup a couple weeks ago. As usual, it is from tasteofhome.com. It was excellent but a bit rich. I think next time I will do half milk and half cream or maybe even all milk. It was even better on the second day!

RUEBEN SOUP

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 cups chopped cooked corned beef
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Rye croutons, optional

Directions

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Add broth and baking soda. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Reduce heat. Add sauerkraut, cream and corned beef; simmer and stir for 15 minutes. Add cheese; heat until melted. Add salt and pepper. Garnish with croutons if desired. Yield: about 6 servings.

Baked Oatmeal

I'm hooked on this breakfast. It's from our family cookbook, Sara's recipe. I make a half of recipe for a 9 x 9 pan. Then I warm up a piece for breakfast every morning and add a couple handfuls of frozen wild blueberries. Yum!!

Baked Oatmeal

1 cup olive oil (can use melted butter or applesauce) (I use half olive oil and half melted butter.)
1 1/2 cup sugar (can reduce, I didn't)
4 eggs
6 cups oatmeal (I used Old Fashioned)
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups milk

Combine all ingredients. Pour into greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with fresh fruit.

Can refrigerate overnight before baking. Recipe can be halved.

Earthquake Cake

Hold those diets......This cake is to die for. I got this recipe via face book from my Dad's sister Ellen Y. I've made it twice at work. I have yet to make it at home. Danny says he wants Earthquake Cake for his birthday. He's never had it but he's heard me talk about it.

EARTHQUAKE CAKE RECIPE (auntie Ellen Y)

1 chocolate (fudge) cake mix

1 cup nuts, chopped

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

¾ cups chocolate chips, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Put nuts in bottom of greased 9 x 13 pan. Mix cake mix according to box directions and pour over nuts. Mix cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls all over cake. Drizzle the chocolate chips over cream cheese layer. Bake at 350˚ for 45 minutes.

FROSTING:

1 small box of instant chocolate pudding

1 cup milk

1 8-ounce cool whip

Beat with spoon the pudding and milk until thickened. Fold in cool whip. Spread on cooled cake. Store in refrigerator.

Chicken Parmigiana (Pioneer Woman)

I've been thinking I really have to start eating healthier and maybe shed a few pounds so what do I do? I go on Pioneer Woman's site and just printed some "low fat" recipes like, "Muffins That Taste Like Donuts" and "Creme Brulee". I did make the following recipe from her site last week. It was very good and the leftovers even better. I think next time I will cut the chicken in bite size pieces before I flour and brown them.

Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients

• 4 whole (up To 6) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Trimmed And Pounded Flat
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• ½ cups Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ¾ cups Wine (white Or Red Is Fine)(I used chicken broth)
  
• 3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• ¼ cubes Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 pound Thin Linguine

Preparation Instructions

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate.
Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.

At this time, you can start a pot of water for your pasta. Cook linguine until al dente.

Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.

Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. Allow wine to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.

Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated Parmesan. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.

Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.

Grape Salad

I received this recipe from my friend Colleen. Unfortunately, I can't stop eating it.

GRAPE SALAD

2 lbs grapes (I used half red and half green)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 16 oz. sour cream
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Combine softened cream cheese with sour cream and sugars.
Fold in grapes and nuts, save a few tablespoons nuts for garnishing.

Serve well chilled.

Potluck Chicken Casserole

I made this casserole at work today. I was actually surprised how tasty it was. I'm not a fan of casserole's but I will definitely make this again. Instead of corn flakes on top, I used Ritz cracker crumbs.

Potluck Chicken Casserole Recipe

Photo by: Taste of Home

• Prep: 25 min. Bake: 30 min.
• 8-10 servings
  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 4 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 3 cups cooked long grain rice
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup coarsely crushed cornflakes

Directions

• In a large saucepan, saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat; stir in mayonnaise until smooth.
• Add the chicken, rice, celery, peas, pimientos, lemon juice, salt and pepper; mix well. Transfer to an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Melt remaining butter; toss with cornflakes. Sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 397 calories, 23 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 72 mg cholesterol, 512 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 20 g protein.

Potluck Chicken Casserole published in Taste of Home October/November 1996, p37